Brands:

• AMX
• BSS Audio

Models:

• AVX Architect

Overview:​​

This article will focus on the UI DESIGN view and examine the Meter object.  

To see a video of this article, click HERE.

Description:

In addition to having meters available in custom panels for monitoring, unique methods for using the Meter object to add visual emphasis to panels will also be discussed. 

The Meter object is located in the Common Controls section of the Control Library.

In the first example, a Meter object is present in the DSP configuration, and selection mode is enabled on its factory control panel.

The Meter can be added directly into the custom panel from the factory panel by dragging it into place. 

The Meter displays the appropriate scale since a parameter is already bound to it. 

This Meter appears as shown in the Meter object’s factory panel, with Show Scale enabled and the scale displayed on the right side only. 

In the PROPERTIES pane, the object includes standard naming, workspace location, and sizing options. The object can also be manipulated directly in the workspace to move or resize.

The orientation of the Meter can be adjusted between vertical and horizontal. 

This selection determines which side of the Meter the scale will be displayed.  This can be left, right, or both for vertical meters, or top, bottom, or both for horizontal meters. 

Stepping refers to the dividers on the Meter. 

The first number represents the height of the indicator in pixels.  The second number represents the height of the divider, or space between indicators, also in pixels.

Next are options for the scale display.  The first is text font and size. 

Changes to the scale text can also affect the display of the Meter indicators.  Resizing the Meter object will also adjust the indicators. 

Additional options include color and opacity of the scale text. 

Padding refers to the space between the indicators and the scale. 

Increasing the padding size increases the distance between the indicators and the scale tick marks. 

Disabling stepping will create a smooth and continuous Meter display. 

Adding a gain control to the panel allows observation of the real-time Meter display.  Re-enabling stepping to view the difference.

The Meter Style section determines how the Meter is displayed. 

Staging allows the creation of different color zones for the Meter.  Additional stages can be added using the plus button to the right. 

A color is selected for the zone first, followed by the percentage at which the stage begins. For example, setting the red zone from 100 to 90 percent and the green zone from 80 percent to the remainder of the Meter creates distinct visual zones. 

 Staging can be used with or without stepping. 

The subrange setting allows specification of minimum and maximum values to limit the displayed range. 

The Parameter Bindings section verifies which parameter is bound to a particular UI object.

The next example uses the Meter as a visual enhancement to a gain control.  Using the Meter from the previous example, turn off the scale and unbinding the Meter parameter by right-clicking the object and selecting Unbind Parameter. 

The Parameter Bindings section will then be empty, and the object will display an exclamation point indicating no current binding. 

Resize the gain fader to match the Meter. 

Find the gain parameter bound to the fader in the PARMETERTREE.

Drag the Parameter onto the Meter to bind it. 

The Meter will now display the fader position rather than reacting to source audio that may not remain at a steady level.  The previously configured staging options remain active.  Overlaying the fader on top of the Meter and launching the panel creates a background for the fader that changes color at different gain stages. 

The gray background can be removed by adjusting the Inactive Color in the Styles section of the PROPERTIES pane. 

Changing this to transparent allows the panel to remain visible behind the Meter.