Visualization
Introduction
A visualization (short form: Visu) basically consists of a background graphic and items placed onto it. The Visu provides you with almost unlimited freedom in determining your own menu/operating structure. Every page can be called up from every other page. A unique structure can be created for every user. If you work with several designs (screen resolutions) then backgrounds (wallpapers) must be created for each design and the items must be placed on these.
A Visu page can contain the following items:
The items can be arranged as required. Every item can be activated by a click. This means that every item can call up other Visu pages as well as special screens and/or run commands. All
special screens, which can also be called up from the
menu, are also available in the visualization.
Import/Export templates
All items that are marked in a Visu page can be exported as templates. This allows you to insert templates into other projects. Templates can be inserted independent of the design; however, the position may may be lost when doing this. When importing a template, all objects used are queried. If the template is imported into another project then all objects must be manually assigned. All icons and modules used can be stored in the template. These are therefore also available in other projects.
Design of the Visu editor
The screen contains the following items. Various functions are available, depending on the context:
(1) Bar, selection of the design
This selects the design. A new design is created under
Project/Design.
(2) Mode: selection
On the Visu surface, you can select items (icons, text, box. camera) using the mouse pointer, change their sizes, move them, align them and edit their properties.
- By left-clicking on an item:
the item is selected and marked by a black border. The selected item can be moved by holding the left mouse button pressed and dragging it.
- By [STRG]+left-clicking on several items:
This selects several items and marks them with a black border. The selected items can be moved by holding the left mouse button pressed and dragging them.
- By left-clicking and holding outside of an item:
Single items, or several items, can be simultaneously marked and moved by holding the left mouse button pressed.
- Double-clicking on an item:
Opens the properties menu for the program item (Edit Visu item)
- [SHIFT]+cursor key when the item is selected:
the size can be changed by pressing the cursor keys. Every press of a key changes the width/height by one pixel
- Left-clicking on the border of a selected item:
the size can be changed by dragging and releasing the item.
- Right-clicking on an item: the following menu is displayed:
(3) Mode: Insert icon
You can place an icon on the Visu surface by clicking on this item.
- Double-clicking on the Visu surface opens the Properties program item (Visu item);
the current coordinates of the mouse pointer are thereby used.
- Left-clicking+holding+dragging on the Visu surface creates a rectangle (box) on the Visu surface; the properties program item appears after letting go of the mouse button (Edit Visu item). The size of the box is then applied. The icon then has this size or is changed to this size.
(4) Mode: Insert text
A text is inserted here. handling is the same as for icons (see above).
(5) Insert box
A box is inserted here. handling is the same as for icons (see above).
(6) Insert camera
A camera picture is inserted here. handling is the same as for icons (see above).
(7) Go to
All items existing on the Visu page and their names are listed here. A single Visu item can be selected from this box.
(8) Properties of the selected item
The
properties of the selected Visu item are shown here.
(9) Align items
The selected items can be aligned (moved) upwards, to the left, to the right and downwards. All marked items are aligned to the last marked item.
(A) Adjust width, height and width+height of items
The selected items are adjusted to the same dimensions as the last marked item.
(B) Properties of Visu background
The appropriate
screen is opened.
(C) Visu surface
(D) Current mouse position (cursor position)
The current position of the mouse pointer is shown here, related to the top-left corner of the Visu surface.
(E) Tree structure contains a list of all Visu pages
Contains all Visu pages of the current design (see (1))
User menu (tree structure)
- Cut
The marked Visu page is stored in the buffer (clipboard) and also removed. The contents of the clipboard is now available with the HomeServer Expert.
- Copy
A marked Visu page is stored in the buffer (copied). The contents of the clipboard is now available with the HomeServer Expert.
- Paste
The buffer (see Cut and Copy) is inserted underneath the place marked.
- Duplicate
A selected menu item or a menu page and all menu items underneath it are duplicated underneath the currently marked location.
- Remove
A selected Visu page is deleted.
- Store as template
A selected Visu page is stored as a template. The template of a Visu page stores the complete Visu page together with all of its items. These can be re-inserted in menu item New from template.
- Create Visu page
A Visu page is created by this.
- Create internal template
A Visu page from the template memory is inserted by this.
User menu (Visu surface)
- Cut
The marked items are buffered and removed when inserting at this position.
- Copy
The marked items are stored in the buffer (clipboard).
- Insert
The buffer is inserted at the position of the mouse.
- Duplicate
Duplicates the marked item. Note: Only one item is ever duplicated If several items are marked then only the item currently in focus is duplicated.
- Remove
Deletes the marked item permanently from the Visu page.
- Go to
If the marked item is linked to a Visu page then this Visu page is shown in the editor.
- Arrange
Arranges the marked items in a particular order:
- Forwards - moves the item to the front position. All other items are then underneath this item.
- Backwards - moves the item to the last position. All other items are then on top of this item.
- Forward by one - moves the item up one place.
- Back by one - moves the item down one place.
- Align
More details on this are contained in Align in the toolbar of the editor.
- Size
More details on this are contained in Adjust size in the toolbar of the editor.
- Fast assignment
Fast assignment allows for quick formatting. Fast assignment always effects all marked items. The following attributes can be changed by fast assignment:
- Background color (texts and boxes)
- Font color (only text items)
- Font type (only text items)
- Text alignment (only text items)
- Text spacing (only text items)
- User group
- Store as template
-
Store (incl. icons and modules)
All marked items are exported as a template. The items can therefore now be inserted into other projects. Icons and modules are also exported and automatically inserted into the new project when the data do not already exist. The data is reconciliated via the icon key and the module key. If there are icons/modules in the project with identical keys then these are not taken from the template. Templates can be inserted into the project via menu item New/Import template.
-
Store (without icons and modules)
All marked items are exported as a template. The items can therefore now be inserted into other projects. Icons and modules are not exported and should therefore also exist in the project. The data is not reconciliated via the icon key or the module key. If there are icons/modules in the project with identical keys then these are automatically assigned during the import. Templates can be inserted into the project via menu item New/Import template.
-
Store as internal template
A selected menu item is stored as a template in the project. Menu templates store the complete entry of a menu item and can only be used within the project. These can be re-inserted in menu item Insert internal template.
- New
Creates a new Visu item or imports an existing template into the Visu page.
- Properties
Shows the properties window of the current Visu item. If no item is marked then the Properties window of the Visu page is shown.