chaostheory

Is there anyway to get a transparent message box or at least make it black with white text?

In context I've created a synth with a GUI that looks nothing like MaxMSP and subsequently the grey boxes of Max look odd and, well, a bit crap when they're overlaid on the GUI. Anyway, the message box shows updated file name information about a selected sound file (using 'prepend set' command). Hopefully someone will be able to help! :)

transparent-textmessage-box

go back to your message box, right click (or ctrl-click), select the Color submenu, select the black box.

voila, you have a message box with black background and white text.

the only drawback is that I think this will only work on your computer. if you tried to send this patch to someone, the message box would probably show up with the standard color that was originally in the box that you changed to black.

i think there may be a super top secret way to change people's default colors using a scripting message to the max object or something... although i don't think most people would appreciate you messing with their colors...

you could make a pretty simple jsui object that displays the text you input to it, and you can make the text and the background whatever color you want...

the only drawback is that I think this will only work on your computer.  if you tried to send this patch to someone, the message box would probably show up with the standard color that was originally in the box that you changed to black.

i think there may be a super top secret way to change people's default colors using a scripting message to the max object or something...  although i don't think most people would appreciate you messing with their colors...

> Is there anyway to get a transparent message box or at least make it black with white text?

umenu in label mode. Use the Inspector to set this mode, color etc.

Thanks for your help guys! I tried both of your ideas and I've run into two problems. Using umenu I can't seem to get the 'prepend set' command to work and subsequently change the label. And, like you said, swieser1, the message box changes colour on other machines!

Right, I've fixed my problem and here's the solution for anyone interested.

Using GT's method I used the command 'prepend set setitem 0' (instead of 'prepend set') such that when a file is loaded into the 'info~' object the output file name becomes 'setitem 0 '.

To automatically update my umenu (in label mode), I used the 'deferlow' object to bang the message box containing 'setitem 0 ' such that everytime a new file is loaded into the 'info~' object it is automatically updated.

Using GT's method I used the command 'prepend set setitem 0' (instead of 'prepend set') such that when a file is loaded into the 'info~' object the output file name becomes 'setitem 0 '. 

I want to try and keep it as simple as possible to conserve CPU power (as my plugin already uses a fair amount).

On 4 mai 07, at 13:19, Chris Robson wrote:

> I want to try and keep it as simple as possible to conserve CPU 

> power (as my plugin already uses a fair amount).

> I want to try and keep it as simple as possible to conserve CPU  
> power (as my plugin already uses a fair amount).

You can also choose the numbox background color in its inspector (Cmd+I). This will show up correctly on every computer.

Quote: swieser1 wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 03:23

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

> go back to your message box, right click (or ctrl-click), select the Color submenu, select the black box.

> voila, you have a message box with black background and white text.

> the only drawback is that I think this will only work on your computer. if you tried to send this patch to someone, the message box would probably show up with the standard color that was originally in the box that you changed to black.

> i think there may be a super top secret way to change people's default colors using a scripting message to the max object or something... although i don't think most people would appreciate you messing with their colors...

> you could make a pretty simple jsui object that displays the text you input to it, and you can make the text and the background whatever color you want...

Quote: swieser1 wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 03:23
----------------------------------------------------
> go to options menu, select Colors...
>
> set one of the colors to black
>
> go back to your message box, right click (or ctrl-click), select the Color submenu, select the black box.
>
> lock the patch
>
> voila, you have a message box with black background and white text.
>
> the only drawback is that I think this will only work on your computer.  if you tried to send this patch to someone, the message box would probably show up with the standard color that was originally in the box that you changed to black.
>
> i think there may be a super top secret way to change people's default colors using a scripting message to the max object or something...  although i don't think most people would appreciate you messing with their colors...
>
> you could make a pretty simple jsui object that displays the text you input to it, and you can make the text and the background whatever color you want...
>
> -scott
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Quote: Emmanuel Jourdan wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 13:33

> On 4 mai 07, at 13:19, Chris Robson wrote:

> > I want to try and keep it as simple as possible to conserve CPU 

> > power (as my plugin already uses a fair amount).

Unless I'm mistaken, you can't dynamically update a comment box as it has no inlets. The only solution I could come up with was the message box, but I'm using the umenu (which seems to work very well).

Quote: Emmanuel Jourdan wrote on Fri, 04 May 2007 13:33
----------------------------------------------------
> On 4 mai 07, at 13:19, Chris Robson wrote:
>
> > I want to try and keep it as simple as possible to conserve CPU  
> > power (as my plugin already uses a fair amount).
>
> panel in black, comment in white?
>
> ej
>
----------------------------------------------------

Unless I'm mistaken, you can't dynamically update a comment box as it has no inlets. The only solution I could come up with was the message box, but I'm using the umenu (which seems to work very well).


> Unless I'm mistaken, you can't dynamically update a comment box as it has no inlets. The only solution I could come up with was the message box, but I'm using the umenu (which seems to work very well).

In fact, using scripting to thispatcher you can set the content of 

comments on the fly. At times there might be redraw issues, so you 

should send them to the front after changing the content.

In fact, using scripting to thispatcher you can set the content of 
comments on the fly. At times there might be redraw issues, so you 
should send them to the front after changing the content.

> umenu in label mode. Use the Inspector to set this mode, color etc.

or use [lcd] if you like it complicated.


> Unless I'm mistaken, you can't dynamically update a comment box as it

> has no inlets. The only solution I could come up with was the message

> box, but I'm using the umenu (which seems to work very well).

I think your solution is better, but I can't leave the first statement

uncommented... (might be usefull for other occasions...)

Chris Robson schrieb:
> Unless I'm mistaken, you can't dynamically update a comment box as it
> has no inlets. The only solution I could come up with was the message
> box, but I'm using the umenu (which seems to work very well). 

I think your solution is better, but I can't leave the first statement
uncommented... (might be usefull for other occasions...)
The fontlist might only work on a Mac...

-- 
Stefan Tiedje------------x-------
--_____-----------|--------------
--(_|_ ----|-----|-----()-------
-- _|_)----|-----()--------------
----------()--------www.ccmix.com

Indeed, you can send comments a frgb message using "send frgb # # #", as well as set the text. Lots of other objects can accept these messages too, though most can take them in inlets.

For number boxes you can also dynamically change their appearance, not just colors, but also whether transparent or not, bold, etc. "flags 0" = normal, flags 4 = bold, flags 8192 = transparent, flags 8196 = bold transparent (find these buried in the number inspector). So you can choose whether to see the box, as it's sometimes nice to be able to see the little triangle.

You can also select boxes automatically with the select message, and the right outlet of the number box will bang if it's selected and you hit Tab. Attach to a select message and attach that to the next box you want to jump to, so you can tab through series of number boxes.

The colors message is controllable, unlock the Colors panel and see how to format them to send to Max. Then you can control what colors people see for a number of objects (anything that takes color $1).

Indeed, you can send comments a frgb message using "send  frgb # # #", as well as set the text. Lots of other objects can accept these messages too, though most can take them in inlets.

Transparent text/message box?