Create Links Between Location and Inspection Tools

After Location and/or Inspection Tools have been added to the job, their properties (their input parameters and output results) can be intertwined using the Links tab in the Palette. The Links tab allows a tool's output result to be used as an input parameter to another tool.

Using the Links Tab

The Links tab in the Palette displays a tree view of all the Location and/or Inspection Tools currently loaded in the job. The tools' properties (input parameters and output results) are referenced with a Symbolic Tag, which is a symbolic reference to the values contained in them. The value has an associated Data Type (either Action, Floating Point, Integer or String).

Tool properties are divided into Input and Output properties, and links can only be established from Output properties to Input properties. Output properties can be linked to multiple, separate Input properties, while an Input property only accepts one Output property linked into it.

To select which tool properties are displayed and can be configured in the Links tab, right-click on a tool property and open the Select Properties dialog. The Select Properties dialog contains a tree view list of all the tools in the job, with all of their associated tool properties, both Input and Output. You can customize which tool properties are displayed in the Links tab by selecting which tool properties you want to appear (use the Add/Remove buttons to add or remove multiple selections after highlighting them).

Links Tab Controls

Links Tab Controls
	Opens all of the tool properties contained in the job.
	Closes all of the tool properties contained in the job.
	Press to toggle between three tool property display options: Default: Displays only the tool properties selected from the Select Properties menu. Show Standard Properties: Displays a smaller subset of the tool properties, with the Description, Include_In_Job_Pass, Error_Count, Execution_Time, Fail_Count, Pass_Count, Tool_Enabled_Status and Invert properties automatically hidden. Show All Properties: Displays all of the tool properties.
	Press to toggle between three sorting options: Default: Displays the tools in the order in which they were added to the job, with the first tool added starting at the top of the list. Alphabetical Order: Displays the tools in alphabetical ascending order, based on the tool name. Dependency Order: Displays the tools based upon dependencies, with the Input properties placed above the Output properties.

Note:

If a tool that had links to other tools in the job is deleted, the links will automatically be removed.
If a tool that has both Input and Output properties linked is copied and pasted in the job, only the Input properties will be retained.

Creating Links Between Tools

Links between tool Output properties and Input properties can be made by either dragging the Output property node to the applicable Input property node, or by right-clicking the Input property and selecting the applicable Output property from the Link From context menu.

Note: When using the drag-and-drop method to link properties, a shortcut icon will be displayed and a dark blue line with arrow will accompany the cursor. The cursor will display a block icon if the property cannot be linked.

Once the tool properties have been bound, the Input property parameter will be greyed out and unavailable, with a link icon displayed to the right. Hovering the mouse cursor over the link icon will display a tool tip indicating the link's source, while right-clicking the link icon will open a context menu to unbind the link.

Note: To undo a created link, press the Undo button in the EasyBuilder toolbar (or use CTRL+Z).

Removing Links Between Tools

Links between Input properties and Output properties can be removed by selecting the property with the Input link, and either pressing the DELETE key or using the right-click context menu and selecting Unlink.

Note: To undo the removal of a link, press the Undo button in the EasyBuilder toolbar (or use CTRL+Z).