Part Help

Parts are, simply, the parts that make up a Tool . They are the things that are essential to and uniquely associated with that particular Tool. For example, Rhino 's parts include Toolbars and Lights , while VRay 's parts include the Material Editor and the Sun and Sky .

There are three main types of parts: Entity, Interface, and Method.

Part Types

Entity

Typically nouns, these parts embody a smaller sub-set of their larger tools. For example, wheels would be entity parts to a car. In the context of design software, entity parts would be the objects in the world described by the software. The NURBS Surface Part of Rhino is a good example.

Interface

These parts describe a way in which the user of a tool engages with it, or a way that the tool provides feedback to its user. They may be formally provided interfaces, such as a dashboard on a car, or less formal conventions. In the context of design software, interface parts would be the buttons, viewports, commands, and toolbars provided to the user. The Viewport in Rhino is a good example.

Method

Typically verbs (gerunds preferred), these parts embody a common use strongly implied by a tool. Think of these as mini-workflows that don't escape the bounds of their tool. For example, a three-point-turn would be a method part to a car. In the context of design software, method parts would be common procedures that a user performs, especially those that have been clearly anticipated by the software designers. The Working with the Construction Plane of Rhino is a good example.

Semantic Structure

Each Part page has the following semantic properties.

Name

The name of the part. If parts are grouped, list all all of them together. Use title case.

Description

Write a short, two to three sentence summary of the part. Be brief but specific, as this text is searchable but there will be opportunities to elaborate later.

Part of

The tool that the part is a part of. This list must be formatted as Studiomaven page-names . The autocomplete feature ought to be useful here.

Part Type

Choose from the drop-down list between the three types: Entity , Interface , and Method . See Part Types for more information.

Image

An illustrative image for this part, typically a screenshot. Appears in search results. Click on Upload file to add an image.

Free-Text Structure

Each Part page should more-or-less adhere to follow the following structure.

Introduction

Introduce the part and its relationship to the larger tool.

Usage

Using descriptive titles and header hierarchy , create additional sections to describe the part as needed. Images are especially important here. For Entity part types, images show the main parts of the tool. For Interface part types, screenshots of how the user interacts with the tool can supplement the text. For Method part types, screenshots are also helpful to explain a particular action.

Resources

Links to external resources, files stored on the Studiomaven Dropbox , and any reference material. Structured as a level 2 heading called "Resources". List each resource in a Definition List .