Text Button: Detailed Formatting

About this task

  • Overview.
  • Custom button font properties.
  • Custom button style.
  • Custom button color.
  • Custom font color.

Overview

If you assign a procedure or a setpoint to a text button, and a user moves the cursor over the button in CimView and clicks the left mouse button, the button on the screen goes down.

The text button's Properties dialog box provides additional formatting options.

Procedure

  1. Select the text button.
  2. Do one of the following.
    • Double-click the button.
    • Click Properties in the Home>Properties group on the CimEdit Ribbon bar.
    • Right-click the button; select Properties on the Popup menu.

    Result: The Properties dialog box opens when you use any of these methods.

    Custom Button Font Properties

    Select Text Button in the Properties dialog box.

    Text button formatting options are as follows.

    1 String/Multiline.
    2 Font.
    3 Auto size.
    4 Translate.
    1 String/Multiline

    A text string can be used in CimView in either of two ways as:

    • A string that is a place holder for an expression or setpoint.
    • Text that will display for as long as CimView is open.

    Multiline is checked by default when you open a text Properties dialog box.

    When Multiline is checked the String field displays the text "Multi-line text. Hit button to Edit."

    When the Multiline checkbox

    Clear The multiline text clears. The String field is available for a single line entry.
    Checked Click the Text Box button to the right of the String field. A text box opens, displaying the text that was written on the screen.
    Multiline text can be entered.
    Note:
    • If you entered multiline text on the screen and want to keep it, make sure you leave Multiline checked.
    • Press Ctrl+Enter to create a multiline entry to display on the CimEdit/CimView screen.
    2 Font

    Opens the Font dialog box to select the font, style and size that will display on the CimEdit/CimView screen for the selected string

    Note: Select a font that will accommodate the characters for all languages that will be used on the CimView screen. For example, Arial Unicode MS is a very complete Unicode font.
    3 Auto size

    When checked, the button automatically re-sizes to fit the text length.

    There are some situations where auto-size can help in configuration. However, more often than not, it is recommended that you leave Auto size clear.

    Auto-sizing will create a jagged effect is words are different lengths. If you are translating the screen auto-sizing can create different size buttons for the same word in different languages.

    Example

    A Auto size is checked.
    B Auto size is clear.
    4 Translate

    Checked makes the text string available for translation.

    Tip: Check Emit translation strings every save on the File tab in the Options dialog box to emit new text  strings to the CIMPLICITY Language Mapper each time CimEdit is saved.

    Click Tools>Options on the CimEdit Menu bar; select the File tab.

    Default Checked

    Custom Button Style

    CimEdit provides four button styles; each style affects the button's shape and selected color shade and application.

    The options in their default state are as follows.

    Button Style Displays:
    Use Global The Button style option selected in the Global Configuration dialog box.
    Classic
    		 
    Standard
    		 
    XP
    		 
    Vista
    		 

    Do the following to assign one of the default button styles

    A Use Button Color Clear Use Button Color. The Button color field is disabled.
    B Button Style Select a style in the Button Style field.

    Result: The button will display the selected default style when Apply or OK is clicked.

    Note:
    • The button style when the button is placed on the screen depends on what is selected in the Global Configuration dialog box.
    • When a color is applied to the button, the color application emulates the selected style.

    Custom Button Color

    1 Button color.
    2 Color animate.
    1 Button color

    The selected button color may be either of the following.

    • The color that displays in CimView.
    • A placeholder for button color animation configuration.

    Notes

    • Click the Down Arrow to the right of the Button color field to open the CimEdit color palette.
    • If you use color animation the radio buttons select whether the text of the button face will be animated.
    2 Color animate

    The CimEdit color animation feature can be applied to CimEdit buttons.

    The Color animate selection you make determines whether the button face or the font will be affected.

    Radio Button Checked Display during runtime
    Color animate text Text changes color to the color selected in the Color animation dialog box.
    Color animate button face Button face changes color  to the color selected in the Color animation dialog box.

    Result: The text button object will display your selections on the CimEdit screen.

    Note:
    • You can make duplicates of text buttons the same way you do basic graphic objects.
    • If the button display does not seem to represent the selected style, follow the procedure to apply the default style and then select the color.

    Example: Button Styles when Color Applied

    When Lime Green is applied to a available button styles, the buttons display is similar to the following.

    Button Style Display
    Classic
    Standard
    XP
    Vista

    Button Font Color

  3. Select Colors in the Properties dialog box.
  4. Button fonts can:
    • Display any selected color
    • Have a border in any selected color.