The Physical Workspace: Special Notes

Using Custom Backgrounds

The Physical Workspace comes with a default set of backgrounds (for the Intercity, City, and Building environments). You can replace the background of each environment with your own background images, just like in the Logical Workspace (see "Getting Started"). When using your own images, pay attention to the environment for which an image is appropriate. For example, an image with the map of San Francisco is appropriate for the City environment. To use such an image, perform these steps:

- Place that image in the "backgrounds/city" folder.
- Add this image to the program under the Administrative panel of the program options.
- In the city where you want to apply the background, click the set background button on the Physical Workspace Bar.

Note that the dimensions of your background images affect the scale and appearance of certain objects.

Navigation Panel

You can click on the Navigation button from the Physical Workspace Bar to bring up the navigation panel of the entire Physical Workspace. The navigation panel contains a physical locations tree that allows you to select a location and then jump to that particular location on the Physical Workspace.

Applying a Grid

You can click on the Grid button from the Physical Workspace Bar to apply a customizable grid to the Intercity, City, and Building levels. The Grid tool allows you to set the grid spacing for each level and the ability to choose the color of the grid lines.

Wiring Closet Limit

Each wiring closet can house as many as three racks, three tables, two tables and one rack, or two racks and one table. End devices are placed on tables; all other devices are mounted on racks. If the Logical Topology contains more devices than a single wiring closet can house, another wiring closet will automatically be created in the default building. That new wiring closet will become the default wiring closet. You will still be able to access the original wiring closet, although you may need to move wiring closet icons around the building so they do not visually overlap.

Deleting Objects

You can use the Delete tool from the Common Tools Bar to delete cities, buildings, and wiring closets. Devices, however, cannot be deleted in the Physical Workspace. If you delete a wiring closet from the Building environment, the devices in that closet will be extracted and placed directly onto the building "floor." If you delete that building from the City environment, the devices will be placed onto the city "streets."