Draw over existing objects

[Frank D. Engel, Jr.]

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On Apr 26, 2005, at 10:19 AM, MisterX wrote:

> you're not obliged to be in drawing mode... You can simulate it with a
> cursor and a moving/resizing rect or graphic (with a marquee pattern).

Except that I want to support nearly all of the graphics shapes -- 
rects, roundRects, ovals, curves, etc. -- and this would be 
substantially more work, possibly negating the value of doing this at 
all.

> Then you select what falls in the "selection" by intersection or
> inclusion... Im not sure i'd use
> a group rather than a simple rect graphic (simpler)...

Except that the group does the work of handling scrolling for you.  The 
group fills virtually the entire window (except where the toolbar is) 
- -- so there would be no value in using a rect.

>> The group is not marked as opaque, currently has no objects
>> within it (it is an empty group), is set to cantSelect, has
>> both scrollbars, is visible, and covers all but a small part
>> of the window, where I am dragging a palette along with the
>> window (as a toolbar -- not a perfect solution, of course,
>> but the best I've come up with so far given Rev's feature set
>> in terms of the drawing tools).
>
> im lost here... What does the group do? Are you supposed to scroll
> when dragging beyond the edge?

Not necessarily (though that's not a particularly bad idea); I'm 
creating a custom report layout editor to be included with a commercial 
software product, and would like to be able to scroll larger report 
layouts rather than splitting them into separate windows.  I am now 
realizing various issues with my current implementation (which uses 
separate windows for each section -- this isn't the problem I'm trying 
to solve, but I'd like to fix it anyway), and in considering starting 
over, I'd like to get this done right this time, including a scrolling, 
resizing window representing the report layout.  I want it to act like 
a drawing program, to make life a little easier for the end users.

And looking at the reports product which has been brought up on this 
list previously:

1. I want to distribute the editor with the product, which would 
seemingly require a royalty fee (or at least an expensive custom 
version purchase), which I'm trying to avoid.

2. The product will gather information from a database, and I want the 
layouts stored on the database server itself, rather than files on a 
disk.

3. The editor brought up on the list allows use of Rev functions, etc. 
in fields, and I don't want to risk users picking up on the functions, 
etc. which I have included in the (rather large, complex) product and 
misusing them.

4. I'd like the editor to be a separate program, so that I can have it 
shared between several products in a series.  Information about the 
various types of reports which layouts can be generated for should also 
be gathered from information which an installer will populate the 
database with.  This includes a list of available sections, fields, 
etc. for any given report (and there will be a different set of 
sections possible with different types of reports).

I could go on, but I think you get the idea by now.  The editor is 
somewhat specialized, but I want it to look a bit more professional 
than a too-highly specialized tool.

Of course, dragging the palette window around to make a toolbar isn't 
particularly professional-looking, either...

Please Rev, let us specify a different tool for a single group placed 
on a card!  Please...

Or at least let us scroll entire windows, rather than just groups: I 
could stand to use a floating palette if that helps...


- -----------------------------------------------------------
Frank D. Engel, Jr.  <fde101 at fjrhome.net>

$ ln -s /usr/share/kjvbible /usr/manual
$ true | cat /usr/manual | grep "John 3:16"
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life.
$
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