4D Workshop4 Software IDE

4D Systems' 4D Workshop4 is a comprehensive software IDE for Microsoft Windows that provides an integrated software development platform for all of the 4D family of processors and modules. The IDE combines an editor, compiler, linker, and downloader to develop complete 4DGL application code.

All user application code is developed within Workshop4 IDE. 4D Workshop4 is available as a free download. A PRO license is also available, adding enhanced functionality for advanced users.

4D Workshop4 includes four development environments for the user to choose from based on application requirements or user skill level:

• Designer - This environment enables the user to write 4DGL code in its natural form to program the display module
• ViSi - A visual programming experience that enables drag-and-drop type placement of objects to assist with 4DGL code generation and allows the user to visualize how the display will look while being developed
• ViSi – Genie - An advanced environment that does not require any 4DGL coding - everything is done automatically. Simply lay the display out with the desired objects (similar to ViSi), set the events to drive them, and the code is written automatically. ViSi-Genie provides the latest rapid development experience from 4D Systems
• Serial - This environment is also provided to transform the display module into a slave serial display module. It allows the user to control the display from any host microcontroller or device with a serial port

Pro features

Smart Widgets Editor is a powerful utility which enables the generation of smart widgets.

• Users can create complex widgets with up to six layers, including the layer for the base image. The order of the layers can be arranged as desired
• Each layer can contain one or more images arranged in a sequence that can be manipulated in a variety of ways. Image manipulation options include horizontal motion, vertical motion, and angular motion. Users can set the transparency of a layer
• Two or more layers can be linked to produce synchronized movements of images, enabling the generation of complex widgets with multiple moving parts. A clockwork feature, which allows users to generate clock widgets quickly, is also supported
• Each layer can have a numeric part that can display numbers in various fonts and formats. Alternatively, the numeric part can be a fixed sequence of text
• The output frames can be utilized using any of the supported Workshop4 environments

Genie Magic is an extension to ViSi-Genie, which is available in Workshop4 PRO.

• Users can add 4DGL code to various points in the ViSi-Genie backend code to take full advantage of the power of 4DGL while retaining the speed and convenience of ViSi-Genie and its defined communication protocol
• Users can enter 4DGL code in the form of events, code, and objects, along with various touch-related additions, giving them the power to achieve advanced graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in ViSi-Genie without having to write the full code
• Fully supported by the genieArduino and geniePi libraries, making communication with an Arduino or Raspberry Pi host even more powerful
• Combining the Genie Magic with the Smart Widget Editor makes it possible to use the Smart Widgets Editor tool and Smart Widgets to create other GUI elements such as: