When you start Opus the main workspace i.e. the Opus Editor, will contain the following elements:
Across the top of the screen are a series of primary toolbars offering the most commonly required functions. By default these are:
The function of each toolbar button is described in the status bar at the bottom of the Opus screen and has tool tips so if you linger over the button it will remind you what it does. The toolbars can be reorganised via the Customise option on the Tools menu.
An additional toolbar is provided which usually runs vertically between the Organiser and your Page View. This is the Tools Toolbar and provides the tools for creating the content of your publication.
Some of these tools have an arrow beside them. This indicates that there a number of options for this tool. In some cases this represents custom objects you can define and in other cases it provides access to similar tools. For example, the Browser and DocView objects are provided from the same toolbar. To change the tool available at a particular location simply press the arrow to bring up a flyout toolbar with the other options on. Select the tool you require from this toolbar and the Tools toolbar will be updated appropriately.
Introducing Custom Default Objects
The Organiser is a panel running down the left of the screen. It allows you to choose and organise the various components available to your publication or contained within it. There is a set of tabs which allow you to choose the sections of the Organiser.
The main area of the screen is devoted to the Page View. This provides an editable view of the current page you have selected. This is where you edit the content of your pages. At the bottom of each page in the Page View is an area for notes relating to that page.
The Opus Editor now allows you to arrange your objects on layers on your page to help edit complex publications more easily. By default the dockable Layer palette which allows you to organise these layers is positioned in the bottom left of the workspace.
At the bottom of the workspace is a colour palette allowing you to select outline and fill colours for your objects and text. There is a series of preset colours to choose from as well as a set of empty colour wells for you to store custom colours you are currently using.