FilmStar Report Generator
 (Click to view or  print report)

Report Generator Dialog

Text can be static or variable; graphs can come from the main screen, from the FSPlot module, or from Windows metafiles (.wmf) generated by external software. Users can select fonts, margins, etc.

While this module is useful in DESIGN, it provides MEASURE users with tools for delivering repeatable, reliable and traceable QC results. Customers expecting scribbled results on a Lambda 9 strip-chart will be impressed with laser-printed reports including calculated pass/fail results as well as a clear rendition of the supplier's logo.

Since the identical module is in DESIGN and MEASURE, users can develop and test reports in either program. Reports can be printed or saved in three formats: binary (can be opened by FilmStar), Adobe PDF, or RTF (can be opened and edited in MS Word).

Users requiring complex formatting can automatically generate reports in Microsoft Word. Click here for an example.

Report Template

The template defining a report contains text (anything not in brackets) plus format codes like <<italic 0>> and action codes like <<WbText E10>>. The simple template <<Graph>> <<Review>> is all that is required to print a document containing the thin film design with accompanying spectrum. Templates can include text created in FilmStar BASIC, or the entire template can be assigned in FilmStar BASIC.

In this template the action code <<WbText E10>> is replaced by MEETS specifications in FilmStar Workbook cell E10. Average and Maximum values are taken from cells E6 and E7.

While the FilmStar Report Generator is very useful for many purposes, it does not readily support complex formatting. It lacks tables, has problems with mixed fonts, etc. As documents become more complex, the Report Generator Template ultimately becomes unwieldy.

As a recommended alternative, Microsoft Word can be utilized as print server. Variables transfer FilmStar values to the document. An illustrative Word template document plus corresponding BASIC macros are included with FilmStar. These provide a framework for users requiring utmost professionalism in QA, quotations, etc.

Documents can be printed directly, as if generated solely by FilmStar. Alternatively the Word print preview screen can be activated, thereby adding the ability to verify before printing.

You already have MS Word, so why not maximize its benefit? Contact us for an online demonstration! You'll be amazed by the ease in which Word is integrated into optical thin film production.