Workspace layout

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The Workspace Layout Control Panel provides the tools for adjusting the worksets to user preferences.

 
     Worksets

The worksets are represented by folder icons in the left-hand treeview. Clicking on the '+' sign (or double-clicking the folder icon) opens the branch of the workset selected, displaying from - top to bottom - up to three Control panels, the Binding display panel, three status display (Multiselection) panels and Color control.

The following actions are possible on whole worksets:

• Change the name : click with the right-hand mouse button on a workset and select Edit label from the popup menu or click on the name and press Enter, type the new text when the label changes to an edit control.
• Copy a workset : click with the right-hand mouse button on a workset and select Copy from the popup menu, or press the Ins(ert) key.
• Delete a workset : click with the right-hand mouse button on a workset and select Delete from the popup menu, or press the Del(ete) key.
• Change the sequence of the worksets : click on a workset and drag it to another position.

To make a new workset, copy an existing workset. Remove any Control panels not needed (Delete), then drag new Control panels from the repository.

 
     Control-panel repository

The treeview on the right-hand side contains a list of all available Control panel (ones that can be inserted into worksets). The panels are separated according to user level (User, Expert, Supervisor) and availability depends on the user levels. Click on the '+' sign or double-click the 'user' icon to expand the particular repository. Control panels can be dragged from the repository into any existing workset.

 
     Control panels

The following actions are possible on Control panels:

• Delete a panel : click with the right-hand mouse button on the Control panel and select Delete from the popup menu, or click and the press the Del(ete) key.
• Change the sequence of panels : click on a panel and drag it to another position.
• Move a panel to another workset by dragging it from one workset into another (drop it on the folder icon).

 
     Color

When the Color icon of a workset is clicked, the right-hand side of the Workspace layout Control panel changes to the following:

Some of the items listed are standard Windows controls (Dialog, Edit box), other are specific to the Tecnai user interface (Message and Status). Note that Control panels fall under Dialog. The down buttons on the controls on the right-hand side give access to a (standard Windows) 16-color palette from which a color can be selected. An example of a (pretty awful) selection that differs from the default is:

In order to achieve some of these color adjustments the workset temporarily changes the default Windows color selection (if you change the window background - like the olive background in the picture above, other programs will display the same background when the colored workset is active).

Changing colors allows quick adjustment of the amount of light coming from the monitor (without having to fiddle with the monitor controls themselves). It is possible, for example to make a copy of an existing workset and then change the colors in the copy to dark colors for working in dim room lighting while the original could be used for a brighter environment.

 
     Control panels on top of other application in open area

In some cases settings in control panel flap-out must be set but the flap-out disappears behind another application (such as TIA - Tecnai Imaging & Analysis - or DigitalMicrograph). In that case checking Control panels on top of other application in open area will keep the control panel flap-out over the other application. Be aware that this can lead to some bizarre-looking effects due to the limitations of Windows (in positioning windows) and the fact that the on-top effect is applied only to control panels with flap-out. It can also be difficult to get back to the user interface as a whole (to get back, minimize other applications until the whole user interface is displayed). Use the feature when necessary but be aware of its effects.

Strange effects can occur when 'on-top' is enabled. Here two Tecnai control panels float over Microsoft Excel seemingly disconnected from the rest of the Tecnai user interface.

Page last modified on 03/27/01