openLCA helpWorking with the GUI
The openLCA user interface (GUI) uses the GUI from Eclipse; it provides therefore possibilities that are not known in other (typically Windows) applications. But besides these specialities, many features are straightforward and known from other applications as well. This section will explain both special and standard features of the user interface.
Overview
The application looks like this:
At the top of the window you see a menu bar...
...and in the file menu there are several wizards available, some to create new objects and others for import and export.
The toolbar below gives you quick access to object-depending actions like saving and exporting. Switching the editors will change the available icons so that only the relevant icons are on display.
Navigation view and category system
The navigation view shows the main category tree on the left side. Clicking on a category will show its elements in the objects section below. In many operation systems, a text with a small triangle indicates a hidden subsection. Clicking on the triangle displays the section, clicking on it again hides the section. In other operation systems you will see a plus, or something similar.
You can add or remove empty categories with a right mouse click on the category. You can apply a name filter by typing the exact name in the text field; using the * plus text will show object names containing the text.
Double clicking on an object will open an editor on the right side. In the editor you can see and edit details of the objects. If you change objects, it is marked with a * and you have to save it, sometimes close it and open it again, in order to let the changes take effect.
More than one editor can be open at the same time, but only one for each object, e.g. one specific process. This prevents you from editing the same object in different ways in parallel, which might create inconsistencies.
Category system
Categories are used to order and classify the objects. For any object, the category can be changed in the editor.
You can add or remove empty categories with a right click.
The main categories like Projects and Product systems are direct children of the root category (that is the one with the database name). Main categories can neither be added as new, nor can they be removed.
Views and editors
An editor is a special feature of the Eclipse user interface; it is something like a Window in the Windows operation system. It can be opened and closed, maximised and minimised, and moved around by clicking on the tab bar, and holding the mouse while dragging it to another location. In openLCA, editors are the main way to display elements.
Double clicking on an object will open its editor on the right side of the workbench. You can open various editors but only one for each object. Switch between them by clicking on the tabs at the top.
Maximise it or minimise it with the icons on their top-right.
You can also grab an editor with the mouse (hold the mouse-button pressed when it is over the tab of the editor page), and drag it to another location. The picture below shows the application with several editors in view, similar to a split window.
Each editor has sub pages. To switch between them use the tabs at the bottom of the editor.
All editors start with the information page, other pages may differ.
Object look-up (search) feature
Most objects are connected to other objects. For example, you assign an actor object to a process as an owner (objects or elements in the application are in detail explained here). The process editor only shows the actors name, to see detailed information about the owner you need to open the actor in its own editor by doubleclicking in the navigation view.
As you see on the screenshot below, the fields ‚owner’, ‚generator’, and ‚entry by’ are marked with an actor symbol on the left and a red cross on the right side. This is a solution that we have applied throughout openLCA: In all editors, the fields and tables which contain references to other objects in the application (as here, actors), are marked with an object symbol to how which kind of object may be assigned and a red cross to remove the assignment.
You can assign an object via drag and drop, or via a click on the object’s icon on the left side. When you hover over the symbol with your mouse, the icon changes to a search icon.
Clicking it will open a separate window with all existing objects of the respective type, to choose from. See the next picture below.
