Description:

The ExternalData tool is a data tool which holds state information for one or more states. The state can be of any of the following data types -
(a) Scalar - floating point value
(b) Text - string value
(c) Logic - boolean value
(d) Circle - 2D circle, as x and y coordinates of the center of the circle and radius of the circle
(e) Point - 2D point, as x and y coordinates
(f) Line - 2D line, as x and y coordinates of the stat point and x and y coordinates of the end point of the line
(g) Point 3D - 3D point, as x, y and z coordinates
(h) Line 3D - 2D line, as x, y and z coordinates of the stat point and x, y and z coordinates of the end point of the line
(i) Sphere 3D - 3D sphere, as x, y and z coordinates of the center of the sphere and radius of the sphere

Since ExternalData is able to manage multiple states simultaneously, it can be used to collectively manage multiple data types, instead of configuring a separate data tool for every state.

Like other tools from the 'Data Tools' tool category, the ExternalData tool does not do any processing. It is used for holding one or more states. The ExternalData tool can be accessed from other tools defined in the profile, and the scripts configured in the Scorpion, for getting or setting value of any of the configured data types.

All the tools from the 'Data Tools' category are used primarily for -

• Holding one or more states. This is very similar to variables used in Python script which are used for holding states. Data tools however have more settings, inline with the Scorpion architecture, for more control on the states they hold. Other tools and the scripts defined in the profile can query current value and can also set the value for any state held by a data tool.

• Interfacing with user interface elements. The Scorpion Vision Software support very useful feature of customized user interface, for controlling the processing at run-time, by setting values for different processing parameters. Though it is possible to directly link the user interface elements to the processing tools, it is a recommended practice to use data tools as intermediate layer to interface with the user interface elements and actual processing tools linking to the data tools. This provides better separation of user interface and processing, and hence helps in reducing the setup, fine-tuning and maintenance time.
  
  
  

User Interface:

(A) Tool Configuration dialog box – Setup Tab, Reference Sub-tab



1. The ‘Reference’ drop down can be used to select the input 2D reference or the input 3D reference. The input 2D reference provides the origin (0,0) and rotation of the X and Y-axis. The input 3D reference provides the origin (0,0,0) and rotation of the X, Y and Z axes. It is strongly recommended to click on the 'Apply' button available on the main tool configuration window, to apply the newly selected input reference. This reference is then used while configuring all other tool parameters.


(B) Tool Configuration dialog box – Setup Tab, Data Sub-tab



1. The ‘External data’ group can be used for defining data types managed by the ExternalData tool.
2. The ‘Set to initial value before inspection’ check-box can be used to reset the value of all the configured data types, to their configured initial value, before every inspection cycle.
3. The ‘Make external changes permanent’ check-box can be used to make the values persistent, which means that values of all the configured data types are remembered across the session. The last values of all the configured data types are remembered when the profile is closed and the values of all the configured data types are set to these remembered values when the profile is loaded next time.
4. The ‘Always transfer pasted values to results’ check-box can be used to immediately transferring all the pasted values to results when the 'Paste ROI from Clipboard' button is clicked.
5. The 'Autotransfer initial value changes to result' check-box can be used to enable the automatic transfer of the changed initial values to the results, as soon as the initial values of changed and saved by the user, from the user interface.
6. It has the list of the currently configured data type. Each row of the list describes the name of the configured data type, its type and its initial value. It is possible to select one or more data types from this list. Clicking on the blank space in the data types list, rests the data type selection and no data type is selected. A single data type can be selected by clicking on it. For selecting multiple data type, CTRL keyboard button can be kept pressed and the required tools can be clicked one by one.
Mouse right click anywhere in the list, pops up a menu. It has the sub-menus, which have same functionality as all the buttons available on the right hand side of the list box.
7. The 'New' button can be clicked to configure a new data type. Data type configuration dialog box is popped up when the New button is clicked.

Details about the settings available on this Data type configuration dialog box, are described in the next sub-section on this page.
8. The 'Edit' button is enabled whenever a single data type from the list of currently configured data types is selected. The Edit button can be clicked to pop up the Data type configuration dialog box for the current selected data tye.

Name and the initial value of the data type can be edited from the edit data type dialog box. The type can not be edited, once a data type is added to the ExternalData tool.
9. The 'Up' button is enabled whenever one or more data types from the list of currently configured data types are selected. The Up button can be clicked to change the sequence of the listed data types, by moving the currently selected data types up by one position.
10. The 'Down' button is enabled whenever one or more data types from the list of currently configured data types are selected. The Down button can be clicked to change the sequence of the listed data types, by moving the currently selected data types down by one position.
11. The 'Delete' button is enabled whenever one or more data types from the list of currently configured data types are selected. The Delete button can be clicked to delete the currently selected data types. To avoid problems with accidental button click, a user confirmation message box is popped up before actual deletion of the data type is performed.
12. The 'Transfer selected initial values to results' button is enabled whenever one or more data types from the list of currently configured data types are selected. The Transfer selected initial values to results button can be clicked to set the values of the results of the ExternalData tool, to the corresponding configured initiial values, for the selected data types.
13. The 'Transfer results to selected initial values' button is enabled whenever one or more data types from the list of currently configured data types are selected. The Transfer results to selected initial values button can be clicked to set the initial values of the selected data types to the corresponding result values.
14. The 'Transfer all initial values to results' button can be clicked to set the values of the results of the ExternalData tool, to the corresponding configured initial values, for all the configured data types.
15. The 'Transfer results to selected initial values' button can be clicked to set the initial values of all the configured data types to the corresponding result values.
16. The ‘Paste ROI from Clipboard’ button is enabled if any single 2D data type from the list of currently configured data types is selected. Point and Line are the 2D data types supported in the current version. The 'Paste ROI from Clipboard' button can be used to copy user defined selection from the clipboard to the  initial values of the selected data type.
If Point type data type is selected from the list of the configured data types, it is expected that a single point is defined on the image by pressing the CTRL keyboard key and simultaneously using mouse left button click to define the target point. If no point is defined on the image or a line or a polygon is defined on the image, clicking on the 'Paste ROI from Clipboard' has no effect when a Point type data type is selected.
If Line type data type is selected from the list of the configured data types, it is expected that a line point is defined on the image by pressing the CTRL keyboard key and simultaneously using mouse left button click to define the target points which indicate start point and end point of the line. If less than 2 points are selected or a polygon is defined on the image, clicking on the 'Paste ROI from Clipboard' has no effect when a Line type data type is selected.
17. The ‘Copy ROI to Clipboard’ button is enabled if any single 2D data type from the list of currently configured data types is selected. Point and Line are the 2D data types supported in the current version. Copy ROI to Clipboard button can be used to copy the initial values of the selected data type, to the clipboard. This is useful in viewing the exact location of the configured initial values on the inspection image and fine-tuning, if required.
18. The 'Outgoing 2D reference based on' dropdown can be used to specify the output reference from the ExternalData tool. It can selected as 'Incoming reference' or as any of the configured 2D data types - Point, Line or Cicle.
If the incoming reference is a 3D reference, for all 2D types configured, the incoming 3D reference is converted to a 2D reference as a plane with z=0, with respect to the incoming reference.
If the 'Incoming reference' option is selected as 'Outpoint 2D reference', the outgoing 2D reference is same as the incoming reference. If incoming reference is a 3D reference, the incoming 3D reference is converted to a 2D reference as a plane with z=0, with respect to the incoming reference, and then this 2D reference is the outgoing reference
If any of the Point type data types is selected as 'Outpoint 2D reference', the origin of the outgoing reference is set to the current value of the selected Point type data type. The orientation of the X and Y axes remains the same as the incoming reference.
If any of the Line type data types is selected as 'Outpoint 2D reference', the origin of the outgoing reference is set to the current value of the starting point of the selected Line type data type. The orientation of the X axis is set in the direction of the current values if the line - from starting point to the end point. The orientation of the Y axis is set to 90 degrees with respected to the new X axis.
If any of the Circle type data types is selected as 'Outpoint 2D reference', the origin of the outgoing reference is set to the current value of the center point of the selected Circle type data type. The orientation of the X and Y axes remains the same as the incoming reference.


(C) New Data Type Configuration dialog box
1. When the 'New' button on the ExternalData tool configuration dialog box is clicked, the new data type configuration dialog box is popped up.

2. The type of the data type can be selected using the available radio buttons. The type can be any one of the following - Scalar, Text, Logic, Circle, Point, Line, Point 3D, Line 3D, Sphere 3D.
3. Name of the new data type can be specified in the text box next to the 'Name'. It should be a unique name within the current ExternalData tool configuration, which means that duplicate names are not allowed.
4. The initial value for the new data type can be typed in the text box next to the 'Value'. The format for the 'Value' string is different for different types.
For Scalar type data type, any floating point value can be typed as the initial value.


5. For Text type data type, any string value can be typed as the initial value.


6. For Logic type data type, 0 (false) or 1 (true) value can be typed as the initial value.


7. For Circle type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format (x;y)(r), where x is the x coordinate of the center of the circle, y is the y coordinate of the center of the circle, r is the radius of the circle. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.


8. For Point type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format (x;y), where x is the x coordinate of the point, y is the y coordinate of the point. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.


9. For Line type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format {(x1;y1)(x2;y2)}, where x1 is the x coordinate of the start point of the circle, y1 is the y coordinate of the start point of the line, x2 is the x coordinate of the end point of the circle, y2 is the y coordinate of the end point of the line. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.


10. For Point 3D type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format (x;y;z), where x is the x coordinate of the point, y is the y coordinate of the point, z is the z coordinate of the point. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.


11. For Line 3D type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format {(x1;y1,z1)(x2;y2,z2)}, where x1 is the x coordinate of the start point of the circle, y1 is the y coordinate of the start point of the line, z1 is the z coordinate of the start point of the line, x2 is the x coordinate of the end point of the circle, y2 is the y coordinate of the end point of the line, z2 is the z coordinate of the end point of the line. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.


12. For Sphere 3D type data type, initial value should be typed as a string in the format (x;y;z)(r), where x is the x coordinate of the center of the sphere, y is the y coordinate of the center of the sphere, z is the z coordinate of the center of the sphere, r is the radius of the sphere. Please note that the string format should exactly match with the expected format with brackets and semi-colon characters, as specified.