CONNECT U16 - Custom Ribbon Panel - Tool Button Alignment

RE: CONNECT U16 - Custom Ribbon Panel - Tool Button Alignment

mwlong — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 13:08:01 GMT

[quote userid="2473" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687955"]Why to copy gui.dgnlib?[/quote]

I copied it so I could add my customization and make them accessible to all users company wide. I append MS_GUIDGNLIBLIST to add my customized gui.dgnlib. In v8i I customized the task dialog and had all the tools I use on 1 tab. I am not a fan of switching tabs to access various tools. I also added a lot of custom tools. With v8i the customizations were only available to my office and not company wide. Many users in other offices liked the customization when we started sharing work and they had access to my environment. With CONNECT I was asked to provide this company wide.

Thanks for the information on the .xml file. I will look into this. I am not very familiar with editing .xml, but I can do some research and figure it out.

RE: CONNECT U16 - Custom Ribbon Panel - Tool Button Alignment

Jan Šlegr — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 11:22:26 GMT

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687953"]It was created by copying the delivered gui.dgnlib[/quote]

Why to copy gui.dgnlib? When ribbon is customized in "a user graphical way", customization is stored in personal.dgnlib by default.

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687953"]to customize the ribbon properly?[/quote]

I would say "fully", because even the limited graphical way (ribbon customization tool) creates the customization "properly" too.

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687953"]So I would need to use SDK in order to access additional setting to customize the ribbon[/quote]

In fact, not. As long as xml definition is acceptable (and not to be compiled to .rsc file), you only need perfect knowledge of xml and editor, that supports xml editing using .xsd definition.

SDK itself adds documentation (quite basic ) and resource compiler, when .xml is not enough and .rsc should be delivered.

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687953"]I've always been interested in SDK, but never really looked into it.[/quote]

If you have access to SDK (your SELECT agreement covers also BDN membership, which is free for in-house development) and a few hours (well, maybe days) to read and understand how ribbon definition works, and to play with it to get some knowledge, probably no problem to go this way.

Regards,

Jan

RE: CONNECT U16 - Custom Ribbon Panel - Tool Button Alignment

mwlong — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 11:06:26 GMT

[quote userid="2473" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687931"]How the panel was created?[/quote]

It was created by copying the delivered gui.dgnlib and modifying that by right-clicking on the ribbon and selecting Customize. I created the MT Custom workflow. Then I created the MT & More tabs. Then I pulled tools from column of choices.

[quote userid="2473" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment/687931"]described in MicroStation SDK documentation[/quote]

So I would need to use SDK in order to access additional setting to customize the ribbon properly? I've always been interested in SDK, but never really looked into it.

RE: CONNECT U16 - Custom Ribbon Panel - Tool Button Alignment

Jan Šlegr — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 09:23:39 GMT

Hi,

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment"]I have the Attributes panel[/quote]

How the panel was created? Is it referenced Attributes panel, or you created it manually and added only the panel content?

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment"]the margin field is greyed out.[/quote]

Originally I though that it is because you use "ribbon non standard" controls, when drop down menus are implemented using special providers. But, as I see, margin is greyed out even when I add simple button.

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment"]Looking at the Help documentation there is mention of margins (for tools) and center alignment (for panels).[/quote]

It looks like help describes what is possible technically (features of ribbon), but not what is allowed, when simple customization using the customization tool is used.

[quote userid="5256" url="~/products/administration/f/product-administration-forum/223580/connect-u16---custom-ribbon-panel---tool-button-alignment"]Is there a way to reorganize the tool buttons within panels on the ribbon?[/quote]

Yes and no.

In general, a concept of ribbon layout is dynamic, based on rules and preferences: What control is fixed size, what can be resized automatically, using what layout, margins etc. It allows to render the ribbon content flexibly, depending on GUI configuration.

On the other hand, some controls allow to define margins (Group panel, all controls derived from Button...) and horizontal / vertical alignment (Group panel...). The problem here is that these settings are not accessible through the customization tool.

When you want to define own ribbon, using all available features, you have to use "ribbon xml definition" (optionally compiled into rsc file). Tt is described in MicroStation SDK documentation, based on .xsd file and have to be created manually.

With regards,

Jan