OpenCPN Plugin Icons

[phiggins]

I just wrote a plugin for Ge2KAP to get the coordinates of the chart displayed on the OpenCPN display.

The only problem I have is trying to figure out how to create the icons displayed on the toolbar. I copied most the code from the Grib plugin and now my plugin displays the same icons as the grib plugin.

I was able to change the svg files from the grib plugin using Inkscape but how do I create the memory bit maps? There is a icons.sh file that seems like it does it but I am a Windows only system.

Thanks

[JesperWe]

It's a little bit my fault I think. When I converted all OpenCPN icons from XPM to PNG I cleaned out all the old XBM icon stuff from the tree. In that cleaning a small perl script used in the plugin build process was cleaned out too. This script takes a PNG image and creates C++ includeable source code to build the icon bitmap.

It's been put back in the tree if you have the latest master, otherwise it is here:

https://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN/b...maps/png2wx.pl

A small tip if you want to create icons that work in all the new styles:
Do NOT include the button frame in your icon. Make the outer parts (maybe the outer 3 pixels of the 32x32) transparent, and use the inside area for your icon. Then all the rollover effects and such in the new styles will work for your icon too.

[phiggins]

JesperWe,

Thanks for the response but I got the latest git and rebuilt OpenCPN and it did recreate my plugin dll but when I run it, I still get the same grib icons.

I must be doing something wrong?

[phiggins]

OK I got it working by installing perl and running that png2wx.pl script. Then recompiling the new icons.cpp. Just have to figure out what you were saying about the transparent edges.

[JesperWe]

Consider the following image which is a magnification of the current dashboard icon on the left and a better way to do it on the right.



The current one is non-transparent and draws the button borders around the icon itself.
This disables the ability of the Style manager to show the icon in accordance with the current style.

A transparent icon like on the right lets the Style manager provide the looks of the button underneath the icon.

[phiggins]

OK Thanks for your help

[Gilletarom]

Hello dave, Hello JesperWe, Hello Paul,

I repeat the question I asked Paul. This plugin for Paul that facilitates the use of GE2KAP.

Simply activate this plugin is for GE2KAP can benefit. Thus, the icon of this plugin is not used much. If you click it, it seems that nothing happens.

And now you can not hide the icon. But I guess it will be improved.

This icon is needed?
B.R.

Gilletarom.

[JesperWe]

No, sorry, the icon hiding feature does not handle plugins. Usually you hide the icon by disabling the plugin.

If the GE2KAP plugin does not have any windows that are show/hidden, then it probably does not need an icon at all.

[phiggins]

The ge2kap plugin creates a hidden window that I use to communicate with GE2KAP via inter processor communication to retrieve the coordinates of the viewport displayed.

When the plugin is enabled it displays an icon in the toolbar. This is to tell the user the plugin is running. Clicking on the icon doesn't do anything because there is nothing for the user to do, its all done between the hidden window and GE2KAP. If you disable the plugin the icon will disappear and the hidden window is destroyed, this indicates the plugin is no longer running.

So unless there is some convention for plugin icons to say they must do something, I want to leave it they way it is: the icon indicates the plugin running, nothing else. I tell the GE2KAP users this when they install it.

[Gilletarom]

Hello,

Originally Posted by phiggins

... I want to leave it they way it is: the icon indicates the plugin running, nothing else.... .

Why not..

It is only necessary that the icon is in the list of icons that can be hidden at the request of the user, as the other icons of the icon barr.

B.R.

Gilletarom.

[phiggins]

Gilletarom,

What is your point? Why do you object to something that seems obvious to me. Does it hurt to have the icon shown? How else will they know the plugin is running?

[Gilletarom]

Paul

Do not get angry.

The question arises, of course, for the functioning of OpenCPN.

There are two other plug-ins that do not have icons: BSB4 and NV-Chart. And yet, they work well as soon as the plugin is enabled in the options of the "Toolbox".

For the rest, I only want to have the least amount of icon displayed on the screen OpenCPN. In version 3.1.919, it is now possible to hide the icons one by one. And without stopping the plug-in. This was a request from some users OpenCPN.

It would suffice that the icon of this plugin can be hidden in the sole discretion of the user. Each user could then, at its discretion, allow visible or hidden without calling into question the functioning of GE2KAP.

Best regards

Gilletarom.

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by Gilletarom

I only want to have the least amount of icon displayed on the screen OpenCPN. In version 3.1.919, it is now possible to hide the icons one by one.

Excellent points!

I suggest the Grib icon be added to the list of visible buttons as well as the GE2KAP one.


Terry

[JesperWe]

Folks, I think you are confusing issues here:

- Standard icon visibility is controlled by the visibility context menu.

- Plugin icon visibility is controlled by the plugin, or by disabling the plugin.

...so if you don't want the grib icon, disable the grib plugin. You can't use it without the icon anyway.

GE2Kap seems special since it doesn't have any visible window, so it's up to phiggins how he wants his plugin to behave. OpenCPN core has no control over plugin icon visibility except by disabling the plugin.

[bdbcat]

Folks....

To be technically clear, Gilletarom is indeed correct. The PlugIn decides whether it needs or wants an icon on its initialization. PlugIns may choose to not have an icon if they so desire. PlugIns may also have a preferences dialog in which they may allow the user to control the PlugIn icon visibility.

paraphrasing jesperwe,

The core OpenCPN interface has the ability to hide only the inbuilt core icons. The core has no way to anticipate the icon needs of a PlugIn, so simply follows the directions of the activated PlugIn in this regard.

Dave