The Dialogue Command Structure

The Dialogue Command Structure

The command structure forms a hierarchical "tree", with the top-level D3PLOT_MANAGER at its "root".

The following rules apply:

• Command words may be abbreviated to any degree so long as:
  • they are unique in the context of their current menu
  • they must have at least their first two characters given

  For example BP_BEAM_PLOTTING CT_CONTINUOUS may be abbreviated to BP CT .

• Navigation up and down menu levels is performed as follows:
  • <command> takes you to the command's (sub-)menu level
  • Forward slash "/" takes you back to the top D3PLOT_MANAGER level before executing the following command(s)

  For example BP_BEAM_PLOTTING above takes you into the BEAM_PLOTTING sub-menu

  The command /DEFORM EXPLODE would work at the BEAM_PLOTTING prompt because it would return to the top level before parsing the DEFORM command.

• There is also a "global menu" of commands which is available at any (sub-)menu prompt.
  • These are primarily graphics commands that do not require a context
  • The commands can be listed with the GM (for Global Menu) command
    
    
• Any command can be aborted by typing Q (uit). This will return control to the next highest command prompt in the "tree"
  

• At any prompt you can type H (elp) to receive advice about what to do next.
• For all the places where <entity><type> range needs to be specified it can be given as
  
  
  A range of numbers using typical syntax:
  1) 1 2 3 19 207 5 8
  2) 1 TO 10 3 6 20 TO 100 STEP 1
  3) ALL (or *)
  4) AV (or %) for all visible entities
  
  
  Using the screen picking options:
  1) V   (Visible) To pick individually with cursor;
  2) SA (Screen Area) to pick entities within a box defined by opposite corners;
  3) CV (Current Volume) to pick entities inside the current clipping volume.