Truly support independently sized booleans

[Enrico_Segre]

Customized booleans with independent sizes and bounding rectangles for each of their four button states would open a number of possibilities, some cosmetic some funcional, for FPs. For one use case, see this thread. Presently they can sort of be created (Customize control/Operate/Change to Customize Mode/independent sizes etc.) but the resulting dimensions and the relative placement of the elements in the various states are absolutely unstable (possibly internally undefined?), making the technique borderline usable.

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Can you attach an example of a customized Boolean control that shows what you're trying to do? It is unclear to me from the picture.

[Enrico_Segre]

This is one example of trick which could be done with state-sized booleans; it seems I got it stable as for sizing and positioning by pure chance (LV2014 and 2014SP1), and have not been able to resize it into anything else usable along the same lines.

The idea (not even mine, was suggested in the LAVA thread quoted) is that you can edit the numeric control only in Manual mode. If you press the Auto button, a screen extends and covers the numeric, so that you can't type into.

 

If all you need is to enable/disable a scalar numeric, you won't need such a contraption; however for an array of, the trick may be handy, as you can't disable individual array elements with properties.

The screen itself is the following sizeable boolean, shown in its two stable states:

Seems that I can't attach files here, so I put the code at https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31166127/IndependentSizes.zip

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Ah. Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do anything like that before.

[tst]

In the specific case you linked to, I would make the same suggestion I made in the LAVA thread - an "array of subpanels". Even if you get the multi-size boolean to work, it's still only a very specific use case. As you mentioned, you can't enable/disable, hide other controls, etc. My suggestion is more complicated, but is not *that* complicated and it gives you all the freedom you need.

[Enrico_Segre]

In the specific case, yes, or even some other solution mentioned in that thread. But in general, my idea is -- if such multiply sized booleans are meant to be a feature, then support them for real; if they are not, remove the option. Like this they are too loose to be usable for anything.

[Darren]

Any idea that has received less than 2 kudos within 2 years after posting will be automatically declined.

[drjdpowell]

---

@Enrico_Segre wrote:

 Presently they can sort of be created (Customize control/Operate/Change to Customize Mode/independent sizes etc.) but the resulting dimensions and the relative placement of the elements in the various states are absolutely unstable (possibly internally undefined?), making the technique borderline usable.

---

I used “independent sizes” for the Switch control in "Flatline Controls”.  The key thing to do was to turn “independent sizes” OFF again after adjusting the on and off positions.  If I did this it seems stable.   I didn’t do different sizes, though, so perhaps that doesn't work.