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Add items to a template

Work Instructions Templates button

When you create an Active Work Instruction template, you add items to the template using the Insert menu commands, then use the tools on the Drawing Tools tab to edit, move, arrange, and customize template items. 

Insert menu
Example Active Work Instruction template

The following table describes items you can add to an Active Work Instruction template using the Insert menu commands.

Insert menu command

Description

Insert Text

Adds plain text. Plain text has limited formatting options (text color and background color).

  • Drag the cursor in the window to create a text box, then select the word Text and start typing. You can resize the text using the square "handles" surrounding the text box.

    Insert plain text

Insert Rich Text

Adds rich text that can include formatting such as different fonts, styles, colors, and sizes.

  • Drag the cursor to create a text box, then start typing. You can resize the text using the square "handles" surrounding the text box. You can enhance rich text with additional formatting such as font, color, size, alignment, and highlight color.

Rich text example with formatting

Insert Smart Text

Adds a text box where the content of the box is filled dynamically with data from a specific source during production.

For example, Operation is a smart text field that looks like this when you are editing: %Operation%. When viewed in the Production client application, the smart text tag is replaced with the actual operation name such as Stencil Printer.

  • Drag the cursor to create a text box. 

    Smart text
  • In the Text Properties dialog, select the desired data from the Smart Text menu. You can also add a URL, turn on text wrapping and automatic text sizing, and show the border of the text box. You can also resize the text using the square "handles" surrounding the text box.

    Smart Text Properties dialog

Insert Global Text

Adds a global text box. Global text is commonly included in all documents (and you can change it easily in one place for all documents). For example, Company Address might be a global text entry that can be updated in all documents with one edit if your company's address changes.

  • Drag the cursor to create a text box. 

  • In the Text Properties dialog, select the ellipsis (...) to display the New Global Text dialog where you can add global text items and save them in a library.

    Global Text Properties dialog

  • When you create a global text entry in the New Global text dialog and select OK, the text is saved in a library.

  • Select the Global Text Library tab to view, edit, add, or delete global text items.|

    Global Text Library dialog

  • Select the Where Used tab to see where global text is being used in email templates, activity instructions, and visual aids.

    Global Text Library - Where Used tab

Insert Hyperlink

Adds a text box that you can use to create a text hyperlink to an internet or intranet site or folder.

  • Drag the cursor to create a text box. 

    Hyperlink text example
  • Enter the URL of the hyperlink in the Text Properties dialog, select any formatting options you want to use, then select OK. Your text is formatted as a typical hyperlink in blue with an underline.

    Text Properties dialog

Insert ECAD

Inserts an ECAD object and displays a dialog where you can select ECAD layers and color coding.

Note

Insert ECAD is used specifically for electronics manufacturing and displays the actual electronic CAD file in an interactive way so that you can color-code it and add callouts to it. The parts on the board are color-coded in a number of different ways with a parts list in the form of a BOM Block. The ECAD object also allows you to interactively search the CAD file to determine the physical location of a reference designator.

Select ECAD Layers dialog

Insert 3D CAD

Inserts a 3DCAD object and its associated views for an assembly.

BOM Block

Displays the BOM Block Editor window where you can create and format a BOM block's properties.

A BOM block typically lists the parts, quantities, and related descriptions from a Bill of Materials (BOM) required for a task that a shop floor operator performs. You can customize the BOM block contents for any manufacturing operation or task by adding or deleting columns and creating custom information fields.

In the BOM Block Editor, you can modify the table settings, add or remove columns, and change column titles or select titles from a predefined list. You can also change the BOM title, table settings, column heading titles, and adjust text formatting, reset the BOM block to the default settings, save the BOM block as a template, load and/or edit a previously-saved BOM block template.

BOM Block Editor

Insert Image

Adds a graphic such as an assembly diagram or photo.

  • Locate and select the image you want to add, then select Open. After importing an image, you can resize and move it. A large variety of popular file formats are supported (*.gif, *.jpg, *.bmp, *.png, and others).

Insert Video

Embeds a video file such as assembly guidance or other instructions. A variety of video formats are available. Videos are often an excellent way to convey complex work instructions to factory floor personnel.

  • Locate and select the video you want to add, then select Open.

    Example video for an Active Work Instruction Template

Insert DWG/DXF File

Adds MCAD mechanical drawings in *.dwg or *.dxf formats.

  • Locate and select the MCAD file you want to add, then select Open. You can crop and mark up a CAD file after importing.

Insert Table

Displays the Table Editor where you can create a custom table.

Table Editor window
  • Specify the number of cells in the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) axis. You can also edit and format table settings such as columns, rows, and cells using the toolbar buttons.

  • To import an existing table in *.csv, *.xlsx, or other popular formats, select Import File, locate and select the file, then select Open.

Insert Spreadsheet

Inserts a blank spreadsheet into the template. You can drag the selection handles to resize the spreadsheet.

Insert Spreadsheet

Insert Artwork

Displays the Artwork Library window where you can select commonly-used artwork (for example, your company logo or ESD warning labels or safety information). You can save any selected item as artwork in the library to reuse later.

  • Use the Insert  and Delete  buttons to create folder categories for your artwork.

  • Right-click the Insert 

     or Delete  button to display a menu with options to save any item as artwork for future reuse.

  • To add an artwork item, drag the name of the artwork item onto the page.

Artwork Library
Artwork Library commands

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