--- a/tools/editor/gui/objectedit.xml	Thu Aug 26 20:26:23 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/editor/gui/objectedit.xml	Fri Aug 27 12:59:50 2010 +0000
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
 <Panel title="Object editor" position="10,700" min_size="200,250"> <!-- size="200,250" min_size="200,250" max_size="200,250" > -->
+	<HBox>
+		<Spacer min_size="150"/>
+		<ImageButton up_image="gui/icons/help.png" down_image="gui/icons/help.png" hover_image="gui/icons/help.png" name="show_help" text="      Help" />
+<!--
+		<ImageButton name="show_settings" text="Settings" />
+-->
+	</HBox>
+
 	<Label text="           Object" background_color="0,0,0" />
 	<HBox>
 		<Label text="Namespace:" min_size="85,20"/>
@@ -16,8 +24,6 @@
 		<TextBox text="0" name="object_static" min_size="20,20"/>
 	</HBox>
 
-	<Label text="          Selected Instance" background_color="0,0,0" />
-
 	<HBox>	 
 		<Label text="Select Rotation:" min_size="85,20" />
 	</HBox>
@@ -41,8 +47,10 @@
 		</HBox>
 	</VBox>
 
-	<Label text="Selected Instance" min_size="85,20" />
-	
+	<Button name="change_data" text="Save rotation"/>
+
+	<Label text="          Selected Instance" background_color="0,0,0" />
+
 	<HBox >	 
 		<Label text="Instance ID:" min_size="85,20"/>
 		<TextBox text="None" name="instance_id" min_size="30,20"/>
@@ -53,11 +61,9 @@
 	</HBox>
 
 	<HBox>
-		<Button name="use_data" text="Use"/>
+		<Button name="use_data" text="Set instance id"/>
 	</HBox>
 	<Spacer />
-	<Button name="change_data" text="Save rotation"/>
-
 
 	<Label text="          Animation viewer" background_color="0,0,0" />
 	<VBox name="animation_panel_wrapper">

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/tools/editor/lang/help_object_edit.txt	Fri Aug 27 12:59:50 2010 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+Usage:
+------
+
+Activate the plugin and select an instance. The selected
+instance will be highlighted, the plugin is set to 
+visible or is updated accordingly.
+
+MOUSEWHEEL:
+ - above the offset labels, it allows quick de-/
+   increasing of values
+ - above dropdowns, it allows to change to the
+   next entry (and apply it, e.g. animation viewer 
+   seamlessly plays the next selected animation)
+
+Object editing:
+By selecting a rotation, you can alter the offset of 
+_this_ angle and save it to the object file. The 
+selected instance is just an interface to see your 
+changes - you can't change a single instances offset.
+
+Instance editing:
+Instances can't be edited - you can only type in an id
+which is set if it is unique. Saving your map also saves
+this id to your mapfile.
+
+Animation editing:
+ATM it is not possible to alter animations. You can
+use the animation viewer to check your defined actions
+though.
+
+  Buttons:
+   - p = "Play"
+   - S = "Start"
+   - E = "End"
+   - l1 = "one frame left"
+   - r1 = "one frame right
+ 
+User interface:
+---------------
+
+The object section allows you to inspect:
+- namespace of the object
+- object id
+- blocking flag
+- static flag
+- current x/y offset
+
+The instance section shows:
+- instance id
+- instance rotation
+
+The animation viewer shows:
+- nothing, if a static instance is clicked
+- all actions of an instance
+- a control panel to play the animations
+
+The purpose of this plugin is to:
+
+- edit object xml files
+- edit the instance id of the selected instance
+- provide an animation viewer
+
+The main purpose is to easily change offsets and
+save these changes. (extremely helpful for the
+creation of tiled walls)
+
+Limitations:
+------------
+
+- only object data is saved
+- instances on the map are _not_ touched
+- exception is the instance id, this can be
+  altered via this plugin
+- animations can't be edited and / or saved
+
+About
+-----
+
+The Object Edit plugin was originally written
+by the Zero-Projekt team and was contributed to
+FIFE as an example for the editor plugin system
+and to encourage other projects within the FIFE
+community to also contribute their tools to
+enhance the Editor for all projects
+
+cheers,
+chewie
+Zero-Projekt team
+
+http://en.zero-projekt.net
+http://fifengine.net

--- a/tools/editor/plugins/ObjectEdit.py	Thu Aug 26 20:26:23 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/editor/plugins/ObjectEdit.py	Fri Aug 27 12:59:50 2010 +0000
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@
 		
 		self.guidata = {}
 		self.objectdata = {}
+		
+		self._help_dialog = None
 
 	def _reset(self):
 		"""
@@ -153,6 +155,31 @@
 		""" plugin method """
 		return "Object editor"
 
+	def _show_help(self):
+		""" shows the help dialog """
+		if self._help_dialog is not None:
+			self._help_dialog.show()
+			return
+		
+		self._help_dialog = pychan.loadXML("gui/help.xml")
+		self._help_dialog.title = u"Help (Object Editor)"
+		self._help_dialog.mapEvents({
+			"closeButton" : self._help_dialog.hide,
+		})
+		
+		# gimme some more space
+		_SIZE = (320,400)
+		scrollarea = self._help_dialog.findChildren(__class__=pychan.widgets.ScrollArea)[0]
+		scrollarea.size = _SIZE
+		scrollarea.min_size = _SIZE
+		scrollarea.max_size = _SIZE
+		
+		f = open('lang/help_object_edit.txt', 'r')
+		self._help_dialog.findChild(name="helpText").text = unicode(f.read())
+		f.close()
+		
+		self._help_dialog.show()
+
 	def create_gui(self):
 		"""
 			- creates the gui skeleton by loading the xml file
@@ -170,6 +197,8 @@
 			'anim_right'		: self.next_anim_frame,
 			'anim_start_pos' 	: self.anim_start_frame,
 			'anim_end_pos'		: self.anim_end_frame,
+			
+			'show_help'	: self._show_help,
 		})
 		
 		self.container.findChild(name="x_offset_up").capture(self.change_offset, "mousePressed")