Face Editor

Face Editor Overview

The Face Editor allows you to customize the faces of your enclosure using standard editing tools for creating cutouts, silkscreens, exclusions zones, and construction lines.

File:Window-faceeditor-labels.png

Face Editor Window

A. Standard Toolbar

Contains common commands such as Cut Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo, as well as zoom and grid related commands.

B. Drawing Toolbar

Contains tools to draw shapes, add text, and add images to the face.

C. Viewport

Working area that shows a 2D view of your enclosure face.

D. Status bar

Displays the currently selected view, X- and Y coordinates of the pointer, side of face showing (outside or inside), and the name of the face.

E. Help pane

Displays contextual help that changes based on the selected drawing tool.

F. Properties pane

Displays properties that can be changed for the selected object.

Viewing the face

Pan model

To Pan the face, do one of the following.

Method 1

• In the viewport, click the wheel button and drag to pan the model to the desired location.

Method 2

1. On the Standard Toolbar, click Pan.
2. In the viewport, left-click and drag to pan the model to the desired location.

Method 3

1. Press and hold the Alt key.
2. In the viewport, right-click and drag to pan the model to the desired location.

Zoom model

To Zoom in or out, do one of the following:

Method 1

• Rotate the wheel button forward or backward.

Method 2

1. On the Standard Toolbar (or on the View menu), click Zoom In or Zoom Out.
2. Click within the viewport to incrementally zoom the model in or out.

Method 3

1. On the Standard Toolbar, click Zoom In.
2. Drag a diagonal selection within the viewport to zoom in to a desired area of the model.

Note: The model moves toward the mouse pointer when zooming out and away from the mouse pointer when zooming in.

Reset view

The Reset View command displays the face in the centre of the viewport at its original zoom level.

Do one of the following:

Method 1

• On the Standard Toolbar, click Reset View.

Method 2

• On the View menu, click Reset Zoom to display the model in its original orientation.

Coordinate System

The origin in the Face Editor is located at the absolute coordinate system of the model. The x- and y-coordinates for each face are referenced from the absolute origin and always increase moving away from the origin. The figure below shows examples of the coordinate system for several faces on a U-Shape enclosure.

Face Editor Coordinate System

Drawing shapes

Select the drawing mode

Selecting a drawing mode changes the type of objects created using the drawing tools as follows:

Cutouts

Cutout drawing mode allows you to draw shapes on your enclosure for accommodating connectors, switches, ports, etc. You can also draw custom shapes to create cutout logos and images.

Silkscreen

Silkscreen drawing mode allows you to draw shapes, images, and text on your enclosure for labelling or adding logos and product identifier graphics.

Exclusion

Exclusion drawing mode allows you to add shapes to your enclosure to mark areas where other objects cannot be added.

Construction

Construction drawing mode allows you to draw shapes on your enclosure for use as reference when creating cutouts, silkscreen or exclusion zones, as well as when placing hardware. Template:Procedure

Draw circles

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes. Template:Procedure

Draw ellipses

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes. Template:Procedure

Draw rectangles

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes. Template:Procedure

Draw squares

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes.

Draw custom paths

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes. Template:Procedure

To create an arc using the Path tool. Template:Procedure

Draw lines

Available in Cutout , Silkscreen , Exclusion and Construction drawing modes. Template:Procedure

Add text

Available in Silkscreen drawing mode only.

Note: Selecting the Image Tool will switch the drawing mode to Silkscreen, regardless of the current drawing mode.

Add images

Available in Silkscreen drawing mode only.

Note: Selecting the Image Tool will switch the drawing mode to Silkscreen, regardless of the current drawing mode.

Note: Colors are automatically adjusted to match stock Protocase silkscreen colors.

Measure distances

Use the Measure tool to determine the distance between two points on objects or anywhere on the face. {{Procedure|

1. On the Drawing toolbar, select the Measure tool.
2. On the Properties panel, do one of the following:
   • Click Snap to force measurements from key points on objects (e.g. corners and centres)
   • Click Free to allow measurements from any point
3. Click to place the start point.
4. Click to place the end point. The x, y, and total distances are displayed on the Properties panel.
5. Continue measuring distances and select the Edit tool when you are done.
   
   

File:Window-faceeditor-ushape-measure.png

Measuring distance between objects

Using the Grid

The grid is useful to help accurately place and align objects.

Turn on/off the Grid

Note: Snap to Grid option is automatically enabled when the grid is turned on.

Grid on with 2 in width and height

Change Grid Size and Offset

Note: If you change the Grid Size and do not check Save as Default Grid Size, the grid will revert back to the default size after closing the Face Editor Window, even if you re-open the same face.

Grid with 2 in width and height, 1 in Offset Width and Offset Height

Changing object properties

Properties Pane for circle silkscreen

Properties Pane for text silkscreen

Fill

Applies to silkscreen and construction objects including circles, ellipses, rectangles, and paths.

• Select the check box to fill in the object. The line thickness option is not available when the check box is selected.

Line Thickness

Applies to silkscreen and construction objects including circles, ellipses, rectangles, paths, and lines. Also applies to lines of all object types.

• Select a value from the list below the Filled check box.

Color

Applies to silkscreen objects including circles, ellipses, rectangles, paths, lines, and text.

• Select a color from the Color menu.
• Refer to Stocked Silkscreening Colors for a list of available colours.

Type

Applies to all objects.

• Change the object type by selecting a different type from the list.
• Object types include:

Cutout

Silkscreen

Exclusion

Construction

Origin

Applies to all objects.

• Change the location of the X and Y origins with respect to the absolute coordinate system.
• Enter a number and press the Tab key to accept.
• The origin of an object is indicated by a red square.
• [image]
• The origin for each object is determined as follows:

Circles—centre

Ellipses—centre

Rectangles—corner closes to the absolute origin

Text—bottom left corner

Paths—start point

Lines—start point

Images—bottom left corner

Size

Applies to all objects (options displayed depend on object selected).

• All values use the default Display Units, unless otherwise specified. See Preferences [add link] to change the default Display Units.

Circles

• Radius, Diameter—Changing one of these properties will automatically update the other. Diameter is twice the radius.

Ellipses

• RadiusX—Radius along X-axis (defines horizontal length).
• RadiusY—Radius along Y-axis (defines vertical length).

Rectangles

• Width, Height—Width and Height of the object.
• Rotation—Angle with respect to origin in degrees. Positive value rotates object clockwise and negative value rotates object counter-clockwise

Text

• Rotation—Angle with respect to origin in degrees. Positive value rotates object clockwise and negative value rotates object counter-clockwise
• Font—Change the font to Arial, Courier, Garamond, Avant Garde, Times New Roman, Palatino, or Bookman.
• Font Size—Change the font size within the available range of 7–99.
• Font Style—Change the font style to Regular, Bold, Bold Italic, or Italic.
• Text—Change the text to appear on the face. Press the Tab key to accept.

Path

• Rotation—Angle with respect to origin in degrees. Positive value rotates object clockwise and negative value rotates object counter-clockwise

Lines

• Length—Distance from origin to end point.

Images

• Width, Height—Width and height of the object.
• Rotation—Angle with respect to origin in degrees. Positive value rotates object clockwise and negative value rotates object counter-clockwise

Adding built-in cutouts

Protocase Designer® also offers a variety of built-in cutouts that you can add to your enclosure.

To quickly place an existing item from the cutout library: Template:Procedure

Note: You can also open the Cutout Library window to perform more tasks such as creating or editing cutouts. On the Cutout Library and Fasteners menu, click Cutout Library. See Cutout Library for further information.

Adding custom cutouts

You can add custom cutouts from the Cutout Library using the same method as adding built-in cutouts. See #Adding_built-in_cutouts

• The Cutout Library and Fasteners menu contains all the items in the Cutout Library.
• See Cutout Library for details on creating custom cutouts in the Cutout Library window.

Adding hardware

You can easily add hardware on your enclosure to accommodate various components, such as self-clinching fasteners to mount a PCB or handles. Protocase uses common PEM® brand self-clinching fasteners.

Manipulating objects

Move object(s)

To move a single object:Template:Procedure

To move several objects:Template:Procedure

Align and distribute objects

You can arrange objects on a face using the Alignment and Distribute commands. Template:Procedure
Alignment
Align Origins of Objects Vertically
Align Tops of Objects
Align Centers of Objects Vertically
Align Bottoms of Objects

Align Origins of Objects Horizontally
Align Left Sides of Objects
Align Centers of Objects Horizontally
Align Right Sides of Objects

Notes:

• Objects align to first object selected
• When using the selection marquee, objects align to the last object created.

Objects with bottoms aligned and centers distributed evenly

Distribute
Distribute Origins Vertically
Distribute Space Vertically
Distribute Distance Between Tops
Distribute Centers Vertically
Distribute Bottoms of Objects

Distribute Origins Horizontally
Distribute Space Horizontally
Distribute Left Sides of Objects
Distribute Centers Horizontally
Distribute Right Side of Objects

Cut, Copy, and Paste objects

Use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands to easily create multiple copies of objects. Template:Procedure

Undo and Redo actions

Note: You can Undo or Redo multiple times by repeatably selecting Undo or Redo.

Exporting a Face and Silkscreen Templates

Export Face

You can export an image file (png format) of a face for use in presentations or to review the design. Template:Procedure

Export/Import Silkscreen Template

You can export an image file (png format) of a face to create a silkscreen template for editing in a 3rd party image program and importing back onto a face as a silkscreen image. Template:Procedure

Face Editor Preferences

You can change several parameters for controlling the Face Editor functionality. Template:Procedure