Shelves
In Alias 2024, you can have multiple custom shelf sets. Selected palette and menu tools can be added to a shelf to create your own preferred arrangement of tools.
Open shelf sets by selecting Windows > Shelves and then customize them by creating tabs and adding tools.
The middle-mouse button is used to drag tools from palettes and menus onto the shelf:
Typical uses for shelves iclude:
To have many instances of the same tools with different settings. Labels and icons can be edited to distinguish each instance.
To have tools from sub-menus placed on a single level for quicker access, for example Trim and Untrim.
Shelf icon bar
- Select between icon and list mode.
- Choose labels on/off (in icon mode only).
- Open the menu to select from:
- New Tab - Creates a new tab in the shelf set. A confirm box appears, displaying a default name for the new pullout. Type in a new name, then click OK.
- Rename Tab - (shortcut
Ctrl
+ double-click) Opens a rename box for the currently active tab. - New Shelf - Duplicate of Windows > Shelves > New
- Rename Shelf - Opens a rename box for the shelf set.
- Export Shelf - Saves the shelf set out to a .json format file. An exported shelf can be imported by selecting Windows > Shelves > Import.
- Duplicate Shelf - Creates a duplicate of the current shelf set.
- Delete Shelf - Deletes the shelf set.
Using and creating shelves
Using installed shelf sets
Some shelf sets have been provided for use in the default Workspaces. These can be accessed by selecting Windows > Shelves.
You can use any of these shelf sets and modify them to your own preferences. Ensure that you save your Preference Profiles so that your custom shelves can be restored at anytime. See Preferences > User Preferences for details on saving interface preferences to a profile.
Shelf sets that are open on the screen display a blue checkmark. This changes if you switch to a Workspace with a different shelf layout.
Create a new shelf
Most users create their own shelves, adding tools that they use often for quick access.
To create a personal shelf set, do either of the following:
Select Windows > Shelves > Default Shelf set to use the empty Default Shelf set.
Select Windows > Shelves > New to create a new empty Shelf set.
Use the MMB to drag a tool or menu item from a palette or menu.
A New Shelf dropzone appears. Release the icon when the dropzone icon boundary is highlighted in blue.
A pop-up window appears where you can enter a name for the new shelf.
Shelf orientation
A shelf set works in the same way as the palette when it is resized, automatically changing between list and icon mode as it changes the aspect ratio.
In addition, shelf sets with a single tab can be compressed when in portrait mode to hide the tab and shelf title.
Adding tools to shelves
Middle mouse button (MMB) ![](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2024/ENU/Alias-Interface-and-General-Tasks/images/asset_middlemousebutton.png)
Tools are added to shelf tabs by dragging them from the palette or the menu with the MMB.
As the tool is dragged over the shelf area, one of three possible drop zones appear. These are displayed differently for horizontal and vertically oriented shelves:
Release the mouse button to place the tool:
- Tool dropzone - to the side of an existing shelf tool - places the tool at the position shown.
- Group dropzone - to the top of an existing shelf tool - adds the tool into a cascade menu. If this is the first tool added, a confirm box appears where you can name the group. Subsequent additions will just be added.
- Tab dropzone - adds the tool into a new tab. Use
Ctrl
+ double-click to rename the tab.- Horizontal orientation - between the tools and the shelf title bar and the tab names.
- Vertical orientation - in the empty space below existing tools and tabs.
The MMB is also used to re-order tools and tabs in the shelf. Use the MMB to drag sideways until a drop zone appears.
Ctrl key
The Ctrl
key can be used in four ways on shelves:
Ctrl
+ double-click to open the icon editor, which you can use to change the tool label, add a hotkey, modify the icon.Ctrl
+ double-click on a tab header to change the tab name.Ctrl
+ MMB drag to duplicate a tool on a shelf tab or to duplicate a whole tab. Move the tool or tab sideways until the blue vertical placement bar appears. Release the mouse button to drop in place. This also works when dragging a tool or tab from one shelf to another.
Adding tabs to shelves
You can create additional tabs in a shelf using one of the following methods:
New Tab in the shelves menu:
Drag a tool or another tab to the tab dropzone:
- Landscape orientation: a horizontal blue line appears between the tools and the shelf title bar and the tab names.
- Portrait orientation: drag to the empty space below existing tools.
Copying and moving tabs
If a set of tools has been arranged on a shelf tab, when moving the tab:
- MMB drag on the tab title will remove the tab and tools from the source and add them to the destination.
Ctrl
+ MMB drag on the tab title will duplicate the tab and tools to the destination.
For shelves where there is only one tab, the tab header is hidden (to keep the shelf compact). To expose the tab for duplicating:
- Make sure the shelf is in landscape oreientation displaying icons.
- Click-release on the thin darker line above the tool icons to display the tab temporarily.
- Use MMB drag on the tab title to move it to the destination (or
Ctrl
+ MMB drag to duplicate).
Adding Flattened Toolboxes, Palette Tabs and Menus to the shelf.
Core interface elements such as toolboxes, Palette or Menu tabs can be dragged as whole tabs to a shelf. The originals will be duplicated not deleted.
If the toolboxes or tabs contain any sub-groups, these will be flattened to a single level on the duplicated tab.
Saving Shelves
Additions and changes to a shelf are saved with the user profiles.
You can also export and import individual shelves using:
- Export Shelf on each shelf set menu.
- Import Shelf from the Windows > Shelves menu. The shelf set is opened, and added to the list in the Windows > Shelves menu. Note that the name of the shelf set is the same as it was when exported and not the filename that was used to save it.
Editing shelf items
If a shelf item is dragged with the MMB outside the shelf set window, three edit icons pop up. Drag and drop the shelf tool onto an icon to:
- Create a new shelf with the selected tool added
- Edit the shelf item properties. Note that this is different than using
Shift
+ click or double-click to open the tool window and change its settings. - Delete the shelf tool from the shelf without affecting the original palette or menu tool.
In the Shelf Item edit window:
Long name: modify the name as it appears when accessed as a menu item (RMB on a shelf tab).
Short name: modify the icon label.
Add a hotkey.
Add a new icon graphic.
Guidelines for creating an icon graphic
To create a custom icon, create an image to the following guidelines:
- Icon size: 48x48 pixels
- Format: png
- Any transparent areas take on the color theme background color (Color Themes > Customize > UI Colors > Window Color).
Use the Shelf Item Edit window to load the image into your chosen icon.
Shelf Extras - Punctuation Icons
Use Windows > Shelves > Shelf Extras to open a shelf containing spacer icons. These are six non-functioning icons that can be dragged onto the shelf using the MMB simply to help group tools and make a large shelf easier to read.