GUI

FDR wrote:

PhracturedBlue wrote: On a different note, should the value of the trim show in the Throttle value on the main screen?
That is if the throttle is showing '50%' on screen and I push the up-trim button, should it go to 51% (or whatever)?

I will check it later at home, but I think no.
I don't know how they do it, but their trim values have +-200 range!
So if it were count into the 0..100% throttle value, it would overflow soon...

I was wrong, the trim value effects the channel value:
200 throttle trim mean 12% throttle value.

So they are not in percentages...

PhracturedBlue wrote: What is your thought behind having multiple main screens? i plan to reserve the arrow keys for virtual buttons, so you won't be able to use them (without a long-press-enter) to switch pages.

But I don't really see the value in being able to switch between multiple pages quickly for a given model. I understand choosing one of several templates and configuring the position, but not being able to quickly switch between them on the fly.

It isn't that it is technically hard to implement, but it will take a lot of time to develop multiple pages and have each one be configurable.

Well I don't insist on the ability to switch them "runtime", but I will try to explain what was in my mind:

The usual main screen is useful for flying. It is needed for sure. But for example you won't need six trim values for every model. The 4ch ones don't necessarily need them. But then you have a lot of place taken by unnecessary controls, instead of displaying something useful. So there could be the choice of 6 trims + some boxes, or 4 trims + more boxes.

The other screen could be the chan_test like one: only a few configurable boxes, but all the channel graphs. It would be useful in the process of tuning a model, i.e. adjusting all kind of mixes.

I thought of an other one with a lot of smaller boxes for all the telemetry data in addition to the few main large boxes.
This one could be useful "runtime", if you could switch back and forth.

What I would allow to select into a box: channel value, trim value, timer, telemetry data, switch state. (for now)

FDR wrote: The other screen could be the chan_test like one: only a few configurable boxes, but all the channel graphs. It would be useful in the process of tuning a model, i.e. adjusting all kind of mixes.

I'm not sure why you need configuration on the existing chantest screen. I guess I could understand a screen where the 1st 8 channels are on the bottom and you have boxes on the top....Can't easily fit more than 8 channels in half the screen though.

I thought of an other one with a lot of smaller boxes for all the telemetry data in addition to the few main large boxes.
This one could be useful "runtime", if you could switch back and forth.

do you have a reason why you think you'd want to show telemetry only some of the time? I was expecting that either the user wants it all the time or doesn't really care about it (in which case it can be relegated to a 'chantest' like screen.

I have a really neat idea for main-screen configuration, but it will only be reasonable if there is only one of them per model.

PhracturedBlue wrote: I'm not sure why you need configuration on the existing chantest screen. I guess I could understand a screen where the 1st 8 channels are on the bottom and you have boxes on the top....Can't easily fit more than 8 channels in half the screen though.

Yep, that would do!
There are only some extreme planes which use more than 8 channels for the flying...

PhracturedBlue wrote: do you have a reason why you think you'd want to show telemetry only some of the time? I was expecting that either the user wants it all the time or doesn't really care about it (in which case it can be relegated to a 'chantest' like screen.

Well I have told you I do not insist on...

PhracturedBlue wrote: I have a really neat idea for main-screen configuration, but it will only be reasonable if there is only one of them per model.

So, tell me more!

FDR wrote:

PhracturedBlue wrote: I have a really neat idea for main-screen configuration, but it will only be reasonable if there is only one of them per model.

So, tell me more!

You'll need to wait and see it for yourself. I'm not yet sure I can actually implement it yet.

FDR wrote:

FDR wrote:

PhracturedBlue wrote: On a different note, should the value of the trim show in the Throttle value on the main screen?
That is if the throttle is showing '50%' on screen and I push the up-trim button, should it go to 51% (or whatever)?

I will check it later at home, but I think no.
I don't know how they do it, but their trim values have +-200 range!
So if it were count into the 0..100% throttle value, it would overflow soon...

I was wrong, the trim value effects the channel value:
200 throttle trim mean 12% throttle value.

So they are not in percentages...

I've just checked my old WK-2402: it has 0..100% range for the throttle value (and for all the other sticks too), and the throttle trim effect the throttle value too, by 1% each step. The trim also has a 100% range.

PhracturedBlue wrote: You'll need to wait and see it for yourself. I'm not yet sure I can actually implement it yet.

Ok, I just checked in a prototype of what I'm thinking. It isn't even close to done, but it should give you an idea for what I want to do. From the main page, press 'right' to get to the configuration page. It isn't hooked up to anything yet (and you won't be able to reach it by left/right when I'm done), but it should give you a feel for how I'm thinking of doing main page configuration.

PhracturedBlue wrote: Ok, I just checked in a prototype of what I'm thinking. It isn't even close to done, but it should give you an idea for what I want to do. From the main page, press 'right' to get to the configuration page. It isn't hooked up to anything yet (and you won't be able to reach it by left/right when I'm done), but it should give you a feel for how I'm thinking of doing main page configuration.

Pretty cool!
It was a bit of dissapointment, when I returned to the main screen, and realized, that it hasn't changed...

If you change the buttons' textselects from enable/disable to actually select a function of the box, the configuration is done.
Is it intentional that the halfgraph sometimes only show three bars, or there is not enough space for four?
How will you enter the model setup menu with the pencil, when there are boxes instead of the picture? Will there be an icon on the header?
The preview could show only the active estate, i.e. without the header's space...

FDR wrote: Pretty cool!
It was a bit of dissapointment, when I returned to the main screen, and realized, that it hasn't changed...

As i said, it is only a prototype. Lots of work is still needed.

If you change the buttons' textselects from enable/disable to actually select a function of the box, the configuration is done.

That is exactly what I plan to do.

Is it intentional that the halfgraph sometimes only show three bars, or there is not enough space for four?

If you have the trims in the middle, I do not believe we'll have room to show 4 bars, so yes it is intentional that thenumber of bars changes (Until I do the actual layout on the full screen, I won't know for sure)

How will you enter the model setup menu with the pencil, when there are boxes instead of the picture? Will there be an icon on the header?

yep, you got it again.

The preview could show only the active estate, i.e. without the header's space...

That's a good point. I'll fix that.

We can also add more capabilities to the layout. for instance, I think we shuld support an icon-bar for things like flaps/gear/dual-rates. depending on configuration, it could automatically move where appropriate:
* replace trims 5-6
* replace the lower text-box (either 4. or 8.) if you don't have them enabled
* I'm not sure putting them on the header makes sense if there is no room for them though, since they aren't click-able.

Ok, well, I think I'm done with the mock-up now.
I added the toggle-icons, as well as a 2nd page of configuration so that the bar-graphs and toggle-icons can be configured

Now comes the fun part of hooking up all the controls.

I am going to try to use the same positioning code for the preview display that is used for the main page so the 2 are always in sync.

Would you merge my two little changes, so I don't have to merge yours all the time?

FDR wrote: Would you merge my two little changes, so I don't have to merge yours all the time?

Done, but I backed out the .orig change (left the .dll one)
I like using 'hg status' to identify files in my repo that don't belong there, and the .orig and .rej files qualify.

PhracturedBlue wrote: Done, but I backed out the .orig change (left the .dll one)
I like using 'hg status' to identify files in my repo that don't belong there, and the .orig and .rej files qualify.

OK, nevermind...

Play with the current code when you get some time. I've hooked up most of the main-page configuration now.

Known issues:
* there is no 'small' model icon when the big-one doesn't fit
* the trim ordering is messed up
* the 'toggle' icons aren't implemented
* there are no labels for the bargraphs

It is only very lightly tested, so there are probably many more issues that i don't know about.

I had not much time to play with, but there are some usual things:
- indexes from 1 instead of 0;
- the lower section's tab order sould be by columns, in the order of the boxes/bars;
- with a little pushing the first column could be more to the right, so toggles could have numbering too (from 1 ).

But I can do these in the evening if you have finished...

I think you could find place for all the 4 bars in halfgraphs mode...
Toggles are not clear for me so far...

Overall it is very nice!
You can place it somewhere into the menu system, with exit and next buttons, plus a title...

Better!

Ok, i implemented the toggle code. if you move the throttle below 50% you'll get a feel how it works.
you can click on the toggle spinbox to select the relevant icon. you can add as many icons to the togggle.bmp as you like and it will pick them up (the icons that are there are just place-holders). The idea is to create icons for 'dual rates' and 'flaps' and 'gear' so that you can tell at a glance if these are enabled.

PhracturedBlue wrote: Ok, i implemented the toggle code. if you move the throttle below 50% you'll get a feel how it works.
you can click on the toggle spinbox to select the relevant icon. you can add as many icons to the togggle.bmp as you like and it will pick them up (the icons that are there are just place-holders). The idea is to create icons for 'dual rates' and 'flaps' and 'gear' so that you can tell at a glance if these are enabled.

Don't they work inverted? I.e. don't they supposed to be visible, when the switch is on?
We have lost the possibility to invert the source with using the push for selecting the icon...

FDR wrote: Don't they work inverted? I.e. don't they supposed to be visible, when the switch is on?

Yeah I got it backwards.

We have lost the possibility to invert the source with using the push for selecting the icon...

yep. probably if you want the toggle to be inverted, you define a virtual channel and use that. the toggle supports using raw stick/switch input or the output channel, so it is flexible enough, if not particularly convenient. I suppose I could use a short-press to toggle and a long-press to enter the icon selector, but that would probably be confusing too.

Also, I created an icon for the icon-bar when the model is not displayed

PhracturedBlue wrote:

We have lost the possibility to invert the source with using the push for selecting the icon...

yep. probably if you want the toggle to be inverted, you define a virtual channel and use that. the toggle supports using raw stick/switch input or the output channel, so it is flexible enough, if not particularly convenient. I suppose I could use a short-press to toggle and a long-press to enter the icon selector, but that would probably be confusing too.

...or make them dual controls, so in the usual way you can invert the value, and a plus button for the icon select...