SHIL VCDs Configuration User Guide 378P

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Last updated: Jun 12, 2019 by Former user (Deleted)
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SHIL VCD-S "Scratch Sheets"
V371T | July 2017

Background

"Scratch sheets" are printouts of section half images produced by SHIL. The sheet is a LabVIEW VI with embedded images that can print automatically when a user 'saves' an image. The VI is scaled to print SHIL images correctly on 11x17" paper in portrait orientation. The scratch sheet can be customized to include various columns to capture descriptions or drawings on paper. The goal of this guide is to instruct how to use and customize scratch sheets.

Data Structure

  1. Each scratch sheet template is it's own VI. Each VI has to have the same root name "VCDS_SHLF". You may add any additional naming after this root name as long as the root remains unmodified. Bill, do you suggest or mandate any extra naming be separated by a space, dash or underscore?

    1. Files must be located in C:\IMS System Local\RESOURCES\VCD-S_TEMPLATE on the SHIL computer. Do not alter this file path, it is currently hard-coded in the software.

    2. To temporarily disable a scratch sheet version, simply put some characters in front of the root name. These files can be moved to      . Bill, what if all versions of the scratch pages are accidentally disabled? Will it ignore the error and keep going?

Configuration

To access the scratch sheet configuration options, click the Instruments button and follow the menu down to VCDS Setup (fig. 1). The parameter screen will then display (fig. 2).

Fig. 1: IMS configuration submenu for SHIL

Options:

 

 


Format: choose between Side by Side or Section Half scratch pages (fig. 3)
Expedition ID: Enter the name of the Current Expedition. This will be printed on the scratch sheet
SHLF Form Folder: currently hard-coded to C:\IMS System Local\RESOURCES\VCD-S_TEMPLATE
Print VCDS: Button enables or disables automatic printing of the scratch sheet. When the button says 'enable auto print' scratch sheets will automatically print when an image is saved.
Archive File: Button enables disables saving scratch pages to the hard drive. All files are saved in .PNG format. If button says 'Do not save file to archive' files will not be saved.
Section ID: insert your expeditions name here which will appear in the top right corner of every scratch sheet along with the Text ID of the section half.
Test Image and Test Print: Allows prints of images already on the computer or in the database to see the scratch sheet. Use the folder icon to the right of 'Test Image' to browse to a section half image of your choice. This image will be embedded into your chosen scratch page mode. Click the 'Test Print' button to send it to the printer.
Save Values: saves any modifications to parameters.
Cancel: does not any parameter modifications and reverts back to prior settings.


Figure 2: VCDS parameters screen



Figure 3: Section Half (left) and Side by Side (right) scratch sheet formats

Editing a Scratch Sheet in LabVIEW

 

  1. Navigate to C: > IMS-10 > Resources > Templates and double-click a VI to open it in LabVIEW.

  2. The front panel will open. Edits can be made to the objects on the white space. Editing the white or gray areas could affect scaling of the image, ruler, or print layout.

    1. The main layout consists of an outermost borderless white box that indicates the printable area that is available.

    2. The leftmost gray column is a control for the section-half image and the ruler; do not make alterations in this area. There are two additional controls that feed the scratch page titles on the top left and right sides (fig. 4). These are not immediately visible when editing the layout on the front panel though. If you are not very familiar with LabVIEW please see a developer for help. The title controls can be moved, but it is up to you to remember where you put them!

  3. All other column widths and headers are available for editing/resizing. If you need more columns simply select one, then copy/paste as you would in any standard graphics program and resize things to fit within the outermost white box. Maintain the vertical scaling of all columns to match that of the ruler/image column on the left. Header blocks are just boxes that can be copied and resized as well.


    Fig. 5 LabVIEW controls indicated by red outlines

    How to Make Edits

    1. Navigate to the 'View' Button on the toolbar. Select the 'Tools Palette' Option (Figure 6)

 

2. The Tools Palette window will appear (Figure 7). This allows you to select objects.



Fig. 6: LabVIEW font menu outlined in red.

Copies of the current SHIL Section Half scratch pages can be found here:
TAS\dml\software\labsystems\SHIL\new SHIL scratch page VIs X352



*Note on printable outermost white box size: 1512 x 2520 per LabVIEW sizing indicator (select any box's corner and look at the top center of the screen – sizes are indicated by a small yellow box with numbers in parentheses).