Working with Widgets

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November 25, 2014 Common Tasks No Comments

Adding Widgets *

To add a widget:

  1. Find its icon on a left toolbar.
  2. Drag it onto the screen:

 

Display a Widget as Disabled *

Most of the widgets can be displayed as “disabled”, exact look depending on the skin:

  1. Select a widget.
  2. Tick the “Disabled” checkbox on the property panel:

 

Note:

  • You can also right-click a widget and choose “Enable/Disable” command from a menu (it switches the current state into its opposite).

Selecting Multiple Widgets *

To select multiple widgets, you can:

  • Shift+click a widget to add it to selection.
  • Drag mouse to select the widgets within a selection rectangle:

 

Copy-Pasting Widgets *

You can copy-paste a widget by selecting it and:

  • Using cut / copy / paste commands from the “Edit” main menu.
  • Using standard keyboard shortcuts.
  • Right-clicking and using the appropriate command:

 

In the same way, you can:

  • Copy-paste grouped widgets.
  • Copy-paste multiple selected widgets.
  • Copy-paste widgets between projects.

Grouping / Ungrouping Widgets *

Grouped widgets behave as a single widget. It’s handy for groups of widgets that are often used in exactly the same way (e.g., widgets that make a header for a web-page).

To make a group of widgets:

  1. Select multiple widgets.
  2. Right-click on them and choose “Group Widgets” option:

 

Changing Z-order: Send to Back / Bring to Front *

Order the way widgets overlap:

  1. Right-click on a widget.
  2. Choose either “Send to back” or “Bring to front”:

 

Distribute Widgets Evenly *

You can distribute multiple widgets both horizontally or vertically, i.e. space them evenly, from the Align command menu:

  1. Select multiple widgets.
  2. From top toolbar, open Align dropdown menu.
  3. Choose whether to distribute widgets horizontally or vertically.

 

Aligning Widgets to Each Other *

You can select multiple widgets and make them aligned respective to each other via right-click “Align” submenu:

  • Horizontally: left, right, centered.
  • Vertically: top, middle, bottom.

 

Resizing Widgets to Same Width or Hight *

To make the widgets be of the same width or height:

  1. Select the widgets.
  2. Right-click on them and choose the command you need from the “Resize” submenu:

 

Fit Widget Size to the Text it Contains *

Select the widget, and choose “Fit to Text” option from the “Geometry” tab on the property panel:

 

Checking and Setting Widget Geometry *

When you need to position a widget precisely and explicitly set its size:

  1. Select the widget.
  2. Set its position and size on “Geometry” tab on property panel.
  3. Confirm the changes by clicking the “Change Geometry” button.

 

Locking Widget Geometry *

With dozens of widgets on a screen, it becomes troublesome to handle them with the mouse. Locking some of them in place helps to make it easier:

 

Transforming a Widget to Another Type *

Sometimes, you change your mind when deciding on widget types (for example decide that something is a dropdown, rather than a simple text-field).

You can change widget types without losing the data you entered:

  1. Right-click on a widget.
  2. Choose a transformation from the “Transform” submenu: