toon-boom-extension-framework/TULayoutView_Toolbar_Integration.md at a0e9cce39c21e04bbb8331257235c72d81ba23c2

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This document explains how toolbars are created, managed, and displayed within TULayoutView instances in Toon Boom Harmony Premium and Storyboard Pro.

IDA Databases:

RE/HarmonyPremium.exe.i64 - Main application
RE/ToonBoomActionManager.dll.i64 - AC_Toolbar and AC_Manager implementations
RE/ToonBoomLayout.dll.i64 - TULayoutView and TULayoutFrame implementations

Overview

Toon Boom uses a two-tier toolbar system:

Global Toolbars - Application-wide toolbars (FileToolbar, EditToolbar, DrawingToolToolbar, etc.)
View-Specific Toolbars - Toolbars that appear when a specific view has focus (DrawingViewToolbar, TimelineViewToolbar, CameraViewToolbar, etc.)

If your custom view’s toolbar shows but every button is disabled, the root cause is almost always validation / responder resolution, not the toolbar XML.

See docs/AC_Toolbar_ButtonEnablement.md:1 for the IDA-verified validation flow and why enabled="true" is ignored.

TULayoutManager::raiseArea() does NOT directly display toolbars.

raiseArea is used to bring a view/area to the foreground:

// Signature:
TULayoutView* raiseArea(const QString& areaName, TULayoutFrame* frame, 
                        bool createNew, const QPoint& pos);

// Example usage (from HarmonyPremium.exe):
layoutManager->raiseArea("Colour", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));  // Shows Colour palette
layoutManager->raiseArea("Morphing", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0)); // Shows Morphing view

Toolbar display is triggered separately through:

TULayoutFrame::setCurrentTab(...) (tab/view change)
TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() (updates the view-toolbar for the new current view)
view->toolbar() (returns toolbar definition as a QDomElement)

TULayoutManager::setCurrentLayoutFrame(frame) does not call showViewToolBar() directly (verified in ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be541d0).

If you call raiseArea and don't see toolbars, the likely causes are:

Your view's toolbar() override returns an empty QDomElement
The toolbar XML hasn't been registered with AC_Manager
The view isn't properly receiving focus after being raised
LAY_ToolbarInfo::m_isDefault is still non-zero (the frame hides/resets the view-toolbar in this case)

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      TULayoutManager                             │
│  - Manages all frames, areas, and global toolbars               │
│  - showToolbar() at vtable+416 creates/shows toolbars by name   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       TULayoutFrame                              │
│  - Contains TULayoutMainWindow for toolbar docking              │
│  - showViewToolBar() displays view-specific toolbar             │
│  - Stores LAY_ToolbarInfo per view for configuration            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     TULayoutViewHolder                           │
│  - Contains 1-2 TULayoutView instances                          │
│  - Notifies frame when active view changes                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              │
                              ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                       TULayoutView                               │
│  - Abstract base class for all views                            │
│  - toolbar() virtual method returns QDomElement                 │
│  - setToolbarInfo() receives LAY_ToolbarInfo                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

During application startup, toolbars are loaded from toolbars.xml:

// From HarmonyPremium.exe session initialization (0x140034EB0)
// Loads toolbars.xml via AC_Manager::loadToolbars(path, outIds) (vtable+0x178)

UT_String toolbarsPath = RM_GetResourcePath("toolbars.xml");
QList<QString> toolbarIds;
actionManager->loadToolbars(toolbarsPath.ToQString(), toolbarIds);

The toolbars.xml file defines toolbar content using XML elements like:

<toolbar id="DrawingViewToolbar" trContext="Toolbars">
    <item id="DrawingTool.Select" />
    <separator />
    <item id="DrawingTool.Brush" />
    <!-- ... more items ... -->
</toolbar>

Global toolbars are shown during session initialization (sub_14002F840):

// Show global toolbars via TULayoutManager::showToolbar (vtable+416)
layoutManager->showToolbar("FileToolbar", true);
layoutManager->showToolbar("EditToolbar", true);
layoutManager->showToolbar("DrawingToolToolbar", true);
layoutManager->showToolbar("ArtLayerToolbar", true);

// Conditional toolbars based on features
if (WHO_Features::hasOnionSkinToolbar()) {
    layoutManager->showToolbar("OnionSkinToolbar", false, true, nullptr);
}

Key Function Addresses (HarmonyPremium.exe):

Session toolbar init: 0x14002F840
TULayoutManager::showToolbar is called via an import thunk in HarmonyPremium.exe (address is version-specific)

Each view class can override TULayoutView::toolbar() (ToonBoomLayout.dll vtable +0x58) to provide a QDomElement describing the view-toolbar content.

Implementation detail (MSVC x64 ABI): this return-by-value is implemented with a hidden return buffer pointer (passed in RDX for member functions), which is why decompiled code often looks like toolbar(this, out).

In Harmony Premium, many views inherit from TUWidgetLayoutView (via VL_ViewQt), so the TULayoutView* you get in toolbar() is an embedded subobject:

TUWidgetLayoutView::m_actionManager is stored at +0x30 (in the TUWidgetLayoutView object)
the embedded TULayoutView base is at +0x68
therefore, AC_Manager* is reachable from a TULayoutView* as *(AC_Manager**)((char*)this - 0x38)

Example: Drawing toolbar override

Function: VL_BaseDrawingViewQt__toolbar
Address: 0x1403B9880 (HarmonyPremium.exe)

Behavior (from disassembly/decompilation):

Read AC_Manager* from [this-0x38]
Call AC_Manager vfunc at vtable +0x1A0 to fill a QDomElement for id "DrawingViewToolbar"
Return an empty QDomElement if AC_Manager is null

Example: Reference View toolbar override

Toon Boom’s “Reference View” uses the ModelViewToolbar definition (see toolbars.xml), implemented in:

Function: VL_ModelViewQt__toolbar
Address: 0x1403C8A20 (HarmonyPremium.exe)

Behavior: same as above, but requests "ModelViewToolbar".

Relevant TULayoutView virtuals (ToonBoomLayout.dll):

toolbar(...): vtable +0x58
setToolbarInfo(const LAY_ToolbarInfo&): vtable +0x60

When the current tab/view changes, Toon Boom updates the frame’s view-toolbar via TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be4bb70).

Confirmed call sites include:

TULayoutFrame::setCurrentTab(TULayoutViewHolder*) → showViewToolBar()
TULayoutManager::showViewToolBars() → TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar()

High-level behavior of showViewToolBar() (validated from disassembly):

currentView = m_layoutManager->findInstance(this, false)
toolbarEl = currentView->toolbar() (calls the view’s override)
info = currentView->getToolbarInfo() (copy of TULayoutView::m_toolbarInfo)
Hide/reset cases:
- If info.m_isDefault != 0: clear + hide the frame toolbar and return
- If toolbarEl is null: clear + hide the frame toolbar and return
Ensure m_viewToolbar exists (created once via createEmptyToolBar(info.m_name) if needed)
Populate the toolbar:
- m_viewToolbar->setOwner(currentView->getWidget())
- m_viewToolbar->changeContent(toolbarEl, info.m_buttonConfig, info.m_buttonDefaultConfig)
Dock and apply placement:
- m_mainWindow->addToolBar(info.m_toolBarArea, m_viewToolbar->toQToolBar())
- Layout::Toolbar::loadToolbar(info, m_mainWindow)
- m_viewToolbar->setVisible(info.m_visible)

4.1 raiseArea Function Details

The raiseArea function is for bringing a view area to the foreground, not for toolbar display:

// Function signature (from ToonBoomLayout.dll)
TULayoutView* TULayoutManager::raiseArea(
    const QString& areaName,      // e.g., "Colour", "Morphing", "Timeline"
    TULayoutFrame* frame,          // Target frame, or nullptr for auto-selection
    bool createNew,                // true = create new instance if needed
    const QPoint& pos              // Position for floating windows
);

Example usages found in HarmonyPremium.exe:

// sub_14086E410: Opens the Colour palette view
void showColourView() {
    TULayoutManager* mgr = getLayoutManager();
    QString areaName("Colour");
    QPoint pos(0, 0);
    mgr->raiseArea(areaName, nullptr, true, pos);
}

// sub_1401579C0: Opens Morphing view on double-click
// (called from QAbstractItemView::mouseDoubleClickEvent handler)
void openMorphingOnDoubleClick() {
    TULayoutFrame* frame = view->getLayoutFrame(widget);
    TULayoutManager* mgr = frame->getLayoutManager();
    QString areaName("Morphing");
    QPoint pos(0, 0);
    mgr->raiseArea(areaName, nullptr, true, pos);
}

Key points:

raiseArea returns the TULayoutView* that was raised/created
The third parameter createNew controls whether to create a new tab/instance
Pass nullptr for frame to let the system choose the target frame
Toolbar display is a separate mechanism triggered by focus changes

If you need to ensure toolbars appear after calling raiseArea:

// Method 1: Let the focus system handle it naturally
TULayoutView* view = layoutManager->raiseArea("MyArea", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));
if (view) {
    QWidget* widget = view->getWidget();
    if (widget) {
        widget->setFocus(Qt::OtherFocusReason);  // Triggers focus chain
    }
}

// Method 2: Explicitly trigger the toolbar display
TULayoutView* view = layoutManager->raiseArea("MyArea", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));
if (view) {
    TULayoutFrame* frame = view->getLayoutFrame(view->getWidget());
    if (frame) {
        // Direct refresh paths observed in ToonBoomLayout.dll:
        // - TULayoutFrame::setCurrentTab(...) calls frame->showViewToolBar()
        // - TULayoutManager::showViewToolBars() calls into the current frame(s)
        frame->showViewToolBar();
        layoutManager->showViewToolBars();
    }
}

AC_Toolbar Integration

Toolbar definitions and instances involve three different components:

AC_Manager (ToonBoomActionManager.dll): loads <toolbar> definitions (e.g., from toolbars.xml) and can create AC_Toolbar instances.
TULayoutManager (ToonBoomLayout.dll / HarmonyPremium.exe): shows/hides global toolbars by name.
TULayoutFrame (ToonBoomLayout.dll): owns the view toolbar instance (m_viewToolbar) and updates it on tab/view changes via showViewToolBar().

How Toolbars Are Actually Registered

Toolbar Definitions are loaded from XML (toolbars.xml):

// During session init (sub_140034EB0 in HarmonyPremium.exe)
AC_Manager* actionManager = AC_CreateActionManager(keywords);

// Load toolbars via AC_Manager::loadToolbars(path, outIds) (vtable+0x178)
QString path = RM_GetResourcePath("toolbars.xml").ToQString();
void** vtable = *reinterpret_cast<void***>(actionManager);
using LoadToolbarsFromFileFn = void (__fastcall *)(AC_Manager* self, const QString* path, QList<QString>* outIds);
auto loadToolbarsFromFile = reinterpret_cast<LoadToolbarsFromFileFn>(vtable[47]); // vtable+0x178
QList<QString> toolbarIds;
loadToolbarsFromFile(actionManager, &path, &toolbarIds);

Toolbars are shown/activated via TULayoutManager::showToolbar:

// During setupToolbars (0x14002f840)
// This is vtable+416 on TULayoutManager, NOT AC_Manager
layoutManager->showToolbar("FileToolbar", true);
layoutManager->showToolbar("EditToolbar", true);

View-specific toolbars are looked up via AC_Manager::toolbarElement() (inside the view’s toolbar() override):

// Common pattern in HarmonyPremium.exe view toolbar() overrides:
// - AC_Manager* is reachable from a TUWidgetLayoutView-embedded TULayoutView* at [this-0x38]
AC_Manager* manager = *(AC_Manager**)((char*)this - 0x38);
if (!manager) {
    return QDomElement();
}
return manager->toolbarElement(QString("DrawingViewToolbar"));

AC_Manager Methods Used

The AC_Manager provides these key toolbar methods:

Method	Vtable Offset	Description
`toolbarElement(name)`	`+0x1A0`	Returns the `<toolbar ...>` `QDomElement` for `name` (member-function ABI uses a hidden return buffer in `RDX`)
`loadToolbars(element, outIds)`	`+0x170`	Loads toolbar definitions from a `QDomElement` (same structure as `toolbars.xml`)
`loadToolbars(path, outIds)`	`+0x178`	Loads toolbar definitions from an XML file (e.g., `toolbars.xml`)
`createToolbar(name, config, mainWindow, area, identity, owner)`	`+0x180`	Creates an `AC_Toolbar` instance from a stored toolbar id (implementation: `AC_ToolbarImpl`)
`createToolbar(element, config, mainWindow, area, identity, owner)`	`+0x188`	Creates an `AC_Toolbar` instance from a `QDomElement` (implementation: `AC_ToolbarImpl`)

AC_Toolbar Creation / Reuse

TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() does not create a new AC_Toolbar every time focus changes.

Observed behavior (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be4bb70):

The frame keeps a single AC_Toolbar* at TULayoutFrame + 0xC0 (m_viewToolbar)
On each tab/view change, it:
- calls m_viewToolbar->setOwner(currentView->getWidget())
- calls m_viewToolbar->changeContent(toolbarEl, buttonConfig, buttonDefaultConfig)
- docks m_viewToolbar->toQToolBar() into the frame’s TULayoutMainWindow

The AC_Toolbar object itself is created lazily by TULayoutFrame::createEmptyToolBar(name):

Builds an empty <toolbar/> element
Calls AC_Manager::createToolbar(emptyEl, nullptr, m_layoutManager, 4, nameLatin1, nullptr)
Stores the result as m_viewToolbar

LAY_ToolbarInfo Configuration

Each view can have stored toolbar configuration via LAY_ToolbarInfo:

// Structure of LAY_ToolbarInfo (~104 bytes)
// Analyzed from ToonBoomLayout.dll constructors and getters
class LAY_ToolbarInfo {
    int m_x;                              // +0x00 - X position (default: 0)
    int m_y;                              // +0x04 - Y position (default: 0)
    int m_index;                          // +0x08 - Toolbar index (default: -1)
    int m_width;                          // +0x0C - Width (default: -1)
    int m_height;                         // +0x10 - Height (default: -1)
    bool m_newline;                       // +0x14 - Break to new line (default: false)
    bool m_visible;                       // +0x15 - Visibility (default: true)
    bool m_isDefault;                     // +0x16 - Default/unconfigured state (Layout hides view-toolbar when true)
    // padding                            // +0x17
    QString m_name;                       // +0x18 - Toolbar name (24 bytes with SSO)
    Qt::Orientation m_orientation;        // +0x30 - Orientation (default: Horizontal)
    Qt::ToolBarArea m_toolBarArea;        // +0x34 - Docking area (default: TopToolBarArea=4)
    QList<QString> m_buttonConfig;        // +0x38 - Current button order (24 bytes)
    QList<QString> m_buttonDefaultConfig; // +0x50 - Default button order (24 bytes)
    // Total size: ~104 bytes
};

Key LAY_ToolbarInfo Methods (ToonBoomLayout.dll):

Method	Address	Description
`LAY_ToolbarInfo()`	`0x7ffa0be6a3a0`	Default constructor
`LAY_ToolbarInfo(QString, int, int, int, int, int, bool, bool)`	`0x7ffa0be6a2c0`	Initializes `name,x,y,index,width,height,newline,visible` (sets `m_isDefault=1`)
`getName()`	`0x7ffa0be392b0`	Returns toolbar name
`getHeight()`	`0x7ffa0be39280`	Returns height
`isVisible()`	`0x7ffa0be39570`	Returns visibility
`isDefault()`	`0x7ffa0be39560`	Returns `m_isDefault` (Layout treats non-zero as “hide/reset view-toolbar”)
`getButtonConfig()`	`0x7ffa0be6a990`	Returns `nullptr` when `m_isDefault!=0`, else `&m_buttonConfig`
`setButtonConfig()`	`0x7ffa0be6a9a0`	Copies config into `m_buttonConfig` and sets `m_isDefault=0`
`setButtonDefaultConfig()`	`0x7ffa0be6aaf0`	Copies config into `m_buttonDefaultConfig`
`setName()`	`0x7ffa0be39bd0`	Sets toolbar name
`setVisible()`	`0x7ffa0be39c10`	Sets visibility
`fromXml()`	`0x7ffa0be6a520`	Loads from QDomElement
`toXml()`	`0x7ffa0be6ab00`	Saves to QDomElement

Note: the m_buttonDefaultConfig accessor is ICF-folded with another trivial accessor and may show up in IDA as ?getChildren@TULayoutSplitter@@... at 0x7ffa0be5ac60; TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() uses that address as &m_buttonDefaultConfig.

How `m_toolbarInfo` Gets Initialized (Critical)

TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() will hide the view-toolbar when TULayoutView::m_toolbarInfo.m_isDefault != 0, so the question becomes: where does non-default toolbar info come from?

This happens when a view is added to a frame (e.g., via raiseArea() / layout activation):

TULayoutArea::add (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be41c10) first checks the frame’s cache (getToolbarInfoForView(viewKey)).
If no cached entry exists, it calls view->toolbar() and reads toolbarEl.attribute("id") to get the toolbar identity string (e.g., DrawingViewToolbar).
It then queries TULayoutStorage::getViewToolbarConfig(viewKey, wantDefault) (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be5cff0) to fetch button config lists keyed by viewKey (typically view->getCaption(true)).
If configs exist, it builds a LAY_ToolbarInfo with:
- m_name = toolbarId
- m_buttonConfig + m_buttonDefaultConfig populated (which flips m_isDefault -> 0)
- applies it via view->setToolbarInfo(info) and caches it in the frame.

Persisted customization updates the config lists via:

TULayoutFrame::toolbarWasCustomized (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be4be20) → TULayoutStorage::setViewToolbarConfig(viewKey, config, isDefault=false) + saveLayoutToolbar().

Implementing Custom View Toolbars

Create a toolbar definition that will be loaded by AC_Manager:

<toolbar id="MyCustomViewToolbar" trContext="MyToolbars">
    <item id="MyResponder.Action1" />
    <item id="MyResponder.Action2" />
    <separator />
    <placeholder id="CustomItems" />
</toolbar>

class MyCustomView : public TULayoutView {
public:
    QDomElement toolbar() override {
        // Get AC_Manager - depends on your view's structure.
        // In HarmonyPremium.exe views derived from TUWidgetLayoutView, AC_Manager* is reachable from the embedded
        // TULayoutView* at [this-0x38]. For a custom TULayoutView subclass, store AC_Manager* yourself (or fetch
        // it via PLUG_Services::getActionManager()).
        AC_Manager* manager = getActionManager(); // your helper
        if (!manager) {
            return QDomElement();
        }
        
        return manager->toolbarElement(QString("MyCustomViewToolbar"));
    }
};

Ensure your toolbar XML is loaded during initialization:

// Option 1: Add to existing toolbars.xml (if modifying installation)

// Option 2: Load programmatically
AC_Manager* manager = PLUG_Services::getActionManager();
if (manager) {
    // Use AC_Manager::loadToolbars(element, outIds) (vtable+0x170)
    // Note: loadToolbars expects the same structure as toolbars.xml; easiest is to wrap your <toolbar> inside a <toolbars> root.
    QDomDocument doc;
    doc.setContent(myToolbarXml);
    QDomElement element = doc.documentElement();
    
    QList<QString> ids;
    manager->loadToolbars(element, ids);
}

Step 4: Ensure `LAY_ToolbarInfo` Is Non-Default

TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() (ToonBoomLayout.dll 0x7ffa0be4bb70) will hide/reset the view-toolbar when TULayoutView::m_toolbarInfo.m_isDefault != 0.

For a custom view, you must ensure:

LAY_ToolbarInfo::m_name is set to the toolbar element’s "id" (used as the toolbar instance identity when createEmptyToolBar(name) creates m_viewToolbar)
LAY_ToolbarInfo::m_buttonConfig (and typically m_buttonDefaultConfig) are populated, so m_isDefault flips to 0

Built-in views typically get this via TULayoutArea::add() reading config from TULayoutStorage (see the section above). If your view has no stored config, the toolbar will remain hidden until you seed it.

Minimal pattern (conceptual):

LAY_ToolbarInfo info = this->getToolbarInfo();
info.setName(QString("MyCustomViewToolbar"));

QList<QString> buttons = {/* item ids in desired order */};
info.setButtonConfig(&buttons);        // flips m_isDefault -> 0
info.setButtonDefaultConfig(&buttons); // used for reset/customize UI

this->setToolbarInfo(info);

Key Memory Offsets

TULayoutView (from TULayoutView*)

+0x00: vptr
+0x08: QString m_internalName
+0x20: LAY_ToolbarInfo m_toolbarInfo (104 bytes)
+0x88: AC_Menu* m_menuByType[2]
+0xA0: QString m_caption

TULayoutFrame (from TULayoutFrame*)

+0x28: TULayoutManager* m_layoutManager
+0x48: TULayoutMainWindow* m_mainWindow (toolbar host)
+0x90: AC_Toolbar* m_toolbar
+0xC0: AC_Toolbar* m_viewToolbar

AC_ToolbarImpl (from QToolBar base)

+0x28: AC_ContainerImpl m_container (88 bytes)
+0x80: AC_Toolbar vptr
+0x98: QString m_responderIdentity
+0xC8: bool m_isCustomizable
+0xE0: QObject* m_owner

Database Reference

HarmonyPremium.exe

Symbol	Address	Description
TULayoutManager__setupToolbars	`0x14002F840`	Initializes/shows global toolbars by name
VL_BaseDrawingViewQt__toolbar	`0x1403B9880`	Returns `DrawingViewToolbar` element
CV_CameraViewQt__toolbar	`0x1403BC450`	Returns `CameraViewToolbar` element
VL_ModelViewQt__toolbar	`0x1403C8A20`	Returns `ModelViewToolbar` element (Reference View)
TL_DockWindowQT__toolbar	`0x14011C5F0`	Returns `TimelineViewToolbar` element

ToonBoomActionManager.dll

Symbol	Address	Description
AC_ManagerImpl__toolbarElement	`0x180016240`	`AC_Manager::toolbarElement(name)` implementation (returns `QDomElement` by value)
AC_ToolbarImpl__changeContent_fromElement	`0x1800332F0`	`AC_Toolbar::changeContent(element, config, defaultConfig)`
AC_ToolbarImpl::create	`0x180033910`	Build toolbar from XML element
AC_ToolbarImpl::create (with config)	`0x180033D50`	Build toolbar from XML element + config list

Symbol	Address	Description
TULayoutArea::add	`0x7ffa0be41c10`	Initializes `TULayoutView::m_toolbarInfo` from `view->toolbar().attribute(\"id\")` + `TULayoutStorage` configs
TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar	`0x7ffa0be4bb70`	Core view-toolbar update flow (calls view->toolbar(), then `changeContent` + docking)
TULayoutFrame::createEmptyToolBar	`0x7ffa0be47730`	Lazily creates/clears `m_viewToolbar`
TULayoutFrame::removeViewToolBar	`0x7ffa0be4a700`	Hides `m_viewToolbar`
TULayoutFrame::getCurToolbarState	`0x7ffa0be48b20`	Captures geometry/visibility from `m_viewToolbar->toQToolBar()`
TULayoutFrame::toolbarWasCustomized	`0x7ffa0be4be20`	Persists button order into `TULayoutStorage` (flips `m_isDefault -> 0`)
TULayoutView::toolbar	`0x7ffa0be610d0`	Base implementation (returns empty `QDomElement`)
TULayoutView::setToolbarInfo	`0x7ffa0be610c0`	Stores `LAY_ToolbarInfo` into the view
TULayoutView::getToolbarInfo	`0x7ffa0be60e80`	Returns pointer to embedded `LAY_ToolbarInfo`
TULayoutStorage::getViewToolbarConfig	`0x7ffa0be5cff0`	Returns stored `QList<QString>` pointer for a view-toolbar config
TULayoutStorage::setViewToolbarConfig	`0x7ffa0be5fa20`	Stores a view-toolbar config list (current or default)
LAY_ToolbarInfo::setButtonConfig	`0x7ffa0be6a9a0`	Copies config + flips `m_isDefault`

Global Toolbars

FileToolbar - File operations
EditToolbar - Edit operations
DrawingToolToolbar - Drawing tools
ArtLayerToolbar - Art layer selection
SceneplanningToolToolbar - Scene planning tools
OnionSkinToolbar - Onion skin controls
FlipToolbar - Flip/mirror tools
GameToolbar - Game export tools
AlignmentGuidesToolbar - Alignment guides
MarkDrawingToolBar - Mark drawing tools

View-Specific Toolbars

DrawingViewToolbar - Drawing view
CameraViewToolbar - Camera view
TimelineViewToolbar - Timeline view
XsheetViewToolbar - Xsheet view
NetworkViewToolbar - Network/Node view
FunctionViewToolbar - Function curve view
PlaybackViewToolbar - Playback view
ModelViewToolbar - Model view
LibraryViewToolbar - Library view
ModuleLibraryViewToolbar - Module library view
FreeViewToolbar - Free-form view

Troubleshooting

If you call TULayoutManager::raiseArea() and the view's toolbar doesn't appear:

raiseArea doesn't trigger toolbars directly
- raiseArea only brings a view to the foreground
- Toolbar display is handled by TULayoutFrame::showViewToolBar() (typically reached via tab/view changes or TULayoutManager::showViewToolBars())

Manual toolbar trigger

TULayoutView* view = layoutManager->raiseArea("MyArea", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));
if (view) {
    TULayoutFrame* frame = view->getLayoutFrame(view->getWidget());
    if (frame) {
         // Direct refresh options:
         frame->showViewToolBar();
         layoutManager->showViewToolBars();
     }
}

Set focus to trigger natural flow

TULayoutView* view = layoutManager->raiseArea("MyArea", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));
if (view && view->getWidget()) {
    view->getWidget()->setFocus(Qt::OtherFocusReason);
}

If your custom view's toolbar() method doesn't work:

Check AC_Manager access
- For TUWidgetLayoutView subclasses: AC_Manager* mgr = TULayoutView_getActionManager(this);
- The manager must be non-null
Verify toolbar is registered
- The toolbar XML must be loaded via AC_Manager::loadToolbars(path, outIds) or loadToolbars(element, outIds)
- Check that the toolbar id attribute matches what you're requesting

Debug the vtable call

QDomElement MyView::toolbar() {
    AC_Manager* manager = TULayoutView_getActionManager(this);
    if (!manager) {
        qDebug() << "No AC_Manager available";
        return QDomElement();
    }

    // NOTE: AC_Manager::toolbarElement(...) returns QDomElement by value.
    // MSVC x64 member-function ABI uses a hidden return buffer pointer (RDX),
    // so a raw vtable call must include an explicit QDomElement* out.
    void** vtable = *reinterpret_cast<void***>(manager);
    using ToolbarElementFn = QDomElement* (__fastcall *)(AC_Manager* self, QDomElement* out, const QString* name);
    auto toolbarElement = reinterpret_cast<ToolbarElementFn>(vtable[52]);

    QDomElement element;
    QString name("MyViewToolbar");
    toolbarElement(manager, &element, &name);

    if (element.isNull()) {
        qDebug() << "Toolbar" << name << "not found in AC_Manager";
    }
    return element;
}

Focus/Frame Issues

Frame not set as current
- The system uses setCurrentLayoutFrame to track which frame is active
- showViewToolBar() is triggered by tab/view changes or TULayoutManager::showViewToolBars(), not directly by setCurrentLayoutFrame
View not in frame's current tab
- The raised view may be in a tab but not the current one
- Use TULayoutFrame::setCurrentTab() if needed

See Database Reference for verified addresses used in this document.

// 1. During initialization - register your toolbar XML
void MyPlugin::initialize(AC_Manager* manager) {
    QString toolbarXml = R"(
        <toolbar id="MyViewToolbar" trContext="MyPlugin">
            <item id="MyResponder.DoSomething" />
            <separator />
            <item id="MyResponder.DoOther" />
        </toolbar>
    )";
    
    QDomDocument doc;
    doc.setContent(toolbarXml);
    
    // Register with AC_Manager (loadToolbars(element, outIds))
    QList<QString> ids;
    manager->loadToolbars(doc.documentElement(), ids);
}

// 2. In your view class - override toolbar()
QDomElement MyView::toolbar() {
    AC_Manager* manager = TULayoutView_getActionManager(this);
    if (!manager) return QDomElement();
    
    void** vtable = *reinterpret_cast<void***>(manager);
    auto getToolbarElement = reinterpret_cast<void(*)(AC_Manager*, QDomElement*, const QString&)>(vtable[52]);
    
    QDomElement element;
    getToolbarElement(manager, &element, QString("MyViewToolbar"));
    return element;
}

// 3. When raising your view and ensuring toolbar appears
void showMyView(TULayoutManager* layoutManager) {
    TULayoutView* view = layoutManager->raiseArea("MyView", nullptr, true, QPoint(0,0));
    if (view) {
        // Ensure toolbar displays by triggering focus flow
        if (QWidget* widget = view->getWidget()) {
            widget->setFocus(Qt::OtherFocusReason);
        }
        // Or explicitly trigger a refresh
        TULayoutFrame* frame = view->getLayoutFrame(view->getWidget());
        if (frame) {
            frame->showViewToolBar();
            layoutManager->showViewToolBars();
        }
    }
}

32 KiB Raw Blame History Unescape Escape

TULayoutView Toolbar Integration in Toon Boom

Overview

Toolbar Buttons Disabled?

Important: raiseArea vs Toolbar Display

Architecture

Toolbar Definition and Creation Flow

1. Toolbar XML Loading

2. Global Toolbar Initialization

3. View-Specific Toolbar Definition

4. Toolbar Display Flow

4.1 raiseArea Function Details

4.2 Ensuring Toolbar Display After raiseArea

AC_Toolbar Integration

How Toolbars Are Actually Registered

AC_Manager Methods Used

AC_Toolbar Creation / Reuse

LAY_ToolbarInfo Configuration

How m_toolbarInfo Gets Initialized (Critical)

Implementing Custom View Toolbars

Step 1: Define Toolbar in XML

Step 2: Override toolbar() in Your View

Step 3: Register Toolbar XML

Step 4: Ensure LAY_ToolbarInfo Is Non-Default