[Released!] VisualMenus [Commercial]

bitwelder

Happy to announce that VisualMenus is finally avaiable on the store! Visual Menus are button-based menus that you can customize with your favorite content items, scripts, custom actions and more. You bring them up by pressing user-defined keyboard shortcuts. 

https://www.daz3d.com/visualmenus

 

 

 

 

Midnight_stories

Yes grabbed this straight away hoping to set some navigation buttons, Thanks a lot !!!

Td3d

Very, very cool! Payday tomorrow, ...in the cart. Nice job on this.

evacyn

Hey bitwelder - looks great! Definitely love the layout :)

Quick question - will there be any potential issues when we evenutally upgrade to 4.11?

3dOutlaw

Wow, this was something I didn't know that I really, really needed!   A few questions (I can see this needing a FAQ)

• I assume these are not dockable?  Didn't see it anywhere in the docs, just want to confirm.  Not a deal breaker.
• Anyway to make a menu window automatic, so that it launches at Launch?
• Since it uses custom actions, can a menu be launched from the "Menu Bar" as well as a keyboard shortcut?

Cybersox

Totally love this idea and the basic design is fantastic.  I've leaned how to make special menus in DS, breaking my favorite apps and scripts across the top tool bar (one for lighting utilities, one for posing aps, etc.), but this looks like it will be even more useful if I can move Visual Menus with the ones that I use most to a secondary screen.  Two questions that I didn't see answered in my quick scan of the manual:

1 - how many of the menus can remain up at one time?  The illustrations make it look like you could have six to seven visual menus running simultaneously, or is that just for illustrative purposes?

2.  How many functions can be attached to a visual menu at one time?  With my current 32 inch main screen I can place around 30 items in a custom scripts menu, but that eats up a lot of screen space when it's open.  I f VM works the way that it appears to in the ads, I have an extra 27" monitor that I could use as a third screen just for visual menus while my second 32" can be used just for rendering and my content directories,..

Artini

I hope, that Visual Menus will not interfere with Daz Studio own menus, since I use Daz Studio 4.10 beta and 4.9 at the moment.

I have bought in the past product from Daz store, that incorporate its own menus to the Daz Studio ones

and it just crashed Daz Studio on my computer. I was lucky enough, that the crash prevented installing it permanently.

 

JonnyRay

To be honest, at first I thought it looked "nice" and that it could be handy for some things. Then I watched the video and saw the power and flexibility built into the tool and decided I had to have it. :) Thank you for filling a gap in Studio that will certainly reduce the number of mouse clicks and menu options I need to remember to perform some of my standard tasks!

RAMWolff

YUP, snatched this up right away!  Thank you so much! 

I second the question about the product working in new point upgrades of DAZ Studio!  

RAMWolff

Couple of suggestions for an update.  If I have an action I want to merge into the scene I don't see a way to do that.  Is there a way to add in code to allow for that?  Using the AWE 3DL system by wowie his setup scene is a combo of lights and other bits that needs to be either created BEFORE hand or merged into the scene. Be nice to have an option to do that through your script.  

Also, not sure if this is something you can help with but is there a way to set up the script to NOT use system or DAZ Studio colors?  My texts on your menus is dark gray background and darker gray text.  I can't read it until I hover over it.  Quite hard on old eyes.  I tried to fix this through the DAZ Studio customizing area but made no difference at all so not sure what to do about that. 

Thirdly it would be nice if the script remembered the last browsed area when setting icons as it's not doing that automatically for me.  Be nice to have it just read the action and assign what ever icon is present next to the duf file.  OR have the script remember the last location I was at for the previous setting of icons as I'm going through and making nice neat 4 across groupings like for instance Zero's I have 4 well used zeroing out.. each time I had to browse to the folder to assign the proper icons to each of the 4, quite annoying...

Thanks so much! 

Richard 

Cris Palomino

I am really happy with this product. I have been slowly building my menus. One thing I have done is my main menu leads to other menus for Figure, Pose, Morphs and other sets of commands I like to group together. Many of the example menus have what I would have done, so I just make them buttons on my main menu. What I also do is have one button on each nested button that takes me back to the main menu. In my Morph menu, I have nested further into Geometry Editor and Properties and so those menus have buttons back to the Morph menu. Works quite well for me that way.

3dOutlaw

Cris Palomino said:

I am really happy with this product. I have been slowly building my menus. One thing I have done is my main menu leads to other menus for Figure, Pose, Morphs and other sets of commands I like to group together. Many of the example menus have what I would have done, so I just make them buttons on my main menu. What I also do is have one button on each nested button that takes me back to the main menu. In my Morph menu, I have nested further into Geometry Editor and Properties and so those menus have buttons back to the Morph menu. Works quite well for me that way.

Does your "main menu" open when you Launch DS, or do you have to open it each time?

Can you set it to via:  "Edit>Preferences (or Daz Studio>Preferences for the Mac), in the Startup tab check Load File, click the button nexdt to it, Browse, and select your script."

3dOutlaw

...

Digital Delirium

An instant buy!  It's great to see such an easy to use and innovative product. Can't wait to get the chance to use it. Well done bitwelder :)

nemesis10

Is it Windows only?

bitwelder

evacyn said:

Hey bitwelder - looks great! Definitely love the layout :)

Quick question - will there be any potential issues when we evenutally upgrade to 4.11?

Should work fine in 4.11. In fact, 4.11 adds a couple of features: ability to open the menus on the screen directly at the cursor position, and a faster/easier way (in my opinion) to set keyboard shortcuts

bitwelder

3dOutlaw said:

Wow, this was something I didn't know that I really, really needed!   A few questions (I can see this needing a FAQ)

• I assume these are not dockable?  Didn't see it anywhere in the docs, just want to confirm.  Not a deal breaker.
• Anyway to make a menu window automatic, so that it launches at Launch?
• Since it uses custom actions, can a menu be launched from the "Menu Bar" as well as a keyboard shortcut?

You are correct...they are not dockable. You open them up when you press a keyboard shortcut, make a selection, and then it immediately closes and gets out of your way. See the 'Introduction' video of this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

Since it uses custom actions to launch the menus, once the keyboard shortcuts are established, they become persistent in Daz Studio, so you don't need to launch VisualMenus script before launching your menus. You can close Daz Studio, and open it up next week, and the keyboard shortcuts that launch your menus should still be working.

I don't THINK the menus can be lauched from the menubar as it stands, but maybe that could be implemented. I've added it to my llist of things to investigate.

bitwelder

Cybersox said:

Totally love this idea and the basic design is fantastic.  I've leaned how to make special menus in DS, breaking my favorite apps and scripts across the top tool bar (one for lighting utilities, one for posing aps, etc.), but this looks like it will be even more useful if I can move Visual Menus with the ones that I use most to a secondary screen.  Two questions that I didn't see answered in my quick scan of the manual:

1 - how many of the menus can remain up at one time?  The illustrations make it look like you could have six to seven visual menus running simultaneously, or is that just for illustrative purposes?

2.  How many functions can be attached to a visual menu at one time?  With my current 32 inch main screen I can place around 30 items in a custom scripts menu, but that eats up a lot of screen space when it's open.  I f VM works the way that it appears to in the ads, I have an extra 27" monitor that I could use as a third screen just for visual menus while my second 32" can be used just for rendering and my content directories,..

1. Yes, all of the menus are shown simultaneously in the promo image for illustration purposes. In reality, you can have one menu open at a time. You press a keyboard shortcut, the menu pops up, you make your selection, and it disappears until you bring it up again with the keyboard shortcut. That way it doesn't take up precious viewport space.  See the beginning of the Introduction video in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

2. I think answer #1 speaks to this? Since the menus don't stay open after you make a selection from them, they don't take up any space on your screen.

 

 

bitwelder

Artini said:

I hope, that Visual Menus will not interfere with Daz Studio own menus, since I use Daz Studio 4.10 beta and 4.9 at the moment.

I have bought in the past product from Daz store, that incorporate its own menus to the Daz Studio ones

and it just crashed Daz Studio on my computer. I was lucky enough, that the crash prevented installing it permanently.

VisualMenus is separate from Daz Studio's menu system, and should not interfere with it. VisualMenus does require 4.10 or later to work, though.... Thanks

 

bitwelder

JonnyRay said:

To be honest, at first I thought it looked "nice" and that it could be handy for some things. Then I watched the video and saw the power and flexibility built into the tool and decided I had to have it. :) Thank you for filling a gap in Studio that will certainly reduce the number of mouse clicks and menu options I need to remember to perform some of my standard tasks!

Glad to hear it, thanks! 

 

Richard Haseltine

nemesis10 said:

Is it Windows only?

As a script it should be platform-independent (though as an encrypted scrpt it will require that you use the version of DS it was saved from or later).

bitwelder

RAMWolff said:

Couple of suggestions for an update.  If I have an action I want to merge into the scene I don't see a way to do that.  Is there a way to add in code to allow for that?  Using the AWE 3DL system by wowie his setup scene is a combo of lights and other bits that needs to be either created BEFORE hand or merged into the scene. Be nice to have an option to do that through your script.  

Are you saying that when you load a content item using a button, that it doesn't *merge* in, but instead replaces whatever is already there? That's a good point--there should be a way to merge the items in.  I'll add that to my list of features to investigate for an update.

RAMWolff said:

Also, not sure if this is something you can help with but is there a way to set up the script to NOT use system or DAZ Studio colors?  My texts on your menus is dark gray background and darker gray text.  I can't read it until I hover over it.  Quite hard on old eyes.  I tried to fix this through the DAZ Studio customizing area but made no difference at all so not sure what to do about that. 

You should be able to choose the colors for the buttons and text to whatever you want. See the "Styling Menus" video in the following playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

RAMWolff said:

Thirdly it would be nice if the script remembered the last browsed area when setting icons as it's not doing that automatically for me.  Be nice to have it just read the action and assign what ever icon is present next to the duf file.  OR have the script remember the last location I was at for the previous setting of icons as I'm going through and making nice neat 4 across groupings like for instance Zero's I have 4 well used zeroing out.. each time I had to browse to the folder to assign the proper icons to each of the 4, quite annoying...

Thanks for the idea! Will strongly consider this for an update.

bitwelder

Cris Palomino said:

I am really happy with this product. I have been slowly building my menus. One thing I have done is my main menu leads to other menus for Figure, Pose, Morphs and other sets of commands I like to group together. Many of the example menus have what I would have done, so I just make them buttons on my main menu. What I also do is have one button on each nested button that takes me back to the main menu. In my Morph menu, I have nested further into Geometry Editor and Properties and so those menus have buttons back to the Morph menu. Works quite well for me that way.

Nice to hear how people are using it, and that it actually works--thanks :)

bitwelder

3dOutlaw said:

Cris Palomino said:

I am really happy with this product. I have been slowly building my menus. One thing I have done is my main menu leads to other menus for Figure, Pose, Morphs and other sets of commands I like to group together. Many of the example menus have what I would have done, so I just make them buttons on my main menu. What I also do is have one button on each nested button that takes me back to the main menu. In my Morph menu, I have nested further into Geometry Editor and Properties and so those menus have buttons back to the Morph menu. Works quite well for me that way.

Does your "main menu" open when you Launch DS, or do you have to open it each time?

You only need to launch the VisualMenus script when you are creating new menus, or setting keyboard shortcuts, or performing high-level activities like that. It creats custom actions behind the scenes that are persistent in Daz Studio so your keyboard shortcuts to bring up the menus will be there even when you quit and restart Daz Studio. No need to re-launch anything.

3dOutlaw said:

Can you set it to via:  "Edit>Preferences (or Daz Studio>Preferences for the Mac), in the Startup tab check Load File, click the button nexdt to it, Browse, and select your script."

I think the answer above speaks to this. Also, see the Introduction video in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

 

bitwelder

Digital Delirium said:

An instant buy!  It's great to see such an easy to use and innovative product. Can't wait to get the chance to use it. Well done bitwelder :)

Thank you very much--I hope you enjoy using it!

bitwelder

Richard Haseltine said:

nemesis10 said:

 

Richard Haseltine said:

nemesis10 said:

Is it Windows only?

As a script it should be platform-independent (though as an encrypted scrpt it will require that you use the version of DS it was saved from or later).

It was tested on Mac. As far as I can remember, the only difference is that a different, custom color picker had to be implemented in the Edit Style dialog box because the stock one kept freezing Daz Studio for some reason--not sure if I was doing something wrong, or what.

RAMWolff

bitwelder said:

RAMWolff said:

Couple of suggestions for an update.  If I have an action I want to merge into the scene I don't see a way to do that.  Is there a way to add in code to allow for that?  Using the AWE 3DL system by wowie his setup scene is a combo of lights and other bits that needs to be either created BEFORE hand or merged into the scene. Be nice to have an option to do that through your script.  

Are you saying that when you load a content item using a button, that it doesn't *merge* in, but instead replaces whatever is already there? That's a good point--there should be a way to merge the items in.  I'll add that to my list of features to investigate for an update.

RAMWolff said:

Also, not sure if this is something you can help with but is there a way to set up the script to NOT use system or DAZ Studio colors?  My texts on your menus is dark gray background and darker gray text.  I can't read it until I hover over it.  Quite hard on old eyes.  I tried to fix this through the DAZ Studio customizing area but made no difference at all so not sure what to do about that. 

You should be able to choose the colors for the buttons and text to whatever you want. See the "Styling Menus" video in the following playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

RAMWolff said:

Thirdly it would be nice if the script remembered the last browsed area when setting icons as it's not doing that automatically for me.  Be nice to have it just read the action and assign what ever icon is present next to the duf file.  OR have the script remember the last location I was at for the previous setting of icons as I'm going through and making nice neat 4 across groupings like for instance Zero's I have 4 well used zeroing out.. each time I had to browse to the folder to assign the proper icons to each of the 4, quite annoying...

Thanks for the idea! Will strongly consider this for an update.

Hi,

I'm aware of using the change palette colors but I'm talking about the right drop down menu's, the font isn't a lighter color so I can't read them until I hover over them and they light up, seems like something that can be recified.  

Thank you!  I'm glad you like my suggestions! 

bitwelder

RAMWolff said:

bitwelder said:

RAMWolff said:

Hi,

I'm aware of using the change palette colors but I'm talking about the right drop down menu's, the font isn't a lighter color so I can't read them until I hover over them and they light up, seems like something that can be recified.  

Thank you!  I'm glad you like my suggestions! 

Hmmmm...any chance you could post a screenshot showing what you mean? Thanks!

Cybersox

bitwelder said:

Cybersox said:

 

2.  How many functions can be attached to a visual menu at one time?  With my current 32 inch main screen I can place around 30 items in a custom scripts menu, but that eats up a lot of screen space when it's open.  I f VM works the way that it appears to in the ads, I have an extra 27" monitor that I could use as a third screen just for visual menus while my second 32" can be used just for rendering and my content directories,..

1. Yes, all of the menus are shown simultaneously in the promo image for illustration purposes. In reality, you can have one menu open at a time. You press a keyboard shortcut, the menu pops up, you make your selection, and it disappears until you bring it up again with the keyboard shortcut. That way it doesn't take up precious viewport space.  See the beginning of the Introduction video in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

2. I think answer #1 speaks to this? Since the menus don't stay open after you make a selection from them, they don't take up any space on your screen.

 

 

Thanks for the answer on part one.  It's disappointing that only one menu can be open at a time, but I rather suspected that would be the case..  However, your reply to #2 didn't really address the main question, which is what is the upper limit of buttons that can be put on a single visual menu?  10?  20?   

bitwelder

Cybersox said:

bitwelder said:

Cybersox said:

wer on part one.  It's disappointing that only one menu can be open at a time, but I rather suspected that would be the case..  However, your reply to #2 didn't really address the main question, which is what is the upper limit of buttons that can be put on a single visual menu?  10?  20?   

Cybersox said:

 

Ooops, sorry I missed that! As far as I know there is no firm limit on the maximum number of buttons you can have on a menu. The largest one I tested had 27  (Grid 9x3) buttons on it, and seemed to work fine. I imagine at some point, with enough buttons you'll see a noticeable slow-down in the drawing of the menu on the screen. Once that becomes too slow for your taste, then the artificial limit has been reached.

3dOutlaw

bitwelder said:

1. Yes, all of the menus are shown simultaneously in the promo image for illustration purposes. In reality, you can have one menu open at a time. You press a keyboard shortcut, the menu pops up, you make your selection, and it disappears until you bring it up again with the keyboard shortcut. That way it doesn't take up precious viewport space.  See the beginning of the Introduction video in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa07lbrxdWyQtx0C6BXHypr-lAwjYHcdF

2. I think answer #1 speaks to this? Since the menus don't stay open after you make a selection from them, they don't take up any space on your screen.

Oh, I completely missed that in the promo video.  You must be hitting the shortcut right after you click the button then?  Anyway, thanks for all the answers, good luck with it!