Usng an image to "disable" a group

[Peter Haworth]

On Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 11:00 PM, J. Landman Gay <jacque at hyperactivesw.com>
wrote:

> I think you're making this too hard.  :-)
>

Wouldn't be the first time!

>
> Create an image object.  Use the paint bucket to fill it with a color.
> Set its transparency, and size it over a group.  Hide and show it as needed.
>

First time I've used the paint bucket so I might be doing something wrong
but it doesn't seem to work with images? Even if it worked, as soon as I
change the opacity of the image from zero, it's possible to type into any
field controls in the underlying group.

>
> This will create a sort of tinted overlay that allows the original group
> to show through but will block mouse events. I'm not sure that's what
> you're looking for but it should work.  The corners will be square, which
> doesn't quite match the shape of a group that has borders.
>
> On September 21, 2014 8:29:57 PM CDT, Peter Haworth <pete at lcsql.com>
> wrote:
> >Hi Scott,
> >Yes, it's a little difficult to explain.
> >
> >Basically I'm trying to block access to groups on a card until allowed
> >by
> >script. Right now, I do it by disabling/enabling the groups when
> >appropriate.  That works just fine but I was trying to find a better
> >way to
> >visually indicate that a group is disabled instead of the faded grey
> >color
> >that LC uses.
> >
> >Exporting a snapshot of each of these groups it their enabled state,
> >positioning them over the groups and showing/hiding them is how I'm
> >trying
> >to handle it but I had hoped to be able to change the background color
> >of
> >the image to indicate the group is disabled.
> >
> >At this point, I don't think it's worth the effort to pursue this any
> >further so I'll go back to disabling/enabling the groups.
> >
> >
> >
> >The card has three groups on it, each with various controls in it,
> >field,
> >buttons, etc.  Currently, when the card opens, the first group is
> >enabled
> >and the other two are disabled.  The user fills in data in the first
> >group,
> >and clicks on a button that adds the data to a database.  At that point
> >the
> >second group is enabled and the user fills in data in that one, clicks
> >a
> >button to add it to the database and the third group is enabled.  So
> >basically just controlling the order in which data is entered.
> >
> >That all works fine right now but I don't particularly like the way a
> >disabled group looks and since there doesn't seem to be any way to
> >control
> >that, I started down this path of trying to use graphics and images to
> >do
> >it (and wish I hadn't :-).
> >
> >I ruled out a graphic because it doesn't block users from typing into
> >any
> >field controls there might be in the group.  Unless it's opaque of
> >course
> >but then the user can't even see that there's a group there.
> >
> >I've been working with a snapshot image of the second and third groups
> >positioned over the top of them and that does indeed stop the user from
> >doing anything with those groups until the image is removed.  However,
> >other than the user not being to use any controls in the group, there's
> >no
> >visual indication that the group is "disabled" and that's what I was
> >hoping
> >to achieve by somehow setting a background color/blendlevel of the
> >image
> >but it seems setting the backgroundcolor of an image has no effect.  I
> >tried all the other colors in the Property Inspector for the graphic
> >but
> >non of them affect it's background
> >
> >Pete
> >lcSQL Software <http://www.lcsql.com>
> >Home of lcStackBrowser <http://www.lcsql.com/lcstackbrowser.html> and
> >SQLiteAdmin <http://www.lcsql.com/sqliteadmin.html>
> >
> >On Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Scott Rossi <scott at tactilemedia.com>
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Hey Pete:
> >>
> >> It sounds like there's some detail missing here.  I haven't followed
> >all
> >> the posts on this, but from what you described, it shouldn't matter
> >if
> >> whatever you're capturing has a background or not.  If you're
> >capturing
> >> multiple overlaid objects, you should either be capturing a snapshot
> >of
> >> the group of all the objects, or from the card so all the objects
> >appear
> >> composited together.
> >>
> >> Are you intentionally trying to leave gaps in the snapshot?  If not,
> >a
> >> capture of the card should work.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Scott Rossi
> >> Creative Director
> >> Tactile Media, UX/UI Design
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 9/21/14 3:44 PM, "Peter Haworth" <pete at lcsql.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hi Eric,
> >> >I tried that but the image has no background color so changing the
> >> >blending
> >> >doesn't change it's appearance (the underlying group just shows
> >through).
> >> >
> >> >Using a snapshot would work great if I could just find a way to
> >change the
> >> >background color of the resulting image but there doesn't appear to
> >be a
> >> >way to do that.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> --
> Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
> HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com
>
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