ButtonMaker offers versatile and easy-to-use controls for your interface. The ButtonMaker software package contains two custom controls that add functionality to any Visual Basic, C, or C++ application. The Button control allows you extensive flexibility in designing buttons.
The Button control can display text and pictures and can take on any shape. You can define any number of segments in the button and you can define the shape of those segments. You can specify any number of text strings or pictures to be displayed in the button. A ButtonMaker button can contain cells, each of which can contain text and pictures. The OCX and VBX Button controls have a design-time interface that makes it easy to create your buttons.
The ButtonMaker OCX and VBX Button controls have a unique Button Designer, which extends the design environment, by allowing you complete access to and control over the button's properties. The Button Designer functions as a liaison between you and the design environment for both complex and simple tasks. The Button Designer comes with templates that contain 16 different button shapes. You can also create and save templates that contain your own button designs. The Button Designer has three editors. You use the Segment Editor to define the button shape. You use the Cell Editor to create separate areas within the button, called cells. Each cell can contain text, pictures, or both. You can also use the Cell Editor to customize the cell contents. The Button Editor displays the button and shows changes as you make them with the Segment and Cell Editors. Used in conjunction with the Segment and Cell Editors, the Button Editor also provides the ability to change the segment or cell shape by grabbing handles along the button's border and dragging them to create the shape. Together, these features of the Button Designer provide a powerful design tool for the seasoned or beginning developer.
ButtonMaker also includes the Balloon control. The Balloon control lets you display a balloon with text or a picture that appears when the mouse pointer is dragged over a button or any control. This control supports round, square, elliptical, and cloud-shaped balloons. A balloon can have a solid or bubble tail. You can customize the length and shape of the balloon tail.
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