CUI Extended Help File - Clarification Requested

[scot-65]

Extended Help File - Displays the file name and ID from the extended help file that should be displayed when the cursor continues to hover over a toolbar, panel button, or menu item for a specified period of time.
Click the [..] button to display the Select Extended Help File dialog box. Select a XAML file that contains tooltip definitions and then select the tooltip content to display from the Select Help ID dialog box.

R2014.

OK, so I am exploring this progressive tooltip aspect and have run into an issue.

When I select the file to read and it's ID, the Extended Help File line in the CUI Properties pane shows an absolute path:

C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Roaming\MyMenu\Support\MyMenu-ExtendToolTip.xaml:CMD_0003

1. Is it possible to change this to a relative path?

2. By not being able to change to a relative path, and I install MyMenu on another station, will this absolute path update?

3. If it does not, will I have to repath each command that has this extended tooltip (there could be quite a few)?

4. Is there a place in the support path tree (Options) that can define this absolute path so as no further editing of the extended tool tip path?

Currently I have this file inside a defined support path however, relative pathing is not possible at this time.

[dgorsman]

Can't help on the questions, but I think you should be checking something else first: can you *unassign* (ie. remove) a XAML file from the CUIx command definition?  Last I checked we can't do that - once it's there the only way to "blank it out" is to delete the command definition and remake it.  In other words be very careful trying to assign XAML files lest you end up having to rebuild most of your commands.

You should be able to assign a network-located XAML file which gets around the relative path issue.  But I think conventional wisdom on other support files still holds true: when somebody has AutoCAD open you can't modify/update that XAML file.

[scot-65]

Thanks for the heads-up.

Right now I am in investigation mode and it does not matter if I have to
remove the command and begin again.

I may not employ this method as future technologies will warrant this as
a waste of time - Given table-top or easel type touch screens where there
is no mouse or external keyboard; how does one hover over a control to
show it's tooltip? My long time concern that the Screen Menu should remain
in the UI will also prove true. Text is text. Buttons have to be rememorized
due to the "modern" look. The ribbon has text associated to the images.
The ribbon puts up a fight when adding a command that has text but no
image. Tiles contain text.

I will however answer my own question, which is your answer as well -
The XAML will have to be placed in a common location, such as the
"Program Files" section of the local disc. This means I now have to deploy
the menu system in two places.

Airplane mode is the goal...

Thanks again.

[rkmcswain]

scot-65 wrote:

1. Is it possible to change this to a relative path?

2. By not being able to change to a relative path, and I install MyMenu on another station, will this absolute path update?

3. If it does not, will I have to repath each command that has this extended tooltip (there could be quite a few)?

4. Is there a place in the support path tree (Options) that can define this absolute path so as no further editing of the extended tool tip path?

Currently I have this file inside a defined support path however, relative pathing is not possible at this time.

1. Yes, if you do it manually. You can do this by opening the .CUIX file using a tool such as 7-ZIP. In 7-ZIP, highlight MenuGroup.cui and press F4, this should open that cui file in Notepad. From here you can change the path to relative, and exit Notepad, saving your changes in the process. 7-ZIP will then ask you if you want to update the ZIP (.cuix) file. Say yes.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~  Now having done this, I can't get it to work. I tried a relative path and it does not work. I tried removing the path and placing the .xaml file in the same folder as the CUIX, and in a folder that is in the support file search path, and neither work.  Have you had any different luck?

You can also remove a reference to a .xaml file this way.

I'm sure the programmers had good intentions, but probably ran out of time to fully document these features and/or provide the tools to make this truly usable for us end users. Why not just embed the data in the .cuix file so you don't need references at all? They're doing this with the images.

[scot-65]

I was able to find the location if the written data
but gave up on trying to tailor the path.
When finished, the file list inside the CUIX was mumbo-jumbo.
Scot-65