You may create several graphic images of your home and then drag units from Lists to these Views which then become icons and represent all or some part of your environment.
A startup set of icons is included on the XTension program diskette. This is the XTension Icons file which must be in the same folder with XTension on startup.
You may add to this collection any time. Whether you create your own, or download them from the internet, you import these from the Edit Unit dialog window, and the Import button.
A View starts with any PICTure
Using your favorite paint program, create a detailed flat plan of your house or scan in a photograph of a room or view.
Save it in the standard PICT format. Choose a name which will make sense when displayed by XTension. (You can change this later, no worries.)
From the Edit menu, choose ‘New View'.
Then use the standard Macintosh file selection dialog to select the PICT file that you created. It will be displayed in a new window with the name you chose when you saved it.
Note that you might choose to create a View which is nothing more than a colored rectangle. You would then place icons of switches and lights onto the panel, creating a simple but effective graphic control panel.
Place appropriate icons in the View.
You assign icons to units when you set up units in the database.
There are already several icons included with XTension, but you may want to make some of your own.
The file “XTension Icons” must be in the XTension folder. It contains all of the icons used by XTension.
The Apple system utility ResEdit and other third-party products are perfect for creating just the icon that you want.
The format for these icons is a standard Macintosh icon type ( Icl8 ). The size of this icon is limited to 32x32 pixels, and you may use colors to the limit of your display.
You can create incredibly detailed icons with the help of a program such as PhotoShop, or Canvas.
You can make icons which change completely whether they are ON or OFF, and icons which are minimally obtrusive. There are three icons which can be selected for each unit. These are selected in the unit setup dialog.
The ON icon
This icon will be displayed when Large icons or Small icons are chosen, and the state of the unit is ON. The small icon is a scaled version of the Large icon.
The OFF icon.
This icon will be displayed when Large icons or Small icons are chosen and the state of the unit is OFF. The small icon is a scaled version of the Large icon.
The Minimized icon.
This is the default icon, and only a single version is chosen from the unit setup window. These icons are paired and only a small set are available.
These icons are intended to create minimum visual noise in any View. It will be obvious why, the first time you create a View with dozens of icons.
Select the ‘Icons...’ choice in the View Menu.
Switch between large, small and minimized.
You may place any number of icons in any view, however you must either have few units, very small icons, or a very large graphic.
Don’t try to create the killer system at first, try some simple layouts and work with the system for a while. You will quickly develop new ideas for Views. It’s so simple to create new Views and assign icons that you’ll be encouraged to keep personalizing your system ( or that of your customers ? ).
You may have multiple Views, and each View can be quite large. Each View window is chosen by clicking on it or by selecting it from the ‘View’ menu.
Remember that the more View windows you have, the more memory that XTension will require to run.
You may get creative and import images of famous homes or exotic apartments which may or may not look similar to yours. Create icons accordingly, and you’ve got the feel of living in another world. Try some outrageous ideas like a slum tenement or a Space Station.
Reasonableness reigns ultimately, and you will find a comfortable level of glitz balanced with utility.
If a view window is the front window, the “Choose” button of the Control Panel means “Choose which units you want displayed on the current graphic.
You may choose any number of units for any View, and units may appear in multiple Views.
No unit may appear more than once in a single View.
