Appendix
Customizing the User Interface (UI)
Customize your user interface to increase your efficiency in modeling. You can customize the Pro/E user
interface, according to your needs or the needs of your group or company, to include the following:
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Create keyboard macros, called mapkeys, and add them to the menus and toolbars
Add or remove existing toolbars
Add split buttons to the toolbars (split buttons contain multiple closely-related commands and save toolbar
space by hiding all but the first active command button)
Move or remove commands from the menus or toolbars
Change the location of the message area
Add options to the Menu Manager
Blank (make unavailable) options in the Menu Manager
Set default command choices for Menu Manager menus
With a Pro/E file active, click: Tools  Customize Screen (Fig. A.1)  Customize dialog box opens
with the Commands tab active (Fig. A.2)  Categories, click: View (Fig. A.3)  drag

Colors and drop into the Top Toolchest
Figure A.1 Customize Screen
Figure A.2 Customize Dialog Box, Commands Tab
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(Fig. A.4)
Model
Figure A.3 Customize Dialog Box, Commands Tab, Categories View, Commands– Model Colors
Figure A.4 Top Toolchest with Newly Added Command Button
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Categories New Menu (Fig. A.5)  drag
Categories View  drag
and drop into the Right Toolchest
and drop into the Right Toolchest fly out
 drag
and drop into the Right Toolchest fly out
 drag
drop into the Right Toolchest fly out
Toolchest fly out
 click on
to expand the Flyout 

 drag
and
and drop into the Right
 File

 type a name for your file (i.e., my_config.win)  Open  OK  OK  OK
[your new Toolchest buttons are automatically saved in your current working directory (config.win)]
You can recall saved settings by clicking:
Tools  Customize Screen  File  Open
Settings select your .win file  Open.
Buttons can be removed from the
Toolchest using the exact same method, except,
drag the buttons away from the Toolchest and
release the mouse button. Customize your Pro/E
screen with the buttons of commands you use
frequently such as:
Figure A.5 New Menu Category
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Next, add a Toolbar to the left side of the Navigator Window (Left Toolchest), click: Tools  Customize
Screen  click Toolbars tab 
 Left (Fig. A.6)  OK
Figure A.6 Tools, Left
The Tools toolbar (Fig. A.7) includes:
Set various environment options,
training file,
Create macros, and
Select hosts for distributed computing.
Figure A.7 Tools
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Run trail or
The Navigation Tabs tab provides options for controlling the location of the Navigator (left or
right), its width setting, and its placement in relation to the Model Tree settings.
Click: Tools  Customize Screen  Navigation Tabs tab and explore the settings (Fig. A.8)
Figure A.8 Customize Dialog Box, Navigation Tabs
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The Browser tab is used to control its window width and animation option. The Options tab
provides settings to locate the Dashboard, Secondary Window size, and Menu display
Click: Browser tab and explore the options (Fig. A.9)  Options tab and explore its capabilities (Fig.
A.10)  OK
Figure A.9 Customize Dialog Box, Browser Tab
Figure A.10 Customize Dialog Box, Options Tab
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Mapkeys
In Pro/E, a Mapkey is a macro that maps frequently used command sequences to certain keyboard keys or
sets of keys. Mapkeys are saved in the configuration file, and are identified with the option mapkey,
followed by the identifier and then the macro. You can define a unique key or combination of keys which,
when pressed, executes the mapkey macro (for example, F6 on your keyboard). You can create a mapkey
for virtually any task you perform frequently within Pro/E. By adding mapkeys to your Toolchest or menu
bar, you can use mapkeys with a single mouse click or menu command and thus streamline your
workflow in a visible way.
Create a mapkey, click: Tools  Mapkeys Mapkeys dialog box opens (Fig. A.13)  New Record
Mapkey dialog box opens (Fig. A.14)  Key Sequence- $F5  Name COLORS  Description Opens
Appearance Editor and starts the New Color Definition (Fig. A.14)  Record  View from menu
bar  Color and Appearance 
Add new appearance  Color: Color button
A.15)  adjust for a new color  Stop  OK  Save Mapkeys
(Fig.

(Fig. A.16)  Ok  Close (Fig. A.17)  Close Color Editor  Close Appearance
Editor
Figure A.13 Mapkeys Dialog Box
Figure A.14 Record Mapkey Dialog Box
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Figure A.15 Appearance Editor and Color Editor
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Figure A.16 Save Mapkey File
Figure A.17 Close Mapkeys
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Click: Tools  Customize Screen  Commands tab  Mapkeys from the Categories list  click on
the new mapkey COLORS
(Fig. A.18)  Modify Selection  Choose Button
Image (Fig. A.19)  select
(Fig. A.20)  RMB (Fig. A.21)  Edit
Button Image Button Editor Opens (Fig. A.22)  click on a color block and edit the picture as you wish
(Fig. A.23)  OK
Figure A.18 Customize Dialog Box
Figure A.19 Choose Button Image
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Figure A.20 Select an Icon
Figure A.21 Edit Button Image
Figure A.22 Button Editor
Figure A.23 Pick on Colors and Edit the Picture
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Pick
the
new
mapkey:
(Fig.
A.24)

(Fig.A.25)  click on the button
Description

and drag to
the Top Toolchest and drop (Fig. A.26)  OK  test the new button, click:
Opens Appearance
Editor and starts the New Color Definition (Fig. A.27), Color Editor dialog box opens  Close 
Close
Figure A.24 Click on COLORS
Figure A.25 Description
Figure A.26 Drag and Drop in Toolchest
Figure A.27 Color Editor Opens
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