I find I miss the Maclux ability to use keyboard shortcuts and copy/paste individual attributes while in a report. Is this something that could be included in LXBeams? Or is there a better way to alter information in groups of channels while viewing a report?
Also, I noticed the "check for updates" menu item doesn't seem to catch beta version changes.
Lloyd
Report shortcuts and software update
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lloydriford
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:14 pm
- Location: Hawaii
First of all, reports allow spreadsheet editing so it is possible to copy the text of a cell and use the return key to move down a column, pasting where desired.
But, the Inspector allows changing of information across all selected objects. This is quite powerful and direct. It can be used to change information for an entire group of objects at once.
Objects are selected in the plot when report rows that correspond to them are selected in a report. So, you can select a group of objects by selecting multiple rows of a report, and then use the Inspector to set the value of an info field for all of them all at once. You can also select multiple symbols using the "Find" panel and do the same thing.
Here's an example of how this might work: In a channel list report select the lights with channels 10 to 20 by using the shift key and clicking on the first and last rows. (header rows are ignored) This selects the associated symbols in the plot. Switch to the plot window and press the "k" key. This is a shortcut to editing the color field. Type "R80" and hit enter. Press the "g" key to edit the group field. Enter "Blue Wash". Now, all the lights on those channels have their color and group set.
You could use a similar technique with the find panel. Say you want to set the group of all the 8" fresnels with the color R80. With nothing selected, choose the 8" fresnel symbol in the Symbol tab of the Inspector. Open the Find panel by choosing Find... from the edit menu. Enter "R80", check the box, "Matches Symbol" and click "Find All". This selects all 8" Fresnels that also have the color "R80". As in the previous example, press the "g" key and type your group, "Blue Back", etc.
When you edit a field in the Inspector's Info panel, it changes the value for all selected objects that have that field. So, if you have a position and a light selected and change the color, the position is unaffected because it does not have a color.
Because the Inspector allows you to change a number of objects all at once--which is good and powerful but can also be dangerous--it shows an ellipsis (...) where selected objects have more than one value.
The automatic update check alert is triggered when there is a significant change. The current beta version that you can download changes more frequently. But, occasionally a change in one thing will break something else. So users are not prompted to download a new version every time a small feature is added. However, if a serious bug is found and fixed, there will be a notification.
The LXBeams and LXTools beta applications are only good for about a month before they time out. This forces a download of the latest version to keep working with the application. This testing cycle insures that a recent version of these applications is being evaluated and is different than the update check that happens on startup or manually.
But, the Inspector allows changing of information across all selected objects. This is quite powerful and direct. It can be used to change information for an entire group of objects at once.
Objects are selected in the plot when report rows that correspond to them are selected in a report. So, you can select a group of objects by selecting multiple rows of a report, and then use the Inspector to set the value of an info field for all of them all at once. You can also select multiple symbols using the "Find" panel and do the same thing.
Here's an example of how this might work: In a channel list report select the lights with channels 10 to 20 by using the shift key and clicking on the first and last rows. (header rows are ignored) This selects the associated symbols in the plot. Switch to the plot window and press the "k" key. This is a shortcut to editing the color field. Type "R80" and hit enter. Press the "g" key to edit the group field. Enter "Blue Wash". Now, all the lights on those channels have their color and group set.
You could use a similar technique with the find panel. Say you want to set the group of all the 8" fresnels with the color R80. With nothing selected, choose the 8" fresnel symbol in the Symbol tab of the Inspector. Open the Find panel by choosing Find... from the edit menu. Enter "R80", check the box, "Matches Symbol" and click "Find All". This selects all 8" Fresnels that also have the color "R80". As in the previous example, press the "g" key and type your group, "Blue Back", etc.
When you edit a field in the Inspector's Info panel, it changes the value for all selected objects that have that field. So, if you have a position and a light selected and change the color, the position is unaffected because it does not have a color.
Because the Inspector allows you to change a number of objects all at once--which is good and powerful but can also be dangerous--it shows an ellipsis (...) where selected objects have more than one value.
The automatic update check alert is triggered when there is a significant change. The current beta version that you can download changes more frequently. But, occasionally a change in one thing will break something else. So users are not prompted to download a new version every time a small feature is added. However, if a serious bug is found and fixed, there will be a notification.
The LXBeams and LXTools beta applications are only good for about a month before they time out. This forces a download of the latest version to keep working with the application. This testing cycle insures that a recent version of these applications is being evaluated and is different than the update check that happens on startup or manually.