Tools

This application is built on the concept of tools. Loosely speaking, a tool for hsCADCreator is an implementation with the ability to perform a certain class of operation or procedure with regards to viewing and editing a drawing.

Tool Properties

Each tool may have a set of properties associated with it.

Tool Modes :Each tool may have one or more modes to work with. These modes are accessible from the Tool Properties window.
For example, Clone Tool has more than one modes and they can be changed by selecting mode from drop-down list.
ssToolModes

Active Tool

Only one tool may be active at a time. By choosing a tool with a toolbar, menu, or shortcut key, you are making it the active tool. In the case of Stackable Tools, only the "top most" tool is active. The Tool Properties

shows properties and options available for the active tool.

Stackable Tools and Tool Stack

In hsCADCreator some tools work in conjunction with each other and they are known as stackable tools. When more than one tools are active it creates a tool stack. In a tool stack only the topmost tool is active at a time. When the topmost tool is deactivated it is removed from tool stack and the "new" topmost tool becomes active and ready for use.

For example,

1.	If you activate the Line Tool to create a line, and then hold down the mouse wheel while moving the mouse, you will make the screen (and line) pan or move. Releasing the mouse wheel will cease the movement and other lines can now be created without having to select the Line Tool again.

If there is no entity selected when activating Clone Tool, both the Selection Tool and Clone Tool will highlight until the selection of the entity is made. After the selection is done, the Selection Tool will be deactivated and only the Clone Tool will continue to be highlighted until the clone tool is finished or another tool becomes active.