Alcorn Mcbride ShowTouch User manual

User Guide
ShowTouch
TM
with
software

Document Revision 1.5
August 1, 2011
Copyright ©1996-2011 Alcorn McBride, Inc. All rights reserved.
Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this manual, and the reliability of
the Alcorn McBride ShowTouch hardware and software. Errors can sometimes go undetected, however. If you find
one, please bring it to our attention so that we can correct it for others. Alcorn McBride welcomes comments and
suggestions on the content and layout of its documentation.
Applications described herein are for illustrative purposes only. Alcorn McBride Inc. assumes no responsibility or
liability for the use of these products, and makes no representation or warranty that the use of these products for
specific applications will be suitable without further testing or modification. Alcorn McBride products are not
intended for use in applications where a malfunction can reasonably be expected to result in personal injury.
Customers using or selling Alcorn McBride products for use in such applications do so at their own risk, and agree
to fully indemnify Alcorn McBride for any damages resulting from such improper use or sale.
Alcorn McBride Inc. reserves the right to make changes to these products, without notice, in order to improve their
design or performance.
ShowTouch™ is a trademark of Alcorn McBride Inc., all rights reserved.
Alcorn McBride Inc.
3300 S Hiawassee Rd, Bldg 105
Orlando, Florida 32835
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
[email protected]
www.alcorn.com

Table of Contents Page 1
Table of Contents
Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. 1
Welcome ........................................................................................................................................... 3
What is ShowTouch?.................................................................................................................... 3
Important Information .................................................................................................................. 3
Getting Started................................................................................................................................. 5
What’s In The Box........................................................................................................................ 5
Hardware Setup ............................................................................................................................ 5
Control Panel ................................................................................................................................ 6
System Settings ................................................................................................................................ 9
Changing the Network Settings.................................................................................................... 9
Changing the Admin Password .................................................................................................. 10
Displaying the Log ..................................................................................................................... 10
Updating the Firmware ............................................................................................................... 10
Additional Options ........................................................................................................................ 11
Changing the Unlock Code......................................................................................................... 11
Changing the Startup Interface File............................................................................................ 11
Changing Screen Saver Settings.................................................................................................12
Changing Action Delay .............................................................................................................. 12
Changing Unlock Delay ............................................................................................................. 12
Changing Ignore Right Mouse Button........................................................................................ 12
Run and Edit Modes...................................................................................................................... 13
Run Mode ................................................................................................................................... 13
Exiting Run Mode ..................................................................................................................................13
Edit Mode ................................................................................................................................... 14
Switching to Run Mode..........................................................................................................................14
Creating a New Interface.............................................................................................................. 15
Getting the Touch Software........................................................................................................ 15
Entering a New Unlock Code ..................................................................................................... 15
Editing the Interface ................................................................................................................... 16
Workspace and Full Screen Modes ........................................................................................................17
Pages.......................................................................................................................................................17
Adjusting the Grid Snap .........................................................................................................................19
Popup Menus .............................................................................................................................. 20
New Item and Options Menu..................................................................................................................20
More Items Menu ...................................................................................................................................20
Settings Menu.........................................................................................................................................21
Items ........................................................................................................................................... 21
Item Types ..............................................................................................................................................21
Changing Item Appearance ....................................................................................................................23
Changing Item Action ............................................................................................................................23
Testing the Interface ................................................................................................................... 25
Connecting to the Show Controller ........................................................................................................25
Searching for Show Controllers .............................................................................................................26
Saving Your Work...................................................................................................................... 26
Working with Remote Servers ..................................................................................................... 27

Table of Contents Page 2
Opening a Remote File............................................................................................................... 27
Saving a Remote File.................................................................................................................. 28
FTP Access ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Connecting to ShowTouch using FTP........................................................................................ 29
Changing Screen Saver Images .................................................................................................. 29
Maintenance................................................................................................................................... 30
Cleaning the Touch Screen......................................................................................................... 30
Quick Reference ............................................................................................................................ 31
Specifications .................................................................................................................................32
Ethernet Ports ............................................................................................................................. 32
Ethernet Cables.......................................................................................................................................32
Serial Port ................................................................................................................................... 33
Mechanical Drawings................................................................................................................. 34

Welcome Page 3
Welcome
Figure 1 ShowTouch
What is ShowTouch?
ShowTouch is a complete touch panel controller with preloaded design and interface software. It is easy to use and
ready-to-go straight out of box. It can be used to control and monitor any Alcorn McBride Ethernet-enabled show
controller such as the V16Pro. You can even connect multiple ShowTouch panels to the same network and use
them to interface with the show controller from throughout your facility. Show Touch is the most powerful and
flexible interface available that integrates seamlessly with our show control products. Like all Alcorn McBride
products, ShowTouch is designed to run 24/7. There are no moving parts to wear-out so it can be mounted just
about anywhere while still providing a reliable and stable interface.
Important Information
Congratulations! You have purchased an extremely fine product. Before reading this user guide, please make sure
to read the important information in your show controller user guide. If you do not read the show controller user
guide, you may not understand some, or all of the information presented here.
Please do not break this product. It is pretty heavy for its size and that means it was probably expensive. That said,
it is not easy to break this touch panel, and that is probably one of the reasons you are using it (that’s what your boss
told us, not our words). This product was designed to work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, through
fingers coated with popcorn butter, ball-point pens used as pointing devices, and any thing else you were thinking
about doing.

Welcome Page 4
Now that you know how tough this product is, we would like to share with you just a few of the ideas we did think
of if you wanted to break this product. The first idea we had is to insert the Compact Flash card and then ship or
transport the whole thing in a relatively unprotected container. This will undoubtedly cause the Compact Flash card
to be jammed into the socket so hard that it breaks the socket itself rendering the product useless (not that we did
something like that, because we didn’t, but if we did, that is what happened).
Another idea we had was to use the armored touch screen with water spilled on it. That idea failed and the touch
screen just continued to work as usual. We gave it some more thought and came up with an even better idea;
operate the touch screen outside during a torrential rainstorm! Not that we tried it, because we didn’t, but if we had,
there may have been some smoke and irrevocable damage to the internal circuitry.
The easiest way to break this product is to drop it. No, we aren’t talking about six inches from the bottom of your
step stool to the floor, we mean off the side of a two-story building (again, it is not that we actually tried it). It is
interesting to note that in this scenario the survival of the product does depend slightly on what stops the fall. A pile
of leaves didn’t seem to help, that is, we do not think it would help, but perhaps a couple of soft mattresses would do
the trick. Also, please be careful of the objects (and people) below when throwing this product from high places.
In conclusion, it takes a lot of effort and brainstorming to come up with ways to break this product. We know that
the faster you break it, the smarter you must be. That is why we ask that you contact us immediately if this product
is not working for you, so that we can learn from you and include more Important Information on how to break this
thing in the future. Also, if you have an idea about something that you think might break it, contact us first, we’d
love to hear about it and then you don’t actually have to break it.
Thank you for taking the time to read this important information! We hope you enjoy using your new ShowTouch
as much as we enjoyed designing it. Oh, and tell your boss we think you should get a raise for reading this manual.

Getting Started Page 5
Getting Started
What’s In The Box
Please make sure the following items were received in the box:
ShowTouch hardware
Power supply
Compact Flash card
This user guide
Ethernet crossover cable
Wall-mount hardware kit
Hardware Setup
Figure 2 Connections
1. Compact Flash
The Compact Flash card is shipped along with ShowTouch but is not installed during shipping in
order to protect the card socket. Install the Compact Flash card by removing the access cover on
the back panel and aligning the slots on the side of the card with the guides on the card socket.
The card should slide smoothly into place. If the card does not go into the socket or it is difficult
to install, check the alignment of the card. Replace the access cover.
2. Ethernet
ShowTouch must be connected via Ethernet to your show controller or show control network.
The Ethernet connector is located on the side of the panel. You may use either Ethernet connector
and then configure the connection settings from within the ShowTouch interface (see “Changing
the Network Settings”).
3. Power
Compact Flash
Ethernet
Power

Getting Started Page 6
Make sure that the power switch on the far side of the panel is in the off position indicated by a
white circle. Plug in the power adapter included with your ShowTouch, and then connect the
barrel connector of the adapter to the location labeled “DC In”. Turn on ShowTouch by switching
to the power switch to the On position indicated by the white line.
This completes the setup of the ShowTouch hardware. After the hardware completes its startup
routine, you will be presented with an on-screen tutorial. You may step through the tutorial now
or proceed immediately to the Control Panel by touching the button labeled “Finish”
Control Panel
The Control Panel provides access to all aspects of the ShowTouch product. General instructions
on how to use ShowTouch while in Edit or Run mode are shown as quick reminders and access to
the Tutorial is also available in case more information is needed. This user guide will provide
detailed information on all of the Control Panel options and on how to use ShowTouch, but the
basic information needed to use this product is always available directly from the Control Panel.
Figure 3 Control Panel
New
Creates a new interface. A new unlock code will be requested. The unlock code is a four-digit
number that you select, which is required when changing from the Run mode to any other mode.
When in the Run mode, the user can only interact with the interface you design and cannot edit the
interface or any ShowTouch settings.
Open
Open an existing interface. The interface can be located on the local ShowTouch Compact Flash
card or on any remote device that is compatible with ShowTouch. This includes all Ethernet-
enabled Alcorn McBride show controllers and other ShowTouch products. There are two types of
interface files, those ending with .tch and those ending with .tca. Files ending with .tch are Touch
interface files that define the interface only. Files ending with .tca are Touch interface archives
that contain all resources used by the interface as well as the Touch interface file.

Getting Started Page 7
Figure 4 Open
Save
Save changes to the interface. Select “Quick Save” or “Save As” to save only changes to the
Touch interface file. This file ends with .tch. This will not save resource files such as images.
Select “Archive All Files” to save an archive on the Compact Flash card. Archives include the
interface, all resources, and end with .tca. Use “Save To Remote Server” to create and
immediately transfer an archive to a remote server (See “Working with Remote Servers”).
Figure 5 Save

Getting Started Page 8
Options
Change options related to the interface only. This includes which interface file to load at startup,
whether or not to display a pointer on the screen, how long to delay before switching to the screen
saver, and changing the unlock code that is used for switching between Run mode and any other
mode. This is also where information about the software, including the version number, can be
found. See “Additional Options” for details.
Edit
Edit the interface. This is where all of the work is done to create the user interface. Edit mode
allows the user to create buttons, toggle, sliders, text displays, additional pages, and everything else
necessary to build a complete interface.
Run
Run the interface. This requires that a connection to the show controller can be established. If the
script from the show controller has not been received, it will be transferred during the loading
process.
It is not possible to exit Run mode without the unlock code. See “Exiting Run Mode” for more
information.
Tutorial
Display the tutorial.
System
Change settings related to the ShowTouch hardware. This is where network settings can be
viewed and changed, the administrator password can be changed (which is used only for things
like access to the ShowTouch FTP server), and the system can be shutdown. See “System
Settings” for additional information.
Exit
Exit the system. This is used to access the ShowTouch launcher, which can be used to restart the
system, restore defaults, and update firmware.

System Settings Page 9
System Settings
To connect ShowTouch to your show control network, it is most likely that you will need to
change one or more of the settings. System settings include the network addresses for both
Ethernet ports and the administrator password used primarily for the FTP server. It is also possible
to shutdown the ShowTouch hardware so that the power can be safely disconnected.
Touch “System” from the Control Panel to display these settings.
Figure 6 System
Changing the Network Settings
1. Select the network connection you wish to change.
2. Adjust the network settings manually or select “Use DHCP” if you are connected to a
network with a DHCP server.
3. Touch “Apply” when done so that the changes can be saved.

System Settings Page 10
Changing the Admin Password
1. Touch “Change Admin Password” to display the password entry fields.
Figure 7 Change Admin Password
2. Enter the new password and then confirm the password. Passwords are case-sensitive.
Note: The default password is “password”. The admin user name is “admin” and cannot
be changed.
3. Touch “OK” when done so that the changes can be saved.
Displaying the Log
1. Touch “Display Log” to display the activity log.
Figure 8 Log
The date and time of the last 256 actions are shown in the activity log.
The two small circle indicators on the left of the screen are used to monitor network
traffic to and from ShowTouch. The first circle blinks green to indicate when data is
received. The circle to the right of the first circle blinks red to indicate when data is sent.
Updating the Firmware
If necessary, the ShowTouch firmware can be updated to the latest version by visiting the Alcorn
McBride website (www.alcorn.com) and browsing to the support firmware web page. Once there,
download the firmware update for your ShowTouch and follow the included instructions.

Additional Options Page 11
Additional Options
The majority of the interface is designed in the edit mode. Some of the options available that are
related to the interface, but not directly part of it, are provided from the Control Panel by touching
“Options”
Figure 9 Options
Changing the Unlock Code
1. Touch “Change Unlock Code”
2. Enter the current unlock code by pressing the numbered buttons.
3. If correct, you can now enter and confirm a new unlock code just as when the interface
was first created.
Note: There is no way to change the unlock code of an interface where the current unlock code
is unknown. To recover a lost or forgotten unlock code, the interface file ending with .tch
must be opened in a text editor. If the file was not encrypted, the unlock code will be visible
in the section labeled “security”. For example: <security unlock_code="1234" />
Changing the Startup Interface File
1. Check the “Load File on Startup” setting
2. Enter a file name or select one using the “Browse…” button

Additional Options Page 12
Changing Screen Saver Settings
1. Touch “Screen Saver”
Figure 10 Screen Saver
2. Check or uncheck the “Enabled” setting
3. Enter the number of minutes to wait before automatically switching to the screen
saver
Note: The screen saver is an image slide show. You can add or remove images from the
screen saver by changing the files in the Touch Screensaver directory. See the section on
“FTP Access” for more information.
Changing Action Delay
When editing an interface, the normal action of buttons, toggles, and other interactive
items is delayed to allow time to edit the item without triggering an action. Change this
value only if you feel more comfortable with a different speed. You must restart
ShowTouch to use the new value.
Changing Unlock Delay
To access the Control Panel from a running interface, see “Exiting Run Mode.” This
delay value indicates the number of seconds the user must touch and hold on the screen in
an empty location before the unlock code will be requested.
Changing Ignore Right Mouse Button
There is no right mouse button when using ShowTouch unless a USB mouse is
connected. If a mouse is connected, and you would like to use the right mouse button,
uncheck this option.

Run and Edit Modes Page 13
Run and Edit Modes
Before you begin using ShowTouch, it is important to understand the differences between Run and
Edit modes.
Run Mode
When an interface file is opened, the system immediately switches to Run mode. This means that
if the option to “Load File on Startup” is set, the Run mode will be entered immediately when
ShowTouch is powered on. It is also possible to enter Run mode manually using the “Run” button
on the Control Panel.
While in Run mode, the user can only interact with the currently loaded interface. It is not possible
to access popup menus or switch to secure pages without entering an unlock code. When in Run
mode, the system is essentially “Locked.”
In order for the user to interact with the interface, a connection to the show controller must be
established. If the show controller is unavailable when Run mode is entered, an error message will
be displayed and the interface unlock code will be requested. If the unlock code is not entered
within a reasonable amount of time, ShowTouch will try to connect to the show controller again.
This cycle will continue until the show controller can be reached or the unlock code is entered.
Exiting Run Mode
To exit Run mode, touch and hold in any empty location on the screen until the interface unlock
code is requested. Enter the interface unlock code to exit Run mode and display the Control Panel.
Figure 11 Enter Interface Unlock Code

Run and Edit Modes Page 14
Edit Mode
If the system is not in Run mode, then it is in Edit mode. In Edit mode it is possible to create new
interfaces, edit an existing interface, change system settings, and adjust options. When in Edit
mode, the system is “Unlocked,” which means all secure pages can be accessed without entering
an unlock code.
Switching to Run Mode
To exit Edit mode, and switch to Run mode, touch “Run” from the Control Panel. A loading
message will be displayed while the show controller script is retrieved (if it has not been loaded
previously) and the interface will be displayed when the loading process is complete.

Creating a New Interface Page 15
Creating a New Interface
There are two ways to create a new interface: directly on the ShowTouch panel or using the Touch
software on a PC. The Touch software for the PC is based on the same software that runs on
ShowTouch so you will find that there are many similarities between the two.
The information in this guide assumes you will create the interface using the Touch software on a
PC and then transfer the completed interface to the show controller or directly to your ShowTouch
hardware.
Getting the Touch Software
To get the latest Touch software, visit the Alcorn McBride website at http://www.alcorn.com/ and
download the software from the support software page.
Install the Touch software and run it from the Alcorn McBride Inc folder on your Start menu.
The first time the program runs, the tutorial is automatically displayed. You may choose to step
through the tutorial now, or click “Finish” to continue with the steps presented here.
Entering a New Unlock Code
To start a new interface file, select “File”->”New” from the menu bar. This will display the page
where you will enter the unlock code for this interface. The unlock code is a four-digit number
that is required to edit the interface.
Figure 12 New Interface
Unlike ShowTouch, the PC does not know what resolution to use for your new interface. After the
unlock code has been entered and confirmed, enter the resolution of your ShowTouch and click
“OK.” You can also connect to the show controller to retrieve the current script but this guide
assumes you will do this at a later time.

Creating a New Interface Page 16
Figure 13 New Options
Editing the Interface
There are two things to consider while editing the interface: design and function. The Touch
software comes with a library of graphics that can be used to design your interface. It is also
possible to create your own graphics and import from standard image formats such as jpg and png.
This allows ShowTouch to be used as a simple status monitor or a beautiful interactive kiosk.
The function of the interface will be different for every project. The great thing about the Touch
software is that you can design the interface before, during, or after the show controller scripting is
complete. Touch reads the script files created by WinScript Live (the PC software used with our
show controllers such as the V16 Pro). When it is time to bring function to your design, it is easy
to link buttons to show controller sequences, and text to variables, all with a just a few clicks.

Creating a New Interface Page 17
Workspace and Full Screen Modes
There are two modes used for editing the interface: workspace and full screen. Workspace mode is
the preferred mode to begin editing. It provides access to settings through the menu bar, page
navigation through a list of thumbnails, and the ability to monitor operations using the log window.
You can add items to any page and because of the show controller’s powerful “Live” mode you
can test everything as you build the interface.
Figure 14 Workspace
Workspace mode also allows you to change the number of physical screens that will be available.
For example, if you plan on using the Touch software on a PC with multiple monitors, you could
create an interface that makes use of all of the monitors by increasing the number of screens. This
option is available on the menu bar by selecting “Touch”->”Screens”.
Full screen mode is designed to closely simulate all aspects of ShowTouch. It is possible to edit
pages, test items, and access the Control Panel using full screen mode. If a new interface is created
while in Full-screen mode, it will automatically detect the number of physical monitors and the
resolution of each.
You can switch between Workspace and Full screen mode at any time by pressing F11 on the
keyboard.
Pages
Every physical screen has its own Home Page. The Home Page cannot be deleted or renamed and
no other pages may be called “Home Page.” Each Home Page can only be displayed on the screen
it belongs to, indicated by the number after its name. Pages create by the user can be displayed on
any screen, but only on one screen at a time. For example, if a page is already displayed on Screen
1 but is requested on Screen 2, Screen 2 will steal the page and Screen 1 will be forced to display
its Home Page instead.
Creating a New Page

Creating a New Interface Page 18
You can add additional pages by selecting “Touch”->”Pages” from the menu bar. A window with
the list of pages will be shown along with options to create new pages and rename or delete
existing pages. If an existing page is renamed, all buttons that are instructed to display that page
will be updated with the new page name.
Figure 15 Pages
Selecting a Connection
Each page can be assigned to a connection. This allows ShowTouch to communicate with multiple
show controllers. When a page is created, the Default connection is selected. The name of the
default connection is shown to the side for reference. The default connection can be changed from
the Show Controllers dialog.
To use a connection other than the default, select it from the drop-down list. When a new
connection name is selected, all items on the page will communicate with the show controller with
that name. If the connection is renamed, all pages using that connection will use the new
connection name. If the selected connection is deleted, any page that uses that connection will use
the default instead.
Please see the section on “Connecting to the Show Controller” for more information about
connections.
Interacting with Pages
Most of the work to create an interface will be done on pages using popup menus. The popup
menus are used to access settings and add items. Once items have been added, they can be moved
individually or as a group. Items can also be tested immediately when created. Unless specified
otherwise, all mouse clicks are left mouse button and can also be executed on ShowTouch by
touching the screen.
Displaying a Popup Menu
Right-click or double-click anywhere on the page. When in a blank area of the page, the
“New Item and Options Menu” will appear. When over an item, the menu for that item will
appear.
Selecting a Popup Menu Option
With a popup menu displayed, click the option you would like to use. Each option is
described in the menu definitions below.