Menu Construction
This section shows you how to create an on-screen menu that can be used to invoke the macros.
Invoke the Menu Editor:
Select Edit, New Menu and name the menu 'Main':
Use the menu definition sections to define the menu:, its shape, location, construct, when shown and various menu behaviours:
Define the shape, size and number of buttons:
Specify the initial position and remember the location if moved:
Specify default button colours and text size:
Indicate how the menu is to be invoked, in this case, when the application is active (focused):
Specify the behaviour of the menu during usage:
The 'Main' menu is configured to appear when the Calculator is active.
However, using the Icon Customize option, we are going to create a desktop icon to run the Open App macro to invoke the calculator:
At this point, the menu is created, and the buttons are ready to be configured by adding text/images and associating them with the macros previously created.
Clicking in the 'Current button' field will identify the button layout:
You can now configure the buttons to switch between Basic, Programmer and Scientific mode and close the application:
Menu invocation
There are numerous ways that a menu can be invoked and in this simple example we have configured for three different methods; application related, desktop icon, touch screen gesture:
This caters for the calculator application being invoked independantly such that the main menu will be shown when the Calculate app is active/focused as earlier defined in the menu's Invocation dialog:
Associate a desktop icon with the main menu that will be displayed on the desktop when the project is loaded. This was enabled and configured in the menu's Behaviour dialog:
Using a touch screen to invoke menus and macros, and to select the menu buttons, significantly improves the automation / workflow experience. The touch screen macOS driver from Touch-Base allows for a gesture performed on the touch screen to invoke a menu or to run a macro. In this example, the Three Finger Tap gesture has been set as an alternative method to invoke the calculate main menu via the Open App macro:
At this point, the menu is primed, ready to be invoked!
Select the X in the main menu to close the menu. It will also close when the app loses focus or is closed.
Click and hold on the centre of the main menu or desktop icon to move to a new location.
Select the top button to close the Calculator App and the menu, returning to the desktop icon.
Extra menus and functions
The above gives the basics of a simple FD menu to switch modes within the Calculator.
However, in the Calculator file menu there are a few more useful features that apply to the different calculator modes and also references a help document that may be useful.
This section shows you how to enhance the simple FD Calculator menu with sub menus that are related to the individual calculators.
Steps for creating extra menus and features
Step 1: Note the features that may be of use:
Step2: Based on their use within the calculator modes create the menus, in this case one for each mode
Step 3: Configure the menu as required; shape, rows, text and set position relative to the main menu:
Step 4 - Create the macros, two that will use the keystrokes to invoke the feature and one the Pick Menu Item function for the Help doc as there is no associated keystroke:
Step 5 - Associate the macros with the menu buttons:
The sub menu will be shown when the mode buttons are selected and will be positioned relative to the main menu and will move with the main menu should it be relocated.
FD Calculator video
This video recording shows the desktop icon to invoke the Calculator project, use of the various menu buttons, relocation of the FD menus and closing the app and menu;
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