Requirements and Installation

System requirements

Macintosh or Windows PC running 4D v16 or later. 4D v17/64 or later recommended. Project mode on 4Dv18 or later supported.

On Windows make sure the PC has a video card with 512 MB or more video RAM.

Package Contents

Q2Pix consists of a number of 4D extensions (plug-ins and components).

The distribution package contents are:

  • Components/ - Compiled components
    • Q2PixLib.4dbase - Additional functionality (common dialogs, higher-level methods), as well as 4D-object-based wrappers of JSON-based plug-in methods.
    • Q2ImgControl.4dbase - The ImgControl widget.
    • Q2XMPLib.4dbase - XMP-related utility functions and a generic XMP data editor.
    • Q2Utils.4dbase - Utility functions used by other components.
    • Q2Pix Manual.4dbase - The documentation, packaged as a component for easy access from 4D’s Help menu.
    • QLMLib.4dbase - Support library for the License Manager.
  • Components - Project Mode/ - Components specific to 4D’s new project mode.
    • QLMProjectMode.4dbase - Support library for the License Manager.
  • Components - Sources/ - Component source code.
    • Q2PixLib.4dbase
    • Q2ImgControl.4dbase
    • Q2XMPLib.4dbase
    • Q2Utils.4dbase
  • Plugins/ - Notarized plug-ins, for 4Dv17 or later.
    • Q2Pix.bundle - The Q2Pix plug-in. Provides the core API and plug-in area.
    • 0QLM.bundle - The Licence Manager plug-in.
  • Plugins - 4Dv16/ - Plug-ins for 4Dv16.
    • Q2Pix.bundle
    • 0QLM.bundle

Installation

At the very least, the Q2Pix.bundle, 0QLM.bundle plug-ins, and the Q2PixLib.4dbase, Q2Utils.4dbase, QLMLib.4dbase components must be placed in the database’s Plugins/ and Components/ folders respectively.

When running 4Dv16, the plug-ins in the Plugins - 4Dv16/ folder in the package must be used. On 4Dv17 or later, use the ones in the Plugins/ folder.

Additionally, when using 4D’s project mode (4Dv18 or later), the QLMProjectMode.4dbase component must be installed.

Components Q2ImgControl.4dbase and Q2XMPLib.4dbase are optional but recommended.

Component Initialization/Finalization

Components Q2PixLib.4dbase, Q2ImgControl.4dbase and Q2XMPLib.4dbase must be initialized and finalized. This can be done in either of these two ways:

Using the “On Host Database Event” option

The easiest way is to enable the Execute “On Host Database Event” method of the components option in the Security tab of the Database Settings dialog. All components initialize and finalize themselves through this event, so no code is necessary.

If you are concerned about the security implications of this setting, you can initialize and finalize the components manually:

Manually

Every <ComponentName>.4dbase component includes <ComponentName>_Initialize and <ComponentName>_Finalize methods. Call these methods from your On Startup and On Exit database methods respectively.

If you will be using any of the components on the server side, do the same from the On Server Startup and On Server Shutdown methods.

Example database methods for manual initialization/finalization:

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// "On Startup" database method
Q2PixLib_Initialize
Q2ImgControl_Initialize
Q2XMPLib_Initialize

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// "On Exit" database method
Q2PixLib_Finalize
Q2ImgControl_Finalize
Q2XMPLib_Finalize