EasyDialog : Easy dialog boxes design tool  

What is it ?

EasyDialog is a MIAW Xtra for Director 6/7/8. EasyDialog spares you the bother of programming dialogs with MUI. EasyDialog is entirely written in lingo.

How to use it ?

To use it, simply drag the Xtra into the Xtras folder and relaunch Director 6/7. EasyDialog is now present in the Xtras menu.

The EasyDialog window allows you to edit your dialogs adding standard elements (called Widgets).

Ok will generate a script # 500 or more in the current movie cast. This script opens the dialog with the "showdialog" handler and handles the user inputs. It requires the MUI Xtra to work.

Known problems

some long labels are truncated in the final dialog

When you type a label, EasyDialog attempts to calculate the best width for the corresponding widget in order to draw the dialog exactly. Sometimes... it fails. Just type one space at the end of your label and it shall be Ok.

EasyDialog won't work as expected with Director 6.0 on the MacOS 8.x.

Rather, the MUI version coming with Director 6.0 won't work ! Download from Macromedia the last version of the Xtra. Release 6.0.1rxx of the Xtra accompanied Director 6.0 Mac and PC. This version sometimes won't work on the MacOS. Director 6.5 was accompanied by version 6.0.2r3x , D7 by MUI 7.0rxxx. EasyDialog is fully compatible with these two last versions.

My dialogs are twice bigger than in the EasyDialog window!

This comes from a known bug of the first MUI Xtra that accompanied Director 6.0. Dimensions in pixels are taken as DialogUnit and vice versa. Download a more recent version of the Xtra or use EasyDialog "Box properties", click one of the two checkboxes : DialogUnit or Pixels. Test the result with the preview button.

Where can I find the script generated by EasyDialog ?

In the main movie cast, member number 500 or more.

How do I open the dialog ?

Call your dialog box by using the "ShowDialog" handler from within the message window or within any script.

I want to build several dialogs ?

Then you must modify the scripts (500 and following) in order to give each dialog a different calling handler : ShowDialog2, showdialog3...

I don't understand the script generated by EasyDialog

Besides comments preceded by dashes ("--") the script contains two main parts:

the ON SHOWDIALOG handler which opens the dialog (don't modify it).

A handler whose name is chosen by you in the EasyDialog "Box properties" (by default "BLABLA"). This handler is executed when the dialog is open or manipulated by the user. Customize this handler for the dialog controls to be efficient

Above all, remember that it must always be possible to close the dialog!!! The default push button must call the "stop(oDialog)" command! The automatic script already contains this command.

EasyDialog is freeware. Warranty ????
Please report bugs and comments to the author : dite@club-internet.fr
(Thanks to Thomas Wolf from Nanomedia who friendly proofread my English)

UpdateStage sells a similar Xtra.

Download EasyDialog Mac version , EasyDial.zip PC version 30 Ko

EasyDialog : Easy dialog boxes design tool  

What is it ?

EasyDialog is a MIAW Xtra for Director 6/7/8. EasyDialog spares you the bother of programming dialogs with MUI. EasyDialog is entirely written in lingo.

How to use it ?

To use it, simply drag the Xtra into the Xtras folder and relaunch Director 6/7. EasyDialog is now present in the Xtras menu.

The EasyDialog window allows you to edit your dialogs adding standard elements (called Widgets).

Ok will generate a script # 500 or more in the current movie cast. This script opens the dialog with the "showdialog" handler and handles the user inputs. It requires the MUI Xtra to work.

Known problems

some long labels are truncated in the final dialog

When you type a label, EasyDialog attempts to calculate the best width for the corresponding widget in order to draw the dialog exactly. Sometimes... it fails. Just type one space at the end of your label and it shall be Ok.

EasyDialog won't work as expected with Director 6.0 on the MacOS 8.x.

Rather, the MUI version coming with Director 6.0 won't work ! Download from Macromedia the last version of the Xtra. Release 6.0.1rxx of the Xtra accompanied Director 6.0 Mac and PC. This version sometimes won't work on the MacOS. Director 6.5 was accompanied by version 6.0.2r3x , D7 by MUI 7.0rxxx. EasyDialog is fully compatible with these two last versions.

My dialogs are twice bigger than in the EasyDialog window!

This comes from a known bug of the first MUI Xtra that accompanied Director 6.0. Dimensions in pixels are taken as DialogUnit and vice versa. Download a more recent version of the Xtra or use EasyDialog "Box properties", click one of the two checkboxes : DialogUnit or Pixels. Test the result with the preview button.

Where can I find the script generated by EasyDialog ?

In the main movie cast, member number 500 or more.

How do I open the dialog ?

Call your dialog box by using the "ShowDialog" handler from within the message window or within any script.

I want to build several dialogs ?

Then you must modify the scripts (500 and following) in order to give each dialog a different calling handler : ShowDialog2, showdialog3...

I don't understand the script generated by EasyDialog

Besides comments preceded by dashes ("--") the script contains two main parts:

the ON SHOWDIALOG handler which opens the dialog (don't modify it).

A handler whose name is chosen by you in the EasyDialog "Box properties" (by default "BLABLA"). This handler is executed when the dialog is open or manipulated by the user. Customize this handler for the dialog controls to be efficient

Above all, remember that it must always be possible to close the dialog!!! The default push button must call the "stop(oDialog)" command! The automatic script already contains this command.

EasyDialog is freeware. Warranty ????
Please report bugs and comments to the author : dite@club-internet.fr
(Thanks to Thomas Wolf from Nanomedia who friendly proofread my English)

UpdateStage sells a similar Xtra.

Download EasyDialog Mac version , EasyDial.zip PC version 30 Ko