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Page Revision: 2013/05/05 05:39

Index

Introduction
Features
Usage
- How to create the executable
- How to make a good layout
Known issues
History
See also
References

Introduction

Viewer File Type plug-in allows to create standalone executable files (*.exe) from your worksheets. SMath Viewer is an alternative GUI for SMath Studio.

The idea of SMath Viewer is that SMath Studio (as well as Mathcad) is a great application but sometimes it is too complex for regular engineer. Indeed, SMath Studio was initially created for composing worksheets of any complexity with many of built-in features introduced to simplify this process. As a result sometimes the end-users have to see too much excess information on the worksheets when it is just needed to read results of calculations in convenient way.

SMath Viewer plug-in creates applications to show only data users are needed to be seen. At the same time it works directly with SMath Studio worksheets, so no any significant actions required to reuse existing libraries of files. SMath Viewer is a distribution platform for worksheets created using SMath Studio.

So SMath Studio is an editor for worksheets and SMath Viewer is a reader.

Features

It automatically supports all plug-ins created for SMath Studio (all DLLs from plugins directory of SMath Studio);
It has built-in multilanguage support - just set all text entries, descriptions and file properties in several languages and SMath Viewer will be opened in correct language for different users;
It supports units;
Allows you to protect your worksheets (end-user cannot see the logic of your worksheet);
End-user just cannot accidentally change or break you worksheet - output results will be always correct;
There is no need to install applications - just copy and run them anywhere;
Output application is faster even then SMath Studio! This is because when you work with a tab on the form on any data change only controls located on this tab will be recalculated. Other controls from other tabs will not affect on the overall evaluation speed;
Application supports multi-threading, so it always response;
Size of the output application is about 0.5MB (it may vary based on plug-ins and languages used).

Two versions of the Viewer are available:

Viewer File Type Plugin
Feature	Built-in version	Paid version
Personal usage	✔	✔
Learning/Academic usage	✔	✔
Commercial or sale usage	✘	✔
Signs by code certificate	✘	✔
Worksheets obfuscation	✘	✔
Custom icons	✘	✔

Usage

How to create the executable

Open SMath Studio 0.96; create some variables, formulas and text in the worksheet and then open the Save File dialog (File > Save as).

Choose Executable files (*.exe) from the drop-down list under the File name input field and press the Save button.

In the chosen directory you'll see an output application which is ready to be started.

Double click on it and you will see SMath Viewer form where all the created regions shown as standard OS (Operating System) controls.

How to make a good layout

Some regions (such as Math Region or Plot) in SMath Studio has a Description feature; use it to set description for the items.

Use expanded Area region to group items on the output form (nested Areas supported) or collapsed Area regions to hide regions you don't want to be a part of user interface.

Use Separator region to separate your worksheet on several tabs (to set title for the first tab just put Separator before all other regions).

Fill in fields in Properties dialog (File > Properties) to set output window title, program's description, author etc. This is very important to make a solid final product.