Property panel

Modified on 2012/07/23 17:23 by igrenn Categorized as Panels and menus
{s:Conceptual Object Panel
| title=Properties
| category=UI
| role=Panel
| icon=[|][image|Element Icon|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/icon.jpg]
}
The Properties panel is located to the right of the Event window and allows an user to modify various settings of the experimental design at all levels - from the global settings of the entire experiment to the [properties] of individual [events] and [elements]. The property panel consists of two-columns list with property names in the first column and property values in the second. 

{TOC}

== Description ==

{| 
| [imageleft|Property Panel showing properties<br/>of the Renderer element |{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Property%20Panel.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Property%20Panel.jpg]
|}

* The Properties tab shows properties of the currently selected object: [experiment], [events|event] or [elements|element].
* When multiple objects are selected the property panels shows mutual properties of the selected objects.  
* Hovering over a property in the 'Properties' list will provide a brief description of the property, the underlying property type and usage attributes, shown in a popup window.
* The individual properties can be selected in the property panel in order to add the [proxy variables].

== Practical Use ==

=== Highlighted relevant properties ===
Some EventIDE objects may have a vast number of properties allowing a precise functional tuning when it's necessary. However, in ordinal scenarios only a limited number of properties has to be tuned. Such relevant properties are highlighted with the orange color in the property panel.

=== Single object selection ===
As any EventIDE base object gets selected in other panels (normally by mouse click), its [properties] are automatically loaded in the property panel and stays there until a new selection is done. The name of 
the selected object is shown at the top of the property panel.

=== Multiple object selection ===

After selection of multiple objects the property panel shows their mutual properties. Multiple elements of the same event or multiple events on the same layer can be selected holding the Shift button down. In order to select the elements from different events or events from different layers, you need to 'pin' objects before switching to another event or layer. The pinned objects get permanently attached to the property panel and have to be unpinned to return into the normal selection mode.

{| 
| [imageleft|pin an element<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/pinw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/pinw.jpg]
|}

=== Adding proxy values ===

When you need to change some property with your snippet, you have to make this property a [proxies|proxy variable] and give it its unique name, which you can use wherever you want in you snippets.</br>
To add proxy to the property you need to press [image||{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/plusw.jpg] button.</br>
To remove existing proxy you need to press [image||{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/crossw.jpg] button.</br>
Seeing no [image||{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/plusw.jpg] button near property means that proxy can't be added to this property.</br>
You can organize your variables into groups. When you add a new proxy variable, you can either include it into the existing group or create a new one.
You can add proxy to several elements also.</br>This can be done by adding proxy either as proxy array or as proxy hub.

{|
| [imageleft|Adding proxy<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/adding_proxyw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/adding_proxyw.jpg]
|}

==== Adding single proxy ====

Single proxy associates one property with one variable.

{| 
| [imageleft|single proxy<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/singleproxyw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/singleproxyw.jpg]
|}


==== Adding proxy array ====

Proxy array is an indexed array containing several proxy variables linked to the same property of different objects. You can change the properties of different objects independently.

{| 
| [imageleft|proxy array<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/proxyarrayw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/proxyarrayw.jpg]
|}

==== Adding proxy hub ====

Proxy hub allows to modify a property of multiple linked objects at the same time, with a single proxy variable.

{|
| [imageleft|proxy hub<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/proxyhubw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/proxyhubw.jpg]
|}

==== Property attributes ====

A property's attributes determine how it can be accessed. Although most  properties are available for use in code snippets through the parameters functionality,the property attributes can impose certain restictions on such interactions.
* '''Run-time only: '''This attribute means that the property can be accessed only in the run-time. Such a property can be used only in conjunction with parameters functionality with property values to be read and written in code snippets. 
* '''Read-only:''' These properties are informative values. For example, it can be the statistics relating to the timing of EventIDE collected through a experiment run. Read-only properties can be used with parameter functionality and be read in code snippets like others. However, their values cannot be set- all assignments will be ignored.
* '''Design-time only: '''The properties with this attribute can be changed only at designtime and during the running of an experiment their values are fixed or not used. Typically these properties provide supplementary information (such as an event's title) or they hold global settings such as display resolution that can not be changed in runtime. Proxy variables can not assigned to the design-time properties.


=== Property search and sorting ===

When you type something you'd like find in the Search field, it shows you a list of elements, which have titles with the same letter combination.</br>
Search results can be shown not sorted or sorted alphabetically or sorted by category when the proper button is pressed.

{| 
| [imageleft|Search field<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/searchw.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/searchw.jpg]
|}


=== Standard editors ===

The property panel provide a number of value editors that are automatically loaded for the particular property type.


==== Text/Number editor ====

This most common editor type that allow to enter a text or number which will be assigned to the property.

{| 
| [imageleft|Text field<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Text%20field.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Text%20field.jpg]
|}

==== Drop-down list editor ====

You can select the value of this property from a drop-down list of possible values.

{| 
| [imageleft|Drop-down list<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Drop-down%20box.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Drop-down%20box.jpg]
|}

==== Color editor ====

You can choose the desirable color either by selecting it from the list at the bottom of drop-down box or by typing its numerical values in RGB directly to the proper fields. The color editor is loaded for all properties of the built-in [Built-in data types|clColor] type.

{| 
| [imageleft|Color editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Color%20editor.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Color%20editor.jpg]
|}

==== Position editor ====

Besides of dragging visual elements in the scene editor you can change their screen position in the Position editor. The editor provides fields for X and Y pixel coordinates as well as Theta and R fields for polar coordinates. The position editor is loaded for all properties of the built-in [Built-in data types|clPosition] type.      

{| 
| [imageleft|Position editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Position%20editor.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Position%20editor.jpg]
|}

==== Size editor ====

Besides of resizing visual elements in the scene editor you can change their size in the Size editor by typing the width and height values in the editor's fields. The width and height can be defined either in pixels or in visual degrees. The size editor is loaded for all properties of the built-in [Built-in data types|clSize] type.

{| 
| [imageleft|Size editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Size%20editor.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Size%20editor.jpg]
|}

==== Slider editor ====

You can change value of this property in its allowed range by moving the slider or by typing the value in the text field on the right.

{| 
| [imageleft|Slider editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Slider%20editor.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Slider%20editor.jpg]
|}

==== Range editor ====

The range editor allows to set min and max values in order to create an numerical (integer or real) range. The range editor is loaded for all properties of the built-in [Built-in data types|clRange] type.

{| 
| [imageleft|Range editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Range%20editor.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Range%20editor.jpg]
|}


==== Design-time action editor ====

This editor contains a button which press calls some special design-time action of the selected object, e.g. a calibration process in the eye-tracker elements. Another example is actions that test of the chosen hardware settings - e.g. Test Output property of the LPT element initiates a test sending through the parallel port. The results returned by the design-time action  is shown at the left of the button after the action is complete. 

{| 
| [imageleft|Runtime action editor<br/>|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/thumbs/Design-time%20action.jpg|{UP}/guidance/Properties/images/full-size/Design-time%20action.jpg]
|}
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