Software Interface

This section is designed to familiarise you with the various elements of the software interface making it easy for you to navigate your way around the software.

Main Interface

The illustration below presents the different sections of the software interface:

• A The Software Menu:  the text menu across the top of the screen
• B The Work Area:  the large canvas in the centre of the screen
• C The Content Panel:  the changeable panel on the left of the screen
• D The Tools & Services Panel:  the changeable panel on the right of the screen
• E The Pages Panel: panel of thumbnails across the base of the screen (Layout View only)
• F The Panel sub menu:  the orange bar underneath the Software Menu

Software Menus

The grey text menu at the top left of the interface links you to all the functions, screens, tools and settings in the software via a series of drop down lists. A summary of each menu is outlined below but the best way to learn about them is to open up the software and have a look through the menus yourself.

• File Menu: for starting, opening & saving Projects or Templates, Pricing & Program Settings
• Edit Menu: for Rulers, Guides, Snapdragging, Replace Mode & standard editing tools
• View Menu: for quickly navigating to specific Content, Tools & Services & Work Area screens
• Page Menu: for adding, deleting, moving & navigating between pages of your Project
• Photos Menu: for applying Auto-Enhance, Frames or Span Pages & to go to Preview view
• Text Menu: for adding Text or Captions & selecting different Text Styles or Fonts
• Layout Menu: to access rotation, sizing, spacing & alignment tools, Layers & Backgrounds
• Help Menu: to access Help, the Momento website, Software updates & Credits
   

Content Panels

The left section of the screen displays a collection of panels, each one containing content that can be inserted onto the pages of your project, thus we call them the Content Panels. 

The five Content Panels are:

1. Photos Panel: all your own photos stored on your computer
2. Backgrounds Panel: colourful designs to fill the whole page
3. Frames Panel: stylish borders and corners to enhance your photos
4. Layouts Panel: pre-designed pages to drop your photos in to
5. Embellishments Panel: hundreds of Momento designed graphics

Not only can you access your own photos in the Photos Panel but there are four other panels storing hundreds of professionally designed graphics and decorations.  Each panel is accessed by clicking the related icon in the orange bar at the top of the Content Panel, then you can use the buttons unique to each panel to locate and select the content. To add any content (photos, backgrounds, frames, embellishments or layouts) to your project you simply drag the item from the Content Panel to the Work Area in Sort View, Layout View or Cover View.

Software Views

There are six different Views in the software that guide you step-by-step through the creation process. We call them Views because each of them gives you a different view on your design and in the Work Area.  You can move between the different Views by clicking on the icons in the orange bar above the Work Area.

• Start View: where you start a new Project, choose the product, shape, size & layout style
• Sort View: displays content as a list of icons for you to sequence, size, add or delete pages
• Layout View: presents your design like a book page, with page thumbnails & editing tools
• Cover View: accessible from Layout View, this view is for designing your cover & spine text
• Preview:  a non-editable full screen, double page view of your Project page by page
• Finish View: for entering contact details & exporting your Project ready to send & order

The Work Area

The Work Area is the area directly below the Software Views menu in the centre of the interface. The Work Area looks different according to which View you are in. The Work Area in Layout View and Cover View is an almost full-screen presentation of your page design and all its contents in graphical form. The Work Area in Sort View however presents a list of your content represented as icons. To add any content to your project in Sort View, Layout View or Cover View, simply drag the item from the Contents Panel on to the Work Area.

Tools and Services Panel

Just as the Contents Panel on the left side of the interface includes a number of interchangeable panels so does the Tools & Services Panel on the right side of the interface.  The Tools and Services Panel links you to editing tools, more downloadable Momento content plus onscreen help and inspiration for designing your projects.

The Tools and Services Panel is made up of the following interchangeable panels:

• Tools Panel: tools to change the appearance, colour, position & size of your photos
• Updater Panel: to access Momento content - backgrounds, frames, embellishments
• Inspiration Panel: filled with news about competitions, new products & design tips
• Quick Help Panel: handy summary of the main tools in each view & Keyboard Shortcuts

For more information please see Tools, Updater and Quick Help.