INSTRUMENTS / GENERATORS

Dashboard: Components & Properties

This page explains the basic types of components, their properties & shows a preview of the included styles.

Component Properties

This section covers the properties available for the components (displayed in the component inspector). The properties are grouped by meaning (click the + sign to expand the group). If a property or group is not available to a component or is exclusive to a component this is remarked after the property/group name with "applies to" or "exception".

Appearance

Height (applies to: resizable components) - Lets you set the component height.
Width (applies to: resizable components) - Lets you set the component width.
Left (exception: main panel) - Sets the horizontal position of the top left corner of a component.
Top (exception: main panel) - Sets the vertical position of the top left corner of a component.
Caption (exception: main panel, page selectors, patch selectors) - Sets the caption name of a component.
Caption Position (exception: main panel, page selectors, patch selectors) - Sets the caption position of a component (the available choices are Left, Right, Top, Bottom).
Show Caption (exception: main panel, page selectors, patch selectors) - Lets you select whether the component caption is visible.
Line Width (applies to: knobs) - Sets the line width for knob components (available choices are Normal and Thick).
Line Color (applies to: knobs) - Sets the line color for knob components.
Pressed Color (applies to: knobs) - Sets the pressed line color for knob components (when the user is dragging the knob).
Transparent (applies to: components with 8-Bit skins) - Some of the components allow you to set their outer skin color transparent. This can improve the component look over some bitmap backgrounds.
Font (applies to: labels) - Sets the font used for a label component.
Font Color (applies to: labels) - Sets the font color used for a label component.
Label Font (applies to: main panel) - Sets the font used for the caption of all components (except labels which have independent settings).
Label Color (applies to: main panel) - Sets the font color used for the captions of all components (except labels which have independent settings).
Page (exception: page selectors, main panel) - This property appears only if you set multiple interface pages for Dashboard (see page selectors below). Set (all) to display the component in all pages, or select a page the component is exclusive to.

Behavior

Move Speed (applies to: sliders, knobs) - Sets the motion speed for sliders and knobs. The higher the number, the faster the motion.
Full Range (applies to: selectors) - Selectors have a fixed number of ordered predefined items to pick from. Enabling this option lets you map the selector items with values spread over the full range of the controllers (first item: 0, last item:65536). If the option is not enabled, the range is limited by the number of items - 3 items are mapped in the range 0..2 (item1 - 0, item2 - 1, item3 - 2), 10 items are mapped in a range of 0..9, etc. The default state of this option differs for each selector type and guarantees its proper operation.
FX Attack (applies to: switches) - Sets the effect "fade in" time (the smaller the number, the faster the fade).
FX Blink (applies to: switches) - Allows the control to blink with the FX Type selected on a certain event. You can select among On Press and On Over.
FX Release (applies to: switches) - Sets the effect "fade out" time (the smaller the number, the faster the fade).
FX Type (applies to: switches) - Sets the effect type to be used (color of blend). If None is selected, the other FX settings have no effect.
FX When (applies to: switches) - Sets the event which triggers the effect. You can select On Press or On Over (mouse events).

Controller (exception: main panel, page selectors, patch selectors).

This section sets the controller message that is transmitted by a component. That can be a MIDI message or an internal controller message. Some of the controls have a different function and the Controller group is not available to them.

Controller Number - Sets the control number used for the messages. This parameter is not used for internal controllers and aftertouch.
Control Type - Sets the controller type for the messages. You can select CC, RPN, NRPN, Aftertouch, Internal Controllers.
Min/Max - Sets the value range used by the components.

Grid (applies to: main panel)

Sets the options for the panel's snap grid.

Grid Color - Sets the grid color.
Grid Size - Sets the grid spacing (in pixels).
Snap to Grid - Is set to True, the controls snap to the grid as you drag them.

Other

Instruments (applies to: main panel) - This property appears only if you have installed any instrument definitions (*.INS) in the Artwork/Instruments folder. It allows you to select one of the definitions to be used by the patch selectors.
Panel (applies to: main panel) - Lets you select a background (skin) for the panel. If you want a resizable panel, select Gray or Dark.
Control (exception: main panel) - Sets the component style from the ones available.
Name (exception: main panel) - Sets the component name.

Pages (applies to: main panel)

Page Names (applies to: main panel) - Set here a list of page names to create multi-paged interfaces. For more information, see Page Selectors below.

Component Types

Component Name	Component Styles	Description
Main Panel	-	The main panel of Dashboard is also treated as a component and displays its parameters in the component inspector when selected (just click on the panel). If you want to resize the panel, adjust its Height and Width properties (you need to select a resizable background in the Panel property.
Digits		These controls are equivalent to the LCD controls used in FL Studio.
Patch Selector		The patch selectors allow you to set the bank and patch numbers of Dashboard in a more convenient way (using instrument names mapped to bank/patch values). Dashboard comes with a General MIDI patch selector, Roland XP-30™ selector and two selectors which use the installed Cakewalk instrument definitions you have (*.INS). The definitions should be installed in Dashboard's Artwork/Instruments folder.
Selector		The selectors are combo boxes where different message values are mapped to a certain text name. Dashboards comes with volume, pan, tempo and other selectors and you can build your own ones using the Component API.
Slider		The sliders are equivalent to the ones used in FL Studio. Note, however, that some of the skins were designed specifically for some of the Dashboard presets and may not look good on the generic panel skins. You can add your own skins using the Component API.
Switch		The switches are two-state buttons (on-off) with adjustable blend/color effects.
Wheels		The knobs are equivalent to the ones used in FL Studio. Note, however, that some of the skins were designed specifically for some of the Dashboard presets and may not look good on the generic panel skins. You can add your own skins using the Component API.
Label		The label objects are static objects (do not transmit messages) you can use to put notes and labels on the Dashboard's panel.
Page Selector		The page selector provides you with a way to create multi-paged interfaces in Dashboard. this can be useful for many reasons, like saving space for interfaces that use large amount of components, or organizing the components into logical groups. How to set up a multi-page interface: Set a list of page names in the panel's Page Names property. Each text line is the name for a page. Set up the components appearance options: expand the Appearance group and set the Page property. Set (all) to make a component that is shared among all pages (visible for all pages), or set the name of a page to display the component only for that page. Add a page selector to the panel. The component automatically obtains the list of pages and displays the current page.