Zugg Software :: View topic - Using buttons in a multiple window layout

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

I'm starting to play with multiple windows for the first time. What I'm hoping to do is make a package containing a window with a set of buttons to move in different directions.

The problem I'm seeing is that there appears to be no way to define which window a button appears in. My movement buttons are in a class under the window where I want them. But the buttons are actually showing up in a different window. Exactly which window they show up in has changed a few times as I have shifted windows around. They don't change windows within a given session, but after I shift windows around, my next session sometimes have the buttons pop up in a different window.

A possibly related issue is that when I have a second window defining one or more buttons, all of the windows display a button toolbar big enough to fit those buttons, though only one window actually shows the buttons.

One unrelated thing that bothers me is that there seems to be no way to turn off a scrollbar within a specific window. Since this window is basically intended to be a button box, I don't need a scrollbar. I know you can make a window without a scrollbar using #MAKEW, but then I can't make buttons in that window.

Can anyone tell me whether there are solutions to these issues that I've missed? Thanks.

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

First, the #makew window WILL have a scroll bar when you reopen the session so that isn't going to help you.

If you make a module containing buttons in your main package then ALL of your windows will have the buttons, You don't want that and I do not blame you.

A trick you can do is to disable all of the button bars in the main window, then only enable the bar you want to have in the secondary BUTTON window. Disable this bar in whatever other windows you have. Now you can have your buttons in the four quadrants of the docking system of the main window by docking other button windows there. Yes I have thought a lot about that. If you resize your Button windows so that all you see is the buttons it does not matter if they have a scroll bar or not now does it?

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

As for the remaining windows having the extra space. Do you have buttons defined in those windows? If you do you probably have the positions set for those buttons and they are setting the size. If you uncheck the set position in the button options for those buttons the bars should resize to be smaller. Although this should not be an issue if you use the trick mentioned above.

Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 5:58 pm

Hmm, you should just be able to put the buttons into the specific Window that you want them. If the buttons are showing up in different windows than the one they are defined for, send me your *.PKG package to sales@zuggsoft.com and mention this post in the body of the email and I'll take a look at it.

The scrollbar is only for the MUD output section, so if you click the Preferences for the Window and turn off the Show MUD Output option, then it should remove the scrollback area and just have your buttons in the window.

As Arminas mentioned, make sure you put the buttons within a *Window* object and *not* a Module. Buttons only work within a Window.

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

Ok, I was able to reproduce what you was talking about with the gray space.

If you create a button in a module and you have multiple windows in that same package then every window in that package that does not have that button bar disabled is supposed to see that button. BUT the buttons are not displaying at first.

To get your buttons to show up instead of the gray space select another bar position then reselect the position that you want the buttons to be on.

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

Zugg, I cannot find the option to disable mud output. I know that used to be an option in Zmud but I have been unable to locate it in Cmud.

The only thing that comes close is the window is visible or window is NOT visible, and if the window is not visible then you don't see the buttons!

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

Taking your advice, I thought perhaps part of my problem was that I had a couple windows and a module in the same package. I've now moved the button window into a new class. There are no other modules in this class. The buttons are defined within that window. My current test has 3 windows--the main output window, a capture window for "spoken" messages, and the button window, each defined in a separate package. The main output window has buttons defined in toolbar 1, the capture window has no buttons defined, and the button window has buttons defined in toolbar 4.

All three windows are displaying toolbar 4, all the same size. The buttons for toolbar 4 are displaying only in the main output window, not the button window in which they are defined. Interestingly, though, only the main output window is showing toolbar 1, with it's proper buttons. I can see one difference between the buttons defined for toolbar 1 and toolbar 4--those in toolbar 1 have auto-position and auto-size. Those in toolbar 4 have specific positions and sizes.

Also, as Arminas said, I can't find an option to disable mud output in a window, so all three windows are showing a scrollbar.

I can send the button package to you if you want, Zugg.

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 5:18 pm

Hmm, you are correct...the Show MUD Output option is gone from the Preferences. I took it out of the right-click Window Options menu on purpose, but this seems to have also removed it from the Preferences. It is supposed to be in the Scrollback tab for the Session preferences. I'll add that back in one of the next versions.

Rahab: You should not have a module within a class. Modules and Windows must *always* be at the top-most level and not within a class. They won't work if they are not at the top level.

It's fine to have multiple windows and modules within the same package.

Wizard Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2320

Sorry, I misspoke. I meant to say there are no other modules with the package.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 5:17 pm

Definitely send the *.PKG file to sales@zuggsoft.com as an email attachment. Mention this forum thread so that I'll remember what we are talking about.