MegaHurts Wish List for Visual-TFT

[Megahurts]

Hi mE guys,

I was wondering if this addition would be something you would consider changing with V-TFT?

In the Object Inspector, on all components properties that use a drop down box for selecting between the two
choices available, like True or False, can you leave the drop down box button always visible so we do not have
to click on that property twice to get access to the selection choices?

Just something to help save time for using the software. I have a couple others to request also, but I have to go
play in a FoosBall tournament right now and will post those after I get done later so please check for them.

Thanks again guys, Robert.

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

I understand you request, and we will consider it.
It is nice suggestion.

Also if you have more suggestions, please post them here and we will consider them too.

Best regards.

[Megahurts]

Hello Janko,

Thanks, I think so too on that wish item, too much clicking required with current system.
I would like to add to the above wish that any properties that has a drop-down list or button that
opens an additional selection window, be visible at all times. Only the properties that require keyboard
entered content should be the ones that do not have any drop lists or buttons visible I guess.


Anyway, Here are a few others I would like for you to consider please:

1. For the font property of all components (that have a font property), make it an expandable
property with sub property lines for selecting color, size and font code range.
Then choosing a font would entail clicking on a always visible drop-list button to scroll through
to select font, like in currently used options window.
The same for the sub properties on fonts.
This would make the font property look like the gradient properties layout.

2. There needs to be a way of easily un-selecting a component so you do not have to mandatory
complete the process of placing the component on the screen, then deleting it.
I suggest that a simple mouse Right-click any where in screen editing area should clear any Add-A-Component
selection that was done and the Esc key also do this, if it does not already.
{Checked, it does not}

3. For all of your software: "IF" there needs to be a selection window opened up for displaying
options to choose from, please have the window appear close to where the mouse pointer was at
when the user clicked the control to initiate the process, instead of in the middle of the programs
window or across it on the other side.
This should be common practice in all windows software developed by now (by anyone).

-(It took several attempts of clicking on the software debug variable watch windows display of
variables I wanted to see displayed in decimal format and having each attempt on each variable
leave it so nothing seemed to happen after the first click so I would have to stop debug run in order
to get the variables display format selector to respond again, until I finally realized there was a
option window opening on the other side of my display every time I clicked on the display format
option button by each variable waiting for a selection to be made and [OK] button clicked to proceed.
The default theme colors had a lot to do with not seeing it appear also,
but I was expecting to see something appear where I had clicked.)

4. Different components for displaying text (labels):
One that creates a component object for use when the text will never need to be changed so
its size also stays constant. Simply, the currently used label component but with 'Max Size' property
automatically set by length of the content in the Text property.
This one retains the "Static" property option for users resource placement choice.

One for all the other occasions where the text will be changed and number of characters will vary
up to the defined max character limit property setting.
This one does not have a "Static" property so there is no way to mistakenly set it wrong.
Now here is the reason for wanting a different label component of this type:
This one should also have the additional coding of properly erasing the previous content (label_caption),
when new label_caption content is assigned to it.
Basically, one that has a background color property added that it uses to first draw a block, (size determined
by font size and max characters settings), of the background color to erase previous text displayed,
then it draws the content of the labels 'Caption' property on a nice cleared area.
How wonderful would that be for us?

That's all for now, Thanks again for considering and hope you all had a wonderful Holiday, Robert.

[Megahurts]

Happy New Year,

I was wondering if this might be considered as a solution to fix the V-TFT problem of overwriting any
user code that is not in the designated areas when project is loaded into V-TFT after editing in a compiler.

A more flexible implementation (for users, not sure how your SW developers will like idea), would be a way
users could mark blocks of custom code so V-TFT would not disturb or remove those parts during a re-build of the project.

If it was done with the user code 'Beginning/Ending' comment arrangement, then only V-TFT would need to be changed to recognize the markers.
None of the compilers would care about the markers since they are considered comment lines.
Like in this example code:

Code: Select all

'--------------------- User code ---------------------'
Dim Xmin as Word external   '\
    Xmax as Word external   ' \_______TFT_TP_CONSTANTS from Main Module
    Ymin as Word external   ' /
    Ymax as Word external   '/
'----------------- End of User code ------------------'

I am sure a lot of users would agree, if V-TFT is used as a development tool for a project, sooner or
later, there will come a time when the user will need to have their code execute before it can be executed with the
currently restricting design for users code areas that we have to stay in. Sometimes there will be a need
to add code to inside a V-TFT generated routine to achieve a desired result that otherwise would not be feasible also.

I would rather spend the extra little time putting marker comments to block out a code section, than the current method
I have been doing, making 2 copies of a project and having to copy/paste compiler edited code back into
the one that had to be edited in V-TFT again and making sure I have correctly kept both up to date so if
editing in V-TFT is required again.
One mistake and a lot of work just disappears.

I am sure you have heard a lot on this subject and I don't want to seem ungrateful or bugging you about
something you are aware of. I just have been thinking of anyway I might help you find an easy solution to
make V-TFT work better with the compilers so we all can benefit if they integrated together better.

I think this method would allow a lot of freedom and flexibility for users to take full advantage of the hardware
configurations that are available now and upcoming.

I know this means adding a code parser to V-TFT when it does not have any, but if it only has
to look for occurrences of the already built in beginning/ending user code comment lines for any programming language supported,
this might be easier to implement than other methods of making V-TFT leave a users custom
code intact regardless of where it is in any module.

I hope this can help you in anyway and I'm looking forward to this next year of hardware and software releases from you, Robert.

[Megahurts]

Hi,

How about adding a Dot Component to the Basic components Palette?
It seems to be the only one missing from the drawing functions.

Regards, MHz.

[janko.kaljevic]

Hello,

thanks for the nice suggestions.

I have added them to our wish list and we will consider them for the next releases of the application.
Thanks again for your effort and time invested to help us improve VisualTFT Tool.

Best regards.

[JohnGB]

I am new to V-TFT but having started to build my first project I would like to make a few suggestions:

It would be really helpful to be able to set up default properties for a screen so that components placed on that screen adopt the same attributes. E.g. Font.

When choosing the font name it would help to be able to type in the first letters of the font name and have the drop down scroll to the first font name which matched the name entered. It would also be friendly not to reset the font size back to 8 when changing the font name.

I concur with MegaHurts who has asked for a better method of setting up keyboards or any matrix. Something like a control array which you could address by index. Its clear on my first project that the code generated by V-TFT for presenting a calendar is significantly more than would be the case if one could set up a matrix of controls.

I have noticed a bug which appears to screw up the alignment of controls. If you move around a block of controls sometimes some of those controls appear to be misplaced by about half a pixel. It is probably a registration issue between PC screen grid the TFT screen grid because the positioning values e.g. Top or Left of the controls in question are the same as the other controls in the group but they don't appear aligned in V-TFT.

A facility to create a new control which can be added to the component palette.

Remember the preferred compiler rather than having to set it up specifically for each project.

The above is a list of feature/issues which I have come across to date. I haven't tried building an application so cannot comment on this aspect.

JohnB

Just realised I should have put this in a new thread, apologies MegaHurt.

[filip]

Hi,

Thank you for all suggestions, I will pass them to our developers.

Regards,
Filip.

[Megahurts]

Hi mE,

Thank you for the changes made to the component properties windows, I like the way you did it.
Very much like I imagined it should be. Great job. It makes the work go much faster now.

Still digging around in the program to see what else has changed, for the better I hope .

Would like to also propose a new component to show a "Rate Curve" with selectable number of
adjustment points along the curve. This would be a variable rate I/O control feature.
If not interested, ok, no problem, working on making it myself anyway.

And to: John,
No Problem Bro, you have good points also and it can only help to make the software better, no matter
where it gets posted, as long as it gets noticed anyway lol .

Best regards, Robert.

[JohnGB]

I have built my own multi button control in software. I works well.

In my current app I place a matrix of 8 buttons on the screen using a single button resource. The place routine simply paints the same button at each location in the matrix. The result is 7 images of the button and one real one.

The touch routine checks the location of the touch and if it falls within the confines of the array of buttons it will redraw the "real button" over the existing button image and the "Real Button" will then execute the Click event.

If anyone is interested I am happy to publish the code.

[Megahurts]

Hi JohnGB,

I think you should post the code regardless, creative solutions are always great for examples of
coding.

I think it would be nice of MikroeElektronika to have a ongoing contest for code solutions with
hardware as the prize...? It might prompt faster solutions to what a lot of people are asking for.

I am having mixed emotions about the upcoming implementation of the FT800 EVE display controller,
it has hardware based solutions for many of the things we are asking for, for the MMB's of current hardware,
But... (there is always a 'But'), will there ever be solutions for the current displays???
We don't have FT800 hardware, so there is still the need for solutions in V-TFT for stuff we have
already purchased. Without a lot of requests or some sort of incentive, I fear there may never be.
It actually makes me a little mad that I can see components in V-TFT now to do things I would like
to have in my projects, but can't use them.
It seems we now know what mE meant in replies of "we are working on that", --->New Hardware.
While I am excited about the features the FT800 offers, I also feel the owners of current hardware
may have been sacrificed in the process.

I hope mE can alleviate these concerns with some action for current hardware owners, Robert.

[JohnGB]

I they move to the FT800 as the default then they are excluding a lot of other controllers including their own multi media Development boards.

If V-TFT is not going to be developed any more then MikroElektronika should allow custom controls to be added by users and published like libraries. If you look at the code generated it is quite easy to see how it works and to add controls using similar coding standards.

I will make my control matrix a little more generic and then post it here. Its a shame they don't provide a wiki where users can share their published code.

[Megahurts]

Its a shame they don't provide a wiki where users can share their published code.

Well it isn't "wiki" based, but they do have "LibStock" site. That is where you should post the code John.
Same user ID you have here is how to sign in there and upload files. Plus there is not the file size
limit there that you have to deal with uploads here in forum posts.

Best Regards, Robert.

[Megahurts]

Hey M.E. Team,

I would like to re-wish that there be a way to cancel out of a "component selected for placement" state.

Not that there are any problems with hitting the delete key after placing the component on the
screen editing area, just want to make it easier and faster for those times a person changes their mind
about what editing should be done next or first.

The "Esc" key is my preferred choice for this cancellation action please.

Thanks, Robert.

[LGR]

I will make my control matrix a little more generic and then post it here. Its a shame they don't provide a wiki where users can share their published code.

You can always zip it up and put it on Libstock. The files there don't have to be .mpkg. For examples, it's better to not try to make a package, but simply post a zip file.