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Widgets
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These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Widgets // Archive: Tech Forum
Post by Alien // Jun 14, 2006, 3:54am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Is there a way to disable the point-edit widget without disabling the main view nav widget [modeler side]? I like the view nav widget, but the http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/swear.gif point edit widget is getting on my http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/swear.gif nerves, as it always gets in the way. I know I can move it out of the way, but if I exit point edit mode it's back to the default getting-in-the-way position again when I go back into it :mad:
<edit>
it occurred to me that I might not be using the right name for the unwanted widget, so here's a pic:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/images_for_caligari_forum/unwanted-widget.jpg
</edit> |
Post by stan // Jun 14, 2006, 4:45am
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stan
Total Posts: 1240
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maybe a hotkey for turning on/off the "3d controls" on preferences panel would help..don't think that widget can't be turned off on it's own..:( |
Post by Alien // Jun 14, 2006, 4:55am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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The problem with that is that it'd turn off the view nav widget at the same time, & I use that a lot, so hotkeying them on & off again would probably become as annoying as that widget that gets in the way.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/sadwalk.gif |
Post by stan // Jun 14, 2006, 5:11am
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stan
Total Posts: 1240
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well turning off the selectionbox ctl hides it except in edit mode lol..using the rotary control hides it except when in edit mode..but while in edit if you turn off and on the 3d controls it disappears until you enter edit again..lol..:rolleyes: |
Post by Alien // Jun 14, 2006, 5:25am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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I don't know if user-made widgets show up on the model side, but if they do, perhaps someone who has already made a few could make an invisible/null/whatever widget to replace the point edit widget, for those who don't use it [I don't, I much prefer handles on curves].
Please? http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alien42/smilies/beg.gif |
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Jun 14, 2006, 5:51am
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
Total Posts: 858
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This irritates the hell out of me too. If anyone has a solution that'll work in 6.6 as well then I'd sure like to know! Like Alien, the main navigation widget is very useful, the others just get in my way. |
Post by Alien // Jun 14, 2006, 6:19am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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but while in edit if you turn off and on the 3d controls it disappears until you enter edit again..lol..:rolleyes:
I just read this again, & it gave me an idea [sorry WWOTW, don't think it'll be any help with 6.6 :( [unless you know how to program & have the 6.6 SDK)].
I don't know how this would be implemented, but what if when tS 7.x goes into edit mode it automatically runs a script that toggles the 3D controls off then on again? I don't know if the script could just call some procedure or function, or whether it would have to fake key presses [which I know how to do with Windows Scripting Host, but not VB or JS on their own], & have no idea how to detect the event of edit mode being initiated & then triggering a secondary event [the toggle script].
Just thought I'd mention it incase it gives anybody else any ideas. |
Post by frank // Jun 14, 2006, 6:23am
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frank
Total Posts: 709
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As I don't use widgets, I had to turn my "3D Controls" back on to see what you are describing.
If you press Tab, this toggles icon visibility (similar to how it works in Photoshop) but it also seems to disable the vertex-edit controls.
That may not be what you want, but give it a try.
EDIT: Hrm...but the object manip. widget is still there when you do this so yeah...not what you want. |
Post by Chester Desmond // Jun 15, 2006, 5:55am
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Chester Desmond
Total Posts: 323
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Not sure if this kind of thing exists in the newer versions, but in TS5 you can use the global panel (looks like 3rd icon from the right in the first screenshot above) to turn the creation of various widgets on and off ... you can also right click this icon for additional options .. If 7 still has the selection box (blue box around object) you can click on the little yellow ball to toggle the rotational widget on and off. |
Post by Alien // Jun 15, 2006, 7:40am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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tS7 has both the selection box & the global panel. I tried various options in the global panel, no luck. As for the selection box, although that is still in tS7, it only appears in point edit mode if you have multiple things [eg several vertices, edges, or faces] selected. |
Post by nowherebrain // Jun 16, 2006, 7:49am
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nowherebrain
Total Posts: 1062
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I hate the widgets period. |
Post by parva // Jun 16, 2006, 8:16am
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parva
Total Posts: 822
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I hate the widgets period.
Yeah let us jump directly to the holographic driven user interface. A hologram of the object in front and you can directly manipulate it by hand :D
... hey wait the potter can do this :D |
Post by Délé // Jun 16, 2006, 8:28am
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Délé
Total Posts: 1374
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I would prefer 2d (interface) widgets myself. 3d widgets are prone to perspective and scale issues, not to mention can get in the way. 2d widgets would be consistently accessible and always stay out of the way. |
Post by hemulin // Jun 16, 2006, 10:25am
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hemulin
Total Posts: 1058
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I just prefer keyboard shortcuts personally. |
Post by GraySho // Jun 16, 2006, 11:59am
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GraySho
Total Posts: 695
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Another 3D widget hater here :( . Totally agree with Dele. 3D Widgets might be helpful for some doodling, but for detail modeling they are crap. Furthermore I dislike that lights and cameras in player view are 3D objects as well. With low light intensity they are almost invisible. |
Post by Alien // Jun 16, 2006, 12:09pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Another 3D widget hater here :( . Totally agree with Dele. 3D Widgets might be helpful for some doodling, but for detail modeling they are crap.
There's a reason handles [curves, etc] are used in a wide variety of progs - becuase they're better. Widgets for moving/sizing whole models, sure, but not for editing, building, etc.
Furthermore I dislike that lights and cameras in player view are 3D objects as well. With low light intensity they are almost invisible.
I think you can modify that. If I understand it correctly, you can make them wire frame, & change their colour, not that I've tried it though [too busy trying to get a useable interface back ATM]. |
Post by tomasb // Jun 17, 2006, 3:06am
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tomasb
Total Posts: 261
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Ok folks, I put possibility to enable/disable specific set of widgets (point edit, lights, camera,nav,...) for Player (Modeler cannot be changed unfortunatelly in this way...) to some preferences panel |
Post by Alien // Jun 17, 2006, 4:25am
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Thanks Tomas! :banana:
I understand what you say about Model side, I half expected that, but is it possible to "fake it"?
As already mentioned earlier in this thread the point edit widget in Model can be hidden manually by toggling 3D controls off then on again [so as to have main view nav widget without point edit widget]. Is there any way to implement my suggestion - toggle 3D controls off then on again [perhaps with a script] automatically?
eg: [totally made-up commands, due to my lack of tS scripting knowledge]
OnDetect:PointEditMode{Toggle:3D_Controls # turns them off
Toggle:3D_Controls # turns them on again} |
Post by tomasb // Jun 17, 2006, 5:50am
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tomasb
Total Posts: 261
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when looking into tsx api..
there is function that hides/unhides all widgets, similar to tab i think.
using tsx api it may be possible to find point edit widget using tsxFindRegWidgetTypeByName. Unregister existing point edit widget.
It may be possible that tS will work correctly if it does not find internal point edit widget, but in case it will not you will need to register empty PE widget... Not sure if it will work either (haven't programmed this part)
point edit widget name is "PointEditControl". |
Post by Alien // Jun 17, 2006, 12:26pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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when looking into tsx api..
there is function that hides/unhides all widgets, similar to tab i think.
using tsx api it may be possible to find point edit widget using tsxFindRegWidgetTypeByName. Unregister existing point edit widget.
It may be possible that tS will work correctly if it does not find internal point edit widget, but in case it will not you will need to register empty PE widget... Not sure if it will work either (haven't programmed this part)
point edit widget name is "PointEditControl".
Thanks for posting that. It's a bit over my head, but at least we have the info now, so maybe someone with a bit of programming experience might be able to make use of the info. [Stan?]
On a slightly different note, I had a look through the icon helper, to try & find the option that's under preferences to hide 3D Controls, but couldn't find it. I also tried Ctrl+right-clicking the option, but no luck there either [though nothing in the preferences panel seems to work with that Ctrl+right-click thing anyway]. Does this mean the function can't be hot-keyed?
Although it's possible someone else might be able to program something to do the job, I was thinking more along the lines of using a script to fake keyboard input [with WSH, which is 1 of the few scripting things I do know how to do :o] of toggling the option twice, then either creating a shortcut on my Windows Quick Launch bar, or assigning the script to 1 of the buttons on my mouse. But if the function can't be hot-keyed, I guess that's not an option. :( |
Post by stan // Jun 18, 2006, 11:11am
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stan
Total Posts: 1240
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On a slightly different note, I had a look through the icon helper, to try & find the option that's under preferences to hide 3D Controls, but couldn't find it.
Alien..you can hotkey it.:) .look in options..it's mis-labeled..they call it "enable controls" :D |
Post by GraySho // Jun 18, 2006, 11:36am
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GraySho
Total Posts: 695
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Ok folks, I put possibility to enable/disable specific set of widgets (point edit, lights, camera,nav,...) for Player (Modeler cannot be changed unfortunatelly in this way...) to some preferences panel
Most appreciated, thanks a lot. |
Post by Alien // Jun 18, 2006, 3:58pm
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Alien
Total Posts: 1231
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Alien..you can hotkey it.:) .look in options..it's mis-labeled..they call it "enable controls" :D
Cool, thanks. :) Well, that's another trueProblem solved. :D
If people are happy with having to use a shortcut twice, then you needn't read the rest of this post... because I've figured out how to do a double-toggle [3D controls off, then on again] with just 1 click of my mouse wheel. :)
For this recipe you'll need:
a relatively recent logitech mouse [MX500, MX700, MX310, MX510 & MX1000 - others might work, but I don't know]
Logitech Setpoint driver software [I don't know if it'll work with latest version (2.8), as I'm still using 2.4]
LogiGamer (http://www.logigamer.com/)
Windows Scripting host (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c717d943-7e4b-4622-86eb-95a22b832caa&DisplayLang=en)
Some double sided sticky tape [not really :p]
First, install the Setpoint software [if you haven't already]
Download & install LogiGamer
Download & install Windows Scripting Host [if you haven't got it installed already]
Then all you need is to assign a shortcut to the function in question in tS, & then make a script to simulate that keypress. But how, you ask? Well, here's 1 I made earlier. :D
Dim Wsh
Set Wsh = Wscript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
Wsh.SendKeys "%(^e)"
Wsh.SendKeys "%(^e)"
Simply paste that code into the text editor of your choice [notepad is more than sufficient], give it a filename & make sure to give it the .vbs file extension.
BTW, the above code is for the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+E [twice, to toggle off then on again - % = Alt, ^ = Ctrl], if you want to use anything other than Ctrl+Alt+something you'll have to look in the WSH documentation [under Sendkeys].
Now, in LogiGamer, make a copy of the .default profile & name it trueSpace7.
Pick a mouse button to assign the shortcut to & select FileLauncher from the dropdown list next to it.
Click the { } button next to the dropdown list. In the little dialog that opens double click the FileName line & then browse to the .vbs file you saved.
Click Assoc on the toolbar to associate the profile with a program [in this case tS7].
Save & Apply the profile.
Now, in tS7 [in theory it might work with 6.x as well, but I haven't tried it] simply enter point edit mode & gasp in horror as the beastly widget rears its head, then simply banish it with a click of the relevant mouse button. :D
The only thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to get the profiles to auto-apply. I know how it's supposed to work, it just doesn't seem to want to [yes, I've tried both with LogiGamer & LogiGamer Lite], so I have to right click the LogiGamer icon in the system tray [it goes there when you minimise it] & select the profile I want. |
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