Stykz • Help - Tools Palette

# The Palettes

## Tools Palette

Last updated on 11/16/2010

The Tools Palette contains five tools that let you create and manipulate segments, nodes, and figures in Stykz.

To toggle the display of the Tools Palette, choose Windows > Tools, or type Cmd-0 (Mac) or Ctrl-0 (Win).

The basic use of each tool is shown below:

The tools are more fully described in the table below:

Tool | Key | Description

Select Tool

The Select tool is used to select, manipulate, and move figures. You can also use it to create new segments, either to start a brand new figure or to add a segment to an existing figure. Finally, you can use the Select tool to add and delete nodes from a figure.

- Select: Click on a figure to select it, or hold down the Shift key or Cmd key (Mac)/Ctrl key (Win) and click other figure(s) to add them to your selection. If you click on a blank part of the Stage and drag, you get a selection rectangle that can be used to select all the figures that the rectangle touches (see Selecting Figures on the Stage).
- Manipulate: Click on a pivot node and drag to adjust the associated line segment and any segments that are attached to it (see Manipulating Figures).
- Move: Click on a drag node and drag to move the selected figure. If you have more than one figure selected, they will all move simultaneously. If you have turned off the "Can only move figure using drag node" setting in Preferences (Edit > Preferences > Nodes/Segments > Node Options > Can only move figure using drag node), then you can click and drag on any segment as well as the drag node to move the selected figure(s) (see Manipulating Figures).
- Create: You can right-click and drag on the stage or on an existing node to create segments (see Creating a Figure From Scratch and Adding/Deleting Segments).
- Add/Delete Nodes: If you Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win) on a pivot node, you can delete that node. And if you Option-click or Alt-click on a segment, you can add a new node where you clicked (see Adding/Deleting Nodes).

Subselect Tool

The Subselect tool is used to select and manipulate segments and circles. Like the Select tool, you can also use it to move figures, create new segments (to start a brand new figure or to add a segment to an existing figure), and add and delete nodes from a figure.

- Select: Click on a segment to select it, or hold down the Shift key or Cmd key (Mac)/Ctrl key (Win) and click other segment(s) to add them to your selection (see Selecting Segments).
- Manipulate: Click on a pivot node and drag to adjust the associated line segment and any segments that are attached to it (see Manipulating Figures).
- Move: Click on a drag node and drag to move the selected figure. Note: You may only drag one figure with the Subselect tool, and only by its drag node (see Manipulating Figures).
- Create: You can right-click and drag on the stage or on an existing node to create segments (see Creating a Figure From Scratch and Adding/Deleting Segments).
- Add/Delete Nodes: If you Option-click (Mac) or Alt-click (Win) on a pivot node, you can delete that node. And if you Option-click or Alt-click on a segment, you can add a new node where you clicked (see Adding/Deleting Nodes).

|  | Polyfill Tool The Polyfill tool is used to create polygon fills by clicking in seqence on nodes until you have clicked the starting node a second time, at which point the polygon closes and fills with the default color (see What Are Polyfills?).
|  | Add Line Tool The Add Line tool is used to add a new segment to an existing figure, or to start a new figure. To use, click on either a node of an existing figure or on the Stage and release the mouse button. As you move the mouse, the line will follow and when you have it where you want it, click again (see Adding/Deleting Segments).
|  | Add Circle Tool The Add Circle tool is similar to the Add Line tool and is used to add a new circle segment to an existing figure, or to start a new figure. To use, click on either a node of an existing figure or on the Stage and release the mouse button. As you move the mouse, the circle will follow and when you have it where you want it, click again (see Adding/Deleting Segments).

As a shortcut, you can double-click with the Select tool on the Stage (not on a figure) and it will switch to the Subselect tool, and vice-versa, unless you have turned off the ability to do this in the Preferences window (Edit* > Preferences... >> Tool Options > Double-click switches tools)