GUI Tutorial?

Hoyt may have a point.

It would help if he could point us to a vendor who provides simple examples, as he suggests,rather then assuming serious users will extract the information they need from more complex examples.

Until around 2 weeks ago I’d never heard of FEZ (fast & easy) or even netmf, or C#, so I am not in a position to offer up any tutorials on how to fast & easy set up a few buttons on the screen and show messages when pressed—and that’s the help I was looking for. I would think that would have been covered long ago, since its so universal for a touch screen.

Good grief…

Here’s a little Glide program. It shows a button then pops up a message when you touch the button. (edit: this is a Gadgeteer example… emx/cobra may be a little different)

using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Glide;
using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Glide.Display;
using GHIElectronics.NETMF.Glide.UI;

namespace GlideTest
{
	public partial class Program
	{
		private const string GLIDE_XML =
		"<Glide Version=\"1.0.3\">" +
			"<Window Name=\"instance115\" Width=\"320\" Height=\"240\" BackColor=\"FFFFFF\">" +
				"<Button Name=\"mButton\" X=\"120\" Y=\"32\" Width=\"80\" Height=\"32\"" +
				    "Alpha=\"255\" Text=\"Press me!\" Font=\"3\" FontColor=\"000000\"" +
				    "DisabledFontColor=\"808080\" TintColor=\"000000\" TintAmount=\"0\"/> " +
			"</Window>" +
		"</Glide>";

		void ProgramStarted()
		{
			Window window = GlideLoader.LoadWindow(GLIDE_XML);

			GlideTouch.Initialize();

			Button butt = (Button)window.GetChildByName("mButton");

			butt.TapEvent += new OnTap(OnButtonPress);

			Glide.MainWindow = window;
		}

		void OnButtonPress(object sender)
		{
			MessageBoxManager mbm = new MessageBoxManager();

			mbm.Show("You pressed a button!", "Congratulations!");
		}
	}
}

The Glide web page has a designer that you can use to make forms. It’s not as nice & featurefull as windows forms but it’s pretty decent for what it is. You design the form and it gives you XML, which usually goes into a resource file but I’ve just included as a string const above.

I’d definitely call it fast & easy.

It’s still programming and it’s still electronics, though - it’s not fair (and is a bit silly) to think you can go from zero experience on the hardware platform, software framework and programming language and expect to demo something for a customer within a couple days.

It IS fast & easy but it’s not going to do everything for you.

I am interested in alternatives also but this package you mentioned is NOT free either $530USD, and is only a 30 day Trial. ref: https://www.regnow.com/checkout/cart/view.

Glide is free for non commercial - unlimited time frame (as far as I know), and only pay for commercial, but that then gives you source code. instead of glide DLL only.

If your in a real hurry might be best to engage 3rd party developers - who’ve been there done that.

Yeah, I wasn’t expecting an expensive ($1000) add on.

Started thinking, if I just used .netmf to draw some colored boxes with text (buttons), then use the touch coordinates to change the box fill color, it would appear as a poor man’s button. Not sure about all of the specifics…would have to decide based on the coordinate span, which box (button) was pressing, but that’s probably not too hard…do you see any flaws with this approach?

Of course, a slider would be more difficult. I really don’t see any project links where this is being done.
I never really appreciated using VB, until now!!

Melody Glider isn’t based on Glide and is as far as I know a working project with some good gfx

and the source for the FEZ shipped example is also available (also non glide):

Maybe design in the VB.NET GUI form editor, get the coords for objects, and push this into your embedded code (manually or later automate it).

Also look at alternative:

You might also want to look at Innobedded http://www.innobedded.com/

I personally have not used this software, so cannot comment on it’s easy, however, it looks like something you might be after.

you can develop quick with .net micro framework yes. If you compare it with other development kits it is great (every thing has got it’s pro’s and con’s though). But if your boss wants something quickly and you just discoverd this framework 2 weeks ago then there is something wrong with the way you develop things… At least how fast is fast? Good development and debugging takes some time…

You could also take a look at these 2 gui kits for .net micro:

[url]http://www.innobedded.com/product.html[/url]
[url]http://www.bluedev.eu/t2c/ProductsSolutions/UserInterface/RightView/tabid/171/language/en-US/Default.aspx[/url]

We have done quite some testing with the first one, but speed is an issue. I would go with glide (or maybe something from 4d systems)

…actually it does use glide!!!

This program is rather long & uses a massive amount of files—not too explanitory as a clear example or explanation of what’s going on…but may be forced to pick throught it.

EDIT: Just saw your post over on the Skewworks site; sorry this was a busy weekend for me and didn’t check in anywhere yesterday. We can have a Cobra port of our controls (including a slider) in a few days if you really need a rush.

Currently considering a price point of $30USD per developer. Let me know if this is something you need.

Skewworks:

Sounds like a lot of folks would like some simple controls!!!..I did see your ‘Spiral’, not sure if that would be applicable as well…was not interested in an apps store, OS, directories, or anything like that— just some useable TOUCH controls.

I’ll push up the priority on it for you then. Give me a few days.

FYI I’ve already got the basics working, including a Transitions class. I’m off to test things now and put together documentation; so it looks like we’re right on schedule for you to have this around Wednesday evening.

[url]http://skewworks.com/products/dotnetclix[/url], a day early 8)

Videos and full announcement will be online later tonight. For now the documentation and setup files are already available.

Thanks…I’ll check it out…a tutorial always welcome

There are 2you in the docs and another included in the setup :wink:

skewworks is what everyone needs :slight_smile: … after GHI of course…kidding :wink:

Can’t wait to see it.

Bravo Thom for stepping up to the plate and hitting it from the ballpark ! (oh is it baseball season inthe US at the moment? No, think it might be footy? anyway, not changing it for that :))

Your Website mentions it includes 2 dozen controls, but the guide only mentions the combo box (& perhaps 1 or 2 more)…is there a listing of these somewhere?

Perhaps the proper procedure to install the library & just look at the “tree”…of course that is not too descriptive. Just wondering, since I’m a newbie. I’m about to download now!

oh, I just saw this:

Oh, I don’t see it listed on your download page…where to get it?

@ Hoyt, The solution included with the download shows you all but I think 3 of the controls. They’re all dead simple to use. Making the video now. And I’ll also list all the controls on the site. :smiley:

@ Brett Thanks man!

@ Gus Skewworks & GHI is definitely what everyone needs. That’s part of why GHI is listed as a sponsor on our home page :smiley: