Dashboard
The Dashboard is the second window of SweepMe! next to the main window. It holds the widgets that show your measurement, e.g. Plot, Monitor or Table, and widgets that control it, e.g. the Run Controls, the Save Bar, or the elements of the ControlWidgets and Form modules. You can arrange the widgets freely and build your own user interface for a measurement setup. The layout of the Dashboard is saved together with the sequence.
Showing the Dashboard
The Dashboard is managed via the menu Window of the main window:
| Menu entry | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Window → Desktop Autofill | F5 | Arranges the main window and the Dashboard side by side on the monitor you are working on. In dashboard mode or if the main window is minimized, the Dashboard fills the whole monitor. |
| Window → Screenshot | F12 | Takes a screenshot of each screen that shows a SweepMe! window. Screenshots are saved in the folder Screenshots and the last one is copied to the clipboard. |
| Window → Main Window → Show/Hide | F6 | Shows or minimizes the main window, so that the Dashboard can use the whole screen. |
| Window → Dashboard → Widget Overview… (Pro) | Opens the Widget Overview. | |
| Window → Dashboard → Show/Minimize | F7 | Shows or minimizes the Dashboard. |
| Window → Dashboard → Screenshot | Takes a screenshot of the Dashboard window only. | |
| Window → Dashboard → Fullscreen | F11 | Shows the Dashboard in full screen. Press F11 again to go back. |
If you closed the Dashboard window, press F5 to bring it back. Closing the Dashboard only hides it. All shortcuts also work while the Dashboard is the active window. See also Keyboard shortcuts.
Adding widgets
Widgets are added via the menu Widgets of the main window. Each widget type has its own submenu:
- Optional widgets can be added as often as needed with New…: Plot, Table, Monitor, Gauge, Image and Document. A new widget gets a numbered name, e.g. "Plot1", and first appears as a floating window. Drag it into the Dashboard. The submenu also has Clear all … and Remove all … and one entry per widget with Configure, Show/Hide, Remove, Rename and Screenshot.
- Permanent widgets exist exactly once and cannot be removed, only shown or hidden with Show/Hide: Debug (F2), Parameters (F3), Notes, Run Controls and Save Bar. Widgets with content, e.g. Debug, also have Clear.
Some modules add their own widgets to the Dashboard, e.g. ControlWidgets, Form, CustomFunction and the wafer map of WaferProber.
Working with widgets
- Moving: drag a widget at its title bar to another position in the Dashboard, or onto another widget to stack both as tabs. A widget can also be detached as a floating window.
- Configuring: click the configure button in the toolbar of the widget, or right-click its title bar and select Configure. Many widgets also open their settings on a double-click into the widget.
- Closing: if you close an optional widget via its title bar, SweepMe! asks whether to Hide or Remove it. A hidden widget is shown again via the menu Widgets.
- Context menu: right-click the title bar of a widget for Configure, Screenshot, Rename (optional widgets) or Clear (permanent widgets), and Widget overview… (Pro).
Widget Overview
Pro feature, available from SweepMe! 1.5.8.3.
The Widget Overview lists all widgets of the Dashboard in one table. Open it via Window → Dashboard → Widget Overview… (Pro) or via the context menu of any widget. You can set the properties for each widget, or for all widgets at once in the row All Widgets:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Widget | Name of the widget. Double-click to rename it (optional widgets only). |
| Type | Type of the widget, e.g. Plot, Table, Monitor. |
| Movable | The widget can be dragged to a different position in the Dashboard. |
| Floatable | The widget can be detached as a floating window. |
| Closable | The widget can be closed or hidden via its title bar. |
| Resizable | The widget can be resized by dragging its borders. |
| Show | Shows or hides the widget in the Dashboard. |
| Configurable | The settings dialog of the widget can be opened. |
| Action | Opens the widget settings (Configure) or resets the widget content (Clear). |
If you switch off Movable, Closable and Configurable, a finished Dashboard is locked, so that operators cannot change it by accident. These properties are saved with the sequence and only take effect with SweepMe! Pro.
Dashboard mode
Pro feature, available from SweepMe! 1.5.8.3.
In dashboard mode, SweepMe! shows only the Dashboard and no main window. Together with the Run Controls, the Save Bar and the elements of ControlWidgets or Form, this turns a measurement setup into an operator station. Start SweepMe! in dashboard mode from the command line, e.g.:
SweepMe!.exe --sequence "C:\path\to\my_sequence.seq" --dashboard-mode
In dashboard mode:
- the Dashboard fills the whole monitor,
- widgets cannot be renamed, and the Widget Overview is not available,
- closing the Dashboard closes SweepMe!.
To work with the main window again, close SweepMe! and start it without --dashboard-mode.
Run Controls
Permanent widget since SweepMe! 1.5.8.3 (previously part of ControlWidgets). Using the buttons requires SweepMe! Pro.
The widget Run Controls shows the buttons Run, Pause and Stop in the Dashboard, so that a measurement can be controlled without the main window. While a measurement is paused, the button Pause changes to Resume. Show it via Widgets → Run Controls → Show/Hide.
Settings:
- Alignment: Left to right, Right to left, Top to bottom or Bottom to top.
- Run, Stop, Pause: check the buttons that are shown.
Without SweepMe! Pro, the title of the widget shows "(Pro)". Use the buttons of the main window instead.
Save Bar
Permanent widget since SweepMe! 1.5.8.3 (previously part of ControlWidgets). Saving from the Save Bar requires SweepMe! Pro.
The widget Save Bar saves the measurement data from the Dashboard. Show it via Widgets → Save Bar → Show/Hide. It has the fields Main path, Folder and File and the buttons Save data and Open folder. All fields accept the parameter syntax. By default, Folder is {y}{m}{d}_, i.e. the current date. The Save Bar works independently of the fields in the main window, and both can be used in parallel.
Settings:
- The check boxes in front of Main path, Folder and File define which fields are visible in the Save Bar.
- Add 'Open folder' and Add 'Save data' show or hide the buttons.
- Add 'Auto save' adds a check box Auto save to the Save Bar. With active, the data is saved automatically after each run, also if the check box is not shown.
- If filenames exist: ask always or add incrementing index.
All options apply even if the corresponding field is not visible. Without SweepMe! Pro, the title of the widget shows "(Pro)". Save your data in the main window instead (tab General).
Which features need SweepMe! Pro
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Adding, arranging, configuring and removing widgets | yes | yes |
| Desktop Autofill, Fullscreen, Screenshots | yes | yes |
| Widget Overview and locking widgets (Movable, Floatable, Closable, Resizable, Configurable) | no | yes |
| Dashboard mode | no | yes |
| Buttons of the Run Controls | no | yes |
| Saving data with the Save Bar | no | yes |
See also SweepMe! Pro.