Display

The microscope user interface provides a series of panels containing microscope status information. These cover the binding display, message area and microscope status display.

     Binding display

The binding display panel shows how the user-assignable knobs and buttons on the left-hand and right-hand Control Pads are linked to microscope functions. These knobs and buttons are:

• Left-hand track ball (typically assigned to beam shift)
• Right-hand track ball (typically assigned to CompuStage X and Y)
• Multifunction X
• Multifunction Y
• User button L1
• User button L2
• User button L3
• User button R1
• User button R2
• User button R3

The selection of the assignments displayed is up to the user. A typical selection could be displaying two columns:

Depending on the number of items present, the display will contain one (with subcolumns for knobs/buttons; their functions) or two columns (2x knobs/buttons; their functions). Empty lines can be used to give a balanced display selection.

Adding items
Click with the right-hand mouse button on a part of the binding display panel that holds the names of knobs and buttons (the far left or the left-hand side of the second column). A popup menu will appear.

Click on the item required and it will be added to the current selection. The All worksets item can either be checked (in which case the selection displayed is the same for all worksets) or not (in which case each workset can have its own selection). Note that the actual knob or button functionality selected is not dependent on the workset (only what is displayed).

Removing items
Click on the desired item and drag it out of the binding display panel.

Changing a function assignment
Click with the right-hand mouse button on a part of the binding display panel that holds the function description for the knob or button required (the right-hand side of the first column or the far right). A popup menu will appear, whose content will depend on the type of knob/button selected (track ball, multifunction knob, user button). In the case of the Multifunction knobs, near the top of the popup menu is an item Auto bind MF y (when the MF-X selection is clicked) that, when checked makes the Multifunction knobs follow each other (that is, when the Multifunction knob X is given to the x parameter of a function, then Multifunction Y will automatically assume the y parameter of that  function).

Multifunction knob assignments

The Multifunction knobs have a wide range of functions. All functions (wobbler, stigmators, dark field, alignment, etc.) that assign functionality to the multifunction knobs also release that functionality when the particular function is switched off again (after which the multifunction knobs regain their previous functionality). The functions are typically assigned whenever needed (e.g. during alignment). The user can also assign functions to the knobs (these functions will be overruled when necessary). There are two possibilities:

• The assignment is persistent (these functions will be overruled when necessary but the function is always returned when automatic assignments are taken off).
• The assignment is temporary (these functions will also be overruled when necessary and the function is not returned when automatic assignments are taken off).

A persistent assignment can only be made when the Multifunction knobs are not currently occupied by an automatic assignment, otherwise the assignment is temporary.

Examples

1. The Multifunction knobs are currently assigned to the Stage axes (a user assignment). The user clicks with the right-hand mouse on the Binding display panel and chooses another function. This assignment is persistent.
2. The Multifunction knobs are currently assigned to the Wobbler (after the Wobbler button has been pressed). The user clicks with the right-hand mouse button on the Binding display panel and chooses another function. This assignment is temporary (comes on top of the automatic Wobbler assignment) and will disappear when the Wobbler is switched off.

The None and Clear functions

The popup menu that allows setting of the binding configuration for the Multifunction knobs can have two functions, None and Clear. None is always enabled, Clear only when the current assignment of the Multifunction knobs is temporary. If None is selected, all functions of the Multifunction knobs are removed, independent of the nature of the current assignment (persistent, temporary or automatic). If Clear is selected (thus only possible if the assignment is temporary), the Multifunction knobs revert to their prior automatic setting. Thus if you assigned the Beam shift function to the Multifunction knobs in an alignment procedure and then select None, the Multifunction knobs are completely cleared of all functions. Whereas if you used clear, the Multifunction knobs get back their setting from the alignment procedure.

Changing the relative position of items
Click on an item with the left-hand mouse button and drag it to a new position.

     Messages

Messages by the microscope are shown in a dedicated part of the information area (above the status panel that typically contains the magnification and operating mode). Messages can have three different levels. Since only one message can be displayed at a time, important (higher level) messages will displace simple information messages.

The different levels are indicated by different icons:

error

warning

information

If the message requires confirmation, it will stay displayed until the Enter button is pressed. Some other messages automatically disappear after a minute. All messages are kept in a list which becomes visible when the Up button on the right-hand side of the message area is pressed:

To close the list click the Up button (now changed to a down arrow) again.

     Status displays

Up to three status display panels (in the minimum-size info area view this number is reduced to one). These status display panels can display a wide range of user-selectable microscope settings.

The left-most typically will display the microscope magnification and mode. This panel is also the one displayed in the minimum-size info area view. The two others are up to the user (by default they will contain the settings shown at the right of the picture above, while the third panel will display the specimen-stage position). All settings can be changed by the user.

Note: The magnification/camera length displayed depends on the position of the viewing screen. If the viewing screen is raised, the magnification/camera length values are those of the plate camera. If the viewing screen is down, the values are those as seen on the viewing screen.

Removing settings from status panels
Click on a setting in the status panel and drag it outside the panel.

Adding settings to status panels
Click with the right-hand mouse button on the status panel in the position where a new settings must be added. A popup menu will appear:

At the top of the menu (All worksets) the user selects (by checking or unchecking the item) whether the configuration as currently displayed is valid for all worksets (checked) or whether each workset can have its own settings. The other selections in the popup menu enter the required value into the status panel (in some cases one has to select via a submenu - move to the right where the small, right-pointing arrows are displayed). Empty lines can be added to give a balanced display. The font size will be adjusted automatically to the amount of space available.

Page last modified on 11/13/00