User Guide > UserInterface > Introduction

Introduction

The UserInterface serves as a connector between the AE system and its users. Its user-friendly interface facilitates the quick and easy handling of all processes.

This document provides general information about the way the UserInterface works. For more detailed information, refer to the subsequent documents that describe the individual functions.

The UserInterface view includes the following three main windows:

Explorer - includes the existing objects
Activity Window - includes the tasks that are active including their states
Message Window - prints information, warnings and error messages that refer to the processes

If you have the necessary authorization, you can also have the System Overview displayed. It provides information about the AE system's current status and you can edit it by using various functions.

You can save your personal UserInterface settings so that the order of the main windows is the same when you log on the next time. All users can create their own particular settings. The UserInterface offers numerous other settings that can also be adjusted according to the different users' requirements.

The way how date and time are displayed depends on the regional settings that are specified for the particular user.

You can also make screenshots of particular UserInterface windows. This function can be very useful for various purposes. You can call it by using the Screenshot command which is available in the UserInterface's Options menu. If you activate this function, the mouse pointer displays with a symbol and you can create screenshots of particular UserInterface windows. Click on an area within a window or on the title bar to screenshot the whole window. A red frame indicates the outline of the newly created picture. If the window on which you click is not in the fore, the overlapping window(s) are also including in the screenshot. They are stored in .PNG format. You can also snapshot particular parts of the UserInterface's interface. Just activate the screenshot function by keeping the Shift key pressed.

You can use the F1 key to call the Automation Engine Documentation from anywhere in the UserInterface. The help opens at exactly the section that describes the particular window, tab or script element. Use this opportunity in order to obtain information about the various UserInterface functions.

You can use the View in the menu bar to change the view of the windows. You can either select the Standard Design (new as of version 9) or the Classic Design (same design as in version 8).