Setup guide

8
Virtual Control Panels
Usage
NV9000-SE Utilities knows nothing about “virtual panels.” Virtual panels can be considered
“virtual hardware panels” and to create a configuration for a virtual panel in NV9000-SE Utilities,
you create a hardware panel configuration of matching type. For example, go to “HW panels”
and create an NV9616 panel configuration to use with an NV9616V virtual panel.
A panel configuration consists of a configuration file (with a suffix such as .601, .640, etc.) and a
.legends file. The configuration file provides initial states for the panel. The .legends file provides
fixed button text for the virtual panel. The configuration files are generated by NV9000-SE Utili-
ties every time you save a panel configuration. The panel configurations do not become active
until you issue either an “Update Panel Configuration” or “Write Configuration to Local System”
command in NV9000-SE Utilities.
Every virtual panel requires a unique panel ID. (In fact, all control panels must have a unique
panel ID.) You can run multiple instances of any virtual panel on your computer. Each instance
requires a distinct panel ID, even if the multiple instances are to have identical configurations.
Configuration files are, however, identified by panel ID. Consequently, you must have a unique
configuration file for every instance of every panel. If your system has 12 panels all using the
same configuration, you must have 12 copies of that configuration file (and 12 copies of the
matching .legends file).
S Physical hardware panels ignore the .legends file. Button legends for some of the physical
panels are placed on the button using clear plastic overlays.
Minor Configurations
In addition to the panel configuration, the virtual panels also allow minor display configura-
tions. Virtual panel operators may change display parameters during operation. The display
configurations include:
• Resizing the panel on the screen.
• Changing the font size.
• Setting the ‘Always On Top’ flag. When this option is enabled, the panel is always displayed
in front of every other window on your Windows “desktop.”
• Displaying the panel with, or without, its Windows frame.
• Whether to reconnect to the router control system automatically (on startup or restart of the
control system).
The options are available in the context menu. See Context Menu Commands
on page 9.
S Each instance of any panel starts with settings contained in the last saved .INI file for that
panel.
Usage
Functionally, the virtual panels are exactly identical to their matching hardware panels.
However, there are a few slight operational differences. The most obvious is that with a physical
panel, you press a physical button and with a virtual panel, you click on a colored rectangle (a
virtual “button”) that might change color or text, depending on context.