Hi everyone, I'm working on the GUI of a patch and I need to display a static number. The user should not be able to change it directly from the GUI element.

I came up with two options:

• Making a canvas [cnv] object and sending a label message to it. This works, but I need to use [makefilename %d] because [cnv] complains if the label message contains only a float.
• Using a number or number2 object would be my ideal choice but I don't want the user to be able to change it. Is there a way to «disable» or make the number GUI element static?

Thanks

@dom1817 You can use a canvas to display dynamic text from a parameter object like a hslider so that you cannot modify the value but just read it (your canvas is like a screen that just shows your number). You can change the value in an indirect way by using the hslider in your GUI. The advantage of this idea is that you can have many parameters values and all of them can be shown into just one small canvas object saving a lot of space inside your GUI. Having a lot of number boxes inside GUI is not a good idea to show parameters values. The disadvantage is that you need to put more code into your GUI.

You can check this module that i made. It contains a feedback monitor screen for reading parameters. See the small "wave_sweep<-0.61" canvas in the imagine. It shows the values of the sweep hslider.

WaveMaker patch download :
WaveMaker.zip

Here is a more simplified version to show how to do it :
ParameterFeedbackScreen.zip

OBS ! the "$0-clear-send" names come from right-click on each objects and set under "Messeges" the "send symbol" and "receive symbol" so that you don't need to use wiring between GUI objects. The "send symbol" is the output of that object and the "receive symbol" is the input. the "$0" symbol is used so that you can have the same GUI multiple times in the same patch without problems. You can also change in "label p1-$1" like "label Value:->$1" so in canvas will look like "Value:-> [your parameter value]" for aesthetics purpose.

snapshot :

Hi
You could do it this way

set-number.pd

@Balwyn That's very good for display, but if the user changes the number it will be sent on down the chain.
Is that the case?

If this is for your own machine that will be left somewhere for the public to use then you could set kiosk mode with a plugin......... https://puredata.info/downloads/kiosk-plugin
You can disable key bindings and the window menu...... so you could stop the user entering editmode and use a message box for your fixed value.
David.

@dom1817 Actually [value] should work....
Combined with @Balwyn solution to prevent a stack overflow.
fix.pd
David.

@whale-av If it is only for display, there doesn't have to be a chain to go down. @Balwyn's solution should be fine.

@ingox Yes, I don't know what it's for.

Thanks everyone!

I ended up using this solution:

The user won't be able to change value if the range is fixed.