Property Sheet
A Property Sheet is used to configure In-Sight Explorer functions whenever a function returns a structure or the function has many input parameters.
Every Property Sheet has a table that lists the default parameters, values and expressions of a function. Each row of a Property Sheet consists of a parameter name and value, or a group of expanded/collapsed parameters (indicated by the / symbols) and values.
Parameter values can be assigned through the following methods:
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Cell References: The value is determined by either an Absolute Reference or Relative Reference to a cell in the spreadsheet.
Note: When running In-Sight Explorer, if a parameter value is double-clicked and the ESC key is pressed, the text for the parameter will be copied to the operating system's clipboard, overwriting any previously copied text. When editing property sheets, it is recommend that the property sheet's menus or toolbar buttons be used to edit the parameters, instead of double-clicking them. -
Coordinates: The value is determined by either entering Interactive Graphics Mode or manually entering numeric coordinate values.
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Integer: The value can be increased or decreased by clicking the buttons, or by manually entering the desired numeric value.
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Text: The value is represented by an alphanumeric character string.
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Checkbox: The value is assigned a 0 when unchecked and a 1 when checked.
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Drop-down list: The value is selected from an available choice in the list; the value is set to the index number (zero-based) of the selected item within the list.
Note: Property Sheet parameters are context-sensitive; therefore the menu bar and toolbars will only be enabled if the selected parameter supports that particular Edit or Insert ability.
Display a Property Sheet
Using the Insert Function dialog, insert a function into a cell in the spreadsheet. If the function has an associated Property Sheet, it will automatically open. Each Property Sheet consists of the following:
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The title bar indicating the sensor, dialog and function names
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Menu bar
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Toolbar
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The parameter configuration area
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Context-sensitive help
Note: If any text is highlighted in red, then the value contains an error which must be corrected before being accepted. If another parameter or the OK button is selected, the value will revert to the previous valid selection.
Edit a Cell Graphic in a Property Sheet
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Click on the parameter with an associated cell graphic.
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From the Property Sheet's Edit menu, click Graphic. Alternately, you can click the Edit Graphic button on the Property Sheet's toolbar or double-click the parameter name with an associated cell graphic. The Property Sheet will disappear and the interactive graphic will be displayed on top of the image.
Note: The Edit Graphic menu and toolbar button will be grayed out if the selected parameter does not have an associated cell graphic. - To accept the modifications, click the OK button on the Job Edit toolbar, press ENTER or double-click within the cell graphic. To cancel the modifications, click the Cancel button on the Job Edit toolbar or press ESC.
Maximize a Region Cell Graphic
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Click on the parameter with an associated region cell graphic.
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From the Property Sheet's Edit menu, click on Maximize Region. Alternately, you can click the Maximize Region button on the Property Sheet's toolbar. The region's cell graphic is resized, equal to the image region in the referenced Image data structure. Cell A0 is the default image source.
Note: The Maximize Region menu and toolbar button will be grayed out if the selected parameter does not have an associated region cell graphic. -
To accept the modifications, click the OK button. To cancel the modifications, click the Cancel button.
Insert a Function in a Property Sheet
Inserting a function into a Property Sheet parameter allows you to create a dynamic argument. For example, if you had a FindPatterns function, and you needed the Threshold: Accept parameter to change dynamically with the image acquisition based on a set of fluctuating variances, you could insert a Mathematics function into the parameter to compute against those variances. By adding a function within the parameter (instead of creating a separate function within the spreadsheet and building the same formula and then referencing those cells), you can save time and computational space within the spreadsheet.
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Click on the parameter for which you would like to enter a function.
Note: Functions cannot be placed into a group when collapsed; the group must first be expanded by pressing the plus button. Then select an individual sub-parameter. -
From the Property Sheet's Insert menu, click on Function. Alternately, you can click the Insert Function button on the Property Sheet's toolbar.
Note: The Insert Function menu and toolbar button will be grayed out if the selected parameter does not support a function. -
The parameter's value will switch to an editable expression:
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Manually type the name of the function, followed by an open parenthesis and the parameter data or press either the UP or DOWN ARROW on the keyboard to open the function box, which lists applicable functions.
Note: When manually typing the name of the function, if any text is highlighted in red, then your formula contains an error which must be corrected before being accepted.To find a function, you can either begin typing the name of the function or scroll through the list of functions. Once you have found the function that you would like to insert, either press TAB or double-click the function.
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Once you have created your function, press the TAB key to accept the function and move to the next parameter:
- Pressing the ENTER key will automatically accept the function and exit the Property Sheet. Pressing the ESC key will exit the Property Sheet without accepting the function.
Insert a Cell Reference From the Property Sheet
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Click on the parameter for which you would like to set a cell reference.
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From the Property Sheet's Insert menu, click either Absolute Reference or Relative Reference. Alternately, you can click either the Insert Absolute Reference button or the Insert Relative Reference button on the Property Sheet's toolbar. The Property Sheet disappears and you enter cell selection mode.
Tip: If applicable, double-clicking on the parameter also takes you to cell selection mode. -
Select the cell(s) containing the value(s) for that Property Sheet's parameter(s).
Tip:- Multiple-cell references can be useful when defining parameters that have more than one value, such as fixtures and regions.
- Once a cell reference is set within a parameter, it will be highlighted in the spreadsheet. The cell selection can be moved without closing the Property Sheet.
- If you are manually typing a function into a parameter, if applicable, you can click on a spreadsheet cell using the relative cell reference cursor (pressing Shift changes the cursor to an absolute cell reference ) to insert a cell reference.
- To accept the cell reference(s), click the OK button on the Job Edit toolbar, press ENTER or double-click the cell(s). To cancel the cell reference(s), click the Cancel button on the Job Edit toolbar or press ESC.
- After all the changes have been made to the Property Sheet, click either OK to accept the changes or Cancel to undo all changes and return to the spreadsheet.
Property Sheet Shortcuts
Action |
Keyboard |
Mouse |
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Open the property sheet |
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Double-click the function in the spreadsheet. Alternately, on the Job Edit toolbar, click the Function button. |
Accept changes |
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Click OK. |
Cancel changes |
ESC | Click Cancel. |
Navigate among parameters |
UP ARROW / DOWN ARROW TAB / SHIFT+TAB |
Click the desired parameter. |
Modify a parameter's value |
Numbers can be incremented or decremented using UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW, respectively. Note: Quotation marks are added automatically to text string parameters.
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Use the parameter's Edit controls ( for example) to adjust the value as desired. |
Set minimum numeric parameter value | CTRL+UP ARROW | N/A |
Set maximum numeric parameter value | CTRL+DOWN ARROW | N/A |
Insert a function | CTRL+SHIFT+F | On the Property Sheet's toolbar, click the Function button. |
Insert an absolute cell reference | CTRL+SHIFT+A | On the Property Sheet's toolbar, click the Absolute Reference button. |
Insert a relative cell reference |
CTRL+SHIFT+R |
Double-click either the Value or the Expression cell for the desired parameter. Alternately, on the Property Sheet's toolbar, click the Relative Reference button. |
Expand a property group | PLUS (+ on the numeric keypad) | Click the plus sign or double-click the function. |
Collapse a property group | MINUS (- on the numeric keypad) | Click the minus sign. |
Expand a drop-down list | ALT+DOWN ARROW | Click the drop-down list control. |
Collapse a drop-down list | ALT+UP ARROW | Click the drop-down list control. |
Navigate through drop-down list values | UP ARROW / DOWN ARROW | Select the desired value. |
Edit an interactive graphic | F9 | On the Property Sheet's toolbar, click the Edit Cell Graphic button. |
Maximize a region cell graphic. | CTRL+SHIFT+M | On the Property Sheet's toolbar, click the Maximize Region button. |
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For functions that do not have a Property Sheet, the Insert
Function dialog will be opened instead. 2 Certain functions (such as Controls) take special action after pressing ENTER on their cell. Use SHIFT+F3 instead to open the Property Sheet for these functions. |