UI updates (using the extended characters mostly)

sources/Application/Model/Config.cpp

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #define MIDI_DEVICE_LEN 4
 
 static const char *lineOutOptions[3] = {"HP Low", "HP High", "Line Level"};
-static const char *midiDeviceList[MIDI_DEVICE_LEN] = {"OFF", "TRS", "USB",
+static const char *midiDeviceList[MIDI_DEVICE_LEN] = {"Off", "TRS", "USB",
                                                       "TRS+USB"};
 static const char *midiSendSync[2] = {"Off", "Send"};
 static const char *midiClockSyncOptions[2] = {"Internal", "External"};

sources/Application/Player/Player.cpp

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "Application/Player/TablePlayback.h"
 #include "Application/Utils/char.h"
 #include "Application/Views/BaseClasses/ViewEvent.h"
+#include "Foundation/Constants/SpecialCharacters.h"
 #include "PlayerMixer.h"
 #include "Services/Midi/MidiService.h"
 #include "System/Console/n_assert.h"
@@ -277,14 +278,14 @@ const char *Player::GetLiveIndicator(int channel) {
     case QM_PHRASESTART:
     case QM_TICKSTART:
       if (!IsChannelMuted(channel)) {
-        return (">");
+        return (char_indicator_position_s);
       } else {
-        return ("-");
+        return (char_indicator_positionMuted_s);
       }
       break;
     case QM_CHAINSTOP:
     case QM_PHRASESTOP:
-      return "_";
+      return char_playback_pause_s;
       break;
     case QM_NONE:
       break;

sources/Application/Utils/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ add_library(application_utils
   HexBuffers.cpp
   char.cpp
   fixed.cpp
-  stringutils.cpp 
+  stringutils.cpp
+  DrawTools.cpp
 )
 
 target_link_libraries(application_utils PUBLIC

sources/Application/Utils/DrawTools.cpp

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 xiphonics, inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of the picoTracker firmware
+ */
+
+#include "DrawTools.h"
+#include "Application/AppWindow.h"
+#include "Foundation/Constants/SpecialCharacters.h"
+
+void DrawBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                const GUITextProperties &props, const char *charset) {
+  char line[SCREEN_WIDTH + 1];
+  memset(line, charset[4], width);
+  line[width] = 0;
+
+  line[0] = charset[0];         // top left
+  line[width - 1] = charset[1]; // top right
+  view.DrawString(x, y, line, props);
+
+  line[0] = charset[2];         // bottom left
+  line[width - 1] = charset[3]; // bottom right
+  view.DrawString(x, y + height - 1, line, props);
+
+  char vline[2] = {charset[5], 0}; // vertical line
+  for (int i = 1; i < height - 1; i++) {
+    view.DrawString(x, y + i, vline, props);
+    view.DrawString(x + width - 1, y + i, vline, props);
+  }
+}
+
+void DrawDoubleBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                      const GUITextProperties &props) {
+  DrawBorder(view, x, y, width, height, props, char_border_double_charset);
+}
+
+void DrawSingleBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                      const GUITextProperties &props) {
+  DrawBorder(view, x, y, width, height, props, char_border_single_charset);
+}
+
+void DrawScrollBar(View &view, int topIndex, int totalItems, int pageSize) {
+  if (totalItems <= pageSize) {
+    return; // no scrollbar needed
+  }
+
+  GUITextProperties props;
+  GUITextProperties inv;
+  inv.invert_ = true;
+  view.SetColor(CD_NORMAL);
+
+  // Thumb size represents the ratio of visible items to total items
+  int thumbSize = std::max(1, (pageSize * pageSize) / totalItems);
+
+  // Thumb position: map topIndex (0 to maxScroll) onto available scrollbar
+  // space
+  int maxScroll = totalItems - pageSize;
+  int availableSpace = pageSize - thumbSize;
+  int thumbPos = (topIndex * availableSpace) / maxScroll;
+
+  Trace::Error("%d total, %d thumb size, %d maxScroll, %d thumbPos", totalItems,
+               thumbSize, maxScroll, thumbPos);
+  for (int y = 0; y < pageSize; y++) {
+    bool thumb = y >= thumbPos && y < thumbPos + thumbSize;
+    view.DrawString(SCREEN_WIDTH - 1, 2 + y,
+                    thumb ? char_block_full_s : char_border_single_vertical_s,
+                    props);
+  }
+}

sources/Application/Utils/DrawTools.h

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2026 xiphonics, inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of the picoTracker firmware
+ */
+
+#include "Application/Views/BaseClasses/View.h"
+
+void DrawBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                const GUITextProperties &props, const char *charset);
+void DrawDoubleBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                      const GUITextProperties &props);
+void DrawSingleBorder(View &view, int x, int y, int width, int height,
+                      const GUITextProperties &props);
+void DrawScrollBar(View &view, int topIndex, int totalItems, int pageSize);

sources/Application/Utils/HelpLegend.h

@@ -15,104 +15,115 @@
 // chars
 static char **getHelpLegend(FourCC command) {
   static char *result[2];
-  result[1] = (char *)("bb at speed aa");
+
+  result[1] = (char *)"";
+
   switch (command) {
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandKill:
-    result[0] = (char *)("KILl:--bb, stop playing");
-    result[1] = (char *)("after bb ticks");
+    result[0] = (char *)"KILl: --bb, stop playing";
+    result[1] = (char *)"after bb ticks";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandLoopOfset:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Loop OFset: Shift loop");
-    result[1] = (char *)("start & end values aaaa");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Loop OFset: aaaa shift";
+    result[1] = (char *)"loop start & end by aaaa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandArpeggiator:
-    result[0] = (char *)("ARPeggio: Cycle through");
-    result[1] = (char *)("relative pitches");
+    result[0] = (char *)"ARPeggio: abcd, cycle";
+    result[1] = (char *)"rel. pitches +a,+b,+c,+d";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandVolume:
-    result[0] = (char *)("VOLume:aabb, reach volume");
+    result[0] = (char *)"VOLume: aabb, approach";
+    result[1] = (char *)"volume bb at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandVelocity:
-    result[0] = (char *)("VELocity:--bb,");
-    result[1] = (char *)("MIDI velocity");
+    result[0] = (char *)"VELocity: --bb, send MIDI";
+    result[1] = (char *)"velocity bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandPitchSlide:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Pitch SLide:aabb, to pitch");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Pitch SLide: aabb, slide";
+    result[1] = (char *)"to pitch bb at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandHop:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Hop:aabb, hop to bb");
-    result[1] = (char *)("aa times");
+    result[0] = (char *)"HOP: aabb, hop to bb";
+    result[1] = (char *)"aa times";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandLegato:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Legato:aabb, slide");
-    result[1] = (char *)("to pitch bb at speed aa");
+    result[0] = (char *)"LEGato: aabb, slide";
+    result[1] = (char *)"to pitch bb at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandRetrigger:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Retrigger:aabb retrigger");
-    result[1] = (char *)("loop bb ticks at speed aa");
+    result[0] = (char *)"ReTriGger: aabb retrigger";
+    result[1] = (char *)"loop bb ticks at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandTempo:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Tempo:--bb, set tempo to");
-    result[1] = (char *)("hex value bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"TemPO: --bb, set tempo to";
+    result[1] = (char *)"hex value bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandMidiCC:
-    result[0] = (char *)("MIDI CC:aabb, ");
-    result[1] = (char *)("CC message aa value bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Midi CC: aabb, send";
+    result[1] = (char *)"CC message aa value bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandMidiPC:
-    result[0] = (char *)("MIDI Program Change:aabb,");
-    result[1] = (char *)("send program change bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Midi Program Change: --bb";
+    result[1] = (char *)"send program change bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandPlayOfset:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Play OFfset:aabb, jump abs");
-    result[1] = (char *)("to aa or move rel bb chunks");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Play OFfset: aabb, go abs";
+    result[1] = (char *)"to aa or move rel bb chunks";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandFilterResonance:
-    result[0] = (char *)("FiLTer&Res:aabb, cutoff aa");
-    result[1] = (char *)("resonance bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Filter ReS: aabb, set";
+    result[1] = (char *)"resonance bb at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandLowPassFilter:
-    result[0] = (char *)("FiLTeR:aabb, resonance to");
+    result[0] = (char *)"FiLTer: aabb, set cutoff";
+    result[1] = (char *)"aa & resonance bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandTable:
-    result[0] = (char *)("TaBLe:--bb, run table bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"TaBLe: --bb, run table bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandCrush:
-    result[0] = (char *)("drive&CruSH:aa-b,");
-    result[1] = (char *)("drive aa crush -b");
+    result[0] = (char *)"drive & CruSH: aa-b, set";
+    result[1] = (char *)"drive aa & crush b";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandFilterCut:
-    result[0] = (char *)("FilterCuToff:aabb, cutoff");
+    result[0] = (char *)"FilterCuToff: aabb, set";
+    result[1] = (char *)"cutoff bb at speed aa";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandPan:
-    result[0] = (char *)("PAN:aabb, pan to value");
+    result[0] = (char *)"PAN: aabb, pan to value,";
+    result[1] = (char *)"00 is left, FF is right";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandGroove:
-    result[0] = (char *)("GRooVe:aabb, set groove bb");
-    result[1] = (char *)("if aa > 0, set all tracks");
+    result[0] = (char *)"GRooVe: aabb, set groove";
+    result[1] = (char *)"bb, if aa>0 set all tracks";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandInstrumentRetrigger:
-    result[0] = (char *)("InstrumentReTrig:aabb,");
-    result[1] = (char *)("trig&transpose aa speed bb");
+    result[0] = (char *)"InstrumentReTrig: aabb,";
+    result[1] = (char *)"trig & transp. aa speed bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandPitchFineTune:
-    result[0] = (char *)("PitchFineTune:aabb, tune");
+    result[0] = (char *)"PitchFineTune: aabb, tune";
+    result[1] = (char *)"offset bb at speed bb";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandDelay:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Delay:--bb, delay bb tics");
+    result[0] = (char *)"DeLaY: --bb, delay by bb";
+    result[1] = (char *)"tics";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandStop:
-    result[0] = (char *)("Stop playing song now");
+    result[0] = (char *)"SToP: Stop playing the";
+    result[1] = (char *)"song now";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandGateOff:
-    result[0] = (char *)("GateOff (Synth only)");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Gate OFf: Set the gate";
+    result[1] = (char *)"off for synths only";
     break;
   case FourCC::InstrumentCommandMidiChord:
-    result[0] = (char *)("MIDI Chord:abcd");
-    result[1] = (char *)("send rel notes:+a,+b,+c,+d");
+    result[0] = (char *)"Midi CHord: abcd";
+    result[1] = (char *)"Send rel notes: +a,+b,+c,+d";
     break;
   default:
-    result[0] = result[1] = (char *)("");
+    result[0] = result[1] = (char *)"";
     break;
   }
   return result;

sources/Application/Views/BaseClasses/ModalView.cpp

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 #include "ModalView.h"
 #include "Application/AppWindow.h"
+#include "Application/Utils/DrawTools.h"
+#include "Foundation/Constants/SpecialCharacters.h"
 
 ModalView::ModalView(View &v)
     : View(v.w_, v.viewData_), finished_(false), returnCode_(0){};
@@ -63,16 +65,5 @@ void ModalView::SetWindow(int width, int height) {
 
   SetColor(CD_ACCENT);
   GUITextProperties props;
-  props.invert_ = true;
-  char line[SCREEN_WIDTH + 1];
-  memset(line, ' ', SCREEN_WIDTH);
-  line[SCREEN_WIDTH] = '\0';
-  line[width + 4] = 0;
-  DrawString(-2, -2, line, props);
-  DrawString(-2, height + 1, line, props);
-  line[1] = 0;
-  for (int i = 0; i < height + 2; i++) {
-    DrawString(-2, i - 1, line, props);
-    DrawString(width + 1, i - 1, line, props);
-  }
-};
+  DrawDoubleBorder(*this, -2, -2, width + 4, height + 4, props);
+}

sources/Application/Views/BaseClasses/UIActionField.cpp

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "UIActionField.h"
 #include "Application/AppWindow.h"
+#include "Foundation/Constants/SpecialCharacters.h"
 #include "ViewUtils.h"
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -31,6 +32,11 @@ void UIActionField::Draw(GUIWindow &w, int offset) {
     ((AppWindow &)w).SetColor(CD_HILITE2);
     props.invert_ = true;
     w.DrawString(name_, position, props);
+    props.invert_ = false;
+    w.DrawString(char_button_border_left_s, position - GUIPoint(1, 0), props);
+    w.DrawString(char_button_border_right_s,
+                 position + GUIPoint(strlen(name_), 0), props);
+
   } else {
     // enforce max field length
     char buffer[MAX_FIELD_WIDTH + 1];