First, start MeVisLab (the “how” depends on your platform). After the Welcome Screen (see Figure 1.1, “Welcome Screen and Documentation Links”), the start view opens.

Figure 3.1. MeVisLab User Interface

By default, MeVisLab starts with an empty workspace and some Views on the right (like the Output Inspector) and bottom of the screen (usually the Debug Output). In the Debug Output, you can find information about your MeVisLab installation and start-up, which preferences and license file are loaded, and whether all packages loaded correctly or with errors.

Views can be configured via the menu bar, View → Views, or by a right-click on the border of Views.

Figure 3.2. View Selection

Some View arrangements are pre-defined as layouts, which can be selected via View → Layout. If you are working in the User Default Layout, all changes you make in the Views configuration are persistent and will be saved as your “User Default Layout”. Therefore, most screenshots in the MeVisLab documentation are only examples — your own MeVisLab GUI may look different. Only the workspace always remains visible.

	Tip
	For details on layouts, see the MeVisLab Reference Manual, chapter “Layout”.

The workspace is the place for constructing and editing module networks. If more than one network is open, tabs appear on top of the workspace. To create, open and save one or more networks, use the tool bar buttons or the File menu in the menu bar. To switch between different network tabs, use the Networks menu in the menu bar or press Tab.