Making a "pen color, weight" Tool

[Neil Barman]

Hello,

I am a longtime VW user but have not done very much with VS so far.

I am trying to make a Tool, to put in a palette (and eventually give it a keyboard shortcut), of a little custom script that I've used for years in a script palette (but has always of course lacked keyboard shortcuts). The little script, when double-clicked, quickly changes the pen colour, weight, etc. I have a few of these scripts for when I'm not drawing in a Class.

Here's an example of one of these scripts:

-------------

Procedure CustTool;

VAR

Name:STRING;

Result:BOOLEAN;

BEGIN

FillFore(255);

PenFore(213);

PenSize(79);

END;

Run(CustTool);

-------------

This script has worked well for any line, circle, polygon, etc. However, when I made a Tool using this script (and put it in a palette and such), clicking on that tool doesn't have the same effect. The Tool button can be pressed, but then when I choose to draw a line, circle, etc the pen colour, size are not what the script should have told them to be (basically, they don't change as they are supposed to).

So, am I trying to do something that isn't possible (that is, asking a tool script to only set pen colour, size etc without telling it to also draw a line, circle, polygon, etc)?

Or am I just missing a bit of script that will do what I am looking to do?

Thanks,

-Neil

[klinzey]

Tool require a click in the document in order to be executed.

You should create this as a menu command then create a shortcut to the menu command.

[Neil Barman]

So, if I read you correctly, I can't activate a Tool, then choose another Tool (ie. Line) then click in a drawing?

I had originally created menu commands for the scripts, but I can't get one key shortcuts with those, which is what I am my staff would very much appreciate. However, if what I'm trying to do simply can't be done using VS, then I would imagine they could live with "chorded" shortcuts.

-Neil

[Pat Stanford]

Correct.

So, if I read you correctly, I can't activate a Tool, then choose another Tool (ie. Line) then click in a drawing?

Correct. We had several long discussions on the list last year regarding this and it can not be done.

VS Tools require a click in the drawing to "run" the script.

VS Commands require only a keystroke or mouse click to "run" the script.

You will have to decide if you prefer to click on the tool, click on the drawing then click on the other tool, or to use a keystroke with a modifier to run the command.

[Neil Barman]

Understood. Thank you for the clarification.

-Neil

[Miguel Barrera]

Why not draw whatever object(s) you need first and then use the custom tool to change the attributes by clicking on the object(s)?

[Neil Barman]

I sometimes do a similar routine with the eye dropper tool, if I'm just drawing something quickly and want to assign it attributes afterwards.

[maarten.]

I don't know enough about Events so no idea how to do this, but can't you evoke something like this without clicking in the drawing by double clicking on the pio's icon?

That way you can use one key (but you need to hit it twice though).

[Miguel Barrera]

As of version 2010, tools cannot respond to events like plug-in objects so you still need to click on the drawing to execute the tool script.

[JBenghiat]

If you don't mind some keyboard remapping, you could always assign a function key to the menu command, which would give you a one button shortcut.

-Josh