######################################## Preparing technical documents ######################################## Tetra4D Reviewer can be used to prepare screen captures, diagrams, section views and other graphics to incorporate in technical documents. It is also possible to prepare exploded views to include in exported PDF files. Users working in Acrobat or Reader® can view and manipulate the 3D data exported as PDFs. 3D markups ========== About 3D markups ---------------- 3D markups are entities that appear in the Model Tree, under Annotations, and in the document pane. Like any other entity, you can hide, show, delete, and see properties for individual markups. You can select and edit a markup. Note: Balloon markups serve different purposes than 3D markups and appear in a different location in the Model Tree. Balloon markups assign numbers to individual parts. These numbers are useful for identifying parts for exploded-view callout captions and the bill of materials. Creating a 3D markup --------------------- You can attach markups to all types of geometries, such as points, edges, axes, surfaces, and solids. If you want to limit your markup to a specific type of entity, change the Selection Filters. 1. Click |addmarkup_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab .. image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page76_img2.png :align: center 2. Under Title, type the text to appear as the markup label, or leave the Title blank to use the part name as the markup text. 3. Set other options, as needed: * Type in the Comment area. **Note:** Comment text appears only as a tool tip for the markup in the Model Tree and in the markup Properties. * Click Font and select options for font characteristics. * Click Attributes and select property information to include in the markup. **Important:** Be careful to leave the 3D Markup dialog box open. If you close the dialog box before placing the markup in the document pane, no markup is created and your selections are lost. 4. Select the reference entity in the Model Tree or document pane. 5. Without clicking, move the mouse over the document pane to move a preview version of the markup. **Note:** As you move the mouse, the reference point snaps to various positions on the selected entity. The preview text position and connector line also change. 6. When the preview 3D markup is in the position you want, click to set it in place. 7. Continue working: * To create another 3Dmarkup, change the text and options in 3DMarkups, as needed, and select a reference entity. * To work on a different task, close 3D Markups. **Note:** After you click to set the markup position, the markup appears in both the Model Tree and the document pane. Hide and show 3D markups ------------------------ Change the visibility of 3Dmarkups: * To hide and show individual markups, select them, right-click the selection, and choose Hide/Show. * To hide all 3D markups, Click |hide_session_btn| in VISUALIZATION tab. * To show 3Dmarkups, Click |hide_session_btn| in VISUALIZATION tab to deselect it. If any markups remain hidden, select them in the Model Tree and choose Hide/Show from the context menu. Advanced 3D markups ------------------ You can add advanced options and features to markups either as you create them or later, by editing existing markups. Attach Fixed ------------ The Attach Fixed establishes an uneditable reference point for a markup. As a reminder, the reference end of the connector line appears as an arrow instead of a dot. You can select the Attach Fixed option when you create a markup or later, by editing. When you create an Attach Fixed markup, your first click sets the reference point. When Attach Fixed is not selected, a preview markup snaps to different positions as you move the mouse over the document pane. When you click, the current preview sets the markup in place. You can apply the Attach Fixed feature when you create a markup or by editing it later. Multiple connector lines ----------------------- You can attach one 3D markup to multiple parts or locations. You can add lines immediately after you create a markup by right-clicking anywhere in the document pane and choosing Add Geometry. Or, you can add connector lines later, by editing. Bent connector lines --------------------- Connector lines can be segmented so that they bend around other displayed items. You can bend lines before you set the final location of the markup by right-clicking anywhere in the document pane and choosing Add Bend Point. Your next click sets the position of the bend point. You can also bend lines later, by editing. You can add multiple bend points to a connector line. Comments -------- Notes you add here appear as a tool tip in the Model Tree and in Properties for the markup. Comments aren’t part of the markup label. Font options ------------ You can set font options for new markups in two ways: * Globally, by changing settings on the Preferences Markup tab. * Individually, by opening the Fonts dialog box from within3D Markup as you create the markup. You can change font options for existing markups by editing. Attributes ---------- The Attributes dialog box provides an opportunity to add certain CAD data to the 3D markup label. For example, you can include information about the Modeler or density of a component part. This attribute information in added to Title text you type when you create or edit the markup. Editing a markup ---------------- You can edit the text, the text display, the connector lines, and the position of an existing markup. Editing always begins by selecting the markup. You can select multiple markups and edit them simultaneously. Simultaneous editing is useful for certain kinds of changes, such as moving markups in the same direction or changing font characteristics. You can select markups in three ways: * Expanding the Annotations and Markups structures in the Model Tree and clicking and Ctrl- clicking individual markups. * Clicking and Ctrl-clicking the connector line or text of markups in the document pane. * Click |by_type| in VISUALIZATION tab, and button Markup. **Note:** Simultaneously editing the text of all markups isn’t recommended. The Edit menu has no Undo command. If you change your mind and want to revert to the original text, it would require editing each markup one at a time. Moving a markup --------------- 1. Right-click the selected markups and choose Move. 2. Move the mouse until the markup preview appears in the position you want, and then click to complete the move. **Note:** When Attach Fixed is active for the markup, you can move the markup text and change the connector line, but not reference point. To make the reference point movable, too, right-click the markup, choose Edit…, and deselect Attach Fixed. Editing 3D markup text ---------------------- 1. Right-click the markup and choose Edit…. 2. Type text edits in Title and Comment. 3. When finished, click the Close [x] button in the upper right corner. **Note:** You can edit the title by double-clicking the markup name in the Model Tree and typing. Changing font settings for a 3D markup ------------------------------------- 1. Right-click the markup and choose Edit Markup Font. 2. Change the font options as needed. **Note:** You can also open the Font dialog box by clicking Font in the Edit Markup dialog box when you are editing markup text. Adding a bend point to a markup leader -------------------------------------- Bend points create a segmented line so that it can bend around other display items. You can create multiple bend points in a connector line. 1. Click the markup text or line in the document pane to select the markup, or select it in the Model Tree. 2. Choose Tools > Edit Markup. 3. In the document pane, right-click the markup and choose Add Bend Point. 4. Click a position in the document pane to set the bend point position, and then click again to set the position of the markup. You can create multiple bends in a line by choosing Add Bend Point again in the context menu. Adding markup leaders referencing other geometries ------------------------------------------------- Adding geometry means creating multiple connector lines between a markup and the component parts. 1. Click the markup text or line in the document pane to select the markup, or select it in the Model Tree. 2. Choose Tools > Edit Markup. 3. In the document pane, right-click the markup and choose Add Geometry. 4. Click to set the position of the new connector line. You can create more lines by choosing Add Geometries again in the context menu. **Note:** You can also bend the lines as you add geometries, using the right-click Add Bend Point command. Removing one of multiple markup leaders -------------------------------------- 1. Select the markup. 2. Choose Tools > Edit Markup. 3. In the document pane, right-click the markup and choose Remove Link. Balloon notes ============ About balloon notes ------------------- Balloon notes assign numbered balloons to parts. These useful references identify individual parts for the bill of material and in illustrations. Balloons appear as “Balloon definition” in the Model Tree. Balloons fit under the Configurations structure, as part of the configuration that was active when you generated the balloons. You can create balloons for locked or unlocked configurations. Creating balloons ------------------ 1. Click |cballon_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab, the following dialog box appears: .. image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page81_img2.png :align: center 2. Select a Method area, select Automatic or Manual, and type a Start Value for the numbering. 3. If appropriate, choose a Multiple References option to handle cases of multiple instance soft the same part. 4. If appropriate, choose an Assemblies option to handle cases in which your selection includes a branch assembly. 5. In Arrangement area, choose how to organize the balloon positions in the document: Classic (each balloon close to the part it numbers), Square, Circle, Top, Bottom, Left, or Right. **Note:** You can change the Arrangement later by right-clicking the Balloon listing in the Model Tree. 6. In the document pane or Model Tree, select the parts or assemblies that you want to number. 7. Click Create. Balloon note options --------------------- The Insert Balloon Note dialog organizes related options together. Automatic and Manual number assignments --------------------------------------- You can apply manual and automatic numbering either alone or together. **Manual numbering:** Manual numbering is useful when you want to reserve a number or series of numbers for specific parts. In these cases, apply the Manual numbering first. Then apply Automatic numbering to add balloon labels to the unnumbered selected parts. **Automatic numbering:** the default starting value is 1, but you can start with any positive integer or zero. Regardless of what value starts the numbering, the increment is always 1. Multiple References options --------------------------- * **Only The First Numbers** only one instance of the part. * **All With Same Number** Assigns the same number to all instances of the part. * **All With Different Number** Assigns a unique number to each instance of the part. Assemblies options ------------------ * **Number head group** Creates balloons for the selected branches themselves but not for the components within those branches. * **Number Components** Creates balloons for the components within a branch but not for the items located within those components. * **Number Items** Creates balloons for all components and for the items nested within the components. Arrangement options ------------------- * **Classic** Sets balloons according to the available space so that they are close to parts but don’t block the view of those parts. * **Square or Circle** Sets balloons on a plane along the edges of an imaginary square or circle. * **Top, Bottom, Right, or Left** Sets the balloons in a straight line across the top, bottom, left or right of the display. Editing balloon number ---------------------- You can change the numbering of individual balloon markups or replace balloon numbers with text. In the Model Tree, double-click the number and type replacement text or numbers. The size of the balloon adjusts so that it fits around the replacement text or number. Multi-word text doesn’t wrap within the balloon but appears on a single line. The Balloon column in any existing Bill Of Materials updates to show the revised balloon text. Bill of material ================ About bills of material ---------------------- A bill of material (BOM) collects data about selected parts and organizes it in table form. A bill of material is especially useful for checking assemblies and producing technical documents. You determine which parts appear in each bill of material you create. You can create multiple BOM entities. These entities are named BOM #x, where x is a number representing the order in which you created it. Each new bill of material appears in the Model Tree under the currently active configuration. Creating a bill of material --------------------------- 1. In the Model Tree, activate the configuration in which you want to create the BOM. 2. Click |bom_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab .. image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page83_img2.png :align: center 3. Under Selection, click the selection button |selection_btn| to enable the manual selection process. 4. In the document pane or Model Tree, click and Ctrl-click to select elements that you want to include in the bill of material. 5. You can select individual items (parts), components, and assemblies. 6. In the Bill Of Material window, click Create. **Note:** The information appears in the table and a BOM #x entity appears under the active configuration in the Model Tree. **Note:** You can reopen any bill of material (BOM) entity by double-clicking it in the Model Tree. Advanced options for bill of material -------------------------------------- Settings for creating a bill of material are organized in three areas in the Bill Of Material window. “Type” options -------------- * **Part List Bill Of Material** |part_list_bom_btn| Includes the selected parts at the item level only, and ignores the assembly hierarchy. * **Hierarchical Bill Of Material** |hierarchical_bom_btn| (Requires a selection in the Model Tree, not in the document pane.) Lists according to the Models structure and the selections in the Options area. If Items is selected, small indents in the Part Name column reflect the relationships between assemblies, subassemblies, and components. “Selection” options ------------------- * **Selection button** |selection_btn| Enables you to manually select entities that you want to include in the bill of material. * **Information area** Shows the current number of selected elements and identifies them as Groups or Items. * **Detail Level button** Determines what elements are included when you select a group. Repeated clicks cycle through three selection levels: * **Group** |group_btn| Lists a selected assembly, subassembly, or component without listing subordinate elements within that group. * **Component** |component_btn| Lists all product definitions (components) in the selected group but does not list the group itself. * **Item** |item_btn| Lists only the individual parts (geometries) in the selected group. * **Balloons** Automatically selects all entities with balloon markups. If the active configuration contains no balloon markups, the Balloons option is not available. When Balloons is selected, you can manually edit the parts selection by Ctrl-clicking, as needed. “Options” --------- Additional options are available when Hierarchical is selected in the Type area: * **Geometric Set As Component** Interprets any geometric sets as hierarchical nodes. (Geometric sets are available as a feature in only some CAD formats.) * **Include Invisible** Lists all parts in the selection, regardless of whether they are hidden or shown. When deselected, hidden parts don’t appear on the list. * **Components** Lists structures down to the component level on separate rows. Rows include references to geometric parts. * **Items** Lists each individual geometry (item) and product definition (component) on a separate row. Opening a bill of material -------------------------- The information for parts is organized in columns. By default, attributes columns are hidden. 1. If necessary, activate the configuration in which the bill of material appears. 2. Click |bom_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab. You can also open a bill of material by double-clicking it in the Model Tree. BOMs appear under individual Configurations listings in the tree structure. Information provided in a bill of material ----------------------------------------- The displayed columns appear in the order shown here and with these names: * **Number** Value corresponding to the order of the row on the table. * **# Balloon** Balloon value for the listed part (if available). Note: A check box appears next to the # Balloon column name when balloons exist for any of the parts. Deselecting the check box hides the balloon numbers in the column but leaves the column open. * **Part name** Name of the listed element. * **Quantity** Number of instances of the listed part. * **File Name** Name of the CAD file corresponding to the listed part. * **File Path** Location of the CAD file for the listed part. * **Comments** A placeholder column for text notes you add to the bill of material. * **Attribute columns** By default, columns for part attributes, such as density, don’t appear in the bill of material. Adjusting layout of bill of material ------------------------------------ The data and arrangements in a bill of material can be changed like other types of tables. Change column width ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Drag the bar next to column name. Double-clicking a cell expands the column width so that you can see all the text in that cell. Rearrange columns ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Drag the column headings left or right. Sort table by the data in a column ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sorting arranges the table rows in alphabetic or numeric order for the selected column. 1. Click a column header once to sort the table in ascending order. 2. Click the column header again to sort in descending order. Show and Hide individual columns ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Right-click any column heading, and choose Show/Hide Columns. 2. Under Standard, deselect only the columns that you want to hide. 3. Under Attributes, select only the additional columns that you want to include in the bill of material. Adding notes in a bill of material ---------------------------------- 1. Double-click inside a Comments column cell, and type any text you want to add. **Note:** Your notes are saved with the bill of material. You can edit Comments text by double- clicking a cell and typing. Updating a bill of material --------------------------- Only the Comments text can be directly edited in a bill of material. However, you can update the list with new selections and options. 1. If necessary, activate the configuration with the BOM, and button |bom_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 2. Change settings for the BOM type and hierarchy, as needed. 3. Select the selection button |selection_btn| to activate part selection. 4. Select and deselect groups and parts, as needed. 5. Click Update. **Note:** Updating removes any text in the Comments column. To keep a record of the comments, choose Create instead of Update. Or, export a reference copy of the BOM before updating. Interactions between a bill of material and document views --------------------------------------------------------- The Bill Of Material includes a toolbar. You can use these tools for interactions between the Bill Of Material window and the parts display. * **Highlight Selected Parts** |highlight_btn| When selected, parts that you select in the Bill Of Material are also selected and highlighted in the document pane. * **Display Only Selected Part** |display_only_btn| Hides all parts except those parts that are currently selected in the Bill Of Material. * **Restore State** |restore_state_btn| Reverts to the document pane view in effect when you created or opened the bill of material. * **Always Fit All** |always_fit_btn| Adjusts the document pane zoom to the maximum level that still shows all selected parts. When you select a different part, the zoom adjusts again. (Available only when Display Only Selected Part is selected.) * **Always Display All Instances** |always_display_btn| Displays all instances of a selected part instead of displaying only that instance of the part. (Relevant only when Always Display Only Selected Parts is also selected.) * **Select In View To Find Item In Current Bill Of Material** |select_in_view_btn| When selected, parts that you select in the document are also selected and highlighted in the bill of material. Exporting a bill of material ---------------------------- When you export a bill of material, the resulting file includes all information in the visible columns. Data in hidden columns isn’t included. 1. With the bill of material open, click Export Bill Of Material |export_btn| to open the Save As dialog box. 2. Select a location and filename. 3. In Save As Type, choose a file format: Text Files (\*.txt) or HTML Files (\*.html). 4. Select additional options for the selected format: * For a text file, choose separator characters in the Field Separator and Text Separator menus, and click Save. * For an HTML file, select Automatic Snapshot to include snapshots of all listed parts. Then select an image file format (.bmp or .jpg), and click Save. **Note:** The Automatic Snapshot option adds an Automatic Snapshot folder to the location selected for the exported HTML file. Snapshots ======== About snapshots ------------- Tetra4D Reviewer provides features to create screen-shots of the 3D area. You determine how much of the image to capture, the resolution, and the format of the saved snapshot file. Snapshots don’t become part of the session file. You save snapshots externally as independent image files or by pasting them into a different application. You control the resolution of snapshots through the Read/Write Image preferences. Creating and saving a snapshot ------------------------------ 1. Adjust the view as needed, such as changing the orientation, zoom level, background color, and so forth. 2. Click |snapshot_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab and select the type of snapshot: * For BMP, JPEG, and TIFF formats, Click |raster_btn| or click |region_btn|. * For 2D DXF or EMF formats, click |vector_btn|. 3. (Only for the Region To Raster method.) Adjust the black outline that appears to enclose the area that you want to capture: * Drag the corners and midpoints to move the image borders. * Drag within the outline to move it. * Click Snap in the Snapshot dialog box when you finish changing the outline. **Note:** While you are defining a region, you can zoom with the mouse wheel or by choosing View > 3D Controls > Fit Visible. Other 3D Controls tools aren’t available. 4. In the Export dialog box, select the file format, filename, and location for the snapshot. Elements shown and ignored in vector exports ------------------------------------------- Vector snapshots always include all geometric entities and balloons currently appearing in the document pane. The background color is ignored and replaced with white. Vector snapshots capture geometries in real size. Vector snapshots ignore any grid displays. In DXF format, dimensions and markups are ignored. In WMF format, dimensions and markups are included. Copying snapshot to clipboard ----------------------------- 1. Adjust the view as needed. 2. Click |snapshot_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab and click |clipboard_btn|. 3. Paste the image into a document in another application. Creating a “Quick Snap” image Quick Snap creates snapshots using the settings for a previous snapshot in the same work session. Consequently, Quick Snap is not available before you export at least one snapshot or immediately after you capture an image to the clipboard. 1. Create and export a snapshot by another method, using the parameters you want to apply to your Quick Snap images. 2. Adjust the view of the 3D model, as appropriate for the next screen capture. 3. Click |quick_snap_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 4. (Only if you used Region To Raster for the original snapshot.) Adjust the size and position of the cropping outline, and click OK in Snapshot. **Note:** The Quick Snap capture is automatically named and saved without any notification. You can continue changing views and taking Quick Snaps. Quick Snap remains available until you close the document. The Quick Snap capture is saved in the same location as the previous snapshot. Quick Snap applies the same filename as the previous snapshot with an identifying number. For example, if you took a raster snapshot and named it engine.bmp, the subsequent Quick Snap images would be named engine_00.bmp, engine_01.bmp, and so forth. Set Snapshot resolution ----------------------- 1. Click |preferences_btn| in WORKSPACE tab, and click the Read/Write Image tab. 2. Click Resolution. 3. Select a resolution: * Select Window to use the current resolution of the document window. * Select Desktop to use the screen resolution set on the Settings tab of the Display properties Control Panel. * Select the numeric option and choose a resolution from the menu of resolutions supported by your computer graphics board. * Select Custom and enter Width, Height, and DPI values. **Note:** When DPI is selected, a second set of Width and Height options are available. The pixel values define the dimensions of the snapshot image. **Note:** Settings changed in the Preferences remain in effect until you change them again. If you select a high resolution and want to go back to a default resolution setting, use the Read/Write Image preferences to reset the resolution. Advanced resolution options -------------------------- The pixel values for Height and Width determine the actual size for image output. If DPI is selected, the DPI and pixel values are used to calculate the print size of the snapshot. The Height (mm) and Width (mm) describe that print size. If you change the DPI or a height or width dimension, other values are automatically recalculated. These changes appear after you press Tab or click to advance to another option in the Resolution dialog box. For example, changing the Width (pixels) value automatically changes the Width (mm) value. Changing the DPI value automatically changes both the Width (pixels) and Height (pixels) values. However, changes to a Width value don’t affect Height values. Exploded views and Animations ============================ About exploded views and animations ---------------------------------- Animations show individual parts or groups of parts in action. Animations can be simple or complex, multi-step actions. Animations can show all or selected parts in motion and changes in visibility. Animations are associated with the active configuration at the time of their creation. You can create animation only when the active configuration is unlocked. Built-in features create exploded views in a minimal number of steps. You can create other simple or complex custom animations one action at a time. Animations are saved with the session file and can be exported in AVI format or within a PDF. Creating an exploded view ------------------------- An exploded view shows the component parts separated from each other around a central point. Exploding moves each part in a separate action. You can rearrange the action sequence and add other actions by editing the animation after you create it. 1. Click |animate_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab: .. image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page90_img2.png :align: center 2. Select Explode |explode_btn| in the Create Animation controls window. 3. In the Model Tree or document pane, select the assembly or specific parts that you want to separate in space. 4. Select options, as needed: * Hierarchical Moves assemblies and parts in the order that they appear when the Models structure is fully expanded. The first assembly on the list moves first, followed by the first subassembly under that assembly. Next, any tiers under the first subassembly move, and so forth. * By Level Moves assemblies and parts by tier levels. All assemblies at the top tier explode first, starting at the top of the Model Tree structure. Next, all second-tier subassemblies move, in the order that they appear in the Model Tree. Then all third- tier structures move, one at a time, and so forth. * Project Path Keeps actions parallel to the Main CS. Displacement slider Controls the amount of movement for parts. Level Limits the number of structural tiers that move. 5. Finish the animation: * Click Apply to set the first action of the animation and continue adding more actions. * Click OK to save the animation with just the exploded view action. Expanding and collapsing exploded views -------------------------------------- You can show or reverse an exploded view as a single-step change. 1. In the Model Tree, activate and open the configuration containing the exploded view. 2. Right-click the exploded view and choose the available command: * Compact To collapse the exploded view. * Expand To expand the exploded view. Hiding or showing paths ----------------------- By default, blue lines appear in the document pane to show the travel distance and direction of animated parts. You can hide or show these lines. In the Model Tree, right-click the animation and choose Hide Path or Show Path. Creating animations with custom actions -------------------------------------- Actions are individual movements or visibility changes in an animation. Several methods of defining movements are familiar techniques used to move parts in the document pane. 1. In the Model Tree, activate the configuration in which you want to create the animation. **Note:** You can create new animations only in unlocked configurations. If you lock the configuration after creating an animation, you can edit the animation without unlocking the configuration. 2. Click |animate_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 3. Select an action type for the first action, using the buttons across the top of the window. 4. In the Model Tree or document pane, select the parts that you want the first action to move. 5. Select the appropriate options for the action type, and review the preview results in the document pane. 6. Click Apply to define the final state for the action. 7. Repeat the process to create more actions, using your choice of methods, options, and parts. After you create an animation, you can set cameras in the Play Animation controls window. Cameras change the point of view as the animation plays. Types of action --------------- * **Move Along Axis** |move_along_axis| Moves parts in a straight line that you specify in Direction Definition. * **Rotate Around Axis** |rotate_around_axis| Turns parts around a line that you specify in Direction Definition. * **Move With Coordinates** |move_with_coordinates| Displaces parts by specific values for the X, Y, and Z axes. * **Move On Helix** |move_on_helix| Combines movements along and around a line that you specify in Direction Definition. * **Move On Curve** |move_on_curve| Moves parts along an exact-geometry curve that you select in the Model Tree. Or, moves along a selection in the document pane that is either the edge of a surface or a face of a solid. * **Moving Box** |moving_box| Moves with the Drag & Drop controls. Multiple changes made with different controls can apply to a single action. * **Explode** |explode| Separates parts in space around a central point. * **Hide/Show** |hide_show| Toggles the visibility of selected parts. Options for custom actions -------------------------- The options that appear vary according to the selected type of action. Options are available only after you select the parts for the action. * **Stack Up** |stack_up| Stack Up creates a separate action for each part you select. The parts move by successive multiples of the displacement setting. **Note:** The order in which you select parts determines how far and in what order they move. For example, if the first part moves by x amount, the second part selected moves 2x, the third part selected moves 3x, and so on. The actions occur in the reverse order that you selected the parts. For example, if you create a Stack Up animation with four selected parts, part #4 moves first. Part #3 moves next, and so on. **Note:** Stack Up is available only for Move Along |move_along_axis|, Rotate Around Axis |rotate_around_axis|, and Move With Coordinates |move_with_coordinates| action types. * **Displacement sliders** Move selected parts, either by linear displacement or rotation. Two methods have multiple sliders: * **Move On Helix** The upper slider sets the translation (linear displacement). The lower slider sets the rotation angle. * **Move With Coordinates** Each of the three sliders sets the displacement along a specific axis of the Main CS. * **Direction Definition** * **Main CS** Moves along the active axis of the active coordinates system. * **2 Points** Sets the direction by two points that you select. The Accept/Reject |accept_reject| pointer appears as you select points so that you can confirm the position or toggle to another possible location. * **Edge** Sets the direction parallel to an edge that you select in the document. * **Plane** Sets the direction perpendicular to a plane that you select in the document. (Not available for Move On Helix actions.). * **Select Direction** When highlighted, shows that the selection process is active. You can click Select Direction to deactivate and restart the selection process. (Not available when Main CS is selected.) * **Reset** Sets all options back to the default values. * **Step value** The Step value controls the number of intermediate positions shown when you play the animation. Smaller step values show more intermediate positions. * **Reverse Path** (Available for Move On Curve.) Changes the direction of movement along the curve. * **Keep Parallel** (Available for Move On Helix and Move On Curve.) Note: When Keep Parallel is selected, the orientation of the parts is always parallel to their original orientation. This type of rotation compares to a human hand sliding in circles on a flat surface. The hand always points in the same direction. When Keep Parallel is deselected, the selected parts stay oriented to the center of rotation as they move. This type or rotation compares to a passenger airplane circling around an airport at constant altitude. The plane constantly changes its orientation to align with the circumference of the circle. * **Hide and Show** (Available for Hide/Show.) Sets the visibility of the selected parts for the current action. The visibility state applies to all intermediate actions until you change it again in a later action. Playing an animation ---------------------- 1. In the Model Tree, apply and expand the configuration with the animation. 2. Click |play_animation| in DOCUMENTATION tab .. image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img2.png :align: center 3. Set the starting point for the animation: * Drag the long action slider in the middle of the Animation controls window. * Click Go To Start |start| or Go To End |end| . * Click Previous Action |previous_action| or Next Action |next_action| to progress through actions one step at a time. 4. Drag the smaller slider to set the animation speed. 5. Select automatic pause options: * To play in continuous loops without pauses, select Repeat Simulation |repeat_simulation| . * To play forward and then backward in continuous loops without pauses, select Auto Reverse |auto_reverse| . (Available only when Repeat Simulation is selected.) * To pause at the end of each action, select Auto Pause |auto_pause| . 6. Set the camera option: * To play entirely from the default point of view, deselect Enable Camera. * To show assigned changes in the point of view, select Enable Camera. 7. Play the animation, either by dragging the action slider or by selecting Play Forward |play_forward| or Play Backward |play_backward| . **Note:** The Chg./Slide option determines whether or not the camera changes appear when you drag the animation slider. Options for playing animations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * **Line. Step** Controls the default speed at which linear displacements play. Smaller values move the selected parts by smaller fractions of the total displacement, which slows the movement during playback. The linear step value applies only to actions without custom Step values. * **Ang. Step** Controls the default speed at which rotations play. Smaller steps rotate the selected parts by smaller angles, slowing the movement during playback. The angular step value applies only to actions without custom Step values. * **Show Path** Toggles the visibility of a line and dots indicating the travel positions of parts for each action. * **Show Current** Action Slider button |loop_btn| Toggles what the main slider shows: global actions (the entire animation sequence) or individual actions (the current action only). Defining cameras for an animation ----------------------------------- A camera sets the view at a specific orientation and zoom level. You can define cameras that change the point of view as an animation plays. Camera changes in an animation make smooth transitions as they shift from one point of view to another. After you define custom cameras in the Play Animation window, you can apply them to the actions in the animation. You can edit the camera assignments after you make them. You can play animations with the camera disabled, so the action appears from a constant point of view. 1. In the Model Tree, activate the configuration with the animation, and click |play_animation| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 2. Select Enable Camera. 3. Using the 3D Controls tools, set the orientation and zoom level for the camera. 4. Click Add Camera [+] . 5. Repeat the process, as needed, to add more cameras. The camera is automatically named Camera #x, where x represents the order in which you created it. Cameras can’t be edited, renamed, or removed from the menu. Applying cameras to actions --------------------------- 1. In the Model Tree, activate the configuration with the animation, and click |play_animation| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 2. Select Enable Camera, and click Action List. 3. Activate an action in the Action List in any of these ways: * Drag the action slider. * Click Go To Start |start| or Go To End |end| . * Click Previous Action |previous_action| or Next Action |next_action| to progress through actions one step at a time. **Note:** Be careful to use these controls to navigate to the action you want to see. Merely highlighting the action in the Action List does not activate the selected action. 4. Choose a camera from the Camera menu, and apply that camera: * To apply the camera to only the currently selected action, click Define Camera For |current_action| . * To apply the camera to all actions before the selected action, click Define Camera For |previous_actions| . * To apply the camera to the selected action and all later actions, click Define Camera For |current_action_and_next_actions| . 5. Continue activating actions and applying cameras, as needed. **Note:** You can apply a specific camera to several actions or apply a different camera to each action. You can also apply a mixture of No Camera and custom cameras. **Note:** The Chg./Slide option enables camera changes when you drag the action slider. By default, Chg./Slide is deselected, which prevents changes in the point of view when you drag the action slider. Editing an animation ------------------- Animations fall under configurations in the Model Tree. To edit an animation, it’s important that you activate the appropriate configuration first. Adding actions to an existing animation -------------------------------------- Adding actions simply continues the process you used to create the original animation. To review those steps and options. 1. Click |animate_btn| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 2. Select an action type, parts, and options, and click Apply. **Note:** The new actions are added to the end of the animation sequence, as shown in the Model Tree structure of the animation. Changing the sequence of actions -------------------------------- Changing the sequence can be especially useful for Explode animations. You can change the order in which parts move out from the center. You can also intersperse other actions, such as changing the visibility of individual parts. 1. Click |play_animation| in DOCUMENTATION tab. 2. Select Action List to expand the Animation controls window. 3. Select an action in the list and select changes that you want to apply: * Move Up |arrow_up| and Move Down |arrow_down| buttons Changes the sequence of a selected action in the Action List. * Group Actions |group_actions| Groups the selected actions so that they play simultaneously. * Ungroup Actions |ungroup_actions| Removes the selected actions from any groups in which they were included. * Remove Action |remove_action| Deletes the selected action from the animation. **Note:** Although you can directly rearrange or delete actions in the Model Tree, using the Action List is the preferred method. The advantage of using the Action List is that you can immediately check results by playing the animation with the slider or play controls. Editing options for individual actions -------------------------------------- 1. Right-click the action in the Model Tree or the action path in the document pane, and choose Edit Action. **Note:** The paths of fall actions appear in the document pane. Yellow arrows, green endpoints, and step numbers appear for steps that can be lengthened or shortened. 2. Make changes available for the action, as needed: * Type a new name for the action. * Drag the slider or type a value to change the displacement. * Type a new Step value. * Select or deselect Keep Parallel. **Note:** You can also drag the yellow arrows, endpoints, or X, Y, and Z arrows for an action to make changes in the document pane. The displacement value in Edit Action updates as you drag. 3. Click Apply. 4. Select another action in the animation: * Select the action in the Model Tree. * Select the yellow arrow or path of the action in the document pane. 5. Change the action, as needed, and click Apply. 6. Continue selecting, changing, and applying new options to other actions, as needed. **Note:** If you select another action without clicking Apply, any changes you made to the previously selected action revert to their previous settings. Adding or removing parts to an action ------------------------------------- 1. Right-click the action in the Model Tree or the action path in the document pane, and choose Edit Action. 2. In the document pane or Model Tree, select the parts you want to add. 3. Right-click the selection and choose Add Geometry or Remove Geometry. 4. Click APPLY. Grouping and ungrouping actions -------------------------------- Grouped actions occur simultaneously. Actions can be grouped only when they have no common part. 1. Select the actions in the Model Tree. 2. Right-click the selection and choose a command: * To group the selected actions, choose Group Actions. * To remove the selected actions from an existing group, choose UnGroup Actions. .. |addmarkup_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page76_img1.png .. |hide_session_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page78_img1.png .. |by_type| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page79_img1.png .. |cballon_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page81_img1.png .. |bom_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page83_img1.png .. |selection_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page83_img3.png .. |part_list_bom_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page83_img4.png .. |hierarchical_bom_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page83_img5.png .. |group_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page84_img2.png .. |component_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page84_img3.png .. |item_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page84_img4.png .. |highlight_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img3.png .. |display_only_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img4.png .. |restore_state_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img5.png .. |always_fit_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img6.png .. |always_display_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img7.png .. |select_in_view_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page86_img8.png .. |export_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page87_img1.png .. |snapshot_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page87_img2.png .. |raster_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page87_img3.png .. |region_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page87_img4.png .. |vector_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page87_img5.png .. |clipboard_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page88_img2.png .. |quick_snap_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page88_img3.png .. |preferences_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page88_img4.png .. |animate_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page90_img1.png .. |explode_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page90_img3.png .. |move_along_axis| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img1.png .. |rotate_around_axis| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img2.png .. |move_with_coordinates| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img3.png .. |move_on_helix| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img4.png .. |move_on_curve| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img5.png .. |moving_box| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img6.png .. |explode| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img7.png .. |hide_show| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img8.png .. |stack_up| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img9.png .. |accept_reject| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page92_img10.png .. |play_animation| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img1.png .. |start| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img3.png .. |end| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img4.png .. |previous_action| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img5.png .. |next_action| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img6.png .. |repeat_simulation| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img7.png .. |auto_reverse| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img8.png .. |auto_pause| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img9.png .. |play_forward| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img10.png .. |play_backward| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page94_img11.png .. |loop_btn| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page95_img1.png .. |current_action| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img1.png .. |previous_actions| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img2.png .. |current_action_and_next_actions| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img3.png .. |arrow_up| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img6.png .. |arrow_down| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img7.png .. |group_actions| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img8.png .. |ungroup_actions| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img9.png .. |remove_action| image:: /_static/images/Tetra4D_REVIEWER_2025_Help/page96_img10.png