Launching a Module
- Locate the category in the Module Librarian containing the module using the scroll bars (if necessary). Note that the Modules category contains all the supported modules in the default installation and many of these modules also appear in other categories.
- Select the module by using the left mouse button to scroll through the list of modules, or typing its name (the list will scroll to the first object whose name starts with the characters typed).
- Launch the module by either dragging the module (by holding down the left-hand mouse button) and dropping it over its desired location in the Map Editor or clicking with the right-hand mouse button and selecting "Launch".
To load a module into the Map Editor (Launch it), the following steps must be taken.
Once this has been done, the Module will start up, and its Control Panel (similar to the example below) will appear in the Map Editor.
Figure 5.1: The Contour Module Control Panel
Working with Modules in the Map Editor
To use most of the operations associated with a module it must be selected. Modules can be selected by clicking the left-hand mouse button on the title bar. To deselect a module, press the left-hand mouse button on the background of the Map Editor.
It is possible to select multiple modules either by holding down the "shift" key and selecting additional modules (note: select the first module in the normal way) or by moving the mouse with the left-hand mouse button pressed to enclose the modules to be selected in a box.
The module title bar changes from beige to white when the module is selected. To move selected module(s), hold the left-hand mouse button down, and drag the mouse to move the module(s) around in the Map Editor.
Each module has a help file associated with it that you can use to find out how the module works. To access this help file, click the right-hand mouse button on the module title (or its label in the Module Librarian) and select Help from the menu.
When you press the middle mouse button over a module's title bar you can drag the module to one of the drop icons. By releasing the mouse button over the icon the icon operation is applied to all currently selected modules.
Figure 5.2: The Drop Icons
The Module Control Panel
- Title bar
- Widgets (if any)
- Sizing button
- Input port access pad
- Output port access pad
- Title bar
- Sizing button
- Input port access pad
- Output port access pad
The module control panel is available in three forms. The default form (shown above) is known as the Diminutif(tm) control panel. Both the Diminutif and the maximised or maxi control panel enables users to control the behaviour of the module (see Maximising the Module Control Panel below).
The minimised or micro control panel is an alternative form for the control panel in the Map Editor; it is smaller and may be used to simplify the appearance of complicated maps, but it does not allow users control over the behaviour of the module.
The Diminutif control panel contains
Figure 5.3: The Controls on a Diminutif Module Control Panel
The minimised module control panel contains
Figure 5.4: The Controls on a Minimised Module Control Panel
Maximising the Module Control Panel
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Each module has a Control Panel. This is a small point-and-click interface that
enables control of the properties of the module. To open the control panel, click on the
sizing button with the left-hand mouse button. It can be closed in the normal way: by
clicking with the left-hand mouse button on the "close" button in the top left-hand
corner of the window.
Figure 5.5: The Contour Module with maximised Control Panel