Create a .NET override

[Thoric]

So I'm playing with the .NET MenuStrip class to build custom menus. Very powerful, but now it seems I need to override the menustrip renderer with a custom renderer in order to set something as simple as the Selected Item colour.

In C# this looks something like:

public class CustomColorTable : ProfessionalColorTable
{
  public override Color MenuItemSelected
  {
     get { return Color.LightGreen; }
  }

Basically, a custom renderer class is derived from ProfessionalRenderer, and you override the MenuItemSelected property colour (color). Except I don't see how to achieve that in LabVIEW, and I think maybe this isn't supported?

[tst]

I don't know the answer (probably no, since how would you define overriding a .NET class in LV?), but in the past I have done customer rendering in .NET from LV using events. Basically, register for the relevant event and write the custom .NET rendering code in the callback VI. I assume this will be less elegant, since you may have to handle multiple events, but might work with the MenuStrip control as well.

[Thoric]

Thanks tst.

I ended up resorting to writing a C# DLL that provides the necessary renderer class with my own colortable and override events contained. LabVIEW can load it, set the desired color and provide it to the menustrip renderer property. Seems to work. I originally wanted to avoid writing a C# dll, but AI greatly assisted in its creation, which made it possible for this LabVIEW-only developer to achieve what he needed 😉👍

[mcduff]

No help here, just a question.

Besides colors what else can you do with a fancy .NET menu?

[Thoric]

Set fonts, font colour and size, change every colour, add gradients, add glyphs/icons to each item, change alignment, orientation (think vertically juxtaposed menus) etc. With creativity you can alter any aspect you wish.

WRT integration, using callback VIs you can trigger event-like behaviour when a menu item is selected, so you can react to menu clicks just like native LabVIEW menus.

[JoGra]

Interesting and a nice hack with using AI to help to code the dll.

Is this menu replacing the native LabVIEW runtime menu or its a .net container on the frontpanel?

[Thoric]

Technically yes to both - I have the native FP menu disabled and I've placed a .NET container at the top of my pane to host the new menu.
Still ironing out a few quirks. Dispose doesn't seem to be closing all refs. Sometimes the callback VIs don't fire. And shortcuts might not work at all because of focus conflicts. So not perfect by any means.

A sample showing custom font, some basic grey glyphs, and only two menu items for testing: