← Meshbex CAD Explorer

Screen layout

Screen is divided into 5 sections. Each of these sections serves to the specific purpose.

hero ui

Pic. 1. Screen layout

Individual sections of the Meshbex

  1. Toolbar

  2. Scene outliner

  3. Basic view settings

  4. Mode and selection options

  5. Basic model statistic

  6. Axis orientation and SW info

  7. 3d Viewport

Toolbar

A set of tools for controlling and configuring the Meshbex app is available.

Meshbex toolbar

Pic. 2. Meshbex toolbar

Scene outliner

There is a set of tool for exploring the model hierarchie. If the scene outliner is opend and the user select any object in the viewport the particular object will be selected in the scene outliner as well, and vice versa if user select any object in the scene outliner, then the object is highlighted in the 3D viewport. There is a context menu assigneg to the each item of the three.

Scene outliner

Pic. 3. Scene outliner

Next there is search input - if user write any string, then only object coresponding to the string occure. There is replace button next to the search input. This button opens advanced dialog which can be used for bulk name replacement. Regular expression can be used in the replace dialog.

Bulk rename dialog

Pic. 4. Bulk rename dialog

Basic view settings

These buttons sit in the bottom-left corner of the 3D viewport. They are quick controls for showing measurements and annotations, switching fullscreen, and cutting a section through the model — without opening the View or Tools panels.

  • Show measurement (↔) - Shows or hides distance measurements, angle measurements, and 3D dimensions in the viewport. The button is highlighted in blue when they are visible (on by default).

  • Show annotation (✎) - Shows or hides flat and 3D annotations. The button is highlighted in blue when they are visible (on by default).

  • Fullscreen (⛶) - Switches the application to fullscreen. The button is highlighted in red while fullscreen is active. Click it again to leave fullscreen.

  • Section View (✂) - Turns section clipping on or off so the interior of the model can be inspected. The button is highlighted in blue when the section is active. The same control is also available in the View panel.

When Section View is on, extra controls appear next to the scissors:

  • Solid Section (◼) - Fills the cut face with a solid cap so the model looks closed.

  • Show Section Mesh (⊞) - Shows a viewport-only copy of the cut surface.

  • Cross Section Lines (⌿) - Draws coloured lines where the cutting plane meets the mesh.

  • Apply to hidden (◌) - Includes hidden objects when computing the cross-section lines.

  • Section mode - Corner (three planes) or a single plane: XY, XZ, or YZ.

  • Flip section side (⇄) - Swaps which side of the cut remains visible.

  • Reset section (↺) - Returns the clipping planes to the default position around the model.

Mode options

This is probably the post important section for current users, who does not use advanced features. In this list, the user selects the mode for working with the software they wish to use.

Currently, the following modes are available:

  • Navigate - The basic mode is used to select and move individual objects or assemblies.

  • Add Measure - Add distance measurements for an object

  • Add Angle - Add angle measurements for an object

  • Add Dim (Flat) - adds dimensions to an object that remain the same size regardless of the zoom level.

  • Add Dim (3D) - adds dimensions to an object. These dimensions scale up and down as you zoom in or out on the object.

  • Add Annotation (Flat) - adds annotations to an object that remain the same size regardless of the object's zoom level.

  • Add Annotation (3D) - adds annotations to an object. These annotations scale up and down as you zoom in and out on the object.

  • Edit Labels - a mode for editing annotations and dimensions

  • Assembly Edit - this mode is used to create assembly and disassembly workflows. It can only be selected from the "Assembly" toolbar.

Mode options

Pic. 5. Mode options

Selection options

In this list, the user can select the type of selection depth.

  • Named parent - selects the nearest named parent of the clicked mesh (the whole object).

  • Mesh - selects the clicked mesh. If an object's faces use different materials or colors, each one is a separate mesh.

  • No Selection - suitable for demonstrations where you do not want any objects to be selected.

Pic. 6. Selection options

Axis orientation and SW info

In this section, the user can see the current orientation of the coordinate system. The gizmo is also interactive and is used for precise alignment with the planes. Basic information is then displayed at the bottom

Axis orientation and SW info

Pic. 7. Axis orientation and SW info

3d Viewport

This section provides a 3D view of the model. When in "Navigate" mode, the user can select and manipulate individual parts of the object. Manipulation is possible for both individual parts and subassemblies. Within the hierarchy, you can navigate using the left and right arrow keys.

3D Viewport

Pic. 8. 3D Viewport