Light Guide has a single System Settings menu for all configurations.
How to get to Settings.
The settings can be found in the Menu button on the upper left corner of the application.
Screenshot of the Settings Menu
The Settings menu is only available if there are no work instructions running. If it is grayed out, then it is probably because a program is running.
Log-in to Settings
NoLogin
Logging in to Settings is not required when using the "NoLogin" shortcut on the desktop to start Light Guide. This shortcut is for initial and offline work instructions design and should be deleted on systems running production in order to avoid unauthorized users from changing key configurations.
Users with Admin Privileges
Access to Settings is restricted to users with Admin privileges.
SuperUser
There is always a SuperUser account that has Settings access - this account cannot be deleted.
Password for SuperUser is OpsSolutions
General Tab
Screenshot of General Tab
General Tab of the System Settings menu.
Start Up Mode
This option allows you to specify if Light Guide should start in Run Mode or Design Mode.
Prevent operators from selecting work instructions.
This setting prevents operators from selecting work instructions from the work instructions selection screen. Workflows will only be selected and started from an external device.
Global Blink Times
This setting specifies what the default blink time will be for VDFs set to Global Blink Time.
On Time
Time, in milliseconds, for a VDF to be visible when blinking.
Off Time
Time, in milliseconds, for a VDF to be hidden when blinking.
Miscellaneous Settings
Save Step Data
Causes all cycle time data to be stored in a database on the computer.
We recommend disabling this only in environments where such data would be deemed too sensitive.
Cache Drawing Objects
Causes all the VDFS within a step to display at the exact same time.
Enable Work Instructions Abort
Allows the operator to exit a work instruction before it has completed. This also allows a barcode scan or trigger variable to abort a work instruction in order to start another work instructions.
Display Performance Statistics
Shows the CPU usage, memory usage, and active Threads used by LGS in the lower part of the main HMI.
Companion Programs
CompanionConfig.xml modification popup
This control is a drop-down list of all folders found in the "Light Guide Systems\Companions" folder. Each folder detected at run-time will generate a CompanionConfig.xml file which stores information about how LGS should handle a specific executable (generally stored in that same folder). The CompanionConfig.exe can be modified by clicking the gear button. Apply will immediately save the settings to file and is not connected to the overall system settings file.
Companion Path
Full path to the target companion.exe such as "C:\Program Files\OPS Solutions\Light Guide Systems\Companions\PlantCommunicator.exe"
Working Directory
Directory that the executable will attempt to run from.
Arguments
Command line arguments to be passed into the companion executable whenever it is launched.
ProcessName
Process name of the companion program as it appears in task manager (only if different than the executable name).
CloseOnExit
Causes LGS to close the companion when LGS closes.
RestartIfStopped
Causes LGS to restart the companion when it detects it is not running.
CloseAndRestart
Causes LGS to close the companion if it is detected when LGS starts, and then start it again.
WindowStyle
How the companion appears upon launch.
ShowMenuIcon
Shows the icon for the .exe in the main LGS menu dropdown.
Work Instructions Linking Tab
Screenshot of Program Linking Tab with No Programs Linked
Screenshot of Program Linking Tab With Programs Linked
Program Linking tab of the System Settings menu.
Check out Trigger Variables if you want a variable to start a program instead of a barcode scan.
On this tab of the System Settings menu you can find all previously linked programs and also set up new links. A linked program is associated with a Start Code.
Summary
The left side of the menu contains a list of all the created programs that are in your Light Guide directory. The right side has the list of programs with a link associated with them and their specified link. Between the two lists are buttons to quickly add or remove items to/from the right-side list.
How to Link Programs to Start Codes (Barcodes)
- In the current system settings menu tab select an open sloton the right list.
- Select the programyou want from the left list.
- Hit the top buttonbetween the two lists that has arrows pointing right (»). Your selected work instructions should now be in the right list.
- Triple clickthe cell next to the right of the work instructions name, in the Start Code columnin the right list.
- Scan your barcode or enter your keyboard key.
- Save/Exitand you are done!
Start Up Program
At the Top of the window is a drop down for a startup program. Select one and it will run when Light Guide starts. Make sure that you set Light Guide to also start in Run Mode from the General Tab.
Users Tab
Screenshot of Users Tab in System Settings
Users Tab of the System Settings menu.
This tab allows you to create and edit users with different permissions. Use this feature if you have operators using the HMI and do not want them to be able to change work instructions or mess with settings.
Types of Users
Admin
Allows access to System Settings and can change the operating mode. Can edit work instructions.
Supervisor
Only gives the ability to change the operating mode. Can edit work instructions.
User
No access to system setting or operating mode changes. Can only run a work instruction.
A default user called SuperUser (password: OpsSolutions) comes preloaded on the system and acts as an admin.
Add a User.
- Click the Add User
- Enter the desired Usernameand Password. Select the levelof access.
The user will be added to the User List with their special permissions spelled out.
User Options
Login when switching between Design/Run modes
Requires a supervisor or admin to login when changing operation modes.
Login to start running a work instruction.
Requires any user to login to start a work instruction.
Logout after system idle
Logs out any user logged in after a specified amount of idle time. In minutes.
Enable supervisor override of confirmations.
Allows a supervisor or admin to bypass any confirmations in run mode.
To perform: When a program is running in Run Mode click the View Code button on the lower left of the application. Next, double-click on a red confirmation line in the step that the program is currently in. Sign in with the username and password of an Admin or Supervisor account. Program step will be overridden and perform the action of the specific confirmation line you double-clicked (i.e., move forward 1 step, go to step 10, etc.).
Force login to Close Application
Requires a user to login to close Light Guide.
User Permissions
Allows you to change a user type to any other type. Ex: Admin to Supervisor, User to Admin, etc.
File Paths
Screenshot of File Paths
File Paths tab of the System Settings menu.
From this tab of the setting menu, you can change the default file paths that Light Guide looks for work instructions, graphics, videos, and audio. By default, they are all set to be within:
64-Bit C:\Program Files\OPS Solutions\Light Guide Systems\VDFxxxxxxx
Changing a File Path
To change where the default paths are looking click the folder icon next to the path and navigate to your new directory.
Maximum Log Size
This sets how large a single system or error log can be before it creates a new one. By default, it is set at 5000 KB, ~5 MB.
Erase Logs
To adjust how long the log files are preserved, set the number in the Erase logs after box. By default, log files are erased once they hit 1000 days old. If you set this to 0, then no application logs will be saved.
Although you can reference a remote network folder the recall time of these media files may slow down your process and there is a greater risk of a network interruption causing issues, so it is not recommended.
Devices Tab
Screenshot of Devices Tab
Device’s tab of the System Settings menu. For a lot more information, refer to IO Devices.
Summary
This tab contains a table of all devices configured to run in Light Guide and allows you to add new ones.
Each device has a Name, IP-Address if applicable, Port if applicable, Type, whether the device is a Server if applicable, and an optional Comment.
Variables Tab
Variable’s tab of the System Settings menu.
For more information, check out the Variables section.
Screenshot of Variables Tab
Buttons
New
Creates a new blank variable called Spare as a System Boolean variable.
Copy
Creates a copy of whatever variable you currently have selected and increments a number on the end.
Modify
Opens a dialog window that has the same fields as the tabled layout but just for the variable that is selected.
Delete
Removes the selected variable.
Calculate
Runs the logic for each variable and produces their values in the values column.
Color Coding
RED
lines are for System variables with special purposes. These cannot be edited.
YELLOW
lines are for IO device variables.
GREEN
lines are for custom variables that are continuously set by logical expressions.
BLUE
lines are for custom variables that are set by Variable commands in work instructions.
Canvas Tab
Screenshot of Canvases Tab
The Canvases tab of System Settings primarily allows the user to set up Canvas Configuration.
In Light Guide v3.5.4.0, the canvas tab was updated to include the Canvas Designer for more customization.
Canvas Configuration
In Canvas Configuration, you can set a display output as a canvas for displaying VDFs.
Rendering Options
Blink on mouse enter.
A white border will appear for one second every time the mouse enters each canvas screen. If you have multiple projectors, this will help you figure out which projector your mouse just moved to. It will also help you know the projection area of each projector because the white border is at each edge of the available projector area. for single screen systems, this is usually unnecessary and should be unchecked.
Hide Mouse on Canvas in Run Mode.
This makes the mouse cursor invisible when a program is being run. Useful when running in production but not so useful when designing.
Show Canvas Coordinates.
Debug option to display the location of your pointer in an information box at the bottom of the canvas.
Enable Vertical Sync.
Prevents screen artifacts in situations of high graphics load.
Do not disable unless you know what you are doing!!
Render Loop Delay Time.
Time, in milliseconds, to pause between rendering graphics on each canvas.
Default is 80. To make movements on the canvas smoother, turn this down to 16.
Selection Rectangle Setting
Handle (Adornment) Color
Choose from Red, Blue, Green, or Yellow. These are the dots at the four corners and sometimes also the rotation points at the top center of the VDF. We use yellow by default because it is brighter than the other options.
Selection Rectangle Color
Choose from the colors available. White is the default because it is the brightest option.
Resize Rectangle Color
Choose from the colors available. You will only see this when using the mouse to resize a VDF.
Use White Canvas
Change the color of the canvas from black to white. Useful in situations where constant bright light on the projection surface might be needed. This can help provide extra lighting for inspection areas, etc., but remember that the white light typically has visible grid lines between the pixels.
Canvas Designer
With Light Guide v3.5.4.0, a canvas designer was added to the settings for more flexibility and control over the canvases in Light Guide. Canvases can now be resized and moved to be more customizable to a system.
Canvas Table
Contains all the settings for a canvas. Some of these can be edited by clicking on the cell. If a canvas is edited, the picture to the right will update with the new change(s).
No.
Every canvas has a canvas number associated with it, starting at 1. This number cannot be changed in the settings.
Name
Each canvas has a unique name to distinguish it. In Light Guide, these names are used in the Insert and Format tab canvas dropdowns to select the specific canvas.
Type
The three types are Fullscreen, Fixed, and Window. Fullscreen takes up the entire screen it is located on, fixed takes up a portion of the screen and cannot be moved, and Window takes up a portion of the screen and can be moved. Now, these cannot be edited within the table, and must be changed in the canvas designer.
Enabled
This checkbox determines whether to show the canvas. If you disable a canvas which has graphics/videos/etc. in a program, those VDFs will not show up, but the program will still run properly.
X & Y
The X, Y location of the canvas. The 0,0 location is the top left corner of your main display.
Width & Height
The width and height of a canvas in pixels.
Comment
Any additional comment you have about a canvas can be added here.
Buttons
Add
Adds a 200x200px canvas at the point 0,0. The picture representation to the right of the table will also update with the new canvas.
Delete
Deletes a canvas from the end of the list. Will not remove canvases anywhere else in the list. If you want to get rid of a canvas, disable it by unchecking the Enabled checkbox.
Identify
Identifies all connected displays with a number associated with them, matching what is in Windows display settings. Designer
This opens the designer interface for all enabled canvases. The textbox at the top can be edited to change the name of the canvas. The four boxes grouped together are the X, Y, Width, and Height. This can be changed by manually typing in the numbers, or you can move and resize the canvas with the mouse. If the moveable checkbox is checked, then it will be a Window canvas, otherwise it will be a Fixed canvas. If the X, Y, Width, and Height of a canvas match the display it's on, it will be a Fullscreen canvas. The save button in both the popup forms and the main settings form will save the changes, while the X button will discard the changes.
Example
Here is a representation of what the designer looks like:
The updated table looks like this:
Projector Tab
Screenshot of Projectors Tab
Projector’s tab of the System Settings menu.
This tab allows you to add projectors for network monitoring using PJLink protocol.
Adding a Projector
- Click the Addbutton on the left side of the screen. A menu will pop up.
- Choose a name for your projector - usually something descriptive if you have more than one.
- Choose the type of projector that you have. You can accept the default communications parameters or choose your own.
Supported Projectors and Displays
PJLink
Since PJLink is a standard, we can support any device that implements this standard.
- Panasonic - this tends to work well except for a known issue that occurs after power outages.
If power is lost to the projector only, then restored while the PC continues to attempt to communicate to the projector, then the projector's Ethernet communications can lock up. The only way to restore communications is to reboot the projector (not just using the remote-control power on/off, it needs to be a hard power reboot) with Light Guide not running.
- NEC - Our experience with these projectors is that they tend to stop communicating after a day or two of use. A hard power cycle is required to restore communications. We recommend serial control instead.
- Sony - We had one projector suddenly stop communicating over PJLink and it was never able to regain communications. Power cycles and factory resets did not fix the issue. We recommend serial control instead.
- Optoma - We had several projectors with identical MAC addresses, so they could not work together on the same network.
Notes about PJLink
Standard versus Encrypted
- PJLink has two modes of operation - standard and encrypted.
- Different projectors may or may not allow you to choose which mode to use.
- If you have a password in the projector's PJLink settings, then it is the encrypted mode.
- Light Guide will figure out which mode the projector wants to use automatically.
- The password field in Light Guide will be ignored if the projector requests to use the standard mode.
Ethernet
- The projector must have an IP address that is compatible with the network.
- This is normally set via the remote control.
- Our standard projector IP addresses are 192.168.2.11, followed by 192.168.2.12, and up.
- PJLink always uses the same port, 4352, so this is not usually a setting in the projector.
- Many projectors have a setting that turns off the Ethernet communications when they power down, so they will not get the command to power back on.
- This is usually called Standby Modeand it should be Standardand not Eco.
- The Terminator, On Command, and Off Command are for your reference - changing these does not affect the behavior of the system with PJLink.
Notes about Serial Control
- Serial control of projectors is more reliable than PJLink control over Ethernet.
- Light Guide can turn the projectors on and off remotely, but not receive any information back about warnings, light status, etc.
- Null modem serial cables are sometimes required.
- If a serial port must be added to a PC, we recommend using a PCIe cardinstead of a USB-to-serial adaptor.
- USB-to-serial adaptors tend to change their COM portwhen plugged into different USB ports on the computer.
- If you are using a USB to serial adapter you might need to use COM3, COM4, or another COM port.
Options
Projector Alarm Monitoring
Check to enable this option if you want to receive alerts and alarms from the projector.
Check the second box if you want the alarms to not halt a running work instruction.
Check out Projector Troubleshooting for more information.
Data Tab
Screenshot of Data Tab
Data tab of the System Settings menu.
Configuration
Click the configuration button on the top left. Here you can choose between an Access database or SQL Server database. Access is the default and the settings here do not need to be altered.
To set up a SQL Server database connection please contact us.
Cycle Information
Displays the cycle data for each cycle of the work instructions that has run, allowing you to see the latest cycle number, barcode (or part information), date and time that the cycle was run, total Cycle Time for that cycle, and an indication of whether the work instructions was able to finish normally without being Aborted.
Step Information
Displays the step index, step number, step comment, step time, start time, end time and work instructions name for the highlighted cycle number above. Each step number of the work instructions and its associated cycle data is displayed.
The cycle data is stored in the root directory (where you find LightGuideSystems.exe). By default, this is:
C:\Program Files\Ops Solutions\Light Guide Systems\LightGuideData.mdb
This file can be opened with Microsoft Access to view the data or accessed over the network using appropriate tools.
Schedule Tab
Screenshot of Settings Tab
Schedule tab of the System Settings menu.
This tab is used to set a schedule to turn projectors on and off or restart Light Guide automatically at specified times. If you have not set up a projector yet go to Projector Tab. The top of the window shows the current schedule in a week format with 7 days down the side and 24 hours across the top. Red corresponds to off and green to on.
By default, the schedule is set to a 90-minute idle time monitor. This means the projectors will turn off after 90 minutes of inactivity and then turn back on when activity is detected within LGS.
How the Schedule Works
- You can set up one or more rules in the schedule.
- Each rule starts at a specific time on one or more days.
- Some rules can only happen at a specific time: Restart Application, Turn Projectors On/Off... Just Once
- Other rules keep going until they hit another rule: Turn Projectors On/Off... Always, Turn Projectors On... On Activity, Turn Projectors Off... After Idle Time
For example, if you have one rule starting at 8am each day to turn on the projectors, and another rule that starts at 5pm each day to turn them off, then the 8am rule will stop when the 5pm rule starts.
Restart Application
This will restart Light Guide automatically at the specified times.
- If Light Guide is not running at this time, or you are in the Settings menu at this time, then Light Guide will NOT
- This is not often used but can be helpful for applications where there is a memory leak, where a customer-side server is known to go down over night, or where custom code has other issues that are alleviated with a regular application restart.
Turn Projectors On...
Always
- This is in effect starting at the specified time. Whenever Light Guide starts, the projectors will turn on.
Just Once
- This takes place only at the time specified. If Light Guide is not running at this time, or you are in the Settings menu at this time, then the projectors will NOT turn on.
On Activity
- This is in effect starting at the specified time. If any of the listed idle time events happen, and Light Guide was in an idle state, then it will leave the idle state and turn on the projectors.
Turn Projectors Off...
Always
- This is in effect starting at the specified time. Whenever Light Guide starts, the projectors will turn off.
Just Once
- This takes place only at the time specified. If Light Guide is not running at this time, or you are in the Settings menu at this time, then the projectors will NOT turn off.
After Idle Time
- This is in effect starting at the specified time. If none of the idle time events happen for the number of minutes specified in the Idle Time box, then Light Guide will enter an idle state and turn off the projectors.
Idle Time Events
The following events will take Light Guide out of Idle Mode and prevent it from entering Idle Mode.
- Starting the Light Guide application
- Opening work instructions in Design Mode
- Starting work instructions in Run Mode
- Exiting System Settings menu
- Clicking on any button or other part of the application
- Moving your mouse over the Light Guide application
- Pressing any key on the file browser window
- Executing any line in Light Guide, in design mode or run mode.
- Turn Projectors On... Just Once happening at a specified time.
Adding a New Schedule
- Click the Newbutton on the right side.
- Select the hours you want to apply to the schedule.
- Select the days you want to apply to the schedule.
- Select the options on the bottom of the window.
- Click finished.
Projector Control
Enabled Automatic Projector Control
When checked, this allows projectors to be controlled by the schedule set up on this tab. If not checked, the projectors will remain on and disregard the schedule.
Projector Idle Time
The amount of time in minutes of inactivity to wait before considering the LGS idle.
Do Not Advance Unless Projectors Are On
Checking this will cause LGS to ignore all input confirmations until projectors are displaying. Only affects operation when resuming from an idle state.
Example Schedule
Turning the projectors on at 7:30 am every weekday.
Starts Idle Time Monitoring at 5:00 pm every weekday.
The shift is from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We want the projectors to turn on 30 minutes before shift start to allow for warm up of the optics.
Turning the projectors on
1) Remove all prior rules so that they do not interfere with the new schedule.
2) Click New.
3) Put in 7:30 at the top.
4) Select the days of the week the rule should apply. M-F in this case.
5) On the bottom left, check the Just Once box. This will turn the projectors on right at 7:30.
6) Click OK.
Turning the projectors off
This is a continuation of the previous 6 steps.
1) Click New.
2) Put in 17:00 at the top (5:00 pm).
3) Select the days of the week the rule should apply. M-F in this case.
4) On the bottom right, check the After Idle Time box. This will start monitoring idle time at 5:00. This is so that if work is still going on then, the projectors will stay on until the system is idle.
5) Click OK.