User's Guide - Graphical User Interface: Menus, Options, and the Message Window

## Chapter 8. Graphical User Interface: Menus, Options, and the Message Window

Partial Table-of-Contents

- 8.1 Using the Primary Window Pull-Down Menus and Options
- VPE Window Menu Bar
- Control Panel Menu Bar
- Image Window Menu Bar
- Colormap Menu Bar
- Menu Bar Menu Bar
- Message Window Menu Bar
- 8.2 Using the Message Window

  ## 8.1 Using the Primary Window Pull-Down Menus and Options

  This section provides illustrations of the primary windows with explanations of the pull-down menu options on their menu bars. The discussions include:

  - "VPE Window Menu Bar"
  - "Control Panel Menu Bar"
  - "Image Window Menu Bar"
  - "Colormap Menu Bar"
  - "Menu Bar Menu Bar"
  - "Message Window Menu Bar"
  The Sequencer and Help primary windows have no pull-down options, so they are not discussed here. See "Using the Sequencer" for information about the Sequencer, and 5.3 , "Using Online Help" for information on the Help window and Help menu options.

  ### VPE Window Menu Bar

  The menu bar displays the titles of seven menus:

  - File
  - Edit
  - Execute
  - Windows
  - Connection
  - Options
  - Help.
  The following sections describe the menus and their options. For many of the menu options, one or more tools on the canvas must be selected in order for the option to be applied. If a menu option is grayed out, it is unavailable and cannot be selected.

  #### VPE File Menu

  The `File` menu displays the options you can use to create new programs, view or edit previously created programs, load macros, and save programs. You must have write permission for a file to save changes directly to that file.

  The following options appear on the `File` menu:

  New | Initializes the VPE for a new program and clears the canvas. If you have opened Control Panels and Image windows from the VPE, they are closed. If a program you changed but did not save currently exists on the canvas, a dialog box appears so you can save changes. If you opened the VPE using `Open Macro` or `Open Visual Program Editor`, this option is grayed out.
  Open Program... | Opens an existing visual program. A dialog box appears for you to specify the desired program name. If a program you changed but did not save currently exists on the canvas, a dialog box appears asking if you want to save changes. If you opened the VPE using `Open Macro`, this option is grayed out. See "File Selection Dialog Boxes" for more information.
  Recent Programs | Brings up a cascade menu with the recently opened visual programs. Select one of the choices to open the respective network.
  Save Program | Saves the current visual program, and associated Control Panels. This option saves the following files: filename`.net` (for network; that is, a Data Explorer visual program); filename`.cfg` (for configuration).
  Save Program As... | Saves the current visual program and all associated Control Panels under a name you type into the dialog box. This option saves the following files: filename`.net` (for network; that is, a Data Explorer visual program), filename`.cfg` (for configuration).
  Program Settings | Brings up a cascade menu with two choices: `Save As` saves the current settings for the visual program (e.g., window placement, interaction mode, camera viewpoint, interactor setup, etc. The settings are saved in a `.cfg` file. `Load` loads previously saved settings from a `.cfg` file.
  Load Macro... | Loads a macro and makes it available in a tools palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired macro file name. See also "Loading Macros"
  Load Module Definition(s)... | Loads a module definition and makes it available in a tool palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired module file name. The executable you are using must either include this module, or this module definition must refer to an outboard or run-time loadable module. See 9.2 , "Loading and Using Outboard and Runtime-Loadable Modules".
  Print Program... | Prints or saves to a file a representation of a visual program. If the `Label Set Input` toggle button is activated, then any parameter value(s) set in the configuration module's Configuration dialog box will also be printed next to the corresponding tab(s), if scale allows.
  Quit or Close | Closes all windows created from the current VPE window. If you have made changes since the last save, a dialog box appears so you can save changes. If you opened the VPE from the Image window or with the `Open Macro` option, `Close` appears as an option instead of `Quit`. `Quit` is grayed out if the `Execute` menu title is highlighted. You must select the `End Execution` option in the `Execute` pull-down menu; or if the Sequencer is running, you must stop it or pause before quitting.

  #### VPE Edit Menu

  The `Edit` menu lists options for manipulating tools on the canvas.

  Undo | Reverts the last performed action.
  Configuration... | Displays a Configuration dialog box for setting and changing the values of the selected tool. See "Entering Values in a Configuration Dialog Box".
  Find tool... | Opens a dialog box that lists the tools in the visual network displayed on the canvas. Double-click on the tool name (or type the name in the `Selection` field) to highlight the corresponding icon in the canvas. If the icon falls outside the canvas, the canvas will automatically scroll to display the part of the network in which it lies. See "Locating Tools: The Find Tool Dialog Box".
  Input/Output Tabs | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Add Input Tab | Adds input tabs to the selected tool.
  Remove Input Tab | Removes input tabs from the selected tool.
  Add Output Tab | Adds output tabs to the selected tool.
  Remove Output Tab | Removes output tabs from the selected tool.
  Reveal All Tabs | Reveals all tabs of the selected tool.
  Hide All Tabs | Hides all unconnected tabs of the selected tool.
  Assign Get/Set Scope | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Convert All Modules | Brings up a dialog which allows you to interactively change all of the Get and Set tools in your visual program to either the Local or Global variety.
  Set Selected Gets/Sets Local | Sets all of the selected Get and Set modules to the Local variety
  Set Selected Gets/Sets Global | Sets all of the selected Get and Set modules to the Global variety
  For additional information on the Get/Set tools see 4.6 , "Preserving Explicit State".
  Select/Deselect Tools | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Select All | Selects all tools on the canvas.
  Select Connected | Selects all tools connected to the currently selected tool.
  Select Unconnected | Selects all tools not connected to the currently selected tool.
  Select Upward | Selects all tools (modules) that directly or indirectly provide input to the selected tool.
  Select Downward | Selects all tools (modules) that directly or indirectly accept output from the currently selected tool.
  Deselect All | Deselects all selected tools.
  Select Unselected | Selects all unselected tools.
  Output Cacheability | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Optimize Cacheability | Uses a heuristic for automatically selecting the optimal cache setting for each module in a visual program.
  Set Output Cacheability | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Cache All Results | Caches all results of the selected tool(s)
  Cache Last Result | Caches only the last result of the selected tool(s)
  Cache No Results | Caches no results.
  Show Output Cacheability | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  All Results | Highlights all tools for which all results are cached
  Last Result | Highlights all tools for which only the last result is cached
  No Results | Highlights all tools for which no results are cached
  See "Cache Control: Executive".
  Delete | Deletes the selected tools and connections to other tools.
  Cut | Deletes the selected tools but places them into a buffer so they can be pasted.
  Copy | Copies the selected tools and places them into a buffer so they can be pasted.
  Paste | Pastes the tools from the buffer into a selected location
  Add Annotation | Adds annotation text to the canvas (see "Adding Annotation to a Visual Program").
  Insert Visual Program | Brings up a file selection dialog box for selecting a visual program. The selected program will be inserted to the right of all the tools in the current program.
  Create Macro | Creates a macro from the currently selected tools. See "Creating Macros" for more information.
  Page | Brings up a cascade menu with the following options:
  Create Empty Page | creates an empty page
  Create with Selected Tools | creates a new page containing the currently selected tools
  Delete | deletes the currently displayed page (available only if there is more than one page)
  Configure | brings up a dialog which allows you to specify the name of the page, specify whether or not the page is included in PostScript output (through the Print Program option of the File menu), and specify the tab position of the page.
  Java | Brings up a cascade menu available only when the network has been saved with the following options:
  Add Tools | Adds a page to the network named "java tools" and sets up the control panels and Image modules to work with the Java applets.
  Remove Tools | Removes the "java tools" and reverts the network back to a non-Java Explorer based network.
  Save As Webpage | Saves a minimum of four new files within the same directory as the network that are used to construct the Java Explorer based network.
  Net To Applet | Save just the network as an applet without updating all the other webpage files.
  See 11, "Java Explorer" for more information.
  Macro Name ... | Displays a Configuration dialog box for naming a visual program as a macro. See "Creating Macros" for more information.
  Layout Graph | Rearranges a network on the current active page using a graph algorithm to organize its layout.
  Execution Groups... | Displays a dialog box for creating and modifying execution groups. (See 9.1 , "Using Distributed Computation".)
  Comment ... | Displays a dialog box for documenting the function of a visual program or macro. (See "Adding Comments to a Visual Program".)

  #### VPE Execute Menu

  You can use the `Execute` menu to execute the current visual program in various ways. This menu is the same as the `Execute` menus in control panels, the Image window, the Colormap Editor, and the Message window. The options in the `Execute` pull-down menu are grayed out when there is no connection to the server.

  The Execute menu lists the following options:

  Execute Once | Causes the visual program to execute only once, using current values and configuration settings. Subsequent interactor value changes do not cause program reevaluation until this command is reexecuted. This option is grayed out if the Sequencer is running.
  Execute on Change | Causes the visual program to execute each time a value or configuration setting is changed. If you are changing values faster than Data Explorer can generate images, the program executes as fast as possible, always using the current settings at the time an execution cycle begins. This option is grayed out if the Sequencer is running.
  End Execution | Causes the visual program to stop executing.
  Sequencer | Causes the Sequencer to display. This option is grayed out if there is no Sequencer in the visual program. While the Sequencer is running, you can change interactors, and those changes are reflected in subsequent frames. You can pause the Sequencer on a particular frame and explore that frame using the `Execute Once` and `Execute on Change` options. "Using the Sequencer" discusses the Sequencer in detail.

  While the visual program is executing, the `Execute` label in the menu bar is highlighted and remains so until execution is completed. If `Execute on Change` is selected, the `Execute` label in the menu bar is highlighted with one color during execution, and another color the rest of the time.

  For more information, see 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### VPE Windows Menu

  The `Windows` menu allows a user to open and create control panels, open previously defined macros included in the visual program, open the Image window, and open the Colormap Editor.

  These options appear on the `Windows` menu:

  New Control Panel | Opens a new Control Panel. If you have selected one or more interactor stand-ins on the VPE canvas, the new Control Panel contains those interactors. If you have not selected anything on the canvas, the panel is empty.
  Open Selected Control Panel(s) | Opens all Control Panels containing selected (highlighted) interactor stand-ins. Control Panels that are already open are unaffected.
  Open All Control Panels | Opens all the Control Panels for the current visual program.
  Open Control Panel by Name | Opens a cascade menu with the names of the existing control panels. Using this, you can open a particular control panel.
  Open Selected Macro(s) | Opens a VPE window containing the expanded representation of the selected macro icon. From this newly opened window, you can open the macros contained in the currently opened macro. You can repeat this operation until only modules are contained in the window. See "Using Macros in a Visual Program" for more information. This options is grayed out if no macro is selected.
  Open Selected Image Window(s) | Opens an Image window for each selected Display or Image tool icon in the current visual program. This option is grayed out if no Display or Image icons are selected.
  Open Selected Colormap Editor(s) | Opens a window where you can map colors and opacities to data values, the results of which are displayed in the visual image. This option is grayed out if a Colormap icon is not selected. Features of the Colormap Editor allow you to: Control the range of data values over which the mapping occurs. Select the colors and opacities that are mapped to that range of values. The Colormap Editor is discussed in detail in 6.3 , "Using the Colormap Editor".
  Open Message Window | Opens a window where you can access error and warning messages and working information about your execution. See 8.2 , "Using the Message Window".

  #### VPE Connection Menu

  The `Connection` menu lists the following options:

  Start Server | Connects the user workstation to the server. For more information, see 9.3 , "Connecting to the Server".
  Disconnect from Server | Disconnects the user workstation from the server.
  Reset Server | Flushes the cache, forcing the visual program to reaccess the data on the server the next time it executes. See "Resetting the Server".
  Execution Group Assignment... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to assign execution groups to specific machine host names. See "Assigning Execution Groups to Workstations".

  #### VPE Options Menu

  The `Options` menu allows you to customize tools and window features.

  The `Options` menu lists the following options:

  Tool Palettes | Toggles between displaying the tool palettes and not displaying them. You can also use the `Ctrl+T` accelerator key.
  Prevent Overlap | Toggles the option where dropping a module in the same space as an existing module ignores the request. This stops the feature where dropping a module will move an existing module out of the way.
  Control Panel Access... | Allows you to specify which controls panels and control panel groups are accessible from the VPE. (See "Control Panel Access, Groups, and Hierarchies".)
  Control Panel Groups... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to create, modify and delete control panel groups. (See "Control Panel Access, Groups, and Hierarchies".)
  Grid ... | Allows you to select the grid type you want to use on the canvas. A dialog box displays the choices. See "Customizing the VPE Window" for more information about the `Grid...` option.

  #### Help Menu

  The options in this menu are discussed in 5.3 , "Using Online Help".

  ### Control Panel Menu Bar

  The Control Panel menu bar (Figure 60) displays the names of six menus you can use within the Control Panel window:

  - File
  - Edit
  - Execute
  - Panels
  - Options
  - Help.
  The following sections describe the options available on these menus.

  #### Control Panel File Menu

  The `File` menu lists the following options:

  Close | Closes the current Control Panel.
  Close All Control Panels | Closes all control panels.

  #### Control Panel Edit Menu

  The `Edit` menu lists the options you can use to edit and delete interactors in the Control Panel.

  Set Style... | Allows you to change the type of selected interactors on the layout area. See "Changing the Interactor Style".
  Set Dimensionality... | Allows you to set the dimensionality of the selected interactors in the layout area. See "Changing the Interactor Dimensionality".
  Set Layout... | Allows you to set the layout of the selected interactors in the layout area. You can specify horizontal or vertical. See "Changing the Interactor Layout".
  Set Attributes... | for integer, scalar, and vector values, allows you to specify: The minimum and maximum limits for the interactor values The number of decimal places displayed for scalar values The increment of change in value when using stepper, slider, dial, or text style interactors Whether the specified increment applies to all instances of the interactor or is local to the current interactor. Vector interactors allow you to modify these attributes for each component of the vector. Specify that component to modify by changing the Component field at the top of the vector interactor's `Set Attributes` dialog box. You can also open the `Set Attributes` window by double clicking on the border area of the interactor inside the Control Panel. See "Setting Interactor Attributes" for detailed information.
  Set Label | Allows you to change the title of the interactor. See "Changing the Label on the Interactor".
  Delete | Deletes selected interactors.
  Add Element | Brings up a cascade menu with the choices `Label` and `Separator`. These can then be added to the control panel. See "Control Panels as Dialog Boxes".
  Add Selected Interactor(s) | Adds an interactor to the Control Panel for each stand-in that is selected in the VPE window. See "Adding Interactors to an Existing Control Panel".
  Show Selected Interactor(s) | Shows the relation between a selected interactor stand-in in the VPE and the interactors in the Control Panels. See "Locating Interactor Stand-ins".
  Show Selected Tool | Shows the relation between a selected interactor stand-in in a control panel and interactor stand-ins in the VPE.
  Comment... | Opens a dialog box with a text field. You can use this text field to document the use of the Control Panel. See "Adding Comments to a Control Panel".

  #### Control Panel Execute Menu

  This execute menu is identical to that of the Visual Program Editor window. See "VPE Execute Menu" for descriptions of the Execute options. See also 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### Control Panel Panels Menu

  The `Panels` menu allows you to open one or all existing control panels.

  The `Panels` menu has the following options:

  Open All Control Panels | Opens all existing control panels.
  Open Control Panel by Name | Opens a cascade menu, from which you can select the name of the control panel to open.

  #### Control Panel Options Menu

  The `Options` menu allows you to customize the Control Panel.

  The `Options` menu contains the following options:

  Change Control Panel Name... | Displays a dialog box where you can enter a new name for the current Control Panel.
  Control Panel Access... | Allows you to specify which control panels and control panel groups are accessible from the Control Panel's `Open All Control Panels` option under the `Windows` menu. See "Restricting Control Panel Access".
  Grid... | Allows you to select the grid type you want to use on the layout area. A dialog box displays the choices. See "Customizing the VPE Window" for more information about the `Grid...` option. See "Changing the Alignment of Interactors in the Control Panel".
  Dialog Style | Changes a control panel to "dialog style" (see "Control Panels as Dialog Boxes").
  Startup Control Panel | Allows you to specify whether the Control Panel is opened automatically when Data Explorer is started with the Image window or menu bar as the anchor window. See "Specifying a Startup Control Panel".

  #### Help Menu

  The options in this menu are discussed in 5.3 , "Using Online Help".

  ### Image Window Menu Bar

  The Image window menu bar displays the names of six menus:

  - File
  - Execute
  - Windows
  - Connection
  - Options
  - Help.

  #### Image Window File Menu

  The `File` menu displays the options you use to open, save, and close visual programs, and load macros.

  The `File` menu lists the following options:

  Open ... | Displays a dialog box for specifying a file path name to load a visual program or, if the path name ends in a directory, to show a list of visual programs in that directory. To select a program, click on the name. See "File Selection Dialog Boxes" for more information.
  Save Program | Saves the current visual program and associated Control Panels. This option saves the following files: filename`.net` (for network; that is, a Data Explorer visual program) and filename`.cfg` (for configuration). This option is grayed out unless Data Explorer was started in `-image` mode.
  Save Program As... | Saves the current visual program and all associated Control Panels under a name you type in the dialog box. This option saves the following files: filename`.net` (for network; that is, a Data Explorer visual program) and filename`.cfg` (for configuration). This option is grayed out unless Data Explorer was started in `-image` mode.
  Program Settings | Brings up a cascade menu with two choices: `Save As` saves the current settings for the visual program (e.g., window placement, interaction mode, camera viewpoint, interactor setup, etc. The settings are saved in a `.cfg` file. `Load` loads previously saved settings from a `.cfg` file.
  Load Macro... | Loads a macro for use, making it available in the tool palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired macro file name. See "Loading Macros".
  Load Module Definition(s)... | Loads a module definition for use, making it available in the tool palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired module file name. The executable you are using must also include this module. See 9.2 , "Loading and Using Outboard and Runtime-Loadable Modules".
  Save Image... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to save the image and specify the format, layout, resolution, and page size of the image. See "Saving an Image".
  Print Image... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to specify the format, layout, resolution, and page size of the print. See "Printing an Image".
  Close or Quit | Closes the Image window. If you opened the Image window from the VPE, `Close` appears is the option. If you started Data Explorer with the Image window as the anchor, `Quit` is the option. `Quit` is grayed out if the `Execute` menu title is highlighted. You must select the `End Execution` option in the `Execute` pull-down menu; or if the Sequencer is running, you must stop it or pause before quitting.

  #### Image Window Execute Menu

  This execute menu is identical to that of the Visual Program Editor window. See "VPE Execute Menu" for descriptions of the Execute options. See also 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### Image Window Windows Menu

  The `Windows` menu allows you to open a VPE window containing the program layout or the Control Panels associated with the visual program. All windows created from this Image window become its children. Quitting the Image window causes all of its child windows to close. Before the window closes, a dialog box appears to request confirmation.

  The `Windows` menu offers the following options:

  Open Visual Program Editor | Opens a VPE window containing the current visual program. This option is disabled if you have not loaded a visual program or if the VPE is the anchor window.
  Open All Control Panels | Opens all the Control Panels and macro Control Panels for the current visual program unless the macro Control Panels are already contained in another Control Panel. This option is disabled if you have not loaded a visual program.
  Open Control Panel by Name | Opens a cascade menu, from which you can select the name of the control panel to open.
  Open All Colormap Editors | Opens all the Colormap Editors for the current visual program. See 6.3 , "Using the Colormap Editor".
  Open Message Window | Opens the Message Window that displays error and warning information about your execution. See 8.2 , "Using the Message Window".

  #### Image Window Connection Menu

  The `Connection` menu allows you to monitor and control communication functions between the workstation and the server.

  The `Connection` menu lists the following options:

  Start Server... | Connects the user workstation to the server. For more information, see 9.3 , "Connecting to the Server".
  Disconnect from Server | Disconnects the user workstation from the server.
  Reset Server | Flushes the cache, forcing the visual program to reaccess the data on the server the next time it executes. See "Resetting the Server".
  Execution Group Assignment... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to assign execution groups to specific machine host names. See "Assigning Execution Groups to Workstations".

  #### Image Window Options Menu

  The `Options` menu provides the following options, which are available only when the Image tool is used in a visual program:

  View Control ... | Opens a dialog box with various view control options. For more information on this menu option, see "Controlling the Image: View Control...".
  Mode | Specify the View Control mode without opening the View Control Window.
  Undo | Returns to the view of the image that was displayed before the most recent action (effectively undoing the action). See "Restoring Images".
  Redo | Restores the view of the image that was displayed before the last `Undo` action. See "Restoring Images".
  Reset | Resets the camera to its initial position and direction. See "Restoring Images".
  AutoAxes... | Places axes around the image the next time you execute the visual program. See "AutoAxes...".
  Set Background Color... | Sets the background color of the image. See "Set Background Color...".
  Display Rotation Globe | Enables and disables the wire-framed globe display in many of the view control options. While the toggle button is pressed in, the globe display is enabled. See "Rotating the Object".
  Rendering Options... | Displays a dialog box, allowing you to choose hardware or software rendering options. See "Rendering Options...".
  Image Depth | Specifies the number of bits (8, 12 or 24) per color. See "Image Depth".
  Throttle... | Specifies the minimum number of seconds to display each frame. See "Changing the Rate of Frame Display: Throttle...".
  Change Image Name... | Opens a dialog box in that you can specify a new title for the Image window. See "Changing the Title of an Image Window".
  Control Panel Access... | Allows you to specify which control panels and control panel groups are accessible from the Image Window's `Open All Control Panels` option under the `Windows` menu. See "Control Panel Access...".

  #### Help Menu

  The options in this menu are discussed in 5.3 , "Using Online Help".

  ### Colormap Menu Bar

  The Colormap menu bar displays the name of five menus you can use:

  - File
  - Edit
  - Execute
  - Options
  - Help.

  #### Colormap File Menu

  The Colormap `File` menu provides the following options:

  New | Replaces Colormap Editor values with default values.
  Open... | Opens an existing Colormap as specified in the dialog box that appears. If a current Colormap is on display and changes have been made, a dialog box appears for applying wanted changes.
  Save As... | Saves the current Colormap configuration as the name typed into the dialog box that appears.
  Close | Closes the Colormap window.

  #### Colormap Edit Menu

  The Colormap `Edit` menu displays the options used to edit the current color map.

  The following options appear on the `Edit` menu:

  Undo | Returns an operation to its previous value. `Undo` retains a stack of 10 operations.
  Copy | Copies selected control points to a buffer so that they can be pasted to another field. See "Copying and Pasting Control Points".
  Paste | Pastes selected control points to a different field. See "Copying and Pasting Control Points".
  Use Application Default | If the Colormap Editor is data-driven, it is still possible to override its data-driven values by explicitly setting them in the Colormap Editor. The `Use Application Default` option restores the data-driven values. It generates a cascade menu with four suboptions:
  `Color (HSV) Map` | If a color map was provided to the color-map tab of the Colormap tool, and was subsequently modified by the user (i.e, adding, moving, or deleting control points), selection of this suboption restores the original color map.
  `Opacity Map` | If an opacity map was provided to the opacity tab of the Colormap tool, and was subsequently modified by the user (i.e, adding, moving, or deleting control points), selection of this suboption restores the original opacity map.
  `Minimum` | If the minimum was set either by a field passed to the data tab of the Colormap tool or by a value passed to or set for the `min` parameter of Colormap, and was subsequently modified by the user in the Colormap Editor, this suboption restores the original value.
  `Maximum` | If the maximum was set either by a field passed to the data tab of the Colormap tool or by a value passed to or set for the `max` parameter of Colormap, and was subsequently modified by the user in the Colormap Editor, this suboption restores the original value.
  `All` | Restores all values to their data-driven settings.
  `Minimum & Maximum` | Restores both the minimum and the maximum values of the original color map.
  Add Control Points... | Brings up a dialog box in which you can enter the exact numerical location for control points to be added as the data value and as the value for either the Hue, Saturation, Value, or Opacity area of the color map. See "Adding Control Points".
  Constrain Horizontal | Constrains the horizontal movement of all control points in all areas of the Colormap. See "Moving Control Points".
  Constrain Vertical | Constrains the vertical movement of all control points in all areas of the color map.
  Generate Waveforms | Displays a dialog box that allows you to select from a menu of waveforms. The waveforms can be applied to the full range of hue, saturation, value or opacity or to a selected range. See "Creating Waveforms".
  Delete Selected Control Points | Deletes selected control points in the selected area of the Colormap.
  Select All Control Points | Selects all the control points in the selected area of the Colormap.

  #### Colormap Execute Menu

  This execute menu is identical to that of the Visual Program Editor window. See "VPE Execute Menu" for descriptions of the Execute options. See also 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### Colormap Options Menu

  The Colormap Options menu displays the options used to edit the current color map.

  The Colormap `Options` menu lists the following options:

  Set Background Style to Checkerboard (or Stripes) | Changes the background bar from two vertical stripes to a checkerboard. Note: The opacity must be less than 1 to make this pattern visible.
  Axis Display | Allows you to choose between Ticks, Histogram, and Log(Histogram). See "Axis Display".
  Number of histogram bins... | Allows you to select the number of histogram bins. See "Axis Display".
  Display Control Point Data Value | Allows you to specify which control point values will be displayed. See "Display Control Point Values"
  Change Colormap Name | Sets the name of the Colormap Editor. See "Changing the name of the Colormap Editor".

  #### Help Menu

  The options in this menu are discussed in 5.3 , "Using Online Help".

  ### Menu Bar Menu Bar

  A menu bar is displayed as the anchor window when the user specifies the `-menubar` option on the command line to Data Explorer. The menu bar displays the titles of five menus:

  - File
  - Execute
  - Connection
  - Windows
  - Help.

  #### Menu Bar File Menu

  The `File` menu lists the following options:

  Open ... | Displays a dialog box for specifying a file path name to load a visual program or, if the path name ends in a directory, to show a list of visual programs in that directory. To select a program, click on the name. See "File Selection Dialog Boxes" for more information.
  Program Settings | Brings up a cascade menu with two choices: `Save As` saves the current settings for the visual program (e.g., window placement, interaction mode, camera viewpoint, interactor setup, etc. The settings are saved in a .cfg file. `Load` loads previously saved settings from a `.cfg` file.
  Load Macro... | Loads a macro for use, making it available in the tool palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired macro file name. See "Loading Macros".
  Load Module Definition(s)... | Loads a module definition for use, making it available in the tool palette. A file selection dialog box appears for you to specify the desired module file name. The executable you are using must also include this module. See 9.2 , "Loading and Using Outboard and Runtime-Loadable Modules".
  Quit | Closes the Menu Bar window

  #### Menu Bar Execute Menu

  This execute menu is identical to that of the Visual Program Editor window. See "VPE Execute Menu" for descriptions of the Execute options. See also 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### Menu Bar Connection Menu

  The `Connection` menu allows you to monitor and control communication functions between the workstation and the server.

  The `Connection` menu lists the following options:

  Start Server... | Connects the user workstation to the server. For more information, see 9.3 , "Connecting to the Server".
  Disconnect from Server | Disconnects the user workstation from the server.
  Reset Server | Flushes the cache, forcing the visual program to reaccess the data on the server the next time it executes. See "Resetting the Server".
  Execution Group Assignment... | Displays a dialog box that allows you to assign execution groups to specific machine host names. See "Assigning Execution Groups to Workstations".

  #### Menu Bar Windows Menu

  The `Windows` menu allows you to open a VPE window containing the program layout or the Control Panels associated with the visual program. All windows created from this Image window become its children. Quitting the Image window causes all of its child windows to close. Before the window closes, a dialog box appears to request confirmation.

  The `Windows` menu offers the following options:

  Open Visual Program Editor | Opens a VPE window containing the current visual program. This option is disabled if you have not loaded a visual program or if the VPE is the anchor window.
  Open All Control Panels | Opens all the Control Panels and macro Control Panels for the current visual program unless the macro Control Panels are already contained in another Control Panel. This option is disabled if you have not loaded a visual program.
  Open Control Panel by Name | Opens a cascade menu, from which you can select the name of the control panel to open.
  Open All Colormap Editors | Opens all the Colormap Editors for the current visual program. See 6.3 , "Using the Colormap Editor".
  Open Message Window | Opens the Message Window that displays error and warning information about your execution. See 8.2 , "Using the Message Window".

  #### Help Menu

  The options in this menu are discussed in 5.3 , "Using Online Help".

  ### Message Window Menu Bar

  The Message window menu bar displays the names of five menus:

  - File
  - Edit
  - Execute
  - Options
  - Help

  #### Message Window File Menu

  The Message window `File` menu provides the following options:

  Log... | Allows you to designate a file that will receive all subsequent messages displayed in the Message window.
  Save As... | Saves the current contents of the Message window to the file named in the dialog box that appears.
  Close | Closes the Message window.

  #### Message Window Edit Menu

  The Message window `Edit` menu displays the options used to edit the current Message window.

  The following options appear on the `Edit` menu:

  Next Error | Displays and highlights the next error in the Message window and highlights the tool that reported it.
  Previous Error | Displays and highlights the previous error in the Message window and highlights the tool that reported it.
  Clear | Clears the Message window.

  #### Message Window Execute Menu

  This execute menu is identical to that of the Visual Program Editor window. See "VPE Execute Menu" for descriptions of the Execute options. See also 5.4 , "Executing a Visual Program".

  #### Message Window Commands Menu

  The Message window `Commands` menu displays the options for running specific commands. The following options appear on the `Commands` menu:

  Debug Tracing | When enabled, displays instance numbers on each tool in a visual program (to distinguish between multiple instances of a tool) and turns on tracing in the message window so that as each module is run its name and instance number is displayed.
  Execute Script Command | Allows commands to be issued directly to the server (see Executive in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference).
  Show Memory Use | Displays the current memory usage (see Usage in IBM Visualization Data Explorer User's Reference).

  #### Message Window Options Menu

  The Message window `Options` menu displays the options used to edit the current Message window.

  The Message Window `Options` menu lists the following options: See also 8.2 , "Using the Message Window".

  Information Messages | Allows you to either display or not display Information messages.
  Warning Messages | Allows you to either display or not display Warning messages.
  Error Messages | Allows you to either display or not display Error messages.

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