New Version Suggestions

[erblock]

Let's get this board going!  Even if you have already suggested changes...re-list them here.

1.  Get back to allowing multiple instances of Lookout or allow panel floating with position memory that always works.  I'm in need of running multiple monitors now and I would really like to see lookout filling 4 or more monitors with lots of pretty informative stuff!  Figure out a way to make this possible please!

2.  Allow sizing of Pot display arrows.  I can custom make these but it is a pain.  On higher resolution screens (even 1024 x 768) some people confuse the arrows because it is difficult to distinguish between up and down or left and right.

3.  Allow IPASCII to filter unsolicited responses.  (I'm not sure if this feature ever did or even can exist, however some threads indicate that it was enabled at some time in the past....AND the current help file (6.1) references the parameter but there is no explanation of how it is exposed or turned on).  This would be useful!

4.  Alarm handling improvements.  One particular sore spot: Modbus communication error handling.   Tweaks for changing priorities, changing catagories, delaying alarm generations, offline filtering and/or acknowledgement.....  Any ways to prevent bogging down lookout GUI and performance while handling alarms, along with more comprehensive ways to see alarms we want to see versus everything above a "hard-coded" priority.

Message Edited by erblock on 11-30-2007 07:16 AM

Message Edited by erblock on 11-30-2007 07:18 AM

[Ryan.S]

Thank you for supporting Lookout. These are really good suggestions.

We will look into them and see if any could be new features in next release.

Anyone else who has any ideas or suggestions on Lookout are more than welcome to bring them forward.

[erblock]

5.  Allow Lookout to be configured for graceful shutdown when called by system such as during critical windows updates.  On occasion, when Lookout goes through a forced system shutdown, during restart, Lookout locks up on first run, then must be killed and restarted.

6. Allow Lookout startup configuration to be configured for window size and position at startup.  Although related to floating/positioning of process windows topic above, as it stands now, Lookout will always start maximized and it would be nice if it could start with a set window size/location instead.

7. Built-in basic checksum routines for handling ASCII, IPASCII communication packets.

Message Edited by erblock on 12-05-2007 07:39 AM

[Ian_h1]

A couple of things I would like to see improved in lookout

1/ Better support for multiple monitors
we have a projector projecting a panel on the wall, but would like to have a setting so the panel can be selected for the second monitor and appear without menu bars.
currently the only way we can do this is to expand lookout across two monitors and have a floating panel in the second monitor. Making start up a bit of a pain

2/ Conversion expression or object to convert between HEX, BCD, BIN

3/ A setting in system options allowing scroll bars to be turned on or off for panels
As we have many users it is hard to set panels to suit every one

4/ A visible data member for text entry object

5/ with the sample objects. I would like to be able to right to right to any of the 35 samples.

6/ with spreadsheet. Currently when it creates a new spread sheet it puts the tag names at the top of the sheet, I would like to be able to enter my own names into the object so they will appear at the top instead.

7/ support for import and export to excel workbooks

I will add some more in a couple of days

[Mike@DTSI]

Allow lookout server to show currently connected clients (IP, hostname, etc.)
More sure to come...

[erblock]

Add logarithmic scales (circular, horizontal and vertical bar styles).

[T@TPCG]

Allow the Datatable Object's DDE parameters to resolve a symbolic link for use in failover to a redundant DDE server.

[flynhawaiian]

How about that ability to select more than 5 files at once in the startup option, rather then having to remember which file you stopped on. That would make my life alot easier o-o.

And why not a version that runs on linux since windows crashes too much 🙂

Message Edited by flynhawaiian on 01-27-2008 10:32 PM

[JPhillips]

The ability to open more than one process file with the Web Player so that you can have each process file on a separate tab in IE 7.0

[Wayne I. Vernon Jr.]

"And why not a version that runs on linux since windows crashes too much :-)"


I like this idea a LOT!!!!!  It's better to throw Windows out of your computer, than to throw your computer out of the window!!!!