This technical note will show you how to add navigation features to the layouts.

Transcription

1 DASYLab Techniques Managing Multiple Layout Windows Introduction The DASYLab Layout Window feature allows up to 200 different layout windows in DASYLab Full and Pro. This technical note will show you how to add navigation features to the layouts. You can download this example from ftp.mccdaq.com or from Example: Use multiple layouts, with a switch to change between them If you have multiple layouts, you can create a switch to quickly move between them. Use a Coded Switch to move between up to 16 layouts. This example requires DASYLab Full, as it uses the Action module. The Coded Switch module is a 16 position switch. It can be configured as buttons, as a dial, or a dropdown menu. Each button position can be uniquely configured to output a user-defined value, and can be labeled. This example has an overview layout (#1), and four channel specific layouts (#2-4). The Coded switch is configured as shown. Note that you must click on the Number of the switch position dropdown to select each channel in turn. The output values should be 1-5, not 0-4. Each switch position is configured to display a unique name. Configure the Options to use the type of switch that you want. The Number of switch divisions determines the geometry of the display. Set it to 5 to have a horizontal bar, or set it to 1 for a vertical bar.

2 DASYLab Technical Note: Managing multiple layout windows Page 2 of 5 You can configure it as a List box, to get a drop down menu of pages.

3 DASYLab Technical Note: Managing multiple layout windows Page 3 of 5 Once configured, insert the Coded Switch display window onto each layout page, using the Insert Graphic Object command. Finally, to make the Coded switch work, connect it to an Action module. We'll take advantage of an Action module feature to make a simple action. I could use an Action module with multiple actions, each activating one of the layouts. However, we know that the number of the layout (1-5) is the input for the Action module, and one Action is always more effective than many. The Help says: Depending on the selected action, DASYLab shows the input fields for texts, integer values, or floating point values. You can enter the variable ${INPUT} of the action module instead of values.

4 DASYLab Technical Note: Managing multiple layout windows Page 4 of 5 This variable contains the current value of the input channel, for example, to specify the number of the layout to be displayed. You only can use the ${INPUT} variable in the Action module. The Action module can use the value of the input channel by using ${INPUT}, a global variable available only in the Action module. The receiver is DASYLab, the event is "Input value changed" and the action is "Layout: Display in full screen mode". This action requires a parameter, and the parameter is the value of the input, ${INPUT}. When DASYLab is running, and you click the switch, the Action module will use the value that the switch is outputting as the number of the layout, and will open that layout in full screen mode. For housekeeping purposes, several other channels are defined. At Measurement start, action channel 1 sets the switch to a neutral position, 0. No buttons are depressed.

5 DASYLab Technical Note: Managing multiple layout windows Page 5 of 5 The next channel configures DASYLab to activate the first layout at Measurement start. This ensures that the layout is always set to the main overview layout. Using this technique does require that the worksheet layouts be planned in such as way that the Coded switch output value corresponds to the correct layout number. As the Coded switch allows you to use any arbitrary number for the output of each switch position, you can easily handle existing worksheets which may not have the layouts in an easy sequential order. Save room on the layout by using the dropdown form of the Coded switch, rather than the button form.