Simcenter Testing Solutions What’s up with the Documentation Tab?

Direct YouTube link: https://youtu.be/a-DBGYBEp3U



What is the Documentation Tab? 

When users open Simcenter Testlab, the Documentation worksheet is the first available tab.

Picture 1: Documentation worksheet is the first worksheet in most Simcenter Testlab applications

One might wonder what purpose the Documentation worksheet (Picture 1) serves, and how to best use it.

Documentation Worksheet Purpose

The purpose of the Documentation Tab is to keep track of test details in a particular Simcenter Testlab project. It replaces the traditional Test Log Book, and it is an easy, convenient way to keep all the pertinent information about a test in one spot.

Picture 2: The four quadrants of the Simcenter Testlab Documentation worksheet

Let’s look at what each quadrant (Picture 2) of the Documentation Tab does.

Quadrant 1: User Attributes

Movie 1 (above): Creating User Attribute List in Documentation Worksheet

The User Attributes quadrant can be used for saving any information that may be used in a test – for instance, Test Location, Test Cell, Test Engineer, Revision Level, etc.

To create a field, right click anywhere within the User Attribute quadrant and select “Add New Attribute…”.

Picture 3: Attributes menu in Documentation worksheet

The user can then type a desired field in the “Name:” box and add it to the available attributes. The “Type” selection allows for the user to choose how the field is populated. The choices here include Text, Number, Date, and List.

Let’s create attributes using both the Text and List types:

• Text - First for Text, simply choose a name, enter it in the Name: field and simply click the arrow pointing to the right to add your selection to the “Available Attributes”.
• List - Now for the type “List”.Similar to “Text”, simply choose a name and enter it into the Name: field. Then choose the type List. However, you will also need to create a list, using the “Lists” tab. Below is an example of a generated List for “Technicians”.

Picture 4: List of attributes in Documentation worksheet

• Once the list is created, it is selectable in the Attributes tab

Picture 5: Attributes list now activated

• We have now created a User Attribute called “Engineering Technician”. To fill out this field we now click on “Edit…”, and choose from the values that we created when the List was made.

Picture 6: User attribute pick list in Documentation worksheet

User Attributes: Filtering, Sorting, Displaying

Movie 2 (above): Project attributes can be used with the columns to sort and filter data.

One benefit of the User Attribute field is that it can be used in Navigator worksheet as a selectable field for filtering. In order to take advantage of this feature, right-click in the center column of the Navigator pane and select “Select Columns”.

Picture 7: In Navigator worksheet, "Select Columns" is used to display User Attributes.

When the "Select Columns" menu (Picture 7 and 8) is opened by right clicking on the column headers of the middle pane in the Navigator worksheet, user attributes from a Simcenter project can be viewed. Set the "Origin" to "Testlab" and the "Type" to "Project". Information that was added in the User Attribute fields all begin with the letters "UA". It may be necessary to scroll down the list to find them.

Picture 8: "Select Columns" menu.

By right clicking on the middle pane column headers, one can select "Filter -> Add Filter" to create a pulldown where project files can be selected or viewed via a pulldown meny (Picture 9).

Picture 9: Right click on the column header and turn on "Filter -> AutoFilter" to easily select/view projects based on User Attributes.

User attributes can also be easily added to the legend in any display (Picture 10). Right click on the display legend and choose "Options..." and then the "Custom Content" tab. Set the "Origin" to "Testlab" and the "Type" to "Project". Scroll down the list. Any attributes that begin with "UA" are user attributes.

Picture 10: User attributes can be added to the display legend.

Press "OK" after adding the User Attribute to the selected area on the right side of the menu.

Picture 11: User attributes as part of legend in a display.

The user attributes are stored in a file called "UserAttributes.txt" in the directory "C:\LMS\UserConfiguration\login\Testlab XX\Configuration". This file can be moved between users and systems. The file can be opened with Notepad and edited to delete unwanted user attributes.

Quadrant 2: Notepad

The Notepad quadrant can be used to make notes about runs, the parts or structure, or whatever is being tested or done on the test.

Picture 12: The Notepad area in the Documentation worksheet

The Notepad area is free form text. One can type anything in the Notepad area.

Picture 13: Notepad filled with free form comments in Documentation worksheet

This information can be useful when sharing this project with a co-worker or referencing what was performed at a later date. The Notepad field, like other User Attribute fields, can be displayed on plots, searched upon across multiple projects, or displayed as a column in the Navigator worksheet.

Quadrant 3: Attachments

This particular section allows the user to attach documents or pictures to the project for reference. Simply click on “Import…” and choose a file to attach from an accessible directory.

Picture 14: Attaching files to the Simcenter Testlab Project using the Documentation worksheet

Once a file (or files) is selected, it can be seen in the Attachment Preview section of the Documentation tab. These files are stored with the Simcenter project (*.lms file). In this way, the documentation is stored with the data, not separately, so it cannot get lost.

It is possible to extract these files from the Simcenter Testlab project to be used independently as well.

Quadrant 4: Attachment Preview

Movie 3 (above): Using the Attachment Preview in Simcenter Testlab Documentation worksheet

The Attachment Preview quadrant allows the user to see the attached files directly in Simcenter Testlab.

Picture 15: Attachment Preview in Simcenter Testlab Documentation worksheet. File selected above, and displayed below.

Similar to an email, when the user double clicks on this preview, the actual file will open and become accessible for edits. These edits can be saved and will remain with the attached document that is part of the Testlab project.

Let’s look at an attached test report for example.

Picture 16: Example of Word report preview in Simcenter Testlab Documentation worksheet.

The word document “lms57.doc” is selected in the Attachments quadrant and is displayed in the Attachment Preview quadrant.

Double-clicking on the previewed document will open word and allow for edits.

Once those edits are saved, they will then display in the Attachment Preview.

We hope you have found this post helpful! Questions? Email scott.beebe@siemens.com or contact the Siemens Support Center.

THE MORE YOU KNOW!

Related Simcenter Testlab Links:

• Index of Testing Knowledge Articles
• Simcenter Testlab Overview
• Simcenter Testlab Active Picture
• Simcenter Testlab Active Picture Plug-in Download
• Simcenter Testlab Token Licensing: What is it?  How does it work?
• Simcenter Testlab: Import/Export to Excel
• Simcenter Testlab: Documentation Tab
• Simcenter Testlab: Templates
• Simcenter Testlab: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
• Simcenter Testlab Audio Replay and Filtering
• Simcenter Testlab: CTRL-PageUp and CTRL-PageDown to change worksheets
• Simcenter Testlab: How to create a custom workflow
• How to lockdown a test in Simcenter Testlab
• Simcenter Testlab: Format Based Printing with Powerpoint
• Simcenter Testlab: Replace Data Origin...
• Simcenter Testlab: Batch Reporting
• Simcenter Testlab YouTube Playlist