3.5.1 The Main Principle

The t2W technology (transpose to worksheet) is an integral part of VCmaster. t2W enables the user to integrate data outputs of all Windows-based software into a VCmaster document. With the help of the intelligent t2W-technology documents can easily be created in a consistent layout with page numbering, table of content or PDF-export.

Data from various sources is intelligently combined into one document, easily modifiable in the word processing part and extendable by comments or calculations. There are many uses for t2W, e.g. integrating data created with external software or integrating graphics. Combining it with the (optional) Hybrid technology results in documents thousands of pages in length, which have no impact on the PC's capacity.


The transfer is executed in 4 steps:

1) Click on Print Output in the calculation program
2) Select t2W-Interface
3) Set page / Specify extract (red)
4) Transfer output to VCmaster

The possibilities of t2W include the transfer of outputs from the specialist software or of graphics.
The result is a consistent document, complete with page numbering, list of contents, PDF export and much more.

3.5.2 Controlling the Transfer

The window for controlling the transfer (see below) is called up automatically if the data transfer is executed via t2W. VCmaster must be open at this point. The following details are required: 


3.5.3 OCR Feature

The t2W-interface is capable of recognizing and transferring text from the output. Select the desired area and use the right mouse click. The context menu gives you the option of setting the language to be recognized and allows text to be transferred VCmaster (see example).

The technology behind this is called Optical Character Recognition or OCR. It allows users to convert scanned (digitized) images of printed or handwritten text into a form that can be recognized and manipulated by a word-processing program such as alphabets, words, and numerals.

VCmaster utilizes the tools by Tesseract. In case the pre-installed languages are insufficient, additional languages can be downloaded from the internet. Look for files named *.traineddata. These can be found at https://github.com/tesseract-cor/tessdata
Please copy the files into the ../t2w/tesseract/tessdata folder. The languages are automatically recognized by the software and are made available for selection.

Note: Text formatting will not be transferred. Due to the technology restrictions this feature does not necessarily interpret the text correctly. Therefore typos can't be avoided and a spell check is recommended.

3.5.4 Global Settings and Options

Linking Option

VCmaster's t2W-technology offers the option of intelligently linking data in the document and storing information for a later recall. Linking data this way enables VCmaster to call up the source and required data file faster and has the advantage of erasing or modifying this information bundle in one step.

If information is made available for restart, VCmaster calls up the respective data file in the source program and replaces the information in the VCmaster document. This can be very helpful for making modifications.

When the source program sends information for a later call up, the process starts automatically:



If no information is provided the dialogue shown can be called up manually. The option of linking information can always be selected. 

In order to activate the recall-option, the source program has to be selected using the show active data source option. The Verify function will display it briefly for checking. The Select function generates the call up for this specific data.
This option requires the correct identification of both the data path and the source program. Due to the complex nature of windows technology this is unfortunately not always the case.

Note: This option requires file extensions to be displayed in the system as well as data being stored on drives with a specific drive letter. 


Manufacturer - or Program-Specific Settings

As the output formats of every software manufacturer differ from one another, the area to be transferred must be specified on a manufacturer-specific or program-specific basis. 

To avoid the user having to enter these details each time the program is called up, a specific profile under the program name or the manufacturer can be created for future use instead. Note: Settings are saved best under the name of the program or the manufacturer.

Global Settings

The t2W interface is adaptable to specific customer needs.

Scaling in case of distortions: For some wide screens, a scaling factor must be specified if the display of the transfer is distorted.
This is usually calculated from:

Px =horizontal screen pixels
Py =vertical screen pixels

3.5.5 Technical Background

t2W is an extremely complex technology. For this reason it requires up-to-date operating systems. The functionality also depends on numerous components that are beyond the developers control.
These include, but are not limited to:
In most instances t2W works smoothly and trouble-free. In the following points helpful information is provided regarding the technical background, simplifying the handling of the interface.

Presentation as an Image or Vector Graphic

t2W accepts image transfers as vector graphic or JPG image. There are advantages and disadvantages for both options:

Vector Graphics
JPG Graphics
Important note: For pixel graphics it is recommended to adjust the print area of the sending program to VCmaster's, allowing to select 100%.

Automatic

Unfortunately no general statements regarding memory usage and transfer quality can be made at this point and therefor the recommended technology depends on the source program.

Information regarding presets

Providing both formats results in slightly slower performance. You may choose the specific transfer format. However, this will disable the Automatic feature. You can find the settings dialogue box here: Extras-Settings-t2W-interface. Adjust the resolution (600, 300 or 150 dpi) in this menu.

Important instructions regarding fonts (especially with PDF)

Generally t2W accepts data coming from all external software applications. In order to display the transferred data correctly Windows-fonts are required. Usually this isn't a problem as fonts like Arial, Times New Roman or Courier are used by most Windows-based applications. If, however, data is exchanged between different PC-systems containing unusual fonts, these fonts can only be transferred as images. VCmaster will immediately detect this and automatically select the „transfer as image“ option.