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Number box knowing it's selected with mouse

→12 posts by 6 people

→Started 2 years ago by seejayjames
→ Latest reply from vade

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seejayjames

If I wanted to implement all transparent-background number boxes for my interface, with them becoming standard boxes when selected, that's OK when you tab through them---you can set the flags right along with the "select" message. But if you mouse-change a box, is there any way for it to know it's been selected, and therefore become non-transparent? I know a "change" could work, but if they're being recalled from a preset or an mtr that might not be desirable.

Really I'm after a way to keep the nice indicator of the triangle and the box when one number box has focus, and keep the rest transparent, to eliminate some of the "boxiness" of the overall interface. Not a problem with tabbing through, but it's the mousing that I can't quite figure out.

Probably this will be moot in M5...

--CJ

2 years ago
jonnyfive

You could use two number boxes and a ubutton with scripting, like this:

Down side is you have to click to switch boxes. also if you scroll
before the scripting the ubutton doesn't trigger the scripts, but
that could probably be fixed.

max v2;
#N vpatcher 481 147 1166 591;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P window linecount 1;
#P message 317 151 30 196617 203;
#P message 317 124 39 196617 set \$1;
#P newex 288 84 53 196617 t b b b i;
#P newex 383 154 40 196617 b 3;
#P message 3 202 132 196617 script bringtofront button1;
#P message 503 197 126 196617 script sendtoback button1;
#P message 414 197 85 196617 script hide num1;
#P message 233 197 85 196617 script hide num2;
#P message 321 197 90 196617 script show num2;
#P message 139 199 90 196617 script show num1;
#P number 288 52 35 9 0 0 64 3 0 0 0 221 221 221 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P objectname num2;
#N thispatcher;
#Q end;
#P newobj 298 313 61 196617 thispatcher;
#P hidden number 288 52 35 9 0 0 8192 3 0 0 0 221 221 221 222 222 222
0 0 0;
#P objectname num1;
#P user ubutton 282 50 47 19 0 0;
#P objectname button1;
#P connect 11 0 9 0;
#P connect 11 1 4 0;
#P connect 11 2 6 0;
#P hidden connect 3 0 1 0;
#P hidden connect 3 0 11 0;
#P connect 4 0 2 0;
#P connect 6 0 2 0;
#P connect 5 0 2 0;
#P connect 7 0 2 0;
#P connect 9 0 2 0;
#P connect 8 0 2 0;
#P connect 11 3 12 0;
#P connect 12 0 13 0;
#P connect 10 0 5 0;
#P hidden connect 0 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 1 7 0;
#P connect 10 2 8 0;
#P pop;

On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:22 PM, Seejay James wrote:

>
> If I wanted to implement all transparent-background number boxes
> for my interface, with them becoming standard boxes when selected,
> that's OK when you tab through them---you can set the flags right
> along with the "select" message. But if you mouse-change a box, is
> there any way for it to know it's been selected, and therefore
> become non-transparent? I know a "change" could work, but if
> they're being recalled from a preset or an mtr that might not be
> desirable.
>
> Really I'm after a way to keep the nice indicator of the triangle
> and the box when one number box has focus, and keep the rest
> transparent, to eliminate some of the "boxiness" of the overall
> interface. Not a problem with tabbing through, but it's the mousing
> that I can't quite figure out.
>
> Probably this will be moot in M5...
>
> --CJ

2 years ago
jonnyfive

I sent a reply once all ready but it didn't go through. So apologies
if this ends up happening twice:

You could use two number boxes and a ubutton with scripting, like this:

One down side is you have to click once to activate the number box s
and if you scroll before the scripting the ubutton doesn't trigger
the scripts, but (some of ) that could probably be fixed.

max v2;
#N vpatcher 481 147 1166 591;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P window linecount 1;
#P message 317 151 30 196617 203;
#P message 317 124 39 196617 set \$1;
#P newex 288 84 53 196617 t b b b i;
#P newex 383 154 40 196617 b 3;
#P message 3 202 132 196617 script bringtofront button1;
#P message 503 197 126 196617 script sendtoback button1;
#P message 414 197 85 196617 script hide num1;
#P message 233 197 85 196617 script hide num2;
#P message 321 197 90 196617 script show num2;
#P message 139 199 90 196617 script show num1;
#P number 288 52 35 9 0 0 64 3 0 0 0 221 221 221 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P objectname num2;
#N thispatcher;
#Q end;
#P newobj 298 313 61 196617 thispatcher;
#P hidden number 288 52 35 9 0 0 8192 3 0 0 0 221 221 221 222 222 222
0 0 0;
#P objectname num1;
#P user ubutton 282 50 47 19 0 0;
#P objectname button1;
#P connect 11 0 9 0;
#P connect 11 1 4 0;
#P connect 11 2 6 0;
#P hidden connect 3 0 1 0;
#P hidden connect 3 0 11 0;
#P connect 4 0 2 0;
#P connect 6 0 2 0;
#P connect 5 0 2 0;
#P connect 7 0 2 0;
#P connect 9 0 2 0;
#P connect 8 0 2 0;
#P connect 11 3 12 0;
#P connect 12 0 13 0;
#P connect 10 0 5 0;
#P hidden connect 0 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 1 7 0;
#P connect 10 2 8 0;
#P pop;

On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:22 PM, Seejay James wrote:

>
> If I wanted to implement all transparent-background number boxes
> for my interface, with them becoming standard boxes when selected,
> that's OK when you tab through them---you can set the flags right
> along with the "select" message. But if you mouse-change a box, is
> there any way for it to know it's been selected, and therefore
> become non-transparent? I know a "change" could work, but if
> they're being recalled from a preset or an mtr that might not be
> desirable.
>
> Really I'm after a way to keep the nice indicator of the triangle
> and the box when one number box has focus, and keep the rest
> transparent, to eliminate some of the "boxiness" of the overall
> interface. Not a problem with tabbing through, but it's the mousing
> that I can't quite figure out.
>
> Probably this will be moot in M5...
>
> --CJ

2 years ago
seejayjames

OK, here's what I was thinking. Seems to work how I imagined after considerable tweaking. Even the mtr playback looks OK, I'm happy. I tried some fiddling with the transparent button and sending to back too, but I definitely want to be able to have the user just click and scroll without having to click to select, then scroll.

I like how it looks for highlighting the boxes, sort of like tabbing through text fields. However, I think it's a better choice than text fields, since you can scroll AND type numbers in, so they're more versatile. See what you think...

--CJ

---------------------

max v2;
#N vpatcher 10 59 1005 703;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P hidden message 559 36 91 196617 saturation \$1;
#P user hslider 428 33 18 112 256 1 0 0;
#P user swatch 428 53 128 37;
#P newex 428 94 123 196617 bgcolor 80 80 80;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 14.;
#P user umenu 272 62 88 196667 1 64 84 0;
#X setrgb 255 255 255 0 0 0 255 255 255 221 221 221 170 170 170 119 119 119 187 187 187;
#X add stop;
#X add record;
#X add play;
#X add read;
#X add write;
#X add clear;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 278 89 66 196617 mtr 4;
#P newex 150 84 63 196617 send numoff;
#N vpatcher 20 74 367 340;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 58 198 46 196620 select;
#P message 28 169 51 196620 flags 0;
#P outlet 31 203 15 0;
#P button 28 105 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 28 82 41 196618 change;
#P inlet 32 41 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 52 138 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P message 233 127 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 233 214 63 196617 send numoff;
#P outlet 160 154 15 0;
#P inlet 101 44 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 118 107 46 196620 select;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 102 82 127 196618 t b b b;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 172 107 51 196620 flags 0;
#P connect 8 0 9 0;
#P connect 9 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 0 12 0;
#P connect 13 0 11 0;
#P connect 12 0 11 0;
#P connect 10 0 7 0;
#P connect 10 0 13 0;
#P connect 3 0 1 0;
#P connect 1 0 2 0;
#P connect 2 0 4 0;
#P connect 0 0 4 0;
#P connect 1 1 0 0;
#P connect 1 2 6 0;
#P connect 7 0 5 0;
#P connect 6 0 5 0;
#P pop;
#P newobj 430 177 84 196617 p numswitch;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 18.;
#P number 430 142 74 18 0 0 8192 3 232 0 0 0 0 0 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#N vpatcher 20 74 367 340;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 61 198 46 196620 select;
#P message 28 169 51 196620 flags 0;
#P outlet 31 203 15 0;
#P button 28 105 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 28 82 41 196618 change;
#P inlet 32 41 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 52 138 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P message 233 127 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 233 214 63 196617 send numoff;
#P outlet 160 154 15 0;
#P inlet 101 44 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 118 107 46 196620 select;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 102 82 127 196618 t b b b;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 172 107 51 196620 flags 0;
#P connect 8 0 9 0;
#P connect 9 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 0 12 0;
#P connect 13 0 11 0;
#P connect 12 0 11 0;
#P connect 10 0 7 0;
#P connect 10 0 13 0;
#P connect 3 0 1 0;
#P connect 1 0 2 0;
#P connect 0 0 4 0;
#P connect 2 0 4 0;
#P connect 1 1 0 0;
#P connect 1 2 6 0;
#P connect 6 0 5 0;
#P connect 7 0 5 0;
#P pop;
#P newobj 330 177 84 196617 p numswitch;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 18.;
#P number 330 142 74 18 0 0 0 3 232 0 0 0 0 0 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#N vpatcher 20 74 367 340;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 47 199 46 196620 select;
#P message 28 169 51 196620 flags 0;
#P outlet 28 223 15 0;
#P button 28 105 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 28 82 41 196618 change;
#P inlet 32 41 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 52 138 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P message 233 127 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 233 214 63 196617 send numoff;
#P outlet 160 154 15 0;
#P inlet 101 44 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 118 107 46 196620 select;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 102 82 127 196618 t b b b;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 172 107 51 196620 flags 0;
#P connect 8 0 9 0;
#P connect 9 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 0 12 0;
#P connect 13 0 11 0;
#P connect 12 0 11 0;
#P connect 10 0 13 0;
#P connect 10 0 7 0;
#P connect 3 0 1 0;
#P connect 1 0 2 0;
#P connect 0 0 4 0;
#P connect 2 0 4 0;
#P connect 1 1 0 0;
#P connect 1 2 6 0;
#P connect 6 0 5 0;
#P connect 7 0 5 0;
#P pop;
#P newobj 234 177 84 196617 p numswitch;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 18.;
#P number 234 142 74 18 0 0 8192 3 232 0 0 0 0 0 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 50 115 75 196617 receive numoff;
#P button 102 27 31 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P newex 150 33 61 196620 loadbang;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#N vpatcher 20 74 367 340;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 73 198 46 196620 select;
#P message 28 169 51 196620 flags 0;
#P outlet 31 203 15 0;
#P button 28 105 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 28 82 41 196618 change;
#P inlet 32 41 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 52 138 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P message 233 127 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 9.;
#P newex 233 214 63 196617 send numoff;
#P outlet 160 154 15 0;
#P inlet 101 44 15 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 118 107 46 196620 select;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 10.;
#P newex 102 82 127 196618 t b b b;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 172 107 51 196620 flags 0;
#P connect 8 0 9 0;
#P connect 9 0 10 0;
#P connect 10 0 12 0;
#P connect 13 0 11 0;
#P connect 12 0 11 0;
#P connect 10 0 7 0;
#P connect 10 0 13 0;
#P connect 3 0 1 0;
#P connect 1 0 2 0;
#P connect 2 0 4 0;
#P connect 0 0 4 0;
#P connect 1 1 0 0;
#P connect 1 2 6 0;
#P connect 7 0 5 0;
#P connect 6 0 5 0;
#P pop;
#P newobj 134 177 84 196617 p numswitch;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 18.;
#P number 134 142 74 18 0 0 8192 3 232 0 0 0 0 0 222 222 222 0 0 0;
#P window setfont "Sans Serif" 12.;
#P message 150 60 75 196620 flags 8192;
#P comment 16 35 100 196620 click first;
#P hidden connect 14 1 2 0;
#P hidden connect 6 0 2 0;
#P hidden connect 12 1 2 0;
#P hidden connect 3 0 2 0;
#P hidden connect 2 0 3 0;
#P hidden connect 5 0 4 0;
#P hidden connect 4 0 1 0;
#P hidden connect 1 0 13 0;
#P hidden connect 2 1 3 1;
#P hidden connect 14 2 7 0;
#P hidden connect 6 0 7 0;
#P hidden connect 3 1 7 0;
#P hidden connect 8 0 7 0;
#P hidden connect 7 0 8 0;
#P hidden connect 15 1 14 0;
#P hidden connect 2 0 14 1;
#P hidden connect 7 0 14 2;
#P hidden connect 7 1 8 1;
#P hidden connect 9 0 14 3;
#P hidden connect 14 3 9 0;
#P hidden connect 6 0 9 0;
#P hidden connect 8 1 9 0;
#P hidden connect 10 0 9 0;
#P hidden connect 9 0 10 0;
#P hidden connect 11 0 14 4;
#P hidden connect 9 1 10 1;
#P hidden connect 19 0 17 0;
#P connect 17 0 16 0;
#P hidden connect 14 4 11 0;
#P hidden connect 6 0 11 0;
#P hidden connect 12 0 11 0;
#P hidden connect 10 1 11 0;
#P hidden connect 11 0 12 0;
#P hidden connect 11 1 12 1;
#P hidden connect 18 0 19 0;
#P pop;

2 years ago
robtherich

that's quite nice.
i'm having trouble figuring out how you got the tab key to cycle through the numbers. i can't find a key object in the patch. is there a feature of number boxes that i'm not aware of?

2 years ago
Peter Castine

A number box with focus swallows the tab key (as well as the numeric keys). This was a late addition to numbox's functionality (IMS: Max 4.0) and seems not to have trickled down to the .help file. But the functionality shows up in Assistance (hover mouse over right outlet) and there are lots of examples of the usage in Inspectors & elsewhere.

I just looked in the Max Ref and the post-4.0 behavior isn't documented there, which is a little unfortunate.

2 years ago
seejayjames

yeah, the first time I noticed the tab dealie was in an inspector, setting the RGB of something. I tabbed just like I was used to in other apps and didn't realize I could implement it so easily. The outlet says "Bang when Tab key pressed", which I had seen, but it didn't really make much sense why it even existed. Would have been nice to see a simple demo in the Help file, it's a very handy feature... every time I make a patch without it I wind up adding it later, it's pretty intuitive from Web apps or Excel, etc.

It's also down in the Inspectors in the side subpatches, like in the numbox inspectors: "sel 9" for Tab and it selects the next text field back in the main level. (These are interesting to explore anyways, just don't break anything ;) So you can use it to tab through text fields just as easily, or for that matter, turn the bang into whatever you want.

Select for numboxes is also good for when you're fullscreen with GL or a video: hit "m", say, and this selects the main Movie speed integer box, for example. So you can change all kinds of parameters without needing to see the interface.

--CJ

2 years ago
robtherich

thanks for the explanation guys.

sometimes i feel like max and me are pretty tight, but then i find out he's keeping stuff from me. why the secrets max?

2 years ago
seejayjames

that's hilarious, I feel the same way pretty often actually

maybe he's just playing hard to get... or he wants you to keep coming back because he's mysterious... it seems to be working ;)

2 years ago
Peter Castine

There was a big deal made of this in the What's New file that came with Max 4.0. All of us who were around then couldn't help notice it.

Obviously there are many people who've come to Max since then... it's been about 6 years. It should be at least in the Max Ref, and something in the .help wouldn't be bad either. The documentation is pretty good, but it does have lacunae. This is one.

2 years ago
joshua goldberg

i've been using max since 2000, and she shows me something new every
week.

join the club.

On Dec 7, 2007, at 1:01 PM, Robert Ramirez wrote:

>
> thanks for the explanation guys.
>
> sometimes i feel like max and me are pretty tight, but then i find
> out he's keeping stuff from me. why the secrets max?
>

2 years ago
vade

That sounds pretty hot :) *ahem* - But I totally chuckled at that Rob
- well said. Max is indeed the silent type. *swoon*

On Dec 9, 2007, at 1:23 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

> i've been using max since 2000, and she shows me something new every
> week.
>
> join the club.
>
> On Dec 7, 2007, at 1:01 PM, Robert Ramirez wrote:
>
>>
>> thanks for the explanation guys.
>>
>> sometimes i feel like max and me are pretty tight, but then i find
>> out he's keeping stuff from me. why the secrets max?
>>
>

2 years ago

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