# LookAndFeel::drawLevelMeter() confusion

**URL:** <https://forum.juce.com/t/lookandfeel-drawlevelmeter-confusion/40241>\
**Category:** General JUCE discussion\
**Created:** [June 21, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/lookandfeel-drawlevelmeter-confusion/40241 "2020-06-21T00:26:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RossWallgren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e99b99/32.png) [@RossWallgren](https://forum.juce.com/u/RossWallgren)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2020, 12:26am UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/lookandfeel-drawlevelmeter-confusion/40241/1 "2020-06-21T00:26:46Z")

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Hi all,

I’m creating a custom LookAndFeel\_V4 class, and want to be able to draw a simple level meter to display input dB for an audio plugin. I see that LookAndFeel includes a virtual drawLevelMeter() method. However, unlike most other virtual draw methods (which I was able to override in my LookAndFeel class without much hassle), drawLevelMeter() does NOT take an xy OR graphic component as input. In fact, it appears that AudioDeviceManger::LevelMeter is not a graphic component (like Slider or Button) but a reference-counted struct.

So my question is: what is the intended purpose of drawLevelMeter()? What component/object will call this method?

Thanks in advance!

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**Author:** ![daniel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.juce.com/daniel/32/790_2.png) [@daniel](https://forum.juce.com/u/daniel)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2020, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.juce.com/t/lookandfeel-drawlevelmeter-confusion/40241/2 "2020-06-21T12:19:05Z")

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To lookup LookAndFeelMethods, they are conveniently in nested classes inside the Component they are used in. The [drawLevelMeter() (link)](https://docs.juce.com/develop/structExtraLookAndFeelBaseClasses_1_1AudioDeviceSelectorComponentMethods.html#a733fe85bd7c5c9b7a3c4e40b55bf0645) is used in the `AudioDeviceSelectorComponentMethods` (a little bit off standard, because it is actually not meant to be used by users). This LevelMeter is only a simple implementation to display the signal of the input in the [AudioDeviceSelectorComponent](https://docs.juce.com/develop/classAudioDeviceSelectorComponent.html).

That’s why I implemented a 3rd party module [ff\_meters](https://github.com/ffAudio/ff_meters).  
The ff\_meters (or an evolution of it) is also included in [PluginGuiMagic](https://github.com/ffAudio/PluginGuiMagic), where the meters are only one of several visualisations and UI widgets.

I think using the forum search you will find more VU meter or level meter modules.