6.2     Converting elements to objects

UDO libraries of QW-Editor contain many useful objects and allow constructing a variety of geometries. If a suitable *.udo file cannot be found, the user may create new such files in UDO Editor leaving any desired dimensions or media names as parameters for future easy modification.

However, there may be cases when the user has already constructed a particular element manually, for example starting with Draw-Element-Circle/polygon  and then moving its vertices over the 2D window . More complicated elements may have also been created by a sequence of Edit-Reproduce and Edit-Join commands. If the user has no intention of simulating many variants of such an element with changed dimensions, but just wants to make it subject to rotation, or available for other project, the Put UDO command should be applied.

Consider again the original heat.pro example. On the Select Element  list of Fig. 6.1‑1, highlight Food and double-click over it (or alternatively single-click followed by ). The cursor in the 2D window changes to a square one indicating the editing mode A single click with the right mouse button opens up the Element Change dialogue for Food, as in Fig. 6.2-1. Pressing  allows saving this element in a *.udo file, with default location in project directory and default name Food.udo.

Fig. 6.2-1 Change Element dialogue for food.

Now we can safely delete Food element from the project, as previously, and restore it as an object by the following sequence of steps:

- Draw-Object-Open and specify its name in the popping-up Object Name dialogue

- press  

- in the browsing list of Fig. 6.1-2 press  to quickly access the project directory

- click on the description of Food to select it

- in Add Object dialogue press

- Draw-Object-Close

The Food object appears on the  list. Its status is normal, not udo, which means that it has no parameters other than origin. This is sufficient to move it or rotate.