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PADS4 Designer Main Window Overview

After successfully launching PADS4 Designer, you are welcomed into the main window, which serves as the central hub for all design and editing functionalities. This window provides access to every feature necessary to create, manage, and fine-tune your PADS4 presentations. Below is an overview of each section available in the main window.

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Main Sections of the PADS4 Designer Interface

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1. Design Area

The Design Area is where you visually create and edit your presentation.

  • It represents the actual layout and design of each page in your presentation.
  • Here, you can drag and drop elements, resize them, and adjust their properties in real time.
  • What you see here reflects how your content will be displayed on the Viewer.

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2. Ribbon Bar

The Ribbon Bar serves as the main menu structure of PADS4 Designer.

  • It organizes tools and commands into logical tabs and groups.
  • Common tabs include Home, Insert, View, and Page.
  • Provides quick access to core functions like creating new pages, inserting elements, adjusting properties, managing connections, and scheduling content.

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3. Toolbox

The Toolbox contains all available page elements that you can add to your presentation.

  • Examples of elements include Text, Images, Video, Shapes, Tables, and Data Elements.
  • Elements can be added by dragging them into the Design Area or double-clicking them to insert directly.
  • Each element can be customized after being placed on a page.

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4. Thumbnails Window

The Thumbnails Window displays small previews of all pages in your current presentation.

  • It allows for quick navigation between pages.
  • You can right-click on thumbnails to perform actions like duplicate, delete, or reorder pages.
  • Useful for having a visual overview of multi-page presentations.

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5. Elements Window

The Elements Window shows a list of all elements on the currently selected page.

  • Each element is listed with its name and type (e.g., Text, Image, Video).
  • You can select an element to quickly adjust its properties or bring it into focus in the Design Area.
  • Supports reordering of elements to manage layering (what is in front or behind).

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6. Playlist Window

The Playlist Window provides quick access to the playlist of a selected page element.

  • Playlists allow you to define sequences of content for dynamic and rotating content elements.
  • You can add, remove, and reorder playlist items to control what is displayed in sequence.
  • Especially useful for elements like image slideshows, video playlists, and data-driven content.