Performing Menu Commands

To use the menus to choose a window layout

1. Click the Layouts menu to open the menu.
   NoteNotice the arrow next to the All Windows command. This means there are suboptions for this command:

   

2. Click the All Windows command to open the submenu, then click the All Windows option.

   

   The All Windows command arranges view windows in the following layout: Top, Left, Back, and Perspective.

   

   These tutorials sometimes refer to menu options by the path through the menus to the item. So, All Windows is: Layouts > All Windows > All Windows .

   As an alternative to the single-click method, you can use the pull-down menus by dragging the mouse down the menu and releasing on the option you want.

Changing the background gradient style

By default, windows appear with a linear background gradient. To change the gradient style:

1. Select Preferences > General Preferences ❒
2. Click Model Windows on the left and set the Background gradient style option to one of:
   • None – The window background displays with no gradient.
   • Linear – The window background displays with a gradient that is darker at the top than the bottom (default).
   • Centered – The window background displays with a centered gradient that is lighter in the middle.

The Active Window

Notice one of the view windows has a white border. This is how Alias indicates the active view window (sometimes also called the current view window).

The active view window is always the last view window you clicked in.

Some tools change behavior based on which view is active, but for now you can disregard which view window is active.

Window Controls

Use these controls on the borders of view windows to move, close, and resize the window:

The view windows have more controls across the top, but for now, concentrate on the close box, title bar, maximize, and resize corners.

You will discover the functions of the other icons later in the tutorials.

Closing Windows

To close the Top view using the close box

• Find the close box in the upper left corner of the Top view window.

  

• Click the Top view window close box.

  

  The Top view window disappears.

Resizing Windows

You can change the size of windows using the resize arrows at each corner.

To change the size of a view window using the resize arrows and maximize box

1. Find the resize arrows in the corners of a view window.

   

2. Drag a resize arrow to change the size of the window. An outline of the view window follows the mouse.

   

3. Release the mouse button. The corner of the window snaps to the new size.
4. Try dragging the resize corners in the other corners to see how they resize the window.
   • To work in one large window to see more detail, use the maximize box to temporarily make the view window fill the entire screen.
5. Find the maximize box in the upper right corner of a view window.

   

6. Click the maximize box of the view window.

   

   The view expands to fill the entire screen.

   Notice that the maximize box changes to black to show the window is maximized.

7. Click the maximize box again to return the view window to normal size.

   

Moving Windows

To move and arrange the remaining windows

1. Find a view window’s title bar.

   The title bar is the area at the top of the window, between the close box and the other icons on the right.

2. Drag the title bar. An outline of the view window follows the mouse.

   

3. Release the mouse button. The window snaps to the new location.
4. By now you probably have some view windows overlapping other windows, similar to this:

   

   The windows are like a stack of papers on a desk. As you shuffle them, they can overlap.

   

   When windows overlap like this, you can click in a window to move that window to the front of the stack.

5. Click the title bar of the Perspective view window to move it in front of the other windows.

   

   The windows are probably a little disorganized at this point. Quickly reset them to a default layout using the commands in the Layout menu again.

6. Choose Layouts > All Windows > All Windows .

Saving an arrangement of windows

If you have a particular choice of windows that you plan to use repeatedly, you can save the set by choosing Layouts > User Windows > Save Current Layout . You are prompted for a file name. To use this layout in the future, choose Layouts > User Windows > Retrieve Layout .