How to Use the Function of Variable Text?

Draw Menu: Variable Text

The function of variable text is available after “Enable variable Text” is selected. Variable Text is a disciplinary and dynamic text which can be customized during the operation.

“Array” is the special array uses in the variable text array, when uses this array the time text to change automatically, but 2.11 object property said the array will not change the text object, this is the difference about these two array.

Inside the EZCAD2 international edition the variable text is a character string according to successively the order by each kind of different real-time change text element. The user may according to need to increase each kind of variable text element, may carry on the order of rank to the text element.

After the user click “add”, the system will display a dialog box as Figure shows.

Currently EzCad2 supports 9 types of variable text:

Fixed text: refers to the fixed invariable element in the operating process.

Serial number: The system will change the text according to the fixed increment when in the operating process.

Date Code: When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the date information from the computer as a new formed text.

Time: When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the time information from the computer as a new formed text.

TCP/IP communication: When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the network.

Serial communication: When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the serial port.

File: The system will seriatim read what to be marked in the customized text file line by line.

Keyboard: Users can type text to be marked through keyboard when the marking is in process.

SQL database: The system will seriatim read what to be marked in the database line by line.

Fixed text

The fixed text is refers to the fixed invariable element in the operation process.

Change Line character: uses in variable text, can resolve the question about multi-text must branch marking. When application, increases one change line character between two variable texts, the software according to the change line character position automatic text branch. If many texts need to divide into the multi-lines, only need in the behind where want to branch’s text to increase one change line character.

The fixed text has a special option is “User name“, when chooses this item, the system uses the current user name to replace the fixed text automatically.

Below explains with examples the situation needs to use in the fixed text the user name function.

If the present must process one batch of work piece as shown in Figure, because the worker is every day three number of runs in turn, in order to control the quality to need each operator marks his own name, does not process the part in the work piece. Because only the designer and the administrator have the jurisdiction of change processing document, the operator is unable to change the processing document to increase own name, this time needs to use in the fixed text the user name function.

The administrator must enable “You must enter and password before using”, then sets a user name and the password for each operator. The designer completes the processing document, the last text sets the user name in the object list. After like this each operator goes to work, after opening EZCAD2, must input own user name and the password, in processes this document time, the system alters to automatically the last text operator’s name.

Serial number

Serial number text is a text which is changed according to the fixed increment when in the operating process.

When selected, a serial number parameter setting will automatically appear in the variable text dialog box.

Mode: The mode current series number used, see the figure.

Dec: Series number carry according to decimal system, the effective character is from zero to nine.

HEX: Series number carry according to capital letter hexadecimal system, the effective character is from Ato F.

hex: Series number carry according to small letter hexadecimal system, the effective character is from a to f.

User define: The series number carry defines according to user define system, after selecting, the system will display a dialog box like Figure shows.

The user can define carry ways discretionary between 2 to 64, only needs to define the max number, and then revises each serial number correspondence the text.

Start SN: This item indicates the first serial number to be marked at the present.

Current SN: the serial number to be marked at the present.

Limit: when mark the limit serial number, it will back to start serial number automatically.

Increment: the increment of the current serial number. The value may be plus or minus.

When the increment is “1”, and if the starting serial number is 0000, there will be an increment “1” added on the previous serial number. For example, 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003 … 9997, 9998, 9999, and when it comes to 9999, the system will be back to 0000 automatically.

When the increment is “5”, and if the starting serial number is 0000, the serial number is: 0000, 0005, 0010, 0015, 0020, 0025 …

Others can be analogized by this.

Marks per: the marked number. This item indicates how many times every serial number is marked before changing.

Current num: the marking time of current serial number, when marking number equals to marks per, it will turn to 0 automatically.

if click “Filter belows“, software won’t mark special number in special digit.

won’t mark numbers end with 4, * means any digit.

Reset: The number will become the start SN in the set time.

Date Code

When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the date information from the computer as a new formed text.

When selected, a date parameter definition will be shown in the dialog box automatically. As Figure 4-38 shows, users can directly choose the type they prefer.

Year – 2008: Use computer clock’s current year for corresponding text, the form is four characters.

Year – 08: Use computer clock’s current year for corresponding text, the form is two characters: latter two digits are effective of the year.

Month – 07: Use computer clock’s current month for corresponding text, the form is two characters.

Day – 04: Use current computer clock’s each month’s date for corresponding text, the form is two characters.

Day – 186: The use current computer clock this day takes the corresponding text from January 1 number of days, the form is three charactes. (What 001 represent is on January 1 , what 002 represent is on January 2, what 003 represent is on January 3, ex analogia)

Day of week – 5: Use current computer clock’s week date for corresponding text, the form is one character.

Week of year – 27: The use current computer clock this day is this year’s several week for the text which corresponds, the form is two characters (from January 1 to January 7 is 01, from January 8 to January 14 is 002, ex analogia)

Date: When system read computer clock’s date, needs to add on the the displacement date is the finally date, this function mainly uses in the work piece processing having the production date
and guaranteeing nature date professions and so on food.

User-defined month character: When selected the month as the corresponding text, the Figure 4-39 will be shown. Users can define the month character, changes to other characters that no longer uses the digit which the software defaulted, only needs double-clicks the selected month, input the month other characters, finally the month which shown on the software workspace is with the input character.

Click “User de“, follow dialog will show, user could define year as user need.

Time

When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the time information from the computer as a new formed text.

When selected, a time parameter definition will be shown in the dialog box automatically. As Figure 4-40 shows, users can directly choose the type they prefer.

Hour – 24: Use current computer clock’s hour for the corresponding text, the time format is 24-hour-setting.

Hour – 12: Use current computer clock’s hour for the corresponding text, the time format is 12-hour-setting.

Minute: Use current computer clock’s minute for the corresponding text.

Second: Use current computer clock’s second for the corresponding text.

Time Section: Divides into 24 time sections one day of 24 hour, the user may define each time section is a text. This function mainly uses in the work piece the processing needing to have the number of runs information.

TCP/IPcommunication

When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the network.

Notice: The network interface in here is the network interface uses in TCP/IP agreement.

When the user selected the “TCP/IP communication”, the parameter defines will display automatically in the dialog box.

IPAddress: select the IP address which from reads the data.

Port: select the port the TCP/IP communication used.

Command: When the system processes to this text object, the system through the network interface to transmit this order character string to a computer assigned the IP address, request the computer sends the character string needs to process at present, the system will not return until the computer replied, after the response of the computer, the system will process the returns text automatically.

Unicode: After choosing this option, the system to the computer transmission which and the read character is the Unicode form, otherwise is theASCII form.

The following example showed how to use this function:

Now has a customer to process 10000 work pieces, on the work piece the marking content is a text, but each work piece must process the text content is dissimilar, therefore, before each work piece processing, must real-time read the processing content through the network from the local area network a computer server (IP: 192.168.0.1 port is 1000) on.

1. Open ezcad2 to establish a text object, adjust the text size, the position and the
processing parameter.

2. Choice the text object, select the “enables variable text”, click the “increase” button, the system will spring a Figure dialog box as 4-32, select TCP/IP communication, set the network interface parameter, the IP address parameter fills in server computer’s IP, here is 192.168.0.1; the port parameter sets to use in the communication the port number, here is 1000, the network interface parameter must identically with the server computer on, otherwise it will cause to be unable communication.

3. Set the command is TCP: Give me string.(This command may for the random server definition command)

4. After closing the dialog box, click the application button.

5. Click F2 to start to process, the computer will send the command “TCP: Give me string” to the server immediately through the net mouth, and waited for that the server will return.

6. After the server discovered the network interface receives the command is “TCP: Give me string”, reads the database immediately to obtain the text which the current must process, then gives the local computer through the network interface reply.

7. After the local computer obtains the text which must process, changes the processing data to transmit immediately to the marking board.

8. After the marking board receives the processing data, control the machining to mark the work piece immediately.

Serial communication

When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the serial port.

When the user selected the “Serial communication”, the parameter defines will display automatically in the dialog box, see the figure.

Port: the port which computer and peripheral equipment connection used.

BaudRate: the BaudRate which the serial communication used.

DataBits: the DataBits which the serial communication used.

StopBits: the digits of StopBits of which the serial communication used.

Parity: select the digits of Parity which the serial communication used.

Command: When the system processes to this text object, the system through the serial port to transmit this order character string to a peripheral equipment, request the peripheral equipment sends the character string needs to process at present, the system will not return until the peripheral equipment replied, after the response of the peripheral equipment, the system will process the returns text automatically.

Unicode: after choosing this option, the system to the computer transmission which and the read character assigns is the Unicode form, otherwise is theASCII form.

The following example showed how to use this function:

Now has a customer to process 10000 work pieces, on the work piece the mark content is a text, but each work piece must process the text content is dissimilar, therefore, before each work piece processing, must real-time through the serial port (On serial port parameter establishment server: the BaudRate is 15200, the DataBits is 8, the StopBits is 1, the Parity is NO)the content which the read must process to other server on.

1. Open ezcad2 to establish a text object, adjust text size, the position and the processing parameter.

2. Choice the text object, select the “enables the variable text”, click the “increase” button, the system will spring a Figure dialog box as 4-32, select Serial communication, the setting of serial port parameter must with server’s serial port parameter correspondence (the BaudRate is 15200, the DataBits is 8, the StopBits is 1, the Parity is NO), the port for current the port number which uses with it connected server, the serial port parameter must establish identically with the server computer on

3. Set the command is COM: Give me string. (This command may for the random server definition command).

4. After closing the dialog box, click the application button.

5. Click F2 to start to process, the computer will send the command “COM: Give me string” to the server immediately through serial port and wait for that the server will return.

6. After the server discovered the serial port receives the command is “COM: Give me string”, reads the database immediately to obtain the text which the current must process, then gives the local computer through the serial port reply.

7. After the local computer obtains the text which must process, changes the processing data to transmit immediately to the marking board.

8. After the marking board receives the processing data, control the machine to mark the work piece immediately.

File

Txt files and Excel files are supported now.

1. Txt files

When select TXT file, a dialog box will be displayed to ask for the file’s name and the current text’s line number.

Auto reset: If checked, the line number will change to 0 automatically when reach the last line. The next mark will start from the first line again.

Read all lines: When processes to the text document direct read entire document.

2. Excel files

We have to appoint the file name, Field name, Line number to tell the software which cell in the excel table will be mark.

File name: The text string of the first row in the datasheet1. This parameter indicates which column will be marked.

Keyboard

The keyboard element is the text which must process from the keyboard entry by the user, when select the keyboard element, a dialog box as Figure shows will be displayed to ask for the user set the keyboard element parameter.

Fixed char count: user must input string with digit equals to this count

Prompt: In the processing, the system will spring the input dialog box which ask for the user input the processing text when meets the keyboard variable text, this time the user direct by-hand input the text.

Set Pen Param: When selected, we can get power, speed, frequency from the keyboard entry, only through setting pen.power, pen.speed or pen.freq. The “” is number of pen.

The keyboard element function uses frequently in this kind of situation when the processing needs the real-time input to the processing content. If the customer present need processes one batch of work pieces, on each work piece is printed with a bar code, when processing needs the user with the bar code scanning gun real-time scans the work piece to read the content on the bar code, then with laser to mark to the work piece assigns in the position, at this time can use the keyboard element function. At the processing time, the operator with the bar code scanning gun scanning bar code work piece on, the bar code scanning gun inputs the read content to the dialog box inside and closes it automatically, then the system will start to process the content read a moment ago automatically .

Advance

Click “Advance” then the dialog box will be displayed shown as Figure.

Enable fixed width: no matter how long is the text, the length will be limited in this range.

Mark Self: In certain situations, the user need division the input keyboard text then places them the
different position to mark, simultaneously also needs to mark this keyboard text, application this
function can achieve this requirements.

After set the parameters of the division character, select “Mark Self”, when the marking, marks the division character besides, will also mark all keyboard text in the corresponding position which input a moment ago.

At present, the Advance function has split character string function. The following processing example will explain it.

For example: In Beijing Olympic Games ticket prints on the bar code has the sports field entrance number as well as the seat number information, but the human is unable to distinguish the bar code directly, must use the laser to mark this information to the ticket assigns in the position. At this time we may use the split character string function, through the bar code scanning gun read the series number, then split the series number automatically, and processes to assigns the position. As shown in Figure the Olympic Games ticket sketch map, the bar code following serial number is the bar code content, the serial number altogether has 7 characters, first 3 character expression entrance number, latter 4 character expression seat number, what bar code scanning gun read-out is the entire character string, EZCAD2 must split the reads series number according to the request and puts to assigns the position automatically.

1. First establishes a keyboard variable text:

establish text—→enable variable text—→add—→keyboard.

2. Input prompting message, click “OK”.

3. Select “Advance”.

4. Selects “enable split string to change other text entity” to revise has assigned the name text object, click “Add” then the dialog box will be displayed shown as Figure.

Index of the first character in string: In the TEXT1 text the first character is the several characters in the keyboard variable text character string.

The number of characters to extract from string: extract how many characters in the keyboard variable text’s character string.

The name of text entity which you want to change: The fixed text name the split read’s character is at.

Add Char Mode: click it then add the split characters behind of the text.

Here increases two conditions, one is revises TEXT1 the object, starts from the 1st character to take 3 characters, other one is revises TEXT2 the object, starts from the 4th character to take 4 characters.

5. Set two text objects and change its name TEXT1, TEXT2. Here should pay attention to the keyboard variable text must arrange before two fixed texts in the object list, the TEXT1 object places the position which the entrance number must process, the TEXT2 object places the position which the seat number must process, then set the processing parameter.

6. Click “Mark“, the user use bar code scanning gun scanning the ticket’s bar code, the system will put the series number division to inside TEXT1 and TEXT2 and process automatically.