3D PLM Enterprise Architecture User Interface - Frame Creating Resources for Workshops or Workbenches
How to provide the title, help messages, and icons for workshops or workbenches
Technical Article
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Abstract
This article shows how to create the resource files, and fill them in with the appropriate resources, for a workshop or a workbench.
Creating the Resource Files
Filling in the CATNls Resource File
Filling in the CATRsc Resource File
Providing the Icon Files
In Short
References
Creating the Resource Files
The resource files must have the workshop or workbench identifier as name. This identifier is declared in the CreateWorkshop or CreateWorkbench method of the workshop or workbench description class, as the third parameter of the NewAccess macro that creates the workshop or workbench. For example, for a workbench:
CATCmdWorkbench is the workbench container class
pCAAAfrWorkbenchPointer is a pointer to the CATCmdWorkbench class instance that the macro creates
CAAAfrWorkbenchId is the workbench identifier.
There are two workbench resource files:
The resource file containing the title and help messages in the English language, and that can be translated into other languages. It is suffixed using CATNls
The resource file containing the icons and other resources that should not be translated. It suffixed by CATRsc. This file is required to make the workshop or the workbench appear in the Start menu. If a workshop has workbenches, these workbenches are displayed in place of the workshop in the Start menu, and this workshop resource file is unused and can be omitted.
The two resource files for the CAAAfrWorkbenchId workshop are then: CAAAfrWorkbenchId.CATNls and CAAAfrWorkbenchId.CATRsc. These files are located in the CNext\resources\msgcatalog directory of the framework containing the workshop module. This directory includes subdirectories, one for each language into which the title and messages of the CAAAfrWorkbenchId.CATNls file can be translated.
Each resource is provided using a key and a text, or a file name without suffix, separated by the equal sign. The key is built as a concatenation of the object identifier you defined as the third parameter of the NewAccess macro, a dot, and a keyword designating the appropriate resource. The message is enclosed using double quotes and ended using a semicolon. For example, the workshop title is defined as follows:
Filling in the CATNls Resource File
This file contains:
The resources for the workshop itself: the title used in the Start menu, its associated help message, the short help and the help messages repectively displayed in a balloon and in the status bar when the mouse is over the workshop icon, and the long help message displayed in a ballon when the end user clicks and then clicks the workshop icon. CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Title = "CAA V5: Geometrical Creation";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.ShortHelp = "Workbench to create Geometrical Elements";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Help = "Workbench to create Geometrical, Solid and Surfacic Elements";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.LongHelp = "This is the CAA V5: Geometrical Creation Workbench.
It is used to demonstrate workbenches.
It contains two toolsbars:
- One for some Solid Elements
- The other for some Surfacic Elements";
...
The titles of the toolbars and icon boxes ...
// For a toolbar
CAAAfrToolbarId.Title = "Select";
// For an icon box
CAAAfrIconBoxId.Title = "Icon Box";
...
The titles and mnemonics of the menus and submenus // For a menu
CAAAfrMenuId.Title = "Explore";
CAAAfrMenuId.Help = "Explores the document";
CAAAfrMenuId.Mnemonic = "x";
// For a submenu
CAAAfrSubmenuId.Title = "Normal View";
CAAAfrSubmenuId.Help = "Defines the normal to indicate points";
CAAAfrSubmenuId.Mnemonic = "N";
The command mnemonics.
Below is a reminder of the keywords used in the resource keys that can be found in the CATNls resource file.
Title Text displayed:
as the name of the workshop or workbench in the Start menu
as the toolbar title
as the icon box title when the icon box is teared off
as the menu or submenu title
Help Text displayed in the status bar when the mouse moves over the workshop or workbench name or icon in the Start menu, or over the icon in the workshop or workbench toolbar
ShortHelp Text displayed in a balloon as the workshop or workbench short help message when the mouse moves over the icon in the workshop or workbench toolbar
LongHelp Text displayed in a balloon when the end user clicks , which turns the mouse cursor as a question mark, and then clicks on the icon representing the workshop or workbench in the Welcome dialog box workshop or workbench toolbar
Mnemonic An "Alt+key" keystroke combination that activates menus, submenus, and menu items. The key character is underlined in the menu, submenu, or menu item title, and therefore must belong to this title. No duplicates should exist in the set of mnemonic keys for a given menu or submenu. The case is ignored when using the mnemonic. The mnemonic is declared in the workshop resource file for menus and submenus only. It is declared in the command header resource file for menu items.
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Filling in the CATRsc Resource File
This file contains:
The submenu into which it should appear in the Start menu CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Category = "Infrastructure" ;
...
The icon names to be associated with the workshop in the Start menu ...
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.NormalCtx = "I_CtxGeometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.PressedlCtx = "IP_CtxGeometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.FocusedlCtx = "IF_CtxGeometry";
...
The icon names to be associated with the workshop in the Welcome window where the favorite workshops or worbenches are gathered ...
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.NormalPnl = "I_Geometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.PressedPnl = "IP_Geometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.FocusedPnl = "IF_Geometry";
...
The icon names to be associated with the workshop in the workshop toolbar ...
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.NormalRep = "I_RepGeometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.PressedlRep = "IP_RepGeometry";
CAAAfrWorkbenchId.Icon.FocusedlRep = "IF_RepGeometry";
This is valid if the workshop doesn't not include any workbench. Otherwise, those of the workbenches are used and the workshop does not appear in the Start menu, in the Welcome window, and has no toolbar.
The files containing the icon bit maps are named, for example, I_CtxGeometry.bmp for the icon to be displayed in the Start menu, usually located in the CNext\resources\graphic\icons\normal.
Below is a reminder of the keywords used in the resource keys that can be found in the CATRsc resource file.
Category An attribute associated with the the workshop or workbench to make it appear in the proper submenu of the Start menu. This is done by assigning a category to the workshop or workbench. Available categories are:
Infrastructure
MechanicalDesign
Shape
AnalysisSimulation
AECPlant
ProcessPlanning
NCManufacturing
DMUNavigator
Equipments
DPManufacturing
VNC
Inspection
DenebInfrastructure
IGRIP
Safework
Icon.NormalCtx Icon to display in the Start menu
Icon.PressedCtx Icon replacing the "NormalCtx" icon when the end user clicks on it
Icon.FocusedCtx Icon replacing the "NormalCtx" icon when the end user moves the mouse over it
Icon.NormalPnl Icon to display in the Welcome window
Icon.PressedPnl Icon replacing the "NormalPnl" icon when the end user clicks on it
Icon.FocusedPnl Icon replacing the "NormalPnl" icon when the end user moves the mouse over it
Icon.NormalRep Icon to display in the workshop toolbar
Icon.PressedRep Icon replacing the "NormalRep" icon when the end user clicks on it
Icon.FocusedRep Icon replacing the "NormalRep" icon when the end user moves the mouse over it
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Providing the Icon Files
The icons are bit map files, suffixed by bmp. They should have a size of 24 by 24 pixels. The icon files are contained in the CNext\resources\graphic\icons\normal directory of the framework containing the workshop module.
In Short
The workshop resources are provided in two files whose names are the workshop identifier. One file is for those that can be translated and is suffixed CATNls, the other for the icon names and is suffixed CATRsc. The resources are provided using keys built with the identifier of the object to which they apply.