The Edit window houses all the commands that make up your measurement routine.
To change the display of the Edit window, you can switch between different modes. PC-DMIS enables the two most common modes by default. These are Command mode and Summary mode. You can enable a third mode, called DMIS mode, from the Setup Options dialog box (Edit | Preferences | Setup). To do this, select the Use DMIS button in Edit Window check box.
Summary mode - This mode provides a visual summary of your measurement routine.
Command mode - This mode shows a detailed code view of each command.
DMIS mode - This mode shows a view similar to Command mode, but the code language is written in the DMIS programming language. Also, you don't have all the editing functionality that you have in Command mode.
You can click the appropriate icon on the Edit Window toolbar to switch between these different modes. The Edit Window toolbar also lets you perform other operations on your measurement routine. For information on this toolbar, see the "Edit Window Toolbar" topic in the "Using Toolbars" chapter.
In each mode, you can work with existing commands and add new commands, although the capabilities of each mode and the methods of working with commands differ. Commands can have both editable and non-editable fields. Editable fields are fields that take a value. Some editable fields are called toggle fields and allow you to switch between a predefined set of acceptable values.
If you're in Command mode or DMIS mode, press Tab to move the cursor to the next editable field. You know that you're on an editable field when the value is highlighted in the highlight color (the default is blue).
If you're in Summary mode, PC-DMIS provides you with the Select, Add, Remove, Copy, Cut, Paste, Mark, Unmark, and Edit commands. For more information, see "Editing a Measurement Routine from Summary Mode".
Moving to a Feature Using the Graphic Display Window
To move the cursor to a specific feature's location in the Edit window, click on that feature in the Graphic Display window while you hold down the Ctrl key. PC-DMIS displays a message for your confirmation to move the insertion point.