The View Menu

In the ITSBITS^® Catapult Garage you will need to become familiar with the features provided by the View Menu. Let's go through the menu's offerings.

First, there's the "Reset Small" option. Normally, the ITSBITS^® Catapult Garage will be used in a maximized windows state, but there are times when you'll want to make it smaller so that you can work with other programs on your screen. That's all this option is designed to provide.

"Utility Functions" are next as we go down the list. These functions work with the configuration files and provide options for maintaining them. Each workshop and most tools will use a configuration file to store its data, so it is vital that you maintain backup copies of your configuration files. In addition, you might want to store a set of configurations in multiple formats, i.e., one for use on the notebook computer's screen, and another for a wide-screen monitor. In the Utility Functions you will find options for these purposes.

• Backup Configurations -- in the same location where your ITSBITS^® Catapult Garage software is stored you will find a folder named, appropriately, "BackupConfigurations" and it is in this directory that you will store a backup copy of all your configuration files. All you have to do is click on this menu option to make your backups.

• Restore One Configuration -- in the event you mess up a configuration file somehow or it becomes corrupted, you can restore it using this option. You will be asked to enter the name of the configuration to restore and when you click the OK button it will be restored from the "BackupConfigurations" folder.

• Restore All Configurations -- If you need to restore all your configurations for some reason, this option is available. (We recommend that you make a "hold set" of configurations (see below) before using this option--just in case.) Simply click on the menu option to do restore all configurations. Be aware that once this is done, it cannot be undone, so you need to be sure it's what you want to do before you do it.

• Hold Configurations As -- This is the option to use to store configurations for a given format or special purpose. As an example, let's say you have a notebook computer and while on the road you often work using it as a notebook. On the other hand, sitting in your office you have a wonderful wide-screen monitor and when you work there you plug it into the notebook. This means you must use a really different screen size and aspect ratio when you switch. The answer is simply to hold a set of configuration files for each situation (and others if you need to, too.) Just click this menu option. You'll see a screen asking for the name of the group to hold. It will look something like this:
  

  In our example, we would want a set of configuration files named "NOTEBOOK" and a set named "DESK" and we would size things like pictures and browser screens differently for each of the two sets so that they met our needs wherever we work.

• Use Configurations Held As -- (See the "Hold Configurations As" option above.) Use this option to designate which set of options you want to use. When asked simply enter the name of the held configuration set, i.e., "NOTEBOOK" or "DESK" in our example above.
  

  Notice that you can use your standard backup configurations by checking the box on the group-name query box, too.

• Migrate Configurations (Also make mass changes to configurations) -- Let's assume you have several machines that are also built up with almost exactly the same software. Wouldn't it be nice to simply copy the configuration files from one computer to another and have most of your shortcuts and configuration built? Well, that's the idea behind this option.

  Start with a "Backup Configurations" menu option click so you can get back in case you mess it up.

  Since your programs may be stored in a different path on the "new" machine than on the old one where your configurations were built you may need to change a part of the file paths. You'll see in the top part of this form what the application startup path is for the "new" machine. If you know it is different than on the "old" machine, you can use the button to "Find old path on c:\" or you can type in the old path. Either way the string to change should be visible in the textbox labeled "Change all occurances of this path or string."

  Next, you need to get the "change to" data into the textbox labeled "To this path or string." You can use the "Use path above" button to use the application path on this computer (the one in the uppermost textbox). You can also use the "Browse for new path" button to search out a new path. Alternatively, you can type the new information into the textbox. When you're finished, click on the OK button to make the changes. Note that this may take a minute or two to complete, so please, be patient.

• Toggle Configuration Mode -- Use this menu option to toggle configuration mode on or off. Be sure you're on the "WELCOME" tab when you use this menu option. When you toggle configuration mode on, a string of buttons will appear. Buttons that have already been assigned as workshops will show the workshop name. Buttons not yet assigned to a workshop will be labeled as "Configure Workshop."

  On the screen shot here you'll notice that there are several workshops assigned, starting with "Communications" and ending with "Writing." Notice that these names are general and cover a number of possible software packages. In many cases one or two workshops will be all you need. In others you may need several. You can have up to 19 workshops.

  When you click on a "Configure Workshop" button, you'll see a screen like the one at right come up. Enter the name for your new workshop in the textbox on this form. In the future, we'll use the checkbox for ID/password usage, but for now, it is not used, so you need only type in the name of your new workshop and then hit the OK button. You'll notice that you can also cancel or use the poison pill and delete a workshop from the Catapult Garage. Be careful here--if you delete a workshop, you may not be able to get it back.

• Sort Your Workshops -- When you add a workshop there will come a time when the new workshop is out of order.

  First make a backup--just in case.

  Simply click this option to sort your workshops in alphabetical order. Once this is done, you'll be notified that the Catapult Garage must be restarted. Click "OK" and the Catapult Garage will restart automatically.

  
  
  
  
  

• FTP Configuration -- Use this option to configure your Catapult Garage so it can easily be used to upload data to an FTP server. Looking at the screen, you'll want to get each entry from your remote-server's IT administrator except that you may have to setup your own image directory and/or HTML directory. Be sure to enter what the IT administrator gives you exactly as it was given to you--it is common for servers to be case sensitive at this point so if the IT admin gives you "abc" and you enter "Abc" it just may not work.

  Notice that there are little information balloons on the form. You can click on these to get additional entry-specific information.

• Special Test -- this is reserved for IHS developers. Just ignore it if you see it. Thanks.