BACKGROUND  TEMPLATE  POP-UP  menu

Clicking anywhere on a background template highlights the template and pops up this menu on the left of the screen.

Alternatively, if the SHIFT key is held down, or the CAPS LOCK is ON, background templates will be highlighted as the mouse pointer moves over their name labels. Clicking on the highlighted label then pops up the menu. This way of accessing the menu is easier than clicking the template if two background templates are overlapping, and is the only way if the shove timber functions are in use on the current template.

This menu is also available by right-clicking the name labels when using the  control > group select > click backgnd to group function.

All the items on this menu refer to the highlighted background template only. The colour used for highlighting can be changed. Click the  pad  >  pad drawing colours  >  highlight overdraw colour...  menu item.

 Clicking a background template is possible even when it is obscured by a current template which is a copy of it. Don't get confused - this menu applies to the background template below, not to the current template above it. A clue to the presence of the background template is its name label, showing through the current template.

The items on this menu are detailed below :

• 1 CARRIAGE SIDING
  is the name of this background template (example). This item is simply a label for the menu, it's not clickable.
  
  
• cancel menu
  cancels the menu if clicked in error. This avoids clicking the pad area to cancel the menu, which might interfere with a mouse action.
  
  
• zoom pad to fit
  causes the pad view to zoom in or out just enough to fit this background template.
  
  
• copy to current
• wipe to current
• delete to current
  These three options all make the current template an exact copy of this background template.
  
  For copy to current, the background template is unchanged, and the new current template will be drawn directly over the top of it. The background template will not therefore be visible until the current template is moved away. (Toggling the pad > hide current template menu item on and off will reveal the background template unchanged.) Use this option when you don't want to disturb the background template, but wish to use a copy of it, or a template derived from it, elsewhere.
  
  For wipe to current, this background template is wiped from the pad, and is no longer visible. It remains in your storage box as an unused template and can if needed be re-instated as a background template by clicking the copy to background button on the storage box window. Use this option when you want to try making some changes to this template, without losing the option to revert to the previous design.
  
  Remember to put the modified current template on the background in its place (control > store & background menu item) when you have finished making changes. The template which you are adjusting is the current template, not the one in the box.
  
  For delete to current, this background template is deleted from your storage box. Use this option when you are sure that you do not want this template in its present form. You can undo the delete by selecting the edit > undo delete menu item on the storage box, but only if you have made no subsequent deletions from the box.
  
  
• mint current from
  causes a new current template to be minted from this background template. The background template is unchanged.
  
  
• peg / align tools > menu items
  These items use data from this background template to re-position or re-align the current template or other background templates. This background template is unchanged. For more information about these menu items see below.
  
  
• wipe
  removes this template from the pad background, so that it is no longer visible. It remains in your storage box as an unused template and it can if needed be re-instated as a background template by clicking the copy to background button on the storage box window.
  
  
• rebuild
  causes this background template to be rebuilt using the current settings in the generator menu. For more information about rebuilding templates, select the control > storage box menu item and click the what? button on the storage box. The current template is unchanged.
  
  
• group select (toggle)
  selects or de-selects this background template as a member of a group of templates. If this template is currently part of a group a tick mark will appear alongside this item in the menu.
  
  
• send echo
  sends an echo of this background template, which can later be retrieved with the files > fetch echo menu item on the storage box window.
  
  
• delete
  causes this background template to be deleted from your storage box and background drawing. You can undo the delete by selecting the edit > undo delete menu item on the storage box, but only if you have made no subsequent deletions from the box.
  
  
• move name label
  causes the name label for this background template to be highlighted in a blue boxed outline, so that it can be dragged with the mouse to a new location on the pad. The best position for the name labels is a matter of preference, determined to some extent by the size of the font and the display options being used for them. To change the font and options, select the pad > pad background options > background name labels > menu items.
  
  If the name label is moved too far from the template it refers to, zooming in and out may produce confusing results. If the name labels are obscuring the drawing, they can be temporarily hidden by de-selecting the option boxes on the background list window.
  
  
• restore name label
  causes the name label for this template to be restored to its pre-set position near the centre of the template. If the name label is already at the pre-set position, this menu item is disabled.
  
  
• make label shape
  causes a background shape to be created from the name label for this template. This means that the name will then appear as a label shape on the printed template and be included in an exported DXF file. For more information about background shapes, select the control > background shapes (CTRL-S) menu item and click the ? help button on the background shapes window.
  
  Name labels do not otherwise appear on the printed templates, because the name is shown in the bottom margin of each page when printing the current template.
  
  
• rename...
  causes a window to appear in which you can enter a new name for this background template.
  
  
• information
  shows the information and memo texts for this background template.

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The peg / align tools menu items are these:

These new align tools functions may not work correctly on background templates which were originally created by a version of Templot earlier than 0.56. To use these functions on such templates, they must first be normalized to bring them into line with the current version. Select the program > normalize all templates menu item on the control room window.

• notch under background peg
  causes the pegging notch to be located under the fixing peg on this background template. This avoids the need to copy this template to the current template simply to position the notch.
  
   If this background template is a member of a group of templates, you will in addition be offered the option of linking the whole group to subsequent moves of the notch. For more information about the link functions please click group linking.
  
  
• notch under peg and shift current
  additionally shifts the peg on the current template onto the notch. This lines up the rails on the current template with those on the background template.
  
   Only the position and rotation angle for the current template are changed, to bring it into line with the background template. The curving line (radius, transition data, slewing data, etc.) of the current template remains unchanged. See also below.
  
  
• align current over background > facing-facing
• align current over background > facing-trailing
  These menu items cause the curving line, position and rotation angle of the current template to be changed, so that it lies directly over this background template on the same track alignment. The size, hand and type of the current template are not changed, and the background template is unchanged. The peg and notch positions are unaffected.
  
  For facing-facing, the current template faces the same way as the background template, with its CTRL-0 datum position co-incident with the CTRL-0 datum position on the background template.
  
  For facing-trailing, the current template faces the opposite way, with its CTRL-9 length position co-incident with the CTRL-0 datum position on the background template.
  
  These functions are often used:
  
  a. prior to using the snake (CTRL-F6) mouse action to slide the current template along the curving line to a new position.
  
  b. when the background template is a centre-line only template which has been created simply to pre-establish a curving line for subsequent templates.
  
  
• align current and snake onto peg > facing-facing
• align current and snake onto peg > facing-trailing
  These menu items additionally cause the aligned current template to be snaked along the curving line until the fixing peg on the current template co-incides with the fixing peg on the background template. This provides a "snap-action" which can avoid the need to align the pegs by eye on the screen when using the snake mouse action.

more notes here soon

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