Creating a Project

Creating a new project in GEMstudio is easy! We will guide you through the following:

1. Creating a Project
2. Adding objects to your project
3. Customize a widget
4. Adding widgets(custom controls) to your project
5. Adding a new page to your project
6. Adding a function to the page
7. Simulate your project
8. Program your project or page

To start GEMstudio, please launch GEMstudio either from the shortcut or from your start menu. An intro page will pop up as shown in the Figure below.

This GEMstudio intro page allows the user to create a new project, open an existing project, create a new LCD profile (only in full version), launch the GEMcompiler, and launch the GEM Font Converter.

To create a new GEMstudio project, please either click on the button "Create a new GEMstudio Project" which is highlighted in yellow or pull down the File menu on the top left hand corner as pointed by the red arrow and click "New Project".

Project Properties

A Project Properties window will pop up. There are 5 tabs which can be used to customize the project: LCD, Communication, Color Depth, Transitions and Miscellaneous. The first tab is the LCD properties. Please choose the appropriate LCD size, manufacturer, and part number. If you don't see your LCD choice, please make a new LCD profile (for full versions only).

To set up communication for the project, click on the Communication tab as shown in the figure below. User can choose between a CRC protocol type or an ASCII protocol type when the user clicks on the down arrow by Protocol Type. Amulet ID is only valid if CRC protocol type is chosen. It has to be different than the Host ID. The range for both Amulet and Host ID is 1 to 254. Timeout in seconds from 0.03 seconds to 2 seconds can be selected from a drop down menu. The Amulet Slave Response and Null Terminate Messages options are only available when ASCII protocol type is selected.

The next tab is the Color Depth tab. A pull down menu with options of 32-bit or 8-bit color depth is available.

Transition Options for the project can be selected by clicking on the Transition tab in the same window. On the transition tab window, user can select page transition options and background color. When you are done, click the OK button. For the more advanced user, click on the tab right next to "Transition Option" at the top of the window.

Miscellaneous tab on the Project Properties page enables the user to select different types of Frame Buffer, JPEG Compression and touch priority if the user is using a touch panel. For more information on the Macro File, please click here.

Adding Objects

Now that you have a new project created, you need to add to your project. There are four different objects that can be added: Image, Animated Image, Static Text and Background.

To add an image or an animated image, click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window. A menu will pop up and you can select Image.

Once you click to add an Image, a window will pop up for you to browse to the image you want to add. If the image is an animated image, GEMstudio will automatically add it as an animated image. If not, it will be added as a normal image. Click on the value of the image if you want to change the image name.

To add static text, click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window and select Static Text. A Static Text object will be added to the current page. To change the name of the Static Text object, click on the value of the Static Text.

To include a background to your current page, click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window and select Background. A window will pop up for you to browse to the background image you want to add. To rename the background image, click on the value of the Background.

NOTE: If at any time, you need further explanation on objects in your project, select the object and click on the  button on the lower left hand corner of the project window or press "F1". A help window will pop up explaining the selected object.

Customize a Widget

If you would like to customize your own widget, you can do it using two ways: make a new .png widget file or right click on the parameter or widget in your project window. A new saved .png widget file can be reused in other projects as well. However, if you just add or remove parameters of a widget in the project window, it only applies to that particular widget in the particular project.

New .PNG Widget File

To customize a widget by making a new .png widget file, click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window and select a widget in "Widgets".

 The selected widget template will be added to your project on the left of your project window. To customize the template, you will need to right click on the widget and select "Save As Custom Widget".

A "Save As Custom Widget" window will pop up and you can choose whether to have a parameter hidden from the user or not. If "hidden" is checked, the parameter will not show up in the project window and cannot be changed by the user. To add more parameters to the custom widget, click on the  button at the lower left hand corner of the window. To remove a parameter, select the parameter and click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the window.

To add functions to the widget, please take a look at the Href Editor.

Once you are done customizing the widget, click the "save" button and the widget will show up in the project window.

For more information on widgets, please see Amulet's Color Widgets page.

NOTE: If at any time, you need further explanation on widget or parameter in your project, select the widget or parameter and click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window or press "F1". A help window will pop up and explain the selected widget or parameter.

Add/Remove Parameter in Project

The user can also add or remove a parameter from a selected widget in the project window to customize it. To do that, right click on the widget and select "Add/Remove Parameter". A Parameter List window will pop up. You can choose whether to include or remove parameters from the list. This way of customization only affects that selected widget in that project. In other words, the customized is not reusable in other projects.

NOTE: If at any time, you need further explanation on widget or parameter in your project, select the widget or parameter and click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window or press "F1". A help window will pop up and explain the selected widget or parameter.

Adding Widgets (Custom Controls)

To add a completed widget, click on the button on the lower left hand corner of the project window and a menu will pop up. Assuming you already have a widget, select "Custom Controls". A new window will pop up and you can browse to your widget.

 NOTE: If at any time, you need further explanation on widget or parameter in your project, select the widget or parameter and click on the  button on the lower left hand corner of the project window or press "F1". A help window will pop up and explain the selected widget or parameter

Add a New Page

If the project needs a new page, click on the button at the lower left corner of the project window and select "New Page". A page options window will pop up and you can customize the page.

For advanced options, click the arrow on the lower left hand corner of the page options window. The window expands to include selections of Communications options, Frame Buffer options and JPEG Compression options.

Add Page Functions

Please check out Amulet's Page Functions Editor and Page Functions.

Simulate a Project

Simulating a project, enables the user to preview and test the GUI before programming the project into the hardware. To simulate the entire project, click on the button on the lower right corner of the project window. To simulate only one page, right click on the page and select "Run This Page Only" on the pop up menu. A window will pop up to display your GUI.

Program a Project or a Page

Once the project is simulated and completed, the project can be downloaded into the hardware by clicking on the "Program" button on the lower right hand corner of the project window. A window will pop up for you to select the COM port and you can select your LCD display. When you are done selecting, click "Begin" on the lower right hand corner.

NOTE: Users with only the full version of GEMstudio can program the whole project into the hardware. The non-full versions can program only up to five pages. However, only the first page of the project will be programmed if the user's project is more than 5 pages and the GEMstudio is a trial version.

If you would like to program only one page, right click on the page and select "Program This Page Only" in the pop up menu.

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