Using Help

Introduction

There are several ways to find information in this Help system. When the Help system is opened, there is the Content tab and the Search tab on the left side of the Help window.

Content

You can browse through the folder structure of the Content tab to find topics of interest. The content is divided among the main divisions of the software: The User Interface, CAM, etc. The Contents section is designed to get you to an overview topic that is used as the main navigation tool through the help system. The overview topic leads you to as much information about each section as possible. The links in the overview topic lead to the explanations of the dialog boxes and shortcut menus used to perform various actions. These topics are designed to explain all of the options available with brief explanations on how to use them. From these topics you find examples and tutorials that go into further detail about a given subject. It is highly recommended that you examine the User Interface section of the help system as this is the starting point for all of the terms used in the BobCAM Help system.

 

Other Content

We have also created other help systems dedicated to particular aspects of our products. For deep dives into post processors or the Lua scripting functionality use the following links to open the related help systems.

 

You can use the Search tab (or the Index tab) to type a keyword and then search for all topics that contain the keyword. When you click Go, the search results display in a list on the left side of the Help window. Click an item in the list to view the help topic.

 

Tip: When using the search function, keep in mind you can search for multiple words at the same time. When you are searching for a specific phrase, be sure to put that phrase in quotes. As an example: Tool Pattern will do a search for the word Tool, and the word Pattern. "Tool Pattern" will only search for the phrase Tool Pattern.

Using Online Help

If the computer on which BobCAM is installed has an active Internet connection, then the software is automatically set to Use Online Help. To turn off online help and use the local help system that was installed with the software, in the Help menu, click Use Online Help (so that no check mark appears next to Use Online Help). If the computer does not have an active Internet connection, then the local version is automatically used. It is recommended that you Use Online Help when possible as this provides you with the most current version of the help system.

There are various navigation tools available in this Help system. When you see an In This Topic link at the top of a topic, you can click to expand the list to see what is covered in the topic. You can then click a name in the list to go directly to that section of the topic. Be sure to check the Related Topics sections at the end of any document to view links to additional information.

Getting the Most Current Online Help Version

The Help system browser is designed to automatically update the Help topics to the newest version, but the following steps may be necessary on some systems. There are certain situations in which the Help system browser needs to be refreshed to clear any cached information that may hold earlier versions of a topic. To assure that you are receiving the most current version of a Help topic, right-click anywhere in the content of the Help topic that you are viewing, and click Refresh (or Reload). This assures that the browser is not holding any older information so that you get the latest version.

Conventions Used in This Help System

In procedures and explanations, when you are told to:

 

  • Click - means to click the left mouse button. All other methods are explained as they are required.
  • Right-click - means to click the right mouse button.
  • Double-click - means to click the left mouse button twice (quickly).
  • Drag - means to click and hold the left mouse button down while dragging the mouse, for example, to select a window, and then release the mouse button.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts - when you see Ctrl+1, this means to press and hold the Ctrl key, and then press the number 1 on the keyboard to perform the specific command.
  • Check Boxes

This is a selected check box. This turns an option on and is explained as: select the check box.

This is a cleared check box. This turns an option off and is explained as: clear the check box.

 

When looking for information in this help system, when possible, try to use terms that appear in the User Interface. Most topics in this Help system use the terms as they appear in the User Interface. For example, when looking for information about a dialog box, type the name of the dialog box that displays at the top.

More Help

Don't forgot to check BobCAM's website for more information about the software, including support forums, training videos, webinars, and much more.