How does the Aspire interface work in version 12 and: panels, level dropdown, View Control, orthographic view, and View Toolbar?

Overview

Since version 12, Aspire has a modern interface that combines drawing and 3D modeling tools in a single panel. This guide covers the key interface elements, toolbars and navigation controls introduced in version 12 and still used in 12.5.

1. Combined Drawing + Modeling Panel

The vector tools and the component (modeling) tools are combined into a single panel. Working with 3D models often means switching back and forth between 3D tools and drawing tools, and you no longer need to switch tabs to do this. The keyboard shortcut page still lists F8 to toggle between the Drawing and Modeling tabs.

2. Create Shape Tools

The earlier single shape creator was replaced with dedicated tools, each for one type of shape: Create Round Shape, Create Flat Plane, Create Angled Shape and Create Smooth Shape. Each has interactive handles in the 3D view, so you can adjust height, angle, roundness or profile in place and get rapid feedback. The created shapes remember the properties used to create them, so you can come back later and tweak the shape.

3. Level and Sheet Switching from the Toolbar

A dropdown on the document toolbar lets you switch the active level, adjust level visibility and combine modes, and add new levels, so you do not need the Component Tree for most modeling tree operations. A Sheet dropdown lets you switch sheets and add a new sheet without going to another tab.

4. Orthographic 3D View Mode

The 3D view is normally in perspective mode. Orthographic mode removes the perspective. It is useful when you want to see two-dimensional objects over the top of the 3D view, for example to see how parts of a toolpath line up alongside the model.

5. 3D View Control

A control in the 3D view lets you manipulate the view quickly. Click any of its faces to get a view of that face, or drag the control to orient the view exactly how you want it.

6. View Toolbar

Quickly turn on and off vectors, bitmaps, toolpaths, keep-out zones and components in the views, so you can focus on only the important parts of your job.

7. Other Version 12 Interface and Tool Changes

• VCarve Inlay Toolpath: creates both the plug and pocket toolpaths, mirrors your geometry and puts the toolpaths on the right sheets
• Keep-Out Zones: areas of the bed the machine avoids during rapid moves (clamps, jigs, fixtures)
• Sketch Carving: takes a photo or a 3D model and creates a V-carved toolpath that picks out the key parts of the source imagery
• 3D Cross-Section Tool: click between two points on a 3D model to create the vector for the cross-section between them
• Drawing in the 3D view: the drawing tools are available in the 3D view, and you can toggle the display of vectors there
• Unified import: a single import button handles all the supported 2D file types

Where Old Things Are Now

For most tools the technique is identical. Only the icon location or form appearance changed, so older tutorial techniques still apply.