User Interface Options Dialog Box

This dialog box allows you to change some of the layout aids in MediaMatrix, as well as how the screen appears.

Default Background Color

This selects the default background color for a new view window.  When you open a new job (File|New) the background of the new window will be the selected color.

Levels of Undo

Undo levels determines the number of previous editing operations that can be undone by choosing Undo from the Edit menu.  Each step which can be undone is stored in RAM.  If you save too many steps this will eventually use a large amount of RAM resulting in sluggish performance.  Whenever you save your work to disk you flush the undo information from RAM, freeing up the memory to be available for other editing functions.  You cannot undo editing operations performed prior to your most recent save.  If you find that editing performance is sluggish and you also feel that it is not necessary to be able to undo previous steps saving your file should speed things up. If you find that you have to save quite frequently you can try reducing the number of undo levels.  The default setting is 10.

Grid

You may select the Snap and Grid sizes within the Grid area.  Snap determines the size of the movement steps a block or control makes as it is moved.  Snap may be adjusted separately in the X and Y axis.  The number is the number of pixels.  A 3X3 grid is the default setting.

Grid determines the size of a visible grid which can be switched on and off by selecting Show Grid.  This will be visible in any mode of operation.  The grid size can be adjusted separately in the X and Y axis.  It is recommended that the grid size be a multiple of the snap size.

Hi Color Display Options

Use Hi-Color Bitmaps for control styles

Hi-Color bitmaps display with finer resolution, and look smoother than the older style controls, especially when used with high resolution monitors.  MediaMatrix 3.x defaults to this type of display.

Use Gradient Fill Blocks

This option adds dimension, and a "metallic" sheen to blocks and devices.  Use this if you prefer the look to a solid colored block.  NOTE: This option will not appear smooth with a 256 or 16 color video mode.

Miscellaneous

Animated Find Results

The find command is a new feature in MediaMatrix 3.0, that allows you to quickly identify, locate, and "find" objects in a view file.  An example of this might be trying to find everywhere you placed a copy of a control, or, finding which controls in a view file belong to a named control group.  When this option is checked, the "found" objects/controls/algorithms will display with an animated black and white stripped "marquee" border, making them easy to distinguish.

Indicate Linked Controls

Control Group linking is another new feature in MediaMatrix 3.x, that allows you to quickly link and group multiple controls together, by using a "name" of your choosing.  When this option is checked, a small box with an arrow is shown in the corner of all linked controls, thus indicating that they are part of a control group.  This is especially handy when designing systems and control panels.  Unchecking this box turns off this display.  This may be preferable for operation of the system, as the indicator sometimes obscures smaller indicators (such as LED's) and controls.