Global

• Compact Model
  Removes all unused nodes and links from the models. When a node/link is deleted it remains in the model database, but tagged as unused. It generally does not affect performance. However, if you are sending your model to someone else you should compact the model first to avoid including unused nodes/links in the transmittal.
• Reset Global Settings
  Reset all global settings (g, f, v, w, b, t, r, c) to their default values
  
• Show Model Information
  Opens a dialog window containing selected model information

Nodes

Note: These menu options apply to the entire model, or only to the selected object, depending on the "Apply Changes Only to Selected Object" setting!

• Remove Nodes
  Removes nodes from model
• Remove All Free Nodes
  Removes unattached nodes from model
• Reset Node Properites
  Sets sprites, locks, masses, gravitational forces, rotational forces, initial velocities and current velocities as described in the individual menu options below.
• Reset Node Sprites
  Sets node sprites to "<none>"
• Reset Node Locks
  Unlocks nodes
• Reset Node Masses
  Sets node masses to default value
• Reset Node Gravity
  Set node gravitational forces to zero
• Reset Node Rotational Forces
  Sets node rotational forces to zero
• Reset Node Initial Velocities
  Sets initial Vx and Vy node velocities to zero
• Reset Node Velocities
  Sets current Vx and Vy node velocities to zero
• Lock All Nodes
  Locks all nodes in the current project
• Set Default Node Radius
  Sets the size of the black dot that represents nodes
• Randomly Assign Sprites to Nodes
  Sets a sprite for each node, randomly selected from the list of available sprites
• Fire Shooter
  Fires the currently selected shooter

Links

Note: These menu options apply to the entire model, or only to the selected object, depending on the "Apply Changes Only to Selected Object" setting!

• Remove Links
  Removes links from model
• Reset Link Properties
  Sets link animators, k's, angles, forces and barriers as described in the individual menu options below.
• Reset Link Animators
  Sets all link animators to off (disabled)
• Reset Link k's
  Sets all link spring constants to the default value
• Reset Link Angles
  Sets all link phase angles to zero
• Reset Link Forces
  Sets all link forces the default value
• Reset Link Barriers
  Sets all link barriers to off (disabled)
• Set Link k's to Specific Value
  Opens dialog window to enter k value for links
• Double k's
  Sets link k's to double their current values
• Halve k's
  Sets link k's to half their current value
• Set Link f's to Specific Value
  Opens dialog window to enter animator force value
• Double Link f's
  Sets link f's to double their current values
• Halve Link f's
  Sets link f's to half their current value
• Set Default Spring Constant
  Opens a dialog window where the user can change the default spring constant
• Set Default Link Force
  Opens a dialog window where the user can change the default link force

Structures

These options automatically create multi-link, multi-node structures that are commonly used to create gbAnimator models. Each option allows the user to select the number of nodes and the link lengths to be used in the structures.

• Create Duplicate Node
  Creates a new node matching the currently selected node (offset from selected node to enhance visibility)
• Create Duplicate Object
  Creates a new object matching the currently selected object (offset from the selected object to enhance visibility)
• Create Node at Link Midpoint
  Allows a link to be replaced with two links and a node between them
• Create Node Ring
  Creates a circle of nodes around the selected node
• Create Connected Node Ring
  Creates a circle of nodes around the selected node, with each node connected by a link to its adjacent neighbor nodes
• Create Connected Node Ring with Spokes (Phased Links)
  Creates a circle of nodes around the selected node, with each node connected by a link to its adjacent neighbor nodes. Each node is also connected with a link (spoke) to the center node. The phase angle of the spoke links are adjusted around the circle from 0 to 360 degrees.
• Create Connected Node Ring with Spokes (No Phased Links)
  Creates a circle of nodes around the selected node, with each node connected by a link to its adjacent neighbor nodes. Each node is also connected with a link (spoke) to the center node. All spoke phase angles are set to zero.
• Create Connected Node Ring with Long Spokes (Phased Links)
  Creates a circle of nodes around the selected node, with each node connected by a link to its adjacent neighbor nodes. Each node is also connected with a link (spoke) to the node opposite in in the circle. All spoke phase angles are adjusted around the circle from 0 to 360 degrees.
• Create Road Barrier
  Creates a connected, horizontal string of barriers across the bottom of the display area.

Settings

• Display Sprite Browser
  While a dropdown listing of all available sprites (from the 'sprites' subfolder) is always displayed, a visual browser is also available to display the sprites. Clicking on a sprite in the browser changes the sprite of the currently selected node.
• Display Phase Angle Manager
  Displays a phase angle manager at the bottom of the main window. The phase angles of animation-enabled links can be viewed or changend by dragging their location using a mouse.
• Display Node Path
  Opens a second window in which the path of a selected node is drawn during animation.
• Display Project Title
  Display title of project in display area
• Display Fireworks
  Creates fireworks-like display during animation, with exploding nodes and a variety of colors
• Persistent Fireworks
  Option to have gbAnimatior delete the newly created fireworks nodes after they've stopped movement
• Set Project Title
  Opens dialog window for user to enter title of project
• Set Grid Size
  Opens dialog window for user to enter default grid size
• Set Default Shooter Direction
  Sets the default direction (in degrees) of shooters that have no trigger
• Set Default Shooter Velocity
  Sets the default velocity of shooters that have no trigger
• AutoResume
  Tells gbAnimator to save the current project state as 'resume.bot' and reload it when the next session starts
• AutoAdjust Window Size
  The window size of a project is stored in its file. This option ensures that the current window is enlarged (not shrunk) to fit the minimum dimensions of an opened project.
• Line Color
  Opens a dialog window where the user can change the default link color
• Background Color
  Opens a dialog window where the user can change the default background color
• Default Node Color
  Opens a dialog window where the user can change the default node color
• Random Node Colors (in Creation)
  Sets new nodes to a random color
• Random Node Colors (in Animation)
  Randomly, and continuously, changes to color of every node during animation
• Apply Changes Only to Selected Object
  A gbAnimator model can be thought to consist of objects - such as two unconnected triangles, where each triangle could be any structure of connected masses and springs. This very powerful menu option allows the Node and Link menu settings, as well as the resizing/respositioning options of the top toolbar, to affect only the object containing the currently selected node.
• Walls as Barriers
  Sets whether objects will reverse direction when reaching the right or left walls
• Ceiling as Barrier
  Sets whether objects will reflect off the ceiling
• Reverse Model on Contact
  Determines whether the entire model, or just the specific object, will reverse direction when reaching the right or left walls. This setting is ignored unless the "Walls as Barriers" setting is checked.
• Gives Focus to Cannonball
  When selected the most recent node shot from a shooter is given focus. This is useful when plotting the path of a node, which applies only to the selected node.
• Allow Sprites in Construction
  In construction mode having the sprites displayed gets in the way of selecting/dragging the underlying nodes. Enable this menu option to see the sprites during construction mode (you still have to press the toolbar 'Display Sprites' button).
• Allow Zero Length Links
  Models can always be created with zero length links. But during calculations of forces, velocities and positions zero lengths are normally ignored because the may cause a divide by zero error. There are some particuar model types for which a zero length link is useful, so this option has been provided to enable the calculation.
• Allow Grid During Animation
  Because displaying the grid during animation slows down the animation, the default is not to show the grid during animation. Enable this menu option to see the grid during animation.

Help

• Email Author
  Opens the default email client, addressed to the gbAnimator author. Also, the current model is placed on the clipboard (in text form), ready to be pasted into the body of the email.
• Discussion Forums
  Opens the default browser client to the gbAnimator Internet forum at the author's web site
• Online Help
  Opens the default browser client to the gbAnimator home page
• Online Update
  Checks online and downloads new versions of gbAnimator
• About
  Opens the About dialog window