Saving Color Palettes - Name Unpreserved

jason_the_adams

It's quite convenient - to be able to export and import palettes from one panel to another, however it's very frustrating that the names given to each cell are lost in the process of saving the file. If the name doesn't save, it pretty much removes the point of giving the cells names in the first place, and then makes it very difficult to create and maintain a successful standard (especially when others create their own palettes to adjust the theme.)

Also, while I'm thinking on it, the ability to move a cell from one cell to another while preserving the attached buttons, backgrounds, etc... would be extremely helpful. As it stands, all one can do it copy and paste one cell to another, but this leaves all the corresponding files left attached to the previous cell - this is very frustrating when attempting to come up with an efficient palette standard.

Anyone have any tricks concerning this, constructive thoughts or supporting ideas?

Thanks!

GSLogic

jason_the_adams wrote:

It's quite convenient - to be able to export and import palettes from one panel to another, however it's very frustrating that the names given to each cell are lost in the process of saving the file. If the name doesn't save, it pretty much removes the point of giving the cells names in the first place, and then makes it very difficult to create and maintain a successful standard (especially when others create their own palettes to adjust the theme.)

Also, while I'm thinking on it, the ability to move a cell from one cell to another while preserving the attached buttons, backgrounds, etc... would be extremely helpful. As it stands, all one can do it copy and paste one cell to another, but this leaves all the corresponding files left attached to the previous cell - this is very frustrating when attempting to come up with an efficient palette standard.

I've wanted to mention these TP4 short comings, so now I will just second the motion.

Rob Whapham

jason_the_adams wrote:

Also, while I'm thinking on it, the ability to move a cell from one cell to another while preserving the attached buttons, backgrounds, etc... would be extremely helpful. As it stands, all one can do it copy and paste one cell to another, but this leaves all the corresponding files left attached to the previous cell - this is very frustrating when attempting to come up with an efficient palette standard.

Anyone have any tricks concerning this, constructive thoughts or supporting ideas?

Thanks!

You can always use TPDesign4's Search & Replace feature to perform a panel-wide change from the original palette index reference to the new one. Just open the Search & Replace dialog, check the source color property that you wish to search on (e.g., Fill Color), choose the original palette index, then check and choose the new palette index from the replacement side. A click to "Replace All" will make the change.

DHawthorne

Rob Whapham wrote:

You can always use TPDesign4's Search & Replace feature to perform a panel-wide change from the original palette index reference to the new one. Just open the Search & Replace dialog, check the source color property that you wish to search on (e.g., Fill Color), choose the original palette index, then check and choose the new palette index from the replacement side. A click to "Replace All" will make the change.

I'm not sure that's any less work than just typing it in manually. In fact, it may be more.

I've just made a text file of the index labels, and open it up on a second monitor when working with an imported palette. As long as you stick to the same scheme, one works for all.

jason_the_adams

I've ended up creating an excel spreadsheet which standardizes the palettes according to index value, and sticking rigidly to the standard I basically try to do it perfect the first time. The largest reason I couldn't use the Search & Replace feature in this is that I'll have up to five themes within the same palette and it's not uncommon for a color to repeat more than once. So I could carefully search through every color but, as DHawthorne said, this would create far more work.

Besides, that still doesn't fix the problem of losing index name information during the process of importing and exporting palettes, so every time someone unfamiliar with my palettes tries to make changes, they have to carry the two page documentation on what everything is, instead of me simply including a name description in the program itself.

Nothing like a good gripe.

Rob Whapham

Instead of exporting to the standard Windows palette file format (.PAL), you can create an "empty" TP4 file (just the standard single blank page) with your various palettes, and save it. Then you can distribute that TP4 file to anyone who needs to create panels using your palettes. They can load it, open the Palette Editor, copy the desire palette(s), and then open the Palette Editor for the target panel and paste. You'll get the original palette with all of its names intact in your target panel.

Rob Whapham

jason_the_adams wrote:

The largest reason I couldn't use the Search & Replace feature in this is that I'll have up to five themes within the same palette and it's not uncommon for a color to repeat more than once. So I could carefully search through every color but, as DHawthorne said, this would create far more work.

I might be missing a detail here, but you wouldn't be searching by color, you would be searching by palette index. For instance, if you are moving your "Standard Button Background" color from palette index 10 to index 20, go ahead and do so in the Palette Editor. Then, from the Search & Replace dialog, choose to search on Fill Color, choose palette index 10 to search on, then choose to replace Fill Color, and choose palette index 20 to replace with. Then a Replace All will change all references to palette index 10 in Fill Color to index 20.