The first toolbar provides file management tools as well as a wide variety of program display options, whereas the second toolbar is used to set the global, noden and link properties of the model.

Toolbar1: File management, animation, and display control
This toolbar controls animation, saves/opens files, controls what/how information is displayed and repositions/resizes model content.

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• File
  
  
  
  • New - clears the display and starts a new model
  • Save - saves the current model using the name shown in the dropdown list
  • Reload - reloads the display with the model listed in the dropdown list
  • File List - dropdown list of all files found in the 'zoo' subfolder

• Run
  
  
  
  • Start - starts/stops animation
  • Reset - resets the model to the state that existed when 'Start' was last pressed
  • Slow - slows the animation for closer examination
  • Single Step - stops animation, then executes a single time interval
  • Animators - enables the user of animator links during animation

• Construction
  
  
  • Delete - deletes the currently selected link and node. If a selected node is deleted, the links attached to it are also deleted. Applies to an entire object depending on Apply Change Only to Selected Object option.
  • Duplicate - duplicates the selected node or object
  • Shoot - shoots a node from the selelcted shooter

• Move
  
  
  • Up - moves the model up by one gridpoint
  • Down - moves the model down by one gridpoint
  • Left - moves the model left by one gridpoint
  • Right - moves the model right by one gridpoint
  • Center - centers the model in the display area
  • Rotate - rotates the model clockwise by 5 degrees (0.008273 radians)
  • Decrease - decreases the model size by 20%
  • Increase - increases the model size by 20%
  • Convert Object to Barrier - locks all nodes and sets the barrier flag for all links in the selected object
  Note: These toolbar options (except for 'Delete') apply to the entire model, or only to the selected object, depending on the "Apply Changes Only to Selected Object" setting!

• Display
  
  
  
  • Next Node - sequentially sets each node as selected
  • Next Link - sequentially sets each link as selected
  • Display Information - enables verbose display of global, selected link, and selected node information
  • Simple Display - enables single line display of global, selected link and selected node information
  • Numbers - displays the node numbers in blue and link numbers in red
  • Draw - enables use of Link Draw Mode. If not pressed, Link Draw Mode cannot be entered.
  • Lock Rest Length - normally, when a link is resized, the rest length is adjusted. With this option pressed, the rest length will not be adjusted. This allows a pre-animation stress to be introduced in the model.
  • Nodes - enables display of nodes (the dots)
  • Links - enables display of links (the lines)
  • Animated Links - highlights links whose Animator property is turned on (wider line, blue color)
  • Sprite - enables display of sprites, centered over the nodes
  • Grid - displays a grid in the display area (note, this causes some slowdown during model creation)
  • Snap - forces node placement to fall on the grid (even if the grid is not displayed)

• Help
  
  
  
  • Message - downloads a daily message from the gbAnimator server
  • Email - open the default mail client, addressed to the gbAnimator author. Note: the model is also places on the clipboard, ready for pasting in the body of the email (the model uses text formatting).

Toolbar2: - Global/Node/Link Settings
This toolbar supports setting global propertes of the model, as well as properties for the currently selected node or link:

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• Global Settings
  
  
  
  • Gravity - the normal force of gravity, directed downward
  • Friction - determines how much x-direction velocity is retained after contact with a surface (floor/side/wall)
  • Bounce - determines how much y-direction velocity is retained after impact
  • Interval - time interval over which the forces act
  • Rate - how frequently gbAnimator calculates a time interval Animation Clock - speed at which Animators operate

• Node Settings
  
  
  
  • Sprite - selects sprite to associate with the node
  • Locked - locks the XY coordinates of the node
  • Shooter - set the node to be a shooter
  • Color - selects the node color
  • Mass - sets the mass of the node
  • Gravity - establishes the node as a source of gravitational pull
  • Rotational Force - sets the node to apply a rotational force to all nodes connected to it by a link
  • Vxo - sets the initial x-velocity of a node (at time = 0)
  • Vyo - sets the initial y-velocity of a node (at time = 0)
  • Direction - sets the initial direction of a node (at time = 0)
  • Velocity - sets the initial velocity of a node (at time = 0)
  Note: A user selects between use of the Direction/Velocity and Vxo/Vyo toolbar button pairs. Both give the same results and are simply different ways of assigning the initial node properties. Use the menu selection Settings > Use Directional Initial Node Settings menu option to make the selection. The toolbar icons will change according to the selection made.

• Link Settings
  
  
  
  • Animator - enables Animator for this link only
  • Spring Constant - spring constant of the link
  • Phase Angle - time in the animation cycle at which the link push/pull begins
  • Force - strength of the link push/pull
  • Barrier - sets the link to act as a barrier