This function requires the Pro License or up or the Show Control Module. See Licenses and functions.
Buttons can be downloaded from the Internet (e.g. search for "free buttons") or designed individually by means of a graphics program. Once you have found suitable buttons on the Internet, you need to modify them for usage in the Control Panel.
Buttons can be made up of one or two symbols. Two symbols stand for two different switching states.
Any areas to be displayed transparent need to be in pink. The exact color values must be used: red = 255, green = 0 and blue = 255.
Examples:
Buttons should not be larger than a control panel field (...to be selected in the Options; default value is 88 x 66 pixels). A button graphic containing two symbols is double the size of one containing only one symbol. It is irrelevant whether symbols are arranged on top of each other or next to each other as this can be specified in the file name and in the Media Pool under Bitmap. However, you need to bear in mind that the bottom or right symbol is displayed when activated.
Buttons and graphics must be saved as bitmap *.bmp files, while the name should include the following identifications corresponding to the arrangement of the switch symbols:
Name_§1.bmp ...for one-piece buttons or for graphics that serve illustration purposes
Name_§2V.bmp ...for buttons with two symbols that are arranged vertically
Name_§2H.bmp ...for buttons with two symbols that are arranged horizontally
When a button has more than two symbols or switching states you can enter the corresponding figure up to a maximum of 9. Instead of the § character you can also use the $ character as a separator.
After preparing the buttons this way, they are sorted under Bitmaps when importing them in the Media Pool (Drag & Drop) and appear with their correct number of parts. See also Using individual buttons.
Start by creating the graphic design for the Control Panel pages and defining colors and names. When you have done this, creating the required bitmaps is just a few steps away. Please consider that the field size has an influence on the raster pattern. You can change the field size and thus the raster. See Options – Project Options – Control Panel.
For buttons downloaded from the Internet you should choose a background color which is as close as possible to the planned background color in the Control Panel.
When filling the button background in pink, make sure the any graphics program options such as Smoothen are disabled, otherwise combination colors may cause pink edges in the Control Panel.
The empty Control Panel fields can be provided with any type of individually designed bitmaps. This allows you to create eye-catching labelling or multi-color backgrounds. The bitmaps should have the same size as the Control Panel fields. Otherwise they are cropped or do not fill the entire field. See also Options – Project Options – Control Panel.