MiniProf

Advanced Guide
 Author
Jens Christian Rodi Hansen

Reviewers
Jane Nielsen
Jens Skouboe Poulsen
MiniProf for Windows
Editor
Advanced Guide Jens Christian Rodi Hansen

Layout
Version 2.4 Jens Christian Rodi Hansen
Copyright° c 1997-2008
Greenwood Engineering A/S
First Edition, January 2008

Greenwood Engineering A/S

H. J. Holst Vej 3-5C
DK-2605 Brøndby, Denmark

www.greenwood.dk
Copyright notice
MiniProf for Windows Version 2.4 Copyright°
c 1997-2008, Greenwood Engineering A/S. All
rights reserved.

License Agreement
1. License. This agreement grants any owner of MiniProf measurement equipment a
license to use the software, MiniProf for Windows, for performing measurements and
for analyzing the measurements and results. In addition, the software may be used on
any number of computers for post-processing measurements without charge.

2. Restrictions. The software contains trade secrets and in order to protect them the software
may not be decompiled, reverse engineered, disassembled, or otherwise reduced to a
human perceivable form. Furthermore it is not allowable to modify, adapt, translate,
rent, lease, resell for profit, distribute or create derivative works based upon the software
or any part thereof.

Disclaimer of Warrenty
THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED
“AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FURTHERMORE, GREENWOOD
ENGINEERING A/S (GE) DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE OR MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE, OF THE
SOFTWARE OR WRITTEN MATERIALS IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY,
RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS ETC. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND
PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. IF THE SOFTWARE
OR WRITTEN MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE YOU, AND NOT GE OR ITS DEALERS,
DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL
NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

NEITHER GE NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION,
PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF THIS PRODUCT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING
DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS
OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR
INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF GE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
 C ONTENTS

Contents i

List of Figures iii

List of Tables v

Introduction 1

Part I: Basic Use 3

Using MiniProf for Windows 5

2.1 The main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1.1 The main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.1.2 Profile window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.1.3 Result window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.1.4 Trend window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.1.5 Database window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.6 Scheme window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.7 Popup menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.8 The toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.1.9 The status line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.2 Profile windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.2.1 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2.2 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2.3 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3 Result windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3.1 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.3.2 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3.3 X axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.4 Trend windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.4.1 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4.2 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4.3 Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Basic operations 23

Contents i
 3.1 Opening a profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
3.1.1 The options menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.2 Controlling the field preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.3 Inserting profiles locked or as reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.4 Adding the reference automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3.1.5 The shortcut access bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.1.6 Selecting drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.1.7 Browsing the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.1.8 Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.1.9 Opening multiple files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.1.10 Reopening files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.2 Opening a result window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.3 Closing a window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.4 Adding profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.5 Selecting the active profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.6 Deleting profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.7 Saving profile(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.8 Saving result(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.9 Selecting a reference profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.10 Profile ordering and grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.11 Zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.11.1 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.11.2 Numerical zoom and pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.12 Showing tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.13 Using cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Part II: Working with profiles 37

Profile manipulations 39
4.1 Moving and rotating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.1.1 Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
4.1.2 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4.2 Scaling a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4.3 Moving the profile center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.3.1 Placing the center accurate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.4 Mirroring a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.5 Locking profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.6 Deleting part of a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4.7 Aligning a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Trend analysis 43
5.1 Adding profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.2 Removing profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.3 Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

ii Contents
 5.3.1 Adding fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.3.2 Selecting fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.3.3 Removing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.3.4 Modifying fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.3.5 Setting the default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
5.4 Zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
5.4.1 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.5 Showing tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5.6 Estimations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Measurement database 47
6.1 Opening a database window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
6.1.1 Opening the database explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
6.1.2 Opening scheme windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
6.2 Opening standalone measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6.3 Opening measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6.4 Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6.5 Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6.6 Importing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6.7 Removing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6.8 Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
6.9 Enabling the database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

3D visualization 53
7.1 Model properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.2 Modifying the profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.3 Moving, zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.3.1 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
7.4 Save the 3D window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Calculations and alignments 59

8.1 Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
8.1.1 Wheel wear (Sd, Sh, qR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
8.1.2 Wheel flange radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.1.3 Rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.1.4 Rail crown radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
8.1.5 Rail head width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.1.6 Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.1.7 Brake wear (No reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.1.8 Brake debending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.1.9 Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.1.10 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.1.11 Curvature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.1.12 Residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
8.1.13 Vertical residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
8.1.14 Horizontal residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Contents iii
 8.1.15 Maximum residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
8.1.16 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.2 Alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.2.1 Align wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.2.2 Align wheel on flange top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.2.3 Align wheel on taperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.2.4 Align wheel on flange back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
8.2.5 Align wheel on outer thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
8.2.6 Align rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.2.7 Align rail centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.2.8 Align rail (CEN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.2.9 Align rail on wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.2.10 Align rail for grinding (Low) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.2.11 Align rail for grinding (High) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.2.12 Align rail on top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.2.13 Align grooved rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.2.14 Align brake on top edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.2.15 Align brake on scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.3 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.3.1 Standard profile cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.3.2 Standard result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.3.3 Standard trend cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.3.4 Tangent cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.3.5 Perpendicular cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.3.6 Curvature cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.3.7 Angle marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.3.8 Residual result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.3.9 Area result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
8.3.10 Linear trend estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Import and export filters 81

9.1 Import filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.1.1 DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.1.2 FIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.2 Export filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.2.1 DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.2.2 MiniProf reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.2.3 Windows metafile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.2.4 Windows bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.2.5 JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.2.6 PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
9.2.7 Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Printing measurements and results 85

10.1 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
10.1.1 Scaled printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

iv Contents
 10.2 Print setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.2.1 Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.3 Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Part III: Configuration 91

Program preferences 93
11.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
11.2 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
11.2.1 Modifying the toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
11.3 Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
11.4 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
11.5 Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.6 Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.7 Profile windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.7.1 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.7.2 Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.7.3 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.8 Result windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.9 Trend windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.10 Database windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.11 Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.11.1 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.11.2 Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
11.12 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
11.13 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
11.13.1 Rendering settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Configuring calculations 103

12.1 Enable and disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
12.2 Multiple configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
12.3 Save result in profile header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Configuring import and export 105

13.1 Enable and disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
13.2 Multiple configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Configuring keyboard assignments 107

Part IV: Extending MiniProf 109

Tools 111
15.1 Designing measurement schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Contents v
 15.1.1 Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
15.1.2 Opening a scheme for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
15.1.3 General settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
15.1.4 Fields definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
15.1.4.1 String fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
15.1.4.2 List fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
15.1.5 Modifying the fields list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
15.1.6 Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
15.1.7 Adding and removing parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
15.1.8 Moving a part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
15.1.9 Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
15.1.9.1 Adding and removing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
15.1.9.2 Moving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
15.1.10 Adding and removing illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
15.2 Designing print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
15.2.1 Print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
15.2.2 Template designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
15.2.3 Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
15.2.4 Opening a template for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
15.2.5 Global template properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
15.2.6 Selecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
15.2.7 Object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
15.2.7.1 Graph object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
15.2.7.2 Textbox properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
15.2.7.3 Page header and footer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
15.2.7.4 Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
15.2.7.5 Inserting field information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
15.2.7.6 Inserting dynamic information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15.2.8 Adding and removing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
15.2.9 Moving and sizing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
15.2.10 Relative or absolute placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
15.2.11 Adding and removing pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
15.3 Customizing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
15.3.1 Modifying the fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
15.3.2 Discovering fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
15.4 Installing a new language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
15.5 Installing a calibration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
15.6 Measurement menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Automation 145
16.1 Batch script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
16.2 Summary script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
16.3 Export script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
16.4 Print script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
16.5 The script guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
16.6 Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

vi Contents
 16.6.1 Editing a macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
16.6.2 Managing the commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
16.6.3 Command options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Plug-ins 153
17.1 Wheel Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
17.1.1 Wheel flange width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
17.1.2 Wheel flange width (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
17.1.3 Wheel flange back wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
17.1.4 Wheel flange back wear (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
17.1.5 Wheel flange angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
17.1.6 Wheel flange angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
17.1.7 Wheel taperline angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
17.1.8 Wheel wear difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
17.1.9 Wheel diameter difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
17.1.10 Wheel hollowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
17.1.11 Wheel thread wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
17.1.12 Wheel thread wear maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
17.1.13 Wheel volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
17.1.14 Wheel diameter from tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
17.1.15 Wheel gauge flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
17.1.16 TwinHead wheel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
17.1.17 TwinHead wheel gauge (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
17.1.18 Align wheel on diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
17.1.19 Align wheel on tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
17.2 Rail Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
17.2.1 Railhead angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
17.2.2 Rail gauge angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
17.2.3 Rail gauge angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
17.2.4 Rail height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
17.2.5 Railhead area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
17.2.6 Grooved rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
17.2.7 Grooved rail geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
17.2.8 TwinHead rail gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
17.2.9 Align grooved rail (Flat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
17.3 Brake Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
17.3.1 Brake volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
17.3.2 TwinHead brake width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
17.3.3 Align TwinHead brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
17.4 Equivalent Conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
17.4.1 Calculating conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
17.4.2 Aligning wheel and rail profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
17.4.3 Calculation parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
17.4.3.1 Displacement, steps and precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
17.4.3.2 Conicity method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
17.4.3.3 Contact angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Contents vii
 17.4.3.4 Profile clipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
17.4.3.5 Profile smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
17.4.3.6 Rolling radius difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
17.4.3.7 Auto symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
17.4.4 Calculation results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
17.4.4.1 Contact points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
17.4.4.2 Contact angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
17.4.4.3 Rolling radius difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
17.4.4.4 Equivalent Conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
17.4.5 Printing reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Index 177

viii Contents
 L IST OF F IGURES

2.1 Main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2.2 Window list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.3 Descriptive hint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
2.4 Profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.5 Resizing the information panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.6 Edit profile window results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.7 Result window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.8 Trend window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3.1 Open dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3.2 Setting up the file search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.3 Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.4 Opening multiple profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.5 Save dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3.6 Save as dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.7 Save result dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.8 Zoom numerical dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

4.1 Move and rotate dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4.2 Scale dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
4.3 Place center dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5.1 Select default trend window set up dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

5.2 Add field dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6.1 Database explorer window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

6.2 Scheme window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
6.3 Edit columns dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6.4 Edit filters dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

7.1 3D window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
7.2 Wheel 3D properties dialog - General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
7.3 Wheel 3D properties dialog - Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
7.4 Save image dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

8.1 Wheel wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

8.2 Wheel flange radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
8.3 Rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

List of Figures ix
8.4 Rail crown radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
8.5 Rail head width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.6 Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
8.7 Brake wear (No reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.8 Brake debending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
8.9 Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.10 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
8.11 Curvature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
8.12 Rediduals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
8.13 Vertical residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
8.14 Horizontal residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
8.15 Maximum residuals on wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
8.16 Maximum residuals on rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
8.17 Maximum residuals on brake discs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
8.18 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8.19 Align wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.20 Align wheel on flange top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
8.21 Align wheel on taperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
8.22 Align wheel on flange back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
8.23 Align wheel on outer thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.24 Align rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
8.25 Align rail centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
8.26 Align rail (CEN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.27 Align rail on wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
8.28 Align rail for grinding (Low) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.29 Align rail for grinding (High) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
8.30 Align rail on top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.31 Align grooved rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
8.32 Align brake on top edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
8.33 Align brake on scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

10.1 Print dialog - General settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

10.2 Print dialog - Printer settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
10.3 Print preview dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

11.1 Preference dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

11.2 Configuring the toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
11.3 Configuring colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

12.1 Calculation configuration dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

13.1 Import and export filter settings dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

14.1 Keyboard bindings dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

15.1 Measurement scheme designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

15.2 Measurement scheme designer - Part properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
15.3 Measurement scheme designer - Illustration editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

x List of Figures
15.4 Print template designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
15.5 Print template designer - Global properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
15.6 Print template designer - Graph object general properties . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
15.7 Print template designer - Graph object drawing properties . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
15.8 Print template designer - Textbox properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
15.9 Textbox line syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
15.10 Textbox line condition example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
15.11 Print template designer - Page header/footer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
15.12 Page header/footer line syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
15.13 Page header source example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
15.14 Print template designer - Page header result example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
15.15 Print template designer - Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
15.16 Text object paragraph syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
15.17 Text object source example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
15.18 Print template designer - Text object result example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
15.19 Field information syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15.20 Field information source example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15.21 Print template designer - Field information result example . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15.22 Print template designer - Relative/absolute placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
15.23 Print template designer - Page selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
15.24 Customizing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
15.25 Customizing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
15.26 Installing a new language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
15.27 Installing a calibration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
15.28 Measurement menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
15.29 Measurement menu password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

16.1 Batch script selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

16.2 Summary script selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
16.3 Export script selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
16.4 Script guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
16.5 Macro builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
16.6 Opened macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

17.1 Wheel flange width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

17.2 Wheel flange width (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
17.3 Wheel flange back wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
17.4 Wheel flange back wear (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
17.5 Wheel flange angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
17.6 Wheel flange angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
17.7 Wheel taperline angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
17.8 Wheel wear difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
17.9 Wheel diameter difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
17.10 Wheel hollowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
17.11 Wheel thread wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
17.12 Wheel thread wear maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

List of Figures xi
17.13 Wheel volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
17.14 Wheel diameter from tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
17.15 Wheel gauge flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
17.16 TwinHead wheel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
17.17 TwinHead wheel gauge (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
17.18 Align wheel on diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
17.19 Align wheel on tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
17.20 Railhead angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
17.21 Rail gauge angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
17.22 Rail gauge angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
17.23 Rail height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
17.24 Railhead area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
17.25 Grooved rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
17.26 Grooved rail geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
17.27 TwinHead rail gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
17.28 Align grooved rail (Flat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
17.29 Brake volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
17.30 TwinHead brake width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
17.31 Align TwinHead brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
17.32 Contact points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
17.33 Contact angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
17.34 Rolling radius differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
17.35 Equivalent conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
17.36 Equivalent Conicity printout example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

xii List of Figures

 L IST OF TABLES

2.1 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2 Window types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3 Profile list symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.4 Profile cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.5 Edit results operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.6 Profile list symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.7 Result cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.8 Trend cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3.1 Open dialog tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3.2 Open dialog shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.3 Open dialog search criteria operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.4 Keyboard shortcuts for zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4.1 Keyboard commands for moving and rotating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

5.1 Keyboard shortcuts for zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

6.1 Edit columns operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

6.2 Edit filters operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

7.1 Keyboard shortcuts for moving, zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

8.1 Standard profile cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

8.2 Standard result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.3 Start trend cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.4 Tangent cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
8.5 Perpendicular cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.6 Curvature cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.7 Angle marks cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
8.8 Residual result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
8.9 Area result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
8.10 Linear trend estimation cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

9.1 DXF import filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

9.2 FIT import filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
9.3 DXF export filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.4 Windows metafile export filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

List of Tables xiii

9.5 Windows bitmap export filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.6 JPEG export filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
9.7 PNG export filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

10.1 Print preview tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

11.1 General settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

11.2 Toolbar settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
11.3 Unit settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
11.4 Open settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.5 Folder settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.6 Profile window settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11.7 Profile window keyboard settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.8 Profile window hint settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.9 Profile window reference settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.10 Result window settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
11.11 Trend window settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.12 Database window settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.13 Graph settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
11.14 Graph keyboard settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
11.15 Graph mouse settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
11.16 File settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
11.17 3D settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
11.18 3D rendering settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

15.1 Global scheme parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

15.2 String field parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
15.3 List field parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
15.4 Field list operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
15.5 Part options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
15.6 Field flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
15.7 Background image object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
15.8 Image object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
15.9 Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
15.10 Print template objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
15.11 Page header/footer object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
15.12 Graph object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
15.13 Textbox object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
15.14 Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
15.15 Image object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
15.16 Graph scale modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
15.17 Textbox line conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
15.18 Textbox line condition operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
15.19 Textbox line flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
15.20 Dynamic textbox information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
15.21 Page header/footer flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
15.22 Text object flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

xiv List of Tables

15.23 Text object control codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
15.24 Dynamic fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15.25 Customize fields columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
15.26 Customize fields operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

16.1 Macro builder tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

17.1 Basic settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

17.2 Conicity method setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
17.3 Contact angle settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
17.4 Profile clipping settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
17.5 Smoothing settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
17.6 Rolling radius difference settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
17.7 Auto symmetry settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

List of Tables xv
xvi List of Tables
 C HAPTER 1

I NTRODUCTION

MiniProf for Windows Version 2.4 is designed and intended for making profile measurements
with a MiniProf instrument and for doing post-processing of these measurements. The main
features include the measurement, viewing, analysis and printing of profiles measured with a
MiniProf unit. In addition, the software offers ways of manipulating profiles, aligning profiles
against references and performing complex calculations.

The following MiniProf for Windows manuals are available from Greenwood Engineering,
covering the everyday use, advanced features and technical issues.

MiniProf for Windows The manual is intended as a guide for the new user. It
User’s Guide explains the software and hardware installation, how to perform
measurements with the equipment and issues regarding the
instrument maintenance.
MiniProf for Windows In depth manual covering measurement manipulation and
Advanced Guide analysis, report printing, import and export of data, batch
processing large amounts of data.
MiniProf for Windows Reference for the experienced user and developers with
Technical Reference information on: measurement file formats, result file formats,
reference file format and translating the software into other
languages.

Chapter 1: Introduction 1
2 Chapter 1: Introduction
Part I
Basic
Basic Use
Use
4
 C HAPTER 2

U SING M INI P ROF FOR W INDOWS

This section describes the different parts of the program in order to make the user familiar with
the software and the terminology used in the rest of this guide.

2.1 The main window

The program is designed as a MDI1 application and the main window is thus mostly a container
for document windows, in this case, windows showing measurements and results. In addition,
the main window holds the menu (Ê), the toolbars (Ë...Í) and the status line (Î...Ð). See an
example of the main window in Figure 2.1 below.

Figure 2.1: Main window

Ê Main window
Ë Main toolbar
Ì Window toolbar
Í Child window toolbar
Î Progress indicator for time-consuming operations
Ï Status indicator for the MiniProf measuring instrument
Ð Status bar showing either a list of all opened windows or long hints from menus and toolbars

1
MDI is short for Multiple Document Interface

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 5

As a benefit of the MDI design, there is almost no limit to how many measurement windows
and result windows, which can be open at a given time. It’s actually only Windows itself and
the memory resources in the computer that set the limit. For the most common uses this should
not cause any problems.

2.1.1 The main menu

The contents of the main menu (Ê) vary, depending on the active window. Some items are
always present (File, Measure 2 , Database, Tools, Window and Help). When a child window
is selected, the menu is extended with new items, containing commands specific to the active
window. The new items are inserted after the Measure item or after the Database, depending
on the active window. The following tables show the structure of the menus, and describe their
contents briefly.

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Windows - Help

New Opens a new and empty profile window
New trend window Opens a new and empty trend window
New 3D window Opens a new and empty 3D window
Open Opens measurements, references or results
Save Saves measurements or results
Save as... Saves one or more profiles/results from a window in a new file
Save image Saves the contents of a 3D window to an image file
Close Closes a profile/result/trend window
Close all Closes all open child windows
Reopen Submenu displaying the up to 10 most recently opened files
Import Submenu with the available import filter functions
Export Submenu with the available export filter functions
Preferences Displays the preferences dialog
Keyboard bindings Edits the keyboard assignments
Import and export settings Displays the import and export filter configuration dialog
Automation Submenu with scripts and macros
Batch Performs one or more calculations/alignments on multiple profiles
Export Exports multiple profiles to one or more formats
Print Prints multiple profiles using the selected print template
Summary (Text) Extracts information from multiple profiles to a text file
Summary (Excel) Extracts information from multiple profiles to an Excel file
Convert DXF to MPT Macro for easier DXF to MPT conversion
Convert FIT to MPT Macro for easier FIT to MPT conversion
... Custom macros appear here when available. See the Automation
section for further information
Build macro Create, edit and delete macros

2
The Measure menu is only present when the measurement modules are installed

6 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

 Configure Configure the installed scripts
Other... Load and run an external script
Print Prints the contents of profile and result windows
Print preview Displays a print preview window
Exit Exits the MiniProf for Windows software

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Windows - Help

Install instrument Displays the instrument installation dialog
New measurement Starts a new measurement
Measurement schemes Submenu with the available measurement schemes
Calibrate wheel diameter Opens the wheel diameter calibration wizard
Calibrate TwinHead Opens the TwinHead calibration wizard
Diagnose Opens MiniProf instrument diagnostic window
Define fields Displays the measurement field editor
Define results Displays the measurement results editor
Devices Displays the device configuration dialog
Configure Displays the measurement configuration

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Windows - Help

Explore Opens a database explorer window
Wheels Opens a database window with all standalone wheel measure-
ments
Rails Opens a database window with all standalone rail measurements
Brakes Opens a database window with all standalone brake measure-
ments
... Items are found here for all available measurement schemes

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Windows - Help

Design scheme Creates and edits measurement schemes
Design template Creates and edits print templates
Customize fields Customizes the list of fields used by different parts of the program
Install language Installs a new language. See the Tools section for further
information
Install calibration Installs a new or updated calibration
Measurement menu Switches to the measurement menu screen layout

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Window - Help

Cascade Cascades the opened child windows
Tile Tiles the opened child windows

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 7

 Fill Fills the opened child windows
Previous Goes to the previous child window
Next Goes to the next child window
Minimize Minimizes the current child window
Maximize Maximizes the current child window
Restore Restores the size of a child window
Organize Displays the window organizer dialog
Full screen Toggles the fullscreen mode

File - Measure - Database - Tools - Windows - Help

User’s Guide Opens the MiniProf for Windows - User’s Guide in Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Advanced Guide Opens the MiniProf for Windows - Advanced Guide in Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Technical Reference Opens the MiniProf for Windows - Technical Reference in Adobe
Acrobat Reader
Greenwood homepage Opens the default web browser and goes to the Greenwood
Engineering homepage (www.greenwood.dk)
MiniProf homepage Opens the default web browser and goes to the MiniProf
homepage (www.miniprof.dk)
Information Displays the information dialog listing software versions and
installed plug-ins
About Displays the About dialog

2.1.2 Profile window menu

File - Measure - Profile - Move - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help
Add profile Adds a profile to the current profile window
Remove profile Removes the selected profile from the current profile window
Order Submenu with commands for changing the profile order and
grouping
Delete points Submenu with commands for deleting parts of the selected profile
Scale profile Displays a profile scaling dialog for applying a scale factor
Set as reference Sets the selected profile as the reference
Lock/unlock Locks and unlocks the selected profile
Toggle tickmarks Toggles the tickmarks for the selected profile
Properties Displays the properties for the selected profile
Cursors Submenu with command for moving the cursors
Call cursor 1 Moves cursor 1 to a visual part of the profile window
Call cursor 2 Moves cursor 2 to a visual part of the profile window
Place cursor Place the center cursor at a specific location

8 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

 Result fields Edit the fields shown in the results panel
Undo Undoes the last operation performed on the current profile
window
Redo Redoes the last undone operation

File - Measure - Profile - Move - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help
Move and rotate Displays the move and rotate dialog for precise manipulation of
the selected profile
Mirror horizontal Mirrors the selected profile about a horizontal line
Mirror vertical Mirrors the selected profile about a vertical line
Align wheel Aligns the selected wheel profile against the reference
Align wheel on flange top Same as Align wheel, just using another algorithm
Align wheel on taperline Same as Align wheel, just using another algorithm
Align wheel on flange back Same as Align wheel, just using another algorithm
Align wheel on outer thread Same as Align wheel, just using another algorithm
Align rail Aligns the selected rail profile against the reference
Align rail centered Same as Align rail, just using another algorithm
Align rail (CEN) Same as Align rail, just using another algorithm
Align rail on wear Same as Align rail, just using another algorithm
Align rail for grinding (Low) Same as Align rail, just using another algorithm
Align rail for grinding (High) Same as Align rail, just using another algorithm
Align grooved rail Same as Align rail, just using an algorithm for grooved rails
... If plug-ins make additional alignments available, these are found
here. See the Plug-ins section for further information

File - Measure - Profile - Move - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help
Zoom all Zooms the view to fit, so all profiles are displayed
Zoom in Zooms in about the center of the view
Zoom out Zooms out about the center of the view
Zoom previous Zooms to the previous zoom
Zoom numeric Displays a dialog for doing a numerical zoom of the window
Retain aspect ratio Toggles retaining the aspect ratio during zooming

File - Measure - Profile - Move - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help
Wheel wear Calculates the wheel wear parameters (Sd, Sh and qR)
Wheel flange radius Calculates the wheel flange radius
Rail wear Calculates the rail wear parameters
Rail crown radius Calculates the rail crown radius
Rail head width Calculates the rail head width
Brake wear Calculates the brake wear parameters

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 9

 Brake wear (No reference) Calculates the brake wear parameters
Brake debending Calculates a debended brake profile
Length Calculates the length along the profile
Angles Calculates the angle of the tangent in each point of the profile
Curvature Calculates the profile curvature
Residuals Calculates the distance between the reference profile and the
measured profile perpendicular to the reference profile
Vertical residuals Calculates the vertical distance between the reference profile and
the measured profile
Horizontal residuals Calculates the horizontal distance between the reference profile
and the measured profile
Maximum residuals Calculates the maximum, minimum and average residual between
the reference profile and the measured profile
Area Calculates the area between the reference profile and the
measured profile
... If plug-ins make additional calculations available, these are found
here. See the Plug-ins section for further information
Configure Displays the calculation, alignment and cursor configuration
dialog
Clear results Clears the list of results in the profile window
Cursors Toggles the display of cursors

2.1.3 Result window menu

File - Measure - Result - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Toggle tickmarks Toggles the tickmarks for the selected result
Recalculate Performs the calculation again and add the results to the window
Visible Toggles the visibility of the selected result
Call cursor 1 Moves cursor 1 to a visual part of the result window
Call cursor 2 Moves cursor 2 to a visual part of the result window
Undo Undoes the last operation performed on the current result window
Redo Redoes the last undone operation

File - Measure - Results - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Zoom all Zooms the view to fit, so all results are displayed
Zoom in Zooms in about the center of the view
Zoom out Zooms out about the center of the view
Zoom previous Zooms to the previous zoom
Zoom maximum Zooms the view to the maximum extent
Zoom numeric Displays a dialog for doing an numerical zoom of the window

10 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

 Retain aspect ratio Toggles retaining the aspect ratio during zooming

File - Measure - Results - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Configure Displays the calculation, alignment and cursor configuration
dialog
Cursors Toggles the display of cursors

2.1.4 Trend window menu

File - Measure - Trend - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Add profile Adds a profile to the current trend window
Remove profile Removes the selected profile from the current trend window
Add field Adds a field to the current trend window
Remove field Removes the selected field from the current trend window
Toggle tickmarks Toggles the tickmarks for the selected profile
Profile properties Displays the properties for the selected profile
Field properties Displays the properties for the selected field
Set as default Sets the current configuration as default for later trend windows
Methods Submenu with command for selecting the trend method
Date and time Use date and time as base for the trending
Mileage Use mileage as base for the trending
Tonnage Use tonnage time as base for the trending
Cursors Submenu with command for moving the cursors
Call cursor 1 Moves cursor 1 to a visual part of the trend window
Call cursor 2 Moves cursor 2 to a visual part of the trend window
Undo Undoes the last operation performed on the current trend window
Redo Redoes the last undone operation

File - Measure - Trend - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Zoom all Zooms the view to fit, so all results are displayed
Zoom in Zooms in about the center of the view
Zoom out Zooms out about the center of the view
Zoom previous Zooms to the previous zoom
Zoom maximum Zooms the view to the maximum extent
Zoom numeric Displays a dialog for doing an numerical zoom of the window
Retain aspect ratio Toggles retaining the aspect ratio during zooming

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 11

 File - Measure - Trend - Zoom - Calculate - Tools - Database - Windows - Help
Configure Displays the calculation, alignment and cursor configuration
dialog
Cursors Toggles the display of cursors

2.1.5 Database window menu

File - Measure - Explorer - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Import measurements Imports measurement files into the database
Remove measurements Removes selected measurements from the database
Open profile window Opens the selected measurements in a profile window
Open trend window Opens the selected measurements in a trend window
Edit columns Edits the column definition
Edit filters Edits the filter definition
Set as default Sets the current configuration as default for later explorer
windows

2.1.6 Scheme window menu

File - Measure - Scheme - Tools - Database - Windows - Help

Import measurements Imports measurement files into the database
Remove measurements Removes selected measurements from the database
Open profile window Opens the selected measurements in a profile window
Open trend window Opens the selected measurements in a trend window
Edit columns Edits the column definition
Edit filters Edits the filter definition
Set as default Sets the current configuration as default for later scheme windows

2.1.7 Popup menus

Popup menus are featured throughout the software in a lot of different places, offering many
shortcuts to commands relevant in a given place. Click with the right mouse button in graphs,
information panels and grids to access these popup menus.

12 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

2.1.8 The toolbars

The toolbars (Figure 2.1, Ë...Í) are placed just below the main menu. Their contents also vary
depending on the active window. The Table 2.1 below describes the available toolbars.

TABLE 2.1: TOOLBARS

Main The main toolbar (Ë) is normally always visible. It can contain
commands like File→Open, File→Save, File→Print and so forth.
Window The window toolbar (Ì) is visible whenever a window is open. It
contains window related commands like Window →Minimize and
Window →Restore.
Profile windows This toolbar (Í) is shown when the active window is a profile
window. It can contain profile and zoom commands like
Profile→Properties and Zoom→Zoom all .
Result windows This toolbar is shown when the active window is a result window.
It can contain result and zoom commands like Result→Toggle
tickmarks and Zoom→Zoom all .
Trend windows This toolbar is shown when the active window is a trend window.
It can contain trend and zoom commands like Trend →Profile
properties and Zoom→Zoom all .
Database explorer This toolbar is shown when the active window is a database win-
dow. It can contain database commands like Explorer →Import
measurements.
Scheme windows This toolbar is shown when the active window is a scheme
window. It can contain scheme commands like Scheme→Import
measurements.
3D windows This toolbar is shown when the active window is a 3D window. It
can contain 3D model and view commands like Model →Properties
and Zoom→Zoom in.

All the toolbars can be configured to have completely user-defined content. See the section on
configuration for further information on adding and removing buttons.

2.1.9 The status line

The status line (Figure 2.1, Î...Ð), found at the bottom of the main window, is divided
into three parts. The first (Î) is a bar, which shows the progress during time-consuming
calculations and alignments. The second (Ï) contains a status indicator for the MiniProf
measuring instrument. See the section on instrument installation in MiniProf for Windows -
User’s Guide for further information. The third and largest part (Ð), placed on the right side,

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 13

is used for two purposes: showing a list of all opened windows and displaying descriptive hints
from menu commands.

Each item in the window list show the title of the window (Figure 2.2, Ê) and a small icon (Ë)
for easy identification of the window contents. See Table 2.2 below for a list of these icons.
TABLE 2.2: W INDOW TYPES

Profile window

Result window

Trend window

Database and scheme windows

3D window

Windows can be selected through this list by clicking with the mouse. If a window is already
selected, clicking again will minimize the window. When a window is minimized, the window
list displays a grayed item (Ì). Any minimized window can be restored by selecting the window
through the list.

Figure 2.2: Window list

Ê Selected window
Ë Icon identifying the window content
Ì Minimized window

The window list is replaced by descriptive hints (Figure 2.3, Ê) during menu selections and
while hovering toolbar-buttons. These hints are intended to give a more detailed description of
the menu and toolbar commands before these are executed.

Figure 2.3: Descriptive hint

Ê Hint

14 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

2.2 Profile windows

A profile window consists of two major parts: the profile view (Ê) and the information panels
(Ë...Í) found at the right edge of the window as shown in the Figure 2.4 below. The profile
view contains the visual representation of measured profiles and references.

Figure 2.4: Profile window

Ê Profile view
Ë Profiles panel
Ì Cursors panel
Í Results panel

There are three information panels on the profile window, each of which are described in the
following sections. These panels can be resized both in the horizontal and vertical direction
using the mouse. See the illustration in Figure 2.5. Dragging the splitter (Ê) found at the left
edge of the panels can change the width of all panels. To change the height of a panel, drag
the horizontal splitter (Ê) below the panel until the desired height is reached.

Figure 2.5: Resizing the information panels

Ê Vertical splitter, used to change the panel width
Ë Horizontal splitter, used for vertical resizing

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 15

2.2.1 Profiles

The profiles panel (Figure 2.4, Ë) holds a list with all the profiles shown in the associated
profile view (Figure 2.4, Ê). The active profile is highlighted in the list. A set of attributes is
shown next to the text. For the profile uic60.ban in the example, the first symbol indicates
that the profile is locked and the second symbol indicates that the profile is selected as the
reference. An additional marking will appear when multiple profiles are grouped together. All
markings are shown below.
TABLE 2.3: P ROFILE LIST SYMBOLS

The lock symbol indicates that the profile is locked, and cannot be moved.

The symbol indicates that the profile is selected as the reference profile.

A combination of these three symbols is displayed to indicate that a set of profiles is

grouped together.

2.2.2 Cursors

The cursors panel (Figure 2.4, Ì) contains the cursor information. This information is only
present when the cursors are shown in the profile view (Figure 2.4, Ê). The first two lines show
the position of each cursor. The next lines show different relations between the cursors, namely:
the horizontal and vertical distance, the length and the angle of the vector going from cursor 1
to cursor 2.
TABLE 2.4: P ROFILE CURSORS

Cursor 1 Coordinates of cursor 1

Cursor 2 Coordinates of cursor 2
(dX,dY) Horizontal and vertical distance between the cursors
|C2-C1| Length of the vector going from cursor 1 to cursor 2
<C2-C1 Angle of the vector going from cursor 1 to cursor 2
l(C1) Profile length from the start to cursor 1
l(C2) Profile length from the start to cursor 2
<t(C1) Angle of tangent going through cursor 1
<t(C1) Angle of tangent going through cursor 2
R(C1) Profile curvature at cursor 1
R(C2) Profile curvature at cursor 2

16 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

2.2.3 Results

The results panel (Figure 2.4, Í) shows the simple results for the calculations performed in this
window. Simple results are results that only consist of single values, like the wheel wear. The
latest results are placed at the bottom of the list. When the list contains more results than can
be shown, a scrollbar appears at the right edge, making it possible to view older results. All
results can be cleared from the list using the Calculate→Clear results command.

In addition to showing simple results, the results panel can also be configured to display certain
fields from the profile header of the selected profile. This could be information about where the
measurement was made or some values, for instance the wheel diameter. To edit these fields
use Profile→Result fields to open the result fields dialog as shown in Figure 2.6 below:

Figure 2.6: Edit profile window results

Insert and delete rows in this list to add and remove fields in the result list. To alter the
sequence of the fields, move the rows up or down in the list. See Table 2.5 below for further
details.
TABLE 2.5: E DIT RESULTS OPERATIONS
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Insert field Press £CTRL ¢£INSERT ¢ to insert a new blank field.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Delete field Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£DELETE ¢to delete
it.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move field up Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move field down Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.

2.3 Result windows

A result window consists of two major parts: the curve view (Ê) and the information panels
(Ë...Í) found at the right edge of the window as shown in Figure 2.7 below. The curve view
contains the visual representation of the result when a curved result is available. Curved results
are results that consist of a curve, like residuals and curvature.

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 17

Figure 2.7: Result window
Ê Curve view
Ë Profiles panel
Ì Cursors panel
Í X-axis panel

There are three information panels on the profile window, each of which are described in the
following sections. These panels can be resized both in the horizontal and vertical direction
using the mouse. See the previous section on the profile window for further information.

2.3.1 Profiles

The profiles panel (Figure 2.7, Ë) holds a list with all the profiles for which there are a curve
shown in the associated curve view (Ê). The active curve is shown in the list with a raised bar.
A mark is shown next to the text, indicating that the corresponding result is visible.
TABLE 2.6: P ROFILE LIST SYMBOLS

The curve symbol indicates that the result is visible.

Symbol indicating that the curve was calculated from the reference.

18 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

2.3.2 Cursors

The cursors panel (Figure 2.7, Ì) contains the cursor information. This information is only
present when the cursors are shown in the curve view (Ê). The first two lines show the position
of each cursor. The next line shows the relation between the cursors.
TABLE 2.7: R ESULT CURSORS

Cursor 1 Coordinates of cursor 1

Cursor 2 Coordinates of cursor 2
(dX,dY) Horizontal and vertical distance between the cursors

2.3.3 X axis

The x axis panel (Figure 2.7, Í) shows a list of the different x axes available for the results shown
in the result window. Click on the item in the list to select another axis and the appearance in
the result view will change. The type and number of axis available depends on the calculation
that returns the result. Normally available x axes types are: Tangent angle using the angle of
the tangent in each point and Profile distance using the distance along the profile.

2.4 Trend windows

A trend window consists of two major parts: the curve view (Ê) and the information panels
(Ë...Í) found at the right edge of the window as shown in Figure 2.8 below. The curve view
shows the trend visually for the given fields.

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 19

Figure 2.8: Trend window
Ê Curve view
Ë Profiles panel
Ì Cursors panel
Í Fields panel

2.4.1 Profiles

The profiles panel (Ë) holds a list with the profiles used to make the trend curves shown in
the associated curve view (Ê). The list is sorted using the date and time of the measurements,
placing the oldest measurement at the top and the latest at the bottom.

2.4.2 Cursors

The cursors panel (Ì) contains the cursor information. This information is only present when
the cursors are shown in the curve view (Ê). The first four lines show the position of each
cursor. The next two lines show the relation between the cursors. The last lines are results of
an estimation calculation.
TABLE 2.8: T REND CURSORS

Cursor 1 date Date for cursor 1

Cursor 1 value Value for cursor 1
Cursor 2 date Date for cursor 2
Cursor 2 value Value for cursor 2
Date interval Distance between the two cursors
Value interval Difference between the values in the two cursor positions

20 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows

 Warning Estimation on when the warning level is reached
Failure Estimation on when the failure level is reached

2.4.3 Fields

The fields panel (Í) shows a list of the profile header fields used to generate the trend curves.
Each of the items in this list corresponds to a curve in the curve view (Ê). Two additional values
are attached to a field and can be viewed by clicking the plus sign next to the field name. These
values are warning and failure levels used by the estimation functions to determine life times.

Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows 21

22 Chapter 2: Using MiniProf for Windows
 C HAPTER 3

BASIC OPERATIONS

This chapter describes the basic operations that can be performed with the software. All these
operations can be accessed through the keyboard, using the hotkeys
¤
displayed in the menu. As
¡¤ ¡
an example, the open command can be executed by pressing £CTRL ¢£ O ¢.

3.1 Opening a profile window

To open a profile window, select the File menu and choose the Open item. This brings up the
open dialog as shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1: Open dialog

Ê File and directory list
Ë Text field for entering directories and files
Ì File type selection list
Í Preview of profile
Î Preview of header fields
Ï Shortcut access bar
Ð Toolbar
Ñ Caption, displaying the current selected directory

Chapter 3: Basic operations 23

The lower part of the open dialog contains a list of the files and directories (Ê) found in the
currently selected directory, whose path is displayed in the caption (Ñ) of the dialog. A toolbar
(Ð) is placed just below the caption. See the list below for a description of each button.
TABLE 3.1: O PEN DIALOG TOOLS

Move to the parent directory.

Up one level

Toggles whether the preview is shown.

Show preview

Selects large icons for the directory/file list.

Large icons

Selects small icons for the directory/file list.

Small icons

Selects the list view for the directory/file list.

List

Selects the detailed view for the directory/file list.

Details

Switches to the search dialog.

Search

Shows a popup menu for selection of active network group when browsing
Groups the network.

Adds the current directory to the favorites list.

Add to favorites

Removes selected directory from the favorites list.

Remove from
favorites

Shows a popup menu with the open options. See the later sections for
Options further information on the items in this menu.

The upper part of the dialog shows a preview (Í+Î) of the file content, whenever a recognized
file is selected. This preview can be disabled and made to disappear by toggling the preview
button on the toolbar. The preview is shown again by clicking once more on the button.

24 Chapter 3: Basic operations

Two controls (Ë+Ì) are placed below the file list. The first, an editor field (Ë), shows the
name of the selected file and can be used for entering filenames and directories directly. The
second is the file type list (Ì). Use this list to select which files to list in the file list.

3.1.1 The options menu

The open options menu, accessible through the options button on the toolbar, holds the items
shown in the table below.

Options
Show all fields Shows all fields in the preview when checked
Edit shown fields Edits the list of fields shown in the preview
Edit columns Edits the list of fields shown in columns along with the filename
Reference An inserted profile is selected as the reference when this option
is checked
Locked The inserted profiles are locked when this option is checked
Auto reference A reference will be added automatically to the new profile window
when this option is checked

3.1.2 Controlling the field preview

The profile header preview displays all fields when the option menu item Show all fields is
checked. To view only selected fields from the header, uncheck the item Show all fields, and
use Edit shown fields to select which fields are shown.

3.1.3 Inserting profiles locked or as reference

Inserted profiles can be locked or selected as reference automatically. Open the option menu
from the toolbar (Ð) and check the Locked item to have inserted profiles locked. Checking the
Reference item will select the next inserted profile as the reference. Please note that the Locked
and Reference options only apply when inserting profiles into an existing window and not when
opening a new window.

3.1.4 Adding the reference automatically

Open the option menu from the toolbar (Ð) and select the Auto reference item, to enable
or disable the automatic addition of references. The MiniProf software will determine which
reference to use on the basis of profile type or based on information from the profile header,
if available and enabled. See the section on setting preferences for further information. Please
note that the Auto reference option applies only when opening a new window.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 25

3.1.5 The shortcut access bar

The bar found at the left edge of the open dialog is called the shortcut access bar. It contains
eight icons, each providing fast access to often-used files and directories. The list below describes
each of the icons. Pressing each of the icons once changes the contents of the file list. Except
for the bottom three icons, which changes the current folder, it is posible to go back to the
previous folder by pressing the same icon again.
TABLE 3.2: O PEN DIALOG SHORTCUTS

Shows a list of all drives and common folders on the computer.

My Computer

Shows a list of all network resources (computers and servers) within a

selected workgroup.
Network

Shows a list with the favorite folders. Double-click on a folder name to go

to that location.
Favorites

Shows a list with the 10 most recently opened files.

Recent files

Shows the results of the last search. If no search have been performed yet,
or the last search gave an empty result, the list will be blank.
Last search

Goes to the data folder, normally located in the MiniProf for Windows
directory.
Data folder

Goes to the reference folder, normally located in the MiniProf for Windows
directory.
References

Goes to the calibration folder, normally located in the MiniProf for

Windows directory.
Calibration files

26 Chapter 3: Basic operations

3.1.6 Selecting drives

To change the current drive in the open dialog, press the My Computer icon in the shortcut
access panel (Ï). This changes the list (Ê) to display icons for drives and common folders.
Double click on any of these drives or folders to change the current location.

3.1.7 Browsing the network

Browsing network resources in the software is very simple. Press the Network icon in the
shortcut access panel (Ï) to get at list of computers and servers available. By default, these
are found using the workgroup that the computer belongs to. Use the Groups toolbutton to
change the workgroup for accessing resources in other groups.

An alternate method of getting access to network resource is through an UNC path. Use the
editor field¤ (Ë) to
¡
enter an UNC formatted path, for example \\server1\data\mp001\, and
press the £ENTER ¢ key. This changes the current directory to \\server1\data\mp001\. Then
use the file list to browse for files and directories just as if it was an ordinary local drive.

3.1.8 Searching for files

The open dialog has a built-in search function for locating files based on name or contents.
Press the search button in the toolbar (Ð) to enter the search mode. While in search mode
the open dialog will appear as shown in Figure 3.2 below. Press the Cancel button to exit the
search mode.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 27

Figure 3.2: Setting up the file search
Ê Search path
Ë Search options
Ì File masks
Í Criteria which the fields in the profile header must match
Î Match all the criteria or just one

Specify the search by setting the search parameters (Ê...Î). The search path (Ê) is the directory
in which the search is started. If the Recurse through subdirectories option (Ë) is checked, the
search will also go through all subdirectories below the given search path. Setting the hidden
and read-only options (Ë) controls whether files with these attributes are included in the search.

The file masks (Ì) limit the search by the filename. Wildcards (? and *) can be used and
multiple masks, separated by semicolons, can be entered. Use the masks to limit the search as
much as possible, as this makes the search faster.

More specific search criteria can be entered using the fields (Í). This can be used for matching
on the fields in the profile header. A criteria normally has the form Field=Value, where the
Field is the header field ID and Value is the value it must have to include the file in the search
results. As for the file masks, wildcards (? and *) can be used in the value to extend the search
and multiple criteria can be entered, separated by semicolons.

Search criteria can be even more specific if the field is known to contain a numerical value.
Changing the comparison operator (=) to one of the following enables the search to limit the
results based on the value.
TABLE 3.3: O PEN DIALOG SEARCH CRITERIA OPERATORS

> Includes file if value of field is greater than criteria.

< Includes file if value of field is less than criteria.
>= Includes file if value of field is greater than or equal to criteria.

28 Chapter 3: Basic operations

 <= Includes file if value of field is less than or equal to criteria.
== Includes file if value of field is equal to criteria.
!= Includes file if value of field is not equal to criteria.

Check the Match all criteria (Î) option if every criterion in the fields should match. If just
one of the criteria must match, uncheck the option.

Press the Start button, when all the search parameters have been entered, to start the search,
displaying the dialog shown in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3: Searching for files

The search process can, depending on the search criteria and the number of files, be a time
consuming operation. To stop the search, press the Stop button. When the search has been
completed, the search mode is exited and the results are show in the file list. The files in this
list can be selected and opened just as if they had been located manually.

3.1.9 Opening multiple files

It is possible to open more than one file at a time. The following dialog (see Figure 3.4) is
shown if multiple files are selected in the open dialog. Press the One window button to have all
the selected profiles opened in the same window. Press the Multiple button to have each profile
opened in a separate window. Pressing the Cancel button will abort the open procedure.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 29

Figure 3.4: Opening multiple profiles

3.1.10 Reopening files

MiniProf for Windows keeps track of the last 10 files, which have been opened though the Open
command in order to enable fast access to recently used files. To reopen a file, simply choose
the filename in the Reopen submenu found in the File menu.

3.2 Opening a result window

Result windows are normally opened as a result of a calculation, but as these results can be
saved, it is of course possible to open them again for viewing and printing. Select the File menu
and choose the Open item to open a previously saved result. The dialog shown is identical to
the one used for opening profiles (see Figure 3.1) and the descriptions in the previous section
on browsing and searching apply here as well.

3.3 Closing a window

To close a child window (profile, result, trend, database, scheme and 3D windows), select the
window and do one of the following:

F Press the X button in the caption of the window.

¤ ¡¤ ¡
F Press the key combination £CTRL ¢£F4 ¢.

F Select the File menu and choose the Close item.

All opened child windows can be closed at once using the File→Close all . If there are unsaved
changes in a profile window, the program will ask for a confirmation before closing it.

3.4 Adding profiles

Any number of profiles can be added to an opened profile window. To add one or more profiles,
select the Profile menu and choose the Add profile item. This brings up an open dialog, similar
to the one shown in Figure 3.1. Select the profile or profiles to insert and press the Open button.

30 Chapter 3: Basic operations

3.5 Selecting the active profile

Most operations are performed on the selected profile. Profiles can be selected with the mouse
by clicking in the profile view
¤
or by ¡clicking
¤
in the profile
¡
list. To select the active profile with
the keyboard, use the keys £PAGE UP ¢ and £PAGE DOWN ¢.

3.6 Deleting profiles

To delete the active profile from the profile window, select the Profile menu and choose the
ProfileDelete profile item. Please note that this only removes the profile from the profile
window. It does not erase the profile from the disk.

3.7 Saving profile(s)

The profiles shown in a profile window can be saved in two different ways. The first is to select
the File menu and choose the Save item. This displays a dialog similar to the one shown in
Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5: Save dialog

Ê File list
Ë Readonly control

Select the files to be saved by checking the items in the file list (Ê) and press the Ok button
to save the files. Press the Cancel button to abort the save operation.

If one or more of the open files are readonly, the readonly control (Ë) will be enabled, allowing
to select whether or not to overwrite these files when saving. The options are Skip readonly
files, Overwrite readonly files and Overwrite files and keep readonly. The last selection will
overwrite readonly files but the files will remain being readonly after the save.

It is also possible to save one or more profiles in a new file. To do this, select the File menu
and choose the item Save as.... This brings up a dialog like the one shown in Figure 3.6.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 31

Figure 3.6: Save as dialog
Ê File list
Ë Filename text field
Ì Browser button

Select the profiles (Ê) that should be saved in a new file and enter the name for the file in the
text field (Ë+Ì). Then press the Ok button to save the profiles. Press the Cancel button to
abort the save operation. Note that if the filename does not contain a path, the path of the
program will be added.

3.8 Saving result(s)

The results shown in a result window can be saved by selecting the File menu and choosing the
Save as... item. This displays a dialog similar to the one shown in Figure 3.7. Select the results
(Ê) that should be saved in a file and enter the name for the file in the text field (Ë+Ì). Then
press the Ok button to save the results. Press the Cancel button to abort the save operation.
Note that if the filename does not contain a path, the path of the program will be added.

Figure 3.7: Save result dialog

Ê Result list
Ë Filename text field
Ì Browser button

32 Chapter 3: Basic operations

3.9 Selecting a reference profile

To select the active profile as the reference, select the Profile menu and choose the item Set as
reference. Only one profile can be selected as the reference at a time.

3.10 Profile ordering and grouping

When multiple profiles are opened in a single profile window they are placed in an order relative
to each other. This order is reflected in the Profiles panel (see (Figure 2.4, Ë)) and is used
when saving and printing profiles.

Two or more profiles can be grouped, making the profiles stick together when moved or rotated.
Profiles from multiple measurement files, made with a Switch unit or a TwinHead unit, will
automatically be grouped.

Select the Profile menu and choose the Order submenu to access the order and group functions.
The table below describes each of the items in the Order submenu.

Order
Move up Moves the selected profile one place up in the profile list.
Move down Moves the selected profile one place down in the profile list.
Group with previous Groups the selected profile and the previous profile in the list
together.
Group with next Groups the selected profile and the next profile in the list
together.
Break from group Breaks the selected profile from the group it resides in. Please
note that the profile must be either the first or last in the group
to be removed from the group.

3.11 Zooming and panning

The contents of profile and result windows can be zoomed and panned to view all parts and
details on the profiles, results or trends. Use the menu Zoom and the items Zoom in and Zoom
out to zoom in and out about the center of the view. Use the Zoom all item to change the
view to the best fit, showing all profiles or results completely.

An extra zoom command is available for result windows. By using Zoom maximum, the contents
of the window will be zoomed in both horizontal and vertical direction as much as possible. This
zoom function is especially good for results from residual calculations, which usually produce
a very thin curve.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 33

A more flexible zoom is available through the mouse. Follow the directions below to zoom in
on an area.

F Move the mouse to one corner of the desired zoom area.

¤ ¡
F Press and hold the £SHIFT ¢ key, if the cross cursor is not shown.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the zoom box to fit the desired area.
¤ ¡
F Release the left mouse button and release the £SHIFT ¢key, if pressed, to complete the zoom.

Panning with the mouse is done in almost the same manner:

F Place the mouse over the starting pan point.

¤ ¡
F Press and hold the £CTRL ¢ key.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the pan line to the end pan point.
¤ ¡
F Release the left mouse button and release the £CTRL ¢ key to complete the pan.

Zooming can also be achieved using a wheel equiped mouse. The zoom will be centered about
the mouse cursor, so position the cursor over the area of interest. Then simply scroll the mouse
wheel forward and backward to zoom in and out.

Any zoom or pan operation can be undone by clicking with the middle mouse button in the
profile view. This corresponds to the Zoom→Zoom previous menu item. The initial zoom level
for a window can be reached by doubleclicking the left mouse button.

The¤zoom ¡
operation will by default retain the aspect ratio in profile windows. Press and hold
the £ALT ¢ key during the zoom operation to zoom without a retained aspect ratio. The aspect
ratio can also be controlled using the Zoom→Retain
¤ ¡
aspect ratio command that, when checked,
toggles the default. In that case, pressing the £ALT ¢ will turn retained aspect on.

3.11.1 Using the keyboard

It is possible to use the keyboard for zooming and panning. The following keyboard shortcuts
have been assigned for that purpose:

TABLE 3.4: K EYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR ZOOMING AND PANNING

¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ + ¢ Zoom in.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ – ¢ Zoom out.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view down.

34 Chapter 3: Basic operations

The amount that is zoomed and panned can be configured through the configuration. See the
section on setting preferences for further information.

3.11.2 Numerical zoom and pan

A special zoom option is available to gain complete control over the area shown in the window.
Using the command Zoom numerical opens a dialog like the one shown in Figure 3.8 below. It
is here possible to enter exact values for the extend of both X and Y axis.

Figure 3.8: Zoom numerical dialog

The Range X values set the maximum and minimum range for the X axis. Selecting the
Symmetrical option disables the minimum range value and assumes that the zoom extend for
the X axis should be +/÷ the maximum value. The Range Y values set the maximum and
minimum range for the Y axis similar to the X axis settings.

In the Axes list it is possible to select which of the axes the zoom operation should work on.
This can be either Both axes, X axis or Y axis.

If the Lock aspect ratio is selected, changing the range for one axis will automatically update
the range for other axis to match making sure that the ratio X/Y is retained.

3.12 Showing tickmarks

To view the actual points for a given profile, select the profile and toggle the tickmarks by
selecting the Profile menu and choosing the Toggle tickmarks item. This shows a small marker
05
for each point on the active profile. There are 4 different marker styles ( , , 
and ), and
by choosing Toggle tickmarks again, it is possible to cycle through these styles. When the last
marker style is selected, choosing Toggle tickmarks will remove the tickmarks again.

3.13 Using cursors

Cursors can be used in profile, result and trend windows to inspect the individual points of a
profile/result/trend. To enable or disable cursors in a window toggle the Cursor item found
either at bottom of the Calculate menu or in the Results menu. When cursors are enabled, they
are displayed as two crosses placed somewhere in the window attached to a profile/result/trend.

Chapter 3: Basic operations 35

To move one of the cursors, place the mouse cursor over the cursor cross, press the left mouse
button, move the mouse to drag the cross to the desired position and release the left mouse
button again. During the move¤ the cursor
¡
will stay on the profile/result/trend it was on before
the move. Press and hold the £SHIFT ¢ key to release the cursor and enable it to move to other
profiles.

36 Chapter 3: Basic operations

Part II
Working
Working with
with profiles
profiles
38
 C HAPTER 4

P ROFILE MANIPULATIONS

Profiles can be moved and rotated both by manually dragging with the mouse or keyboard
and by using the alignment routines. All rotations, except the ones contained in an alignment
operation, are done about the profile center.

4.1 Moving and rotating

The profile can be moved and rotated by selecting the Move menu and choosing the Move and
rotate item. This brings up the dialog shown in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1: Move and rotate dialog

Enter the displacement and rotation angle in the editor fields dx, dy and Angle. Use the
dropdown lists found beside the editor fields to choose the preferred unit for the value. The
current displacement and rotation are shown visually
¤
in ¡the profile window at any time. To
complete the Move and rotate operation, press the ¤£ENTER
¡ ¢
key or the Ok button. To cancel the
operation without moving and rotating, press the £ESC ¢ key or the Cancel button.

4.1.1 Using the mouse

Moving and rotating profiles can also be done with the mouse. To move a profile, place the
mouse cursor on the profile, press the left mouse button, drag the profile to the desired position
and release the left mouse
¤ ¡
button again. Rotating is done in almost the same way. The only
difference is that the £ALT ¢ key must be pressed before the dragging is started.

Dragging at the ends of a profile will rotate the profile

¤
rather
¡
than moving it. To move a profile
by dragging at the end point, press and hold the £CTRL ¢ key before starting to drag the profile.

Chapter 4: Profile manipulations 39

4.1.2 Using the keyboard

It is possible to use the keyboard for moving and rotating profiles. The following keyboard-
shortcuts have been assigned for that purpose, all of them working on the active profile:

TABLE 4.1: K EYBOARD COMMANDS FOR MOVING AND ROTATING

¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move profile a large step left.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move profile a large step right.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move profile a large step up.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move profile a large step down.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move profile a small step left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move profile a small step right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move profile a small step up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move profile a small step down.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£ALT ¢£ ¢ Rotate profile a large step counterclockwise.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£ALT ¢£ ¢ Rotate profile a large step clockwise.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ALT ¢£ ¢ Rotate profile a small step counterclockwise.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ALT ¢£ ¢ Rotate profile a small step clockwise.

The amount that is moved and rotated can be configured through the configuration. See the
section on setting preferences for further information.

4.2 Scaling a profile

The profile can be scaled by selecting the Profile menu and choosing the Scale profile item.
This brings up the dialog shown in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2: Scale dialog

Enter the scales in the editor fields Scale x and Scale y either as factors or percentages. Check
the Retain aspect ration option to scale equal in both horizontal and vertical direction.

40 Chapter 4: Profile manipulations

4.3 Moving the profile center

Each profile has its own center point. This point can be moved freely to any place in the profile
view. Place the mouse cursor on the center point, press the left mouse button, move the mouse
to drag the center point to the desired position and release the left mouse button again.

4.3.1 Placing the center accurate

Instead of moving the center with the mouse it can be placed accurate using the Place center
dialog. Select the Profile menu, then the Cursors submenu and choose the Place cursor item.
This brings up the dialog shown in Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Place center dialog

Enter the center cursor place in the editor fields Center x and Center y. These values can be
relative to the profile or given in absolute coordinates. Use the selection lists below the editor
fields to change the behavior.

4.4 Mirroring a profile

Profiles can be mirrored about either a horizontal or a vertical line which intersects the profile
center point. Select the Move menu and choose Mirror horizontal or Mirror vertical to perform
the mirroring.

4.5 Locking profiles

To make sure a profile is not moved by accident, a profile can be locked. Select the Profile menu
and choose the Lock/unlock item to lock the active profile. As long as the profile is locked it
cannot be moved in any way. To unlock a profile, choose the Lock/unlock menu item again.

4.6 Deleting part of a profile

If for some reason the start or the end of a profile is malformed and cannot be used for
calculations, the part in question can be deleted from the profile. Choose the Profile menu
and the Delete points submenu and use either Before cursor or After cursor to delete the start
or the end.

Chapter 4: Profile manipulations 41

 Delete points
Before cursor Deletes all points before the first cursor on the selected profile.
After cursor Deletes all points after the last cursor on the selected profile.

4.7 Aligning a profile

An important issue when performing calculations on measured profiles is the placement of the
measured profile in relation to the reference profile. This can be done manually by moving the
profile as described in the previous sections, but this is not always the best or fastest solution.
Therefore the software includes a set of automated alignment routines. These can be found in
the bottom of the Move menu.

To perform an alignment, choose a profile to be the reference and select the profile, which
should be aligned against the reference. Then select one of the alignment functions in the Move
menu. Please note that only the alignment functions, which are relevant for the chosen profile,
can be selected.

42 Chapter 4: Profile manipulations

 C HAPTER 5

T REND ANALYSIS

MiniProf for Windows can do a simple trend analysis using profile header information. This
allows analysis of both calculated values as well as data entered by the operator during the
measurement.

To open a new trend window choose the File menu and select the item New trend window .
This shows a dialog, see Figure 5.1 below, querying for the default set up for the window. After
completing this selection, a new trend window is opened, ready for adding profiles.

Figure 5.1: Select default trend window set up dialog

5.1 Adding profiles

Adding profiles to a trend window is done similar to inserting profile in a profile window. Choose
the Trend menu and select the Add profile item. This will display the standard file browser
dialog. Select the profiles that should be added to the window and press the Open button.

5.2 Removing profiles

First select the profile to be removed from the trend window in the profile list. Then choose
the Trend menu and select the Remove profile item. This displays a small confirmation dialog.
Press the Yes button to confirm the removal or the No button to cancel the removal.

5.3 Fields

The items in the fields list represent the different curves in the trend window. Depending on
how the window was opened this list will either contain a default set of fields or be empty.

Chapter 5: Trend analysis 43

5.3.1 Adding fields

To add a field to a trend window, choose the Trend menu and select the Add field item. This
shows a dialog similar to the one in Figure 5.2 below.

Figure 5.2: Add field dialog

Enter an id for the field, either manually or by choosing one from the drop-down list. Select
the unit in which the value for the field is stored in the profile header. If the field id is selected
from the list this unit is set automatically.

The warning and failure levels must be set according to the selected field and match the limits
later estimations should use.

5.3.2 Selecting fields

Fields can be selected with the mouse by clicking in the curve view or ¤by clicking
¡¤
in¡ the
fields
¤
list.
¡¤
To select
¡
the active profile with the keyboard, use the keys £CTRL ¢£PAGE UP ¢ and
£CTRL ¢£PAGE DOWN ¢.

5.3.3 Removing fields

First select the field to be removed from the trend window in the fields list. Then choose the
Trend menu and select the Remove field item. This displays a small confirmation dialog. Press
the Yes button to confirm the removal or the No button to cancel the removal.

5.3.4 Modifying fields

To modify settings for a field already in the list, select the field, choose the Trend menu and
select the Field properties item. This shows a dialog similar to one used when adding fields.
Here it is possible to change the field id, the unit and the warning and failure levels.

5.3.5 Setting the default

When the trend window is opened with a default set of fields and the fields then afterwards
are changed, it could be that this new configuration is desired to be the default setup for later

44 Chapter 5: Trend analysis

trend analysis. To make the current field setup the default for later use, choose the Trend menu
and select the Set as default item.

5.4 Zooming and panning

The contents of a trend window can be zoomed and panned to view all parts and details on
the curves. Use the menu Zoom and the items Zoom in and Zoom out to zoom in and out
about the center of the view. Use the Zoom maximum item to change the view to the best fit,
showing all trend curves completely.

A more flexible zoom is available through the mouse. Follow the directions below to zoom in
on an area.

F Move the mouse to one corner of the desired zoom area.

¤ ¡
F Press and hold the £SHIFT ¢ key, if the cross cursor is not shown.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the zoom box to fit the desired area.
¤ ¡
F Release the left mouse button and release the £SHIFT ¢key, if pressed, to complete the zoom.

Panning with the mouse is done in almost the same manner:

F Place the mouse over the starting pan point.

¤ ¡
F Press and hold the £CTRL ¢ key.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the pan line to the end pan point.
¤ ¡
F Release the left mouse button and release the £CTRL ¢ key to complete the pan.

Zooming can also be achieved using a wheel equiped mouse. The zoom will be centered about
the mouse cursor, so position the cursor over the area of interest. Then simply scroll the mouse
wheel forward and backward to zoom in and out.

Any zoom or pan operation can be undone by clicking with the middle mouse button in the
profile view. This corresponds to the Zoom→Zoom previous menu item. The initial zoom level
for a window can be reached by doubleclicking the left mouse button.

The¤zoom ¡
operation will by default retain the aspect ratio in profile windows. Press and hold
the £ALT ¢ key during the zoom operation to zoom without a retained aspect ratio. The aspect
ratio can also be controlled using the Zoom→Retain
¤ ¡
aspect ratio command that, when checked,
toggles the default. In that case, pressing the £ALT ¢ will turn retained aspect on.

Chapter 5: Trend analysis 45

5.4.1 Using the keyboard

It is possible to use the keyboard for zooming and panning. The following keyboard shortcuts
have been assigned for that purpose:

TABLE 5.1: K EYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR ZOOMING AND PANNING

¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ + ¢ Zoom in.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ – ¢ Zoom out.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view down.

The amount that is zoomed and panned can be configured through the configuration. See the
section on setting preferences for further information.

5.5 Showing tickmarks

To view the actual points for a given trend curve, select the curve and toggle the tickmarks by
selecting the Trend menu and choosing the Toggle tickmarks item. This shows a small marker
05
for each point on the active profile. There are 4 different marker styles ( , , 
and ), and
by choosing Toggle tickmarks again, it is possible to cycle through these styles. When the last
marker style is selected, choosing Toggle tickmarks will remove the tickmarks again.

5.6 Estimations

The most important part of the trend window is the ability to do estimations. At the moment
estimates are found assuming a linear development in the wear. It uses a standard linear
regression algorithm to determine a function from which the estimated warning and failure
dates are calculated.

The estimation is done for the currently selected field. It is shown graphically as a line going
through the points as close as possible. Two values, called Warning and Failure, are also
displayed in the cursor panel. These are found as the place where the estimation line intersects
the warning and failure levels set for the field.

46 Chapter 5: Trend analysis

 C HAPTER 6

M EASUREMENT DATABASE

Measurements are normally stored in individual files for later analysis. The measurement data
can also be stored in a database. This can make the organization of data and later search for
measurement history much easier.

The measurement database is specially useful when combined with measurement schemes. The
scheme illustrations can then be used for locating measurements easy by pointing and clicking
with the mouse.

6.1 Opening a database window

A database window is used to view and access measurement data stored in the measurement
database. There are two types of database windows: the database explorer and scheme windows.
These are in most respects completely identical. The difference lies in the way queries for
measurements are performed.

6.1.1 Opening the database explorer

The database explorer is a generic window which can view and extract any measurement stored
in the database. Its main purpose is to enable access to measurements that were made without
use of measurement schemes. To open the database explorer window, choose the Database menu
and select the Explorer item. This opens a window similar to the one shown in Figure 6.1.

Chapter 6: Measurement database 47

Figure 6.1: Database explorer window
Ê List of measurements
Ë Profiles list
Ì Field filter list

The major part of the window shows a list of measurements (Ê) which correspond to the selected
criteria. The profiles list (Ë) enables a coarse reduction of the measurement list. Filters (Ì)
can then be used to set a more precise limitation.

6.1.2 Opening scheme windows

The scheme window can view and extract measurements which were made using a specific
measurement scheme. To open the scheme window, choose the Database menu and select the
item which has the same name as the measurement scheme. The example window shown in
Figure 6.2 uses the default Car measurement scheme.

48 Chapter 6: Measurement database

Figure 6.2: Scheme window
Ê List of measurements
Ë Measurement scheme parts
Ì Field filter list
Í Measurement scheme illustration

The lower part of the window shows a list of measurements (Ê) which correspond to the
selected criteria. The parts list (Ë) enables selection of measurements based on their position
in the originating measurement scheme. Filters (Ì) can then be used to further reduce the
measurements depending on car number, location etc.

The upper part of the dialog shows the measurement scheme illustration (Í), if one is defined
for the given measurement scheme. If not, this will disappear and the window will look a lot
like the database explorer. For advanced measurement schemes, which allow visualization of
the individual parts, the illustration will show the selected part as well as make it possible for
the user to select the part by clicking on the illustration.

6.2 Opening standalone measurements

Though the measurement database is designed to be used together with measurement schemes,
it does support standalone measurement that have no connection with a scheme. These
measurements can be viewed in the database either from the explorer or using one of the
dedicated windows, available through the Wheels, Rails and Brakes commands in the Database
menu.

Chapter 6: Measurement database 49

6.3 Opening measurements

When a number of measurements are selected in a database or scheme window, they can be
opened for further analysis. This can be done in a profile window or a trend window, depending
on required results.

Select the Explorer or Scheme menu and choose either Open profile window or Open trend
window . Both commands will open a standard profile/trend window and add the selected
measurements. The new window will from here on act just as any other profile/trend window,
allowing all commands that are normally available in these windows.

6.4 Columns

The list of measurements contains a number of columns with information from the profile
header. These columns can be changed using the Explorer or Scheme menu and the command
Edit columns. A dialog similar to Figure ?? is then displayed.

Figure 6.3: Edit columns dialog

Insert and delete rows in this list to add and remove columns in the measurement list. To alter
the sequence of the columns, move the rows up or down in the list. See Table 6.1 below for
further details.
TABLE 6.1: E DIT COLUMNS OPERATIONS
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Insert column Press £CTRL ¢£INSERT ¢ to insert a new blank column.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Delete column Select the row corresponding to the column and press £CTRL ¢£DELETE ¢ to
delete it.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move column left Select the row corresponding to the column and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move column right Select the row corresponding to the column and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.

50 Chapter 6: Measurement database

6.5 Filters

The filters panel shows a list of fields that are available for filtering. This list can be modified
using the Explorer or Scheme menu and the command Edit filters. This will display a dialog
similar to Figure 6.4.

Figure 6.4: Edit filters dialog

Insert and delete rows in this list to add and remove filter fields in the filters panel. To alter
the sequence of the filters, move the rows up or down in the list. See Table 6.2 below for further
details.
TABLE 6.2: E DIT FILTERS OPERATIONS
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Insert filter Press £CTRL ¢£INSERT ¢ to insert a new blank filter field.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Delete filtre Select the row corresponding to the filter and press £CTRL ¢£DELETE ¢to delete
it.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move filter up Select the row corresponding to the filter and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move filtre down Select the row corresponding to the filter and press £CTRL ¢£ ¢.

6.6 Importing measurements

Measurements that are not put into the database when they are made, can be put into the
database at a later time. It could also be the case that measurements from a field computer
should be put into a database on an office computer.

To import measurements into the database select the Explorer or Scheme menu and the
command Import measurements. This opens a standard measurement file browser. Select
one or more measurements to be imported and press the Open button.

6.7 Removing measurements

If there for some reason are measurements in the database that should be removed this
can be done by selecting the measurements in the measurement list and using the Remove

Chapter 6: Measurement database 51

measurements command in the Explorer or Scheme menu. This displays a small confirmation
dialog. Press the Yes button to confirm the removal or the No button to cancel the removal.

6.8 Set as default

When columns and filters have been set up in a database explorer window or a scheme window,
it could be that this new configuration is desired to be the default setup. To make the current
columns and filter setup the default for later use, choose the Explorer or Scheme menu and
select the Set as default item.

6.9 Enabling the database

The database storing needs to be enabled before new measurements are stored automatically.
This is done in the measurement configuration found in the Measure menu by choosing
the Configure item. Here the database can be enabled and disabled using the Store new
measurements in database option.

Though all data from a measurement is stored in the database, normal measurement files are
still produced by the software. These can then be used later on for putting the measurements
into another database.

52 Chapter 6: Measurement database

 C HAPTER 7

3D VISUALIZATION

The 3D visualization in MiniProf for Windows is at the moment mostly as an experimental

part. It only supports wheel profiles and requires OpenGL1 to function. To start using the 3D
visualization open a 3D window by selecting the File menu and choosing the New 3D window
item. After adding profiles and moving a bit around the result could look something like the
window shown in Figure 7.1 below.

Figure 7.1: 3D window

7.1 Model properties

To define and alter the 3D wheel model open the model properties dialog by selecting the Model
menu and choosing the Properties item. This brings up the dialog shown in Figure 7.2.

1
OpenGL is short for Open Graphics Language

Chapter 7: 3D visualization 53
Figure 7.2: Wheel 3D properties dialog - General

The Default diameter is used when an added profile misses the diameter information from
the profile header. The diameter can be set individually for each profile later on. The Inner
diameter is used to make a tyre. To get a solid wheel set this to zero.

To make a 3D model of one or more wheel profiles, these have to be converted into 3D
coordinates. The Profile divisions sets the number of parts the profile is divided into along
its x-axis. The Slices sets how many parts the wheel is divided into along its perimeter.

The last two parameters can, when set to large values increase the detail level to a very high
degree, but that will also require a fast 3D accelerated graphics card. Otherwise the performance
will be unacceptable.

7.2 Modifying the profiles

The list of profiles can be changed on the second page in the model properties dialog, as shown
in Figure 7.3 below.

54 Chapter 7: 3D visualization
Figure 7.3: Wheel 3D properties dialog - Profiles
Ê Profile list
Ë Add and remove profile(s)
Ì Set all diameters to default
Í Place profiles equally along the wheel
Î Move profile up or down in the list
Ï Set profile diameter and place

The list (Ê) shows the currently added profiles along with their individual diameters and
placement on the wheel. To add one or more profiles press the Add button (Ë). To remove
a profile from the list, select it and press the Remove button (Ë). The order the profiles are
listed in can be changed using the move up and down buttons (Î)

Setting the diameter and position for the profiles can be done in two ways. Select either the
profile in the list (Ê) and use the editors (Ï) to change the diameter and position for that
profile or use the Default and Equal buttons (Ì+Í). Pressing the Default button (Ì) will set
all the profile diameters to zero which makes the visualization use the default value found on
the first page in the model properties dialog (See Figure 7.2). Pressing the Equal button (Í)
will assume that the profiles should be placed equally along the wheel and set their positions
correspondingly.

7.3 Moving, zooming and panning

The contents of a 3D window can be zoomed and panned to view all parts and details on the
3D model. Use the menu Zoom and the items Zoom in and Zoom out to zoom in and out
about
¤ ¡
the center of the view. Zooming can also be done using the mouse. While pressing the
£SHIFT ¢ key, use the left and right mouse button to zoom in and out.

To move around the 3D mode using the mouse, do the following:

F Press the left mouse button and the cursor changes.

F Drag the mouse to move around the model.

Chapter 7: 3D visualization 55
 F Release the left mouse button to complete the move.

Panning with the mouse is done in almost the same manner:

¤ ¡
F Press and hold the £CTRL ¢ key.

F Press the left mouse button and the cursor changes.

F Drag the mouse to pan.

¤ ¡
F Release the left mouse button and release the £CTRL ¢ key to complete the pan.

7.3.1 Using the keyboard

It is possible to use the keyboard for moving, zooming and panning. The following keyboard
shortcuts have been assigned for that purpose:

TABLE 7.1: K EYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR MOVING , ZOOMING AND PANNING

¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move view a large step left.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move view a large step right.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move view a large step up.
¤ ¡
£ ¢ Move view a large step down.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move view a small step left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move view a small step right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move view a small step up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Move view a small step down.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ + ¢ Zoom in.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ – ¢ Zoom out.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view a large step left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view a large step right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view a large step up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£ ¢ Pan view a large step down.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Pan view a small step left.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Pan view a small step right.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Pan view a small step up.
¤ ¡¤ ¡¤ ¡
£CTRL ¢£SHIFT ¢£ ¢ Pan view a small step down.

56 Chapter 7: 3D visualization
7.4 Save the 3D window

The contents of a 3D window can be saved as an image file by selecting the File menu and
choosing the Save image item.

Figure 7.4: Save image dialog

Ê Rendered image width and height
Ë Lock width/height relation
Ì Save with white background
Í File format for stored image
Î Filename text field
Ï Browse button

The image width and height (Ê) defines the resolution in which the 3D visualization in rendered
before it is written to the image file. Selecting Lock aspect ratio (Ë) changes the height so
that the width/height relation matches the window. Changing the image width will then
automatically change the image height and vice versa.

The file format used for storing the image can be selected in the file format list (Í). Currently
there is three available formats for storing the image, namely: Windows Bitmap, JPEG and
PNG. The image file is stored with a gray background color, corresponding to the window.
Check the Paper option (Ì) to store the image with white background color instead.

Select a filename, either by typing it directly in the editor (Î), or by using the browse button
(Ï), and press the Ok button to start the rendering and saving process.

Chapter 7: 3D visualization 57
58 Chapter 7: 3D visualization
 C HAPTER 8

C ALCULATIONS AND ALIGNMENTS

Calculations are operations, which operate on a number of profiles resulting in one or more
results. This includes anything from finding wear parameters to doing complex calculations on
multiple profiles.

Results from calculations can be divided into two major groups: simple results and curve
results. The simple results are single values, like Sd, Sh and qR. These are displayed in the
result panel next to the profile view. In addition, the calculation can be configured to store
these values in the corresponding profile header.

Curve results are used for displaying results from calculations that return a series of points. An
example is the result of a curvature calculation. Curve results are shown in a separate window,
since they often do not share the same co-ordinate system as the profiles. If a calculation
returns more that one curve result, then all the curves are shown in the same result window.

8.1 Calculations

MiniProf for Windows offers the following set of standard calculations for the various profile
types. The wheel, rail and brake wear apply only to wheel, rail and brake measurements,
whereas the calculation of curvature, residuals and area operate on any type of profile.

8.1.1 Wheel wear (Sd, Sh, qR)

Calculates the flange thickness (Sd), flange height (Sh) and the flange gradient (qR) for the
selected profile. See Figure 8.1 below for definitions of parameters and results. Default values
for the parameters are L1 = 2 mm, L2 = 70 mm and L3 = 10 mm.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 59

Figure 8.1: Wheel wear

8.1.2 Wheel flange radius

Calculates the radius of the wheel flange (R). See Figure 8.2 below for definitions of parameters
and results. Default value for the parameter is Dist = 20 mm.

Figure 8.2: Wheel flange radius

8.1.3 Rail wear

This function will calculate the vertical (W1), horizontal (W2) and 45◦ (W3) wear. The wear
is calculated as the difference between the measured profile and the reference profile. See
Figure 8.3 below for definitions of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are A = 60◦ and L = 12 mm.

60 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.3: Rail wear

The side wear (W2) can be calculated either relative to the top of the reference or to the top
of the measurement. Use the Side wear parameter in the calculation to select the preferred
method.

8.1.4 Rail crown radius

The rail crown radius (R) is calculated as the radius of the circle that gives the best fit at the
top of the rail head in an area determined by the Dist parameter. See Figure 8.4 below for
definitions of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are A = 45◦ and Dist
= 10 mm.

Figure 8.4: Rail crown radius

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 61

8.1.5 Rail head width

The rail head width (W) is the distance from the field side of the rail head to the gauge side
measured at L millimeters from the highest point of the rail profile. Setting the L parameter
to 0 makes the calculation return the largest width. See Figure 8.5 for an illustration. Default
value for the parameter is L = 14 mm.

Figure 8.5: Rail head width

8.1.6 Brake wear

Calculates the brake-disc wear (W) and the remaining thickness (T). Figure 8.6 illustrates what
these values identify.

Figure 8.6: Brake wear

62 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

8.1.7 Brake wear (No reference)

Calculates the brake-disc hollowing (W) and the remaining thickness (T). Figure 8.7 illustrates
what these values identify.

Figure 8.7: Brake wear (No reference)

8.1.8 Brake debending

Calculates a debended brake disc profile using either a circular or parabolic method. The
parameters L1 and L2 defines the origin of the bend, where the bolt attaches the disc to the
wheel. The calculation uses the top and/or the bottom edge of the disc to determine the amount
of debending required. See Figure 8.8 for an illustration. Default values for the parameters are
L1 = 60 mm, L2 = 60 mm and T = 7 mm. Please note these parameters must be changed to
match the actual disc, otherwise the calculation will not work correctly.

Figure 8.8: Brake debending

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 63

8.1.9 Length

Calculates the length of the selected profile by summing up the distances between the individual
points, assuming that they are connected with straight lines. The length can by calculated for
different parts of the profile by setting the Start and End parameters and placing either one or
both cursors accordingly.

Figure 8.9: Length

8.1.10 Angles

Calculates the tangent angle, measured in degrees, at each point of the selected profile. The
angles for a reference profile are calculated and displayed along with the angles of the measured
profile if a reference is selected.

Figure 8.10: Angles

8.1.11 Curvature

Calculates the curvature in every point of the current profile. The curvature (R) at a given
point is found by fitting a 2nd degree polynomial to the profile in a limited range on each side of
the point. The size of this range can be controlled through the Dist parameter (see Figure 8.11)
and is by default set to 6 mm. After the curvature values are calculated, they are filtered using
a simple average filter. The filter size is determined from the Average length parameter, default
set to 3.

64 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.11: Curvature

If a reference profile is available, the curvature will also be calculated for this and the result
displayed as a reference for the curvature of the measurement.

Curvature is calculated when the profile is measured and stored with the profile coordinates.
For older profiles, curvature is calculated automatically when these are loaded. If the profile is
a mathematically defined reference (MPT file or imported DXF), the curvature will be exact,
because the geometric features of this type of profile. Selecting the option True curvature
will allow the software to use these pre-calculated values, and therefore show a more accurate
curvature for references.

8.1.12 Residuals

Calculates at each point of the reference profile the distance (D) to the measured profile
perpendicular to the reference profile. The calculation assumes that the points in the measured
profile can be connected with straight lines.

Figure 8.12: Rediduals

The Reverse residuals option is available for compatibility reasons. It simply mirrors the
residual values about the x-axis.

8.1.13 Vertical residuals

Calculates at each point of the reference profile the vertical distance (D) to the measured profile.
The calculation assumes that the points in the measured profile can be connected with straight
lines.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 65

Figure 8.13: Vertical residuals

The Reverse residuals option is available for compatibility reasons. It simply mirrors the
residual values about the x-axis.

8.1.14 Horizontal residuals

Calculates at each point of the reference profile the horizontal distance (D) to the measured
profile. The calculation assumes that the points in the measured profile can be connected with
straight lines.

Figure 8.14: Horizontal residuals

The Reverse residuals option is available for compatibility reasons. It simply mirrors the
residual values about the x-axis.

8.1.15 Maximum residuals

Calculates the maximum, minimum and average residual between the reference profile and the
measured profile in a given area. This area is defined independently for wheel, rail and brake
profiles as illustrated in Figure 8.15, Figure 8.16 and Figure 8.17 below. Default values for the
parameters on wheels are D1 = 1 mm and D2 = 10 mm, on rails D1 = 10 mm and D2 = 30
mm and on brake discs D1 = 1 mm and D2 = 2 mm.

66 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.15: Maximum residuals on wheels

Figure 8.16: Maximum residuals on rails

Figure 8.17: Maximum residuals on brake discs

The Reverse residuals option is available for compatibility reasons. It simply reverse the sign
on residual values.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 67

8.1.16 Area

This calculation divides the area between the reference profile and the measured profile into
a number of pieces (dA) and displays these areas relative to their position on the reference
profile. The number of divisions is controlled by the length dL. Default value for the parameter
is dL = 2 mm.

Furthermore, the calculation returns three simple values:

F Gained area The sum of the areas lying outside the reference profile

F Lost area The sum of the areas lying inside the reference profile

F Total area Gained area minus Lost area.

Figure 8.18: Area

8.2 Alignments

Aligning a measured profile is an automated way of moving the profile to a position relative to
a reference, making it possible to perform differential calculations between a measured profile
and a reference profile. Alignments can be viewed as calculations. The only difference is the
placement in the menu and the result. Instead of returning a simple result or a curve result,
alignment routines perform a movement and rotation on the measured profile.

The software offers the standard alignments described in the following sections. As for the
calculations above, the wheel alignment only applies to wheel profiles and so forth.

8.2.1 Align wheel

Aligns a measured wheel profile to a reference on the flange back and outer thread. The
alignment works by finding an area on the flange back using a line at a given slope (A). The
measurement is moved so the center of these areas overlay each other. A similar area is then
found on the outer thread and made to overlay by rotating the measurement about the point
found on the flange back.

68 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

This procedure is repeated upto 10 times to ensure the best posible fit between measurement
and references. See Figure 8.19 for an illustration. Default values for parameters are: A = 45◦ ,
D1 = 5 mm, D2 = 5 mm and L = 10 mm.

Figure 8.19: Align wheel

8.2.2 Align wheel on flange top

Aligns a measured wheel profile to the reference profile at the top of the flange. This alignment
only moves the profile in the vertical direction. No rotation is performed. See Figure 8.20 for
an illustration.

Figure 8.20: Align wheel on flange top

8.2.3 Align wheel on taperline

Aligns a measured wheel profile so the profile intersects the horizontal axis at the taperline.
This alignment only moves the profile in the vertical direction. No rotation is performed. See
Figure 8.21 for an illustration.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 69

Figure 8.21: Align wheel on taperline

8.2.4 Align wheel on flange back

Aligns a measured wheel profile to the reference profile on the flange back. This alignment only
moves the profile. No rotation is performed. See Figure 8.22 for an illustration.

Figure 8.22: Align wheel on flange back

8.2.5 Align wheel on outer thread

Aligns a measured wheel profile to the reference profile on the outer thread. This alignment
only moves the profile. No rotation is performed. See Figure 8.23 for an illustration.

70 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.23: Align wheel on outer thread

8.2.6 Align rail

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference by moving the measurement so that the lines
(see Figure 8.24) tp and tr are placed over each other. The displacement is determined as the
distance between the intersection of tp and ctp and the intersection of tr and ctr. The rotation
is found as the differences between the angles a and b. Default value for the parameter is A =
60◦ .

Because the basic part in the alignment algorithm changes the tp line and thereby the
intersection point used for moving the measurement, this procedure is repeated upto 10 times
to ensure the best posible fit between measurement and reference.

Figure 8.24: Align rail

The rail alignment can be configured to use the right side of the profiles, if such is preferable, by
setting the Corner property to Right instead of Left. In addition, the alignment can be made
as a combination of both sides, using the mean value of the displacement and the rotation.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 71

Sometimes it is undesirable to both move and rotate the profile when aligning. This is controlled
through the Operation property. Select Move only to skip the rotation and Rotate only to skip
the movement.

8.2.7 Align rail centered

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference, by rotating the profile so the line (see
Figure 8.25) tm, which mirrors tl into tr, is vertical. The rotation is found as the difference
between the angles a and b. The measured profile is then moved so that the point pp overlays
the same point on the reference.

Figure 8.25: Align rail centered

8.2.8 Align rail (CEN)

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference by moving the measurement so it intersects
the reference in the two points pt and pg (see Figure 8.26). The precision parameter controls
the accuracy of the alignment by setting the largest allowed mismatch between the pg point
and the measured profile. No rotation is performed on the measured profile. Default values for
the parameters are L = 14 mm and Precision = 0.1 mm.

72 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.26: Align rail (CEN)

8.2.9 Align rail on wear

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference so that the wear parameters W1 and W3
are minimized. No rotation is performed on the measured profile. See Figure 8.27 for an
illustration. Default value for the parameter is A = 45◦ .

Figure 8.27: Align rail on wear

8.2.10 Align rail for grinding (Low)

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference profile according to the CEN grinding standard
(prEN 13231-3) for tangent track and the low rail in curves. No rotation is performed on the
measured profile. See Figure 8.28 for an illustration. Default values for the parameters are: A
= 2.86◦ and L = 14 mm.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 73

Figure 8.28: Align rail for grinding (Low)

8.2.11 Align rail for grinding (High)

Aligns a measured rail profile against a reference profile according to the CEN grinding standard
(prEN 13231-3) for the high rail in curves. No rotation is performed on the measured profile.
See Figure 8.29 for an illustration. Default values for the parameters are: A1 = 2.86◦ and A2
= 45◦ .

Figure 8.29: Align rail for grinding (High)

8.2.12 Align rail on top

Aligns a measured rail profile so the profile intersects the horizontal axis at the top point.
This alignment only moves the profile in the vertical direction. No rotation is performed. See
Figure 8.30 for an illustration.

74 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

Figure 8.30: Align rail on top

8.2.13 Align grooved rail

Aligns a measured grooved rail profile against a reference by moving the measurement so
that the l line (see Figure 8.31) on the measurement is placed over the corresponding line
on the reference. The displacement is determined as the distance between the point pb on the
measurement and the similar one on the reference, and the rotation as the difference between
the α angles. Default value for the parameter is A = 5◦ .

Figure 8.31: Align grooved rail

Sometimes it is undesirable to both move and rotate the profile when aligning. This is controlled
through the Operation property. Select Move only to skip the rotation and Rotate only to skip
the movement.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 75

8.2.14 Align brake on top edge

Aligns a measured brake profile on the top edge so this edge overlays the horizontal axis.
This alignment only moves the profile in the vertical direction. No rotation is performed. See
Figure 8.32 for an illustration.

Figure 8.32: Align brake on top edge

8.2.15 Align brake on scale

Aligns a measured brake profile against the reference by stretching the measured profile
vertically so the height Hm matches the height of the reference (Hr). This alignment only scales
the profile in the vertical direction. No movement or rotation is performed. See Figure 8.33 for
an illustration.

Figure 8.33: Align brake on scale

8.3 Cursors

Cursors are used for inspecting profile, result and trend data. They are implemented as a
special type of calculation, which combine profile, result or trend data with their placement.
Cursors can be dependent on the profile type or the type of calculation used to produce the
result.

76 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

8.3.1 Standard profile cursor

Displays standard information in the profile windows cursor information panel.

TABLE 8.1: S TANDARD PROFILE CURSOR

Show cursor coordinates Shows the coordinates of the two cursors.

Show cursor differences Shows the distance between the two cursors.
Show profile length to cursor Shows the profile length along the profile to each of the two
cursors.
Show profile tangent angle in Shows the angle of the profile tangent in the cursor point.
the cursor point
Show profile curvature in the Shows the angle of the profile curvature in the cursor point.
cursor point

8.3.2 Standard result cursor

Displays standard information in the result windows cursor information panel.

TABLE 8.2: S TANDARD RESULT CURSOR

Show cursor coordinates Shows the coordinates of the two cursors.

Show cursor differences Shows the difference between the two cursors.

8.3.3 Standard trend cursor

Displays standard information in the trend windows cursor information panel.

TABLE 8.3: S TART TREND CURSOR

Show cursor coordinates Shows the coordinates of the two cursors.

Show cursor differences Shows the difference between the two cursors.
Time format Sets the format for time information.

8.3.4 Tangent cursor

Displays a line on top of the profile, illustrating the slope of the profile in the cursor point.

TABLE 8.4: TANGENT CURSOR

Cursor 1 tangent Enables the tangent display for cursor 1.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 77

 Cursor 2 tangent Enables the tangent display for cursor 2.

8.3.5 Perpendicular cursor

Displays a line on top of the profile, perpendicular to the profile in the cursor point.

TABLE 8.5: P ERPENDICULAR CURSOR

Cursor 1 perpendicular Enables the perpendicular display for cursor 1.

Cursor 2 perpendicular Enables the perpendicular display for cursor 2.

8.3.6 Curvature cursor

Displays a circle/line on top of the profile, illustrating the curvature of the profile in the cursor
point.

TABLE 8.6: C URVATURE CURSOR

Cursor 1 curvature Enables the curvature display for cursor 1.

Cursor 2 curvature Enables the curvature display for cursor 2.

8.3.7 Angle marks

Displays a number of lines on top of the reference profile, illustrating the profile angles in certain
points. This cursor is only support for rail profiles.

TABLE 8.7: A NGLE MARKS CURSOR

Printable lines Angle mark lines will be present on the printout when this is
enabled.
Printable labels Angle mark labels will be present on the printout when this is
enabled.

8.3.8 Residual result cursor

Displays horizontal lines in a residual result window illustrating warning and failure levels.
Additional information can be shown in the cursor panel, stating whether the limits are exceeded
or not.

78 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments

 TABLE 8.8: R ESIDUAL RESULT CURSOR

Color warning Color of the warning line.

Color failure Color of the failure line.
Show lover levels Selects which lower levels to show.
Show upper levels Selects which upper levels to show.
Failure lower Sets the lower failure level.
Warning lower Sets the lower warning level.
Warning upper Sets the upper warning level.
Failure upper Sets the upper failure level.
Text lower Displays text for the lower level in the cursor panel.
Text upper Displays text for the upper level in the cursor panel.
Printable lines Allows the lines to be printed.

8.3.9 Area result cursor

Displays area summations in the cursor information panel of result windows containing curves
originating from the area calculation.

TABLE 8.9: A REA RESULT CURSOR

Show gained area between Shows the summation of the gained area curve between the two
cursors
cursors.
Show lost area between Shows the summation of the lost area curve between the two
cursors
cursors.
Show total area between Shows the summation of the gained and lost area curves between
cursors
the two cursors.
Printable area Allows the selected area to be printed.

8.3.10 Linear trend estimation

Uses a linear estimate to determine when the warning and failure levels are reached.

TABLE 8.10: L INEAR TREND ESTIMATION CURSOR

Show estimations Shows the estimation information in the cursor panel.

Show line Displays a line in the curve view illustrating the estimation.
Printable lines Allows the lines to be printed.

Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments 79

80 Chapter 8: Calculations and alignments
 C HAPTER 9

I MPORT AND EXPORT FILTERS

Import filters are used to load profiles, typically references, from other types of software. This
could be a CAD program like AutoCAD. Export filters are used for the opposite, namely storing
profiles and results in formats readable by other software. MiniProf for Windows Version
2.4 offers the following set of standard filters for import and export.

9.1 Import filters

9.1.1 DXF

Imports one or more profiles from a DXF1 file.

TABLE 9.1: DXF IMPORT FILTER

Line resolution Sets the distance between points generated for line segments.
Arc resolution Sets the distance between points generated for arc segments.
Ellipsis resolution Sets the distance between points generated for ellipsis segments.

9.1.2 FIT

Imports one or more profiles from a FIT file.

TABLE 9.2: FIT IMPORT FILTER

Line resolution Sets the distance between points generated for line segments.
Arc resolution Sets the distance between points generated for arc segments.

9.2 Export filters

1
DXF is short for Drawing Interchange Format

Chapter 9: Import and export filters 81

9.2.1 DXF

Exports one or more profiles to a DXF file for use with other programs.

TABLE 9.3: DXF EXPORT FILTER

AutoCAD compliant ellipsis Enable this option if the profile contains ellipsis and the DXF file
is to be used with AutoCAD.

9.2.2 MiniProf reference

Exports one profile to a MiniProf reference files (MPT2 ). The profile must originate from a
mathematical defined profile (MPT or DXF) for this filter to work.

9.2.3 Windows metafile

Exports one or more profiles to a Windows metafile or an enhanced metafile.

TABLE 9.4: W INDOWS METAFILE EXPORT FILTER

Enhanced metafile Selects the enhanced metafile.

9.2.4 Windows bitmap

Exports one or more profiles to a uncompressed Windows bitmap.

TABLE 9.5: W INDOWS BITMAP EXPORT FILTER

Resolution Sets the resolution of the generated image.

9.2.5 JPEG

Exports one or more profiles to a compressed JPEG3 file.

TABLE 9.6: JPEG EXPORT FILTER

Resolution Sets the resolution of the generated image.

Quality Sets the JPEG compression quality.

2
MPT is short for MiniProf Template
3
JPEG is short for Joint Photographic Experts Group

82 Chapter 9: Import and export filters

9.2.6 PNG

Exports one or more profiles to a compressed PNG4 file.

TABLE 9.7: PNG EXPORT FILTER

Resolution Sets the resolution of the generated image.

9.2.7 Microsoft Excel

Exports one profile to a Microsoft Excel worksheet.

4
PNG is short for Portable Network Graphics

Chapter 9: Import and export filters 83

84 Chapter 9: Import and export filters
 C HAPTER 10

P RINTING MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

The contents of any profile, result or trend window can be printed to obtain a hardcopy of
measurements and results from calculations. Each printed page can contain data from any
number of profile and result windows, limited only by the size of the paper.

The software uses so-called templates to define the layout of a printed page. A template is a
definition of how the printed page will appear. It sets the page orientation, the number and
placement of profiles and results, and optional textboxes with additional information. MiniProf
for Windows comes with a set of predefined templates, intended for the simplest print tasks.
Existing templates can be modified and new templates created using the template designer tool
(See the section Designing print templates).

10.1 Printing

To start printing, select the File menu and choose the Print item. This will display the print
dialog as shown in the Figure 10.1 below.

Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results 85

Figure 10.1: Print dialog - General settings
Ê Drop-down list with the available print templates
Ë Number of windows and pages used by the selected template
Ì Maximum number of pages to print
Í Number of copies to print
Î Center the print-out
Ï Enable scaled printing
Ð Scale factor for scaled print-out
Ñ List with profile, result and trend windows

The drop-down list labeled Template (Ê) lists the available print templates. Information about
the selected template is shown below this list. File is the name of the file which contains the
selected template. The Windows value (Ë) is the number of profile, result and trend windows
that are used by the template and Pages is how many pages that are used for printing these
windows.

The Pages setting (Ì) sets the limit of how many pages that are printed. If there are opened
multiple windows with profiles, results and/or trends all of these can be printed at one time by
increasing the page value. Check the Automatic mark if no limitation is needed, making the
program print as many pages as required to represent the opened windows. The Copies value
(Í) determines how many copies that are printed and Collate sets how they are sorted.

The Windows list (Ñ) shows the available windows with profiles, results and trends. Each line
in the list corresponds to an open profile/result/trend window. If the selected template prints
1 window (i.e. Windows at Ë equals 1) the window placed at the top of the list is used. Use
the mouse to drag the items in the list to alter the sequence and select which windows are to
be used in the printing. Now press the Print button to start the printing or Cancel to abort.

A preview can be opened directly from this dialog using the Preview button. This is similar to
using the Preview command from the File menu. More information on the preview is available
in the Preview section later.

86 Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results

10.1.1 Scaled printing

Scaled printing is used when the printed profiles must be shown in a correct scale. It can be
enabled by checking Enable scaled printing (Ï) and setting the scale factor (Î) to the desired
scale. A value of 100% will print the profiles at a scale of 1:1 and a value of 200% will print at
a scale of 2:1.

When Auto center (Î) is enabled, the profiles will be centered on the print-out, instead of
using the settings from the profile window.

10.2 Print setup

Selecting the Printer icon in Figure 10.1 will change the dialog and display settings for
controlling the printer configuration as show in Figure 10.2 below.

Figure 10.2: Print dialog - Printer settings

Ê Drop-down list with the available printers
Ë Page margins
Ì Color mode

The printer can be selected using the drop-down list (Ê). Information about the selected printer
is shown just below the list. Please note that the software does not display printers that have
been installed while the program has been running. To access these, close MiniProf for Windows
and start it again.

Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results 87

 Note: A software setting needs to be changed if the printer is attached to the computer
through a local parallel port (printer port). Open the measurement configuration dialog
using Configure in the Measure menu and remove the marking next to the item MiniProf
Parallel Port Driver in the Drivers list.

The page margins are configured using the Margins settings (Ë). Each of the margins is defined
as the distance from the edge of the paper with an accuracy of 1 millimeter. If the print uses
the landscape orientation, all margins will rotate 90◦ clockwise, making the left margin the top
margin, the top margin the right margin and so forth.

10.2.1 Colors

Print templates defines the layout of the printed page but also which colors are used for the
profiles, lines, labels, etc. Instead of having a template for color printing and one for black-and-
white printing, the colors can be changed using the print color selection (Ì). Setting the Colors
value to Full color allows the colors from the template to be printed without any modification.
Setting it to either Gray scale or Black and white will cause all colors in the templates to be
changed to a matching gray color when the page is printed.

10.3 Preview

A preview can be opened before printing profiles, results and trends by selecting the File menu
and choosing the Print preview item. This is a good way to verify what is going to be printed
and how it is going to look. Please note that not all of the elements on the preview are accurate.
Especially the text in textboxes tends to be placed slightly off in comparison with the actual
printed page.

An example of a print preview dialog is shown in Figure 10.3 below using the default single
graph template.

88 Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results

Figure 10.3: Print preview dialog
Ê Preview of the page(s) as they will appear on paper
Ë Toolbar with commands for controlling the preview
Ì Caption displays current page number

The main part of the dialog shows the preview (Ê) of one page in the printout. This can be
controlled using the commands on the toolbar (Ë) as described below. If a printout resulting
in multiple pages are previewed, the caption (Ì) will show the current page number and the
total number of pages.
TABLE 10.1: P RINT PREVIEW TOOLS

Open the print options dialog for selecting template and other print related
Options settings.

Print the page(s) using the selected template.

Print

Save the current or all pages in the preview to Windows metafile format.
Save

Copy the currently previewed page to the clipboard for exchange to other
Copy programs.

Go to the first page, if more than one page is previewed.

First page

Go to the previous page, if more than one page is previewed.

Previous page

Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results 89

 Go to the next page, if more than one page is previewed.
Next page

Go to the last page, if more than one page is previewed.

Last page

Zoom the preview to fit the entire page.

Zoom page full

Zoom the preview to fit the page width.

Zoom page width

Zoom in on the preview.

Zoom in

Zoom out on the preview.

Zoom out

Close the print preview dialog.

Close

Scrollbars appear on the edges of the preview dialog when the preview of a page is larger than
the dialog. Use these scrollbars to pan the preview and view different parts of the page.

The preview can also be panned with the mouse using the following steps:

F Position the mouse cursor anywhere on page. Note that the cursor shapes changes into a
small hand symbol.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the cursor to pan the view.

F Release the left mouse button to complete the pan.

Zooming is available though

¤
the¡ toolbar buttons but can also be done using a wheel equiped
mouse. Press and hold the £CTRL ¢key and turn the mouse wheel forward and backward to zoom
in and out.

90 Chapter 10: Printing measurements and results

Part III
Configuration
Configuration
92
 C HAPTER 11

P ROGRAM PREFERENCES

The MiniProf for Windows software is highly configurable. All of the program preferences,
except for parameters used in calculations and measurements, can be altered in the preference
dialog. To open this dialog, select the File menu and choose the item Preferences. An example
is shown below in Figure 11.1. The settings have been divided into a number of groups. Use
the tree control (Ê) to navigate between these. The following sections give descriptions for
settings found in the different groups.

Figure 11.1: Preference dialog

Ê Tree control for selecting the different groups of settings

11.1 General

Chapter 11: Program preferences 93

 TABLE 11.1: G ENERAL SETTINGS

Language Selects the language. Please note that the drop-down list only
shows the available languages. See MiniProf for Windows -
Technical Reference for information on translating the software
into additional languages.
Title size Controls the size of captions for information panels and headers
in database and scheme grids.
Text size Controls the size of information panel text.
Label size Controls the size of the axis labels on profile and result windows.
Script guide and log Selects whether the script guides and script log are visible during
script execution.
Information panel width Sets the initial width of the information panels for new windows.
Show menu icons Selects whether icons are shown in the menus.
Show status bar Selects whether the status bar is visible or not. Use this to enlarge
the usable area on screens running a low resolution.
Show driver information Shows information about currently selected driver in the status
line of the main window.
Large menu icons Selects the size of the menu icons.
Show cursors in windows After opening a profile/result window, cursors are shown by
automatically
default if this option is selected.
Show dialog by calculations Selects whether the calculation dialog is displayed when a
calculation is accessed in the calculation menu.
Show dialog by alignments Selects whether the calculation dialog is displayed when an
alignment is accessed in the calculation menu.
Save alignment results The displacement and rotation values from an alignment are
stored in the profile header when this option is selected.

11.2 Toolbars
TABLE 11.2: TOOLBAR SETTINGS

Show toolbars Selects which of the toolbars are visible. Use this to enlarge the
usable area on screens running a low resolution.
Autorepeat delay Delay in milliseconds before a toolbutton starts to repeat.
Autorepeat pause Delay in milliseconds between toolbutton autorepeat clicks.
Toolbutton autorepeat Enables the toolbutton autorepeat feature.

94 Chapter 11: Program preferences

 Large toolbar icons Selects the size of the toolbar icons. Note that this setting also
controls the icons used in the open dialog.

11.2.1 Modifying the toolbars

To change the contents of a toolbar (see Figure 11.2), select it in the tree control. The area
(Ê) then shows the contents of that toolbar. Reorganization is done by dragging the buttons
and separators on the toolbar with the mouse. To add a new button to the toolbar, drag the
corresponding icon from the list of available buttons (Ë) onto the toolbar. Press the Separator
button (Ì) to add a separator to the toolbar. To delete a button or a separator, select the
button or separator and press the Delete button (Í).

Figure 11.2: Configuring the toolbars

Ê Buttons and separators on the selected toolbar
Ë Available buttons
Ì Insert a separator
Í Delete the selected button or separator

11.3 Colors

Colors for profile and result windows can be altered on the color page (See Figure 11.3 below).
To change a given color, select it in the list (Ê) and enter the new values for the red, green and
blue color components in the corresponding fields (Ë). Alternately the standard color grid (Ì)

Chapter 11: Program preferences 95

and the more flexible color palette (Í) can be used for an easy and intuitive selection. Please
note that not all colors are usable on a screen that uses a low color resolution.

Figure 11.3: Configuring colors

Ê List of colors
Ë Red, green and blue component editors
Ì Standard color grid
Í Color palette

11.4 Units
TABLE 11.3: U NIT SETTINGS

Lengths Controls which unit is used for displaying lengths.

Long lengths Controls which unit is used for displaying long lengths.
Angles Controls which unit is used for displaying angles.
Areas Controls which unit is used for displaying areas.
Volumes Controls which unit is used for displaying volumes.
Weight Controls which unit is used for displaying weights.
Large weight Controls which unit is used for displaying large weights.
Temperature Controls which unit is used for displaying temperatures.

96 Chapter 11: Program preferences

11.5 Open

TABLE 11.4: O PEN SETTINGS

Shown fields Selects which fields that are shown in the open dialog preview.
Shown columns Selects which fields that are shown as columns in the open dialog
list next to the filename.

11.6 Folders
TABLE 11.5: F OLDER SETTINGS

Data Sets the location of the data folder, accessible using the shortcut
access bar in the open dialog.
Reference Sets the location of the reference folder, accessible using the
shortcut access bar in the open dialog.
Calibrations Sets the location of the calibration folder, accessible using the
shortcut access bar in the open dialog.

11.7 Profile windows

TABLE 11.6: P ROFILE WINDOW SETTINGS

Default center A default centerpoint is assigned when a profile is opened or

added. The value for the point depends on the profile type. To
change the default point, select the profile type and modify the
"X" and "Y" fields. Each coordinate can be given either as an
absolute value or relative to the profile.
Curvature distance Sets the distance parameter for the automatically calculated
curvature values. See the curvature calculation for more
information.
Calculation and alignment Select whether calculations and alignment should act on the
targets
selected profile or on all profiles in a window.

11.7.1 Keyboard

These options control how the various keyboard operations affect the profiles and views.

Chapter 11: Program preferences 97

 TABLE 11.7: P ROFILE WINDOW KEYBOARD SETTINGS

Profile movement Sets the size of small and large increments, used when moving a
profile using the keyboard.
Profile rotation Sets the size of small and large increments, used when rotating a
profile using the keyboard.

11.7.2 Hints
TABLE 11.8: P ROFILE WINDOW HINT SETTINGS

Profile fields shown in hints Selects which fields from the profile header are shown in the fly-by
hints in the profile window.
Show fields in results Selects which fields from the profile header are shown in the result
information panel.

11.7.3 References

When a MPT reference profile is loaded, it is converted into a list of points matching the
representation of measured profiles. These options control how many points are used for the
line and arc parts of a MPT reference profile.

TABLE 11.9: P ROFILE WINDOW REFERENCE SETTINGS

Line resolution Sets the distance between the individual points in lines.
Arc resolution Sets the distance between the individual points in arcs.
Ellipsis resolution Sets the distance between the individual points in ellipsis’s.
Polynomium resolution Sets the distance between the individual points in polynomials.

11.8 Result windows

TABLE 11.10: R ESULT WINDOW SETTINGS

Copy fields to results Selects which profile header fields that are copied to the result
header.

11.9 Trend windows

98 Chapter 11: Program preferences

 TABLE 11.11: T REND WINDOW SETTINGS

Fields Selects which fields that are used by default for making trend
curves.
New trend windows Determines how a new trend window is opened.
Default fields Select the default fields used for a new trend window when no
dialog is shown.
Default method Select the default trend method for a new trend window when no
dialog is shown.
Mileage field Field identifier for retrieving mileage from measurement files.
Mileage unit Unit that was used when entering mileage information in
meaurements.
Tonnage field Field identifier for retrieving tonnage from measurement files.
Tonnage unit Unit that was used when entering tonnage information in
meaurements.

11.10 Database windows

TABLE 11.12: DATABASE WINDOW SETTINGS

Filters Lists of fields used to make the default list of filters for database
explorer windows and scheme windows.
Columns Lists of fields used to make the default columns for database
explorer windows and scheme windows.

11.11 Graphs

TABLE 11.13: G RAPH SETTINGS

Zero lines Select whether zero lines should be solid.

Thickness Set thickness of profile and curve lines in graphs.
Default aspect ratio Set the default aspect ratio for new profile, result and trend
windows.

11.11.1 Keyboard

Chapter 11: Program preferences 99

 TABLE 11.14: G RAPH KEYBOARD SETTINGS

Zoom and panning Selects the increments by which the view is zoomed and panned
when the keyboard is used for zoom and pan.

11.11.2 Mouse
TABLE 11.15: G RAPH MOUSE SETTINGS

Wheel Setup how the mouse wheel does zooming in graphs.

Buttons Select mouse buttons for zoom operations and popup menus in
graphs.

11.12 Files
TABLE 11.16: F ILE SETTINGS

Default reference A reference can be added automatically when a measured profile

is opened. Use the Wheel, Rail and Brake fields to define the
references.
Assume wheel profile type on When the profile type for a newly opened profile cannot be
files with wheel profile
extension determined through the profile header information, the program
will assume that it is a wheel profile if the file extension matches
the wheel extension.
Assume rail profile type on Same as above for rail profiles.
files with rail profile extension
Assume brake profile type on Same as above for brake profiles.
files with brake profile
extension
Lock reference profile Checking this option will make the program lock a profile when
automatically
it is inserted as a reference.
Auto reference using the Selects that the auto referencing should use the reference name
reference name in the profile
header stored in the profile header, if one such is available.
Auto reference by reopen Enables auto-referencing when opening profiles from the reopen
menu.
Auto reference in database Enables auto-referencing when opening profiles from a database
window.
Store measurements Enables the support for storing measurements in the compressed
compressed
file format.
Store results compressed Enables the support for storing results in the compressed file
format.

100 Chapter 11: Program preferences

11.13 3D
TABLE 11.17: 3D SETTINGS

View angle Sets the view angle for the 3D scene.

Refresh delay Defines the delay in milliseconds before the 3D scene is redraw
after a degradation.
Degradation during keyboard Enabling this will make the rendering use a less detailed mode
movement
while making movements with the keyboard. The settings used
can be changed on the page Motion rendering (keyboard).
Degradation during mouse Enabling this will make the rendering use a less detailed mode
movement
while making movements with the mouse. The settings used can
be changed on the page Motion rendering (mouse).
Forced updates Forces the 3D scene to do a complete update during keyboard
movements.

11.13.1 Rendering settings

TABLE 11.18: 3D RENDERING SETTINGS

Shade model Shades the model smooth or flat.

Surface mode Selects how the surface is drawn.
Render style Set this to Box for the keyboard and mouse rendering if the 3D
draw is slow.
Transparency Enables transparency of model.
Enable light Enables lighting of the model.

Chapter 11: Program preferences 101

102 Chapter 11: Program preferences
 C HAPTER 12

C ONFIGURING CALCULATIONS

Parameters and settings for calculation, alignment and cursors can be changed whenever a
profile, result or trend is open. This is done using the calculation configuration dialog available
through the Calculate→Configure command. The dialog (see Figure 12.1) is very similar to
the dialogs shown when a calculation is executed. The only real difference is that it allows for
configuration of multiple calculations at one time.

Figure 12.1: Calculation configuration dialog

Ê List of calculations, alignments and cursors
Ë Preview of selected calculation/alignment
Ì Drop-down list with available configurations for the selected calculation/alignment/cursor
Í Save current settings to a new configuration
Î Delete the selected configuration
Ï Enable or disable the calculation/alignment/cursor
Ð Parameters for the selected calculation/alignment/cursor
Ñ Results from the selected calculation and field identifiers for storing in profile header

The list at the right side (Ê) shows the available calculations, alignments and cursors, sorted
by the plug-in they reside in. Please note that the list only shows items that are relevant in
the current context. Using this dialog from a profile window will for instance not show trend
calculation and cursors. An illustration (Ë) of the selected calculation/alignment is shown in

Chapter 12: Configuring calculations 103

the upper part of the dialog. All related settings (Ì...Ñ) can be found below the illustration
and are descriped in the following sections.

12.1 Enable and disable

Calculations, alignments and cursors can be disabled by pressing the Disable button (Ï), which
then will change to Enable. Pressing the button again will enable the calculation, alignment
or cursor. When calculations and alignments are disabled, they will disappear from the menus,
making these less crowded and therefore easier to operate. Disabling a cursor calculation will
remove it from the cursor information panel. This will also reduce the amount of work required
by calculating cursor information each time a cursor is moved.

12.2 Multiple configurations

Each calculation/alignment/cursor can have multiple configurations, which can then easily be
selected using the drop-down configuration list (Ì). To add a new configuration to this list
for a given calculation/alignment/cursor, change the parameters as desired and press the Save
as ... button (Í). This shows a dialog prompting for a name, which will be used in the list.
Enter a name and press Ok to create the configuration. If the name exists in the list already,
then the old configuration will be overwritten. To delete a configuration, simply select it in the
drop-down configuration list (Ì) and press the Delete button (Î).

12.3 Save result in profile header

As mentioned in a previous section, all simple results can be stored in the corresponding profile
header. To do so, select the result and check the option Save result in profile header (Ñ). Please
note that this option is only available for simple results, as it does not have any meaning for
curve results.

The field identifier used for storing the value in the profile header can be set in the editor.
This should normally not be done, because many parts of the software relies on knowing these
identifiers.

104 Chapter 12: Configuring calculations

 C HAPTER 13

C ONFIGURING IMPORT AND EXPORT

Parameters and settings for import and export filters can be changed using the import and
export filter settings dialog (see Figure 13.1) available through the File→Import and export
settings command.

Figure 13.1: Import and export filter settings dialog

Ê List of import and export filters
Ë Information about the selected filter
Ì Drop-down list with available configurations for the selected filter
Í Save current settings to a new configuration
Î Delete the selected configuration
Ï Enable or disable the filter
Ð Parameters for the selected filter

The list at the right side (Ê) shows the available import and export filters, sorted by the plug-in
they reside in. A description (Ë) of the selected filter is shown in the upper part of the dialog.
All related settings (Ì...Ð) can be found below the description.

13.1 Enable and disable

Import and export filters can be disabled by pressing the Disable button (Ï), which then will
change to Enable. Pressing the button again will enable the filter. When filters are disabled,
they will disappear from the menus, making these less crowded and therefore easier to operate.

Chapter 13: Configuring import and export 105

13.2 Multiple configurations

Each import/export filter can have multiple configurations, which can then easily be selected
using the drop-down configuration list (Ì). To add a new configuration to this list for a given
filter, change the parameters as desired and press the Save as ... button (Í). This shows a
dialog prompting for a name, which will be used in the list. Enter a name and press Ok to
create the configuration. If the name exists in the list already, then the old configuration will
be overwritten. To delete a configuration, simply select it in the drop-down configuration list
(Ì) and press the Delete button (Î).

106 Chapter 13: Configuring import and export

 C HAPTER 14

C ONFIGURING KEYBOARD ASSIGNMENTS

Keyboard shortcuts can be customized for all menu items including calculations and alignments
and also for some commands, like moving a profile, that are not present in the menu. Even
user created macros can have shortcuts assigned. Open the keyboard bindings dialog (see
Figure 14.1) to edit these shortcuts. This is done through the File→Keyboard bindings
command.

Figure 14.1: Keyboard bindings dialog

Ê Command groups
Ë List of commands and assigned keyboard shortcuts
Ì Controls for selecting the shortcut

All the available commands are grouped to make selection easier. These groups are listed at
the right side of the dialog (Ê). The next list (Ë) shows all the commands in the current group
and assigned shortcuts. Select a command and use the controls (Ì) to assign a shortcut key or
change the existing. Shortcuts can be removed again by selecting nothing in the shortcut list.

Please make sure that the assigned shortcut is only used for one command in a given group. A
warning is shown just below the controls (Ì) if a conflict with other shortcuts is discovered. In
that case, change one of the conflicting key assignments.

Chapter 14: Configuring keyboard assignments 107

108 Chapter 14: Configuring keyboard assignments
Part IV
Extending
Extending MiniProf
MiniProf
110
 C HAPTER 15

TOOLS

Certain tools for configuring and maintaining the software can be found in the Tools menu.
These include design of measurement schemes and print templates and are all described in the
following sections.

15.1 Designing measurement schemes

Measurement schemes can be created, modified and even deleted through the measurement
scheme designer. To open it, select the Tools menu and the Design scheme item. This will
show a dialog similar to Figure 15.1.

Figure 15.1: Measurement scheme designer

Ê Scheme designer menu
Ë Selection of scheme for editing
Ì Configuration sections
Í Scheme properties
Î Scheme fields

The main menu (Ê) for the scheme designer is found in the top of the dialog. A list for selecting
the opened scheme (Ë) is located next to that. Schemes consist of many settings. These are

Chapter 15: Tools 111

divided into logical sections, which are selectable though the configuration list at the left (Ì).
Depending on this selection, the content of the right part will change. The figure shows the
first section of settings, called General, which holds global parameters (Í) and defines the fields
(Î) available in the scheme.

15.1.1 Main menu

The content of the scheme designer menu (Ê) is listed with a short description in the table
below. The following sections will refer to these commands when explaining how measurement
schemes are designed.

Scheme - Edit - Illustration

New Creates a new measurement scheme
Save Saves changes to the opened measurement scheme
Delete Deletes the currently selected measurement scheme
Close Closes the measurement scheme designer

Scheme - Edit - Illustration

Add part Adds a new part to the measurement scheme
Copy part Makes a copy of the currently selected part
Remove part Removes the currently selected part
Move part up Moves the currently selected part up
Move part down Moves the currently selected part down
Add illustration Adds a new illustration to the measurement scheme
Copy illustration Makes a copy of the currently selected illustration
Remove illustration Removes the currently selected illustration

Scheme - Edit - Illustration

Add image Adds a image illustration object
Add text Adds a text illustration object
Remove Removes the currently selected illustration object
Move up Moves the currently selected illustration object up
Move down Moves the currently selected illustration object down
Frames Toggles displaying frames on the illustration objects

15.1.2 Opening a scheme for editing

Before a scheme can be modified in the designer it must be opened. This is done by selecting
the scheme in the selection list (Ë). If changes were made to the previously selected scheme, a

112 Chapter 15: Tools

dialog will ask to save or discard the changes. Information on creating a new scheme is available
in a later section.

15.1.3 General settings

All the global parameters (Í) for the measurement scheme are placed in the section named
General. Table 15.1 below describes each of them.
TABLE 15.1: G LOBAL SCHEME PARAMETERS

Title The measurement scheme title is used to identify the scheme in the
selector (Ë) and in the menu. It should be a short, but descriptive
title.
Filename Name of the file in which the measurement scheme is stored. This
cannot be altered from within the software.
Type Selects which type of equipment this scheme can be used with.
Name Sets the measurement scheme name used later identification
through the database. Using the same name for multiple equal
measurement schemes, only differentiated by the sequence, can
allow the database to view all measurements together no matter
which which scheme was used. If left blank, the measurement
scheme filename is used instead.
Target Selects for what purpose this measurement scheme can be
used. This can be either Measurement and database, Only for
measurement or Only for database.
Show multi-part controls The multi-part controls can be used for selecting which part to
measure during a measurement. Normally the multi-part controls
should not be visible.
Save multiple measurements Combined measurement files can be generated based on the
individual parts group setting. Deselect this option to disable
generation of the files.
Allow part selection It is normally possible for operator to jump between the parts in a
measurement scheme using multi-part controls or the illustration.
Use this setting to control whether this should be allowed.

15.1.4 Fields definition

The list of fields (Î) available for the measurement scheme is shown below the global
parameters. This defines general parameters, like ID and Name, for the fields that can be
used in the scheme. The other two parameters, Value and Flags, available in the normal field
definition are defined individually for each part in the scheme as described in a later section.

Chapter 15: Tools 113

The general field definition consists of five parts, entered in the five columns in the field list.
The ID is used for storing the field in the measurement file header and later on for defining
search parameters. Name is the text displayed in the measurement dialog. The Type defines
how the field value is entered. Size and Data are used to control the field editor and have
different meanings, depending on the selected type.

15.1.4.1 String fields

The string field is identified with the character ‘s’ as the type. It creates a single line text
editor. Size and data have the following meaning:

TABLE 15.2: S TRING FIELD PARAMETERS

Size Limits the number of characters in the editor. Set this to 0 to remove
limitations.
Data Not used.

15.1.4.2 List fields

The list field is identified with the character ‘l’ as the type. It creates a dropdown list with a
number of choices. Size, flags and data have the following meaning:

TABLE 15.3: L IST FIELD PARAMETERS

Size Not used.

Data The data is a list of items to put into the dropdown list. Each item has the
form:
Value=Text
Value is what will be stored in the profile header. Text is what the list
displays.
A semicolon (‘;’) is used to separate the items.
The example below will put two items in the list shown as Left and Right.
The selection will be stored as either L or R to the corresponding header
field.
L=Left;R=Right

15.1.5 Modifying the fields list

Modifying the content of a field list (Î) is done as follows. Select the field list, either using the
mouse or the Tabulator key on the keyboard. Use the keyboard arrow keys to select a cell and

114 Chapter 15: Tools

enter the value as in any other text field. In addition, the operations shown in Table 15.4 can
be performed:

TABLE 15.4: F IELD LIST OPERATIONS

¤ ¡¤ ¡
Insert row Press £CTRL ¢£INSERT ¢ to insert a new, blank row.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Delete row Select the row to delete and press £CTRL ¢£DELETE ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move row up Select the row and press £CTRL ¢£ARROW-UP ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move row down Select the row and press £CTRL ¢£ARROW-DOWN ¢.

15.1.6 Parts

Each measurement that is made through a measurement scheme is called a scheme part. These
are shown in the configuration list just below the General section. There are four parts in the
shown example called Axle 1 - Wheel 1, Axle 2 - Wheel 1, Axle 2 - Wheel 2 and Axle 1 - Wheel
2. Later sections describe adding, removing and moving parts.

Select a given part in the list to change the settings. The window content will then change (see
Figure 15.2) showing the part options (Ê) and the field properties (Ë) for the selected part.

Figure 15.2: Measurement scheme designer - Part properties

Ê Part options
Ë Field properties

The following options can be set for each part in the scheme:

Chapter 15: Tools 115

 TABLE 15.5: PART OPTIONS

Part name Name of the part used to identify it in the measurement scheme
designer and in scheme windows.
Filename format Defines how the filename for measurement in the given part is
formatted.
Illustration Selects the illustration to be used when this part is measured.
Group The measurements made using a scheme are stored both in
individual files but also together in one or more multiple
measurement files. The group index controls which measurements
that are stored together.

The field list enables setting of the default value and flags for each field in the given part. The
Value parameter is what is displayed the first time the scheme is used. The Flags parameter
controls the field behaviour with the following options, depending on the field type.

TABLE 15.6: F IELD FLAGS

String fields Flags are a combination of the following letters:

H The field is hidden from the measurement dialog but is stored

in the measurement file
R The field is visible but cannot be changed by the user
C The field is cleared for each new measurement
Q The field requires a value to be entered
A Enables auto-complete for the editor, a feature that tries
to complete the entered text on-the-fly based on previously
entered values
X Text written in the field is displayed with password characters

List fields Flags are a combination of the following letters:

H The field is hidden from the measurement dialog but is stored

in the measurement file
R The field is visible but cannot be changed by the user
C The field is cleared for each new measurement
Q The field requires a value to be entered

When the value of a field is shared between different parts these fields can be linked together
using the Group setting to reduce the user input and limit the possibility of error. This grouping
can be used with advantage together with the readonly flag described in Table 15.6.

116 Chapter 15: Tools

An example is a boggie number, that in nature is the same for a number of measurements. Set
the group for the boggie field in each part to a number unique for the boggie the part belongs
to, for instance ‘1’ for the first boggie and ‘2’ for the second. The user can enter the boggie
number for the first measurement performed on each boggie and the scheme will automatically
assign these values to the other measurements based on the grouping. Setting the readonly
flag for this field in all parts will further improve the scheme, ensuring the user only enters the
boggie number once for each boggie.

Configuration of the different parts is also available through the three sections Part options,
Part flags and Part values. These sections give an overview of options, flags and values for all
parts together, which in some cases, makes the configuration easier.

15.1.7 Adding and removing parts

Adding and removing parts in measurement scheme is done through the Edit menu with the
commands Add part, Copy part and Remove part.

New parts can be either added or copied from existing parts. To add a new part, use the menu
command Add part. By selecting an already existing part, a copy can be created using the
Copy part command. Parts are removed similarly by selecting them and using the command
Remove part.

The copy function is very useful when creating schemes with many parts. It creates and
configures one part as close to the common denominator and make copies of that until all
required parts are present. Then it changes all parts so they match the individual criteria for
each part.

15.1.8 Moving a part

The sequence in which the parts in the measurement scheme are listed also defines the default
sequence in which the parts are used during a measurement session. This sequence can be
changed easily by moving the parts around in the list.

To move a part in the list, first select the part. Then use the commands Move part up and
Move part down found in the Edit menu.

15.1.9 Illustrations

One very important part of measurement schemes is the ability to show illustrations for each
measurement to guide the operator through the work. These are found in the list below the
Part values item. The shown example contains one illustration called Illustration 1.

Chapter 15: Tools 117

An illustration consist as a minimum of one picture, referred to as the background image. This
should show a graphical representation of what is being measured. If only the background
image is used for each illustration, this should also mark the position of the measurement.

To create more complex illustrations, image objects can be placed on top of the background
image. These should be made to blend into the background and optionally have different
appearances depending on an associated part.

A simple text object is also available for putting text onto the illustration. These text objects
are passive and cannot be used to control the measurement scheme or to change appearance
after measurements are performed.

To edit an illustration, select it in the list. The window content will then change (see
Figure 15.3) showing a graphical view of the illustration.

Figure 15.3: Measurement scheme designer - Illustration editor

Ê Visual editor
Ë Selected object
Ì Image objects
Í Object properties

The right part of the window (Ê) now shows a visual editor for arranging the objects in the
illustration. All available objects, including the background image, can be selected using the
mouse. The selected object is shown with a thin red border (Ë). Also present in this illustration
are four image objects (Ì), one for each measurement, which can alter the illustration depending
on the measurements made.

Each object has properties controlling the appearance and behaviour for the object. These
properties can be set for the selected object using the control in the property box (Í). The
following tables describe these properties.

118 Chapter 15: Tools

 TABLE 15.7: B ACKGROUND IMAGE OBJECT PROPERTIES

Name Name of the illustration used for identification within the

measurement scheme designer.
Background Background color for the areas not covered by the background
image.
Framewidth Defines the width of the border used on the background image.
This parameter is used when the illustration is displayed in a
scheme window where the border would appear distracting.
Image Name of a file containing the image to display in the background.

TABLE 15.8: I MAGE OBJECT PROPERTIES

Name Name of the image object used for identification within the
measurement scheme designer.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the image object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the image object.
Default image Name of a file containing the image to display by default.
Selected image Name of a file containing the image to display when the associated
part is selected (using the Go to part value).
Measured image Name of a file containing the image to display when the associated
part is measured with success (using the Monitor part value).
Failed image Name of a file containing the image to display when the associated
part is measured without success (using the Monitor part value).
Monitor part This value is used to determine which part or parts control the
displayed image based on the measured profile. It can be a single
number or a list of numbers.
Single value: Uses the status for the measurement associated with
a given part for displaying either
F the Default image, when the measurement have been performed
F the Measured image, when the measurement was successful (no
warnings or failures)
F the Failed image, when there were warnings or failures on the
measurement
List of values: Uses one or all parts, depending on the setting
below Monitor part, to determine the status.
Go to part This value controls what happens when the image is clicked upon.
It can be a single number or a list of numbers.
Single value: Jumps to the part with the given number.

Chapter 15: Tools 119

 List of values: Jumps to the first unmeasured part in the list. If
all the parts are measured, the first part in the list is selected.

TABLE 15.9: T EXT OBJECT PROPERTIES

Name Name of the text object used for identification within the
measurement scheme designer.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the text object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the text object.
Background Color for drawing the area behind the text.
Font Font to use for displaying the text.
Text The text that will be displayed in the illustration.

15.1.9.1 Adding and removing objects

Image and text objects are added through the Add image and Add text commands found in
the Illustration menu. New objects are found both in the visual designer and in the list below
the illustration name.

To remove an object, first select it either in the list or in the visual designer. Then use the
Remove command in the Illustration menu.

15.1.9.2 Moving objects

Image and text objects can be moved with the mouse using the following steps:

F Move the mouse cursor over the object.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the object.
F Release the left mouse button when the object is at the desired position.

The objects are drawn onto the screen in the same sequence they appear in the list. The further
down in the list they appear the later they are drawn. If objects overlap, this sequence could
need alteration. To move an object up or down in the list, first select the object. Then use the
Move up and Move down commands found in the Illustration menu.

15.1.10 Adding and removing illustrations

Adding and removing illustrations in measurement scheme are done through the Edit menu
with the Add illustration, Copy illustration and Remove illustration commands.

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New illustrations can be either added or copied from existing illustrations. To add a new
illustration, use the Add illustration menu command. By selecting an already existing
illustration, a copy can be created using the Copy illustration command. Illustrations are
removed similarly by selecting them and using the command Remove illustration.

15.2 Designing print templates

The print template designer is a tool for modifying existing print templates and for creating
new print templates. Most of the designing can be done graphically in a visual designer that
displays a preview of the template.

15.2.1 Print templates

Print templates defines how data from measurements and results are organized on paper when
reports are printed from the software. For this purpose templates use different types of objects
placed on a virtual page to encapsulate the various items on the page. These objects are listed
in Table 15.10 below.
TABLE 15.10: P RINT TEMPLATE OBJECTS

Page header object Page header object for putting template, page and time
information etc. on the page. Only one page header is available
per template.
Page footer object Page footer object for putting template, page and time
information etc. on the page. Only one page footer is available
per template.
Graph object A graph object is used to print a graphical view of profiles and
result curves. The graph object can have an optional textbox
attached displaying information from the profiles and results in
the graph area.
Text object Text objects can be used to print profile and result information
when no graphical view is required.
Image object The image object is used for putting illustrative images and
company logos on the page.

15.2.2 Template designer

To open the print template designer, select the Tools menu and the Design template item.
Figure 15.4 below shows an example of the print template designer tool.

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Figure 15.4: Print template designer
Ê Print template designer menu
Ë Selection of template for editing
Ì Object selector
Í Object properties
Î Visual designer
Ï Page selector

The main menu (Ê) for the template designer can be found at the top of the dialog. A list
for selecting the opened template (Ë) is located next to that. The rest of the dialog is divided
into two parts, an object properties list (Í) with an object selector (Ì) for setting most object
properties and a visual designer (Î) for doing visual manipulation of the template objects.

When a template contains multiple pages with individual layout, each of the pages can be
accessed through the page selector (Ï) at the bottom of the window.

15.2.3 Main menu

The content of the template designer menu (Ê) is listed with a short description in the table
below. The following section will refer to these commands when explaining how print templates
are designed.

Template - Layout
New Creates a new print template
Save Saves changes to the opened print template
Delete Deletes the currently selected print template
Properties Edits the properties for the currently selected print template
Close Closes the print template designer

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 Template - Layout
Add graph Add a new graph object to the template
Add text Add a new text object to the template
Add image Add a new image object to the template
Delete Deletes the currently selected object
Properties Edits the properties for the currently selected object
Add page Add a new page to the template
Remove page Remove the selected page from the template
Edit page title Edit the title of the selected page
Page header Toggles the page header object
Page footer Toggles the page footer object

15.2.4 Opening a template for editing

Before a template can be modified in the designer it must be opened. This is done by selecting
the template in the selection list (Ë). If changes were made to the previously selected template,
a dialog will ask to save or discard the changes.

Information on creating new templates is available in a later section.

15.2.5 Global template properties

Templates have a few global properties that can be changed in the template properties dialog.
To open the dialog, choose the Properties command in the Template menu. That will display
a dialog as shown in Figure 15.5 below.

Figure 15.5: Print template designer - Global properties

The Filename is the name of the file in which the template is stored. This name cannot be
changed from within the software. The Title is used for identifying the template both in the
designer but also in other print related dialogs. The Orientation defines the way the printout
is oriented. This can be either Portrait or Landscape.

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15.2.6 Selecting objects

Objects can be selected in two ways. The first is to click on the object in the visual designer
(Î) with the mouse. The thin black line around the object will change to red indicating which
object is selected. The alternate method is to use the object selector (Ì) and choose the active
from there. The last method can be useful if one object accidentally is obscuring another object,
and therefore is not visible.

15.2.7 Object properties

All the objects have properties controlling their appearance and contents. Most of these
properties are available for setting through the object properties list (Í). The following tables
describe these properties.

TABLE 15.11: PAGE HEADER / FOOTER OBJECT PROPERTIES

Height Height of the page header/footer.

Font Font used for writing the header and footer text.
Line height Height of the lines in the header/footer area given relative to the
height of used font.

TABLE 15.12: G RAPH OBJECT PROPERTIES

Width Width of the graph object.

Height Height of the graph object.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the graph object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the graph object.
Label width Width of the area used for Y-axis labels.
Label height Height of the area used for X axis labels.
X axis labels Displays labels on the X axis.
Y axis labels Displays labels on the Y axis.
Font Font used for writing the axis labels.
Grid line Style, width and color for the gridlines.
Subgrid line Style, width and color for the subgridlines.
Axes mark line Style, width and color for the axes marker lines.
Zero line Style, width and color for the zerolines.
Border line Style, width and color for the borderlines.
Caption Displays a caption text above the graph area.
Caption text Text to display as caption.

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 Caption height Height of the caption area.
Caption font Font used for writing the caption.
Legend Displays a legend box above the graph area.
Legend height Height of the legend area.
Legend line height Height of the lines in the legend area given relative to the height
of used font.
Legend font Font used for writing the legend.
Textbox Toggles visibility of the textbox attached to the graph object.

TABLE 15.13: T EXTBOX OBJECT PROPERTIES

Width Width of the textbox object.

Height Height of the textbox object.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the textbox object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the textbox object.
Horizontal alignment This allows the textbox to be horizontally aligned against the
"owning" graph object.
Vertical alignment This allows the textbox to be vertically aligned against the
"owning" graph object.
Horizontal offset When aligned horizontally to the graph object, this property
allows an offset to the edge of the graph.
Vertical offset When aligned vertically to the graph object, this property allows
an offset to the edge of the graph.
Width offset If the object is placed relative, but still needs to match an absolute
property for the graph object this can be used to reduce the width
by an absolute value.
Height offset If the object is placed relative, but still needs to match an absolute
property for the graph object this can be used to reduce the height
by an absolute value.
Font Font used for writing the text.
Line height Height of the lines in the textbox given relative to the height of
used font.
Border line Style, width and color for a borderline.
Background Background style and color.
Legend Enables legend in either the top or bottom of the textbox.

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 TABLE 15.14: T EXT OBJECT PROPERTIES

Width Width of the text object.

Height Height of the text object.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the text object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the text object.
Font Font used for writing the text.
Border line Style, width and color for a borderline.
Background Background style and color.

TABLE 15.15: I MAGE OBJECT PROPERTIES

Width Width of the image object.

Height Height of the image object.
Horizontal position Horizontal position of the image object.
Vertical position Vertical position of the image object.
Horizontal alignment Left, center or right align the image within the image area.
Vertical alignment Top, middle or bottom align the image within the image area.
Retain aspect ratio Retains aspect ratio for the image or stretch to all extends.
Background Color of the background if the image is not filling out the image
box.
Filename Name of the file containing the image. Following formats are
supported: Windows bitmap (BMP), JPEG, PNG, Windows
metafile (WMF) and Enhanced metafile (EMF).

Most of the objects also have extra properties accessible through the Properties command in
the Layout menu. These are described in the following sections.

15.2.7.1 Graph object properties

Open the graph object properties dialog by selecting the graph object and using the Properties
command in the Layout menu. This displays the dialog shown in Figure 15.6 below. The first
page in the dialog holds general settings for the graph object.

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Figure 15.6: Print template designer - Graph object general properties

Templates can print measurement and result data from one or more opened windows. The
Window parameter determines which of the opened windows is used as a source for the graph.
A value of 1 identifies the foreground window. A value of 2 identifies the window just behind
the foreground window, etc.

When multiple profiles or results are opened in a single window, all of these do not necessarily
need to be printed by a graph object. Setting the Profiles property to a list of numbers restricts
the graph object to only printing these profiles/results from the window and not all.

Certain printouts could use data from multiple result windows that must be organized in a
specific way. Instead of reorganizing the windows to be in a specific order each time a printout
is made, the template can do some reorganization automatically. By setting the Result link
parameter to the ID of a result, this will determine the window selected, rather than the Window
setting.

The remaining properties control how the profiles/results are scaled when printed in the graph
area. The first, Scale mode, selects the method used for the scalling. The following methods
are available:
TABLE 15.16: G RAPH SCALE MODES

Default Uses the scaling similar to the originating window.

All Scales the profiles to the full extend retaining an aspect ratio of
1:1. Uses the Horizontal space and Vertical space properties to
put in space between profiles/results and the borders of the graph
area.
Fixed X and Y range Sets a fixed scale for the horizontal and vertical axis using
the Minimum X, Maximum X, Minimum Y and Maximum Y
properties.

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 Fixed X range Sets a fixed scale for the horizontal axis using the Minimum X and
Maximum X properties. The vertical range is calculated using an
aspect ratio of 1:1.
Fixed Y range Sets a fixed scale for the vertical axis using the Minimum Y and
Maximum Y properties. The horizontal range is calculated using
an aspect ratio of 1:1.
Maximum Scales the profiles to the maximum extend in both horizontal and
vertical direction. Uses the Horizontal space and Vertical space
properties to put in space between profiles/results and the borders
of the graph area.

The second page of the dialog, shown in Figure 15.7, holds settings controling how the profiles
and result curves are drawn within the graph area.

Figure 15.7: Print template designer - Graph object drawing properties

Each profile/result in the graph area can be printed in a specific style. Use the Graph no. to
the select profile/result for which to configure the appearance.

The Point style settings control how the individual points in the profile/result are printed. Not
every point is necessarily printed. By setting the Point interval to for instance 8, only every
8th point is printed with the style set by the Point style settings.

The Line style settings control how the lines between the points are printed. This is not affected
by the Point interval setting and thus all points in the profile/result are connected with lines.

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15.2.7.2 Textbox properties

The contents of a textbox attached to a graph object is controlled through the properties dialog,
which is opened using the Properties command in the Layout menu. This displays the dialog
shown in Figure 15.8.

Figure 15.8: Print template designer - Textbox properties

The dialog contains a simple list of text defining what to print. This list is used to put in
information for each profile/result in the associated window when the textbox is printed.

Each line can be constructed from the following components, of which only the flag or field id
is required:

F Condition

F Flags

F Unit

F Field id

F Label

The syntax of a textbox line is shown below. Most of these parts are optional but if all are
excluded, leaving the line empty, it will be ignored.

?Condition:\Flags:Unit/FieldId=%Label

Figure 15.9: Textbox line syntax

Chapter 15: Tools 129

Condition

The condition expression is put together from the values and functions listed in Table 15.17.

TABLE 15.17: T EXTBOX LINE CONDITIONS

i Index of the printed profile/result

w True if the profile is a wheel
r True if the profile is a rail
b True if the profile is a brake
e() True if the references field id exists in the header

These values and functions can be put together using the following operators:

TABLE 15.18: T EXTBOX LINE CONDITION OPERATORS

== The two values are equal.

!= The two values are not equal.
> The first value is greater than the second.
< The first value is smaller than the second.
>= The first value is greater than or equal to the second.
<= The first value is smaller than or equal to the second.
&& Logical AND.
|| Logial OR.

The Figure 15.10 below shows a simple example of a condition. The line will only be printed
for the first profile in the windows and only if the profile is a wheel or a rail. Note the use of
parentesises to organize the expression.

?(i==1) && (w || r):...

Figure 15.10: Textbox line condition example

Flags

There is currently one flag available for controlling a line. This is used to insert blank space
and should not be used with a field identifier.

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 TABLE 15.19: T EXTBOX LINE FLAGS

blank Insert a blank line in the textbox

Field id and unit

The field id is what identifies the field to be printed. If the field contains a numerical value and
this should be converted to the default unit, as set in the reference dialog, the unit part must
be included. This is the unit the value is stored in, normally millimeters for lengths, degrees
for angles and square-millimeters for areas.

Dynamic information

In addition to printing field information from the header, the following dynamic information
can also be put in a textbox. To destinguis normal fields from the dynamic, all identifiers are
preceeded with an atsign (@).

TABLE 15.20: DYNAMIC TEXTBOX INFORMATION

@filename Complete filename with extension.

@filenames Short filename without extension.
@instrument Instrument type and serial number.
@cursor.a.x X coordinate of cursor 1.
@cursor.a.y Y coordinate of cursor 1.
@cursor.a.xy X and Y coordinate of cursor 1.
@cursor.b.x X coordinate of cursor 2.
@cursor.b.y Y coordinate of cursor 2.
@cursor.b.xy X and Y coordinate of cursor 2.
@cursor.ab.dist Distance between cursor 1 and 2.
@cursor.ab.angle Angle of line going through cursor 1 and 2.

Label

The label part is used to put in the text printed next to the actual value. This would normally
be a short but descriptive text clearly identifying the value to the person reading the printout.
In the shown example (Figure 15.4) all labels are preceeded with a percentage sign (software
to try translating the text using a build-in list of field names. Translation is not applicaple
when adding custom fields to a textbox because the software could not know how to do the
translation. The real text should then be put in without the percentage sign.

Chapter 15: Tools 131

15.2.7.3 Page header and footer properties

Page headers and page footers are used to put general information at the top and bottom of
the pages. This could be the date and time for the printout and page number for printouts
which span multiple pages. Select either the header or footer object and open the properties
dialog by using the Properties command in the Layout menu. This displays the dialog shown
in Figure 15.11.

Figure 15.11: Print template designer - Page header/footer properties

The dialog contains a simple list of text defining what to print. The contents of each line is
put in one of three columns. The first column is left aligned, the second centered and the last
right aligned.

The syntax for a line in the list is shown below.

\Flags:Text

Figure 15.12: Page header/footer line syntax

Flags

The following flags are available for controlling which column the text is assigned to.

TABLE 15.21: PAGE HEADER / FOOTER FLAGS

left Put the text in the left column of the header/footer.

center Put the text in the center column of the header/footer.
right Put the text in the right column of the header/footer.

Text

The text is what will be printed in the given column of the page header/footer. This can be
any text including information from profiles. See the sections Inserting field information and

132 Chapter 15: Tools

Inserting dynamic information for futher details on putting field and dynamic information
into the page header text.

Page header example

An example of a page header definition is shown in Figure 15.13. This is identical to the
standard templates included with software.

\left:MiniProf for Windows

\left:Version $@PROGVEREX$
\center:Page $@PAGE$ of $@PAGES$
\right:Date: $@DATE$
\right:Time: $@TIME$

Figure 15.13: Page header source example

The result of a printout using the definition in Figure 15.13 above is illustrated in Figure 15.14
below.

MiniProf for Windows Page 1 of 1 Date: 21. marts 2007

Version 2.4.56 Time: 14:48:42

Figure 15.14: Print template designer - Page header result example

15.2.7.4 Text object properties

The text object is used to place arbitrary information anywhere on the page. Select either a
text object and open the properties dialog by using the Properties command in the Layout
menu. This displays the dialog shown in Figure 15.15.

Figure 15.15: Print template designer - Text object properties

The dialog contains a list of text lines, each containing information for printing one paragraph
in the text object area.

Chapter 15: Tools 133

Each line can be constructed from the following components, of which only the flag or field id
is required:

F Margins

F Tabulators

F Text

The syntax of a text object paragraph is shown below. Both the flags, margins and tabulators
part can be left out if required.

\Flags(Left,Top,Right,Bottom)[Tabulators]:Text

Figure 15.16: Text object paragraph syntax

Flags

The following flags are available for controlling how the text in the paragraph is aligned.

TABLE 15.22: T EXT OBJECT FLAGS

left The text is aligned to the left edge of the text object area.
center The text is centered in the text object area.
right The text is aligned to the right edge of the text object area.
leftright The text is aligned to the left edge and stretched so the right edge of the
text object area.

Margins

The four margin values set the left and right indentation and the space above and below the
paragraph. If margins are used all four values must be present together.

Tabulators

The tabulator part is used for defining tabulator stops for the given paragraph. These are given
in millimeters relative to the left edge of the text, after margins have been applied. Be sure to
enter at least the same number of tabulator stops in the list as will be used by the text in the
paragraph.

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Text

The text is what will be printed in the given paragraph. This can be any text including
information from profiles. See the sections Inserting field information and Inserting
dynamic information for futher details on putting field and dynamic information into the
page header text.

The layout of the text can be controlled using the following codes and tabulator symbols:

TABLE 15.23: T EXT OBJECT CONTROL CODES

{b0} Toggles bold off.

{b1} Toggles bold on.
{i0} Toggles italics off.
{i1} Toggles italics on.
{u0} Toggles underline off.
{u1} Toggles underline on.
{c v} Sets the text color to v. Must be entered as a hexadimal value.
{f v} Sets the background color to v. Must be entered as a hexadimal value.
{tl} Inserts a left tabulator.
{tr} Inserts a right tabulator.
{tc} Inserts a comma tabulator.

Text object example

An example of a text object definition is shown in Figure 15.17 below.

\(0,5,0,0)[10,15]:Sd{tl}:{tl}$[1,1]mm/Sd$
\[10,15]:Sh{tl}:{tl}$[1,1]mm/Sh$
\[10,15]:qR{tl}:{tl}$[1,1]mm/qR$

Figure 15.17: Text object source example

The result of a printout using the definition in Figure 15.17 above is illustrated in Figure 15.18
below.

Sd : 31.125 mm
Sh : 22.988 mm
qR : 10.765 mm

Figure 15.18: Print template designer - Text object result example

Chapter 15: Tools 135

15.2.7.5 Inserting field information

The page headers, page footers and text objects can contain profile header information, also
called field information. This is put into the text using two dollarsigns ($) for identification.
See Figure 15.19 for the syntax.

$[WindownNo,ProfileNo]Unit/FieldId$

Figure 15.19: Field information syntax

Because page headers/footers and text objects are not attached to a graph object, as textboxes
are, the window and profile number must be given.

The field id is what identifies the field to be printed. If the field contains a numerical value and
this should be converted to the default unit, as set in the preference dialog, the unit part must
be included. This is the unit the value is stored in, normally millimeters for lengths, degrees
for angles and square-millimeters for areas.

The below Figure 15.20 shows a little example of how fields are inserted.

The Sd value = $[1,2]mm/Sd$

Figure 15.20: Field information source example

Assuming the sd value is 28.231, the following will be printed.

The Sd value = 28.231 mm

Figure 15.21: Print template designer - Field information result example

15.2.7.6 Inserting dynamic information

The page headers, page footers and text objects can contain dynamic information, such as page
numbers and time. This is put into the text using two dollarsigns ($) for identification, just
like field information. The difference from inserting field information is the name of the fields.
These are all initiated by an atsign (@) to indicate that they are calculated at the time of the
printout. Following dynamic fields are available:

TABLE 15.24: DYNAMIC FIELDS

@page Number of the current page.

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 @pages Total number of pages.
@pagetitle Insert the title of the current page.
@progver MiniProf for Windows version information.
@progverex MiniProf for Windows extended version information.
@date Current date, using long date format.
@dates Current date, using short date format.
@time Current time, using long time format.
@times Current time, using short time format.
@datetime Current date and time.

15.2.8 Adding and removing objects

Most objects are added through the commands in the Layout menu. Use Add graph, Add text
and Add image to add graph, text and image objects. To remove an object, select it and use
the Delete command in the Layout menu.

Because the textbox object must be attached to a graph object, it cannot be added individually
through the Layout menu. Adding and removing textboxes are therefore done through a
property on the graph object.

Only one page header and one page footer can be present on a page. These are not added and
removed but rather enabled using the Page header and Page footer commands. These toggle
the presence of the header and footer in a template.

15.2.9 Moving and sizing objects

Objects can be moved using the directions below:

F Move the mouse over the object that should be moved.

F Press the left mouse button and drag the object.

F Release the left mouse button again when the object is placed correctly.

Objects can also be resized using the mouse:

F Move the mouse to an edge or a corner of the object that should be resized. Note the
cursor changes, similar to when windows are resized.

F Press the left mouse button and drag to resize the object.

Chapter 15: Tools 137

 F Release the left mouse button again when the object has the right size.

A more accurate placement can be obtained through the Width, Height, Horizontal position
and Vertical position properties for each object. In this way it is possible to gain complete
control over the exact placement and size of objects.

Note: Page headers and page footers cannot be moved and do only allow changing their
height.

15.2.10 Relative or absolute placement

The position and size of most objects can be given both relative to the page size and as an
absolute size in millimeters. This is indicated with either (mm) or (%) shown next to the
descriptive text in the property list (see Figure 15.22).

Figure 15.22: Print template designer - Relative/absolute placement

Ê Indication of relative placement
Ë Indication of absolute placement

Click on the text (Ê+Ë) to toggle between using relative and absolute placement for a given
property. This can be done individual for all properties supporting relative/absolute placement
in an object.

Using relative placement of objects is useful when the template must be flexible and used on
different paper sizes. All the standard templates use the relative placement to fit almost any
printer without any need of change by the user.

15.2.11 Adding and removing pages

A print template can define more that one page, for instance for printing profiles with
information on the first page and graphical results like residuals on the second. Pages are
added and removed using the Layout→Add page and Layout→Remove page commands. Each

138 Chapter 15: Tools

page can then be edited individually in the designed by selecting it with the page buttons in
the bottom of the window (see Figure 15.23).

Figure 15.23: Print template designer - Page selection

The pages can be titled for use in page headers/footers and text boxes usign the Edit page title
command in the Layout menu.

All pages in a multipage template have access to the same windows. To get different windows
printed on the individual pages, use the Window setting on graph objects (see section Graph
object properties)

15.3 Customizing fields

Fields are used throughout the software for identifying and retrieving information stored in the
profile header. For this purpose there is a simple database for managing information related to
these fields. This database is used almost anywhere fields are used, mainly to ease the selection
of field identifiers.

The database with fields can be edited through the fields customization tool. To open it, select
the Tools menu, the Customize fields item and dialog will be shown similar to Figure 15.24
below.

Figure 15.24: Customizing fields

Ê Field categories
Ë List of fields

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The field categories (Ê) in the left part of the dialog divide the fields into four categories,
making the list of fields (Ë) easier to overview. The field list (Ë) consists of a row for each field
and six columns with settings for each field. Table 15.26 below describes each of these settings.

TABLE 15.25: C USTOMIZE FIELDS COLUMNS

ID Field identifier used for storing the field information in the profile header.
This must be a unique name and would preferably be kept in English.
Name The field name is what is displayed, for instance in the measurement dialog.
The syntax %ID is used by the software for build-in fields to be able to do
an automated translation of the field name.
For custom fields, not supported with translation in the software, this should
a descriptive text in the local language.
Type Defines the type for the field, either string or float, used later to determine
how to handle the data in the field.
The summary script for Excel uses this setting to be able to write correct
numerical values to the Excel sheet.
Unit Defines the unit in which fields with the float type have the value stored.
Used for later conversion to other units.
Mode The mode controls which fields are used for what purpose.
F System fields are fields used mainly internally by the software and must
not be removed or changed.
F Result fields are the fields used by calculations to store their results values
in the profile header.
F Custom fields are the fields entered by the operator during measurements.
Selected Setting used by the field selection dialog in the summary automation scripts
to determine which fields to include in the summary.
This setting can also be changed in the field selection dialog before making
the summary.

15.3.1 Modifying the fields

Adding, removing and rearranging the fields in the list can be done through the commands
listed in Table 15.26 below.
TABLE 15.26: C USTOMIZE FIELDS OPERATIONS
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Insert field Press £CTRL ¢£INSERT ¢ to insert a new blank field.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Delete field Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£DELETE ¢. to
delete.

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 ¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move field up Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£ARROW-UP ¢.
¤ ¡¤ ¡
Move field down Select the row corresponding to the field and press £CTRL ¢£ARROW-DOWN ¢.

15.3.2 Discovering fields

When plug-ins are installed or fields have been added through the measurement field definition
dialog, these fields can automatically be copied to the field database using the field discovery
function. Press the Discover button to find new fields as shown in Figure 15.25.

Figure 15.25: Customizing fields

Select the fields that should be copied in the list and press the Ok button to proceed. To select
or deselect all the fields in the list use the buttons Select all and Select none.

15.4 Installing a new language

The MiniProf for Windows software is shipped with a set of languages. New languages can
normally be obtained from Greenwood Engineering for an additional cost and must be installed
before they can be used.

To install a new language select the Tools menu and the Install language item. This will show
the dialog in Figure 15.26.

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Figure 15.26: Installing a new language

The tool will automatically search though available floppy and CDROM drives for available
language packages and display these in the list. Use the Refresh button to refresh the list if a
floppy disk containing the language is inserted after this dialog is opened. If the package have
been downloaded from the internet or for some other reason do not appear in the list, use the
Browse... button to locate it.

The languages that are not already installed are selected by default. This selection can be
changed by double clicking the items in the list. Press the Ok button to complete the
installation. The language files will then be extracted from the package to the MiniProf language
directory and the new language will be selected.

15.5 Installing a calibration file

When the software is installed or after an instrument is returned from calibration, the new or
updated calibration file must be installed on the system so the software can find it. This can
be done easily using the calibration installation tool. Select the Tools menu and the Install
calibration item. This will show the dialog in Figure 15.27.

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Figure 15.27: Installing a calibration file

The tool will automatically search through available floppy and CDROM drives for available
calibration files and display these in the list. Use the Refresh button to refresh the list if a
floppy disk containing the calibration file is inserted after this dialog is opened.

New and updated calibration files are selected by default. This selection can be changed by
double clicking the items in the list. Press the Ok button to complete the installation.

Note: For security reasons the calibration file installation tool will not allow installation
of a calibration file if a newer is already present.

15.6 Measurement menu

The measurement menu is a helpful tool which makes the task of performing measurements
easier accessible. As shown in Figure 15.28 it displays a limited number of commands, chosen
to be the commands needed in the field while doing measurements. The menu is also very
suitable for computers with touch screens. With large buttons it is easy to operate using
fingers compared to the ordinary menus.

Chapter 15: Tools 143

Figure 15.28: Measurement menu

To switch to the measurement menu use the Tools→Measurement menu command. This will
first display a password dialog (see Figure 15.29). The password is optional. If entered, this
will lock the measurement menu and keep the program starting up in this mode.

Figure 15.29: Measurement menu password

Press the Advanced... button to get back to the normal MiniProf main window. If the
measurement menu was locked, illustrated by the keys on the Advanced... button, the password
dialog is shown again and the correct password must be entered.

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 C HAPTER 16

AUTOMATION

MiniProf for Windows include automation features based on scripting. Scripting gives the
software the ability to interpret C-like programs, which can access almost all of the functionality
in the MiniProf software, including all the installed calculations and alignments.

There are some general automation scripts included with the software. These implement the
common operations of batch processing, batch exporting and the creation of summaries and
are found in the Automation submenu in the File menu. The following sections give a short
description.

16.1 Batch script

The batch script is used for performing a number of calculations and alignment on a large
number of profiles. When started, it will show a dialog, see Figure 16.1, in which the calculations
and alignments can be selected. If one or more of the selected calculations require a reference,
or an alignment routine have been included, the reference profile must be assigned. Press the
browse button (...) to locate a reference profile.

Figure 16.1: Batch script selection

Chapter 16: Automation 145

16.2 Summary script

The summary script is used for extracting information from a large number of profiles and
storing it to a file. There are two different variations of the script: one for storing the summary
to an ASCII-formatted text file (Summary (Text)) and one for storing it in a Microsoft Excel
worksheet (Summary (Excel)).

When started, it will show a dialog, see Figure 16.2, in which the fields that should be extracted
from the profiles can be selected.

Figure 16.2: Summary script selection

16.3 Export script

The export script is used for exporting a large number of profiles to another format. When
started, it will show a dialog, see Figure 16.3, in which the export filters can be selected.

Figure 16.3: Export script selection

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16.4 Print script

The print script is used for printing a large number of profiles. When started, it will show a
browser dialog for selecting the files to be printed. After the files are selected, the script prints
all to the standard print preview dialog for review and configuration of the printout. When the
desired result is reached in the preview, use the toolbar buttons to either print, save, copy or
close the preview again.

16.5 The script guide

The script guide is aimed at helping the user through script data input and generally displaying
information about what the script is doing. In order to use the guide, the script itself must
supply information to the MiniProf software. In other words, the script must support the guide
feature in order for it to work. All the scripts included support guides. The Figure Figure 16.4
below shows an example of the script guide window.

Figure 16.4: Script guide

16.6 Macros

While the scripting functionality is very usefull, making new scripts require a lot of technical
expertice and insight, not something a normal user wants to get into. MiniProf therefore
features another type of automation called macros, for optimizing everyday tasks, like doing a
number of different calculations repeatedly. Still based on the same scripting engine, macros
can be build very easily through the macro builder.

A macro is a list of commands from the software, that when executed, will be caried out in a
certain sequence. Almost any command in the software can be used in macro, some can even
be customized to eliminate user interaction further. This is for instance the case for calculation
commands, where the normal calculation dialog can be supressed to reduce the amount of work
needed from the user.

Another usefull feature, though not directly related to macros still worth mentioning, is the
ability to assign custom shortcuts for all commands. Shortcuts can also be assigned to

Chapter 16: Automation 147

macro, making them even easier and faster to use. See the section Configuring keyboard
assignments for more information on setting up shortcuts.

Open the macro builder by going to the File→Automation menu and select Build macro. This
shows the dialog in Figure 16.5 below:

Figure 16.5: Macro builder

Ê Toolbar with macro builder commands
Ë Pane displaying the current macro
Ì Available commands grouped by context

This initial view shows a toolbar (Ê) with all required functions to create, edit and save macros,
a blank pane where a macro can be edited (Ë) and a list of all commands available for use in
a macro (Ì). Short descriptions of the toolbar functions follows in the table below:
TABLE 16.1: M ACRO BUILDER TOOLS

Open an existing macro. Use the arrow next to the icon to open a menu
Open with all currently available macros.

Create a new macro.

New

Save the currently opened macro.

Save

Save the currently opened macro under a new filename.

Save as...

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 Delete the currently opened macro.
Delete

Add a command to the macro.

Add command

Delete the selected command from the macro.

Remove
command

Move the selected command up in the sequence.

Move up

Move the selected command down in the sequence.

Move down

Use the dropdown menu to change the selected command option.

Options

Close the macro builder.

Close

16.6.1 Editing a macro

Before a macro can be edited it must be opened or created. This is done using the Open and
New buttons in the toolbar. Use the small arrow next to the Open icon to access a menu with
all the currently installed macros. When a macro has been opened, the builder dialog change
appearance (see Figure 16.6).

Chapter 16: Automation 149

Figure 16.6: Opened macro
Ê Title, description and version of the macro
Ë Name of the file that holds the macro
Ì List of commands currently in the macro
Í Command title
Î Command options

General information about the macro is shown in the upper left area of the dialog. The title
and description (Ê) is used in menus and as a hint message when browsing the menus. These
should be assigned texts that easily identifies the macro and its purpose to the user. The version
(Ê) is currently not used for anything other than display in the macro builder but assign a
proper value as this could be usefull in coming versions. The macros command sequence (Ì)
is shown below the general information. In the example it contains two commands, namely
Import→DXF and Export→MiniProf reference.

A new macro is created using the New button. All these fields will initially be empty and
must have assigned proper values. After they are assigned, use the Save as... button to select
a filename for the new macro. Please make sure this file is placed in the script folder as the
program suggests by default. Otherwise the macro will not be recognized by the program
automatically.

16.6.2 Managing the commands

When the macro is executed, the commands are performed in a sequence, from top to bottom,
each waiting for the previous command to complete. This means that if one command displays
a dialog, like File→Open could, the following commands are not performed until a selection
have been made in the file dialog.

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Commands are added to the macro from the command list (Figure 16.5, Ì). This list is grouped
similar to the menus in the software to make it easy to find the relevant commands. Expand
and collapse the groups by clicking on the plus sign, scroll through the list to find the required
command and double click to add it to the current macro. Command can also be added using
the Add command toolbutton after it has been selected in the command list.

Commands are removed just as easy, simply by double clicking on the command title or by
using the Remove command toolbutton.

As new commands are added to the bottom of the sequence, reordering the list is sometimes
necessary. This can be done either by dragging the commands up and down in the list or by
using the Move up and Move down toolbuttons.

16.6.3 Command options

Some of the commands have options (Figure 16.6, Î) that control how that given command
works. These could for instance control whether or not to display a dialog for user input.
Options are changed by double clicking, which cycles through the available choises, using the
popup menu or through the Options toolbutton.

Chapter 16: Automation 151

152 Chapter 16: Automation
 C HAPTER 17

P LUG - INS

Plug-ins are modules which can extend the MiniProf core software with additional functionality,
such as new calculations, alignments and filters for importing and exporting measurements
and results. There are currently four extensions available for general use, as described in the
following sections. More specialized plug-ins can be developed on request.

17.1 Wheel Extensions

The Wheel Extensions plug-in features additional calculations and alignments for use on single
wheel measurements as well as TwinHead measurements. These calculations and alignments
are described in the following sections.

17.1.1 Wheel flange width

Calculates the width of the flange (W) for the selected profile. See Figure 17.1 below for
definition of parameters and results. Default value for the parameter is: L = 14 mm.

Figure 17.1: Wheel flange width

17.1.2 Wheel flange width (Tram)

Calculates the width of the flange (D) for the selected profile. See Figure 17.2 below for
definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L1 = 58 mm and
L2 = 10 mm.

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Figure 17.2: Wheel flange width (Tram)

17.1.3 Wheel flange back wear

Calculates the flange back wear (W) for the selected profile. See Figure 17.3 below for definition
of parameters and results. Default value for the parameter is: L = 14 mm.

Figure 17.3: Wheel flange back wear

17.1.4 Wheel flange back wear (Tram)

Calculates the flange back wear (D) for the selected profile. See Figure 17.4 below for definition
of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L1 = 58 mm and L2 = 10
mm.

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Figure 17.4: Wheel flange back wear (Tram)

17.1.5 Wheel flange angle

Calculates the wheel flange angle (A) at a given point defined from the taperline (L1). The
angle is determined either from the tangent in the point, the angle between two points on each
side or as the average of the tangent angels in a certain area (D). See Figure 17.5 below for
definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L1 = 70 mm, L2
= 10 mm and D = 5 mm.

Figure 17.5: Wheel flange angle

17.1.6 Wheel flange angle maximum

Calculates the maximum flange angle (A) and position (X) for the selected profile. The
calculation determines the angles either as the tangent angle in each point, as the angle between
two points on each side or as the average of the tangent angles in a certain area (D). See
Figure 17.6 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: D = 2.54 mm and L = 70 mm.

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Figure 17.6: Wheel flange angle maximum

17.1.7 Wheel taperline angle

Calculates the taperline angle (A) using the average in a distance (L2) around the taperline
(L1). See Figure 17.7 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the
parameters are: L1 = 70 mm, L2 = 20 mm and L3 = 20 mm.

Figure 17.7: Wheel taperline angle

17.1.8 Wheel wear difference

Calculates the difference between the wheel wear on a measured profile and a reference profile.
See Figure 17.8 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: L1 = 2 mm, L2 = 70 mm and L3 = 10 mm.

156 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

Figure 17.8: Wheel wear difference

17.1.9 Wheel diameter difference

Calculates the difference between the diameters on wheels in a bogie. See Figure 17.9 below
for an illustration of the calculated differences.

Figure 17.9: Wheel diameter difference

17.1.10 Wheel hollowing

Calculates the highest wheel hollowing (H) and position (X) for the selected profile. See
Figure 17.10 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: A = 0◦ and L = 70 mm.

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 157

Figure 17.10: Wheel hollowing

17.1.11 Wheel thread wear

Calculates the thread wear (w) as the distance between the measurement and the reference at
a given point (L) defined from the backside of the flange. See Figure 17.11 below for definition
of parameters and results. Default value for the parameter is: L = 70 mm.

Figure 17.11: Wheel thread wear

17.1.12 Wheel thread wear maximum

Calculates the maximum thread wear (W) and position (X) between the measurement and the
reference in an area set from the flange backside (L1) to the outer thread (L2). See Figure 17.12
below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L1 = 50
mm and L2 = 5 mm.

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Figure 17.12: Wheel thread wear maximum

17.1.13 Wheel volume loss

Calculates the volume between the measurement and a reference. This is done using either the
measured diameter (if available) or the diameter entered as a parameter for the calculation. See
Figure 17.13 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: Diameter = 900 mm and Density = 0,00782.

Figure 17.13: Wheel volume loss

17.1.14 Wheel diameter from tyre

Calculates the wheel diameter on either the flange (Df) or the taperline (Dt) given the tyre
height (Ht) and the inner diameter (Di). See Figure 17.14 below for definition of parameters
and results. Default values for the parameters are: L = 70 mm and Di = 605 mm.

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 159

Figure 17.14: Wheel diameter from tyre

17.1.15 Wheel gauge flange

Calculates different wheel gauge parameters for a set of wheel profiles given the measured back-
to-back gauge (Gb). See Figure 17.15 below for definition of parameters and results. Default
values for the parameters are: L1 = 70 mm and L2 = 10 mm.

Figure 17.15: Wheel gauge flange

17.1.16 TwinHead wheel gauge

Calculates the wheel gauge values (Gb, Gtl and Gf) for a set of TwinHead wheel profiles. Gb
is the gauge found at the backside of the wheels, Gtl is the gauge found at the taperline on
the wheels and Gf is the gauge found on the flange. See Figure 17.16 below for definition of
parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L1= 70 mm and L2 = 10 mm.

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Figure 17.16: TwinHead wheel gauge

17.1.17 TwinHead wheel gauge (AR)

Calculates the wheel gauge value (AR) for a set of TwinHead wheel profiles. AR is the gauge
found at the backside of the wheels at a point relative to the flange top. See Figure 17.17 below
for definition of parameters and results. Default value for the parameter is: L = 32 mm.

Figure 17.17: TwinHead wheel gauge (AR)

17.1.18 Align wheel on diameter

Aligns the wheel profile given the corresponding diameter, either flange (Df) or taperline (Dtl)
diameter. See Figure 17.18 below for definition of parameters and results. Default value for
the parameter is: L1 = 70 mm.

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Figure 17.18: Align wheel on diameter

17.1.19 Align wheel on tyre

Aligns the wheel profile given the corresponding tyre height (Ht). See Figure 17.19 below for
definition of parameters and results.

Figure 17.19: Align wheel on tyre

17.2 Rail Extensions

The Rail Extensions plug-in features additional calculations and alignments for use on single
rail measurements as well as TwinHead measurements. These calculations and alignments are
described in the following sections.

162 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

17.2.1 Railhead angle

Calculates the angle of the railhead. Given a measured profile alone, it uses the angles of the
field and gauge side lines (tl and tr) to determine the railhead angle. If a reference profile is
supplied, it will find the railhead angle of that first and then combine it with either the field
or gauge side line angle (tl or tr) of the measurement. See Figure 17.20 below for definition of
parameters and results.

Figure 17.20: Railhead angle

17.2.2 Rail gauge angle

Calculates the gauge angle (A) at a given point defined from the top of the railhead (L). The
angle is determined either from the tangent in the point, the angle between two points on each
side or as the average of the tangent angels in a certain area (D). See Figure 17.21 below for
definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: L = 18 mm and D
= 5 mm.

Figure 17.21: Rail gauge angle

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 163

17.2.3 Rail gauge angle maximum

Calculates the maximum gauge angle (A) and position (Y) for the selected profile. The
calculation determines the angles either as the tangent angle in each point, as the angle between
two points on each side or as the average of the tangent angles in a certain area (D). See
Figure 17.22 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: D = 2.54 mm and L = 2 mm.

Figure 17.22: Rail gauge angle maximum

17.2.4 Rail height

Calculates the remaining height of the rail head (H) for the selected profile. See Figure 17.23
below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are: A = 20◦ ,
DL = 0,1 mm and DH = 0,3 mm.

Figure 17.23: Rail height

164 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

17.2.5 Railhead area

Calculates the amount of then measured profile which lies within the reference. The result is
the remaining material area given as a percentage of the reference area.

Figure 17.24: Railhead area

17.2.6 Grooved rail wear

This function will calculate the vertical (W1) and the horizontal (W2 and W4) wear. The
wear is calculated as the difference between the measured profile and the reference profile. See
Figure 17.25 for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters are:
H1 = 12 mm and H2 = 12 mm.

Figure 17.25: Grooved rail wear

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 165

17.2.7 Grooved rail geometry

This function calculates a number of geometrical features for a grooved rail profile: Groove
width (W), groove height (H), crown radius (RC) and radiuses for the different parts of the
groove (R1, R2, R3 and R4). See Figure 17.26 for definition of parameters and results. Default
values for the parameters are: L1 = 9 mm, L2 = 8 mm, L3 = 1 mm, A1 = 2.86◦ (1:20) and A2
= 45◦ .

Figure 17.26: Grooved rail geometry

17.2.8 TwinHead rail gauge

Calculates the gauge between two rail profiles made with a TwinHead rail unit. The two profiles
must be linked together for the calculation to succeed. See Figure 17.27 below for definition of
parameters and results. Default value for the parameter is: L = 14.

Figure 17.27: TwinHead rail gauge

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17.2.9 Align grooved rail (Flat)

Aligns a measured grooved rail profile to the reference profile using either the gauge face or
the check face of the groove. See Figure 17.28 for definition of parameters and results. Default
value for the parameter is: A = 20◦ .

Figure 17.28: Align grooved rail (Flat)

17.3 Brake Extensions

The Brake Extensions plug-in features additional calculations and alignments for use on single
brake measurements as well as TwinHead measurements. These calculations and alignments
are described in the following sections.

17.3.1 Brake volume loss

Calculates the volume between the measurement and a reference. This is done using either the
measured diameter (if available) or the diameter entered as a parameter for the calculation. See
Figure 17.13 below for definition of parameters and results. Default values for the parameters
are: Diameter = 900 mm and Density = 0,00782.

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 167

Figure 17.29: Brake volume loss

17.3.2 TwinHead brake width

Calculates the minimum (Wmin) and maximum (Wmax) width of a brake disc given profiles
for both sides of the disc as measured with a TwinHead rail unit. The two profiles must be
linked together for the calculation to succeed. See Figure 17.30 below for definition of results.

Figure 17.30: TwinHead brake width

17.3.3 Align TwinHead brake

Aligns a measured TwinHead brake profile on the top edges of the two measurements by moving
vertically dy and rotating dv. The two profiles must be linked together for the alignment to
succeed. See Figure 17.31 for definition of parameters.

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Figure 17.31: Align TwinHead brake

17.4 Equivalent Conicity

With trains going faster everyday, there is an increasing demand for better travel comfort as
well as insurance of a high degree of safety. For this purpose it is very important to look at
the wheel and rail interaction, studying how the contact geometry behaves. The equivalent
conicity is a very useful parameter when investigating this dynamic interaction between vehicle
and track.

The MiniProf for Windows Equivalent Conicity plug-in was developed for this analysis, as
an addition to MiniProf TwinHead Wheel and Rail measuring equipments. The MiniProf
TwinHead instruments was originally designed to take both left and right wheel/rail profile
together with an accuracy suitable for contact studies.

Though the plug-in can be used with single profiles, manually given extra information about
gauge etc., this is not recommended. The conicity depends highly on both the shape of the
profiles as well as the relation between the left and right profiles (wheel and rail gauge).

It is advisable that a certain basic knowledge of MiniProf measuring and the MiniProf for
Windows standard operation is acquired before starting work with the equivalent conicity
calculation. Take some time to get familiar with the features for profile manipulation and
analysis available in the standard software.

17.4.1 Calculating conicity

To make the equivalent conicity calculation as flexible as possible, there are a lot of parameters
that control how the calculation behave. Most of these have a default, which normally should
be good enough. It is though advisable to go through all the parameters at least once, to verify
that the default settings are ok, and if not, to change them for later use.

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17.4.2 Aligning wheel and rail profiles

The first step in calculating equivalent conicity is to place the wheel and rail profiles so the
contact points are located. This is done using a Newton based approximation algorithm with
the following steps:

1) The minimum distance between the rail and wheel profile is calculated for both left and
right set of profiles. If both left and right distance is below the required precision, the
profiles are regarded as being placed correctly and the algorithm stops.

2) A vertical displacement and rotation of the wheelset is determined from the two vertical
distances (from above) and applied to the wheel profiles. Because the movement and
rotation could alter the contact points, the first part of the algorithm is performed again.

17.4.3 Calculation parameters

The following sections describe all the different parameters available for the equivalent conicity
calculation.

17.4.3.1 Displacement, steps and precision

These options controls the basic operation of the calculation:

TABLE 17.1: B ASIC SETTINGS

Displacement Defines how much the wheel profiles are moved in the lateral
direction. The default value is 10 mm giving results with a
displacement from -10 mm to 10 mm.
Steps Sets the number of divisions the entire displacement of the wheel
profiles is divided into. Given a Displacement of 10 mm and Steps
set to 10, the equivalent conicity will be calculated for every 10/10
= 1 mm
Precision Fitting the wheel and rail profiles at a given displacement is done
using a Newton based method. The Precision parameter controls
how accurate the placement is. Setting it to 0.1 mm ensures that
the distance between the wheel and rail profile in the contact
point will be smaller than 0.1 mm.
Maximum iterations Defines the maximum number of iterations used in the Newton
based profile fitting algorithm. For the standard precision of
0.1 mm, 10 iterations should be more than adequate, but if the
precision is increased it might be necessary to increase this value
as well.

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17.4.3.2 Conicity method

There exists a number of different methods for calculating the equivalent conicity. This plug-in
implements the two most commonly used:

TABLE 17.2: C ONICITY METHOD SETTING

Approximated The approximated method for finding the equivalent conicity uses
this formula:

1 r2 (y) − r1 (y)
λe (y) = ·
2 y

where r2 (y) − r1 (y) is the rolling radius difference for a given

displacement (y).
Integrated The integrated version uses, as the name implies, an integral of
the rolling radius difference to determine the equivalent conicity:
∫ 2π
1
λe (y) = · ∆r(y · sin(τ )) · sin(τ )dτ
2·π·y 0

where ∆r(...) is the rolling radius difference function.

17.4.3.3 Contact angle

The contact angle can be determined from either the wheel profile or the rail profile. These two
angles are normally almost identical, at least on reference profiles. But on measured profiles
there could be a difference. Following options are available:

TABLE 17.3: C ONTACT ANGLE SETTINGS

Rail tangent angle The contact angle is found from the rail tangent angle alone.
Wheel tangent angle The contact angle is found from the wheel tangent angle alone.
Average of rail and wheel The contact angle is found as the average of the rail and wheel
tangent angles.

17.4.3.4 Profile clipping

Not all of the wheel and rail profiles are required during the equivalent conicity calculation.
Some parts of the profiles, like the back side of the flange on wheels and the field side of rail
profiles, will never come in contact, and could therefore be cut away.

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 TABLE 17.4: P ROFILE CLIPPING SETTINGS

Wheel flange side This value defines how much of the wheel profile that should be
cut away on the flange side. The value is given as a horizontal
distance from the outmost point on the flange side of the wheel
profile.
Wheel field side This value defines how much of the wheel profile that should be
cut away on the field side. The value is given as a horizontal
distance from the outmost point on the field side of the wheel
profile.
Rail gauge side This value defines how much of the rail profile that should be cut
away on the gauge side. The value is given as a vertical distance
from the top of the rail profile.
Rail field side This value defines how much of the rail profile that should be cut
away on the field side. The value is given as a horizontal distance
from the outmost point on the field side of the rail profile.

17.4.3.5 Profile smoothing

Before the profiles are used in the calculation, they are smoothed and resampled using a spline.

TABLE 17.5: S MOOTHING SETTINGS

Wheel smooth factor This is the smoothing factor for the spline used to smooth the
wheel profiles. Setting this to 0 will make the spline go through
all the points in the profile and therefore no smoothing is done.
A larger value will smooth the profile, removing small ripples.
Wheel point interval Defines the interval on which spline for the wheel profiles is
sampled.
Rail smooth factor This is the smoothing factor for the spline used to smooth the rail
profiles. Setting this to 0 will make the spline go through all the
points in the profile and therefore no smoothing is done. A larger
value will smooth the profile, removing small ripples.
Rail points interval Defines the interval on which spline for the rail profiles is sampled.

17.4.3.6 Rolling radius difference

The rolling radius difference (RRD) is found from the contact points on the profiles. This
gives a discrete function with a value for each step in the displacement. A function describing
the RRD curve is required for calculating the equivalent conicity using the integral formula.
Normal functions, like simple polynomiums and trigonometric functions, are hard to fit to the

172 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

RRD curve, so instead a spline is used. It makes the integration much harder but the RRD
curve can be represented very exact.

TABLE 17.6: R OLLING RADIUS DIFFERENCE SETTINGS

Method The method options controls which RRD curve is shown in the
result window. This can either be Discrete values or Spline
smooth curve. This option does not affect the spline used for
the equivalent conicity calculation.
Smooth factor This controls the smoothing of the spline. A value of 0 will make
the spline go though all the discrete points, whereas a large value
will smooth the curve, making it go as close to the points as
possible.

17.4.3.7 Auto symmetry

Auto symmetry is a feature that allows the software to calculate the conicity on a single set
of wheel and rail profiles, assuming that the left and right wheels and rails are symmetrically
placed. The following parameters are used to define how the left and right profiles are created
from the single profiles.

TABLE 17.7: AUTO SYMMETRY SETTINGS

Wheel method Determines how the wheel displacement value is used when
moving the profiles. This can either be Taperline distance or
Back-to-back distance.
Wheel displacement This sets the distance between the two wheels. Depending on the
Wheel method setting, this is either the back-to-back gauge or the
distance between the taperline on the two wheels.
Wheel taperline This value defines where the taperline is placed, relative to the
back of the wheel, if the Wheel method is set to Taperline distance.
Rail method Determines how the rail displacement value is used when moving
the profiles. This can either be Gauge distance or Center distance.
Rail displacement This sets the distance between the two rails. Depending on the
Rail method settings, this is either the distance between the two
gauge points or the distance between the center of the rail head.
Rail gauge point This value defines where the gauge point is placed, if the Rail
method is set to Gauge distance.
Rail rotation Sets the rail inclination. The rotation is performed before the
profiles are moved.

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 173

 Note: As written in the introduction, this feature should be used with caution. Using it
without exact knowledge of gauge and inclination of the rail, will give incorrect results.

17.4.4 Calculation results

The equivalent conicity calculation returns the following results.

17.4.4.1 Contact points

The contact points is a graph showing where all the contact between the wheel and rail profiles
were found.

Figure 17.32: Contact points

17.4.4.2 Contact angles

The contact angles shows a graph of the left and right contact angle and the difference between
the left and right angle relative to the wheelset displacement.

Figure 17.33: Contact angles

174 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

17.4.4.3 Rolling radius difference

The rolling radius difference shows a graph of the difference rolling radius relative to the wheelset
displacement.

Figure 17.34: Rolling radius differences

17.4.4.4 Equivalent Conicity

The equivalent conicity shows a graph with the conicity plotted relative to the wheelset
displacement.

Figure 17.35: Equivalent conicity

Chapter 17: Plug-ins 175

17.4.5 Printing reports

After the equivalent conicity calculation has been performed, it is possible to print a report
with contact points, contact angles, rolling radius difference and the equivalent conicity curve.

Figure 17.36: Equivalent Conicity printout example

176 Chapter 17: Plug-ins

 I NDEX

# Align wheel on flange top . .

Align wheel on outer thread
.
.
.
.
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.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 69
. 70
Align wheel on taperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Angle marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Rendering settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3D visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Model properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Area result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Modifying the profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Auto symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Moving, zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Automation
Save the 3D window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Build macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Automation
Batch script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Export script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
A Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Print script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Summary script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Adding and removing illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 The script guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Adding and removing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . .120, 137
Adding and removing pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Adding and removing parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Adding fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Adding profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding the reference automatically
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . 30, 43
. . . . . 25 B
Align brake on scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Align brake on top edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Basic operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Align grooved rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Adding profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Align grooved rail (Flat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Closing a window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Align rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Deleting profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Align rail (CEN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Opening a profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Align rail centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Opening a result window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Align rail for grinding (High) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Profile ordering and grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Align rail for grinding (Low) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Saving profile(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Align rail on top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Saving result(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Align rail on wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Selecting a reference profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Align TwinHead brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Selecting the active profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Align wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Showing tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Align wheel on diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Using cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Align wheel on flange back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Align wheel on flange top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Batch script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Align wheel on outer thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Brake debending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Align wheel on taperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Brake Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Align wheel on tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Align TwinHead brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Aligning a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Brake volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Aligning wheel and rail profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 TwinHead brake width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Brake volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Align brake on scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Align brake on top edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Brake wear (No reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Align grooved rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Browsing the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Align rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Align rail (CEN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Align rail centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Align rail for grinding (High) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Align rail for grinding (Low) . . .
Align rail on top . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . 73
. . . . . 74
C
Align rail on wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Align wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Calculate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 11
Align wheel on flange back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Index 177
 Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Curvature cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Brake debending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Linear trend estimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Perpendicular cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Brake wear (No reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Place cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Clear results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 17 Residual result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Configure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11, 103 Standard profile cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Standard result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11 Standard trend cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Curvature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tangent cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Horizontal residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Curvature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Curvature cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Maximum residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Customizing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Rail crown radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Discovering fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Rail head width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Modifying the fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Vertical residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wheel flange radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Wheel wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 D
Calculating conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Calculation parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Auto symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Conicity method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 49
Contact angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Explore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Displacement, steps and precision . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Profile clipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 49
Profile smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 49
Rolling radius difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Database window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Calculation results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Database windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Contact angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Delete points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Contact points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 After cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41-42
Equivalent Conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Before cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41-42
Rolling radius difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Deleting part of a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Deleting profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Designing measurement schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Adding and removing illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Brake debending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Adding and removing parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Brake wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Fields definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Brake wear (No reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 General settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Curvature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Horizontal residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Modifying the fields list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Maximum residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Moving a part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Rail crown radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Opening a scheme for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Rail head width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Designing print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Designing print templates
Vertical residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Adding and removing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Wheel flange radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Adding and removing pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Wheel wear (Sd, Sh, qR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Global template properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Calculations and alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Alignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Moving and sizing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Opening a template for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Closing a window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88, 95 Relative or absolute placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Selecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Command options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Template designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Configuring calculations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Discovering fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Enable and disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Displacement, steps and precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Multiple configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Save result in profile header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configuring import and export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Enable and disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Multiple configurations . . . . . . . .
Configuring keyboard assignments . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . . . . 105
. . . . . . . . 106
E
Conicity method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Contact angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Contact angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Add illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112, 120-121
Contact points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Add part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 117
Controlling the field preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Copy illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112, 120-121
Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18, 20, 76 Copy part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 117
Angle marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Move part down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 117
Area result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Move part up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 117

178 Index
 Remove illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112, 120-121 Summary (Excel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 146
Remove part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 117 Summary (Text) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 146
Editing a macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 100
Enable and disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-105 Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 50
Enabling the database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 FIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 81
Equivalent Conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169, 175 Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 97
Aligning wheel and rail profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Calculating conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Calculation parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Calculation results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Printing reports . . . . . . . . . . .
Estimations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . . . . 175
. . . . . . . . 46 G
Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Edit columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 50 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Edit filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 51 General settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Import measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13, 51 Global template properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Open profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 50 Graph object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Open trend window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 50
Remove measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 52 Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 52 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Export Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
MiniProf reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Grooved rail geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Export filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Grooved rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
MiniProf reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windows bitmap . . . . . . . . . .
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Windows metafile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Export script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Advanced Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Greenwood homepage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
F MiniProf homepage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Technical Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 43 User’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Adding fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Modifying fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Horizontal residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Removing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Selecting fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Setting the default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Fields definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
List fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 I
String fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 145, 148 Illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 112
Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Add image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 120
Build macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Add text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 120
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 30 Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 112
Close all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 30 Move down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 120
Configure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Move up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 120
Convert DXF to MPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Remove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 120
Convert FIT to MPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 117
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Adding and removing objects . . . . . . . . . . .... 120
Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Moving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 120
Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Import
Import and export settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 105 DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Keyboard bindings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 107 Import and export filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Export filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
New 3D window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 53 Import filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
New trend window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 43 Import filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 12, 23, 30, 150
Other... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 DXF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 93 FIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Importing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7, 12, 85 Inserting dynamic information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Print preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 88 Inserting field information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Reopen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 30 Inserting profiles locked or as reference . . . . . . . . . . 25
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 12, 31 Installing a calibration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Save as... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 31-32 Installing a new language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Save image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 57 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Index 179
 J Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Model properties . . . . . . . . . . .
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Modifying fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Modifying the fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Modifying the fields list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Modifying the profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Modifying the toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
K Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Align grooved rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Align rail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 99 Align rail (CEN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Align rail centered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Align rail for grinding (High) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Align rail for grinding (Low) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
L Align rail on wear . . . . . . . . .
Align wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Align wheel on flange back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ....... 123 Align wheel on flange top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Add graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Align wheel on outer thread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Add image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Align wheel on taperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Add page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 138 Mirror horizontal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 41
Add text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Mirror vertical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 41
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Move and rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 39
Edit page title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 138 Moving a part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Page footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Moving and rotating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Page header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 137 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123, 126, 129, 133 Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Remove page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .123, 138 Moving and sizing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ....... . 63 Moving objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Linear trend estimation . . . . . . . . . .... ....... . 79 Moving the profile center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
List fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ....... 114 Placing the center accurate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Locking profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ....... . 41 Moving, zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Multiple configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-105

M
Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
N
Command options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Editing a macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Numerical zoom and pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Managing the commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112, 122
Managing the commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Maximum residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calibrate TwinHead . . . . . . . . . . .
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Calibrate wheel diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Configure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 52, 88 Object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Define fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Graph object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Define results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Inserting dynamic information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Inserting field information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Diagnose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Page header and footer properties . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Install instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Measurement schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Textbox properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
New measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Measurement database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Opening a database window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Opening scheme windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Enabling the database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Opening the database explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Opening a profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Importing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Adding the reference automatically . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Opening a database window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Browsing the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Opening measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Controlling the field preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Opening standalone measurements . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Inserting profiles locked or as reference . . . . . . . . 25
Removing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Opening multiple files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Reopening files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Measurement menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Selecting drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
MiniProf for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 The options menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
MiniProf reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The shortcut access bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mirroring a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Opening a result window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Model Opening a scheme for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

180 Index
Opening a template for editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Moving the profile center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Opening measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Scaling a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Opening multiple files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Profile ordering and grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Opening scheme windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Profile smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Opening standalone measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Profile window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Opening the database explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Profile windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 97
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Auto reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Edit columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Edit shown fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Locked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Show all fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 18, 20
Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Program preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Break from group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Group with next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Group with previous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Database windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Move down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Move up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Profile windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
P Result windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Trend windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Page header and footer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Perpendicular cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Placing the center accurate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Plug-ins
Brake Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
R
Equivalent Conicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Rail Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Rail crown radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Wheel Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Rail Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
PNG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Align grooved rail (Flat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Popup menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Grooved rail geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Grooved rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Print script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Rail gauge angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Print setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Rail gauge angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Rail height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Railhead angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Railhead area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Scaled printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 TwinHead rail gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Printing measurements and results . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Rail gauge angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Rail gauge angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Print setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Rail head width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Rail height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Printing reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Rail wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Railhead angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Add profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 30 Railhead area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Call cursor 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Call cursor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Relative or absolute placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 41 Removing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Delete points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 41 Removing measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lock/unlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 41 Removing profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 33 Rendering settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Place cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Reopening files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 13 Residual result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Remove profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Result fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 17 Call cursor 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Scale profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 40 Call cursor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Set as reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 33 Recalculate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Toggle tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 35 Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Toggle tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 13
Profile clipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Profile manipulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Aligning a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Result window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Deleting part of a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Result windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 98
Locking profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Mirroring a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Moving and rotating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 X axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Index 181
Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 12
Rolling radius difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172, 174 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 94
Modifying the toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 95
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .7
Customize fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 139
S Design scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Design template . . . . . . . . . . . .
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7,
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111
121
Install calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 142
Save result in profile header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Install language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 141
Save the 3D window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Measurement menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 143
Saving profile(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 109
Saving result(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Tools
Scaled printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Customizing fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Scaling a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Designing measurement schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 112 Designing print templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Installing a calibration file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Edit columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Installing a new language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Edit filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Measurement menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Import measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-13 Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Add field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 44
Open profile window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Add profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 43
Open trend window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Call cursor 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Remove measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Call cursor 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Scheme window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Field properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 44
Searching for files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selecting a reference profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Selecting drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selecting fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Profile properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 13
Selecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Selecting the active profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Remove field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 44
Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Remove profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 43
Setting the default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Set as default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 45
Showing tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 46 Toggle tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 46
Standard profile cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Tonnage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Standard result cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Undo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Standard trend cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Trend analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
String fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Adding profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Summary script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Estimations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Removing profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Showing tickmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
T Zooming and panning . . . . . . . .
Trend window menu . . . . . . . . . . .
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Trend windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 98
Tangent cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 TwinHead brake width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122-123 TwinHead rail gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 TwinHead wheel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Template designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 TwinHead wheel gauge (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Text object properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Textbox properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
The main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
The main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Database window menu
Popup menus . . . . . . . .
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Profile window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Result window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Scheme window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Using cursors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The main menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Using MiniProf for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The status line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Profile windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Trend window menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Result windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The options menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
The script guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Trend windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The shortcut access bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 39, 45, 56
The status line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Using the mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

182 Index
 V Z
Vertical residuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Retain aspect ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11, 34, 45
Zoom all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11, 13, 33
Zoom in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11, 13, 33, 45, 55
Zoom maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11, 33, 45
W Zoom numeric . . . . . . . .
Zoom out . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
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Zoom previous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11, 34, 45
Wheel diameter difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Zooming and panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 45
Wheel diameter from tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Numerical zoom and pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Wheel Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Using the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 45
Align wheel on diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Align wheel on tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
TwinHead wheel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
TwinHead wheel gauge (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Wheel diameter difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Wheel diameter from tyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Wheel flange angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Wheel flange angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Wheel flange back wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Wheel flange back wear (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Wheel flange width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Wheel flange width (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Wheel gauge flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Wheel hollowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Wheel taperline angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wheel thread wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Wheel thread wear maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Wheel volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Wheel wear difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wheel flange angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Wheel flange angle maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Wheel flange back wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Wheel flange back wear (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Wheel flange radius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Wheel flange width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Wheel flange width (Tram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Wheel gauge flange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Wheel hollowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Wheel taperline angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wheel thread wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Wheel thread wear maximum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Wheel volume loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Wheel wear (Sd, Sh, qR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Wheel wear difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Cascade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Full screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Maximize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Minimize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 13
Next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Organize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Previous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 13
Tile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Windows bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Windows metafile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

X
X axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Index 183