Customized Brackets via Vitesse Overview

Non standard brackets have in traditionally had to be generated as bracket panels. This means that the panel bracket must have been generated as a panel of its own first and then its "mother" panel must have been activated to enable the panel bracket to be connected.

A feature has been implemented which makes it possible to integrate the modelling of panels brackets with the normal panel modelling under certain circumstances. Characteristics of this implementation are:

• It makes use of a Vitesse script in the Python language with the fixed name " _TBhookCustBracket". This script may contain the definition of any number of panel brackets (or calls on sub-scripts performing the same task). It is the responsibility of the customer to develop and maintain this script.

• The hook is activated by a new option in the bracket selection menu with a bracket symbol and the text "Other brackets". The Vitesse based brackets are selected by picking (or keying in the short name "V") the Vitesse symbol in the bracket syntax selection dialog.

• When this alternative has been selected, another symbol menu will pop-up containing symbols, each corresponding to a Vitesse script for an panel bracket. The number of the selected bracket will be supplied to the bracket hook so that the corresponding script may be activated. A new symbol font (with number 95) is used to contain these symbols. It is the responsibility of the customer to update this font as new scripts are added. A picture representing the new bracket shall be added to the drawing _ _SBH_BKT_MENU_ _. The added picture shall be organized as a view of its own and be named in a way that makes it simple to select also by keying in the name. Further details can be found in Setup and customization / customizing Dialogs in Hull.

• After picking control is transferred to the script that will be executed. After execution control will be returned to the main panel and the generated bracket will automatically be connected to it.

• It is the responsibility of the customer to see to it the called script generates a proper panel bracket. Otherwise, the customer has the same options available for generating bracket panels as when panels otherwise are generated via Vitesse.

The beauty of this implementation is that panel brackets that are so "standardized" that it makes sense to develop a Vitesse script for them can be generated as belonging to the panel according to a routine that is similar to that of ordinary standard brackets.

A simple example of the Vitesse hook _TBhookCustBracket is delivered together with the system. The name of the script is fixed and it must be placed in the directory indicated by the global variable PYTHONPATH. Condition for this option is that a license for Hull Vitesse is available.