ubutton
Transparent button
Description
Creates a transparant click-able region that can be placed over graphics or other objects. Produces a bang message when clicked.
Discussion
The left-middle outlet sends a bang when the mouse is clicked on the button, and left outlet sends a bang when the mouse button is released. Note that you can resize ubutton when you create a new one - just continue dragging the mouse after placing the button in the patcher window.
Arguments
None.
Attributes
dragtrack[int]: 0
The word dragtrack , followed by a non-zero number, enables "Track Mouse While Dragging" mode. In this mode, positional and inside/outside messages (described above for mouse clicks) are sent continuously while the mouse button is held down after a click. dragtrack 0 disables this behavior, which is off by default. Dragging the mouse will continue to generate these message pairs until the mouse button is released. Drag tracking is off by default. It can also be enabled in the ubutton object's Inspector.
hilite[int]: 1
Toggles the display of a highlight when ubutton is clicked.
hltcolor[4 floats]
Sets the Highlight Color in RGBA format.
param_connect[symbol]:
Establishes a two-way connection between the object and a parameter of a compatible object with parameters such as gen~ or jit.gl.slab. The object can be used to change the value of the parameter and will update if the parameter value changes. The easiest way to set param_connect is with the attribute's menu in the inspector or the Connect submenu of the Object Action menu. The menu displays all available parameters of compatible objects.
Setting the param_connect attribute with a message requires the target parameter's path, which is the host object's scriping name followed by two colons and the parameter name. For example, for a gen~ object with scripting name gen~_AB , the path of the freq parameter would be gen~_AB::freq . You can set a value for the param_connect before the host object or parameter exists, and the object will connect to the parameter once it exists. Refer to the user guide entry for param_connect for more details.
parameter_enable[int]
Enables use of this object with Max for Live Parameters.
parameter_mappable[int]: 1
When parameter_mappable is enabled, the object will be available for mapping to keyboard or MIDI input using the Mappings feature.
rounded[float]
Highlight Round-ness
stay[atom_long]: 0
Selects the button mode. The modes are:
0 the ubutton object is in normal button mode. It does not look for any particular number.
(any non-zero number) the object is in button mode and waits for the specified non-zero number. When that number is received in the inlet, no output is sent, but ubutton stays highlighted until some other message (or a mouse click) is received.
toggle[int]: 0
Selects the toggle mode. The modes are:
0 button mode
(any non-zero number) toggle mode
Possible values:
0 = 'Button'
1 = 'Toggle'
Common Box Attributes
annotation[symbol]
Sets the text that will be displayed in the Clue window when the user moves the mouse over the object.
background[int]: 0
Adds or removes the object from the patcher's background layer. background 1 adds the object to the background layer, background 0 removes it. Objects in the background layer are shown behind all objects in the default foreground layer.
color[4 floats]
Sets the color for the object box outline.
fontface[int]
Sets the type style used by the object. The options are:
plain
bold
italic
bold italic
Possible values:
0 = 'regular'
1 = 'bold'
2 = 'italic'
3 = 'bold italic'
fontname[symbol]
Sets the object's font.
fontsize[float]
Sets the object's font size (in points).
Possible values:
'8'
'9'
'10'
'11'
'12'
'13'
'14'
'16'
'18'
'20'
'24'
'30'
'36'
'48'
'64'
'72'
hint[symbol]
Sets the text that will be displayed in as a pop-up hint when the user moves the mouse over the object in a locked patcher.
ignoreclick[int]: 0
Toggles whether an object ignores mouse clicks in a locked patcher.
jspainterfile[symbol]
JS Painter File
patching_rect[4 floats]: 0. 0. 100. 0.
Sets the position and size of the object in the patcher window.
position[2 floats]
write-only
Sets the object's x and y position in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its size unchanged.
presentation[int]: 0
Sets whether an object belongs to the patcher's presentation.
presentation_rect[4 floats]: 0. 0. 0. 0.
Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in the patcher's presentation, leaving its patching position unchanged.
rect[4 floats]
write-only
Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation).
size[2 floats]
write-only
Sets the object's width and height in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its position unchanged.
textcolor[4 floats]
Sets the color for the object's text in RGBA format.
textjustification[int]
Sets the justification for the object's text.
Possible values:
0 = 'left'
1 = 'center'
2 = 'right'
varname[symbol]
Sets the patcher's scripting name, which can be used to address the object by name in pattr, scripting messages to thispatcher, and the js object.
Parameter Attributes
Orderint
Sets the order of recall of this parameter. Lower numbers are recalled first. The order of recall of parameters with the same order number is undefined.
Parameter Mode Enableint
Parameter Mode Enable (not available from Parameters window)
Link to Scripting Nameint
When checked, the Scripting Name is linked to the Long Name attribute.
Long Namesymbol
The long name of the parameter. This name must be unique per patcher hierarchy.
Short Namesymbol
Sets the short name for the object's visual display. The maximum length varies according to letter width, but is generally in a range of 5 to 7 characters.
Typeint
Specifies the data type. The data types used in Max for Live are:
Float
Int
Enum (enumerated list)
Blob
Note: By convention, the Live application uses floating point numbers
for its calculations; the native integer representation is limited to 256
values, with a default range of 0-255 (similar to the char data type used
in Jitter). When working with Live UI objects whose integer values will
exceed this range, the Type attribute should be set to Float,
and the Unit Style attribute should be set to Int.
Range/Enumlist
When used with an integer or floating point data type, this field is
used to specify the minimum and maximum values of the parameter.
When used with an enumerated list (Enum) data type, this field contains
a space-delimited list of the enumerated values (if list items contain a
space or special characters, the name should be enclosed in double
quotes).
Clip Modulation Modeint
Sets the Clip Modulation Mode used by the Live application. The modulation
modes are:
None
Unipolar
Bipolar
Additive
Absolute
Clip Modulation Rangelist
This parameter is only used with the Absolute modulation mode. It specifies defines the range of values used.
Initial Enableint
When checked (set to 1), the UI object can store an initialization value. The value is set using the Initial attribute (see below).
Initiallist
Sets the initial value to be stored and used when the Initial Enable attribute is checked.
Unit Styleint
Sets the unit style to be used when displaying values. The unit style
values are: Int: displays integer values
Float: displays floating point values
Time: displays time values in milliseconds (ms)
Hertz: displays frequency values (Hz/kHz).
deciBel: displays loudness (dB)
%: Percentage
Pan: displays Left and Right values
Semitones: displays steps (st)
MIDI: displays pitch corresponding to the MIDI note number
Custom: displays custom data type
Native: defaults to floating point values
Custom Unitssymbol
Sets the units to be used with the 'Custom' unit style (see "Unit Style", above). Custom unit strings may be simple symbols (e.g. "Harmonic(s)"), in which case the parameter's value will be displayed in its 'Native' display mode, followed by the symbol (e.g. "12 Harmonic(s)" for an Int-typed parameter or "12.54 Harmonic(s)" for a Float-typed parameter). For additional control over the numerical component displayed, a sprintf-style string may be used (e.g. "%0.2f Bogon(s)", which would display a value such as ".87 Bogons").
Exponentfloat
When set to a value other than 1., the parameter's input and output values will be exponentially scaled according to the factor entered in this column.
Stepsint
The number of steps available between the minimum and maximum values of a parameter. For instance, if the parameter has a range from 0.-64., with Steps set to 4, the user can only set the parameter to 0, 21.33, 42.66 and 64.
Parameter Visibilityint
For automatable parameters (Int, Float, Enum), 'Stored Only' disables automation, although parameter values are stored in presets. 'Hidden' causes the parameter's value to be ignored when storing and recalling data. Non-automatable parameters (Blob) are 'Stored Only' by default, and can be set to 'Hidden', if desired.
Update Limit (ms)int
Speed limits values triggered by automation.
Defer Automation Outputint
Defers values triggered by automation.
Messages
bang
The ubutton object can operate in one of two modes. When the ubutton is in button mode (the default mode), it responds to a bang in its inlet by becoming highlighted briefly and sending a bang out its left outlet. When ubutton is in toggle mode, a bang in its inlet causes it to become (and stay) highlighted and send a bang out its right outlet; or, if it is already highlighted, it becomes unhighlighted and sends a bang out its left outlet.
int
If ubutton is waiting for a particular number (its Stay-on Value) and the incoming number matches it, the button is highlighted but nothing is sent out. If the incoming number does not match the number that ubutton is waiting for, the button is unhighlighted (or remains that way). If ubutton has a Stay-on Value of 0 , int is the same as bang .
- input
[int]
float
Converted to int .
- input
[float]
anything
Converted to bang .
- input
[list]
(mouse)
In "button" mode, a mouse click on ubutton highlights it for as long as the mouse is held down, sending a bang out the right outlet when the mouse button is pressed down, and another bang out the left outlet when the mouse button is released. In "toggle" mode, a mouse click behaves the same as a bang . When the mouse is clicked, ubutton will send a 1 out the right outlet if the cursor is inside of the ubutton object's rectangle, and 0 if it is not. It will also send these messages when the mouse button is released. When the object is in "Track Mouse While Dragging" mode, these messages are sent continuously while the mouse button is held down after a click.
set
If ubutton is in toggle mode, set 1 sets the ubutton object's toggle (highlights it) and set 0 clears the ubutton object's toggle (unhighlights it). Other integer arguments for set will send the number to ubutton, for comparison to its Stay-on Value, without causing any output.
- input
[int]
Output
bang
Out 1st outlet: In button mode (with a Stay-on Value of 0 ), any input causes ubutton to flash and send a bang out the left outlet. A bang is also sent out the left outlet when the mouse button is released.
If the ubutton object is in toggle mode and is already highlighted, any input causes ubutton to become unhighlighted and send a bang out its left outlet.
bang
Out 2nd outlet: In button mode (with a Stay-on Value of 0 ), a mouse click sends a bang when the mouse button is pressed.
If the object is in toggle mode, any input causes ubutton to become highlighted and send a bang out the outlet. If it is already highlighted, it becomes unhighlighted and no bang is sent.
int
Out right outlet: When the mouse button is clicked and released, a 1 is sent out this outlet if the cursor is inside of the ubutton object's rectangular area. If the "Track Mouse While Dragging" option is enabled using the Inspector or the dragtrack message, a 0 will be output if the cursor moves outside of the ubutton object's rectangular area while the mouse button is pressed.
list
Out 3rd outlet: When the mouse button is clicked and released, the ubutton object sends out a list composed of two numbers which specify the coordinates for the cursor position expressed as an offset, in pixels, from the upper left-hand corner of the ubutton object rectangle. If the "Track Mouse While Dragging" option is enabled using the Inspector or the dragtrack message, new coordinates will be reported as the mouse is moved until the mouse button is released.
See Also
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| button | Blink and send a bang |
| fpic | Display an image |
| led | Color on/off button |
| matrixctrl | Matrix switch control |
| pictctrl | Picture-based control |
| radiogroup | Radio button or check box |
| tab | Tab control |
| textbutton | Button with text |