Button properties - ColorOverlay

[mackus]

Can some please explain the use of a buttons "Graphic Effects" property. I understand how to use it through the inspector during design time but not while the program is running via code. What I don't understand or follow in the Dictionary explaination, is how to set those properties during a runtime mode. For example. Say when a person clicked Button100, i want to change the "Graphic Effects" of that button by changing the ColorOverlay property. Can I set the color I want for the overlay during design time and then enable the Color Overlay property in runtime via code? Do I need to set the color also in runtime before enabling the ColorOverlay property of that button? How do I set the ColorOverlay property of Button100 to "true"? If so, not sure how to. Thanks in advance.

[bn]

mackus,

to read out the coloroverlay property of a button use this:
change the coloroverlay of a button (if you do it on the first one created it will be button 1, else name it and adapt the script, same for a field you make. In another button you put

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   put the coloroverlay of btn 1 into tOverlayArray
   combine tOverlayArray using return and comma
   put tOverlayArray into field 1
end mouseUp

the coloroverlay is an array, above code reads the array out and converts it into a readable form. The same for the other graphic effects: you could say the dropshadow of an object

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on mouseUp
   put the dropshadow of btn 1 into tAnyyArrayName
   combine tAnyyArrayName using return and comma
   put tAnyyArrayName into field 1
end mouseUp

To set the coloroverlay of a button by script you would say

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on mouseUp
   put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
   put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
   put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
end mouseUp

If you play around with the graphic effects and read them out with the first script you get a feeling for the parameters you want.
This is the same, btw, for gradients.
Dont let the arrays scare you off, just use above syntax and you can set these properties easily from a script.
regards
Bernd

[mackus]

thx BN for the response. I will experiment.

[mackus]

BN, one more question... I hope...

is there a default value for a standard button just created? Example, if i copy your code, create a default button and field, run the program, the output into field window is null.

only after i change one of the properties of the ColorOverlay, will the field items (blendmode, color and opacity) show up with their values. So i was wondering, if i had a default button with no ColorOverlay props, then changed those props in code and then wanted to change the button back to what it looked like at the creation time, what would i set the values back to? I tried creating a tResetArray and loaded the blendmode, color and opacity with "" with no luck. I also created an Array tResetArray2 with no structure and tried to set the coloroverlay of my button to it, hoping it would reset back to normal. So it made me wonder what is normal? How would you reset to design time defaults in runtime, after change props in runtime??

thanks again
mackus

[sturgis]

To reset to the default look, you can set the colorOverlay to empty

Code: Select all

set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty

[mackus]

sturgis,

thx but I must be doing something wrong.

code below

on mouseUp

put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray

wait 2 sec


-- CODE causes REV to crash
--put empty into tArray
--set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray


--CODE doesnt change btn back to default condition
set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty

end mouseUp


The first commented out section causes REV to completely crash and the second commented section, doesnt change back to default conditions.

What am i doing wrong?

thx
mackus

[sturgis]

To see it work, try putting the following code in a button.

Code: Select all

on mouseEnter
   put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
   put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
   put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
   set the colorOverlay of me to tArray
end mouseEnter

on mouseLeave
   set the colorOverlay of me to empty
end mouseLeave

This way, when the mouse is over the button it should set the overlay, when you move off the button it should reset to a standard old button.

As for why its not working in your tests, not sure without seeing more of your code. Hopefully someone will be able to point you to the reason.

[mackus]

thx sturgis,

Strange. You code provides the effect i want, but i dont want it to happen for 2 seconds, so on mouseleave wouldnt work for me. But it is strange why it wont work in my code as i listed above. Pretty straight forward. Must be something to do with the Wait command, taking the focus off the btn and then when time is up, doesnt know how to apply the empty array to the colorOverlay.

[mackus]

quick code if someone can figure out what i am doing wrong.
1 button
1 field

it appears that the color change visually does not happen before the repeat loop, but only after the loop is done

on mouseUp

put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
--button should change to yellow at this point

repeat with x=1 to 10000000
-- waist time loop
end repeat

--button should go back to default colors at this point
set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty

--show process complete
put "done" into field 1
end mouseUp

[bn]

Mackus
I did not get your code to work either, although I added a wait with messages, strange. Anyway this works and at the same time it introduces the send in time construct which is very versatile and uselful. Instead of a repeat loop to waist time or a wait for x seconds in a handler it is more efficient to use send in time.

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
   put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
   put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
   --button should change to yellow at this point
   
   -- will change colorOverlay
   send NoColorOverlay to me in 200 milliseconds
end mouseUp

on NoColorOverlay
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty
end NoColorOverlay

regards
Bernd

[Regulae]

Hi mackus,

I found that while you can change the colorOverlay properties repeatedly in the mouseUp handler, it seems you can only set them to empty with a separate handler. The following script changes the color property continually during the repeat, resets with ResetColorOverlay, then continues by waiting for 2 seconds before outputting “done” in the message box. This requires one button and one field:

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
   put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
   put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
   put 1 into fld 1
   repeat with x=1 to 10000
      -- tArray["color"] cycles through values of x
      put x&",255,0" into tArray["color"]
      set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
   put fld 1 + 1 into fld 1
   end repeat
   
   --button goes back to original settings at this point
   ResetColorOverlay
   -- mouseUp continues with wait
   wait 2 seconds with messages
   --show process complete 
   put "done"
end mouseUp

on ResetColorOverlay
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty
end ResetColorOverlay

...I’m testing in RevMedia 4.0.0-dp-3, and can’t find any reference to colorOverlay in my dictionary or User Guide, or in the properties of the button, so I might be missing something, but still the above script works. I wonder if property inheritance has something to do with it?
[I see Bernd has also found the separate handler solution. Cheers!]
Regards,

Michael

[bn]

Hi Regulae,
I had to add a "wait 0 milliseconds with messages" in the repeat loop to let Rev display the color changes.

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   put "normal" into tArray["blendmode"]
   put "255,255,0" into tArray["color"]
   put "100" into tArray["opacity"]
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
   put 1 into fld 1
   repeat with x=1 to 255
      -- tArray["color"] cycles through values of x
      put x&",255,0" into tArray["color"]
      -- alternatively you could write
      -- put x,255,0 into tArray["color"]
      set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to tArray
      put fld 1 + 1 into fld 1
      -- let Rev display the color change
      wait 0 millisecond with messages
   end repeat
   
   --button goes back to original settings at this point
   ResetColorOverlay
   -- mouseUp continues with wait
   wait 2 seconds with messages
   --show process complete 
   put "done"
end mouseUp

on ResetColorOverlay
   set the colorOverlay of btn 1 to empty
end ResetColorOverlay

regards
Bernd

[bn]

Hi mackus,
put this into the script of any button, field or image and watch. It is just to show how you can use the gradient/graphic effects. In this case to make a bad user interface.

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local sTrack, x1, y1, sDropArray

on mouseEnter
   put the loc of me into tCenterLoc
   put item 1 of tCenterLoc into x1
   put item 2 of tCenterLoc into y1
   put the mouseLoc into tNewCoordinates
   put item 1 of tNewCoordinates into x2; put item 2 of tNewCoordinates into y2
   
   put x1-x2 into oppositeLeg; put y1-y2 into adjacentLeg
   
   --   0 at right horizontally, counterclockwise, 90 at top
   put round (abs(atan2(adjacentLeg,oppositeleg)*180/pi-180)) into tMouseAngle
   
   put the dropshadow of me into sDropArray
   put tMouseAngle into sDropArray["angle"]
   put 30 into sDropArray["distance"]
   set the dropshadow of me to sDropArray
   
   put true into sTrack
   
   send "trackTheMouse" to me in 1 milliseconds
end mouseEnter

on mouseLeave
   set the dropShadow of me to ""
   put false into sTrack
   put false into tShape
end mouseLeave

on trackTheMouse
   if sTrack then
      put the mouseLoc into tNewCoordinates
      put item 1 of tNewCoordinates into x2; put item 2 of tNewCoordinates into y2
      
      put x1-x2 into oppositeLeg; put y1-y2 into adjacentLeg
      
      -- tAbsAngle is the angle in mathematical angles i.e.
      -- right horizontal is 0 degree, progressing counter clockwise to 360
      put round (abs(atan2(adjacentLeg,oppositeleg)*180/pi-180)) into tAbsAngle
   
      put the dropshadow of me into sDropArray
      -- the angle
      put tAbsAngle into sDropArray["angle"]
      
      -- the color
      repeat 3 
         put random(255) & "," after tColor
      end repeat
      delete last char of tColor -- a comma
      put tColor into sDropArray["color"]
      
      lock screen
      set the dropshadow of me to sDropArray
      unlock screen
      
      if "trackTheMouse" is not in the pendingMessages then
         send "TrackTheMouse" to me in 30 milliseconds
      end if
   end if
end trackTheMouse

regards
Bernd

[Regulae]

Greetings Bernd,

I’ve checked again, and the colour change is seen without the “wait” with messages on my setup. I’m using RevMedia 4.0.0-dp-3 running under Windows XP- perhaps there is a subtle difference due to how Rev runs on different OS’s? Actually, I was half expecting to need something to “unblock” the repeat, and was a little surprised it worked without it. Perhaps there are messages involved in changing the properties involved in colorOverlay which have to get through. I’ve just intalled a newer version of RevMedia, which fully supports colorOverlay and dropShadow, just so I could try your script. Very nice indeed!

Regards,

Michael

[mackus]

Thanks All... Great Forum... Problem Solved

I look forward to helping others as I get a better handle on Rev.

Cheers
Mackus