When you are finished working with a dialog box, you can specify how to proceed by using different action buttons. For example, if you enter data in a dialog box, you can save the data and apply them by clicking OK. If the dialog box is part of an intermediate step of a procedure, you can click Continue to move on to the next step.
The following action buttons can appear in a dialog box:
OK
Click OK to commit the current contents of a dialog box and to close the dialog box.
Apply
When you click Apply, any changes you have made in the dialog box take effect, but the dialog box remains displayed. This button is useful if you make changes in a dialog box and would like to see the effects of these changes before closing the dialog box.
Defaults
If you want to revert back to the predefined default values after entering data or specifying preferences in a dialog box, you can click Defaults. This button affects only the information entered in the dialog box. It does not apply your changes or close the dialog box; therefore, to see the effect of reverting to the default values, you must click Apply or OK.
Cancel
Click Cancel to close a dialog box without applying any of the changes that you made. If the dialog box appears in the middle of a procedure, clicking Cancel usually also cancels the procedure. In some cases clicking Cancel returns you to the previous step in the procedure.
Continue
Dialog boxes that appear in the middle of a procedure contain Continue buttons. When you click Continue, you indicate that you have finished entering data in the current dialog box and would like to move on to the next step of the procedure. Continue causes the dialog box to be closed and all data in it to be saved unless you click Cancel at some point later in the procedure.
Dismiss
Dismiss buttons appear in dialog boxes that contain data that you cannot modify. For example, some managers contain lists of objects that exist but no fields in which you can enter data or specify preferences. Dismiss buttons also appear in message dialog boxes. When you click Dismiss, the dialog box closes.
To close a toolbox or a dialog box that does not have a Cancel or Dismiss button, click the close button in the upper right corner of the toolbox or dialog box. Alternatively, you can close an active toolbox or dialog box by pressing [Esc].
Note: On Linux platforms, depending on your settings, [Esc] may be the only way to close a toolbox or dialog box. For more information, see “Linux settings that affect Abaqus/CAE and Abaqus/Viewer,” Section 5.1.3 of the Abaqus Installation and Licensing Guide.
