HMI systems are great because they can present complicated data in a clearer, easily digestible visual way. And this visual nature also creates smoother interactions between the human operator and the machine. No doubt about it – an HMI system with an intuitive graphical interface will surely drive up productivity and improve a business’s efficiency.
Now, is it easy to develop an intuitive graphical user interface for a particular HMI system? It all depends on how simple or complicated the system is.
However, some tools help engineers create seamless integrations between HMI display solutions, devices, and graphical user interfaces. Enter STONE TOOLBox – the GUI design software for industrial HMI applications!
In this post, we’ll introduce STONE Technologies’ TOOL Box software. We’ll probe deeper into its use in industrial HMI applications. We’ll also have an overview of how TOOL Box is used in developing intuitive and intelligent graphical user interfaces for HMI display products.
What is STONE TOOLBox?
STONE TOOLBox is a software meant for designing a graphical user interface (GUI). Its main purpose is to provide engineers an easy way to build visual representations of their systems that can be displayed and manipulated from a touch screen device such as STONE’s intelligent TFT LCD touch screen HMI displays.
The concept of this software is simple yet powerful. By using STONE TOOLBox, you can set-up different elements of a graphical user interface that applies to your work environment and operation processes. Such elements may include any of the following:
- Texts
- Photos or images
- Sliders
- Dials
- Videos
- Audio
- Alarms
- Keyboards
- Progress Bars
- Sliders
- Clock buttons
- Image switching
TOOLBox also lets you set parameters for each of these elements. You can seamlessly layout your desired interface, add graphical elements, then program each of the elements to perform various functions as a response to touch.
Furthermore, STONE TOOLBox GUI design software features a drag-and-drop interface. TOOLBox lets you create your interface simply by dragging, dropping, and rearranging elements in its platform. It’s truly an easy-to-use program suitable for both professionals and newbie engineers.
Who Developed TOOLBox?
STONE TOOLBox is a software offered by STONE Technologies. It’s a well-known manufacturer of intelligent TFT LCD touch screen panels from China. The software perfectly accompanies STONE’s huge selection of smart HMI-capable display solutions.
STONE Technologies has been in the display solutions business for 14 years already. Hence, the company stepped up its game by offering its clients various intelligent display products ready to become a part of an HMI ecosystem.
To help these clients further transition into developing their systems, STONE provides them with the STONE TOOLBox, a free-to-download GUI design software obtainable from STONE’s official website. Clients may also get a copy of the TOOLBox software in an optical disk from STONE’s sales engineers.
Features of STONE TOOLBox GUI Design Software
Amazing features of STONE TOOLBox GUI design software include the following:
- An easy drag-and-drop mechanism for creating a visual interface
- WYSIWYG work area
- A built-in debugger for simulating HMI applications and projects
- Generation, import, and download of configuration files
- Icon generation tool to convert an ICON-specific file
- Touchscreen keying and configuration options
- Variable configuration options
- Peripheral features for screen settings such as image rotation angle, serial band rate, CRC check, and more
- A resource management section with libraries for icons, fonts, images, and audio files
- Property settings dock bar for viewing and modifying selected control properties
All of these features ensure that a project yields a great graphical user interface with a high degree of accuracy and intuitiveness. Also, TOOLBox makes it easier to create seamless interfaces with its powerful yet user-friendly tools.
Special Features for Multi-Monitor Windows Management
STONE TOOLBox also has special features for engineers who want to manage multiple windows for their industrial applications. Here’s a look:
1. Using multiple video ports and software to achieve mirroring
Mirroring refers to showing the same applications or screens from a single monitor to multiple monitors. Often, this is achieved by using external video hardware switching devices. Separate video splitters plus cables, wires, and power supplies are needed to successfully mirror an image to separate monitors.
But now, mirroring is simplified by using a software-based solution such as that in STONE TOOLBox. STONE TOOLBox allows you to flash an entire full image from one monitor to different monitors. It also lets you display even just a designated area of your screen, not necessarily the entire full desktop. This can be done as long as the PC carries multiple video outputs.
Mirroring is important to industrial HMI systems. For instance, displaying one control screen on two ends of a production line streamlines communications and improves efficiency.
2. Launching Windows-based applications with a consistent size and placement
Need to launch several windows-based industrial applications? You can program these applications to avoid overlapping by neatly tiling them together on a computer screen automatically upon opening. You can then use mirroring to display them to several industrial screens across a plant.
Consistency in window sizing and placement eliminates the need to switch in-between tabs. Without consistency, switching in-between tabs either through a computer mouse or keyboard shortcuts would be a hassle to the users.
Also, neatly-sized window applications allow users to check data simultaneously from different programs. Users can then compare and contrast these data, saving time, and making work more efficient.
You can program certain applications to launch altogether in sufficiently-sized windows tile together on the screen using STONE TOOLBox.
3. Previewing actual screen effects from a PC
Need to preview your new user interface accurately? Doing so usually requires you to download it to a display terminal, then preview all the locations, effects, and image/font positioning from there. You’ll need to reprogram the interface again on your PC should any image distortions or unwanted effects appear on your preview.
STONE TOOLBox eliminates the need for previewing the display interface directly from the display terminal. Its Effects Preview feature accurately shows you a preview of your finished interface as it appears on the intelligent TFT LCD module terminal. No need to download the interface to the display terminal just for previewing. Using the Effect Preview shortens development time and allows engineers to quickly make changes to the interface through the PC software right after preview.
The Effect Preview function uses configuration files similar to that of the Intelligent TFT LCD module. These configuration files are generated before previewing. Then, STONE TOOLBox automatically imports these files upon preview to simulate a similar effect to the display screen. All these are accomplished through the PC.
Note, however, that due to the HW differences between the PC and the TFT LCD module terminal, some items may only be partially supported or not supported at all in the PC preview. We’ll list down those incompatibilities here:
Partially Supported:
- RTC Settings
- GBK Input
- Text display for Chinese characters (seen as ASCII code on the PC)
Not Supported:
- HW Parameter Configuration
- Real-Time Curve Display
- List Display
- Basic Graphic Display
- Serial commands such as 0x80, 0x81, 0x82, 0x83, and 0x84 commands
Take these incompatibilities into consideration when previewing your work.
Advantages of Using STONE TOOLBox GUI Design Software
Now, there are several advantages you’ll experience when you use STONE TOOLBox GUI Design Software for your development project:
1. Reduced development time
As TOOLBox is a WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) interface creator, you can quickly create basic and advanced user interfaces through simple drag-and-drop techniques. Move around your components as you please, letting you make fast edits to the overall look of your interface. Once satisfied with how your interface looks, you can quickly proceed to define component functionalities.
Developing an HMI solution becomes even faster when TOOLBox is used together with STONE’s intelligent HMI display modules. STONE creates complete modules for HMI development, including the necessary hardware. All you need to do is download the TOOLBox software to get your HMI ideas running.
2. User-friendly software
STONE TOOLBox GUI Design Software is unique in that it’s powerful yet easy-to-use. The software’s interface is not overwhelming to new users. Hence, amateurs and professional engineers can greatly benefit from using TOOLBox’s user-friendly interface and work area.
The drag-and-drop mechanism greatly influenced the user-friendliness of STONE TOOLBox’s platform. It’s an easy GUI-based software to cater to your GUI-creation needs. Simply upload your graphic elements and position them around the work area to complete your project’s interface – no need for other tedious activities.
Add to that the availability of user manuals in both Chinese and English. These references allow first-time users to quickly grasp concepts and move around STONE TOOLBox easily and hassle-free.
3. A cost-effective way to develop an interface
You can save on interface development costs when you use STONE TOOLBox. It’s free software, after all. No need to shell out additional money just to purchase a separate GUI design software from another vendor. Simply go to STONE’s website, locate the download page, grab the free software and manuals, and you’re all set!
4. Consistently updated
Never worry about creating an interface from an old platform. STONE TOOLBox is regularly updated to give you the best GUI design software for free. For instance, STONE updated the software last May 2020 and informed its users to download a file to trigger this update on the TOOLBox software. Hence, rest assured that STONE keeps on improving TOOLBox to fit your interface creation needs.
Conclusion
STONE TOOLBox GUI Design Software is a powerful yet easy-to-use program for creating user interfaces. It’s a great tool to use for any kind of industrial HMI applications.
Use STONE TOOLBox to create impressive GUIs through a simple drag-and-drop mechanism. Once done laying out your interface, you can set configurations for the variables and the touchscreen you’ll use. Also, you can even enable mirroring effects, create automatically-launched windows in a pre-determined size and tile positioning, and so much more.
Once done with your project, directly view it on your PC while adapting to how the interface would work and look like in your display terminal using the Effects Preview function. You can then proceed to edit your interface and remove any errors through the built-in debugger.
Easy, simple, powerful, and free – all these words describe STONE TOOLBox in a nutshell. Download it now for free and change the way you develop user interfaces for your industrial HMI applications!
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