Grab Properties and Paint Properties Tools

The Grab Properties and Paint Properties tools work together with the Property Painter dialog to allow you to grab (copy) the properties of a selected Button, Page or Popup Page, and paint (copy) them onto another Button, Page or Popup Page (FIG. 357):

FIG. 357 Grab Properties and Paint Properties Tools

Grabbing Properties (via the Grab Properties Tool)

Use the Grab Properties function to copy a specific set of properties from a selected design element (Button, Page or Popup Page). Once a property set has been Grabbed, it can be applied (Painted) to another design element in the project. This technique can save time as well as promote consistency in the TPDesign5 project.

1. Select Grab Properties Tool from the Edit menu, the Design View context menu, or click the toolbar button to activate the Grab Properties tool. Note that the cursor changes to reflect this tool selection (FIG. 358):

FIG. 358 Grab Properties tool

1. Click on a design element in a Design View window to grab the properties and settings of the selected design element. This action invokes the Property Painter dialog (also accessible via the View menu).

The following example shows the Property Painter dialog invoked as a result of selecting a Multi-State General button with 12 states (FIG. 359):

FIG. 359 Property Painter

1. Select the Properties of the selected design element that you want to grab:
   • Select one of the pre-defined Property Sets from the Property Set drop-down menu:
     • Select <Appearance> to grab all appearance-oriented properties.
     • Select <Border, Fill and Text Colors> to grab only the color settings for border, fill and text colors.
   • Manually click to select or de-select properties. Note that custom Property Sets can be saved via the Save As button.
2. With a set of properties selected (and with the design element selected), click Grab Selected.

Once a Property Set has been grabbed, it can be applied (Painted) to another design element, via the Paint Properties tool.

Painting Properties (via the Paint Properties Tool)

1. With a Property Set selected in the Property Painter dialog, select Paint Properties Tool from the Edit menu, the Design View context menu, or click the toolbar button to activate the Paint Properties tool. Note that the cursor icon changes to reflect this tool selection (FIG. 360):

FIG. 360 Paint Properties tool

1. Click on each design element that you want to Paint using the active Property Set in the Property Painter dialog (FIG. 361):

FIG. 361 Grab Properties tool

The figure below shows three buttons being Painted with the Border, Fill and Text Colors from the button shown above (FIG. 362):

FIG. 362 Paint Properties tool - button example

Saving a Properties Set

Use the Save As option under Property Set in the Property Painter dialog to save a set of Properties (but not their values) that can be recalled later.