Learn to use the multipliers !

PowerCoach, even though extremely user-friendly, requires some learning to utilize to the full its power. The nice thing is that once you know the basic commands, you can easily apply them wherever they make sense. Multipliers are such an example.

To use PowerCoach efficiently, take advantage of multipliers.

Following are the standard multiplier keys on Mac OS:

. [CTR] multiplies by 10
. [ALT] multiplies by 100
. [CTR][ALT] together multiply by 1000

Following are the standard multiplier keys on Windows:

. [CTR] multiplies by 10
. [SHI] multiplies by 100
. [CTR][SHI] together multiply by 1000

Hold down the [CTR] key while executing keyboard or mouse commands accepting multipliers: you will notice that the result is the same as if you had repeated the same command ten times.

Lets do two examples that show you how to use multipliers.


1  -  Type [CTR]+[B] to display the Album on top.

. When the Album table has the focus, the [DO] down arrow key moves the current table selection to the next picture. If you hold down the [CTR] key while executing this command, the table selection moves ten pictures downwards. If you hold down both multiplier keys, the selection moves thousand pictures downwards.

. When the focus is on the picture area, you control the picture size with [UP] up arrow and [DO] down arrow keys. Use the [UP] up arrow key to increase the picture display factor by steps of 1 %. If you hold down the [CTR] key, the picture size increases each time by 10 %. Holding down the [ALT] key (on Mac OS) or the [SHI] key (on Windows) increases the picture size by 100 %.

NOTE: You can force the keyboard command focus on the picture area with the [TAB] key. Alternatively, click the picture area with the mouse.


2  -  Open a 3D Graph. For example, calculate Performance MX and open CAD.POW.mx vs Time 0:01.

. Type [P] to force the keyboard command focus on Perspective. Now, using arrow keys, control the perspective view of the Graph. Type [UP] up arrow key to increase the vertical view angle by steps of 1 degree. If you hold down the [CTR] key while executing the command, the view angle increases by 10 degrees. To move your viewpoint 20 degrees to the right, hold down [CTR] key and type twice the [->] right arrow key.

. Type [X] to force the keyboard command focus on X mx. Now, using [UP] up arrow and [DO] down arrow keys, control the X mx setting of the Graph. Type the [UP] up arrow key to increase X mx by 1 element. Hold down [CTR] key and type the [DO] down arrow key to decrease X mx by 10 elements.

NOTE: When a Graph window is on top, use the [TAB] key to cycle through all available keyboard command focuses. You will notice that all command focuses accept multipliers.


Above examples show the use of multiplier keys with keyboard commands. Note that multipliers are also accepted in contexts of many mouse commands. For example, you may apply them while clicking the various buttons used to increase or decrease setting values or with buttons used to move and position objects.