SL-GMS Draw User s Guide

Transcription

1 SL-GMS Draw User s Guide SL Corporation OBJECT-ORIENTED GRAPHICAL MODELING SYSTEM Part Number DRAW

2 The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by the Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation. The Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The software described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide Copyright by Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation All rights reserved. This manual is for use only in connection with the described software and may not be used for any commercial purpose or copied, distributed, sold, displayed, modified, published, or posted in whole or in part without the prior written permission of Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation. SL-GMS, SL Corporation, the SL Logo, and all Sherrill-Lubinski product names referenced in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation; any unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. All trademarks and registered trademarks referenced in this document are property of their respective companies. SL-GMS (6.2x) 26 May 2006 Configuration: C62a1_ Copyright (c) Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation. All Rights Reserved. LIMITATIONS ON USE Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in the Technical Data - Commercial Items clause at DFARS , the Rights in Data - General clause at FAR , and any other applicable provisions of the DFARS, FAR, or the NASA FAR supplement. Sherrill-Lubinski Corporation 240 Tamal Vista Blvd. Corte Madera, CA TECHNICAL SUPPORT Phone (inside U.S.) Fax support@sl.com 5/26/06 v6.2x

3 Table of Contents 1. Overview Dynamics Editing Functions Editor Layout Dialog Windows Palettes Localization of output Organization of the Manual Tools Create Tools Select Mode Tool Select Point Tool Change Tools View Tools View Preset Tool Keyboard Equivalents Setting Object Properties Graphic Properties Attaching a Name to Objects Attaching a String to Pass to an Application (UserData) Attaching an Integer to Pass to an Application (UserWord) Setting Model Properties Dynamics Dynamic Descriptions Attaching Dynamic Descriptions to Objects Renaming Variables Previewing the Dynamic Behavior of Objects Menus File Menu Edit Pull-Down Menu View Menu Model Pull-Down Menu Object Pull-Down Menu Dynamics Pull-Down Menu Options Pull-Down Menu SL-GMS Draw User s Guide i

4 Palettes Pull-Down Menu Point Pull-Down Menu Help Pull-Down Menu Building Models Invoking the SL-GMSDraw Editor Command-line options Setting up the SL-GMSDraw Editor Laying Out a Model Building the Model Optimizing Loading and Displaying a Model Testing a Model Appendix A Index Using Active X Controls SL-GMS Draw User s Guide ii

5 List of Figures Number Title Page Figure 1-1: Dynamic Model example Figure 1-2: Editor Layout (Motif) Figure 1-3: Editor Layout (Windows) Figure 1-4: Examples of pull-down and hierarchical menus Figure 1-5: Point Selection Control and Loop Control icons (Motif) Figure 1-6: Point Selection Control and Loop Control icons (Windows) Figure 1-7: Undo and Redo Tools Figure 1-8: Object Creation Tools Figure 1-9: Change Tools Figure 1-10: Selection Tools Figure 1-11: View Tools Figure 1-12: View Preset Tool Figure 1-13: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 1) Figure 1-14: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 2) Figure 1-15: "Status" window (Motif) Figure 1-16: Text entry dialog window Figure 1-17: A standard Palette (Motif) Figure 1-18: A standard Palette (Windows) Figure 3-19: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 1) Figure 3-20: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 2) Figure 3-21: "Fill" graphic properties Figure 3-22: Fill directions Figure 3-23: Gradient Fill Properties Figure 3-24: "Edge" graphic properties Figure 3-25: "Text" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) Figure 3-26: "Text" Default Graphic Properties window (Motif) Figure 3-27: Fifteen different positions available for aligning text Figure 3-28: Example text alignments in a Text Rectangle Figure 3-29: "TRect" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) Figure 3-30: "Marker" Default Graphic Properties window (Motif) Figure 3-31: "Marker" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) Figure 3-32: "Object Name" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide iii

6 Figure 3-33: "Object Userdata" window Figure 3-34: "Object Userword" window Figure 3-35: "Model Properties" window Figure 3-36: "Holes" in meter face Figure 3-37: Background color set to the same color as meter "face" Figure 3-38: "Model Userdata" window Figure 3-39: "Model Userword" window Figure 3-40: "Model Dynamic Properties" window Figure 3-41: "Model Flags" window Figure 4-1: DynProp containing two dynamic descriptions Figure 4-2: Dynamic description with unconditional display dynamics Figure 4-3: Dynamic description with conditional display dynamics Figure 4-4: DynProp with input and conditional display dynamics Figure 4-5: A DynProp in the "Object Dynamic Properties" window Figure 4-6: A DynProp indented after pressing the "Apply" button Figure 4-7: A DynProp typed incorrectly with an error on line Figure 4-8: A dialog box displaying the location of an error Figure 4-9: Renaming the "bg_color" variable in a Model Instance Figure 4-10: "Edit Data File" window Figure 4-11: "Preview Options" window Figure 5-1: SL-GMSDraw Menu Bar Figure 5-2: SL-GMSDraw menu structure Figure 5-3: File menu structure Figure 5-4: Available Images window Figure 5-5: Export Bitmap File window Figure 5-6: Export JPEG File window Figure 5-7: Export Java window Figure 5-8: "Open.m1 File" window (Motif) Figure 5-9: "Print Dialog" window Figure 5-10: Edit menu structure Figure 5-11: "Select by Properties " window Figure 5-12: "View Options" window Figure 5-13: Model Pull-Down Menu Figure 5-14: Object menu structure Figure 5-15: "Object Information" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide iv

7 Figure 5-16: "Object Name" window Figure 5-17: "Object Userdata" window Figure 5-18: "Object Userword" window Figure 5-19: "Object Flags" window Figure 5-20: "Move" window Figure 5-21: "Scale" window Figure 5-22: "Rotate" window Figure 5-23: Options menu structure Figure 5-24: "Grid Options" window Figure 5-25: "Snap and Point Modes" window Figure 5-26: "User Preferences" window Figure 5-27: "Available Palettes" window Figure 5-28: Six Palettes available in SL-GMS Figure 5-29: "Enter Point" window Figure 5-30: The "About SL-GMSDRAW" window Figure 6-1: "User Preferences" window Figure 6-2: Setting grid parameters with the "Grid Options" window Figure 6-3: "View Options" window Figure 6-4: "Text" view on Windows (top) and Motif (bottom) Figure 6-5: Color indexes in the "Default Graphic Properties" window Figure 6-6: "Print Dialog" window Figure 6-7: Setting background object properties Figure 6-8: A sample DynProp Figure 6-9: A DynProp in the "Object Dynamic Properties" window Figure 6-10: "Available Submodels" window Figure 6-11: "c1_txtflds" Palette Figure 6-12: Instancing the Text Display Box Control Object Figure 6-13: "Available Submodels" window Figure 6-14: Selecting the Option Menu Control Figure 6-15: "c1_txtflds" Palette Figure 6-16: "c1_scales" Palette Figure 6-17: "c1_buttons" Palette Figure 6-18: Containers Palette Figure 6-19: Buttons Palette Figure 6-20: "Object Renamed Variables" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide v

8 Figure 6-21: A dialog box example Figure 6-22: "Model Properties" window Figure 6-23: The Model width and height changed to 40 and Figure 6-24: Model Edit Mode (New Window) selected Figure 6-25: A dialog box example Figure 6-26: Selecting a Text Display Box Control Object Figure 6-27: Select button to send "value" as an integer Figure 6-28: "Edit Data File " window Figure 6-29: "Preview Options" window Figure A-1: Insert Active X Control option selected... A-1 Figure A-2: Insert Active X Control dialog... A-2 SL-GMS Draw User s Guide vi

9 Sherrill Lubinski Overview The SL-GMSDraw graphical editor is the primary tool used to create interactive graphical screens with colorful dynamic components. When you begin a new Model, you can draw any screen object, attach dynamic behavior to the object, and preview the behavior without leaving the graphical editor. After you have verified and tested the Model within SL-GMS- Draw, you can then save the Model to disk and easily integrate it into a user-developed application, either as the primary interface screen or as a SubModel. There are two different environments for which SL-GMSDraw is available: Unix/Motif 32-bit Windows 1 SL-GMSDraw is functionally identical in both environments. This manual illustrates primarily the Windows environment. This chapter presents an overview of the key points of SL-GMSDraw: Easy dynamics specification User-friendly editing functionality Comprehensive editor layout Dialog windows used for user input Palettes of buttons, text boxes, and scales that can be selected and placed into a Model Internationalization/localization of menus and output The organization of this manual is described at the end of the chapter. 1. "32-bit Windows" refers to a platform with a 32-bit architecture running Microsoft Windows NT or Windows 95. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-1

10 Dynamics SL-GMSDraw provides a comprehensive and powerful set of tools that allows you to control the dynamic updating of screens in response to changing data. Dynamics specification is accomplished entirely from within the SL-GMSDraw editor through the SL-GMS dynamics scripting language. You may either edit the dynamics scripting language directly or use a GUI-driven interface. As a developer, you may be required to write minimal code in order to translate the user application variables into a form recognized by the dynamic translator engine, and thereby allow the mapping between the variables defined in the Models and the application variables. Fundamental dynamic behaviors, such as change of color and motion, are accessible directly through the editor. You will also need to write code when you develop Models using more sophisticated dynamic behavior. Figure 1-1: shows a representative dynamic Model. Figure 1-1: Dynamic Model example SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-2

11 Editing Functions You will find that your development time is significantly reduced over typical dynamic graphics editors, in which constructing screens (Models) that display application data is extremely time intensive. With SL-GMSDraw, your time is more productive. Layout, object creation, animation, and notation are all combined in a single editing session. SL-GMSDraw provides: tool panels to create and change objects menus organized according to functionality easy-to-use dialog windows printing capabilities import capabilities for foreign file formats, including ".xwd" (Motif), ".bmp" (32-bit Windows), and.jpg. zoom and pan capabilities "drag-and-drop" drawing operations for moving, scaling, rotating, and duplicating objects, and point handling capability to select a list of objects and modify a graphical property on the entire list with a single key-click capability to select a list of objects and move forward and backward through the list during editing operations multiple "undo" and "redo" operations with the type of each operation identified line-by-line error checking of dynamics scripts 32-bit Windows- and Motif-compliant copy, cut, and paste operations via a clipboard SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-3

12 Editor Layout Menus, Control Icons, and Undo/Redo Tools (page 7) * + Object Tools (page 2-1) * View Tools (page 2-13) Active Working View (page 16) Graphical Properties (page 3-2) Status Information (page 16) Figure 1-2: Editor Layout (Motif) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-4

13 Menus, Control Icons, and Undo/Redo Tools (page 7) Status bar (page 16) Tool Panels (page 2-1) Active Working View (page 16) Graphical Properties (page 3-2) Figure 1-3: Editor Layout (Windows) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-5

14 Figure 1-2: and Figure 1-3: show the layout of the SL-GMSDraw editor. There are five different parts. Main Menu bar contains pull-down menus, control icons, and the tools used to undo/redo editing functions Tool Panels contain tools used to create, change, view objects, and to preset views Default Graphic Properties window controls the properties of objects, such as color and edge style Active Working View contains the current Model being edited Status window (Motif) and Status bar (Windows) displays status of editing operations The layout of the SL-GMSDraw user interface varies slightly between the Motif and Windows versions. However, the editor provides the same tools and functionality in both environments. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-6

15 Menus, control icons, and undo/redo tools Figure 1-4: shows examples of the pull-down, cascading menus of SL-GMSDraw. For example, to modify properties on an object, click the mouse on Object and within the resulting pull-down menu, click on Properties. Choices for Object properties pop up in the Properties submenu. File Object Palettes Dynamics Figure 1-4: Examples of pull-down and hierarchical menus SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-7

16 Snap Mode Point Mode Point Selection Control Loop Control Select by Extent Figure 1-5: Point Selection Control and Loop Control icons (Motif) Loop Control Select by Extent Snap Mode Point Selection Control Point Mode Figure 1-6: Point Selection Control and Loop Control icons (Windows) The Point Selection Control icons provide different modes to pick Points while building objects. Snap Mode allows you to place the next Point picked at either the nearest grid intersection (Snap to Grid), the nearest SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-8

17 predefined Point of the closest object (Snap to Gravity), or anywhere in the Model (Snap Mode Off). Point Mode controls the Reference Point used to move, rotate, scale, or mirror objects. There are three modes available: Point Mode, Center Mode, and Reference Mode. Point Mode (the default) means that selected objects are moved, rotated, or otherwise transformed relative to the predefined Point on an object nearest to the Point selected. Center Mode uses an object s center. The Reference Mode uses the Reference Point of an object. Use Loop Control to move forward and backward through a list of selected objects and to perform different operations, such as assigning dynamic behavior to selected objects. When the Select by Extent icon is activated, you can click a specified point in the Model and drag the mouse to create a Selection Extent. The Selection Extent appears as a rectangle and all items within that rectangle become selected. Typically, you can create a Selection Extent by clicking the Select Tool in an empty space in the edit window, and then dragging across the objects to be selected. The Select by Extent icon is useful when there is no empty space to click in to begin the typical operation. See the section Select Mode Tool on page 2-9 for more information about object selection. Motif Windows Figure 1-7: Undo and Redo Tools SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-9

18 The Undo and Redo tools allow you to erase or recreate the last editing change you made such as creating, moving or deleting an object, or changing a property within an object. Tools The panel of tools provided with the SL-GMSDraw editor allows you to create, change, view objects, and to preset views. Use of these Tools is described in Chapter 2 Tools. Create Tools Line Spline Closed Spline Circle Filled Closed Spline Filled Circle Three Point Sector Marker Text Rectangle Polyline Polygon Rectangle Filled Polygon Filled Rectangle Sector Wedge Text Figure 1-8: Object Creation Tools The icons are representative of the objects they create, as defined in Figure 1-8:. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-10

19 Change Tools Duplicate Figure 1-9: Change Tools Use the Duplicate Tool, illustrated in Figure 1-9:, to duplicate an object. Selection Tools Select Mode Select Point Figure 1-10: Selection Tools Use the Select Mode Tool, illustrated in Figure 1-10:, to select any object in the Active Working View by placing the cursor over the object and clicking the left mouse button. Each time you select an object, it is added to the Select List. Use the Select Point Tool, illustrated in Figure 1-10:, to move and delete Points and to identify a specific Point in an object. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-11

20 View Tools Grabber Point Pan Zoom In Continuous Zoom Out Continuous Zoom In Once Zoom Out Once Zoom Rect Reset View Figure 1-11: View Tools The View Tools in Figure 1-11: are used to visually move and resize (pan and zoom) the graphics displayed in the Active Working View window of SL-GMSDraw. They do not permanently affect the objects displayed. View Preset Tool Figure 1-12: View Preset Tool The view preset tool presents the same functionality as the set views found in the View Options dialog. The view preset tool allows you to save up to 5 views. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-12

21 Graphical Properties You can easily set graphical properties for a single object or a group of objects by pointing and clicking in the Default Graphic Properties window. Figure 1-13: on page 14 and Figure 1-14: on page 15, illustrate the five different menus, Fill, Edge, Text, TRect, and Marker, accessible from this window. To shift between menus, click on any one of the tabs. (In Motif, the tabs appear as buttons on the left side of the window.) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-13

22 Fill Properties Edge Properties Text Properties Figure 1-13: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 1) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-14

23 Text Rectangle Properties Marker Properties Figure 1-14: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 2) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-15

24 Active Working View The Models you are currently creating or modifying are displayed in the Active Working View window. Status Information Information concerning the current operation is displayed in the status bar. For example, if you are currently using the Line Tool, a prompt appears that reminds you to enter the starting and ending Points of the Line. In the Motif environment, the status information is displayed in the Status window, as shown in Figure 1-15:. Figure 1-15: "Status" window (Motif) In the 32-bit Windows environment, the status information is displayed in the Status bar at the bottom of the main SL-GMSDraw window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-16

25 Dialog Windows SL-GMSDraw makes extensive use of dialog boxes, which are displayed if keyboard input is required. Many of these dialog boxes are native to the active operating system. For example, to attach a name to a button, simply enter the name you wish to use and select Apply to activate your choice. Most dialog boxes accept standard text editor inputs, such as cursor-controlled cut, copy, and paste operations. Figure 1-16: illustrates a dialog window used by SL-GMSDraw to handle text entry. startbutton Figure 1-16: Text entry dialog window Note that in all cases, clicking Apply applies changes without closing the Window. Click Close to close the window without applying the changes. If you make changes and forget to click Apply before clicking Close, a prompt appears reminding you that the changes will be lost if you continue. Clicking Reset redisplays the initial information you selected before any changes were made. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-17

26 Palettes To better organize and present frequently used SubModels, SL-GMSDraw features Palettes. Palettes provide the ability to re-use Models, making them easy to access and incorporate into Models under development. Any Model created with SL-GMSDraw can be instanced as a SubModel, saved on a Palette, and used in the construction of a more complex Model. The instancing of a SubModel on a Palette makes it easy to apply global changes to objects which have been embedded in many screens. Included as Palettes with SL-GMSDraw are push buttons, radio buttons, text label boxes, text edit boxes, slider scales, and more. Figure 1-17: shows a Motif-style Palette. Figure 1-18: on page 19 shows the equivalent Windows-style Palette. Figure 1-17: A standard Palette (Motif) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-18

27 Localization of output Figure 1-18: A standard Palette (Windows) Messages and other output from SL-GMSDraw is internationalized. The internationalization of messages and other output is described in Localization of output on page 6-7. Organization of the Manual Chapter 2 Tools describes the Create, Change, Point, and View Tools panels. These tools allow you to create objects, modify existing objects, manipulate the Points that comprise an object, and manipulate how the objects are viewed during an editing session. Chapter 3 Setting Object Properties describes the window tools that modify object properties. Chapter 4 Dynamics describes how to attach dynamic behavior to objects in a Model. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-19

28 Chapter 5 Menus describes the pull-down menus and their various submenus. The options available within each menu allow you to load and save Models, edit objects and change their properties, attach dynamic behavior to objects, zoom and pan, and access Palettes of objects that you can select and include in the Model being edited. Chapter 6 Building Models describes how to use SL-GMSDraw to create and test Models, create dialog boxes, create radio button groups, and design and implement Models for increased performance. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 1-20

29 2 Tools This chapter describes the options available with the SL-GMSDraw Tool Panels. The Tools Panels contain: Create Tools to create objects Change Tools to change an existing object Point Tools to manipulate individual Points in an object View Tools for zooming and panning View Preset Tool for setting up to 5 views Create Tools The Create Tools panel displays all the primitive graphical objects (i.e., Lines, Polygons, Circles, and the like) that can be created and added to Models developed with SL-GMSDraw. When you select a tool, the icon is highlighted and remains highlighted and pushed-in until you select another tool, or double-click the right mouse button. When you select a tool, you can draw any number of objects that meet the selected parameters until you de-select the tool. You can also set a preference that automatically disables the tool once a single object is created. Click the Options Pull-Down menu and select User Preferences to display the User Preferences window. Next, select Create Single Objects. With this preference selected, the editor returns to selection mode as soon as the points needed to create the object are picked. When you select a tool, you must then establish a series of Points that define the object in the Active Working View (refer to page 1-16). Click the left mouse button to select Points to create any shape. The status bar displays prompts for each remaining action needed to complete the object. To terminate the activity, select another tool or click the right mouse button. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-1

30 Tools It is not necessary to pick the same Point as the starting and ending Point to create "Closed" objects. Once you have identified the Points, simply click the right mouse button or select another tool. Selecting another tool signals SL-GMSDraw to automatically connect the starting and ending Points to close the object. Subsequent sections in this chapter provide more detail about creating different types of objects. Lines By comparison with a simple Line, a Polyline is defined by more than two points a starting Point, ending Point, and additional Points between the two. The Points are connected by SL-GMSDraw with straight lines. Line Polyline Splines Points are connected by a Polyline as they are selected. On completion, the Polyline you created is redrawn as a Spline, and the curved lines are smoothed. When you create a Closed Spline or Filled Closed Spline, SL-GMSDraw connects the end Points of the Polyline and converts them to a Closed Spline. Spline Closed Spline Filled Closed Spline SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-2

31 Tools Polygons Polygons (Closed Polylines) may appear as triangles, trapezoids, rectangles, or any shape composed of straight edges. When creating a Rectangle or Filled Rectangle, you need only define the two Points that define one of the diagonals. SL-GMSDraw automatically completes these simple rectangles. Filled Filled Polygon Polygon Rectangle Rectangle Circles To identify the location and size of a Circle, select a center Point and a Point on the outer edge of the circle. Circle Filled Circle SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-3

32 Tools Sectors and Wedges Three Point Sectors and Sectors are curved Lines taken from the edge of a Circle. Three Point Sectors, Sectors, and Pies are always drawn counterclockwise. The Points must be picked in the order (a, b, and c) illustrated in the corresponding diagrams. For Sectors and Pies, SL-GMSDraw arranges the final Point you picked so that it has the same radius as that of the first Point picked on the curved edge. Three Point Sectors, Sectors, and Pies may be filled. Three Point Sector: SL-GMSDraw creates the Sector which best fits the three Points picked. b c a Sector SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-4

33 Tools Wedge: The curved edges of a Wedge are always drawn counterclockwise. If a final Point is picked that is clockwise from the second Point, SL-GMS- Draw creates a Circle shape with a single piece missing (as shown below) rather than a small Wedge. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-5

34 Tools Markers Markers are small characters used to indicate positions of single Points. Markers are created by picking Points in the Active Working View. All Markers created until either another Tool is selected, or the right mouse button is clicked, are treated as a single object (i.e., individual characters can not be selected). The Undo Tool "unpicks" all Markers created since the Marker tool was clicked. The style of Marker created is set in the Default Graphic Properties window, as described in Marker Style on page Text Text is any printable character entered from the keyboard. A Text object is created by picking a Point to position the Text and then entering characters from the keyboard. By default, the Text entered is centered left-to-right around this Point. The alignment of the Text and the direction of the Text that is written may both be changed by clicking Text in the Default Graphic Properties window. Refer to Text font, size, alignment, direction, and color on page Text Rectangles are Rectangles (either filled or unfilled) with Text written on top of them. It is faster to erase and redraw Text Rectangles than it is to erase and redraw ordinary Text. Text Rectangles are used to create Text objects that will be changed by an application. Changing Text requires that the old Text be erased by redrawing the Text in the erase color a relatively slow operation for most graphical workstations. Text in Text Rectangles is deleted by erasing the Rectangle a much faster operation. Text may be constrained to fit within the boundaries of the Text Rectangle. Refer to Text Rectangle constraint on page SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-6

35 Tools Text Text Rectangle When you wish to enter multiple lines of Text, use the <RETURN> key to begin each new line. When you are finished, click the right mouse button or select another tool to terminate the procedure. 1 Thus, to enter key in: This is five lines of text, with a blank third line. This is five<return> lines of text,<return> <RETURN> with a blank<return> third line.<right mouse button> Text entry is done in-place. Text replacement and editing are accomplished using the Replace Text button (Replace button in Motif) in the Text tab of the Default Graphic Properties window, described in the section Text font, size, alignment, direction, and color on page NOTE: SL-GMSDraw does not prevent Text from appearing outside of a Text Rectangle when text constraint is set to its default mode. The section Text Rectangle constraint on page 3-19, describes 1. The <ESCAPE> key can also be used to terminate the procedure on Motif systems. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-7

36 Tools how to control the behavior of text when it overflows the bounds of a Text Rectangle object. Changing Graphical Properties Whether you are creating Text or Text Rectangles, the properties used to define the Text are the same. Text properties, such as color and font, are described in Text font, size, alignment, direction, and color on page The procedure to change edge style and width, edge color, and fill color properties of the Text Rectangle is described in Edge color, style, and width on page 3-9 and in Fill color, style, and direction on page 3-5. The procedure to change the text constraint within Text Rectangle objects is described in Text Rectangle constraint on page The properties of the most recently created Text object can be changed until a Point for positioning the next Text object has been selected. You can also select multiple objects and change any or all properties for that group at one time. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-8

37 Tools Select Mode Tool Select Mode is the default mode of SL-GMSDraw. The Select Mode Tool is active unless another tool is currently in use. Select Mode allows you to select any object in the Active Working View by placing the cursor over the object and clicking the left mouse button. As each object is selected, it is added to a list called the Select List. The number of items on the Select List is displayed in the Status area (refer to page 1-16). To view the items that are contained on the Select List, click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Select List to display the Select List window. Additional objects can be added to the Select List by the following methods: by clicking on the first object, then selecting additional objects while holding down the <SHIFT> key. by clicking the Edit Pull-Down Menu and choosing Select. A submenu is displayed that allows you to choose among several different selection criteria. The different selection options are described in "Select" Submenu Options on page by clicking in empty space and dragging the mouse to create a Selection Extent. The Selection Extent appears as a dashed rectangle and all items within that rectangle are selected. NOTE: The Select By Extent icon in the Main Menu can be used when there is no empty space in which to place the cursor. Refer to page 1-8 for additional information. Control Handles are displayed on the corners of selected objects and on both the corners and edge mid-points of the Selection Extent. To deselect any items that appear on the Select List you can either: click in empty space to deselect all previously selected items (all items on the Select List) or click on any item to deselect all previously selected objects and select the item clicked on. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-9

38 Tools The Control Handles are useful for scaling (making larger or smaller) and rotating objects. Objects are scaled by simply clicking on a Control Handle of the selection extent of a selected object and dragging the mouse. Dragging a corner scales the object proportionally (by the same rescale percent for both axes); dragging an edge scales the object non-proportionally (either in the horizontal or vertical direction). NOTE: When an object is rotated, mirrored, scaled, or moved, a Transformation object is added to that object. A Transformation object contains information used to display the object in its new position. When SL-GMS displays an object using a Transformation object, it takes longer than if the object did not include a Transformation object. To improve performance, the transformations can be applied to the object s Points by using the Apply Transform option of the Object Pull-Down Menu. For efficiency, it is suggested that the Apply Transform option be used on all objects in a Model. Objects are rotated by holding down the <CONTROL> key, clicking on a Control Handle, and dragging the mouse. The object is rotated in the direction in which the mouse is moved. By default, objects rotate around their centers. The Point around which an object is rotated is called its Reference Point. The Reference Point of an object is changed by using the Set Reference Point option of the Point Pull-Down Menu or the Point Mode icons on the Main Menu bar (see page 1-8). Select Mode is also useful for moving an object. Moving an object is most easily accomplished by simply selecting an object and dragging it to the desired location. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-10

39 Tools Select Point Tool The Select Point Tool moves and deletes Points and provides the means to identify a specific Point on the object. Click the Select Point Tool, then select an object: the Points defining the selected object become visible. Click the desired Point to highlight and select it. NOTE: Only one object at a time may be selected. Move the selected Point by dragging the Point to another location in the Active Working View. Click the right mouse button to complete the move operation. Points on Text cannot be moved. Delete the selected Point by pressing the <DELETE> key or by selecting Delete from the Edit Pull-Down Menu. Points on Text, Pie, Sector, Three-Point Sector, Rectangle, Marker, and Text Rectangle objects cannot be deleted. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-11

40 Tools Change Tools Duplicate The Duplicate Tool is used to duplicate objects. When you select objects, SL-GMSDraw outlines your selection with an echo rectangle. The four anchor points of the echo rectangle are displayed as the mouse pointer is moved to the location in which the copy is to be placed. The mouse pointer is shown at the location of the Reference Point. The Reference Point can be changed by clicking the Point Pull-Down Menu and selecting Set Reference Point. The copy can be aligned with the original object by clicking the Edit Pull-Down Menu and selecting Align (refer to Edit Pull-Down Menu on page 5-13 for the different types of alignment). In addition, the placement of a copy (in relation to the original object) can be restrained horizontally or vertically by holding down the <SHIFT> key. The procedure used to modify object properties is described in Setting Object Properties on page 3-1. NOTE: Objects can also be duplicated by holding down the <CONTROL> key and selecting the object, then dragging the echo rectangle to a new position in the Model. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-12

41 Tools View Tools View Tools provide a way to visually pan and zoom the objects displayed in the Active Working View. They do not permanently affect the objects displayed. To exit any of the View Modes, either select another Tool or click the right mouse button. To reset the View after any of the panning or zooming operations, perform one of the following actions: click the Reset View Tool, as described in Resetting the View on page 2-15 click the View Pull-Down Menu and select Reset Panning around a View The Grabber Tool is used to pan the View by clicking on the View and then "dragging" it to a new position. The Pan Tool pans the current View to a Point picked in the Active Working View and continues to do so as long as the mouse button remains depressed. A frame is displayed to "simulate" the View area. Grabber Pan Zooming into a View Zooming in scales the View "up" to a larger View by a pre-defined percentage. A smaller area of the Model is covered and, therefore, the individual objects in the Active Working View appear larger. The maximum percentage that the object or group of objects can be zoomed into is 100 by default (i.e., the final size of the object will be 100% larger than the original). Each time a new zoom in occurs, the zoomfactor 2 is decreased until it reaches the zoom limit. The default value of the zoom 2. The zoomfactor equals the (old X or Y dimension)/(new X or Y dimension). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-13

42 Tools limit is The value of the zoom limit can be changed by clicking the View Pull-Down Menu, selecting View Options, and modifying the Zoom Limit value in the View Options window. The Zoom In Once Tool zooms in on the entire View by a pre-defined percentage. The pre-defined percentage can be changed by clicking the View Pull-Down Menu, selecting View Options, modifying the Zoom Percent value, and clicking Apply in the View Options window. The Zoom In Continuous Tool zooms in on the entire View, centered on a Point picked in the Model, and continues zooming in until the mouse button is released. The Zoom Rect Tool provides the ability to zoom objects in a region of the Model; the region is selected by clicking on two corners of a rectangular region. Zoom In Once Zoom in Continuous Zoom Rect SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-14

43 Tools Zooming out of a View Zooming out is the opposite of zooming in. The View is scaled "down" to a smaller View by a pre-defined percentage. A larger area of the Model becomes visible and, therefore, the individual objects in the Active Working View appear smaller. The maximum percentage that the objects in the View can be zoomed out is 62.5 by default (i.e., the final size of the object will be 62.5% smaller than the original). Each time a new zoom out occurs, the zoomfactor is increased until it reaches the zoom limit. The default value of the zoom limit is The value of the zoom limit can be changed by clicking the View Pull-Down Menu, selecting View Options, and modifying the Zoom Limit value in the View Options window. The Zoom Out Once Tool zooms out of the View by a pre-defined percentage. The pre-defined percentage can be changed by clicking the View Pull-Down Menu, selecting View Options, modifying the Zoom Percent value, and clicking the Apply button in the View Options window. The Zoom Out Continuous Tool zooms out of the View, centered on a Point picked in the Model, and continues zooming out until the mouse button is released. Zoom-Out Once Zoom-Out Continuous Resetting the View The Reset View Tool resets the Active Working View to its original, un-zoomed state. Reset View SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-15

44 Tools View Preset Tool The View Preset Panel is used to save and recall up to five zoom and pan settings. This tool has the same functionality as the set views found in the View Options dialog, which is activated by clicking the View menu, and selecting View Options. The current zoom and pan settings for the Active Working View are saved by clicking the Set button, and then clicking a preset button (1-5). When a view preset button has a saved zoom and pan setting associated with it, the button s background color will change. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-16

45 Tools Keyboard Equivalents Model creation tools have, to this point, been described in terms of selecting tool buttons, clicking on objects, and entering text. However, SL-GMS- Draw provides keyboard combinations that speed up many Model-building activities. Sometimes referred to as "quick keys" or "power-user keys," the shortcut key combinations consist of simultaneous use of Tool Buttons and Modifier keys: <ALT>, <CONTROL>, <SHIFT>, <TAB>, and certain numbers. SL-GMSDraw Quick Keys Function Performed Tool used + Modifier keys Temporarily invokes the Select Mode Tool Any <ALT> Copies an object (Select) <CONTROL> Constrains modification, horizontally, vertically, proportionally Incremental move in arrow direction of current object selected Makes next object on the Select List the focus object Any Any Any <SHIFT> <ARROW> <TAB> SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-17

46 Tools Left mouse button operations (Windows only) Double-clicking the left mouse button on a Control or SubModel Instance displays the Object Renamed Variables window. Double-clicking the left mouse button on any other type of object displays the Object Information window. Right mouse button context menus (Windows only) Clicking the right mouse button also provides access to a menu of commonly-used operations depending on what object or objects are selected. The menu selections include the display of the Model Properties, View Options, Edit Dynamics, Object Information, Graphic Properties, and Object Renamed Variables windows. In addition, the menu provides functions such as cut, copy, paste, delete, Group and Ungroup. If multiple objects are selected, the option to loop forward and backward thru the Select List is provided. Select Point provides the capability of moving or deleting a Point in an object. The Select Point mode is described in Select Point Tool on page Available Operations Selected Object No object Available Operations Done Select Point Model Properties View Options SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-18

47 Tools Available Operations Selected Object Single Object Multiple Objects Group Available Operations Done Cut Copy Paste Delete Select Point Edit Dynamics Object Information Graphic Properties Done Cut Copy Paste Delete Select Point Edit Dynamics Group Loop Forward Loop Backward Object Information Graphic Properties Done Cut Copy Paste Delete Select Point Ungroup Object Information Graphic Properties SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-19

48 Tools Available Operations Selected Object ModInst Available Operations Done Cut Copy Paste Delete Select Point Renamed Variables Object Information SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 2-20

49 3 Setting Object Properties This chapter explains how to modify object properties. It describes how to set the following types of properties for an object: Graphic Fill color, style, and direction Edge color, style, and width Text font, size, alignment, direction, and color Text constraint for Text Rectangles Marker style, and color Attach a name to an object Attach a string to pass to an application (UserData) Attach an integer to pass to an application (UserWord) The Model itself is also an object and UserData, dynamics, Background, and other properties can be set for it. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-1

50 Setting Object Properties Graphic Properties Fill Properties Edge Properties Text Properties Figure 3-19: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 1) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-2

51 Setting Object Properties Text Rectangle Properties Marker Properties Figure 3-20: "Default Graphic Properties" tabs (part 2) The five tabs (Fill, Edge, Text, TRect, and Marker) of the Default Graphic Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 3-19: on page 3-2 and Figure 3-20: on page 3-3, change the graphic properties of selected objects. (Select Properties from the Object Pull-Down Menu and then select Graphic in the Properties submenu to access this dialog box.) Only the properties for the selected tab are visible. To shift between the five different tabs, click one of the tabs labeled Fill, Edge, Text, TRect, or Marker. (On Motif plat- SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-3

52 Setting Object Properties forms, the tabs are represented by buttons, along the left side of the dialog box, that perform the same function as the tabs.) Additionally, you can select the font type you wish to apply to any text you have added to the object. The Default Graphic Properties dialog provides Hershey and Raster type text choices. In addition, the Windows version allows you to select one of several different TrueType text styles. The color panel to the right side of each dialog box (patterned, in the case of monochrome workstations) contains buttons that set the color of fill, edge, text, or Marker (depending upon which view is being displayed). When one of these buttons is clicked, the fill, edge, or text color of any selected object is changed to the color indicated on the button. By default, the color panel displays 32 colors. If more colors are defined in the colordef.dat file, the user can scroll to select a color. See the section Setting Color Definitions on page 6-8 for more information about defining colors. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-4

53 Setting Object Properties Fill color, style, and direction Direction Fill percent Interior Gradient dialog Fill and Unfill Pattern Color Figure 3-21: "Fill" graphic properties The Fill graphic properties tab, shown in Figure 3-21:, has the following active regions: Direction Fill percent Interior Gradient dialog Fill and Unfill Pattern Color SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-5

54 Setting Object Properties Fill Direction The fill direction buttons change the direction from which the fill proceeds. Click the radio button corresponding to the appropriate direction. Four fill directions are available, as illustrated in Figure 3-22:. from bottom to top from top to bottom from right to left from left to right Figure 3-22: Fill directions The fill directions and percent of fill are used in dynamics where the direction of fill and percent of fill are determined by data values. Fill Percent The Fill Percent button (Fill % in Motif ) sets the fill percent (the fraction of the selected polygon 1 that is filled), beginning at one of the four sides. A dialog window prompts for the fill percent. Fill Interior The fill interior buttons specify whether the fill interior (finter) color pattern for the selected object is hollow, solid, opaque, or transparent: Hollow the object is logically filled but no fill pattern appears on the screen (finter = 0). NOTE: When the Hollow button is selected, changing colors on filled objects apparently has no effect because they are hollow (similar to being unfilled). However, one advantage is that an object with 1. This includes Polygons, Closed Splines, Rectangles, Pies, Sectors, Three Point Sectors, Circles, and Text Rectangles. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-6

55 Setting Object Properties hollow interior fill can be selected by clicking its interior, whereas an object that is unfilled can be selected only by clicking on its edge. Solid the object is filled with an unpatterned color (finter = 1). Opaque the object is filled with the patterned opaque color (finter = 2). Transparent the object is filled with the patterned transparent color, that is, objects logically behind can be seen through the transparent object (finter = 3). Gradient a filled object is shaded from the start color to the end color (finter = 4). An object behind an object with finter 2 will not show through, whereas an object behind an object with finter 3 will show through. Further information about the fstyle and finter commands is provided in the chapter SL-GML Reference in the SL-GMS Quick Reference. Gradient Dialog The Gradient Dialog button allows the gradient fill attribute to be set on a filled object. A Gradient Fill Properties dialog window prompts for the gradient style, configuration, start color, and up to 4 color intervals, as shown in Figure 3-23:. NOTE: On pseudocolor machines, the gradient is filled according to the colordef.dat indices. For example, if the gradient start color is index 4 and the end color is index 8 the gradient will consist of colors 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The gradient may appear as stripes. To display the best gradient quality, set up the color table with a smooth color gradient in the indices between the start and end colors. The 256 color mode on Windows NT acts the same as pseudocolor. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-7

56 Setting Object Properties Fill Figure 3-23: Gradient Fill Properties The Fill button fills selected objects. Select one or more objects, then click the Fill button. Next, modify the Fill properties by clicking the color, style, interior, direction, and percentage controls, as described in this section. Unfill The Unfill button resets selected objects to their unfilled state. Fill Pattern The boxes in the fill style panel are buttons which set the fill pattern or style (fstyle). There are eleven pre-defined patterns. Custom fill styles can be defined using fstyle entries in a platform-independent gmsprefs.dat file, which is read by SL-GMS during runtime initialization. The fill pattern panel is enabled only when the fill interior is set to Opaque or Transparent. Fill Color Sets fill color, as described on page 3-4. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-8

57 Setting Object Properties Edge color, style, and width Style Width Close/Open Polygons Color Figure 3-24: "Edge" graphic properties The Edge graphic properties tab has the following active regions: Edge Style (estyle) User-entry of style other than defaults [Motif only; not yet implemented in Windows] Edge Width (ewidth) Buttons to create either Closed or Open Polygons User-entry of width other than defaults Color Edge Style Set the edge style property of a selected object by clicking the desired style in the Edge Style selector. In the Windows version, spin buttons (up-down arrow buttons) can also be used to select the edge style (the integer corresponding to the desired edge SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-9

58 Setting Object Properties style can also be entered directly in the text entry box to the left of the spin buttons). The edge style of an object can be set to 0 (none) if that object is also filled. Not drawing the edge increases performance in the drawing of filled objects by eliminating the step required to draw the outline of the object. Edge Style Other (Motif only) Click the Style button in the Edge Style selector to specify a line style that is not included in the Style selector, as described in SL-GMS Edge and Line styles on page Enter an integer style value in the Edge Style dialog box and click the Apply button. SL-GMS Edge and Line styles SL-GMSDraw allows selection of five different edge and line styles (estyle) via the Style selector. They are, from top to bottom in Figure 3-24: on page 3-9: estyle 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. When you select any of the edge or line style buttons, that style is applied to the selected object. However, SL-GMS supports 27 different Edge (line) styles. In Motif only, clicking the Style button beneath the edge Style selector allows specification of line styles other than those provided by the selector. (Specification of other edge styles is not supported in the Windows version of SL-GMSDraw.) SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-10

59 Setting Object Properties The SL-GMS Line style numbers have the following meanings: Line Style Number Single digit N 1N 2N Description Basic Line style with the appearance shown Line style N with each cycle shortened by a factor of 2 Line style N with each cycle lengthened by a factor of 2 For example: Command Line Appearance estyle estyle estyle In summary, the valid Line styles for the estyle command are as follows: Valid Line Styles for the SL-GML "estyle" Command Style Numbers Description Approximate Appearance solid dot, dot2, dotx dashed, dashed2, dashedx2 SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-11

60 Setting Object Properties Valid Line Styles for the SL-GML "estyle" Command Style Numbers Description Approximate Appearance dashdot, dashdot2, dashdot2x border, border2, borderx center, center2, centerx divide, divide2, dividex hidden, hidden2, hiddenx2 _ phantom, phantom2, phantomx2 Because of the half and twice relationships, some redundancy exists among some of the Line styles. For example, Line styles 3 and 28 have virtually identical appearances. Edge Width Set the edge width property of a selected object by clicking the desired width in the Width selector. In the Windows version, spin buttons (up-down arrow buttons) can also be used to select the edge width (the integer corresponding to the desired edge width can also be entered directly in the text entry box to the left of the spin buttons). Open and Close Polygon The Close Polygon button closes the two ends of a polyline to create a polygon. The Open Polygon button disconnects the two ends of a polygon to create a polyline. Edge Width Other In Motif versions, click the Width button in the Edge Width selector to specify a line width that is not included in the Width selector. Enter an integer width value in the Edge Width dialog SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-12

61 Setting Object Properties box and click Apply. The Width selector provides lines with widths ranging from 1 to 5, hence a value of 6 or more must be used. In the Windows version, spin buttons (up-down arrow buttons) are used to select an edge width greater than five (the integer corresponding to the desired edge width can also be entered directly in the text entry box to the left of the spin buttons) Edge Color Set edge color, as described on page 3-4. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-13

62 Setting Object Properties Text font, size, alignment, direction, and color Scaling Alignment Font Size TrueType Font Style Font Type Text Direction Color Replace Text Selector Font Name Figure 3-25: "Text" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) Alignment Font Type Selector Font Size Text Direction Color Selector Font Name Replace Text Selector Figure 3-26: "Text" Default Graphic Properties window (Motif) As shown in Figure 3-25: and Figure 3-26:, the text graphic properties windows contains the following active regions: Text Alignment Panel Font Type Selector Text Direction Font Size SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-14

63 Setting Object Properties TrueType Styles (Windows only) Font Name Replace Text Color Text Alignment Panel Set text alignment using the Text Alignment Panel. The panel provides 15 different positions for text alignment, as represented by the circles at each of the intersections in Figure 3-27:. In the Windows version, each position is represented by a radio button. In the Motif version, text is aligned by clicking one of the 15 "diamond" markers (each marker corresponds to one of the positions in the text alignment grid shown in Figure 3-27:.) Text alignment is defined as the offset of Text relative to the Point chosen for positioning the Text object. The vertical buttons in the panel represent the left edge, center, and right edge of the Text extent. The horizontal buttons show the bottom of the Text extent, the base of the Text, the middle of the extent, the top of capital letters, and the top of the Text extent. Set the alignment by selecting the appropriate button. Figure 3-27: Fifteen different positions available for aligning text SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-15

64 Setting Object Properties Figure 3-28: illustrates the alignment positions controlled with the Text Alignment Panel. Four copies of a Text Rectangle are shown, with each copy having its text string aligned with different alignment settings. Figure 3-28: Example text alignments in a Text Rectangle It is advisable to use half-center alignment the default alignment whenever Text Rectangles are created. Using half-center alignment positions Text precisely in the center of the Rectangle. Font Type Selector The Font Type can be either Hershey or Raster. 2 When "Hershey" is selected, only the names of the Hershey Fonts are 2. In the Windows version, the font type can be either Hershey or TrueType, or one of the thirteen SL-GMS default fonts, but the available font names for all font types are displayed in the "Font Name" scrollbox at all times. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-16

65 Setting Object Properties displayed in the "Font Name" scroll box. When "Raster" is selected, only the names of the available Raster fonts are displayed in the "Font Name" scroll box. Text Direction Text Direction has two settings: left-to-right and top-to-bottom, indicated by arrows. When the down arrow is selected, all Text objects currently on the Select List, and all new Text objects will display vertically. When the horizontal arrow is selected, all Text objects currently on the Select List, and all new Text objects will display horizontally. Font Size Set the height of text by clicking the font Size button in Motif, then entering a value in the dialog box prompt. In Windows, the font size setting can either be directly typed into the Height text entry box, or the spin buttons (up/down arrows) can be used to incrementally increase or decrease the font size. 3 Height is specified in World Coordinates. 4 The Size button dialog box in Motif, and the Default Graphic Properties window in Windows also contain a check box labeled Adjust for scaling. If this box is checked, the text height attribute of each object on the Select List will be set to the given value adjusted for a scaling matrix that may be attached to the object. For example, suppose a Text Rectangle object were scaled by a factor of 2, and the value "3" is entered for the size of the text. The text height attribute of the object would be set to 1.5. TrueType Styles (Windows only) If the Font Type is a TrueType font, a style other than the default can be selected by clicking one of the style buttons in the TrueType Styles section. Four additional styles are available: 3. The value of the font height entered by the user is limited to the height of the Model. 4. World Coordinates are double precision. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-17

66 Setting Object Properties bold, italic, underlined, and strike-through. The style buttons toggle the font style. For instance, if the default style is displayed, clicking the "bold" button will display the "Bold" style. Clicking the "bold" button again will display the default style. Font Name On Motif systems, if Font Type is set to "Hershey," only the names of the Hershey Fonts are displayed in the "Font Name" scroll box. When "Raster" is selected, only the names of the Raster fonts are displayed in the "Font Name" scroll box. Select the font by clicking the appropriate entry in the "Font Name" scrollbox. On Windows systems, the available font names for Hershey, TrueType, and the thirteen SL-GMS pre-defined fonts are displayed at all times in the "Font Name" scrollbox. Hershey fonts are designated with "Hs" preceding the name of the font. TrueType fonts are designated with "TT". The available fonts are defined in the file "fontdef.dat." A discussion of setting font definitions is provided in the section Setting text font definitions on page 6-4. The SL-GMS Quick Reference provides additional information about font definitions and availability. Replace Text To replace a text string, click the Replace Text button (Replace button in Motif). The Object Text dialog window displays the current Text string attached to the object. The Text string can be added to, modified, or deleted. Another manner in which to replace text is to click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Properties, then select Text to display the Object Text dialog window. Text Color Sets text color, as described on page 3-4. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-18

67 Setting Object Properties Text Rectangle constraint Figure 3-29: "TRect" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) A text constraint attribute is available for Text Rectangle objects. This attribute controls how text behaves when it overflows the bounds of a Text Rectangle object. All constraint modes use an edge width of 1 to determine the boundary of the Text Rectangle. None of the constraint modes use edge width to make the text rectangle boundary smaller for fitting or clipping the text. There are three settings available for text constraint, with None being the default: None (value = 0) Clip (value = 1) Fit Width (value = 2) Setting text constraint equal to None allows a Text Rectangle object s text to display outside (overflow) the text rectangle boundary. This is the default setting. The Clip setting will cause a Text Rectangle object s text to be clipped to the text rectangle boundary. The Fit Width setting is used to constrain the text in a Text Rectangle object to fit within the boundary of the text rectangle. This is accomplished by changing the position of the individual characters in the text. The char- SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-19

68 Setting Object Properties acters may overlay each other to stay inside the boundary. If the width of a single character overflows the boundary, the characters will overlay each other and the text will overflow the text rectangle (it will not be clipped). This mode does not modify font size, just character positioning. The Fit Width setting is only supported for precision 0 fonts (TrueType fonts), and only on Windows platforms. The Fit Width setting is only for horizontal text and width is determined by the width of the Text Rectangle without any transformations applied (e.g., scaling, rotating). Windows only: If you are going to rotate a Text Rectangle, and you want the precision 0 (TrueType font) text to fit within the rotated rectangle, set the text constraint to Fit Width. In addition, enable the rotation of Precision 0 (TrueType fonts) Precision 0 fonts rotation is enabled in an application by calling gmstprec0rotflag( ) 5 or by sending the "tprec0_rot_flag" message to the StandardTopState. 6 Precision 0 fonts rotation is enabled in SL-GMSDraw by sending the "tprec0_rot_flag to the StandardTopState in the ".gmsdrawrc" file 7 as shown below: gmsdraw_standard_top_state tprec0_rot_flag 1 The text constraint can be set by selecting either None, Clip, or Fit Width. In the Windows version, the numeric value can also be entered using the spin-control box. All Text Rectangle objects created after the text constraint is set will use this mode unless another setting is selected. 5. Refer to the SL-GMS Function Reference. 6. Refer to the SL-GMS State Class Library Reference. 7. Refer to the section Saving the Editor Set-up. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-20

69 Setting Object Properties Marker Style Style Color Figure 3-30: "Marker" Default Graphic Properties window (Motif) Style Color Figure 3-31: "Marker" Default Graphic Properties window (Windows) The Marker graphic properties tab has the following active regions: Marker Style (mstyle) Color SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-21

70 Setting Object Properties Marker Style Set the style property of a selected Marker by clicking the desired style in the Marker Style selector. In the Windows version, spin buttons (up-down arrow buttons) can also be used to select the Marker style (the integer corresponding to the desired Marker style can also be entered directly in the text entry box to the left of the spin buttons). Marker Color Sets Marker color, as described on page 3-4. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-22

71 Setting Object Properties Attaching a Name to Objects Attaching a name to an object: allows objects to be selected by name (e.g., for selection of invisible or undetectable objects) allows objects to be found by an application program Names may be any collection of alpha-numeric characters and must begin with a letter. The SL-GMS reserved words, listed in the chapter SL-GMS Reserved Words in the SL-GMS Quick Reference, cannot be used as names. To attach a name to a selected object, click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Properties, then select Name. The Object Name window is displayed. Enter the name of the object, then click Apply. Figure 3-32: "Object Name" window The maximum length of an object name is 40 characters. A name can be added to only one object at a time. If multiple objects are on the Select List, use the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to move among the objects in the Select List. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-23

72 Setting Object Properties Attaching a String to Pass to an Application (UserData) UserData is an arbitrary string used by an application program in any way desired. UserData must be fewer than 256 characters in length and it must be a C string. 8 To add UserData to a selected object, click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Properties, then select Userdata. The Object Userdata window is displayed. Enter the string, then click Apply. Figure 3-33: "Object Userdata" window UserData can be added to only one object at a time. If multiple objects are on the Select List, use the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to move among the objects in the Select List. 8. Application programs can attach UserData up to 16,384 characters through the gmsuserdata( ) function; the SL-GMSDraw interface limits the entry to 256 characters. The limits within SL-GMSDraw will probably be increased when line editing of UserData becomes available on all supported platforms. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-24

73 Setting Object Properties Attaching an Integer to Pass to an Application (UserWord) UserWord is an integer used by an application program in any way desired. To add UserWord to a selected object, click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Properties, then select Userword. The Object Userword window is displayed. Enter the integer, then click Apply. Figure 3-34: "Object Userword" window A UserWord can be added to only one object at a time. If multiple objects are on the Select List, use the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to move among the objects in the Select List. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-25

74 Setting Object Properties Setting Model Properties A Model is another type of object and several different properties can be set for it. To set Model properties, click the Model Pull-Down Menu and select Properties. The Model Properties window is displayed. Figure 3-35: "Model Properties" window When a blank Model is created using the the New with Background option of the File Pull-Down Menu, SL-GMSDraw automatically creates a non-detectable Filled Rectangle as the background object in the background color. The size of the background object is set by changing the default values (72 units wide and 54 units high) in the Model Properties window. NOTE: The size of the Model is set to the size of the background object. A blank Model can also be created using the New option of the File Pull-Down Menu. The first object created in the Model (typically a Filled Rectangle) is considered the background object. When the first object is created in the Model, the Background Detectable and Background Object Dimensions and Origin areas in the Model Properties window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-26

75 Setting Object Properties are enabled. The size of the background object can be changed by modifying the width and height values in the Model Properties window. By default, the lower left corner of the WC-window is defined as the Point 0,0. To change the default, modify the text entry box designating the lower left corner of the dotted-line graphic. The color of the background object is set by entering an integer in the Background Color entry box that corresponds to one of the color boxes in the Default Graphic Properties window. In addition, setting Background Detectable to OFF (i.e.,unchecked), will cause the background object in the current Model to become undetectable. Setting Background Detectable to ON (i.e., checked) allows the background object to be selected and modified. If the Erase in Background Color is set to OFF (i.e., unchecked), the Model erases objects using color index 0 (white). However, if objects are being erased and redrawn on top of an object whose color is other than color 0, "holes" are left as the dynamic objects are changed. An example is the meter shown in Figure 3-36:. Each time the needle moves it is erased in color 0 (white), and holes are left in the face of the meter marking the previous positions of the needle. When the needle moves to 50, a white line appears at 0 because the needle erased in white on the grey background. Figure 3-36: "Holes" in meter face If the Erase in Background Color is set to ON (i.e., checked), the Model erases objects in the fill color of the background object, if the object is SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-27

76 Setting Object Properties filled. The color used by the Model to erase objects is called the background color. If the first object is not filled, the background color is set to color index 0. To correct the "holes" in the previous "meter" example, the first object in the Model would be a Filled Rectangle whose color is the same as the "face" of the meter. With Erase in Background Color set to ON, the needle erases in the color of the meter "face" as shown in Figure 3-37:. Figure 3-37: Background color set to the same color as meter "face" The background color is used as the erase color for all objects in the Model except for parts within a SubModel Instance which has its own background color. A UserData string can be added to the Model by clicking the UserData button in the Model Properties window. The Model Userdata window is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-38:. Enter the UserData string and click the Apply button. Figure 3-38: "Model Userdata" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-28

77 Setting Object Properties A UserWord can also be added to the Model by clicking the UserWord button in the Model Properties window. The Model Userword window is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-39:. Enter the UserWord and click the Apply button.. Figure 3-39: "Model Userword" window Dynamics can be added to the Model by clicking the Dynamics button in the Model Properties window. The Model Dynamic Properties window is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-40:. Figure 3-40: "Model Dynamic Properties" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-29

78 Setting Object Properties The dynamic scripting language (described in the section Attaching Dynamics to an Object on page 6-12) is used to add dynamics to the Model. Type the dynamic script into the Model Dynamic Properties window and click the Apply button. Selecting the Flags button in the Model Properties window displays the Model Flags window, as shown in Figure 3-41: on page Figure 3-41: "Model Flags" window Flags can be set on the Model unconditionally. "Model Flags" Options Flag Erase Flags noerase batcherase Point Flags Description Causes the update pass to omit erasure of any of the Model s parts before redrawing the Model. Causes all objects in a Model to be erased first and the entire Model to be redrawn. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-30

79 Setting Object Properties Flag pts relative pts symmetric General Flags dynarray doublebuffer "Model Flags" Options (continued) Description Forces the Points of a Polyline or Polygon (filled ones also) to be transformed relative to the first Point of the object; useful for objects distorted while animated and moved around the screen due to pixel rounding. Forces an object s Points to be transformed relative to each other; useful for objects distorted while animated and moved around the screen due to pixel rounding. Marks a Model so it passes the index of each part down as the traversal index to be used in Array Dynamics. Enables software double buffering. Selecting the Apply button will apply the settings in the Model Properties window to the current Model. Selecting the Apply as Default button will apply the background color, and on/off settings to all subsequent Models built within the current editing session. The background object dimensions are also applied to all subsequent Models built using the New with Background option of the File Pull-Down Menu within the current editing session. When you exit SL-GMSDraw, the settings in the Model Properties window revert to SL-GMSDraw default values. NOTE: To use the new Model property settings as defaults for future editing sessions, the settings must be saved to a resource file. The section Saving the Editor Set-up on page 6-4 provides more information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 3-31

80 4 Dynamics This chapter explains how to attach dynamic behavior to objects in a Model. This dynamic behavior is accomplished through actions which specify changes to be applied to objects in response to changes in application variables. Any object, or individual object elements, may be driven separately by as many different variables as required. This chapter explains: dynamic descriptions the SL-GMS text that defines the dynamic behavior of objects tools used to attach dynamic descriptions to objects renaming variables in a Model Instance setting Control Object properties showing variables contained in objects previewing the dynamic behavior of a Model SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-1

81 Dynamics Dynamic Descriptions A dynamic description is text in a syntax recognized by SL-GMS that specifies a change in the appearance of an object in response to a change in an application variable, or an action that is taken in response to input events for the object. A DynProp (Dynamic Property) comprises all of the dynamic descriptions attached to an object. * fcolor stat tankvol1 = (tankmin1+1) : (tankmax1-1) fpercent 0:100 fcolor 2 dynamic description dynamic description DynProp Figure 4-1: DynProp containing two dynamic descriptions In Figure 4-2:, the dynamic description is unconditional. It specifies, "Whenever the variable stat changes, the object is filled with the color indexed by the value of stat." * fcolor stat Figure 4-2: Dynamic description with unconditional display dynamics fcolor is an action keyword. A complete table of all valid dynamic action keywords is provided in the Dynamics Reference chapter in the SL-GMS Quick Reference. stat is a Variable Reference. A Variable Reference can be identical to a variable in a programming language such as Ada, FORTRAN, Pascal, or C. A Variable Reference can also be an expression a more complex entity SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-2

82 Dynamics involving formulas, function calls, data structures, files, and other data. Expressions can include any number of references to variables or calls to application-specific functions and standard arithmetic and logical operators. Expressions are parsed for conventional notations. Actions in unconditional dynamic descriptions are executed whenever any Variable Reference in an object s DynProp changes. Compare this to the conditional dynamic description in Figure 4-3:. It specifies, "When the variable tankvol1 is within the indicated range, the object becomes percent-filled according to where in the range the variable falls, and the fill color is set to the color indexed by 2." tankvol1 = (tankmin + 1) : (tankmax - 1) fpercent 0:100 fcolor 2 Figure 4-3: Dynamic description with conditional display dynamics fpercent and fcolor are action keywords that change the fill percent and fill color attributes of the object. tankvol1, tankmin, and tankmax are Variable References. tankmin+1 and tankmax-1 are expressions. Actions in conditional dynamic descriptions are executed only when the testing of any logical expression results in TRUE after reading the value of a Variable Reference. When an asterisk (*) is used in a conditional dynamic description, the object is updated whenever the variable, or any variable in the arguments in the action(s), changes. NOTE: Unconditional dynamic descriptions must be specified before any conditional dynamic descriptions in an object s DynProp. Refer to the Dynamics chapter in the SL-GMS Reference for further information. Figure 4-2: on page 4-2 and Figure 4-3: show examples of unconditional and conditional display dynamics. However, dynamic changes to objects can also occur as a result of an input event, referred to as input dynamics. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-3

83 Dynamics Input dynamics can manipulate either SL-GMS internal or application program variable(s) and they are preceded by the pound sign (#). An object can have both unconditional and conditional display dynamics, in addition to input dynamics, in its attached DynProp. # tanklevel = * call gms_flash( ) fcolor noalarm input dynamic description conditional dynamic description DynProp Figure 4-4: DynProp with input and conditional display dynamics The dynamic description shown in Figure 4-4: specifies, "Whenever an input event occurs, call the function gms_flash( ); and whenever the variable tanklevel changes, set the fill color to the color specified by the variable noalarm." NOTE: The input dynamic description shown above uses the call action keyword to call a function. Other types of action keywords can also be included in an input dynamic. gms_flash( ) is a function call supplied in the SL-GMS GISMO Action Functions in the SL-GMS Quick Reference. User-defined functions may also be used. Further information about DynProps, actions, variable references, and conditional, unconditional, and input dynamics are provided in the Dynamics chapter in the SL-GMS Reference. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-4

84 Dynamics Attaching Dynamic Descriptions to Objects Objects can be given dynamic descriptions that cause them to rotate, move, change scale, change Text strings, change Line style and color, and become visible or invisible. The proper syntax for dynamic descriptions is described in the Dynamics chapter of the SL-GMS Reference. Editing Dynamics Dynamic descriptions are normally attached to objects by using the Object Dynamic Properties option of the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu. The Object Dynamic Properties option displays the Object Dynamic Properties window. The Object Dynamic Properties window instances a simple text editor used to create or modify the object s dynamic description. No changes are actually made to the object s dynamics until the Apply button is clicked. Only one object at a time may have a DynProp edited in the Object Dynamic Properties window. If multiple objects are on the Select List, use the Loop Control buttons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to select the next object on the Select List. Click inside the Object Dynamic Properties window to begin editing. An example of a DynProp typed into the Object Dynamic Properties window is shown in Figure 4-5:. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-5

85 Dynamics Figure 4-5: A DynProp in the "Object Dynamic Properties" window Press the <RETURN> key at the end of a line to move the cursor to the next line to be typed. To insert a line, click at the end of the previous line and press the <RETURN> key. To modify a line, click the line, backspace over the characters you wish to change, and enter the correct information. You can place the cursor anywhere on the line and edit from that point. To delete a line, either click on the line until the entire line is highlighted and press the <RETURN> key or click on the line and use the <BACKSPACE> key to delete all the characters in the line. When you have entered the format of the dynamic descriptions correctly, the DynProp automatically indents the line when you click the Apply button. This indentation, illustrated in Figure 4-6:, clarifies the grouping of the dynamic descriptions and the actions and variable tests within a particular dynamic description. The indentation has no effect on the execution of the dynamic description. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-6

86 Dynamics Figure 4-6: A DynProp indented after pressing the "Apply" button Hold, Release, and Clear The Hold button holds the contents of the entire Object Dynamic Properties window in a hold buffer. The contents in the hold buffer are held until quitting SL-GMSDraw or until changed by clicking the Hold button again. Leaving the Object Dynamic Properties window does not affect the hold buffer, nor does changing between Models affect it. The Release button replaces the current contents of the Object Dynamic Properties window with the contents of the hold buffer. The Clear button clears the contents of the hold buffer. Error checking Figure 4-7: illustrates a DynProp that contains an error. Line 3 reads "tankvol 1" instead of "tankvol1." SL-GMSDraw detects SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-7

87 Dynamics "tankvol 1" as an error because it is not a valid dynamic action. When the Apply button is clicked, a dialog box, as shown in Figure 4-8:, will display indicating the line in which the error occurs. Click the OK button to acknowledge the error. Correct all errors and click the Apply button again. The DynProp will then appear indented, as illustrated in Figure 4-6: on page 4-7. Figure 4-7: A DynProp typed incorrectly with an error on line 3 Figure 4-8: A dialog box displaying the location of an error SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-8

88 Dynamics Renaming Variables SL-GMS allows you to reuse Models and control objects through instancing. Model Instances, also called Instances or SubModels, retain the dynamic properties of the original Model. The various Instances are differentiated from the original by renaming variables the driving variables are renamed to different variable names. For example, when you develop a panel of gauges used to represent the same process variable coming from many different sites, a gauge Model is created with dynamic specifications driven by the variable volts. The panel Model would then be created with a collection of gauge Model Instances. The volts variable is renamed for each instance. For example, volts1, volts2, and so on. Rename Vars Tool Use the Rename Vars tool to rename the variables of a SubModel that have been instanced into a Model. To use the Rename Vars tool, select an object, click on the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu, and select Object Renamed Variables. The Object Renamed Variables window, shown in Figure 4-9:, is displayed. NOTE: If a SubModel has no DynProps attached to it, or if the selected object is not a Model Instance, the Object Renamed Variables window will be empty, since the object does not have any variables that need to be renamed. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-9

89 Dynamics Figure 4-9: Renaming the "bg_color" variable in a Model Instance Double-click on a value to highlight and rename it. Once the value is edited, either double-click on another value or hit the <ENTER> key. Click the Apply button to apply the renamed variables to the object. The Apply button will be enabled after a change, when another cell is clicked, or when hitting the <ENTER> key. Only one Model Instance at a time may have its variables renamed. If multiple Model Instances are on the Select List, use the Loop Control buttons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to select the next object on the Select List. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-10

90 Dynamics Hold, Release, and Clear The Hold button holds the contents of the entire Object Renamed Properties window in a hold buffer. The contents in the hold buffer are held until quitting SL-GMSDraw or until changed by clicking the Hold button again. Leaving the Object Renamed Variables window does not affect the hold buffer, nor does changing between Models affect it. The Release button replaces the current contents of the Object Renamed Variables window with the contents of the hold buffer. The Clear button clears the Renamed Variable strings of all the variables in the Object Renamed Variables window. Error checking When you click the Apply button, SL-GMSDraw will determine whether or not the renaming is valid. If it is not, a dialog box is displayed indicating the line in which the error occurs. Click the OK button to acknowledge the error, then correct the error and click the Apply button again. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-11

91 Dynamics Previewing the Dynamic Behavior of Objects A Model must be saved if it has been edited, before the dynamics can be exercised. In addition, while it is being previewed, the Model cannot be edited or saved. After previewing, the Model is automatically reloaded so that any changes made by the dynamic updating are discarded. Selecting the Preview Options option of the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu exercises the DynProps in the current Model using data contained in a data file. The data file has the name of the current Model, with the suffix ".dat." To create or edit a ".dat" file during a session, the Edit Data File window must be invoked. This is done by clicking the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and selecting the Edit Data File option. Text can then be entered in this window which will create or modify a ".dat" file. If a data file already exists for this Model, that data file is automatically displayed in the Edit Data File window. Clicking the Save File button writes the file to disk. Clicking the Open File button displays a dialog window which allows entry of the name of a data file. Figure 4-10: "Edit Data File" window Further information about the format and use of.dat files is provided in the Dynamics chapter of the SL-GMS Reference and in the Dynamics Reference chapter of the SL-GMS Quick Reference. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-12

92 Dynamics When the Preview Options option is selected, the Preview Options window is displayed, as shown in Figure 4-11:. Figure 4-11: "Preview Options" window The Preview Options window controls the Timer Period (the number of milliseconds between each update). Click the Start button to load the "<modelname.dat" file 1 and begin previewing the Model. Clicking the Stop button terminates the preview. Clicking the Pause button suspends dynamic updating without leaving Preview Mode but the Model cannot be edited or saved. NOTE: If another Model is opened while a Model is being previewed, the newly-opened Model will begin previewing automatically. 1. If a "<modelname>.dat" file does not exist, a warning message will display and previewing will not occur. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 4-13

93 5 Menus This chapter describes the menus that appear on the Main Menu bar. When items on this menu bar are selected, additional pull-down menus will display.. Figure 5-1: SL-GMSDraw Menu Bar Figure 5-1: illustrates the Main Menu bar with the following tool categories: File Load, store, print, and other tools that provide access to Model files Edit Cut, paste, and other tools used to make changes to objects View Zoom, pan, and set screen size Model Set Model properties Object Group, visibility, and other object properties Dynamics Create and edit object dynamics Options Invoke tool panels, Control Window, Status Window, and other drawing tools Palettes Select a SubModel object from a pre-defined collection Point Access and control Points on objects Help Information about the use of SL-GMSDraw SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-1

94 Menus Figure 5-2: SL-GMSDraw menu structure SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-2

95 Menus File Menu The File Pull-Down Menu provides the standard application file functions for Model files, such as opening and closing, saving, printing, and exiting the SL-GMSDraw application. The options are described in the table "File" Pull-Down Menu Options on page 5-4. Import submenu Export submenu File Pull-Down Menu Print submenu (Windows only) Figure 5-3: File menu structure SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-3

96 Menus Import and Export The Import and Export submenus, shown in Figure 5-3: on page 5-3, provide the import and export of images (.xwd on Motif,.bmp on Windows,.jpeg,.jpg, and.jpe) and export of text models (.g). "File" Pull-Down Menu Options New Option New with Background Open.m1 File Close Change Directory Merge... Save Save As... Import Description Displays an empty Model window with options clear, and without a background rectangle. Displays an empty Model window with options clear, and a background rectangle. Loads and displays a Model from disk. Stops editing the current Model. If the Model has not been saved since the last change, prompts to save first. Brings up the Change Directory window, which allows you to change directories for the Save As, Import, and Export options. Adds the parts of another Model to the current Model. The name of the current Model remains the same. The merged Model still exists as a Model file and a copy of its parts becomes a part of the current Model. Writes the current Model to disk. Prompts you to name the current Model and then saves it to disk under that name; the file extension is ".m1". Full path names may be used. Prompts for files to be imported into the current Model. SL-GMSDraw can import images files (.xwd on Motif,.bmp on Windows,.jpeg,.jpg, and.jpe). If two files exist with the same name but different extensions, the file with the extension ".bmp" or ".xwd" is opened before the ".jpeg,.jpg, or.jpe." The Available Images dialog of the Image submenu displays a directory tree listing all image files in the current directory and directories in the SL-GMS library paths. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-4

97 Menus "File" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Export View GML File Print (Windows) Print (Motif) Exit Option Description Prompts for the name of a file to be created. The current Model is written into this file. SL-GMSDraw can export text models (.g) and images (.xwd on Motif,.bmp on Windows,.jpeg,.jpg, and.jpe). The JPEG Image option of the Export submenu invokes a browser dialog that allows selection of the output file and folder. The option also provides a slider for setting JPEG quality. Prompts for the name of a ".g" file to be viewed. Invokes the Open.g File window displaying the ".g" file. Invokes the Print submenu to print part or all of the current Model. The PostScript option of the Print submenu invokes the SL-GMS Print Dialog window to generate a PostScript file. Invokes the SL-GMS Print Dialog window to generate a PostScript file. Stops editing the current Model and terminates execution of SL-GMSDraw. If the Model has not been saved since the last change, prompts to save first. For compatibility with all supported platforms, file names should not exceed fourteen characters (including extensions). Model names should be ten (or fewer) characters to allow for valid extensions of ".g," ".m1," ".ps," ".m2," ".xwd," ".bmp,".jpg, and ".dat." The characters in the Model name can be alphabetic, numeric, or underscore {A through Z, a through z, 0 through 9, _ }. Model names cannot contain dashes, blanks, <ESCAPE>, or other non-printing characters. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-5

98 Menus Import Image Selecting the Image... option, of the Import submenu, displays the Available Images window as shown in Figure 5-4:. The Available Images dialog displays a tree listing image files in the current directory and directories in the SL-GMS Library path. To preview an image, click on the image file name and the image will display to the right of the directory tree. Figure 5-4: Available Images window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-6

99 Menus Bitmap Export Selecting the Bitmap Image... option, of the Export submenu, displays the Export Bitmap File window as shown in Figure 5-5:. The Unix version of this window produces a.xwd file while the Windows version produces a.bmp file. GML Export Figure 5-5: Export Bitmap File window Selecting the GML Script... option, of the Export submenu, automatically generates the appropriate file name and writes the file to disk. A confirmation dialog appears once the operation is complete. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-7

100 Menus JPEG Export Selecting the JPEG Image... option, of the Export submenu, displays the Export JPEG File window as shown in Figure 5-6:. Figure 5-6: Export JPEG File window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-8

101 Menus Java Export Selecting the export Java option displays the GUI interface for the SL-GMS Code Generator for Java utility. This option is available only with SL-GMS J/Developer or J/Network. Figure 5-7: Export Java window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-9

102 Menus File Operations The Open.m1 File, Merge, Save, and Save As options, when invoked, display the standard Explorer Browse window on Windows systems. On Motif systems, the Save As option and the Save option (if the Model is being saved for the first time) display a dialog window in which the name of the file is entered. The Change Directory option can be used first, if required. The Open.m1 File and Merge options invoke the Open.m1 File window, shown in Figure 5-8: on page This window lists the subdirectories within the current directory, any parallel directories, and the parent directory. You can select any directory by clicking it. The full file path can also be typed in from the keyboard, but it must not contain dashes, blanks, <ESCAPE>, or other non-printing characters. Figure 5-8: "Open.m1 File" window (Motif) Models are saved as files with the suffix ".m1" which makes these files easy to distinguish from other files. Model files are binary files, that is, they cannot be read or edited without using a special program such as SL-GMS- SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-10

103 Menus Draw. An ".m1" file can contain a maximum of 2,147,483,647 (2 31-1) objects. Print and Postscript The Print option in Motif, and the PostScript option of the Print submenu in Windows systems, display the SL-GMS Print Dialog window, shown in Figure 5-9: on page This is a custom dialog that provides options not found on the standard Print dialog furnished by the operating system. 1 Figure 5-9: "Print Dialog" window The following table describes the elements of the Print Dialog window. "Print Dialog" Window Buttons and Fields Option Printer Name Add Border Description Specifies the printer to receive the PostScript output file. Creates a thin black border around the PostScript output. 1. The Print option in Windows systems displays the standard Print dialog furnished by the operating system. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-11

104 Menus "Print Dialog" Window Buttons and Fields (continued) Option Add Init Graphics Color Lines Print Grid Print Background Print HiLite Output Orientation Description Puts "initgraphics" in the PostScript file. Prints any colored lines of width less than 1 in color. Otherwise, colored lines of width less than 1 are changed to black. Prints the grid in the Active Working View. Prints the Model s background object, if any. Prints the selection highlight box that appears around an object(s) currently selected, if any. Valid values: Portrait Landscape Copies Scale % Rotate Move X Move Y Print to disk Print Cancel Specifies the number of copies of PostScript output to send to the printer. Sets the scaling factor for the PostScript output. Valid values = 0 to 100 Sets the rotation factor for the PostScript output. Valid values = 0.0 to (+) or ( - ) degrees. Sets the X offset factor for the PostScript output. Image is "displaced" by the amount specified in the X direction. Sets the Y offset factor for the PostScript output. Image is "displaced" by the amount specified in the Y direction. Sends output to a file instead of the printer. Prints the file. Cancels the print function. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-12

105 Menus Edit Pull-Down Menu The Edit Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 5-10: on page 5-15, provides the tools with which to select objects, copy or cut them from a Model to a clipboard, paste them from the clipboard into a Model, or permanently delete objects. These edit operations can be applied to a collection of selected objects, called the Select List. "Edit" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Undo Redo Cut Copy Paste To Scratch Palette Delete Mirror Align Order Description "Undoes" the previous Model editing function. Sets the Undo stack size, as described in User Preferences window on page "Redoes" the previous Model editing function. Cuts objects in the current Select List. Copies objects in the current Select List. Pastes objects from the clipboard into the Model. Displays the "_SCRATCH_" Palette window. The Scratch Palette is then loaded with duplicates of the objects on the Select List, replacing any objects previously in the Palette. The duplicates are placed in the Palette at the lower left corner, in the same relative position as the objects are in the Active Working View. Objects can be copied from the "_SCRATCH_" Palette window into a Model. Deletes objects in the current Select List. Rotates and moves objects in the current Select List so that they appear as a mirror image. The objects are mirrored in the direction selected in the Mirror submenu. Changes the alignment between a set of objects in the current Select List. The objects are aligned according to the selection in the Align submenu. Controls the order of objects in the current Model s part List. The order of objects affects how objects are displayed. Refer to page 5-16 for more information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-13

106 Menus "Edit" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Scale Relative Select Option Insert Active X Control (Windows only) Description Scales (resizes) objects in the current Select List to the dimensions of the focus object (the first object added to the Select List) in the horizontal direction only, the vertical direction only, or equally in both directions. Handles the Select List: adds objects to the Select List in the order in which they were clicked and provides alternate methods for selecting objects. Options in this submenu are used when objects are changed or deleted in SL-GMSDraw. Refer to page 5-17 for more information. Creates an Active X Control from a list of Active X Controls on the system. Refer to Inserting Active X Controls on page A-1 for more information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-14

107 Menus Mirror submenu Align submenu Order submenu Scale Relative submenu Edit Pull-Down Menu Select submenu Figure 5-10: Edit menu structure SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-15

108 Menus Order The Order submenu controls the order of objects in the current Model s part List. The order of objects affects how objects are displayed. Objects are added to the Model s part List in the order created. The first object in a Model s part List is displayed first and the last object is displayed last. Note that objects displayed later may overwrite those displayed earlier if their boundaries overlap. The Order submenu presents several methods for changing the order of objects in the Model s part List. "Order" Submenu Options Option Front of All Back of All By Selection Description Moves the objects on the Select List in front of all other objects in the Model (i.e., the objects are moved to the end of the Model s part List). Moves the objects on the Select List in back of all other objects in the Model (i.e., the objects are moved to the beginning of the Model s part List). Reorders objects in the Model s part List based upon their order on the Select List. The first object on the Select List remains in its original position in the Model s part List, followed by the remaining objects in the Select List. Select the objects in the desired order, then click By Selection. To view the order of objects on the Select List, click the Object Pull-Down Menu and select Select List. A list of the objects on the Select List is displayed in the Select List window. Highlighting an object listed in the Select List window highlights the object in the Active Working View. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-16

109 Menus Scale Relative The Scale Relative submenu controls how objects are scaled relative to each other. The first object added to the Select List is the "focus" object. All other objects on the Select List are scaled relative to the dimensions of the "focus" object. "Scale Relative" Submenu Options Option Horizontal Vertical Same Description Scales objects on the Select List to have the same horizontal dimension as the "focus" object. Scales objects on the Select List to have the same vertical dimension as the "focus" object. Scales objects on the Select List to have the same horizontal and vertical dimensions as the "focus" object. Select The Select submenu handles the Select List. Options in this submenu are used when objects are changed or deleted in SL-GMSDraw. One way to add objects to the Select List is by clicking them. As long as the objects are detectable, they are added to the Select List in the order in which they are clicked. This menu provides alternative methods for selecting objects. "Select" Submenu Options Option All Invert Description Selects all objects in the current Model. Deselects objects on the Select List and selects all objects that were not on the Select List. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-17

110 Menus "Select" Submenu Options(continued) Option By Name by Properties Description Selects objects by name from the current Model. Enter the name of the desired object when prompted; wild card characters are accepted. All objects with that name are selected. Selecting a part of a SubModel by name is not permitted. To assign a name to an object, click the Object Pull-Down Menu, select Properties, then select Name. In an application program, call the gmsobjnamestr( ) function. Selects objects using one or more properties. Displays the Select by Properties dialog window. Refer to page SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-18

111 Menus Clicking the Edit Pull-Down Menu, selecting Select and then selecting by Properties (By Property in Motif), displays the Select by Properties window, shown in Figure 5-11:. Figure 5-11: "Select by Properties " window Objects are added to the Select List by first selecting an object (i.e., the "focus" object). Then, use the Select by Properties window to designate the properties of the "focus" object to be used to select additional objects. Objects are also added to the Select List without first selecting an object. All objects having dynamic properties, renamed variables, a Userword, or a UserData string attached to them can be selected by clicking the appropriate box in the Select by Properties window. In addition, the name attached to an object can be used for selection. Wildcard characters can be used in the entry of the name. When the Add to List of Selected Objects is selected, then all the objects that match the parameters set in the Set by Properties window are append- SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-19

112 Menus ed to the existing Select List. However, if the Add to List of Selected Objects is disabled then the existing Select List is cleared and all of the objects that match the parameters set in the Set by Properties window are added (i.e., the newly-selected objects replace the old Select List). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-20

113 Menus View Menu Windows menu Motif menu The View Menu controls aspects of the Active Working View. The Status Window option (Motif only) displays the Status window. Refer to page 1-16 for a description of the Status window. The Raise option (Motif only) brings the window of the Active Working View to the front of all other windows. The Refresh option redraws the Active Working View. The Reset option resets the Active Working View to the same View and parameter values as displayed when the Model was first opened. The View Options option invokes the View Options window, as shown in Figure 5-12:. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-21

114 Menus Figure 5-12: "View Options" window The View Options window controls the following View features: Set View coordinate values 2 these World Coordinate settings allow specific x,y coordinate values to be set for the zoom/pan operation. Set Pan Percent Set Boundary Percent Set Zoom limit Set Zoom percent Display the Zoom factor Save up to five preset Views Zoom and Pan operations make temporary adjustments to SL-GMSDraw s WC-window dimensions. The Apply button makes the current zoom or pan settings the default for the remainder of the SL-GMSDraw session. The Reset button undoes the collected View operations and returns the View to its initial appearance. The Close button closes the View Options window. 2. By default, the dimensions of the opposing corners of SL-GMSDraw s Active Working View are (0, 0) and (72, 54). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-22

115 Menus Model Pull-Down Menu The Model Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 5-13:, allows the user to modify attributes of the Model. Figure 5-13: Model Pull-Down Menu The following table summarizes the Model Pull-Down Menu options. "Model" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Userdata Userword Flags Dynamics Properties Description Attaches a UserData string to a Model. Displays the Model Userdata dialog window. Refer to page Attaches a Userword to a Model. Displays the Model Userword dialog window. Refer to page Allows various flags to be set on the Model unconditionally. Refer to page Attaches a dynamic description to the Model. Refer to page Assigns properties to a Model. Displays the Model Properties window. Refer to Setting Model Properties on page SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-23

116 Menus Object Pull-Down Menu The Object Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 5-14:, operates on selected objects or invokes dialogs that operate on selected objects. The Object Pull-Down Menu provides the tools with which to create or destroy Groups. A Group is a collection of objects. Any object that is part of a Model can also be part of a Group. Members of a Group act as one object. For example, an entire Group can move, change color, disappear, or be filled. A Group can be constructed with only one part. The three Group types Group, Fill Group, and Complex Fill Group fill with different behaviors because their boundaries are treated differently to denote interior and exterior when crossed with a horizontal ray. (See page 5-27 for more information.) Any Graphical Primitive can be used as parts in a Group, Fill Group, or Complex Fill Group. Once a Group has been created, clicking the Fill button, located in the "Fill" view of the Default Graphic Properties window, will fill it. Fill Group submenu Properties submenu Object Pull-Down Menu Figure 5-14: Object menu structure SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-24

117 Menus The following table summarizes the Object Pull-Down Menu options. "Object" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Group UnGroup Special Ungroup Special Regroup Fill Group Properties Visibility On Visibility Off Description Creates a Group object. Select the desired objects, then click Group. The number of objects on the Select List changes to "1", indicating that the selected objects have become a single Group object. Ungroups objects in a Group. Select the Group object, then click UnGroup. The number of objects on the Select List changes from "1" (the selected Group) to as many objects as comprised the Group. Saves the properties of a single Group and ungroups the Group. A single Group is placed on the Select List and then the Special Ungroup option is selected. The selected Group is ungrouped and its parts are put on the Select List. Any properties saved by a previous Special Ungroup are lost. After the individual parts of the group have been edited, the Special Regroup option is selected. The properties saved are: Name, UserData, DynProp, Transformation matrix, Reference Point, UserWord, object_flags, Visibility, and Detectability. Regroups the parts and restores the properties previously saved by the Special Ungroup option to a single Group. Displays a submenu containing Fill Group and Complex Fill Group options. Refer to Figure 5-14: on page 5-24 and the description on page 5-27 for further information. Displays a submenu including Graphic, Name, Userdata, Userword, Flags, Information, and Text options. Refer to Figure 5-14: on page For a detailed explanation, see page 5-28 to page Makes objects on the Select List visible. Makes objects on the Select List invisible. Invisible objects are also undetectable. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-25

118 Menus "Object" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Option Detect On Detect Off Apply Transform Description Makes objects on the Select List detectable. Makes objects on the Select List undetectable. Undetectable objects offer two benefits. First, SL-GMS does not compute the extent of such objects, which improves display performance for the Model. Second, undetectable objects are more difficult to select, offering some security against modification to the Model designer. Although undetectable objects cannot be selected by clicking, these objects can be selected by options in the Select submenu of the Edit Pull-Down Menu, such as Name, or by dragging an extent rectangle around the object. Applies a transformation to objects on the Select List. A transformation is Move, Rotate, Scale, Mirror, or any combination of these operations. Transformations create a special object called a transformation matrix, which displays the transformed object in its new size or orientation. When a transformation is applied, the Points used to orient the object when it is displayed are changed and the transformation matrix is removed. Removing the transformation matrix is desirable because it speeds up the display of objects and reduces the memory required to store them. Apply Transform has no effect on some types of objects. 1 SL-GMSDraw automatically determines whether the transformation can be applied to an object s Points. Remove Transform Move Removes a transformation from objects on the Select List. When a transformation is removed, the object is erased and redrawn in its original location unless a transformation with Apply Transform is applied. Displays the Move window, which allows the user to enter values for moving an object(s) in an absolute (move to Point) or relative (move by amount) form. Refer to page SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-26

119 Menus "Object" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Option Scale Rotate Select List Description Displays the Scale window, which allows the user to enter values for scaling an object(s) in both the x and y directions. Objects can also be scaled proportionally. Refer to page Displays the Rotate window, which allows the user to rotate the object(s) to a desired angle. Refer to page Displays a list of the objects on the Select List in the Select List window. Each object is listed in the following form: memory address : class of object <object name> Highlighting an object listed in the Select List window highlights the object in the Active Working View. 1. For example, if a Rectangle is rotated and Apply Transform is selected, the transformation is not applied to the Rectangle s Points. Rectangles are defined by two opposing corners, and applying the transformation to these Points would result in a different Rectangle, not a rotated Rectangle. Similarly, if a Circle is unevenly scaled to create an Ellipse, the transformation cannot be applied. A Circle is defined by its center and a Point on its edge, and applying the transformation would result in a different Circle, not an Ellipse-shaped Circle. Selecting the Fill Group option, shown in Figure 5-14: on page 5-24, will display the Fill Group submenu. The submenu provides two additional Group types, as described in the following table. "Fill Group" Submenu Options Option Fill Group Complex Fill Group Description Similar to Group except that SL-GMSDraw connects the selected open objects with an invisible edge so that they can be filled as one object. Similar to Group except that SL-GMSDraw creates a Group object which can be filled with respect to multiple boundaries (such as "islands" or "holes"). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-27

120 Menus Selecting the Properties option, shown in Figure 5-14: on page 5-24, displays the Properties submenu. The Properties submenu provides options to display properties, as described in the following table. "Properties" Submenu Options Option Graphic Name Userdata Userword Flags Information Text Description Displays the Default Graphic Properties window. Displays the Object Name dialog window. Displays the Object Userdata dialog window. Displays the Object Userword dialog window. Allows various flags to be set on an object unconditionally. Displays the Object Information window, which identifies the class, name, userdata, position, extent, and DynProp associated with an object. It also displays the values for the fill, text, and edge attributes. Displays the Object Text dialog window. Selecting the Graphic option of the Properties submenu displays one of the views of the Default Graphic Properties window, described in the section Graphic Properties on page 3-2. Selecting the Information option of the Properties submenu displays a window that provides information about the selected object. The information includes the class, name, position, and extent of the object. It also displays the values of various attributes associated with the object. Figure 5-15: on page 5-29 illustrates the information that is displayed when selecting, for example, a Text Rectangle and then selecting the Information option of the Properties submenu. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-28

121 Menus Figure 5-15: "Object Information" window Name Property Dialog The section Attaching a Name to Objects on page 3-23 provides a complete description of using the Object Name window and the purpose of assigning names to objects. startbutton Figure 5-16: "Object Name" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-29

122 Menus UserData Property Dialog The section Attaching a String to Pass to an Application (UserData) on page 3-24 provides a complete description of using the Object Userdata window and the purpose of assigning strings to objects. start pump test Figure 5-17: "Object Userdata" window UserWord Property Dialog The section Attaching an Integer to Pass to an Application (UserWord) on page 3-25 provides a complete description of using the Object Userword window and the purpose of assigning integers to objects. Figure 5-18: "Object Userword" window Selecting the Flags option of the Properties submenu displays the Object Flags window, as shown in Figure 5-19: on page Flags can be set on an object unconditionally. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-30

123 Menus Figure 5-19: "Object Flags" window Flag Erase Flags noerase batcherase Point Flags pts relative pts symmetric General Flags dynarray doublebuffer "Object Flags" Options Description Causes the update pass to omit erasure of any of the object s parts before redrawing the object. Causes all objects in a List to be erased first and the entire List to be redrawn. Forces the Points of a Polyline or Polygon (filled ones also) to be transformed relative to the first Point of the object; useful for objects distorted while animated and moved around the screen due to pixel rounding. Forces an object s Points to be transformed relative to each other; useful for objects distorted while animated and moved around the screen due to pixel rounding. Marks a Group, Model, or Instance so it passes the index of each part down as the traversal index to be used in Array Dynamics. Enables software double buffering. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-31

124 Menus Flag repair "Object Flags" Options Description only set on a Group; when the flag is set, if any of the individual elements of the group are redrawn, then the entire Group is redrawn The pts symmetric flag is more effective than the pts relative flag for alleviating distortion due to pixel rounding errors. The pts relative flag is most effective for complex, non-symmetrical objects. Apply accepts the changes. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-32

125 Menus Scaling, moving, and rotating an object Clicking the Object Pull-Down Menu and selecting Move displays the Move window, as shown in Figure 5-20:. Figure 5-20: "Move" window The object(s) is moved by entering a double value in either the "Horizontal" or "Vertical" text-entry box, or in both boxes. To move the object to a specific Point in the Active Working View, select Move to point, enter the horizontal and vertical coordinate of the Point, and click Apply. To move the object by a specified amount in either the horizontal, vertical, or both directions select Move by amount. Clicking Apply moves the object(s) by the amount entered in the "Horizontal" and "Vertical" text-entry boxes. Clicking the Object Pull-Down Menu and selecting Scale displays the Scale window, as shown in Figure 5-21:. Figure 5-21: "Scale" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-33

126 Menus An object is scaled by entering a value into the "Horizontal" and "Vertical" text-entry boxes. An object is scaled proportionally (i.e., by the same amount in both the horizontal and vertical directions) by selecting Scale Proportionally. When an object is being scaled proportionally, only the "Horizontal" value needs to be entered. Clicking the Object Pull-Down Menu and selecting Rotate displays the Rotate window, as shown in Figure 5-22:. Figure 5-22: "Rotate" window An object(s) is rotated by either moving the scale bar or by entering a double value. A negative value rotates the object clockwise. To rotate the object counterclockwise, select Rotate Counterclockwise. NOTE: When a positive value is entered, Rotate Counterclockwise is automatically enabled. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-34

127 Menus Dynamics Pull-Down Menu The Dynamics Pull-Down Menu is used to enter, edit, list, rename variables, and test the dynamic descriptions of objects. A detailed description of each of these tasks is provided in the following table. The first two options listed in the table work with one object at a time. If multiple objects are on the Select List, use the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8) to move among the objects on the Select List. "Dynamics" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Object Dynamic Properties Object Renamed Variables Preview Options Edit Data File Description Displays the Object Dynamic Properties window which contains a text edit box in which to create and change dynamic descriptions for an object. Edit the dynamics of the currently selected object, then click Apply in the Object Dynamic Properties window. Refer to Editing Dynamics on page 4-5 for more information. Displays the Object Renamed Variables window to rename variables associated with the Instances of SubModels on the Select List. As each variable of the currently selected object is edited, click Apply in the Object Renamed Variables window. Refer to Rename Vars Tool on page 4-9 for more information. Displays the Preview Options window to preview the dynamic descriptions of objects in the current Model. Refer to Previewing the Dynamic Behavior of Objects on page 4-12 for more information. Displays the Edit Data File window to edit the ".dat" file that exercises the DynProps in a Model using the Preview Options option. Refer to Previewing the Dynamic Behavior of Objects on page 4-12 for more information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-35

128 Menus Options Pull-Down Menu The Options Pull-Down Menu provides the means to set SL-GMSDraw interface preferences, as well as (re)display all the initial drawing tools windows that are displayed automatically when SL-GMSDraw is first invoked. Tools submenu (Windows) Tools submenu (Motif) Options Pull-Down Menu Figure 5-23: Options menu structure Selecting the Tools option displays the submenu shown in Figure 5-23:. "Options" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Tools Grid Options... Snap and Point Modes Description Displays the Tools submenu which contains options for invoking windows. More information about Create Tools, View Tools, and Change Tools panels is provided in Chapter 2 Tools. Displays the Grid Options window containing options used to create a grid. Drawn before the Model is created, the grid, like graph paper, aids in the designing of a Model. Refer to Grid Options on page Displays the Snap and Point Modes window which contains buttons for selecting the snap and point modes. Refer to Snap and Point Modes dialog on page 5-39 for more information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-36

129 Menus "Options" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Option User Preferences... Save Resources Description Displays the User Preferences window used to set preferences for various items which change the nature of the Model and its display. Refer to User Preferences window on page Saves the SL-GMSDraw settings in the resource file.gmsdrawrc. This file is saved in the following directory: 1 32-bit Windows If the environment variable %HOME% is defined: %HOME% else, %gms_home%\lib UNIX user s HOME directory Any existing ".gmsdrawrc" file is moved to ".gmsdrawrc0", and any previous ".gmsdrawrc0" file is overwritten. Refer to Saving the Editor Set-up on page 6-4 for more information. Tool Tips (Windows only) Enables/disables Tool Tips for Tool icons. 1. At runtime, the Windows version of SL-GMSDraw initially searches for the ".gmsdrawrc" file in %HOME%, if the environment variable %HOME% is defined. If a ".gmsdrawrc" file is not found or if the environment variable %HOME% is not defined, SL-GMSDraw will search the current directory and, finally, the directory %gms_home%\lib. At runtime, the Motif version of SL-GMSDraw initially searches for the ".gmsdrawrc" file in the current directory, then in the HOME directory and, finally, in the %GMS_HOME/lib directory. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-37

130 Menus Grid Options window Selecting Grid Options invokes the Grid Options window, as shown in Figure 5-24:. Set grid color Select grid line style Set grid size Set space between grid points Set grid offset points Turn grid on/off Figure 5-24: "Grid Options" window The grid is used much as a piece of graph paper as a guide in designing. The grid is either a set of horizontal and vertical lines or a set of dots at intersections. The grid is not an object in the current Model. The grid is drawn on top of all SL-GMS graphical objects. 3 The grid display can be turned ON or OFF and the distance between grid intersections can be changed both horizontally and vertically. Grid Options Size changes the size of the grid spacing. Use any positive real number for the horizontal and vertical spacing between grid intersections; if only one number is entered, it is used for both the horizontal and vertical spacing. The number represents Active Working View units; the default Active Working View is 72 units wide by 54 units high, regardless of the size of the display screen or Workstation Window. The spacings can have different 3. The grid does not draw on top of Control Objects. This capability will be available in a future release. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-38

131 Menus values, for example, 2.5 units by 4 units. The default grid spacing is 10 units by 10 units. Divisions changes the count of the divisions or tick marks for each single grid space: use any positive real number. Grid On turns the display of the grid ON or OFF: the Active Working View is cleared and the grid is either drawn or not drawn and the objects in the Model are drawn over the grid. Solid Lines toggles between the two grid display styles solid lines or dots at the intersections. Offset offsets the first grid intersection from the default. By default, the first grid intersection is at the origin, the Point (0,0). Color changes the color of the grid. To set the grid color, click one of the colored boxes or enter the numeric color index in the text entry box provided. Snap and Point Modes dialog Selecting Snap and Point Modes displays the Snap and Point Modes window. The appropriate snap and point modes are selected by clicking the corresponding button. When To Grid is on, the next Point picked is placed at the nearest grid intersection. When To Gravity is on, clicking an object results in the predefined Point nearest to the mouse s location to be selected. The Point Mode controls the Reference Point used to move, rotate, scale, or mirror objects. The buttons that appear in the Snap and Point Modes dialog correspond to the Point Selection Control icons located in the Main Menu bar (refer to page 1-8). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-39

132 Menus Figure 5-25: "Snap and Point Modes" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-40

133 Menus User Preferences window The User Preferences window, shown in Figure 5-26:, is brought up by selecting the User Preferences option of the Options Pull-Down Menu. Figure 5-26: "User Preferences" window The preference options are defined in the following table. "User Preferences" Options Option Undo/Redo Stack Size Move Delay (ms.) Move Dist (pixels) Keyboard Move Delta Pick Aperture Description Sets the number of editing operations that SL-GMSDraw is able to undo. Sets the delay (in milliseconds) between the time the mouse begins to move and when that motion is rendered on the screen. Sets the distance (in pixels) that a Move operation must cover before that motion is rendered on the screen. Sets the distance (in pixels) that arrow keys move an object on the screen. Specifies the size of the mouse picking rectangle as a percentage of the screen width. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-41

134 Menus Option Initial W.C. to Pixel Scale Size Window to Model View Crop Mode (Crop or Scale) Create Single Objects "User Preferences" Options (continued) Description Indirectly sets the initial size of subsequently created editor windows when entering a positive non-zero value. The value is used as the scaling factor between World Coordinates and pixels. One World Coordinate in the editing window will be the given number of pixels on the screen. When used in conjunction with the size window to model option, users can map exactly between World Coordinates and pixels on the screen. Controls the behavior of Active Working View windows when a Model is opened. If this control is on, SL-GMSDraw creates a new window and sizes it automatically when a new Model is opened. If this control is off, SL-GMSDraw opens the new Model in the existing window (replacing any currently displayed Model) and sets the window dimensions to 72 x 54. If the Model falls outside of the range of 72 x 54, the window dimensions are set to 100 x 75 (for compatibility with Models built using SL-Draw2). Controls the behavior of Active Working View windows when the windows are resized. If this control is on, SL-GMSDraw crops (clips) the Model when the window is resized. If this control is off, SL-GMSDraw automatically scales the Model to fit in the resized window. Controls the behavior of the Create Tools. If this control is on, SL-GMSDraw automatically switches to the Select Tool after an object is created. If this control is off, SL-GMSDraw leaves the current Create Tool enabled after an object is created, making it easy to create multiple objects of the same type. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-42

135 Menus Option Drag Objects (Objects or Outline) Blinking Selection Handles GMS Control Resize Flag "User Preferences" Options (continued) Description Controls the appearance of objects while they are being dragged using the mouse. If this control is on, SL-GMSDraw displays the entire object while it is being dragged. If this control is off, SL-GMSDraw displays only the extent rectangle of the object while it is being dragged. The latter setting improves display performance when complex objects are being dragged. Controls the appearance of the selection handles on selected objects. If this control is on, the selection handles blink. If this control is off, the selection handles remain static. If this control is on, SL-GMS Control Objects resize when the window is resized. If this control is off, SL-GMS Control Objects will not resize when the window is resized. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-43

136 Menus Palettes Pull-Down Menu The Palettes Pull-Down Menu makes Palettes and SubModels available while creating Models. Palettes are provided for the storage and placement of objects. A Palette is a Model; the Model is displayed in a window when selected in the Available Palettes window. When the Available Palettes option of the Palettes Pull-Down Menu is selected, the Available Palettes window, shown in Figure 5-27: (which allows the selection of a Palette), is displayed. Figure 5-28: on page 5-46 shows the six Palettes that are currently available. The default contents of the Available Palettes window are all of the Models in the "/PALETTES" directories found in these paths: UNIX Systems <current directory> <$GMS_HOME>/work/gmsrun/PALETTES 32-bit Window Systems <current directory> %$GMS_HOME%\work\gmsrun\PALETTES SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-44

137 Menus Figure 5-27: "Available Palettes" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-45

138 Menus Figure 5-28: Six Palettes available in SL-GMS SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-46

139 Menus Once the Palette is displayed in a window, you can select any object in the Palette Model by clicking it. Place a copy of the selected object into the working Model by clicking the left mouse button once more in the working Model. If the selected object from the Palette is a SubModel, the SubModel is automatically added to the External SubModel List. NOTE: Local SubModels by definition are available only to the Model that contains them. Therefore, local SubModels must not be a part of a Palette Model. If the Available Palettes window becomes hidden, click the Available Palettes option once again to pop it to the top. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-47

140 Menus To create a Palette, set the directory to the PALETTES subdirectory of the current working directory. Create a Model by instancing other external SubModels or by creating objects using the Object Create Tools. Save the Model in the PALETTES subdirectory. The Palette is now available when creating Models in the working directory. "Palettes" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Available Palettes Available Submodels Controls Buttons Containers Text Fields Scales Scrollbars Description Displays the Available Palettes window containing a list of palettes from which the user can select (see descriptions of available palettes, below.) Displays the Available Submodels window from which objects can be selected from the current directory and directories in the SL-GMS Library paths, and placed into the Active Working View. Local Models display first in the list. Displays the Control Objects Palette from which Button, Container, Text Field, Scale, Scrollbar, and Option Menu objects can be selected and placed into the Active Working View. See the SL-GMS Control Objects Reference Manual for a description of Control Objects. Contains a wider selection of predefined Button objects than those provided in the Control Objects Palette. Contains a wider selection of predefined Container objects than those provided in the Control Objects Palette. Contains a wider selection of predefined Text Field objects than those provided in the Control Objects Palette. Contains a wider selection of predefined Scale objects than those provided in the Control Objects Palette. Contains a wider selection of predefined Scrollbar objects than those provided in the Control Objects Palette. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-48

141 Menus Point Pull-Down Menu Often, SL-GMSDraw requires a Reference Point for an object, Group, or selected set of objects and prompts you to select one. For example, all SL-GMSDraw operations using the Object Create Tools require a Reference Point to complete the operation. In general, an SL-GMS object may or may not have its own Reference Point assigned. If none is assigned, one can be set using the Set Reference Point option of the Point Pull-Down Menu. 4 "Point" Pull-Down Menu Options Option Show Reference Points Description Toggles the display of the Reference Point on and off. 4. Note that a Reference Point can also be set on an object using the SL-GMS function gmsrefpoint( ), described in Reference Point in the SL-GMS Function Reference. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-49

142 Menus "Point" Pull-Down Menu Options (continued) Option Set Reference Point Description Sets the Reference Point on an object. The Reference Point is used for the Copy, Move, Scale, or Rotate operations. If the Reference Point is changed for an object on the Select List, the Reference Points for all objects on the Select List are changed simultaneously. The default Reference Point is the object s center. For complex, irregular objects such as Polylines or Splines, the center is calculated by using the center of the extent Rectangle for the object. When objects are scaled, the center is the only Reference Point whose use does not also result in a Move operation. If a Reference Point is required for an operation and none exists on an object, SL-GMSDraw creates a temporary Operation Reference Point (see Point Pull-Down Menu on page 5-49 and the Reference Point definition in the SL-GMS Reference). Clear Reference Points Enter Point Resets an object s Reference Point to its default Reference Point the center of its extent. Displays the Enter Point window. You can enter an SL-GMS Point by typing in two floating-point numbers (World Coordinates), separated by a space and clicking the Apply button. Using the Point Pull-Down Menu This section describes the Set Reference Point option for selecting Points to be used with SL-GMSDraw. The Set Reference Point option allows the Reference Point used when transforming an object to be changed. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-50

143 Menus The four transformation options in SL-GMSDraw are Rotate, Move, Mirror, and Scale. The Rotate, Move, and Scale transformation options work relative to a Reference Point. (Mirror works relative to a Reference Line.) In a Rotate operation, the purpose of the Reference Point is obvious: the object is rotated around the Reference Point. The Reference Point is displayed as a Marker, along with a Reference Line used to set the angle of rotation. In a Move operation, the object is positioned relative to the Reference Point, which is displayed as a Marker. In a Scale operation, the purpose of the Reference Point is less obvious. To scale an object, all Points defining an object are multiplied by the scaling factors. If this multiplication is done in reference to the origin, the Points are moved closer or farther from the origin, and the object appears to have been both scaled and moved. By picking a Reference Point in the object, the object is not displaced when the object is scaled. The Reference Point is displayed as a Marker, along with an extent Rectangle. It is easy to visualize the center of a Circle, and even a Rectangle. But what about an irregular shape, such as a Closed Polyline? SL-GMS uses the center of the extent Rectangle for determining the center of an object. An extent Rectangle, or simply extent, is the smallest Rectangle with a horizontal base that completely encloses all parts of an object. SL-GMS uses the extent Rectangle for determining the center of objects and also for selecting objects. Thus, the center of any object is the center of its extent Rectangle. The Enter Point option allows you to enter an SL-GMS Point from the keyboard. The Point is in WC-coordinates. The Point pair is entered by typing in two floating-point numbers, separated by a space and clicking the Apply button. Figure 5-29: "Enter Point" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-51

144 Menus Help Pull-Down Menu The About Gmsdraw option (About GMSDraw in Motif) displays the About SL-GMSDRAW window, shown in Figure 5-30:. This window displays the configuration number (i.e., the version number) of SL-GMS. Figure 5-30: The "About SL-GMSDRAW" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 5-52

145 6 Building Models This chapter describes the process of using SL-GMSDraw to construct a graphical user interface for an application. Invoking the SL-GMSDraw Editor To invoke the SL-GMSDraw program, go to your working directory and type the program name after the system prompt. Motif Platform 32-bit Windows 1 Command gmsdraw_xm gmsdraw_mfc 1. Refers to a platform with a 32-bit architecture running Mircrosoft Windows NT or Windows 95. Command-line options The following are valid command-line switches to the SL-GMSDraw program. Option key letters can be in either lower or upper case, as the SL-GMSDraw program makes no distinction between the two. Option -f[msgfile] Description read State messages from a message file SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-1

146 Building Models Option -i<library_path> -o (Windows only) -u[n] adds a directory path for finding SubModels; any Models that are in the <library_path> directory are listed in the Available Submodels window causes a Command Prompt window to be opened (when the program starts up), so that startup text and error messages can be viewed set update rate to n Description Setting up the SL-GMSDraw Editor Typing the command to invoke the SL-GMSDraw editor opens certain windows in default locations and with a default set of fonts, colors, and other settings. This section explains how to modify some of the default aspects of the editor to meet your own preferences. Click the Options Pull-Down Menu and select User Preferences to display the User Preferences window. The different options are described on page Set new preferences and click the Apply button to set the options for this editing session. Refer to Saving the Editor Set-up on page 6-4 for information about how to save these preferences for subsequent editing sessions. Figure 6-1: "User Preferences" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-2

147 Building Models You can change the appearance and behavior of the grid in the Active Working View. Click the Options Pull-Down Menu and select Grid Options to display the Grid Options window. The size, color, and manner the grid is drawn can all be modified (refer to Grid Options window on page 5-38). Click the Apply button to apply the changes to the grid. These changes apply only to the current editing session. Set grid color Select grid line style Set grid size Set space between grid points Set grid offset points Turn grid on/off Figure 6-2: Setting grid parameters with the "Grid Options" window Aspects of the Active Working View in which the Model is created can also be changed using the View Options window. Clicking the View Pull-Down Menu and selecting View Options brings up the View Options window, shown in Figure 6-3:. Figure 6-3: "View Options" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-3

148 Building Models A description of the different options in the View Options window appears in the section View Menu on page In addition, you can resize, move, open or close the various windows (e.g., Default Graphic Properties, and so on). Saving the Editor Set-up User preference settings and window descriptions can be saved in a file. Click the Options Pull-Down Menu and select Save Resources to create the ".gmsdrawrc" file in the following directory: 32-bit Windows If the environment variable %HOME% is defined: %HOME% else, %gms_home%\lib UNIX user s HOME directory Any existing ".gmsdrawrc" file is overwritten. At runtime, the 32-bit Windows version of SL-GMSDraw looks for the ".gmsdrawrc" file in the %HOME% directory if the environment variable %HOME% is defined. If the environment variable %HOME% is not defined, or if a ".gmsdrawrc" file has not been found, SL-GMSDraw looks in the current directory and, finally, in the %gms_home%\lib directory. At runtime, the UNIX version of SL-GMSDraw looks for the ".gmsdrawrc" file first in the current directory, then in the HOME directory and, finally, in the %GMS_HOME/lib directory. Setting text font definitions Various Text attributes can be modified using the "Text" view in the Default Graphic Properties window. Select Properties from the Object Pull-Down Menu, then choose Graphic. Once the Default Graphic Properties window appears, click the Text tab to display the "Text" view. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-4

149 Building Models In SL-GMS, Text is defined according to: precision. Although most workstation types support only precisions 0 and 1, SL-GMS supports precisions 0, 1, and 2. font index within that precision workstation class (if appropriate) The thirteen fonts of the default precision, precision 0, used by SL-GMS may be overridden by a "fontdef.dat" entry. The thirteen default fonts appear in the text font scrollbox as TrueType fonts on a Windows platform or when Raster is selected on a Motif platform. Figure 6-4: "Text" view on Windows (top) and Motif (bottom) SL-GMS reads only one "fontdef.dat" file, searching first in the current directory and, finally, in the $GMS_HOME/lib directory. The $GMS_HOME/lib directory contains a default "fontdef.dat" file which specifies four Hershey fonts. The format of the "fontdef.dat" file and the fonts available for each type of workstation are described in the chapter Text in the SL-GMS Reference. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-5

150 Building Models Using the fontdef program (Windows only) The thirteen default fonts are coded into SL-GMS. Each of the default fonts has an index that is mapped into a font table. The default fonts are indexed from 1 to 13, and are used even if there is no "fontdef.dat" file. However, the "fontdef.dat" file may be used to replace the default fonts or to add additional fonts. The fontdef program is provided with SL-GMS (Windows only) in the work\fonts directory. The fontdef program enumerates all installed TrueType fonts on a given system. When the output is redirected to a file, it generates a font definition file that contains all available fonts. To run the program, type: fontdef [index starting_index] ["fonts_to_be_ignored"..] > filename starting_index = optional number specifying the first index to start the list. If none is specified, then 14 is used as the default. "fonts_to_be_ignored" = optional list of font family names, separated with spaces, that will be excluded from the generated output file. A font name that contains spaces must be enclosed by double quotes (e.g., "Arial Black") For example, to generate a "fontdef.dat" file in the current directory that will start with index 14 and will not include any Arial or Arial Black fonts, type the following: fontdef index 14 Arial "Arial Black" > fontdef.dat NOTE: The "fontdef.dat" file created above must be moved either to the $GMS_HOME\lib directory or the working directory for your SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-6

151 Building Models application. The maximum number of fonts allowed in the "fontdef.dat" file is 1,024. One of the thirteen default fonts can be overridden by adding an entry for the desired font index to the "fontdef.dat" file. Enabling Precision 0 (TrueType) font rotation SL-GMS provides the ability to enable or disable (the default) rotation for precision 0 (TrueType) fonts on Windows systems. Rotation for precision 0 (TrueType) fonts is enabled in SL-GMSDraw by sending the "tprec0_rot_flag to the StandardTopState in the ".gmsdrawrc" file as shown below: gmsdraw_standard_top_state tprec0_rot_flag 1 The ".gmsdrawrc" file is edited before SL-GMSDraw is started. Refer to Saving the Editor Set-up on page 6-4 for information on the use of the ".gmsdrawrc" file. Localization of output The output of SL-GMSDraw is localized. Output from SL-GMSDraw goes through a localization function (refer to the section Internationalization localization files in the SL-GMS Function Reference). The function looks for a string in the localization file "lib/gmsl10n.txt" using a key. If the key is found, the localized string is used, otherwise the original default string is used. The format of the file is a set of STRING_RESOURCE key, string pairs grouped together by SECTION names. A sample of the "gmsl10n.txt file is shown below: // GMS Localization (l10n) String file // SECTION Default STRING_RESOURCE GMSL10N_00000 "Custom Property Window" STRING_RESOURCE GMSL10N_00001 "Custom Object Window" STRING_RESOURCE GMSL10N_00002 "Custom Property Window" STRING_RESOURCE GMSL10N_00003 "Custom Object Window" SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-7

152 Building Models SL-GMSDraw uses the SECTION named "Default" (except on Japanese Windows NT where it uses the SECTION "Japanese"). A user can thus change the SECTION to be used for localization by editing the localization file, renaming the SECTION they wish to use to "Default", and changing the previous "Default" section to some other name. Setting Color Definitions The Default Graphic Properties window and the Grid Options window contain color boxes that allow you to set the color of an object or the grid. The colors that are displayed in the color boxes are defined in the file "colordef.dat". This file associates a color index with red, green, and blue values and an optional bitplane writemask. The format for an entry in the "colordef.dat" file is described in the chapter entitled Color in the SL-GMS Reference. During its startup sequence, SL-GMSDraw looks for a "colordef.dat" file in the current working directory. If no "colordef.dat" file is found, SL-GMS- Draw uses its own default "colordef.dat" file located in the $GMS_HOME/lib directory. By default, the color panel displays 32 colors. If the "colordef.dat" file contains more than 32 entries, the additional colors will be displayed following the default colors. Use the scroll bar, displayed to the right of the color boxes, to display the additional colors or type the color index into the Color Index text entry box. colors in "colordef.dat" Figure 6-5: Color indexes in the "Default Graphic Properties" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-8

153 Building Models Laying Out a Model There are two basic ways to build a Model. Some developers prefer to create the Model freestyle using the SL-GMSDraw editor. However, a simpler method is to determine the information set you wish to display in the Model and lay out the Model before it is actually built in the editor. The SL-GMSDraw editor can display a grid while objects are being added to the Model; this grid helps to ensure that the different objects are aligned correctly. A printout of a blank grid can be used as a template to manually draw the objects before actually building the Model in the editor. To print a blank Model with a grid, verify that the grid is visible and set the appropriate size (refer to page 6-3). Click the File Pull-Down Menu and select Print on Motif systems, or Print and then the PostScript option in the Print submenu on Windows systems. The Print Dialog window will appear, as illustrated in Figure 6-6:. Select Print Grid Select Landscape Figure 6-6: "Print Dialog" window Make sure that the Print Grid and Landscape options are ON. Enter the printer name and any other necessary parameters. Click the Print button in the Print Dialog window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-9

154 Building Models When you are laying out the different Models, note which objects you are using repeatedly or for more than one Model. You can create SubModels (a Model instanced into another Model) with these objects and use them again and again. Creating SubModels standardizes the appearance and behavior of an object you use several times. Refer to the section Using SubModels for Standardized Objects on page Building the Model You can create Models from objects you construct, or by instancing Control Objects, GISMOs 1 and other SubModels (either user-defined or provided by SL-GMS). One of the advantages of Control Objects is that when they are added to a Model, the objects are displayed as native controls. In a Windows system, a native control means a Windows control object. In UNIX, native control generally means X-based Motif widgets. The Control Objects are described in the SL-GMS Control Objects Reference Manual. This section presents the types of tools and objects used to display different types of data and user interfaces. 1. GISMOs are SL-GMS-supplied objects that have input dynamics and optional display dynamics (changes to the appearance of the GISMO in response to changes in one or more application variables). The input dynamics specify actions to be performed whenever an input event occurs. The actions may be to call a function, highlight the object, and so on. The functions that are called can either be one of the SL-GMS supplied functions or a user-defined function. Refer to the chapter GISMOs in the SL-GMS Reference. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-10

155 Building Models Setting Background Object and Model Size Click the Model Pull-Down Menu and select Properties to display the Model Properties window, as shown in Figure 6-7:. erase behavior detect on/off color size Figure 6-7: Setting background object properties When a blank Model is created using the the New with Background option of the File Pull-Down Menu, SL-GMSDraw automatically creates a non-detectable Filled Rectangle as the background object in the background color. The size of the background object is set by changing the default values (72 units wide and 54 units high) in the Model Properties window. NOTE: The size of the Model is set to the size of the background object. A blank Model can also be created using the New option of the File Pull-Down Menu. The first object created in the Model (typically a Filled Rectangle) is considered the background object. When the first object is created in the Model, the Background Detectable and Background Object Dimensions and Origin areas are enabled. The size of the background object can be changed by modifying the width and height values in the Model Properties window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-11

156 Building Models By default, the lower left corner of the WC-window is defined as the Point 0,0. To change the default, modify the text entry box designating the lower left corner of the dotted-line graphic. The color of the background object is set by entering an integer in the Background Color entry box that corresponds to one of the color boxes in the Default Graphic Properties window. In addition, setting Background Detectable to OFF (i.e.,unchecked), will cause the background object in the current Model to become undetectable. Setting Background Detectable to ON (i.e., checked) allows the background object to be selected and modified. The erase behavior of objects in the Model can also be controlled with the Erase in Background Color setting. Refer to page 3-27 for a further description of the erase behavior of objects. If you have set the size of the Model to a custom setting rather than the default size (72 x 54 units), refer to Step 2 - Set the Size of the Model on page 6-39 for further information. Attaching Dynamics to an Object In SL-GMS, dynamic behavior is added to an object by attaching a Dyn- Prop (Dynamic Property). A DynProp consists of one or more dynamic descriptions. The dynamic descriptions are written in a language recognized by SL-GMS that specifies a change in the appearance of an object in response to a change in an application variable, or an action to be taken in response to input events for the object. A sample DynProp is illustrated in Figure 6-8: on page When user selects object call the function gms_flash( ) # call gms_flash( ) dynamic description If the value of the variable tanklevel equals less than 90.0 set the fill color (fcolor) of the object to the color index given by the value of the variable noalarm tanklevel <90.0 fcolor noalarm dynamic description DynProp Figure 6-8: A sample DynProp SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-12

157 Building Models Dynamic descriptions are further described in the section Dynamic Descriptions on page 4-2. The chapter Dynamics in the SL-GMS Reference discusses the general syntax for the dynamic descriptions and the different types of dynamic actions (changes in appearance of an object), such as scale, fill, and position, that are available. The chapter Dynamics Reference in the SL-GMS Quick Reference contains several tables for use in constructing DynProps. To attach a DynProp to an object, select the object, click the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and select Object Dynamic Properties. This displays the Object Dynamic Properties window. Type the DynProp into the Object Dynamic Properties window, as illustrated in Figure 6-9: on page # call gms_flash( ) tanklevel <90.0 fcolor noalarm Figure 6-9: A DynProp in the "Object Dynamic Properties" window The section Editing Dynamics on page 4-5 describes how to type DynProps into the Object Dynamic Properties window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-13

158 Building Models Renaming Variables Models can be reused through instancing. Model Instances, also called Instances or SubModels, retain the dynamic properties of the original Model. The various Instances are differentiated from the original Model by renaming variables the driving variables are renamed to different variable names. For example, three Instances of the Text Display Control Object are placed into a Model. The Text Display Control Object displays the value of the label parameter. The original copy of the Text Display Control Object Model was created with a dynamic description that displays the value of label. However, for each of the three Instances of the Text Display Control Object, the label parameter has been renamed to display the value of a different variable. The first Instance needs to display the value of the variable volts1, therefore, the label parameter is renamed to volts1. The second Instance has label renamed to amps2, and the third Instance has label renamed to volts3. To rename variables, select an object, click the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and choose Object Renamed Variables. The Object Renamed Variables option is described in the section Renaming Variables on page 4-9. Using SubModels for Standardized Objects The advantage of using SubModels is that the object is created only once and saved as a Model. Each of the Instances points to the original Model. If a change is made to the original Model, for instance, a meter Model, then that change is automatically reflected in all meter Instances. This standardizes the appearance and dynamic behavior of objects. SL-GMS provides a set of Models that are available for instancing. These include GISMOs, Graph Models, Control Objects, and others. However, you can save any object, or group of objects, as a Model and instance it as a SubModel in other Models. An object (or group of objects) you create for use as a SubModel should be created with its Reference Point at (0,0). When a SubModel is instanced, the location of the mouse cursor will correspond to the origin (0,0) of the original Model. Similarly, create original Models you plan on using as SubModels with the exact size and orientation required in the Models in which they are instanced. Scaling or rotating a SubModel Instance in a Model decreases SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-14

159 Building Models the performance of the Model. Refer to Building SubModels to Scale on page 6-50 for further information. If the Model you wish to use as a SubModel is created using the New with Background option of the File Pull-Down Menu, then a non-detectable Filled Rectangle is automatically created as the background object in the background color. However, the size of the Model used as a SubModel should be only as large as is needed to contain all the parts of the Model. Therefore, if needed, change the size of the Model using the Model Properties window. (Click the Model Pull-Down Menu and select Properties.) Refer to Step 2 - Set the Size of the Model on page 6-39 for further information. To instance a SubModel in a Model, click the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and select Available Submodels. The Available Submodels window, shown in Figure 6-10:, is displayed. Scroll down the list of SubModels and click on the name of the Model you wish to instance. The selected SubModel is placed in the Active Working View by positioning the cursor in the desired location and clicking the mouse. Figure 6-10: "Available Submodels" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-15

160 Building Models Any Models you create for use as SubModels are placed in the SUBMODS subdirectory of the working directory. Models placed in this directory 2 appear in the Available Submodels window. Displaying Strings, Integers, and Real Values The different text tools display either string characters, integers, or real values. Textual information can be either static or dynamic (changing). Static text does not change. Examples include labels and non-dynamic numeric values. Dynamic text changes in response to changes in application variables. Examples include the integer or real value of a variable or a text string that changes (e.g., ON, OFF, INTERMEDIATE) with the value of a variable. Static and dynamic text can be displayed by either using an Instance of the Text Display Box or Text Display Control Objects or with an object created with the Text Rectangle Tool in the Create Tool panel. In addition, static text can be created using the Text Tool in the Create Tool panel 2. Models placed in the working directory also appear in the Available Submodels window but it is good practice to create a SUBMODS subdirectory and place them there. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-16

161 Building Models To place an Instance of the Text Display or Text Display Box Control Objects into a Model, click the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and select Text Fields. The Available Palettes window with the "c1_txtflds" palette will display, as shown in Figure 6-11:. Figure 6-11: "c1_txtflds" Palette SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-17

162 Building Models Text can be displayed either as a real number, integer number, or a text string. Click the appropriate control object in the "c1_txtflds" palette, then click again in the Active Working View at the location in the Model where the text field is to be displayed, as shown in Figure 6-12:. Figure 6-12: Instancing the Text Display Box Control Object Select each Instance of the Text Display and Text Display Box Control objects in turn, renaming the variables listed in the table below. (Refer to Renaming Variables on page 4-9). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-18

163 Building Models Parameters Related to Text Control Object Text Display Test Display Box label Parameter Name display_expr maxchars The Text Display Box displays the value of the display_expr parameter. The Text Display object displays the value of the label parameter. The maxchars parameter sets the maximum number of characters displayed. NOTE: The Text Display and Text Display Box Instances must be scaled to fit the maximum number of characters that are displayed. Static text can be created by using either the Text Tool or the Text Rectangle Tool (used for text displayed within a rectangular frame) on the Create Tools panel. For a Text Rectangle object to display dynamic text, dynamic descriptions need to be attached to the object. Refer to the section Attaching Dynamics to an Object on page 6-12 for further information. The part of a dynamic description required to add dynamic text to a Text Rectangle object follows a regular format: stext <argument> "format-string" The stext keyword can be followed by a variable name or an expression, which may itself contain variable names. The format string is always surrounded by double quotes. For example: stext var1 "%s" displays the value of the variable var1 as a string variable and: stext var1 "%4.0f" displays the value of the variable var1 as an integer (four characters with zero characters after the decimal point). SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-19

164 Building Models NOTE: If the Text Rectangle object is used to display dynamic text on other Models, then create a Model with only the Text Rectangle object and its associated dynamic descriptions. Create the Text Rectangle with (0,0) as its Reference Point. This Model can then be instanced into other Models and the variables can be renamed using the Object Renamed Variables window (refer to Renaming Variables on page 4-9). This standardizes the appearance and dynamic text display in the different Models. Graphing Data Sets SL-GMS provides a variety of Graph types. Graphs are Models that are instanced in other Models. First, instance the Graph, then rename the variables which control scaling and labeling of the graph axes and graph traces to constants or to other variables. You can also design your own graph Models. The chapter in the SL-GMS Reference and the chapter The SL-GMS Graph Library in the SL-GMS Quick Reference describe the different types of graphs that are available, define the variables associated with the graphs, and describe how the existing graph Models can be customized. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-20

165 Building Models To instance a Graph Model, click the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and select Available Submodels. This will display the Available Submodels window, shown in Figure 6-13:. Figure 6-13: "Available Submodels" window Scroll down the list of SubModels and click on the name of the Graph Model you wish to instance. The Graph Models provided by SL-GMS are found in the scrolling list in the /demo/graphs/graphs/ directory. Place a copy of the Graph Model in the Active Working View by clicking the mouse in the desired location. Rename the variables of the Graph Instance by selecting the Graph Instance, clicking the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and selecting Object Renamed Variables. Refer to Renaming Variables on page 4-9 for further information. Any Graph Model you create should be placed in the working directory or a GRAPHS subdirectory of the working directory. Graph Models placed in either of these two directories will appear in the Available Submodels window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-21

166 Building Models Displaying a bitmap on a button Some Control Objects contain a label that usually consists of a formatted string describing the purpose of the button. However, a bitmap can be displayed on the button instead of a text string. As an example, the Object Create Tool buttons display a bitmap indicating the type of object the button creates. For further information refer to the section General Considerations in the SL-GMS Control Objects Reference Manaul. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-22

167 Building Models Creating a Menu You can add a menu to a Model using the Option Menu Control Object. The Option Menu button has an optional label that presents a pull-down menu when selected. Each entry may be one of three types: Pushbutton (appears as a string label) Cascade (appears as a string label with a right arrow indicator aligned flush-right) Separator (appears as a horizontal separator line) To place an Instance of an Option Menu into the Model, click the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and select Controls. This brings up the Available Palettes window and displays the Controls Palette. Select the Option Menu control, as shown in Figure 6-14: on page Option Menu Control Figure 6-14: Selecting the Option Menu Control Click again in the Active Working View where the Option Menu button will appear in the Model. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-23

168 Building Models The method used to define the menu entries is described in the section Option Menu in the SL-GMS Control Object Reference Manual. Sending Messages to States Users may interact with the application at run-time by selecting objects on the screen that send messages to States. The messages can display a dialog box, close or open a window, quit an application, and so on. Two types of objects are used to send messages to a State: Control Objects and GISMOs. Control Objects The easiest method to send messages to a State is to use one of the Control Objects. The interface to send a message to a State is already built into the Control Object. 3 All you need to do is rename the appropriate variables (refer to the section Renaming Variables on page 4-9). Each of the Control Objects, with the exception of the Text Display Box and the Text Display objects, can send a message to a State. The Control Objects contain two parameters: msg_statename and msg_strmsg. Rename msg_statename to the name of the State which will receive the message. msg_strmsg is the message sent to that State. The message that is sent to the State is a string that corresponds to the name of a method defined for that State. If msg_statename is renamed to NULL (the default), then the message is sent first to the current State. If the current State does not contain a method with the same name as that of the message string, then the State Management System passes the message string up the State tree until a State is found with that particular method defined in it. For example, a Model is displayed using an Instance of the WinModState. The Model 3. Another advantage of Control Objects is that when they are added to a Model, the objects will display as native controls. In a Windows system, a native control means a Windows control object. In UNIX, native control generally means X-based Motif widgets. Control Objects are described in the SL-GMS Control Objects Reference Manual. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-24

169 Building Models contains a push button which has msg_statename renamed to NULL and msg_strmsg renamed to quit. When the push button is clicked, the "quit" message is sent to the WinModState Instance. This State does not contain a quit method, so the message is passed up the State tree until a State is found that does have a quit method defined for it. The StandardTopState has a quit method defined, therefore, the StandardTopState executes the quit method to terminate the application. Two other parameters are also used when sending messages to a State: value and value_valtype. Each method defined for a State receives three parameters when it is called: the State id, value, and a pointer. For the example given above, the value and value_valtype parameters were set to their default values because the quit method in the StandardTopState receives value but does not actually use it. However, the value parameter is used by other State methods. One example is the new_model_window( ) method of the WinModState. For this example, a Push Button Control Object on a Model has the following renamed variables. Messages and Values Sent by the Push Button msg_statename 1 Renamed Variables msg_strmsg value 2 NULL "new_model_windo w" "sibling +\twin_position " 1. Renaming the msg_statename variable to NULL indicates that the message should be sent to the current State, which in this example is the WinModState Instance that is displaying the Model. Since NULL is the default value for msg_statename, it does not actually need to be renamed. 2. "\t" is the <TAB> separator between each message-value pair. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-25

170 Building Models Description of the "value" String Model name Parent State 1 (Super- State) State name 2 Window position Result sibling + NULL Window Model State is created under the Backplane State 1. A value of NULL is equivalent to "the State that receives the message"; "+" is equivalent to "the direct parent State of the State that receives the message." However, the NULL value does not need to be included in the value string, as it is the default. 2. A value of NULL is equivalent to "system generated." However, the NULL value does not need to be included in the value string, as it is the default. This push button executes the new_model_window( ) method in the Win- ModState. The new_model_window( ) method uses the value string to get the Model name, window position, and the Parent State name for a new Instance of the WinModState. The section Creating Windows and Manipulating Models in the SL-GMS Examples Manual contains several examples of value string usage. GISMOs A developer can build a GISMO 4 to send a message to a State. The input dynamics of the GISMO can contain a call to a user-defined function which contains the necessary function calls to send a message to a State. The section State Class Library Interface in the SL-GMS State Class Library Reference Manual and the chapter General Application Development in the SL-GMS Enhanced SMS User s Guide describe the functions used to interface with the SL-GMS State Class Library. 4. The chapter GISMOs in the SL-GMS Reference and SL-GMS GISMO Library in the SL-GMS Quick Reference describe how the GISMOs in the SL-GMS GISMO Library are created. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-26

171 Building Models The user-defined function must be added to the application using the gmsadduserfctn( ) function. Adding a user-defined function to an application is described in the chapter Dynamics in the SL-GMS Reference. Sending data to the application There are several ways to send data to the application by interacting with objects on the screen. Text Edit Box Control Object The Text Edit Box is a rectangular area in which text can be entered or edited. The Text Edit Box can also display the value of a parameter set by the application. The Text Edit Box Control Object is found in the "c1_txtflds" palette window, shown in Figure 6-15:. Text Edit Box Control Objects Text List Box Control Object Figure 6-15: "c1_txtflds" Palette SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-27

172 Building Models Text can be entered either as a real number, integer number, or a text string. Click the appropriate Text Edit Box Control object in the "c1_txtflds" palette window, then click again in the Active Working View at the location in the Model in which the text field is to be displayed. The Text Edit Box contains two parameters: set_variable and display_expr. Rename the set_variable parameter to the application variable whose value is set to the text you have entered in the Text Edit Box. Rename the display_expr parameter to a variable whose value is set by the application and displayed in the Text Edit Box. The section Text Edit Box in the SL-GMS Control Object Reference Manual describes all of the parameters and their corresponding data types for the Text Edit Box. Refer to the section Renaming Variables on page 4-9 for information about how to rename the parameters in the Text Edit Box Control Object. Text List Box Control Object The Text List Box presents a list of text string choices from which selections can be made. If necessary, scroll bars are provided to allow you to view all available choices. The Text List Box Control Object is found in the "c1_txtflds" palette window, as shown in Figure 6-15: on page The Text List Box contains two parameters: set_variable and display_expr. Rename the set_variable parameter to the application variable whose value is set to the text you have selected in the Text List Box. Rename the display_expr parameter to a variable whose value is set by the application and is in the list of items displayed in the Text List Box. In addition, several other parameters specific to the Text List Box can be renamed, as shown in the following table. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-28

173 Building Models Parameters Related to the Text List Box Behavior Parameter Name selected_index select_type top_index Description index value within the list of text items that is to be highlighted as "selected" when the list is displayed type of selection mechanism to be used by you index value of the Text List item to be displayed at the top of the scrolled list The section Text List Box in the SL-GMS Control Object Reference Manual describes all of the parameters and their corresponding data types for the Text List Box. Refer to the section Renaming Variables on page 4-9 for information about how to rename the parameters in the Text List Box Control Object. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-29

174 Building Models Scale (Slider) Control Object A Scale displays and sets a numerical value from a defined range. The Scale Control Object is found on the "c1_scales" palette window, as shown in Figure 6-16:. Figure 6-16: "c1_scales" Palette The Scale contains two parameters: set_variable and display_expr. Rename the set_variable parameter to the application variable whose value you have set to the value of the Scale indicator. Rename the display_expr parameter to a variable whose value is set by the application and determines the position of the Scale indicator and the value displayed. In addition, several other parameters specific to the Scale Control Object need to be renamed. An example of the Renamed Variables for an Instance of the Scale Control Object is shown in the section Creating an SL-GMS Model dialog box on page The section Scale (Slider) in the SL-GMS Control Object Reference describes all of the parameters and their corresponding data types for the Scale. Refer to the section SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-30

175 Building Models Renaming Variables on page 4-9 for information about how to rename the parameters in the Scale Control Object. GISMOs Four types of GISMOs can be used to send data back to an application: TEXTENTRY ARRAY, TEXTENTRY VAR, SLIDER, and SCROLLBOX. The chapter GISMOs in the SL-GMS Reference and SL-GMS GISMO Library in the SL-GMS Quick Reference describe the different GISMOs, the parameters to rename, and their corresponding data types. Dialog Box A dialog box allows the values of different variables to be set. A dialog box can contain Text Edit Boxes, sliders, buttons, and other objects which allow you to set the value of different variables in an application. Further information is available in the section Creating an SL-GMS Model dialog box on page UserData UserData is an arbitrary string that is attached to an object. When the object is selected at run time, the gmsquserdata( ) function is used in the application to obtain the UserData string of the object. The application can use the UserData string in any manner. The section UserData Property Dialog on page 5-30 describes how to attach the UserData string to an object. UserWord A UserWord is an integer that is attached to an object. When the object is selected at run time, the gmsquserword( ) function is used in the application to obtain the UserWord of the object. The application can use the UserWord integer in any manner. The section UserWord Property Dialog on page 5-30 describes how to attach a UserWord to an object. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-31

176 Building Models Switching Models using Control Objects The easiest way to display a new Model is to send either a "new_model_window", "stack", or "replace" message to the Instance of the WinModState that is presently displaying a Model. A Button Control Object from the "c1_buttons" palette window can be used to send the message. Figure 6-17: "c1_buttons" Palette The following tables illustrate the variables that are renamed in the Button object to send a "new_model_window" message to the WinModState. This example opens a new window which displays the sibling Model. Messages and Values Sent by the Push Button Renamed Variables msg_statename 1 msg_strmsg value 2 NULL "new_model_window" "sibling +\twin_position " SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-32

177 Building Models 1. Renaming the msg_statename variable to NULL indicates that the message should be sent to the current State, which in this example is the WinMod- State Instance that is displaying the Model. Since NULL is the default value for msg_statename, it does not actually need to be renamed. 2. "\t" is the <TAB> separator between each message-value pair Description of the "value" String Model name Parent State 1 (SuperState) State name 2 Window position Result sibling + NULL Window Model State is created under the Backplane State 1. A value of NULL is equivalent to "the State that receives the message"; "+" is equivalent to "the direct parent State of the State that receives the message." However, the NULL value does not need to be included in the value string, as it is the default. 2. A value of NULL is equivalent to "system generated." However, the NULL value does not need to be included in the value string, as it is the default. Refer to Renaming Variables on page 4-9 for information about renaming variables. The WinModState and its methods are discussed in the SL-GMS State Class Library Reference. The section Creating Windows and Manipulating Models in the SL-GMS Examples Manual provides usage examples of the three methods. Creating a Radio Button Group This section describes the steps to create a Radio Button group using a Container Control Object as a parent. This behavior is consistent with Motif standards. 5 The general procedure requires any control that is to be grouped in a container to recognize the container as a parent container. This is accomplished by assigning certain rename variables to each radio 5. The process for creating a Radio Button group is the same in a Windows system but the concept of a "parent" container is not applicable. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-33

178 Building Models button and to the container that groups them. Once this is done, the radio buttons exhibit appropriate behavior automatically. Step 1 - Place a Container Control Object Figure 6-18: Containers Palette To open the Containers Palette, click the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and select Containers. Click on the container labeled "Column" and create a copy of the Column Container by clicking a second time in the Main Editing Window. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-34

179 Building Models Step 2 - Place Radio Button Control Objects Figure 6-19: Buttons Palette Open the Buttons Palette from the Palettes Pull-Down Menu and copy three Radio Button Objects to the Active Working View. Enlarge the container so that it surrounds the radio buttons. For a Motif platform, there is no need to space the Radio Buttons evenly because Motif automatically arranges items grouped within a Container. Since the Column Container was used in Step 1, these Radio Buttons automatically arrange into a column (once the proper rename variables have been assigned to all of the Control Objects). Note that had a Row Container been chosen in Step 1, Motif would have placed the Radio Buttons into a row. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-35

180 Building Models The items are not automatically arranged into a row or column on a Windows platform. The Radio Buttons must be aligned in the Column container using SL-GMSDraw. Step 3 - Assign Rename Variables Figure 6-20: "Object Renamed Variables" window SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-36

181 Building Models 1. Select all four control objects (the container and the three radio buttons). 2. Click the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and select Object Renamed Variables. The Object Renamed Variables window is displayed. 3. Step through the Select List using the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar until the container object is selected. Its variables now appear in the Object Renamed Variables window. 4. Assign a string value to the control_name variable. This value will correspond to the parent_name variable for each of the three Radio Buttons. This example assigns the value my_container. 5. Click Apply to apply the change. 6. Step through the Select List using the Loop Control icons in the Main Menu bar until one of the Radio Button objects is selected. Its variables now appear in the Object Renamed Variables window. 7. Assign my_container to the parent_name variable of the Radio Button. 8. Click Apply to apply the change. Repeat the last three steps for the remaining Radio Buttons. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-37

182 Building Models Creating an SL-GMS Model dialog box This section describes how to create an SL-GMS Model for use as a dialog box. Several examples of applications using dialog boxes are described in the chapter Advanced Use of Dialogs in the SL-GMS Examples Manual. The general procedure requires creating a Model then instancing Control Objects and other SL-GMS objects that display information and allow you to edit the information (if required). Values for Display/edit Buttons for apply/reset/cancel Figure 6-21: A dialog box example There are two basic parts to a dialog box, as shown in Figure 6-21:. The first part allows the values of different variables to be viewed and modified. The second part contains three buttons that send messages to the DialogState: to "apply" the value changes to the application variables; to "reset" the displayed values to what they were before any change was made; and to "cancel" (close) the dialog box. The physical arrangement of the values for display/edit and the buttons do not need to be the same as those shown in Figure 6-21:. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-38

183 Building Models Step 1- Lay Out the User Interface Determine the information that will be displayed/edited in the dialog box; different dialog boxes can display different sets of data. Once the information set has been determined, lay out the dialog box as it should appear and determine the types of interactions that will be used with this information. For each data value displayed, decide whether the dialog should have read-only or read/write capability. Will the dialog be used for typing in values, using a scale, or picking from a selection of buttons? Step 2 - Set the Size of the Model Typically a dialog box does not fill the entire screen. Therefore, the size of the dialog box Model needs to be set smaller than that of the default Model size of 72 x 54 WC-units. There are two methods available to set the Model size smaller than the default sizze. In the first method, the developer creates their own background object. Click the File Pull-Down Menu and select New. Create a filled object, typically a Filled Rectangle, as the first object in a Model. NOTE: The first object in the Model list is the background object. The background object must have the same dimensions as required for the Model because the size of the Model is set to the size of the background object. The second method uses the default background object. Click the File Pull-Down Menu and select New with Background. A blank Model is displayed, and SL-GMSDraw automatically creates a non-detectable Filled Rectangle as the background object in the background color. Click the Model Pull-Down Menu and select Properties. This displays the Model Properties window, as shown in Figure 6-22: on page SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-39

184 Building Models background color width height Figure 6-22: "Model Properties" window The size of the background object is set by changing the default values (72 units wide and 54 units high) in the Model Properties window. NOTE: The size of the Model is set to the size of the background object. Modify the Model width and height values (i.e., the background object width and height) shown in Figure 6-22:. If the background color of the dialog box is to be different from that of the default, edit the default Background Color index and enter the new color index. When all of the appropriate Model properties have been edited, 6 click the Apply button in the Model Properties window. When the Apply button is clicked, SL-GMSDraw displays a rectangle showing the new Model width and height in the default Model window. Figure 6-23: on page 6-41 illustrates a Model width and height of 40 and 30, respectively. Only the top and right side of the rectangle are visible in Figure 6-23: on page 6-41 because the left bottom corner of the Model is set to (0,0). The dialog box 6. The section Setting Model Properties on page 3-26 describes the different Model properties in further detail. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-40

185 Building Models information is built within this 40 x 30 area. Anything placed outside this area is not displayed Figure 6-23: The Model width and height changed to 40 and 30 NOTE: Selecting the Apply as Default button instead of the Apply button applies the background color, and on/off settings to all subsequent Models built within the current editing session. The background object dimensions are also applied to all subsequent Models built using the New with Background option of the File Pull-Down Menu within the current editing session. There is an easy way to ensure that the dialog box Model contains all of the objects that it should. Click the Options Pull-Down Menu and select User Preferences. This displays the User Preferences window. Enable SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-41

186 Building Models the Size Window to Model option and click Apply. Next, save the Model, close the Model, and then reopen the Model. SL-GMSDraw redisplays the Model in a window sized to 40 x 30, without displaying the rest of the default area. This must be turned on as shown Figure 6-24: Model Edit Mode (New Window) selected SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-42

187 Building Models Step 3 - Place Objects in the Model Based upon the layout of the dialog box and the user interface, place the appropriate objects in the Model. A variety of objects have been used in this example for illustrative purposes. The following description applies to the example shown in Figure 6-25:. Text Display Box Control Objects (read-only) Scale Control Objects (read/write) Text Objects (read-only) Push Button Control Objects Radio Button group (read/write) Figure 6-25: A dialog box example The above example uses the Text Tool in the Create Tools panel to create the text labels "Name", "Description", "% Open", "Alarm Setpoint", and "Open/Close Valve". Text SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-43

188 Building Models Display Control Objects could also have been used. These are read-only. Text Display Box Control Objects are used to display the value of the valve name and description variables. These are also read-only and the value is output as a string. The Text Display Box Control Object is found in the "c1_txtflds" palette window, as shown in Figure 6-26:. Text Display Box Control Objects Select "String" Figure 6-26: Selecting a Text Display Box Control Object Click the Text Display Box that displays a "String" and place two Instances into the Active Working View one Instance to the right of the "Name" Text and one to the right of the "Description" Text. Rename the display_expr parameter for these two Instances to the variable names set by the application. For this example, the parameters have been renamed, as shown in the following table. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-44

189 Building Models Text Display Box Renamed Variables display_expr maxchars Name "ValveName" 20 Description "ValveDesc" 40 Scale Control Objects are used to display the %open and alarm setpoint values. These objects display the current value and also allow the value to be changed. Text Edit Box Control Objects can also be used. To allow read/write capability, rename both the set_variable and display_expr parameters to application variables. The display_expr parameter determines the position of the Scale indicator and the value displayed. When the scale indicator is moved to change the value, the set_variable renamed variable will set to the new value. (The value of the variable is sent to the application when the Apply button is clicked.) If only the display_expr parameter is renamed to an application variable, the scale indicator will be read-only. For this example, the display_expr and set_variable parameters are renamed, as shown below. Scale Object display_expr Renamed Variables set_variable % Open "ValvePctopen" "ValvePctopen" Alarm Setpoint "ValveSetpt" "ValveSetpt" In addition, several other parameters specific to the Scale Control Object need to be renamed. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-45

190 Building Models Parameters Related to the Scale Behavior Parameter Name min_value max_value decimal_point jump_value numticks orientation 1 Description Minimum value of the Scale Maximum value of the Scale Number of places to the right of the decimal point Fraction of the range (by default 1/10 of range) Number of tick marks Vertical or horizontal with minimum and maximum at either end 1. The orientation variable is already renamed (i.e., you do not need to rename it) for all Scale objects on the "c1_scales" Palette. The following table shows the additional parameters specific to a scale and their corresponding Renamed Variable that is used to produce the scales shown in Figure 6-25: on page Renamed Variables for the Two Scale Instances decimal_point jump_value max_value min_value numticks The section Scale (Slider) in the SL-GMS Control Object Reference provides a further discussion of these parameters, as well as their data types. A Radio Button group is created to allow the valve to be opened and closed through this dialog box. Again, since the current state of the valve (open or closed) can be viewed and the state can be changed, the set_variable and display_expr parameters are renamed to application variables. The section Creating a Radio Button Group on page 6-33 provides further information. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-46

191 Building Models Three "Integer" Push Button Control Objects from the "c1_buttons" palette window are used to send the "apply," "reset," and "cancel" messages to the DialogState. The "Integer" Push Button Control Object is used because it passes the value parameter as an integer, and the value parameter is an integer data type in the apply( ), reset( ), and cancel( ) methods of the DialogState. The SL-GMS State Class Library Reference provides further information. Sends the "value" parameter as an integer Figure 6-27: Select button to send "value" as an integer The following table shows the renamed variables for the three buttons. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-47

192 Building Models Messages and Values Sent by the Push Buttons Renamed Variables Button msg_statenam e 1 msg_strmsg value Apply NULL "apply" NULL Reset NULL "reset" NULL Cancel NULL "cancel" NULL 1. Renaming the msg_statename variable to NULL indicates that the message should be sent to the current State, which in this example is the WinModState that is displaying the dialog box Model. However, since the WinModState does not contain an apply, reset, or cancel method, the message will be passed up to the DialogState which does contain these methods. Since NULL is the default value for msg_statename, it does not actually need to be renamed. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-48

193 Building Models Optimizing Loading and Displaying a Model This section describes the best ways to optimize the performance of Models. Apply Transformations Each time an object is moved, rotated, or scaled in the Model, a transformation object is attached to the object. The following example shows the portion of the ".g" file for a polygon object that has been moved and scaled. transformation object poly \ \ move scale Each time this polygon is drawn on the screen, the system must compute each of the transformations one for the move and one for the scale. Selecting the Apply Transform option of the Object Pull-Down Menu combines transformations accumulated during editing and applies them to the Points defining graphical objects. This speeds up the display of objects and reduces the memory required to store them. Here is the same polygon object after Apply Transform is done. The transformation objects for the move and scale operations have been applied to the Points defining the polygon. poly \ \ Apply Transformation has no effect in the following cases: Unequal scaling of Text, Text Rectangles, Circles, Pies, Sectors, and Three-point sectors Rotation of Rectangles SubModel Instances SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-49

194 Building Models If these types of objects must be moved, rotated, or scaled in a Model, try to construct the object so that the Apply Transform operation can be used. For example, if a rectangle is to be rotated, create the rectangle as a closed polygon with four points rather than using the Rectangle Tool. Building SubModels to Scale SubModels should be created with the exact size and orientation required in the Model into which they will be instanced. Significant performance improvement can be achieved because the top-level Model (the Model into which the SubModel has been instanced) avoids the application of scaling and rotation transformations on its SubModels. (Remember that the Apply Transform operation does not work on SubModels.) Since SubModels are instanced many times in various top-level Models, a very large increase in performance is achieved by concentrating effort on optimizing the performance of SubModels. Creating Filled Objects without an edge Filled objects that do not require their edge color to change at run time can have their edge style set to 0 (none). Not drawing the edge increases performance in the drawing of a filled object by eliminating the step required to draw the outline of the object. Refer to Edge color, style, and width on page 3-9 for information about setting an object s edge style to 0. The M2 Filer To achieve maximum possible screen-load performance of a top-level Model at run time, 7 the M2 filer is provided. The M2 filer provides a set of functions to load and save Models in the ".m2" or contiguous filer format. In ".m1" files, the format of the information stored is independent of the internal memory representation of the data at runtime. Each graphical element is stored as a separate entity; therefore, SL-GMS must parse and reconstruct the elements as the file is read into memory. The ".m2" format, on the other hand, contains an exact memory image of the Model object. Using the M2 filer, the entire Model can be loaded with one quick read, without having to parse and reconnect it, as with the normal ".m1" filer. 7. Currently SL-GMSDraw operates only on ".m1" files. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-50

195 Building Models Two utilities convert files to the ".m2" format: gm2 and m1m2. The gm2 utility converts ".g" files to ".m2" files. gm2 <modelname>.g The m1m2 utility converts ".m1" files to ".m2" files. m1m2 <modelname>.m1 If there is a change to the ".g" or ".m1" version of a Model, the ".m2" formatted file must be recreated using the appropriate utility. By default, the State Management System first searches for "<modelname>.m2", followed by "<modelname>.m1". 8 It is a good practice to free ".m2" Models when they are no longer needed, to make the best use of time and memory. 8. Model search behavior for a given State can be changed using the gmsstm2flag( ) function, described in the section State miscellaneous in the SL-GMS Function Reference Manual. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-51

196 Building Models Testing a Model Using Preview SL-GMSDraw is able to preview the dynamic behavior of a Model by applying data from a file to the objects in the Model. The data specification file (".dat") is created with the same name as that of the Model, along with the suffix ".dat". (For example, if the Model is named "demo1.m1", the ".dat" file will be named "demo1.dat"). To create or edit a ".dat" file during a session, the Edit Data File window must be invoked. This is done by clicking the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and selecting the Edit Data File option. Text which creates or modifies the ".dat" file can then be entered in this window. If a data file already exists for this Model, that data file will automatically display in the Edit Data File window. Clicking the Save File button will write the file to disk. Clicking the Open File button will display a dialog window which allows entry of the name of a data file. Figure 6-28: "Edit Data File " window A ".dat" file contains variable name and value pairs, separated by a space, one pair per line. volts1 120 SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-52

197 Building Models The preview facility also recognizes other keywords in data files. The keywords can be used to automatically generate trigonometric, incremental, or random values for dynamic variables. The data format for a ".dat" file is specified in the chapter Dynamics Reference in the SL-GMS Quick Reference. The Model must be saved if it has been edited before the dynamics can be exercised. In addition, while the Model is being previewed, it cannot be edited or saved. After previewing, the Model is automatically reloaded so that any changes made by the dynamic updating are discarded. To preview the current Model, click the Dynamics Pull-Down Menu and select Preview Options. This will display the Preview Options window, shown in Figure 6-29:. Figure 6-29: "Preview Options" window Adjust the timer period (the time, in milliseconds, between dynamic updates) using the scale indicator. Click the Start button to load the "<modelname>.dat" file 9 and begin previewing the Model. Click the Stop button to terminate the preview and reload the Model. Clicking the Pause button will suspend dynamic updating without leaving Preview Mode but the Model cannot be edited or saved. NOTE: If another Model is opened while a Model is being previewed, the newly-opened Model will begin previewing automatically. 9. If a "<modelname>.dat" file does not exist, a warning message will display and previewing will not occur. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-53

198 Building Models Using SL-GMSRun SL-GMSRun is useful for testing user-developed Models, including the display of object dynamics. SL-GMSRun is particularly useful for prototyping screens in the early stages of system development when the critical decisions are being made about the user interface. Without any programming, SL-GMSRun can be invoked with different command line options to: preview a Model select a Model at run time and preview preview a Model and utilize zoom and pan capabilities preview dynamic update for a Model using a "<modelname>.dat" file generate a PostScript file of a Model use a command file to generate a State tree access all of the above capabilities via a control panel The SL-GMS Enhanced State Management provides a description of the features of the SL-GMSRun utility. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide 6-54

199 A Using Active X Controls gmsdraw_mfc is the version of SL-GMSDraw which runs on 32-bit Windows platforms. It uses the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC). Inserting Active X Controls To insert an Active X control in a Model, click the Edit Pull-Down Menu and select Insert Active X Control, as shown in the Figure A-1:. The Insert Active X Control dialog is displayed, as shown in Figure A-2:. Figure A-1: Insert Active X Control option selected SL-GMS Draw User s Guide A-1

200 The Insert Active X Control dialog lists the controls available on your system from which you can make your selection. Figure A-2: Insert Active X Control dialog Select the control to be inserted and select OK. When the control is selected, it can be moved or resized using the selection handles. The control is not active at this point; it can be activated by testing the Model using the Preview feature (refer to Testing a Model on page 6-52). Editing Active X Controls Once inserted into a Model, controls can be treated the same as other objects in the Model. When selected, a selection extent is displayed with handles for moving and resizing. Controls can be cut or copied to the clipboard and pasted into the current Model or into another Model opened in the same editing session. They can be duplicated with a Ctrl-drag operation and they can be copied to the Scratch Palette and from there used in the current Model or subsequent Models in the same editing session. Controls can also be selected and grouped along with other SL-GMS objects in the Model. They can be used in SL-GMS SubModels. SL-GMS Draw User s Guide A-2