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Left: Click the panel title bar ...

Right: ... to open the panel expansion.

Note: When the ribbon is minimized to panel titles, panels


expand fully when opened, so further expansion is inapplicable.
Tip: If you like, you can pin open a panel expansion
(see following).
[pin/unpin panel expansion]

At the left end of the title bar of an expanded panel is a small button with
a pushpin icon (see preceding illustration). To pin the panel expansion,
thus locking it open, click this button. To allow it to close, unpin it by
clicking the button again.

Note: When Show Panel Titles is off, the pin icon takes the
form of a small circle.
Return Panels to Ribbon

Restores all panels in the group to the ribbon. Each panel returns to its
previous tab and location on the ribbon, before it was floated. Available
only on floating panels.

Toggle Orientation

Switches the panel group layout between vertical and horizontal.


Available only on floating panels.

Top: Floating panel group in vertical orientation


Bottom: Floating panel group in horizontal orientation

Minimize/Maximize

Click this button, found on the ribbon next to the tab titles, to toggle the
ribbon between maximized and the active minimize option (see
following).

Alternatively, if the Cycle Through All option is active (see following),


clicking Minimize/Maximize activates the next option in this progression:
maximized, minimized to panel buttons, minimized to panel titles, and
minimized to tabs.

When the ribbon is maximized, most of its controls are visible; the rest
are available on the expansion area of certain panels, indicated by a
small arrowhead next to the panel title. Click the title to open the
expansion.

To set the active minimize option, click the small arrow next to the
Minimize/Maximize button and choose an option from the drop-down list:

Minimize to Tabs The ribbon shows only tab names. To


access the panels, click a tab; this maximizes the ribbon
temporarily. When you move the mouse cursor away from
the ribbon, it minimizes again.

In this mode, additional controls on some panels are available on the


panel expansion, indicated by a small arrowhead next to the panel
title when the panels are expanded. Click the title to open the
expansion.

Minimize to Panel Titles The ribbon shows tabs and panel


titles. To access a panel, mouse over its title.

In this mode, each panel expands to show all controls automatically;


no further expansion is available.
Minimize to Panel Buttons The ribbon shows tabs, panel
titles, and a single icon for each panel. To access a panel,
mouse over its title.

Cycle through All When active, clicking the


Minimize/Maximize button activates the next option in this
progression: maximized, minimized to panel buttons,
minimized to panel titles, and minimized to tabs.

Right-click menu
When you right-click the ribbon or a floating panel group, different commands
and submenus appear, depending on where you click. Following is a
comprehensive listing of available right-click-menu commands.

Show Tabs submenu

Toggles visibility of the ribbon tabs: Graphite Modeling Tools, Freeform,


and Selection, and Object Paint.

Show Panels submenu

Lists all panels available for the active tab. Visible panels have check
marks next to their names; hidden ones dont. To toggle a panels
visibility, click its name in the list.

Note: Floating panels do not appear in the list; to enable control


over the visibility of a floating panel, return it to the ribbon.
Show Panel Titles

When on, a panel title appears at the bottom or side of each panel
(depending on orientation). When off, the panel titles are replaced by thin
horizontal strips on the horizontal ribbon; you can drag these away from
the ribbon to float the panels. However, on the vertical ribbon, turning of
Show Panel Titles simply removes the title bars.

Note: When Minimize to Panel Titles is active, panel titles always


appear. Also, floating panels always have titles.
Ribbon Configuration

Provides commands for customizing the ribbon, as described in the


following section.

Ribbon Configuration Submenu


These commands are available on the ribbon right-click menu Ribbon
Configuration submenu for changing the ribbon configuration to better fit your
workflow.

Customize Ribbon

Opens the Customize Ribbon dialog.

Load Ribbon

Opens a dialog for loading a saved ribbon-configuration file. These files


use the .ribbonfilename extension, and contain all ribbon-configuration
data including orientation, maximize/minimize status,
docked/floating/position/size status, tab and panel visibility, and so on.

In general, use Load Ribbon to load a custom configuration file you


created with Save Ribbon (see following).

Save Ribbon

Opens a dialog for saving a ribbon-configuration file. These files use


the .ribbon filename extension, and contain all ribbon-configuration data
including orientation, maximize/minimize status,
docked/floating/position/size status, tab and panel visibility, and so on.

If you typically change the ribbon configuration during a session or for


different projects, use Save Ribbon to store each configuration in a
different file and then restore a saved configuration with Load Ribbon
(see preceding).

Reset Ribbon to default

Restores the ribbon to the default settings as originally installed,


including horizontal orientation, docked at the top of the interface, and
minimized to panel titles. In addition, any ribbon elements you added,
removed, or changed with Customize Ribbon (see preceding) are lost, so
be sure to save the ribbon in a custom file before resetting it.

Enable Tooltips

When on, ribbon tooltips function normally. When off, ribbon tooltips are
unavailable.

Parent topic: The Ribbon

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