I have fairly large tool tip text items (text is anywhere from 300 -
1500 characters long) associated with a group of 15 different
checkboxes in my interface. Each checkbox is used to enable a type
of test to conduct.
My question centers on this: Given the amount of time it may takes
to read these tool tips, they often disappear prior to completing
the reading of the tool tip.
Is there any way to change the dwell time of the tool tips? Is it
even desirable to do so?
Due to the quantity of text, you probably should look at a different
mechanism for showing all that detail. Tool tip content is really
designed for terse info. Perhaps put up a text field and update its
content via tracking rectangles.
Or, put the content in a separate window (HUD style perhaps if on
Leopard). Over time, your users will probably remember what each
checkbox does, so being able to show/hide the optional info window may
be a good idea.
