How to create a display tool for a current variable value?
Thanks again Scott. I eventually figured out that my troubles were that I had forgotten most of what I knew about DIESEL. Once I opened up the Customization Guide I was given enough examples of usage that I began to see some mistakes in my previous attempts.
First off, the examples put a space after commas, so I started doing so also. I saw that I could enter text first, then follow with $calls to code without codifying the text with a string command of any kind. But what I found worked for me best was the following..
$(eval, "TOR Elevation: " $(rtos, $(getvar, USERR1), 2 , 6 ))
In the actual text of that code I placed a \n after the colon and used that for the Name of my Ribbon tool and here's what displays:
Whenever you place a \n into CUI names they show up in the editor when you type them in, but once you save the changes, the \n disappears from the editor but the newline actuaction does take place - so you don't see my \n in the picture above, but it is there.
It looks exactly what I want but alas, I am not able to get the ribbon tool to update to the current value of USER1 without going back into the CUI editor, so the setvar value does get updated, but the ribbon doesn't like live updating apparently - unless there is some way to force it to do so. Apparently there is some way, because selecting various AutoCAD commands forces various ribbon changes.
The pull-down menu (MENUBAR) does update continuously with exactly the same code, as does the MODEMACRO status bar element.
if I could find a way, I'd like that ribbon tool to update, but if it isn't exposed to our tinkering, then I'll have to accept that. You've certainly gotten me a lot farther than I thought I'd get on this idea.
Oh, and BTW John, you've been drinking too much wine again - those are salad dressings, not functions! 
Some nice thinking outside the box there, scot. No, when I try to put the name of the ribbon panel in as code, all it does is treat the code as text. The result is the same for "Name" and "Display Text"
Nice try though.
And when I try to rename the pull-down menu itself as code, no evaluation either, but the menu within it still works when you select it....
What's interesting though, is that the same code will evaluate in the Customizations Pane of the CUI editor, just like the pull down menu evaluates in the same pane and on screen when dropping down is selected. But it is a no-worky when it comes to displaying on screen as a menu name. adding the code to Description did not help either..
I also tried the same code as a substitution for an Icon, in the ribbon tool, a toolbar and a tool palette tool, but it doesn't evaluate, it just produces no image at all.
Yes, I could try this as a standalone CUI menu with only a name and put the code in as the display text of the ribbon TAB, but that also does not evaluate.
You have got me thinking though. If the CUI itself is XML, maybe I could use my XML editor to "Hack" it to get the job done... I've successfully hacked tool palettes before, but never departing form the structure of the categorical code within them, only replacing names of block paths and that sort of thing. I'd have to try on a copy I could wreck since success has a slim chance.
