Pattern

Optional pattern to be drawn on the face of icons in Map view.

$Pattern may be set for the current note via the Appearance Inspector → Interior tab, 'Pattern' control: for plot-style $Pattern values us the Appearance Inspector → Plot tab, 'Pattern' control instead.

These patterns look best when the two colours are similar but not identical. The keywords are case-sensitive. The current default is 'plain'.

If $Pattern is plain no pattern is applied and the note face is drawn in solid $Color.

If $Pattern is lines, the face of the note is filled with alternative horizontal lines of $Color and $AccentColor.

If $Pattern is gradient, the face of the note is filled with a linear colour gradient, top to bottom, from $Color to $AccentColor.

If $Pattern is diagonal, the face of the note is filled with a linear colour gradient, running from upper-left to lower-right corner, from $Color to $AccentColor.

If $Pattern is cylinder, the face of the note is filled with a cylindrical gradient, running from $Color at the top through $AccentColor at the midpoint, and then to $Color again at the bottom.

If $Pattern is radial, the face of the note is a graduation from $Color at 1/3 in from top-left through $AccentColor toward all edges.

If $Pattern is not set (empty string), no pattern is applied and equating to plain.

The remaining four patterns cannot be set via the Pattern menu; bar(), vbar(), bargraph() and plot(). Rather they are set via manual editing of this attribute (Info view, Displayed Attributes) or via actions, rules, stamps. etc., acting upon it.

bar([value],[min],[max]). The draws as a horizontal 'progress bar', using $Color and $AccentColor. The 'progress' block is drawn in $AccentColor.

vbar([value],[min],[max]). The draws as a vertical 'progress bar', using $Color and $AccentColor. The 'progress' block is drawn in $AccentColor.

In both cases the parameters work the same way:

• value. If used alone it is a percentage, otherwise it is a value between min and max. Thus vbar(25) is the same as vbar(25,0,100).
• min & max. Numerical minimum and maximum values for computing the degree of 'progress' represented in $AccentColor by value.

The arguments in the brackets may be numbers or expressions that can be evaluated as numbers. If a note's width is 3.0, then bar(15*$Width) is the same as writing bar(45).

If the pattern is written without parameters or brackets, it evaluates as if at 50%, e.g. vbar() and vbar are the same as vbar(50).

There are 2 further patterns, only used for Map view container plots: bargraph() & plot(). The patterns use the same parameters/syntax as bar()/vbar() above. The container then draws a plot over the top of its viewport area showing the value of the stated attribute (or expression) for each immediate child. The bargraph() gives a bar graph, and plot() a sparkline type plot. Containers only have one $Pattern value so can show a pattern either in the main icon or a container plot, but not both.