Reference
Information
This section discusses how to apply window styles to source windows on a Quantum display by modifying the XML file installed with the Quantum Control Software. This section also explains merge scene functionality and how to assign IP addresses for your devices.
Topics include:
•
Modifying Window Styles
•
Working with Merge Scenes
•
IP Addressing
Modifying Window Styles
Overview
The Quantum Control Software allows you to apply window styles to source windows on a
Quantum display. Styles specify the following features for source windows:
• Border of a specified color and width
• Title bar of a specified font, size, and color
• Text overlay of a specified font, size, and color
Title text displays on a solid background that is the same color as the border. Overlay text is placed on top of the source image and does not have a background.
NOTE: Although a window can have both overlay text and title text at the same time, typically only one of these is used.
Styles are defined by an XML file that is installed on the PC hard disk when you install the
Quantum Control Software. You can add new styles or modify existing styles by editing the
XML file.
NOTES:
• The XML file is a separate file and is not part of the project (CTP) file. Always keep a backup copy of the XML file. Any time you reinstall the Quantum Control Software, the XML file is overwritten with the default version, and any changes that were made to the file are lost. Copying projects from one computer to another requires both the CTP and the XML files to be copied.
• After reinstalling the Quantum Control Software, always replace the default XML file with your customized XML file before starting the Quantum Control Software.
Otherwise, if you start the application with a project file that references nonexistent styles, the missing styles are removed from all affected windows. If the project file is saved at this point, it is saved without the required styles. If you reinstall the correct
XML file at this point, you must manually reapply the missing styles to each affected window in the project file.
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Locating and Opening the XML File
You can edit the XML file using Microsoft Notepad or a proprietary XML editor if available. To edit the file using Notepad:
1. From the desktop, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad . This opens the Notepad application.
2. From the File menu, select Open . The Open dialog box is displayed.
3. From the Files of type drop-down list, select All Files .
4. Browse to and select the XML file. By default, the file is located in the following folder on the computer hard disk:
C:\Program Files\Extron\Quantum Elite [or Connect ] \XML\Quantum Source
Types
- or -
C:\Program Files (x86)\Extron\Quantum Elite [or Connect ] \XML\Quantum
Source Types
The file is named ESQuantumConfig.xml.
5. Click Open .
The XML file looks similar to the following:
Figure 52. ESQuantumConfig.xml File
NOTE: Before you make any changes to this file, it is strongly recommended that you create a backup copy. From the File menu, select Save As to open the Save
As dialog box and save a backup copy.
TIP: To make the text easier to read in Notepad, it is recommended that you turn off the Wordwrap feature (via the Format menu).
6. In the file, scroll down to the <WindowStyles> (opening) tag. The lines of information between this tag and the </WindowStyles> (closing) tag define all of the styles that appear in the Quantum Control Software.
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Overview of the Style Tag
Each style is defined with a separate <Style> tag. For example, the tag for the default style is defined by:
<Style Id=”Default” Name=”Default Style”>
<Title Show=”1” Font=”Verdana” Size=”14” Bold=”1” HorizPosition=”Centre”
VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255” Flash=”0”/>
<Overlay Show=”1” Font=”Verdana” Size=”14” Bold=”1” HorizPosition=”Left”
VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255” Flash=”0”/>
<Border Show=”0” Colour=”51,51,51” Thickness=”2” Flash=”0”/>
</Style>
• In the <Style Id=”Default” Name =”Default Style”> line of the example:
Name is the name of the style as it will appear on the Window Styles tab of the Window
Properties dialog box in the Quantum Control Software.
Id is a short name or reference for the style and identifies the style in RS-232 control messages.
• The <Title> tag defines the attributes of the title bar, including font style, size, and color:
<Title Show=”1” Font=”Verdana” Size=”14” Bold=”1”
HorizPosition=”Centre” VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255”
Flash=”0”/>
• The <Overlay> tag defines the attributes of the border:
<Overlay Show=”1” Font=”Verdana” Size=”14” Bold=”1”
HorizPosition=”Left” VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255”
Flash=”0”/>
• The <Border> tag defines the attributes of the border:
<Border Show=”0” Colour=”51,51,51” Thickness=”2” Flash=”0”/>
• The </style> tag is the closing tag.
Many of the attributes are common to each tag and are listed in the
Summary of Style
Attributes table on the next page.
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Summary of Style Attributes
Attribute
Show
Font
Size
Bold
HorizPosition
VertPosition
Thickness
Colour
Flash
Function
Sets the text or border as visible or hidden.
The font name chosen from the fonts that are installed on the
Quantum processor
Sets the size of the font. The larger the number, the bigger the text.
Sets the font weight.
Defines the horizontal alignment of the text.
Defines the vertical alignment of the text.
Values
• 0 = hidden
• 1 = visible
Default fonts are:
• Arial
• Verdana
• Microsoft Sans Serif
• Tahoma
Depends on display resolution and size. Typically, a value from
10 through 40 provides readable results.
• 0 = normal
• 1 = bold
• Left
• Centre
• Right
• Top
• Centre
• Bottom
NOTE: Center alignment is not applicable to title text.
Defines the width of the border.
Defines the color of the text or border using RGB colors.
Defines whether the text or border is static or flashing.
Width in pixels. Typically 1 through
10 are acceptable values.
Values between 0 and 255 :
• 0,0,0 = black
• 255,255,255 = white
• 255,0,0 = red
• 0,255,0 = green
• 0,0,255 = blue
• 0 = static
• 1 = flashing
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Modifying an Existing Style
To modify an existing style:
1. Edit the appropriate attributes as needed.
For example, to change the default style to use Arial font on the title bar with the text aligned to the left, change the attribute values shown in italics:
<Style Id=”Default” Name=”Default Style”>
<Title Show=”1” Font=”Arial” Size=”14” Bold=”1” HorizPosition=”Left”
VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255” Flash=”0”/>
<Overlay Show=”1” Font=”Verdana” Size=”14” Bold=”1”
HorizPosition=”Left” VertPosition=”Bottom” Colour=”153,204,255”
Flash=”0”/>
<Border Show=”0” Colour=”51,51,51” Thickness=”2” Flash=”0”/>
</Style>
2. From the File menu in Notepad, select Save to save any changes that you made.
3. Restart the Quantum Control Software to load the new style.
Adding a New Style
The easiest way to add a new style is to copy and paste an existing style, then modify it.
For example, to create a new style called “My Style” with the following attributes:
Title Bar Text
Overlay Text
Border
Attribute
Font
Size
Bold
Position
Colour
Font
Size
Bold
Position
Colour
Width
Colour
Value
Tahoma
12
No
Top Right
240,240,0 (Yellow)
Tahoma
12
No
Centre
240,0,0 (Red)
3
128,128,128 (Gray)
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1. Select an existing style in the XML file.
NOTE: You must include the opening and closing Style tag.
Figure 53. Selecting an Existing Style in the XML File
2. Right-click the selected text and select Copy from the drop-down menu.
3. Paste the selected text between Style tags (after a </Style> tag and before the
<Style> tag that follows it). To do so: a. Click behind a </Style> tag.
b. Press the <Enter> key. The cursor moves to a new line above the next <Style> tag.
c. Press the <Tab> key on your keyboard to align the cursor with the previous
</Style> tag.
d. Right-click in the blank line and select Paste from the drop-down menu.
4.
Modify the copied style to reflect the necessary attributes (see the Adding a New Style table on the previous page). The text for the new style appears as follows:
<Style Id=”MyStyle” Name=”My Style”>
<Title Show=”1” Font=”Tahoma” Size=”12” Bold=”0” HorizPosition=”Right”
VertPosition=”Top” Colour=”240,240,0” Flash=”0”/>
<Overlay Show=”1” Font=”Tahoma” Size=”12” Bold=”0”
HorizPosition=”Centre” VertPosition=”Centre” Colour=”240,0,0”
Flash=”0”/>
<Border Show=”0” Colour=”128,128,128” Thickness=”3” Flash=”0”/>
</Style>
5. From the File menu in Notepad, select Save to save any changes that you made.
6. Restart the Quantum Control Software to load the new style.
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Working with Merge Scenes
Merge Scene Overview
A merge scene allows sources on different areas of a display wall to be merged into the overall scene. The merge scene acts as a master scene while other scenes act as subscenes. Each subscene is unique and is managed independently from one another. This is useful when dividing the pixel map into logical groups or display areas for independent control.
1. Define the independent displays or display groups and allocate one or more subscenes for each.
2. Program and control the subscenes as needed.
3. Add or remove subscene data to or from the merge scene.
4. Refresh the merge scene. This is required in order for merge scene changes to take effect.
Defining Displays or Display Groups
To create a merge scene, define which displays or display groups are to be independently controlled.
In the following example, there are nine display groups:
• Display group 1 is a 2x4 videowall.
• Display group 2 through 9 are independent LCD panels.
In figure 54, the display group numbers are shown in white.
Figure 54. Display Groups
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Programming Subscenes
After you define the display groups, create the subscenes that belong to each group. In the following examples, scene group 1 has eight subscenes titled “Videowall1” through
“Videowall8” (see figure 54
on the previous page). Each subscene has a unique layout.
Scene group 1
Figure 55. Videowall1 Subscene
Figure 56. Videowall2 Subscene
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Figure 57. Videowall3 Subscene
Scene group 2
Screen group 2 has three subscenes, LCD1-1 through LCD1-3, allocated to it. Each subscene is programmed to have a unique layout as shown in the following examples.
Figure 58. LCD1-1 Subscene
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Figure 59. LCD1-2 Subscene
Figure 60. LCD1-3 Subscene
The remaining subscenes (subscene 3 through subscene 9), are allocated to the remaining
LCD displays (LCD2 through LCD8). These subscenes follow the same convention as subscene 2 (LCD1).
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Workflow
The merge scene should be the only scene that is running (active) in the Quantum Control
Software. The merge scene is highlighted in the scene list to indicate that it is the currently active scene.
NOTE: Direct all control commands to a specific subscene, not to the merge scene.
The following sample workflow uses the previous subscene examples.
1. Add a subscene to a merge scene. This essentially calls or runs the subscene.
For example, add Videowall1 to Merge Scene:
[01] RMerge Scene,,Videowall1,1 [02] 51 [17] [03]
2. Make the desired changes to a subscene.
For example, set Videowall1/Window1 to SourceRGB1:
[01] RVideowall1,0,RGB1 [02] 52 [17] [03]
3. Update the merge scene with the changed information from step 2, above.
NOTE: This step is required in order for changes to take effect.
For example, the following adds Videowall1 to the merge scene and applies updated subscene information:
[01] RMerge Scene,,Videowall1,1 [02] 51 [17] [03]
4. Change one scene to the next scene.
For example, remove Videowall1 and add Videowall2:
[01] RMerge Scene,Videowall1,Videowall2,1 [02] 51 [17] [03]
The window index numbers in the merge scene increment dynamically. The window index numbers in the subscene are left unchanged.
When making several changes to a subscene, it may be more efficient to wait until all of the changes have been made before executing a final refresh of the merge scene.
For example:
Videowall1/Window1 set to SourceRGB1
Videowall1/Window2 set to SourceRGB2
Videowall1/Window3 set to SourceRGB3
[01] RVideowall1,0,RGB1 [02] 52 [17] [03]
[01] RVideowall1,1,RGB3 [02] 52 [17] [03]
[01] RVideowall1,3,RGB3 [02] 52 [17] [03]
[01] RMerge Scene,,Videowall1,0 [02] 51 [17] [03]
[01] RMerge Scene,,,1 [02] 51 [17] [03]
It may be beneficial to write a subroutine that tracks which subscene is currently running when you are changing scenes. The subroutine indicates the subscene that needs to be removed from the merge scene before the next subscene can be added.
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IP Addressing
What is an IP Address?
A full explanation of IP addressing is beyond the scope of this user guide. However, the following details provide enough information to get started.
An IP address is a 32-bit binary number that is used to identify each device on an Ethernet network. This number is usually represented by four decimal numbers (each in the range of 0 to 255) separated by dots, such as 198.123.34.240. This is called “dotted decimal notation.”
An IP address is divided into two parts:
• Network identifier
• Host identifier
Each address on a given network must have the same network identifier value but have a unique host identifier. As a result, there are different classes that define the range of valid addresses and the parts of the address that are used for the network and host identifiers.
The most common IP address classes are:
Class Name
Class A
Class B
Class C
Valid Address Range
0.0.0.1 to 127.255.255.254
128.0.0.1 to 191.255.255.254
192.0.0.1 to 223.255.255.254
Identifier Arrangement
NNN.HHH.HHH.HHH
NNN.NNN.HHH.HHH
NNN.NNN.NNN.HHH
NNN refers to the network identifier and HHH refers to the host identifier.
Choosing IP Addresses
If the Quantum Control Software computer and Quantum processors are directly connected or connected via their own independent network, follow the guidelines below for choosing the IP addresses.
However, if you intend to connect your computer and Quantum processors to an existing network, you need to advise the network administrator and ask the administrator to allocate suitable IP addresses.
On an independent network, it is generally recommended that you use the Class C format
(from 192.0.0.1 to 223.255.255.254).
There are two rules for choosing IP addresses:
• Network identifier must be the same for each IP address
• Host identifier must be unique for each address.
Applying these rules to Class C addresses, the first three decimal values of your IP address must all be the same while the last value is used to uniquely identify each device.
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The following is an example of a valid Class C addressing scheme:
Device IP Address
Quantum Control Software Computer 208.132.180.41
Quantum processor 1 208.132.180.42
Quantum processor 2 208.132.180.43
NOTE: The host identifiers (41, 42, and 43 in the above example) do not need to be sequential or in any particular order. However, it is recommended that you group the numbers for simplicity.
The following is an example of an invalid Class C addressing scheme:
Device IP Address
Quantum Control Software Computer 208.132.180.41
Quantum processor 1
Quantum processor 2
192.157.180.42
209.100.123.43
NOTE: The above addresses are invalid because the network identifier for each address is not the same even though each IP address is unique.
You can perform a test from your computer to check that a device at a particular address is
responding correctly (see Testing the Ethernet Link on page 6).
Subnet mask
The subnet mask is another 32-bit binary number that is used to “mask” certain bits of the
IP address. This provides a method of extending the number of network options for a given
IP address. It works by allowing part of the host identifier to be used as a subnet identifier.
It is important that you set the correct value for the subnet mask. The basic values depend on the class of IP address being used.
Class Name
Class A
Class B
Class C
Subnet Mask
255.0.0.0
255.255.0.0
255.255.255.0
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