Setting up a U8G2 display outside of the menu builder

[alextrical]

Good afternoon.
I have been trying to get the display initialised outside/prior to the initialisation of the TCMenu system

I'm looking to use the code found in the post here to auto detect a display and initialise via the U8G2 library
olikraus/u8g2#2088 (reply in thread)

Unfortunately I'm struggling to use a base object with an assigned constructor. It seems my understanding of C++ is still somewhat lacking in this regards. Please could you point me in the right direction so that I can try and get this setup. (Not sure where else I can ask for this obscure request)

Many thanks

[alextrical]

Ive been trying to follow the guide found here

I have tried to follow the instructions below but am having difficulty to get it to work

Moving from existing driver to custom driver

Firstly, build your menu along with the display driver for your display. This will put the rendering files into your project that are compatible with your display. It is recommended at this point that you ensure all is working, before moving forward to make any modifications.

Generally the first step is to locate and then rename the renderer header and source file. These will normally contain the name of the underlying driver such as u8g2 for example. You should rename these files in order to avoid them being overwritten by any future operations in the designer UI.

Next in the designer UI’s code generator dialog, change the display type to custom display. This means that the designer will no longer manage the display code for you, and you’ll be free to adjust as needed.

That’s it, at this point you can make adjustments to the renderer safely, without risking the changes being lost by round-tripping with the designer.

Unfortunately I'm currently struggling to get around the following error
error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' does not name a type

[davetcc]

I mean to be honest, this is an advanced topic that requires significant C++ experience, and you'll need to do a lot more manual work than is usual in a tcMenu application. Given this request has come up a few times, it may be worth trying to build something into the core that can detect the U8G2 display at runtime.

There's very little information here for me to be able to help you.

What generator options did you pick, and what code got generated as a result? It looks to me like the generated code is missing something here. Little here about where the error occurred either.

[alextrical]

Sorry for once again not providing an example of the issue. I really need to remember to boil down an example for next time
Here are 2 examples, setup using a Mega and a SSD1306,
one with the U8G2 configured entirely in TCmenu

resulting in
TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest-NativeU8G2.zip

The other trying to detach the Display setup from the control of TCMenu configuration by following the instructions here

When trying the above setting without entering values it gives the following errors
TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest-BlankTemplate.zip

The template results in the following error when trying to compile without editing anything

In file included from /home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest.ino:1:0:
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.h:21:8: error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' does not name a type; did you mean 'BaseMenuRenderer'?
 extern GraphicsDeviceRenderer renderer;
        ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        BaseMenuRenderer
In file included from /home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:12:0:
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.h:21:8: error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' does not name a type; did you mean 'BaseMenuRenderer'?
 extern GraphicsDeviceRenderer renderer;
        ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        BaseMenuRenderer
In file included from /home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:13:0:
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:7:45: error: expected class-name before '{' token
 class CustomScreenDrawable : DeviceDrawable {
                                             ^
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:11:5: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     Coord getDisplayDimensions() override {
     ^~~~~
     word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:25:5: error: 'DeviceDrawable' does not name a type
     DeviceDrawable * getSubDeviceFor(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, const color_t *palette, int paletteSize) override {
     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:13:0:
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:36:25: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawText(const Coord &where, const void *font, int mag, const char *text) override {
                         ^~~~~
                         word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:47:27: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawBitmap(const Coord &where, const DrawableIcon *icon, bool selected) override {
                           ^~~~~
                           word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:47:47: error: 'DrawableIcon' does not name a type
     void drawBitmap(const Coord &where, const DrawableIcon *icon, bool selected) override {
                                               ^~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:57:28: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawXBitmap(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, const uint8_t *data) override {
                            ^~~~~
                            word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:57:48: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawXBitmap(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, const uint8_t *data) override {
                                                ^~~~~
                                                word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:67:24: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawBox(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, bool filled) override {
                        ^~~~~
                        word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:67:44: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawBox(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, bool filled) override {
                                            ^~~~~
                                            word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:77:27: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawCircle(const Coord &where, int radius, bool filled) override {
                           ^~~~~
                           word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:87:28: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     void drawPolygon(const Coord *points, int numPoints, bool filled) override {
                            ^~~~~
                            word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:109:5: error: 'Coord' does not name a type; did you mean 'word'?
     Coord textExtents(const void *font, int mag, const char *text, int *baseline) override {
     ^~~~~
     word
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:36:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawText(const int&, const void*, int, const char*)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawText(const Coord &where, const void *font, int mag, const char *text) override {
          ^~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:47:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawBitmap(const int&, const int*, bool)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawBitmap(const Coord &where, const DrawableIcon *icon, bool selected) override {
          ^~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:57:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawXBitmap(const int&, const int&, const uint8_t*)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawXBitmap(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, const uint8_t *data) override {
          ^~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:67:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawBox(const int&, const int&, bool)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawBox(const Coord &where, const Coord &size, bool filled) override {
          ^~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:77:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawCircle(const int&, int, bool)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawCircle(const Coord &where, int radius, bool filled) override {
          ^~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:87:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::drawPolygon(const int*, int, bool)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void drawPolygon(const Coord *points, int numPoints, bool filled) override {
          ^~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/CustomDisplayDrawable.h:97:10: error: 'void CustomScreenDrawable::transaction(bool, bool)' marked 'override', but does not override
     void transaction(bool isStarting, bool redrawNeeded) override {
          ^~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:14:0:
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:4:1: error: 'color_t' does not name a type
 color_t defaultItemPaletteMono[] = {WHITE, BLACK, WHITE, WHITE};
 ^~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:31: error: variable or field 'installMonoBorderedTheme' declared void
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                               ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:31: error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' was not declared in this scope
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:31: note: suggested alternative: 'BaseMenuRenderer'
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                               ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               BaseMenuRenderer
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:55: error: 'bgr' was not declared in this scope
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                                                       ^~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:60: error: expected primary-expression before 'const'
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                                                            ^~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:89: error: expected primary-expression before 'const'
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                                                                                         ^~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/ThemeMonoBordered.h:9:119: error: expected primary-expression before 'bool'
 void installMonoBorderedTheme(GraphicsDeviceRenderer& bgr, const MenuFontDef& itemFont, const MenuFontDef& titleFont, bool needEditingIcons) {
                                                                                                                       ^~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:19:1: error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' does not name a type; did you mean 'BaseMenuRenderer'?
 GraphicsDeviceRenderer renderer(30, applicationInfo.name, &customDrawable);
 ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 BaseMenuRenderer
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp: In function 'void setupMenu()':
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:32:5: error: 'renderer' was not declared in this scope
     renderer.setUpdatesPerSecond(2);
     ^~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:32:5: note: suggested alternative: 'NoRenderer'
     renderer.setUpdatesPerSecond(2);
     ^~~~~~~~
     NoRenderer
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:34:27: error: 'BaseGraphicalRenderer' has not been declared
     renderer.setTitleMode(BaseGraphicalRenderer::TITLE_FIRST_ROW);
                           ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:36:40: error: 'MenuFontDef' was not declared in this scope
     installMonoBorderedTheme(renderer, MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), true);
                                        ^~~~~~~~~~~
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:36:40: note: suggested alternative: 'MenuManager'
     installMonoBorderedTheme(renderer, MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), true);
                                        ^~~~~~~~~~~
                                        MenuManager
/home/alextrical/Arduino/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest/TCMenuDisplayDetectorTest_menu.cpp:36:5: error: 'installMonoBorderedTheme' was not declared in this scope
     installMonoBorderedTheme(renderer, MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), MenuFontDef(nullptr, 1), true);
     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

exit status 1

Compilation error: 'GraphicsDeviceRenderer' does not name a type; did you mean 'BaseMenuRenderer'?

[davetcc]

Sorry, this one got lost somewhere - #410 was raised to make sure the custom starting point at least compiles on all platforms.

[alextrical]

That's amazing, Life has been a bit crazy this year this end and a bit burned out. Hopefully I will be back working on the project that needed this change, its really appreciated and will make the project much easier for non tech savie users to just connect a I2C display and let the software adapt to the hardware present :)

[davetcc]

Should be fixed in 4.2