The Main Window
Every time you start the program, you will find the
Main Window open.This window is the surface where you find all necessary tools and it is the starting point for your work.
The Main Window is made up of several parts. In the following these parts are described and shown on small video clips.
On the left of the blue rail you can see the sign of the program "Elastica", then there is the company name. Next you will find the name of the program "Elastica" and the version you have bought.
On the right you can see three symbols with which you are able to minimize (Minimieren), restore (Wiederherstellen) or close (Schließen) [in dependence on the language chosen for the operating system] the Main Window.
Right under the program rail you will find the
menu rail which offers eight options:File
Parameter
Calculation
Graph
Configuration
Tools
Windows
Help
Each of them, except "Configuration", opens a
scroll after pressing the left mouse button once on one of these symbols. The scrolls will offer a variety of options which can be activated by simply clicking into the corresponding field.You also can open a field of the menu rail by pressing the "Alt" key on your computer together with the key of the underlined letter (ex.: File: [Alt]+[f] ).
One can find the
symbol rail directly under the menu rail. Here you will see twenty symbols which will simplify the work with the program. Almost all options given here you also can call up by using the menu rail. But the usage of the symbols in the symbol rail has the one big advantage of being quicker during work: just click the needed symbol with the left mouse button once and the desired window opens or the process starts.*Note: The symbol "Open
Graph Commander" is only usable if a Graph Window is open.The symbol "Accuracy" is helpful for dedicated users. It is only active for the Spherical indenter on a substrate with more than one layer and for the Circular punch on a substrate with one layer.
Look up the word "Accuracy" in the
Help menu for detailed information.The eight
Arrangement Buttons under the symbol rail show the different indenters and one crack model (Spherical or Conical Indenter, Circular Punch, Penny Shaped Crack) on differently coated substrates (with or without layer(s)).The user is able to change the setting so that the model comes as closest as possible to his application.
It is only possible to select one single setting at once.
The biggest part of the Main Window is the work surface. This blank space offers room for all windows the user wishes to open. The
Parameter and Single Results Window appears in the left part of the work surface after opening the program. This is a standard setting.The info rail contains only information and is therefor unchangeable. The information is about the current arrangement concerning indenter and substrate parameters, number of layers and stress or deformation settings.