10.2. User interface description

The program looks like this by default: (Pic. 10.1.).

../../_images/ngfb_gui_en.png

Pic. 10.1. Formbuilder’s GUI

Numbers show: 1 - main menu; 2 - main toolbar; 3 - “Updates available” icon; 4 - authorization button; 5 - “device” screen; 6 - “Controls” menu; 7 - “Data” menu; 8 - “Properties” menu.

You can change the position, size and visibility of the side menus:

  • Hover your mouse cursor over the menu and press the left button to transfer it to a different place;

  • Pull the menu’s edges to change its width and height;

  • Press the close button to hide menu. You can make it visible again in the main menu section “view”.

10.2.2. Main toolbar

Contains fast-access buttons to subsections of the main menu. Move the mouse over the button to see its name (in a popup message) and description (in the program’s status bar below).

Note

Some toolbar buttons may be inaccessible, which is shown by a “lock” icon on the button. To get full access to all functions in the program: complete authorization, if subscribed you will gain access to a complete functionality.

10.2.3. “Updates available” icon

A green square icon with an arrow (the top right corner by default) will be shown only if updates are available (Windows and Mac OS only). If icon is not shown, then there are no updates, or the program failed to connect to the update server. Click on icon to update the program: Formbuidler will close (with a suggestion to save the project if there are changes) and update dialog will open. Follow the steps of the installation wizard. After the dialog finishes working, the program will restart automatically.

Alternatively, you can run the NextGIS update wizard as a separate program from the NextGIS installation directory.

10.2.4. Authorization

The button with the avatar image (the top right corner by default) allows you to sign in with NextGIS services and get the extended functionality of the program if you have a subscription. Press the button, then in the pop-up window press “Sign in”. In the opened browser page enter login and password of your NextGIS ID, after that return to the program. Check that you have a “supported” account by clicking on the authorization button again.

To log off press the authorization button once again and press “Sign out” in the pop-up window.

Note

Authorization needs to be completed only once. The next time you start the program, you will sign in automatically. Please note that after launching the program it may take several seconds before the blocked functionality becomes available.

If you want to log into another account, sign out both in the program and in the browser.

10.2.5. On-premise Authorization

If you want to login via the on-premise, you must specify the appropriate Endpoint in the authorization settings (Main menu -> Settings -> Authorization) (Pic. 10.2.).

../../_images/Endpoint_Formbuilder_en.png

Pic. 10.2. Adding your own authorization server

10.2.6. Device screen

This is a screen layout of the real device on which data will be collected in NextGIS Mobile/Collector. It is designed to create a form: i.e. for placing, moving and grouping the controls of which the form consists and with the help of which the data about one object of the layer will be entered at the moment of data collection. Controls in the form are arranged vertically, one after another. It is possible to group items by named tabs.

To add a control to the form - start dragging it with the cursor, while holding the left mouse button, from the “Controls” menu (left by default) - the cursor will take the form of a squeezed hand. Alternatively, you can quickly add a control to the end of the form by clicking on it one time with the left mouse button, pressing the Ctrl key in the Controls panel.

To select a control - click the left button on it once in the form. A red dotted frame will appear around the control.

To move a control - drag it by pressing the left button to any place on the form.

To delete an item, select it and press the Delete key on the keyboard. Deleting an item cannot be undone. Be aware of the fact that when you delete a control, the associated field(s) of the layer will also be deleted.

10.2.7. “Controls” menu

This menu contains a list of all available controls that can be created on the form. Hover the cursor over an item to see its description in a pop-up message.

To add a control to the form - start dragging it with the cursor, while holding the left mouse button, from the “Controls” menu (left by default) - the cursor will take the form of a squeezed hand. Alternatively, you can quickly add a control to the end of the form by clicking on it one time with the left mouse button, pressing the Ctrl key in the Controls panel.

Note

Some controls may be inaccessible, which is shown by a “lock” icon on the button. To get full access to all functions in the program: complete authorization, if subscribed you will gain access to a complete functionality.

10.2.8. “Data” menu

This menu contains a table of layer fields. In the Formbuilder program, only one form is edited in one project, tied to only one layer. Layer’s field(s) are created automatically when controls are added to a form. A control may have from 0 to 2 related fields. To see what controls are attached to what fields - select the control: if any fields are attached to the control, they will be highlighted in bold in the table.

When creating controls for fields, their name, alias and type are automatically generated:

  • Name cannot be changed;

  • Alias can be changed in the corresponding text string in the table. Type a new name in this line, the changes will be saved automatically;

  • Type can be changed in the corresponding drop-down list in the table. Select the required data type from the drop-down list - the changes will be saved automatically. Please note that the field type depends on the control itself and its properties (for example, the Date and Time control can save only “Date / Time” and “String” values ​​at the time of data collection, but cannot store an “Integer” value). For some controls, you can change their properties so that the corresponding data types become available (for example to allow a text field to inout only numeric values ​​— set the “Only numbers” property in the “Properties” menu table and change the data type of the field to “Integer” in the menu table “Data”).

10.2.9. “Properties” menu

This menu contains the table of properties of the selected control. Select a control by clicking on it with the left mouse button. Change the properties in the table that appears - changes to the control will be saved automatically. Please note: a change in one property may entail a change in another property of this control due to their incompatibility or mutual influence on each other. Changing the properties of a control also leads to an increase or decrease in the number of available types for fields, associated with the control: you can track this in the “Data” menu table.