QGrid 1.2.8 review

QGrid is a 4D plug-in that provides the familiar scrollable thumbnail view (aka "contact sheet") on 4D forms.

License: Demo OS: Mac OS X File size: 1174K Developer: Escape Buy Now Price: $153.00 Updated: 25 May 2006

0

QGrid is a 4D plug-in that provides the familiar scrollable thumbnail view (aka "contact sheet") on 4D forms. This form of presentation, backed by QGrid's powerful customization features, freedom in selecting data sources and drag and drop, is instrumental to the human interface needs of modern image databases.

The grid area is filled with cells, each containing a picture and a textual caption. Cells flow to fill the grid area, and automatically reflow when the area is resized. Each cell can contain two objects: a picture and a caption, the position and size of which can be controlled accurately by pixel coordinates. Caption text can be formatted by font, size, face, justification and color.

Any 4D picture can be used as a background for all cells; the picture and caption objects will be shown on top of this background. This feature enhances the appearance of the grid, eg by letting you imitate the look of popular media cataloguers.

Data sources can generally be anything that returns picture or text. The picture and caption sources are described by means of 4D expressions (methods or simple expressions) that return the data type that is appropriate in each case. Using expressions provides complete freedom to the developer

Because contact sheets are a primary interface element, end-users are provided with handy ways for selecting tiles. QGrid allows for single or multiple user selection, supports keyboard modifiers, and returns the user selection in a 4D array for the developer's action. User selection is shown by means of a frame of variable color and thickness around the tile.

Drag and drop of tiles is also supported. One or many tiles that were previously selected can be dragged and dropped at another location of the same QGrid area, or onto another QGrid area in the same or another 4D process. The visual feedback for the drag and drop action is fully customizable by the developer.

Limitations:
Without a license key the plug-ins work in evaluation mode for 30 min, enough to see how they work or even run a demo. For another 30 min, restart 4D.

Requirements:
4D versions 6.06 to 2004.2.