Some thoughts and Ideas for Est-lite

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Grahame Case

Some thoughts and Ideas for Est-lite

Post by Grahame Case »

Hi John!

We've been rather bored this afternoon (no customers) and been brainstorming what could be done with EST-lite to make it a really really superb piece of kit,

(it was a difficult one for us as it is pretty much perfect)

However, we have a TFT flat screen, and when using the highlights ( which are very pastel in colour mainly) we have trouble seeing them because of the steep angle we are viewing them from.

And lastly,

Is there any way for us to run two instances of EST-lite on the same computer - without messing up docket numbers etc.. (E.G. a Polygamy) ?

We have two sides to our design area allowing us to deal with two people at once, and we have trouble sometimes when both sides need to be giving pricing information to the customer, currently one side would have to wait for the transaction to finish, fair enough it gives the customers a chance to browse our items. but often people become impatient.

my mother and I both agree that we've made an excellent decision purchasing your software and we would never think twice about recommending it to everyone we know!

thanks

Grahame
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John
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Post by John »

Here's something I always meant to try for myself, if it works, this should solve your problem: -

Close EstLite

Copy the Program Files\Est folder to another location, say Program Files\EstClient

Run EstLite

Now also run EstLite from the EstClient and give it a new skin (Alt-PageUp) so as to differentiate it from the server.

In the Client go to Options/General and hit the Network button answer the questions Yes - you do want to network, and No you don't want this copy to be the server, then navigate the path to the Server (C:\Program Files\Est) and re-run the Client when prompted.

You could finish by creating a path to the Client on the desktop to allow for easier access.

Now, you should be able to switch to the Client while in the middle of pricing a complex job for customer A, price a job and print a docket for customer B, then go back to A's job on the Server and take up where you left off. Both customers should be issued with sequential docket numbers as Client and Server are working with the same database.

Only the Server will be able to change setup Options, but either should be able to add/edit/delete entries in the Table of Stocked Mouldings.

EstLite is very resource hungry, so I would not attempt this Client/Server setup on an older computer. My guess is that XP should be OK, but don't even think of it on W98.

Give it a try and let us know how you get on.

Highlight colours were kept deliberately light so that highlighted text can be easily read. I might consider some sort of user-defined palette so that you can choose your own set of colours if people are finding this an issue.
Grahame Case

Post by Grahame Case »

Thats an interesting thing to try John, i'll give it a shot...

Would the same be true if i had a server running through the back? running two clients at once on the same windows station out front - would both be seen as different Clients?
markw

Post by markw »

John - this works for me - when i decided to run a clean copy of Est I kept the old copy running until all work was collected.
This is also a good way of "testing" changes to pricing - you keep a running standard copy - then tweak a second copy - surprising how this can throw up some potential problems.
Mary Case GCF

Estlite

Post by Mary Case GCF »

Hi John
Thanks for the reply re multiple users. It came up because we had that very situation this morning. As regards highlight colours, I would much appreciate a user-defined colour palette. At the moment I have to get down on the floor to see the colours on our flat screen, and getting up again isn't too easy with my dodgy hip!!!!.
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Post by John »

Mark, thanks for the confirmation that it is OK to run a Client on the same machine as the Server.

Grahame, I don't think there is a limit to the number of clients that can be supported, or if there is, it will more than likely be set by your hardware. There is no reason why you can't build up a local network and have a client on each machine. Probably go off site altogether and set up a remote station connecting via VPN. (Anyone tried this?).

However, I would not recommend two clients on the same machine.

Mary, what are you doing down on your knees with that hip of yours? Is that not what sons are for? :)
Grahame Case

Post by Grahame Case »

John wrote: Probably go off site altogether and set up a remote station connecting via VPN. (Anyone tried this?)
no, but now you've suggested it....

time to get Broadband installed in the shop, (*sighs* and yet more fiddling with router tables at home)

Still waiting for a camera bracket from a company i've just found out have a rather bad history of non delivered items.... from what i understand the company folded, and got aquired by another company.. leaving the Amazon Marketplace shop they owned in Disarray,.... Electron Direct 86% negative feedback.. and 1.7 Stars..... LOL!

Hopefully get some form of correspondence from them tomorrow (email sent today asking for a tracking number for Citylink)

and another topic..... Active USB Cables - anyone found anywhere cheaper than maplin at £19.99?
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Merlin
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Post by Merlin »

Grahame
You should have got your Camera bracket from Maplin as well.

We did. Pics are on here somewhere

Following day delivery..
John GCF
Mary Case GCF

Post by Mary Case GCF »

i've had a look at the maplin bracket, i don't think it is that elegant in all honesty. They've discontinued a few nicer brackets, and unfortunately none of them are available in our store or online any more
Grahame Case

Post by Grahame Case »

Just received delivery of a camera bracket from Amazon.co.uk today, (silver and about 9cm long)

so, guess who is getting the fun task of photographing moulding samples tomorrow? hoping to get 100 Photographed and loaded into the system by 5pm...

very easy process from what i've tried so far, just hoping that the batteries last, we don't have a power cable yet :(
Mary Case GCF

Post by Mary Case GCF »

brief update on what was achieved today...

on moulding number 148, we were horrendously busy today, and could have done without one set of moulding samples missing....

hoping to get the other 202 mouldings photographed and loaded on Monday..

a few will need rephotographed.. coming out very yellowed and not true to actual colour.
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Post by Merlin »

Been there. Done that..

Are you shooting individually or in groups?

Dont forget that Arqadia images are available on the net. Saves a lot of time.

The 'yellowing' may be due to your lighting.

Its worth it in the end tho'
John GCF
Mary Case GCF

Post by Mary Case GCF »

Merlin Framers wrote:Been there. Done that..

Are you shooting individually or in groups?
Hi John,

Grahame has been shooting in groups of around 50-60 moulding chevrons at a time, he is progressing quite well with it, unfortunately we were rather busy on Saturday so we never got as many completed as we had hoped.
Dont forget that Arqadia images are available on the net. Saves a lot of time.
Eeek! the A word! (bad term in these parts, along with the "S" Word
The 'yellowing' may be due to your lighting.
pretty sure it is, we've yet to have a proper fiddle with the light balance.. thats on the list before the second photgraphinng session & before the mountboards are done.
markw

Post by markw »

You should be able to change the light settings in camera setup - depending on type of lights used - tungsten - fluorescent etc. - You can also tweak the colour setup based upon how you see the image on your monitor (adjust colours on main screen). Probably the most important part of the setup is to get the white balance right - but you have to get the lighting type right first or you will waste a lot of time making unnecessary adjustments.

I find that with my setup some mouldings are very difficult to get a accurate image - the professionally photographed images that can be downloaded are so much better. I have had Preview set up for ages now - and I still havent got all images in the system - still do a lot on the fly with the customer looking over my shoulder - sometimes wonder if this is the best way of doing it - the customer accepts that the lump of moulding on the counter and the image on the screen are the same - they are always impressed.
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Post by kaptain.kopter »

A little trick when photographing something in mixed light, or if you can't change the colour balance on the camera.

Simply place a piece of white paper in the image area along with the moulding. When you open up the image in your chosen photo editing program, select the white eyedropper tool in the level adjustment palette and click on the image of the paper. This should give you a close rendition of your original. Simply crop out the paper and Bob's your fathers brother.

I would also recommend that you invest in a colour management package to calibrate your screens, as without this your really banging your head against a wall. I use Monaco Optix which is easy to use and reasonably priced.
You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.

www.martinchadwickphotography.com
markw

Post by markw »

Kaptain.Kopter
Screen calibration? what are you calibrating for - few standard monitors have anything but basic adjustment potential - for the standard of display you need for this sort of application thats really as good as you need.

I worked in computer graphics for years - calibrated monitors then cost a fortune - they still aren't cheap today - but standard flat screen monitors on the whole give good results with very little fiddling.

The basics of setting up camera and monitor for PreView are to get nice bright results that are as near as you can get - setting the white balance on a piece of bright white card is good practice - it also pays to have a fairly neutral background that doesn't upset the overall colour balance.
Grahame Case

Post by Grahame Case »

all 350 Moulding Chevrons photographed and installed on pre-view , a very simple process, and it makes the time fly by!

44 needing rephotographed, (mainly silvers, purples and whites) but now the levels are pretty much 100% accurate this shouldn't take long,

next comes the photographing of mountboard swatches...

anyone got any tips for this part of the procedure? or is it a case of just photgraphing and fiddling with the levels if need be?
markw

Post by markw »

You don't really need to photograph the swatches - visually change the colour settings on screen until you are happy that the display is giving a fair representation of the bit of mount board you have in front of you. If you find that difficult then take a picture of the mount board selector - sample the colour board you are storing. Sampling takes the colour from a very small area - you don't need lots of large chevrons to get close enough. You may still have to change colours slightly - especially the paler ones.
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