Screendesigner "machscreen"

[Klaus1311]

Hi Scott

I continue here our discussion about my program machscreen.

1).  Can you put a way to "Z" layer the Bitmaps?, for example I have a Bitmap image that has Labels on top of it, when I import a screen into your designer the Labels disappear behind the Bitmap.  
-This is a problem I was dealing with from the beginning. I'd prefer a solution, that would display controls and bitmaps on the screen like mach3 does. I will get in touch with artsoft, perhaps I get the loading order.


2).  Most of all of your DROS show up as a Black box, sometimes you can see the "number" formatting in the DRO sometimes just the black box.
-As I can read from your first question, you using a ready screen.set. Is this file in the Mach3 directory? If you gettings black boxes, it looks to me the bitmaps are not found.

3). Can you implement "Horizontal Sliders", as well as Vertical Sliders.
-As far as I know, there are no vertical sliders in Mach3

4). I noticed when you go to add a OEM object, lets say the X position DRO, that the dropdown naming list you can set to X Position DRO OEM, but you then have to go and put the Code for that DRO "800" in the code line below it.  On the OEM stuff, if your users pick lets say an OEM object then the code for the name of that object should automatically appear in the code line below it. This would save having users have to search of OEM codes for the objects that you have already listed the names.
-Did you select OEM X DRO from the combobox?


5). "Help"  The help file will not come up on my comp.  I am running Vista 64 bit (unfortunatly, but had no choice).
-You are right this help format is not supported by Vista


Wish List:

1). Is there a way you could add "Dynamic" scaling to the entire screen and all objects on the screen??  I.e. if you click a cornor to resize the Runtime screen that that screen and all objects in it will rescale both horizontally and Vertically to the size you change it to.
-I will think about that.



2). I like the "Red dotted" screen boarder lines you put into the screen, can you make a button or dialog that you could set the Extends of the screen you are building so that, the Red boarder lines would show on all screens?  You would then know exactly how far you could place objects on the bottom and right side for the screen resolution you have choosen.
-What resolution are you working with?



3).  Is there a way that you could tie "buttons" (User and OEM), to other objects in Mach3"  For instance if LED 1201 came on, or some DRO was this or that value, then the button that is watching that event would Trigger.
-If I understand your question right, this must be done with scripts

EDIT: The screen designer can be found at  http://www.kd-dietz.de/   in the projekt tap at the top.

Klaus

[ger21]

A really handy feature would be "Lock all objects".

It would be nice if the "TAB" key cycled through the position and size boxes.

[poppabear]

I continue here our discussion about my program machscreen.

1).  Can you put a way to "Z" layer the Bitmaps?, for example I have a Bitmap image that has Labels on top of it, when I import a screen into your designer the Labels disappear behind the Bitmap.  
-This is a problem I was dealing with from the beginning. I'd prefer a solution, that would display controls and bitmaps on the screen like mach3 does. I will get in touch with artsoft, perhaps I get the loading order.

** ok


2).  Most of all of your DROS show up as a Black box, sometimes you can see the "number" formatting in the DRO sometimes just the black box.
-As I can read from your first question, you using a ready screen.set. Is this file in the Mach3 directory? If you gettings black boxes, it looks to me the bitmaps are not found.

** no, I am opening the .set from the standard directory, and paths are the same. the "DRO's" in mach3 dont have "Bitmaps" anyway. Only Buttons, and LEDs have the use of Bitmaps.

3). Can you implement "Horizontal Sliders", as well as Vertical Sliders.
-As far as I know, there are no vertical sliders in Mach3

** Yes, in Screen4 there are Verical Sliders, but Horizontal sliders are not implemented, trust me when I tell you I have used Screen3, and 4 very extensively.

4). I noticed when you go to add a OEM object, lets say the X position DRO, that the dropdown naming list you can set to X Position DRO OEM, but you then have to go and put the Code for that DRO "800" in the code line below it.  On the OEM stuff, if your users pick lets say an OEM object then the code for the name of that object should automatically appear in the code line below it. This would save having users have to search of OEM codes for the objects that you have already listed the names.
-Did you select OEM X DRO from the combobox?

** yes I did, and I had to put the OEM code in my self, it does not automatically appear, with the associated OEM object. Not really a big deal, I can look up the code if it is a show stopper, have been doing that for a long time as well, so am used to it.

5). "Help"  The help file will not come up on my comp.  I am running Vista 64 bit (unfortunatly, but had no choice).
-You are right this help format is not supported by Vista

** ok


Wish List:

1). Is there a way you could add "Dynamic" scaling to the entire screen and all objects on the screen??  I.e. if you click a cornor to resize the Runtime screen that that screen and all objects in it will rescale both horizontally and Vertically to the size you change it to.
-I will think about that.

** Ok, Thanks!!



2). I like the "Red dotted" screen boarder lines you put into the screen, can you make a button or dialog that you could set the Extends of the screen you are building so that, the Red boarder lines would show on all screens?  You would then know exactly how far you could place objects on the bottom and right side for the screen resolution you have choosen.
-What resolution are you working with?

** what I am asking here, that no matter what resolution the computer is that I am designing the screen on, (lets say a large screen), and I am designing the screen for a computer that will have a smaller screen that I can set the Size of that screen and the Red Lines would "box in" that area so I know where the boundries are as to not place objects outside that perimeter.



3).  Is there a way that you could tie "buttons" (User and OEM), to other objects in Mach3"  For instance if LED 1201 came on, or some DRO was this or that value, then the button that is watching that event would Trigger.
-If I understand your question right, this must be done with scripts

** no what I am saying is this:  I can assign a "triggering" event to the button, for instance lets say that my button when pushed does a Cycle Start. So, I put in the Button set up, select a trigger event that if  UserLED 1201 goes to "ON" then that button will "Push" to "ON" once per cycle of the LED from on to off. Or you could watch a DRO that if this value or that it would trigger, once per change to that value.


scott

[Klaus1311]

Hi Scott,

now I'm  confused

3). Can you implement "Horizontal Sliders", as well as Vertical Sliders.
-As far as I know, there are no vertical sliders in Mach3

** Yes, in Screen4 there are Verical Sliders, but Horizontal sliders are not implemented, trust me when I tell you I have used Screen3, and 4 very extensively.

my mistake was  As far as I know, there are no vertical sliders in Mach3

it should have been
As far as I know, there are no horizontal sliders in Mach3


in your answer you say
** Yes, in Screen4 there are Verical Sliders, but Horizontal sliders are not implemented,

do you know the code for horizontal slider?
and for the other problems it would be very helpfull, if I could get your set-file.




Klaus

[poppabear]

Klaus,

    There is NO Horizontal sliders implemented in Screen 4, Art, sent me the source file for Screen 4, to try and fix the bugs in it, since the "Ultimate Tool Box" that it was built with isnt compatable with Vista 32 or 64 for the menu items.

    I looked deeply into the code, and Vertical sliders is implemented, Horizontal is NOT implemented.  Vertical Sliders are put as a rectangle with the Device contex and depending on the ratios and the vertical bool choosen it implements the Dro as a slider vertical. but the code ends there with out a simular option for Horizontal slider.

    I will need you to "Email" at:  PoppaBear"at"hughes.net 
For me to send you one of my screen sets requires a relatively large Bitmap set.....

scott

[Greolt]

Klaus

Been playing with your screen designer.  I can't believe how good it is already.

One thing that looks like a problem, 

If I select a group of objects by dragging a box around them, then nudge that group with a keyboard arrow the program stops responding.

"Control select"  multiple objects and they will "Nudge"  OK

Greg

[Klaus1311]

Hi Greg

is this problem reproducible? If so, can you send me your set-file and give me an exact description, what you have done.

I published a intermediate version V1.14a (a bug removed and background color added).


Klaus

[Greolt]

Klaus

Open the standard Mach 1024 screenset,  delete the background image, lasso select any group of screen objects, nudge them as a group with the arrow keys.

This will crash the program 100% for me.

Delete the background because I can not lasso select with it there.  My screens do not have a large background image so I can lasso select more easily.

Greg

EDIT:  My terminology is probably incorrect.  I mean dragging a selection box with the mouse.

[Klaus1311]

Hi Greg,

I found the bug and corrected it. The new version is V1.14b



Klaus

[ger21]

A really handy feature would be "Lock all objects".

It would be nice if the "TAB" key cycled through the position and size boxes.

Any chance of adding these features? When scripts are edited in Mach3, all the controls become unlocked. It would be nice to be able to load the screen, and lock everything before resuming work on the screen. Thanks.