NMPlot User's Guide, Appendix B: Details of Various NMPlot Components

NMPlot uses a number of specialized components. Some of these components (for example, the coordinate system control) are specific to NMPlot, and are described in detail. Other components (for example, the text edit control) are commonly used by Microsoft Windows applications. Familiarity with these common components is assumed: only unique or non-obvious aspects are described in this appendix.

Dialog Boxes

Most NMPlot dialog boxes can be moved and resized. NMPlot remembers the new position and size, and uses them the next time that dialog box is displayed.

To move a dialog box to a new location, drag it by its title bar.

To resize a dialog box, drag one of its edges. The layout of the dialog box's contents will be updated to fit the new size.

Press Tab and Shift + Tab to move the keyboard focus between controls in a dialog box.

Multiple Page Dialog Boxes

NMPlot makes extensive use of Multiple Page Dialog Boxes. These dialog boxes have one or more pages of options that can be displayed.

The left portion of a Multiple Page dialog box displays a list of option categories (in the example above, these are Name, Description, and Physical Properties). One category in this list is always selected (in the example above, Name is selected). Click on a category to select it.

The right portion of the dialog box displays controls that allow you to change the options in the selected category (in the example above, this is the Name of Object text edit box).

For organizational purposes, options are arranged in a hierarchy. If an option category has a plus sign next to it, this means that it has one or more subpages. To display the subpages, click on the plus sign.

Click on the Undo Page button to discard all changes you have made to the controls on the selected page. All controls are set to the values they had when you opened the dialog box.

Click on the Cancel button to discard all changes you have made since opening the dialog box, regardless of the page.

Error Messages

If an error message must be displayed, NMPlot will highlight the relevant portion of the user interface by tinting it red.

Text Control

A Text Control allows you to enter text.

It is assumed that you are familiar with using a text control. Therefore, only the functions of certain keys are listed.

Symbolic Fields Text Control

A Symbolic Field Text Control allows you to enter text that contains symbolic fields: placeholders for information that is automatically inserted when the text is displayed. For example, in the text "You are using {AppName} version {AppVersion}", {AppName} and {AppVersion} are fields representing, respectively, the name and version of the application you are using. The text would be displayed as "You are using NMPlot version 4.965".

A Symbolic Fields Text Control is a text control with a button located to its right.

Edit the text as you would using a regular text control. To insert a symbolic field at the caret location, either press Alt + Space Bar, or press the Insert Symbolic Field button . The Select Symbolic Field To Insert dialog box is displayed.

Select the symbol to insert, then press the OK button.

Note that the list of symbols is hierarchical. Click on one of the small + signs to display subsymbols. Often, these subsymbols are alternative ways of formatting the parent symbol. For example, in the screen capture of the Select Symbolic Field To Insert dialog box above, symbols for several ways of formatting the current time are shown.

Conditional Inclusion of Text

It is possible to conditionally include text based upon the value of a symbol. For example, suppose you are working with a weather data application that defines the symbols {Temp}, {Rain}, and {Wind}; these symbols represent the current temperature, rainfall, and wind speed, respectively. You want the temperature and humidity to always be displayed, but the rainfall to be displayed only if it is greater than zero. You can do so by using the following symbolic text:

    Temperature = {Temp} F
    {IfNotZero {Rain} Rainfall = {Rain} inches
    }Wind Speed = {Wind} miles/hour
  

If the {Rain} symbol expanded to, say, 1.5, then the text would appear as...

    Temperature = 75 F
    Rainfall = 1.5 inches
    Wind Speed = 8 miles/hour

If, however, the {Rain} symbol expanded to 0, then the text would appear as...

    Temperature = 75 F
    Wind Speed = 8 miles/hour

IfNotZero is a special command symbol that is followed by a symbol name and some additional text. If the symbol name expands to 0, then the additional text is discarded. Note that the additional text can itself contain symbols.

IfNotZero is intended to be used with symbols that expand to numeric values. There is a corresponding command, IfNotNull, that is used with symbols that expand to text --- the additional text is discarded if the symbol expands to the null string (i.e., to zero-length text).

Drop-down List Control

A Drop-down List Control allows you to select a single item from a list of choices.

It is assumed that you are familiar with using a drop-down list control. Therefore, only the functions of certain keys are listed.

Spreadsheet Control

A Spreadsheet Control is used to enter a two-dimensional table of information.

A spreadsheet control works much like a commercial spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel. A two-dimensional table of cells is presented. One cell is always selected. This is indicated by a dark outline. In the example above, the Mississippi River cell is selected. The selected cell is the one that you are currently editing. The selected row is the row containing the selected cell.

To select another cell, click on it. Alternatively, use the following navigation keys.

Most spreadsheet controls have Add and Remove buttons. The Add button adds a new row, located just below the selected row. The Remove button removes the selected row.

Some spreadsheet controls have Move Row Up and Move Row Down buttons that move the selected row up or down in the table. Use these buttons to change the relative ordering of rows.

In most spreadsheet controls, you can change a column's width by dragging the separator between column headers.

File Name Control

A File Name Control is used to enter the name of a file.

You can type the name of the file in the box provided.

To browse for the file, either press Alt + Space Bar, or press the Browse button , located to the right of the text box. The standard Microsoft Windows Open File dialog box is displayed.

The exact appearance of the Open File dialog box will vary, depending on the version of Microsoft Windows that you are using. Familiarity with this dialog box is assumed. See your Microsoft Windows documentation for additional information.

Font Control

A Font Control is used to select a typeface font.

The current font is displayed in the box. To change it, either press the Space Bar, or press the Select Font button . The standard Microsoft Windows Font dialog box is displayed.

The exact appearance of the Font dialog box will vary, depending on the version of Microsoft Windows that you are using. Familiarity with this dialog box is assumed. See your Microsoft Windows documentation for additional information.

Color Control

A Color Control is used to select a color.

A sample of the current color is displayed in the box, followed by a name for that color. If the color is one of the standard ones recognized by NMPlot, its common name is displayed. Otherwise, the relative intensities of red, green, and blue are displayed, as in "RGB 10, 100, 255". The RGB values can range from 0 to 255.

Press a letter key, A through Z, to cycle through all colors with names beginning with that letter.

Press Alt + ↓, the Space Bar, or the drop-down button to display a drop-down list of named colors.

Select Custom Color to display the standard Microsoft Windows Color dialog box, which will allow you to pick from all possible colors.

The exact appearance of the Color dialog box will vary, depending on the version of Microsoft Windows that you are using. Familiarity with this dialog box is assumed. See your Microsoft Windows documentation for additional information.

Line Pattern Control

A Line Pattern Control is used to select a line dash pattern (solid, dashed, dotted, etc.).

The sample of the current line pattern is displayed in the box. To change the pattern, either press the Space Bar, or press the Select Pattern button . The Select Line Pattern dialog box is displayed.

The box at the bottom of the dialog box displays a sample of the current line pattern. You can choose one of the predefined patterns, such as Solid or Dashed. Alternatively, you can select Custom, and define your own line pattern.

To define a line pattern, type a list of numbers, separated by commas, in the box labeled Segment lengths. These numbers are the lengths, in millimeters, of alternating line segments and gaps in the line pattern. If the First segment is visible box is checked, the first number represents the length of a line segment. Otherwise, the first number represents the length of a gap.

Symbol Control

A Symbol Control is used to select a graphical symbol.

The current symbol is displayed in the box. To change it, either press the Space Bar, or press the Select Symbol button . The Select Symbol dialog box is displayed.

You can select from a library of standard symbols that are included with NMPlot. Alternatively, you can select a character from a symbol font.

Tip:

Document Display Control

A document display control displays formatted text.

The following keys have special functions when using a document display control.

If your mouse has a middle mouse button, you can use it to scroll the document. Press and hold the middle button, then move the mouse up or down.

If your mouse has a wheel button, you can scroll the document by turning the wheel.

Datum Control

A Datum Control is used to select a geographic datum.

The current datum is displayed in the box. To change it, either press the Space Bar, or press the Select Datum button . The Select Datum dialog box is displayed.

The list at the top of the dialog box displays all available datums, grouped by continent or ocean (North America, Pacific Ocean, etc.). Within these groups, datums are listed alphabetically.

Below the list, the following information about the selected datum is presented:

• The datum's name

• The applicable geographic region for this datum

• The continent or ocean that contains the datum's applicable region

• The datum's reference ellipsoid

• The method used to convert between this datum and the WGS-84 datum (for the 3-parameter Molodensky transformation, the three transformation parameters DX, DY, and DZ are displayed)

• An estimate of the worst-case error when converting from this datum to WGS-84

See Introduction to Datums for general information on datums. See Default Datum for information about the default datum.

Tip:

Tip: