Create or Edit a Package
You can create a new package or open and edit an existing package with the Package Editor.
Before you create a package, you will need at least one workflow. For more on creating and using workflows, see "About Workflows".
Packages can be created only in the Desktop interface of OMNIC Paradigm software.
Create a new package
❖ To create a new package
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Using the desktop interface, go to File > Packages > Create.
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Enter a name for the package and select OK. The package editor opens with one default category. You can add more categories or add workflows to the category.
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To add a workflow, select a category and select Add Workflow.
Workflows can be included in only a single category. You cannot use the same workflow in multiple categories.
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To add a category, select Add Category.
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Select Save to save the package. The saved package is available in the Packages pane of the dashboard. The package is saved automatically when you return to the dashboard but is not saved automatically if you exit the software from the Package Editor.
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To share the package, select Export. When you export the package, it is saved with an .rdep file name extension.
Tips for organizing workflows and categories
There are a few important factors to consider when organizing your workflows and categories in packages.
- A workflow can be included in only one category. You cannot use the same workflow in more than one category. If you have workflows that you want to share across categories, you may want to create a separate category only for these shared workflows. This is true even with multiple packages. If a previously loaded package already includes a workflow with the same name, the operator Administrator will not be able to open a new package if it includes that workflow in another category.
- Categories must also have a unique name. When the operator opens a package, any category that uses the same name as a category from a previous package will be merged. For example, if a new package includes a category named Category A, and a previous package already included a Category A, the categories will be merged into a single category including all of the workflows from both categories.
Consider the following example:
- Category A (First Package)
- Workflow 1
- Workflow 2
- Category A (Second Package)
- Workflow 3
Is displayed as :
- Category A
- Workflow 1
- Workflow 2
- Workflow 3
Edit a package
You can open and edit a package either from the Packages pane on the dashboard or from a saved RDEP file.
❖ To edit a package
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From the dashboard of the desktop interface
- Scroll to the Workflows pane and select Packages from the list.
- Right click a package and select Edit. The package opens in the package editor.
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From a saved RDEP file
- From the dashboard, go to File > Packages > Open.
- Select a RDEP file and select Open. The file is added to the list of packages on the dashboard.
- In the Packages pane, right click the package and select Edit. If you open a RDEP file from the Package Editor, the package is opened in the Package Editor automatically
Update workflows
The Package Editor includes several tools for updating workflows and their associated files.
When you add a workflow to a package, the workflow file is copied to the package. Any updates apply only to this package copy and are not reflected in the original file or any other packages that have copied the workflow file.
To keep the workflow files and their associated files (such as images or QNT files) synchronized, you must update them in the Workflow Editor manually. To avoid unexpected behaviors or results, you may want to update the workflow directly using the Workflow Editor and then use only the Update Workflow command in the Package Editor.
Command | Description |
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Update Workflow | Reloads the selected workflows and updates any changes, including any files included in the workflow (for example, changed image files) |
Update Embedded | Updates any workflows embedded using the Embedded Workflow tile. |
Update Quant | Reloads any .QNT files that were included in the workflows. |
Update Image | Reloads any image files used in the workflows. |
Test packages
Use the Run command to test the package before exporting it. By running the package, you can view and run categories and workflows as they will be shown in the Operator interface.
When you run the package, if you run any workflows that collect data, the measurements are added to your database just as if you ran the workflow normally.
Run workflows automatically
You can set a workflow to run automatically using Auto Run. If automatic running is enabled, the workflow will run without any operator input. The workflows will run in the background while you use the software. If a workflow is running in the background, the operator will need to wait for it to complete before running another workflow.
You can set workflows to auto run only if they do not require any user input.
If multiple workflows are scheduled to run with Auto Run, they are added to a queue. For example, if one workflow runs every hour and another every two hours, they will both run on the overlapping hours and will not interfere with one another.
❖ To enable Auto Run
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In the Package Editor, right-click a workflow and select Set Up Auto Run.
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Select Enable automatic running for this workflow and enter a value for the frequency in hours. You can also enter partial hours. For example, entering 0.5 will cause the workflow to run every 30 minutes.
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Select OK.
The workflow will run automatically after the package is opened in the Operator interface.