DH_ControlOverlay Overview
The DH_ControlOverlay module monitors the position of the mouse cursor, and outputs information about predefined areas as the curser moves over them. This can include the current values of numeric and list controls, as well as descriptive information. The output can be directed via text pins to text display sub-controls, or it can appear as pop-up tool tips (or both).
You begin by using the module's Layout mode to set up the areas. In Layout mode, the module is like a transparent overlay. When you first insert it into your panel, it looks like this:
You can size
it to fit over your panel view. If you go into
Properties and blank out the title, all you will see when it is selected is
a faint outline, and the resizing square in the lower right corner. When not
selected it is invisible with the title blanked out.
You draw rectangles on the overlay to designate the area for each control or other feature of interest on your interface.
To
draw a rectangle, you drag the mouse
diagonally from the upper left hand corner to the lower right hand corner.
To move a rectangle, press the left mouse key down anywhere inside it and
drag it. The small square on the lower right hand corner can be dragged to
resize the rectangle. A rectangle can be deleted by clicking inside it while
pressing the Ctrl key.
Once you have defined an area by drawing a rectangle, you can double-click in the rectangle to display the Enter Control Information dialog. DH_ControlOverlay allows you to define 3 different types of control areas:
Numeric, for controls like knobs and sliders
List, for controls with itemized selections, and
Info, for other areas you may want to provide information about
The Enter Control Information dialog is set up slightly differently for each option.
Numeric controls have a Format String that provides control over how many decimal places to display, and allows additional text, such as units of measure, to be included.
For List controls, the name of a file containing the list
items to be displayed is selected.
Descriptions can be assigned to any area using the Info type.
Notice the Control # field in the dialog's upper right corner. For Numeric and List controls, the Control # links 3 things together:
The area bounded by the rectangle
The information you enter into the dialog
The specific pin on the module's structure view where the control is connected.
The module's Ctrl In pins autoduplicate as controls are connected. Their Control #s are assigned from the top down, starting at 1.
Additional options become available on the Enter Control Information dialog when the Enable Tool Tip box is checked. The section on Creating a Layout covers all of the above, including how to set up tool tips, in greater detail.
Once the Layout is complete, the module can be switched to Run mode. The rectangles become invisible, and the mouse's movements are tracked. When the mouse is over a rectangle, the assigned information is displayed as a tool tip, and/or output as text at the Ctrl Name, Value String, and Description pins.