G4 System Graphics Issue

DHawthorne

I regularly spend a lot of time tweaking a particular panel design style, then using the polished version as a boilerplate for future panels until it goes "out of style." Rather than start from scratch with every new panel, I will often do a "Save as new panel type" and tell it not to scale images (because it does a lousy job, and they rarely look right), then adjust the pages as necessary. This technique works very well ... except for one thing. The system graphics are replaced. Because the pages scaled and the images did not, all of the system pages are forever messed up from that point forward. Why the heck does saving as a different panel type not use the proper system graphics for the target panel?

Anyone know of a fix for this besides starting over from scratch? I sincerely do not want to waste all the effort put into the design and re-sizing just for this, but it really looks bad if you have to access a system page.

ericmedley

I too struggle with this issue. I can't for the life of me figure out why it's so hard. Do, the math, adjust the graphic, rename, wash rinse repeat. How can it screw this up?

anyway. One of my biggest bug-bears is that our designers love to put in a bunch of MVP-8400s and CV7s for wall mounts. this is all well and good except for the 'save as a different panel type cannot seem to do it correctly. It always messes up all the button grpahics so they don't fit in the buttons any more.

My work around that seems to get most issues is to:

1. create the layout in MVP-8400.
2. save as different panel to the smallest screen size of TPI-PRO (640 X480)
3. Then save the TPI-PRO file back up to a CV7 and make sure to uncheck the 'Maintain Aspect Ratio'

That way seems to do a better job with all the popup sizes, fonts, and button sizes. A few graphics don't make the transfer well, but still better than going straight from an 8400 to CV7.

I've done a few of the larger 4:3 ratio to smaller 16:9 ratio panels this way too.

It's not perfect but it doesn't suck as bad either.

vining

DHawthorne wrote:

The system graphics are replaced. Because the pages scaled and the images did not, all of the system pages are forever messed up from that point forward. Why the heck does saving as a different panel type not use the proper system graphics for the target panel?

Thanks for reminding me! I wanted to b ithch about this the other day but got side tracked. Why are system pages updated? Only user pages should be transfered or at least have a check box for this option although I don't know what instance sending converted system pages would be desired. Looks like total crap now and I haven't even figured out if its possible to manually change them back, at the least the couple of pages the user may have access to.

DHawthorne

I haven't found a way to fix them short of wiping out the panel.

vining

Today I went into TPD4's resource manager and deleted the oblong system button images, all the _AMX_10x... stuff and then opened the system template and went to its resource manager and copied those button images and pasted them into my TP file. I didn't trust this though so I exported to my Desktop form the templates and then imported to my TP file. For some reason that made me feel better. I then transferred the TP file and realized that every TP page that I made using these clear buttons no longer had bitmap files assigned to the buttons. I thought that may be a problem for the system pages and of course forgot I was using then too on my pages herre and there. At some point I transferred again and got a "Files Corrupted" meassage that listed the replaced images, clicked ok and continued the transfer. System pages are now looking the way they should and it really wasn't that much of a pain.

Darkside

DHawthorne wrote: »

I regularly spend a lot of time tweaking a particular panel design style, then using the polished version as a boilerplate for future panels until it goes "out of style." Rather than start from scratch with every new panel, I will often do a "Save as new panel type" and tell it not to scale images (because it does a lousy job, and they rarely look right), then adjust the pages as necessary. This technique works very well ... except for one thing. The system graphics are replaced. Because the pages scaled and the images did not, all of the system pages are forever messed up from that point forward. Why the heck does saving as a different panel type not use the proper system graphics for the target panel?

Anyone know of a fix for this besides starting over from scratch? I sincerely do not want to waste all the effort put into the design and re-sizing just for this, but it really looks bad if you have to access a system page.

I have come across this issue too, and this post http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=3126 had some interesting findings in it, but importantly, Rob Whapham, Sr. Software Engineer AMX posted a response with info that addresses the exact problem.

Extracted...

By any chance, does the panel project you downloaded have any buttons that were copied from the setup pages? If it does, you will have versions of the button background images in your panel project with the same name as those referenced by the setup pages. The panel firmware doesn't really separate the project from the setup pages when it comes to resources (images, sounds, etc.).

So, if you have an image in your project with the same name as in the setup pages, the firmware will use the one in your project first. Because your project was initially for a different panel/resolution, those button background images are not the same as the ones the setup pages were created with for the CV10--and, therefore, they cause the setup pages to look incorrect.

The quickest way to correct this is to go into the Resource Manager in TPD4 and rename any images that start with '__AMX' (that's double underscore and then 'AMX'). That way, they will not interfere with the image names referenced by the setup pages.

Don't reckon it makes it right mind you, but this will let you fix it quite easily and quickly

VLCNCRZR

TPD4 resource manager

I have just experienced the same issue that has been discussed here and on
some other posts.

I have an existing TPD4 file (MVP8400) in a project.

The salesperson sold an NXD-CV5 for another area in the building.

The CV5 will replicate a portion of the functionality available on the MVP.

I tried the saveas another panel method with no success.

I had both panels open in TPD4 and copied buttons directly from between the 2.

As soon as I pasted one of the round buttons, all of the alike buttons on the CV5
version became the proper aspect ratio.

I did for all of the "out-of-aspect entities in the design.

Within TPD4, everything was looking great....until I saved, closed, and re-opened.

Magically, everything was out of aspect again.

Very frustrating to say the least.

Fortunately, this is a smaller program so I can just recreate everything.

Unfortunately, I dont have the NXD-CV5 panel yet to test the upload to see if
the saved file maintained the aspect ratio to the actual panel display.

Has anyone found a fool proof method to bypass this converion issue???

I can understand widescreen on large 15-17in panels, but this wide stuff on
the 5-7in is ridiculous.

The majority of my work is with MVP-8400's, but adding a small wired panel into
the design justs complicates everything graphically.

DHawthorne

Stephen's solution worked for me: rename any images that begin with __AMX.

VLCNCRZR

Tried that method also... no success.

My problem isnt with the template graphics, it is
with all of the custom images.