Initial Page Settings
When you open a page in the editor, AVstudio automatically loads the Page Properties view. This is where you configure the basic identity and behavior of the page before adding content or containers.
What Are Page Properties?β
Page Properties define the foundational characteristics of your page. These settings influence how your page is identified, behaves within the project, and adapts to layout rules.
π Use Page Properties to:
- Set the page name and internal identifier
- Define layout types (adaptive or responsive)
- Control toolbar visibility and page-specific settings
- Adjust spacing and container behavior
Accessing the Page Properties Viewβ
As soon as a page is opened in the editor, the Page Properties panel appears by default.
π To manually access it later:
- Open the desired page in the editor
- Click the Page Properties icon in the right-hand panel
Page Parameters Overviewβ
Below is a summary of the key properties you can configure:
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
Page Name | Visible label for the page in the project navigator |
Internal ID | Unique identifier used for linking or referencing the page programmatically |
Layout Type | Choose between Adaptive or Responsive layout behavior |
Toolbar Visibility | Show or hide the editor toolbar on this page |
Default Container Gap | Adjust spacing between containers on the page |
You can change most of these settings at any time, even after adding content to your page.
Editing Page Propertiesβ
When you open a page in the editor, AVstudio automatically loads the Page Properties view. This is where you configure the basic identity and behavior of the page before adding content or containers.
π The editor opens with the Page Properties
tab selected in the left panel. This is the default view when editing a new page.
π Click the page name
field in the upper-right corner to rename your page. Choose a name that reflects the screen's purpose in your interface.
Example: LobbyScreen
, LightingControl
, or UserSettings
π Use the page CSS class name
field below the page name to assign a custom class for styling. This is optional, but helpful if you plan to apply specific CSS rules.
Example: dashboard-dark
or main-layout-responsive
π After making changes, click the Save project
button in the top-right to apply your updates.
In the next section, weβll walk through the toolbar options available while editing a page, including layout orientation, device preview, zoom, and connection settings.
Toolbar Options While Editing a Pageβ
When you're working inside the AVstudio page editor, you'll find a row of toolbar options that help you adjust layout, simulate devices, toggle views, and manage connections. This section covers each of those options, starting from left to right.
View Controlsβ
The View
control lets you manage layout guides that assist with alignment and structure inside the canvas.
π Click the View
button to open the layout guide dropdown.
π Toggle Show Guides
to display alignment guides directly on the canvas. These help you position elements consistently.
π Toggle Display Guides Positions
to show exact pixel values for each guide, useful for precision layout.
π Use Lock Guides
to prevent accidental changes to guide placement.
π When enabled, Delete all Guides
clears all layout guides from the editor in one action.
Test Device Selectorβ
The test device selector allows you to preview how your page will appear on different screen sizes. It doesn't affect the final build β itβs just a helpful way to test layouts during editing.
π Click the device name in the toolbar (e.g., iPad Mini
) to open the selector menu.
π Choose from the list of predefined devices such as:
iPad Mini (1024 Γ 768)
iPad Pro (1366 Γ 1024)
TSW (1280 Γ 800)
π If you want to preview on a custom device, enter a Name
, Width
, and Height
under the My devices section.
π Click Add device
to save your custom option. It will appear under My devices for reuse.
This feature is useful for checking how adaptive or responsive layouts behave on various screen dimensions. More preview and layout tools are covered next.
Orientation Toggleβ
The orientation toggle allows you to switch the canvas view between portrait and landscape. This is especially useful when designing for devices that may rotate or be mounted differently.
π Click the rotation icon in the toolbar to switch between Portrait
and Landscape
orientation.
π The canvas will update instantly to reflect the new layout, helping you test how elements respond to changes in screen direction.
Use this toggle to preview how your design will behave across different mounting setups or user interactions. This is particularly helpful for responsive layouts or kiosk installations.
Zoom Controlsβ
The zoom control lets you adjust how much of the canvas is visible while editing. This can help when working on detailed layouts or when you want a full-page overview.
π Click the zoom percentage (e.g. 100%
) to open the zoom settings.
π Use the slider or input box to manually set the zoom level.
π Click Fit
to resize the canvas to fit the screen.
π Click Center
to recenter the canvas if it has shifted.
π Click Reset
to return to 100% zoom instantly.
These controls are useful for navigating large or complex layouts with more precision while designing.
Editor and Preview Toggleβ
The toolbar lets you switch between editing your page and previewing how it will look during runtime. This is helpful for testing layout, interactions, and visibility without leaving the editor.
π Click Editor
to stay in edit mode, where you can update containers, properties, and layout elements.
π Click Preview
to simulate the live version of the page and see how it behaves without needing to build or publish.
Preview mode is great for spot-checking animations, positioning, and interactions before committing changes.
Connection Managerβ
The Connection Manager
lets you simulate how your page interacts with connected systems, such as Crestron controllers or WebSocket services. This is useful for testing signal routing and verifying dynamic behaviors during development.
π Open the Connection Manager
from the toolbar (look for the chain-link icon near the right side). Depending on the connection state, the label may say Connected
or Disconnected
.
π Use the Toggle connections
switch to simulate connecting or disconnecting from the system.
π Under Crestron Connection, youβll see items like WebXpanel
if theyβre configured for your project.
π Any WebSocket connectors will appear in the WebSocket Connections section, if available.
Use this tool to test logic that depends on real-time connections, without deploying to actual hardware.
Show/Hide Consoleβ
The Show/Hide Console
button lets you open a live debug panel directly inside the editor. This panel appears on the right-hand side of the screen and helps you monitor signals, parameter values, and system interactions in real time.
π Click the console icon in the upper-right toolbar to toggle the debug console. Youβll find it next to the Connection Manager icon.
π When enabled, the console opens along the right edge of the editor. Youβll see logs related to page activity, signal changes, and dynamic behaviors.
π Click the icon again to hide the panel and return to a cleaner editing view.
Use this tool while testing parameter logic, custom interactions, or integration behaviors. Itβs especially useful when verifying changes without leaving the editor.
Undo and Redo Actionsβ
The editor provides undo and redo icons so you can easily revert or repeat recent changes.
π Undo icon β Reverts your most recent change
π Redo icon β Re-applies the last undone action
These tools are useful when experimenting with layout or design settings, helping you quickly fix mistakes or test alternatives with confidence.
Working with Page Parametersβ
Page parameters allow you to store and pass dynamic values to a page. These values can be referenced throughout the pageβs logic β for example, to control visibility, pass user input, or trigger conditional behavior. You can define parameters like booleans, numbers, or strings depending on what your layout needs.
Adding a Page Parameterβ
When you open a page in the editor, youβll see two tabs at the top: Editor
and Parameters
. Click the Parameters
tab to view and manage any page-specific parameters.
- Click the
Parameters
tab besideEditor
in the page editor view. - Click the
Add Page Parameter
button to open the Create Subpage Parameter modal. - In the
Name
field, enter a unique identifier for the parameter.
Example:showWelcomeMessage
oruserRole
- Under
Type
, select the kind of value the parameter will store:Boolean
β true or falseString
β any text valueNumber
β numeric values
- Enter a
Default Value
that will be used when the page first loads. - Enable the
Format output value
checkbox if you want to transform the parameter before it's used. - If formatting is enabled, use the
Format value with function
field to choose how the value will be processed.
Example: You could apply a function to change "on" to "ON", or round a number. - Click
Create Parameter
to finish.
Why Use Page Parameters?β
Parameters make your pages interactive and dynamic. You can use them to:
- Toggle visibility β Show or hide elements based on a
Boolean
value. - Pass data β Use
String
parameters to move text values between screens. - Trigger logic β Apply conditions based on
Number
orString
values for flow control.
Think of parameters as live, local variables that let your pages react to user input, logic conditions, or connection events.
Summaryβ
In this article, you learned how to:
- Create a new page and select a layout paradigm
- Access the Page Editor and Page Properties
- Use the editor toolbar to manage orientation, zoom, device previews, and more
- Configure connection settings and debug with the console
- Add and manage page parameters to support dynamic logic
These tools help you define how your pages behave and how they adapt across devices. In the next article, weβll walk through how to work with containers, actions, backgrounds, and other advanced layout elements.