Tool plugin panels with flex GUI

[poliroms]

I have an Illustrator plugin which installs several tools. I want to have a panel pop up for each tool when the user selects a tool.

All the SDK examples I have seen create a main flex panel when the extension loads up. I do not want to any panel to appear when the extension is loaded. I want to load the extension and then popup panels only when a tool is selected.

What is the best way to implement this behavior?

[A. Patterson]

There's a tool even for when a tool is selected, so it'd be fairly trivial to respond to use that opportunity to show the panel. We used to do this for one of our panels.

Also, though I don't use flex I would think it'd be possible to load but not show a panel when the extension is loaded, but I can't swear to it.

[poliroms]

Also, though I don't use flex I would think it'd be possible to load but not show a panel when the extension is loaded, but I can't swear to it.

That seems to be the biggest obstacle. Whenever I load the extension a panel appears. I tried setting the dimensions to 0 and setting Autovisible=false but the panel still shows up whenever the extension is loaded.

[Toto RoToTO]

You could give a look at FreedGrid/UI or StrikeFilter/UI projets. (sdk samples).

You will definitely find everything you are asking for.

1- How to set your plugin (tools,menus, notifications and communication).

2- How to set your extension (communication with your plugin, show, hide, load and unload extension).

Easy as 1,2,3!

Here is a sample code showing you how it works:

/*

*/

ASErr FreeGridPlugin::GoMenuItem(AIMenuMessage* message)

{

          ASErr result = kNoErr;

          // Compare the menuItem selected (in the message) with our stored values to see if we do anything

          if (message->menuItem == this->fAboutPluginMenu)

          {

                         // Pop this plug-in's about box.

                         SDKAboutPluginsHelper aboutPluginsHelper;

                         aboutPluginsHelper.PopAboutBox(message, "About FreeGrid", kSDKDefAboutSDKCompanyPluginsAlertString);

          }

          else if (message->menuItem == this->fMoveToNewAIMenu)

          {

                    if (freeGridDialogController)

                    {

                                   ASBoolean visible = freeGridDialogController->GetPanelReady();

                                   if(visible)

                              {

                                             result = freeGridDialogController->UnloadExtension();

                                             freeGridDialogController->SetPanelReady(false);

                              }

                              else

                              {

                                             result = freeGridDialogController->LoadExtension();

                              }

                    }

          }

          return result;

}

Best reagards,

Thomas.

[panduvittala]

You can always hide the panel (using panel controller) in your plugin startup.