General Approach

Learn about the general approach for defining masks in the Mask Generator.

The general approach when defining masks in the Mask Generator is as follows:

  1. Switch to the level whose mask/summary index card/list you wish to edit.
  2. Select either Extras > Edit Mask or Extras > Edit Summary Index Card from the menu.
    Note: These options are disabled if View > All Mask Fields has been selected in the level.If a mandatory mask has been defined for a level (see Masks/Lists Tab), only the SU can access the Mask Generator for that level.

    The mask or list is displayed in the Mask Generator.

    Select File > New Mask from the menu to define a new mask, see Defining a New Mask and Defining a New List.

  3. You can:
  4. Select File > Save to save the mask, see Saving, Loading and Deleting Formats in the User Manual.
  5. Select File > Close and Test to close the mask generator and to display the mask in the current level. Changes that have not been saved are still applied to the current mask, but is not present if the mask is loaded.

    Select File > Exit to close the mask generator and to revert to the previous mask. Changes that have not been saved are lost.

Select View > Load Mask or View > Load SIC from the menu in the Aurea CRM win main module to load a previously defined mask, list or summary index card.

Select View > Original Mask or View > Original Pre. Mask to load the mask, list or summary index card defined for the level in the desktop settings.

Note: Mask formats are saved for specific info areas. You can only load a mask if the current level contains the corresponding info area.

You need to install the corresponding Windows language packages (in the regional settings) to be able to use double byte characters in masks and lists.

If you edit an original mask, all masks that are loaded using buttons in the mask also need to be redefined. For example, if you edit the Company Search mask, you also need to save the extended search mask and enter it as the target for the Extended Search button. Otherwise no mask is loaded when you click on the button.

Toolbars

The Mask Generator includes the following toolbars:

  • Coordinates

    This toolbar displays the coordinates of the mask or currently active element in either pixels or grid units. To switch between pixels and grid units, click on the symbol at the top left of the toolbar and select either Pixel or Grid Unit from the menu.

  • Mask Elements

    This toolbar contains buttons used to add elements to the mask, see Adding Elements.

    You can also add elements using the Elements menu.

  • Mask Toolbar

    This toolbar contains the following buttons: Load mask, Save mask, Save mask as...and New mask.

    These options are also available from the File menu.

You can hide and show the toolbars using the View menu.

Grid Units

Use the Grid window to determine whether and how the grid is displayed on the mask to help you position elements. The settings in this window only affect the grid lines and have no effect on the units used for positioning elements. The grid units used to position elements are defined in the Mask Properties window (Horizontal Grid and Vertical Grid panes), see Mask Properties.

Select View > Grid from the menu to open the Grid window.

  • Display on: Use these options to determine whether the grid should be displayed on the mask and tabs groups.
  • Type: Grids can be displayed as either Dotted lines or solid Lines.
  • Horizontal Unit / Vertical Unit: Defines whether the distance between the grid lines should be the entire, half or quarter of the font width. The font used to determine the size is taken from the following:
    • For masks, the largest font defined for either field names or contents is used. These fonts are defined in the following areas:

      Mask Properties window, Text and Contents fields.

      Tab Group Properties window, Field Text and Field Contents buttons.

    • For column type lists (see Defining a New List), the larger of the fonts defined for the list header and cell contents (List Properties window, Header Font and Cell Font buttons).
    • The following values are valid for mask type lists (see Defining a New List):

      Font Width: Taken from the cell font (List Properties window, Cell Font button)

      Font Height: The value entered in the Minimum field under Horizontal grid in the List Properties window. If this value is smaller or equal to 0, the cell font size is used instead (Cell Font button).

    Grid units cannot be smaller than the specified minimum value (Minimum field in the Horizontal Grid and Vertical Grid panes).

  • Current Grid Unit: Enable this check box to use the grid units defined in the Mask Properties window.

Screen Resolution

The current screen resolution is used automatically when defining a mask. If problems occur displaying the mask, open the Screen Resolution window to display the resolution the mask is defined with.

Select Options > Screen Resolution to open the Screen Resolution window.

The following options are available:

  • Do not adjust mask: The mask is not adjusted and is always displayed in the same size.
  • Available screen resolutions:
    • If no changes are made, the resolution the mask is defined for is used.
    • If you select a lower resolution (e.g. 640x480 instead 1280x1024), the mask size is scaled down accordingly.
    • If you select a higher resolution, the mask size is scaled up accordingly.

Use 640x480 for masks that should work under all resolutions.

Masks are only adjusted to the screen resolution if the Full Screen Mask option is enabled in the interface settings of the current desktop format, see Masks Tab (General pane).

Note: For an optimal conversion between resolutions, enable the Field text and Field contents check boxes under Length in Grid Units in the Mask Properties window when defining a new mask.