1. The
Initialization File
1.1 Automatic Attributes
1.2 Platform Attributes
1.3 Advanced Attributes
3. Using the Special Features of GIF Images
5. Audio Files
Intended
Audience
This document is intended
for use by licensed customers of Alpha Software Express' ExpressDesigner.
It contains more in-depth information on specific functions and features
for the more advanced user. This document also assumes the reader is familiar
with the general concepts of Express Designer (aka
ExpressDesigner)
and has read the Basic User's Guide and,
depending on the edition in use, may also be familiar with the concepts
in the Guide to Complex Objects, Guide
to Security and the Enterprise Administration.
© 2002, 2003
Alpha Software Express, LLC - San Rafael, CA USA
Send any questions or comments
to: aex@alphase.com
ExpressDesigner refers to this product1. The Initialization File
BDI refers to the Basic Designer Interface
CDI refers to the Complex Designer Interface
Text in This Type refers to on screen buttons
Text in This Type refers to top level menu items
Text in This Type refers to specific menu selections, or input field labels
Text in This Type refers to file names and parameters
Text in This Type refers to data entered into the user's CLI
This file is automatically created the first time you select Save Settings from the File menu. Whenever you select Save Settings thereafter, the file is updated. The file can also be updated by any text editor. When you load the file into a text editing session, you will see about 90 lines. Each line represents a single attribute/value pair, or comment line. Attribute/value pairs are indicated by an equal sign ( = ) separating the attribute from the value. A comment line is indicated by the # character in the first byte. The first 2 lines are comments. You can also enter your own comments in this way anywhere in the file, so long as the # character is in the first byte.
The attribute/value pairs are further categorized into 3 distinct types: Those that are set/reset from the BDI, or CDI, whenever you select Save Settings from the File menu, constitute the Automatic type. Those that are ExpressDesigner specific and can only be set by a text editing session comprise the Advanced type. Finally, those that are platform specific and must not be altered by you are the Platform type.
1.1 Automatic
Attributes
There are currently 43 Automatic
attributes. More may be added in the future. They are shown in table
1-1. Although these can be changed manually, through the use of a text
editor, it is not recommended. Many values can only be true/false. Others,
like DrawingHeight
represent an integer in pixels. A few, like PixelMetric,
represent an index into a table. The color values are shown as decimal
values, but need to be translated into hexadecimal numbers for analysis.
When represented in hexadecimal, the first 2 digits must be FF,
the second 2 digits represent the red value, the next 2 digits determine
the green value and the rightmost 2 digits indicate the blue value. For
example, the default value for BackgroundColor
is -3618616,
which translates to the hex number FFC8C8C8
- a gray color where each of the red, green and blue values are identified
by the value C8.
If you alter this value, you must then convert the altered value back to
decimal. For example to convert the above to a light blue, you might set
it to hex number FF00C0F5,
- i.e. remove the red, slightly reduce the green and increase the blue.
You would then need to convert this hex number back to decimal, or -16727819.
It is because of these complications
that it is not recommended to alter these values manually.
Attribute | Default Value |
ActivityLog | false |
BackgroundColor | -3618616 |
BaseFont | java.awt.Font[family\=Arial,name\=Arial,style\=plain,size\=11] |
BotToolbar | true |
Color1 | -16777216 |
Color2 | -1 |
Color3 | -65536 |
Color4 | -16711936 |
Color5 | -16776961 |
DrawToFit | false |
DrawToFrame | false |
DrawingHeight | 480 |
DrawingWidth | 640 |
EqualPolySides | 3 |
GraceValue | 10 |
GridColor | -4934476 |
GridLabelColor | -4934476 |
GridSize | 10 |
HardDocPrivs | -1 |
ImportColors | false |
LabelGrid | false |
LineageCheck | true |
LooseSelect | false |
MainFrameHeight | 480 |
MainFrameWidth | 640 |
PauseMotion | false |
PixelMetric | 0 |
PixelSize | 0.0 |
RndArcPct | 10 |
ShowCOAttributes | false |
ShowCOBorders | false |
ShowClips | false |
ShowGridBottom | false |
ShowGridSelected | false |
ShowGridTop | false |
ShowObjectID | false |
ShowPoints | false |
ShowROBox | false |
ShowTokens | false |
TapeMeasure | false |
TextFont | java.awt.Font[family\=Arial,name\=Arial,style\=plain,size\=11] |
TopToolbar | true |
ZoomLevel | 1 |
1.2 Platform
Attributes
The number of Platform type entries
is dependent on the platform you're running on. The following table (table
1-2) describes a typical subset of these. Do not alter any of these.
They are included here as an example only.
Sample Attribute | Sample Value |
java.vendor | Sun\ Microsystems\ Inc. |
java.version | 1.2.2 |
java.vm.info | build\ JDK-1.2.2_011,\ native\ threads,\ symcjit |
java.vm.name | Classic\ VM |
line.separator | \r\n |
os.arch | x86 |
os.name | Windows\ NT |
os.version | 4.0 |
path.separator | ; |
user.dir | C\:\\WINNT.0\\Profiles\\Administrator\\Desktop |
user.region | US |
1.3 Advanced
Attributes
The Advanced attributes must be
set manually, via a text editor, if they are to be changed from their default
values. Once changed, they will remain in effect until they are changed
again. They are described here and shown in table 1-3
with their default values.
Attribute | Default Value |
MaxObjects | 1024 |
MaxWidth | 6400 |
MaxHeight | 6400 |
LocalLineageFile | aex.llf |
GlobalLineageFile | aex.glf |
L2AdminFile |
2. BDI
and CDI Parameters
When the BDI or CDI
is started from a command line window, it can also include some additional
parameters (aka arguments). These arguments can appear
in any order after the java class name of the interface being started.
Both BDI and
CDI support the same arguments.
The possible arguments are :
3. Using
the Special Features of GIF Images
There are two interesting features
implemented in the GIF file format and usable in ExpressDesigner
drawings.
The first is transparency the second is animation.
When a GIF image is created you can specify that one of its colors be transparent - that is, invisible. This is an especially exciting feature for ExpressDesigner since a transparent GIF image can in many ways appear like a virtual Complex Object, without the attributes. To do this just don't select the include background color when specifying Export Drawing Options. If its not selected, the background color of the drawing becomes the transparent color. For example, a group of simple objects can be combined to create a more comprehensive depiction, then using the Export... function, you can group those objects together into a transparent GIF using Crop-to-Minimum or Dynamic Crop. Thereafter, whenever the exported image is loaded back into a drawing it takes on the look of an actual Complex Object, without the attributes. Using this method, and capturing other transparent GIF files from around the world wide web, you can create a library of images that can be used as components for all your drawings.
Another feature a GIF image file
is that it can implement an animated image by grouping a set of still GIF
images. This feature also allows the timing between image views to be specified
as well as the number of times the images should loop through the set.
This is known as an Animated GIF and, while this cannot be created from
this version of ExpressDesigner,
such images can be read in as normal images and they will animate properly.
However, there is no mechanism in the current version to stop the animation.
So if they were created to loop forever, they could become annoying. Use
with care.
Note: This is entirely different
from the animation methods provided under the SpecialFX
menu in ExpressDesigner,
which is far more flexible.
4. Texture
Files
All the files used to produce the
texture palette are contained in the Textures
sub directory in your ExpressDesigner
Root Directory. If you don't know where your Root Directory is, see the
About
function in your Help menu. For example
if your Root Directory is C:\jdk1.3-1_07\jre\aex\,
then all your texture files are in C:\jdk1.3-1_07\jre\aex\Textures.
There you will find your current list of GIF and JPEG files - each defining
one texture. All the files in this directory are read into ExpressDesigner
during startup to create the Texture List. Therefore, all files in this
directory must be either GIF or JPEG formatted files. It doesn't
matter what you name them, as long as they are real GIF or JPEG images.
To add files, and therefore textures, just find new, small texture files
(less than 5k bytes) on the Web, or create your own
with ExpressDesigner.
Any small GIF or JPEG will work. Then the next time you start up you should
see them in your Texture List Box.
When creating your own there are really only 2 rules:
5. Audio
Files
Like Texture files, all the audio
files are in a sub directory under your ExpressDesigner
Root Directory. That sub directory name is, not surprisingly, Audio.
There are 22 .wav
files which are named Track1.wav
through Track22.wav.
Each file relates to a different action, or set of actions, as shown in
Table 5-1. You can replace any, or all of these, with your own .wav
files. They are not sacred. The only thing to consider is their play length.
The play length on most of the 22 files provided with is less than 2 seconds.
We recommend very short play length files.
Table 5-1
Audio File Usage
File Name | Play Action / Usage |
Track1.wav | Plays at startup, or when EnableAudio is selected. |
Track2.wav | When exiting ExpressDesigner |
Track3.wav | When the first (default) choice is selected from a dialog box (e.g. OK). |
Track4.wav | When the choice selected from a dialog box is not the first one (e.g. Cancel). |
Track5.wav | Plays on Mouse Released (unless Select or Move). |
Track6.wav | Plays on Mouse Released when Move completed. |
Track7.wav | Plays when the Draw
Type or Line Width is changed.
Plays on Mouse Released when successful Select Object. |
Track8.wav | Plays when the File Selection Box appears. |
Track9.wav | Plays when an option
is selected from any of the selection/control boxes i.e.:
Drawing Size, Easy Scale, Edit Tokens, Export, Font, Pixel Scale, Print, Security, Spin Control, Track Assign, Track Control and Trim |
Track10.wav | Plays when a Palette
button is selected from the bottom toolbar;
when the Preview button is pressed in the Rotator Box; when the Browse button is pressed in Security Box; when any button is pressed on Spin Control Box, Track Control Box & Track Assign Box |
Track11.wav | When
Save
Settings is chosen from the File menu.
Plays when a file is saved. |
Track12.wav | Plays on Mouse Pressed. |
Track13.wav | When
Select
All is chosen from the Edit menu.
Plays when the ACTIVE option is selected from the Group area on the bottom toolbar. |
Track14.wav | Plays when a selected
object, or Group, is re-oriented (e.g. Turn).
Plays when the "special attribute" is enabled from the Edit menu. |
Track15.wav | Plays whenever any of the View menu choices are selected. |
Track16.wav | Plays whenever any of the Grid menu choices are selected. |
Track17.wav | Plays when any of the Hard Doc Privileges is changed from the Security menu. |
Track18.wav | Plays when either the Zoom or Scroll Bars entries is selected from the Size&Scale menu. |
Track19.wav | Plays when the Tape Measure is selected from the Size&Scale menu. |
Track20.wav | Plays whenever a Palette is selected on the bottom toolbar. |
Track21.wav | Plays when the Move or Alternate option is selected from the bottom toolbar. |
Track22.wav | Plays whenever any of the Options menu choices are selected. |
6. Event
Logging
You can track your activity using
event logging, by enabling Log Activities from
the Options menu. The file created is
a text file that can be view by any text editor. Each line (record)
in the file represents a single action. Each line is formatted according
to the action and includes appropriate text. Table 6-1 describes the usage
of these formatting characters.
Table 6-1
Formatting
Format Character(s) | Meaning |
( ) | A choice selection |
< > | Value selected |
[ ] | Button pressed |
| | (x,y) | Mouse Action at location |
= | Menu selection |
The following is an annotated example
(annotations are in yellow).
(<Circle>) Select
Circle from the Drawing Type choice widget
[<Fill Object>]false
Set
Fill indicator on bottom toolbar to false
[Color1] Select
Color/Texture Palette button #1
[<Fill Object>]true
Set
Fill indicator on bottom toolbar to true
|click|(276,178) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (276,178)
|release|(386,309) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (386,309)
[Move] Press
the Move button on the top toolbar
|click|(344,269) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (344,269)
|release|(401,227) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (386,309)
[ Copy ] Copy
button pressed
[Insert] Insert
button pressed
=Edit =Coloration...
Coloration
selected from Edit menu
[Move] Press
the Move button on the top toolbar
|click|(457,312) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (457,312)
|release|(279,246) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (279,246)
[Select] Press
the Move button on the top toolbar
|click|(426,213) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (426,213)
|release|(427,213) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (427,213)
[Move] Press
the Move button on the top toolbar
|click|(440,202) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (440,202)
|release|(354,322) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (354,322)
[Select] Press
the Select button on the top toolbar
|click|(312,147) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (312,147)
|release|(312,147) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (312,147)
[Remove] Press
the Remove button on the top toolbar
(<Rectangle>) Select
Rectangle from the Drawing Type choice widget
[<Fill Object>]true
Set
Fill indicator on bottom toolbar to true
[Color2] Select
Color/Texture Palette button #2
|click|(452,122) Press
mouse at (X,Y) position (452,122)
|release|(536,232) Release
mouse at (X,Y) position (536,232)
[Remove] Press
the Remove button on the top toolbar
[<1>]false Select
Line Width to 2
[<2>]true Select
Line Width to 2
© 2002, 2003 Alpha
Software Express, LLC.
All rights reserved.