Zoom IDE

LiveCode is the premier environment for creating multi-platform solutions for all major operating systems - Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, the Web, Server environments and Mobile platforms. Brand new to LiveCode? Welcome!

Moderators: FourthWorld, heatherlaine, Klaus, kevinmiller, robinmiller

Markm49uk
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Zoom IDE

Post by Markm49uk » Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:25 pm

Is it possible to zoom in and out of the interface builder? Sorry if this is a noob question.

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Thu Nov 29, 2018 3:56 pm

As far as I know, you can only zoom in on pixels, like so...
Selection_001.png
Pencil tool after ctrl + click...
Selection_001.png (9.56 KiB) Viewed 7665 times
However, if that line (or any pixels) are close enough to objects on your stack, they will be zoomed too...
Selection_002.png
What a big butt~
Image

Markm49uk
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by Markm49uk » Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:29 pm

Am I the only one struggling with the inability to resize the view of my development. I develop on a laptop and having to drag windows around in order to see the full content of a stack seems.....laborious?

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:37 pm

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think your the only one that has that problem with the IDE floating in front of other things you may need to see. I don't use the newer IDE often, but on my laptop when I do use it, I use Andy P.'s excellent tinyIDE plugin.

Another IDE plugin that suits my style of working in the newer IDE would be Richard's 'devolution'. Both are minimalistic space takers, which I find hugely beneficial on laptop space.
Image

Markm49uk
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by Markm49uk » Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:43 pm

Thanks for the response. I’ll take a look. Just seems a little odd that an IDE has no zoom in/out option. Every IDE I have ever used had this function to allow you to work on larger targets than the development environment. I’m liking the product but finding the IDE....clunky?

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:13 pm

In other developement environments, the IDE is usually setup as a single window, with the windows and forms you are working on displayed as representations of the actual final window. As you've noticed, Lc is a bit different in this regard.

However, just like in most other IDEs, you can either close or minimize the other palettes in the default IDE layout. I actually find this useful for most of my dev work, since it allows me the ultimate in layout control of my tools.

If you don't actually feel like closing off palettes that might be in your way, you can always move them towards the bottom of your screen till the titles are just over the taskbar. This usually gives you quick access regardless of OS.

I work in Linux, there you can usually just 'shade' the window, like this...
Selection_004.png
Non-shaded, just roll the mouse wheel and...
Selection_005.png
...your shaded!
which leaves me all windows in place but with just title bars. I'm sure others using Lc have their own work flows to resolve the issue, but there isn't (as far as I know, I could be wrong!) any way to zoom in and out of the IDE because there aren't the usual reasons you might need to.

After all, the only part of the IDE that should be needed constantly is the main menu bar, and that takes up a small space in any location you feel like moving it to. Other IDEs require it to be at the top of the window because the IDE is a single monolithic entity :D
Image

bn
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 3990
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:12 pm
Location: Bochum, Germany

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bn » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:15 pm

maybe scaleFactor helps

put this into the message box and hit return

Code: Select all

set the scalefactor of stack "myStack" to 0.5
it will shrink your stack, 1.0 is original size and so on
Although this only scales one stack at the time.

Kind regards
Bernd

Markm49uk
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by Markm49uk » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:22 pm

bn wrote:
Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:15 pm
maybe scaleFactor helps

put this into the message box and hit return

Code: Select all

set the scalefactor of stack "myStack" to 0.5
it will shrink your stack, 1.0 is original size and so on
Although this only scales one stack at the time.

Kind regards
Bernd
Ooh that helps. Thank you.

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:23 pm

Hm, that is an interesting line of thought Bernd! I'm so rarely using 6.6.x that I never use scale factor :oops:

You could also, from the messagebox, use something like

Code: Select all

set the scaleFactor of the mouseStack to .5
which should let you shrink any stack on the screen just by hovering over it, then hitting enter in the message box.

To reverse it, just type '1' instead of '.5' :D
Image

dunbarx
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 9579
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 2:28 pm
Location: New York, NY

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by dunbarx » Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:39 pm

Jacque has an adorable magnifying glass. Perhaps if she sees this she will bring it to the fore.

Craig Newman

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:05 pm

dunbarx wrote:
Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:39 pm
Jacque has an adorable magnifying glass.
Somehow, I am unsurprised by this announcement :mrgreen:
Image

jacque
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 7215
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:31 pm
Location: Minneapolis MN
Contact:

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by jacque » Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:28 pm

dunbarx wrote:
Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:39 pm
Jacque has an adorable magnifying glass. Perhaps if she sees this she will bring it to the fore.
The magnify example I wrote was for a specific use that requires some setup during development. I think it's in Sample Stacks still but it isn't an all-purpose tool.

LC has a magnify command built in, but it only works on images.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

Markm49uk
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:47 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by Markm49uk » Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:46 pm

The IDE needs some work in my opinion. Some strange behaviours when developing on Windows (not tried it on my Mac yet). Windows don’t seem to obey the conventional behaviours in the IDE - acting almost like modal windows in some respects by not moving behind windows you wish to bring to the front by clicking on them. Mainly the properties windows of the cards and stacks.

Might just be an adjustment needed on my part but it’s irritating me enough to mention it! Another thing I miss from other IDE environments include alignment assistants when dropping new fields, buttons etc onto a card.

I’m still evaluating the product and although I have a very tempting offer expiring today I’m still not sure if I can live with the IDE.

jacque
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 7215
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:31 pm
Location: Minneapolis MN
Contact:

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by jacque » Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:40 pm

The IDE windows are palettes that float on top. They will stack among themselves but always do float above your working stacks. Typically if they are in the way I just drag them to the bottom of the screen or dismiss them. It is very easy to get the property inspector back by just double clicking an object with the edit tool. Other palettes can be opened again from the menus.

You can also close the tools palette and toggle between the browse and edit tools via keyboard shortcuts instead, so you only need to open it (from the menus) if you want to use one of the other tools during layout. Or you can collapse or hide different parts of it to get them out of the way using the gear icon at the top right.

You can also set the toolbar at the top to show only icons or only labels, which gives you more vertical space, or you can close it entirely.

There is an alignment tool in the property inspector. It only shows up if you have more than one object selected. Shift-click the objects you want to align, making sure that the first one is the one you want the others to align with. Double click one of the selected objects to open the property inspector and find the align pane, the icon looks like three horizontal lines with the left edges aligned. It's the last icon in the inspector.
Jacqueline Landman Gay | jacque at hyperactivesw dot com
HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com

bogs
Posts: 5435
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm

Re: Zoom IDE

Post by bogs » Fri Nov 30, 2018 10:18 pm

jacque wrote:
Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:40 pm
The IDE windows are palettes that float on top. They will stack among themselves but always do float above your working stacks.
Didn't use to be that way, I find it annoying myself.
Selection_001.png
The gooder ol days...
Image

Post Reply

Return to “Getting Started with LiveCode - Experienced Developers”