Retain popover while object outside of popover has focus

[James Gill]

I'm trying to make a UI element that would mimic a search field with dynamic results being displayed in a popover button below the field, sort of like http://www.seedcode.com/fm-search-results/

 

However, I'm unable to get the popover button to display if anything outside of the popover has focus.  I assume this is a feature of the way that popovers work, but is anybody aware of a workaround that would enable me to have an active field outside of the popover while maintaining the active popover state?

[Mark Scott]

Hello James,

 

I think your hunch is correct, that a popover will not remain open with focus shifted outside the popover.  You can certainly open the popover from something other than the popover button (using a 'Go to object' script step), even hiding the popover button, itself, if desired. But can't think, off hand, of how you might leverage any of that to keep the popover open while shifting focus elsewhere.  (I'd love to see someone chime in with a clever approach, however.)

 

Mark

 

BTW, if you're willing to forgo an actual popover, you could possibly use a slide-panel control to achieve a similar effect.  Place a "popover-esque" object—replete with your search field and everything else that's germane to your intended UI approach—on one of the panels; provide a button or other means to "open it," by navigating to that panel; and it will remain "open" (i.e., the panel still active) even as the user's focus shifts elsewhere.  Just a thought.

 

Mark

[fmow]

I d like to be able to do that too, and kinda replicate the "help" button of pages in iWork, where once you click it, you see pop overs with info as you work. The way I see it though there's really no fmp hack available to do this... By design, unless there's an update.

[hbrendel]

Did you try floating windows?

[rsin]

May be this is something you are looking for....

PopoverTrick.zip