WinCan VX Entry

Input, Processing, Output and
Management of Sewer Inspection Data

17.06.2020
WinCan Version 2020.8.x

Introduction

The software WinCan VX has been developed for the description of in-pipe observations as well as for the inspection of manholes and boreholes and is available in five variants. The basic module WinCanVX Entry provides all the core functionalities of a sewer inspection software. If required, the customer can buy additional functions that are part of the advanced modules WinCanVX Lite, Advanced, Expert and Office.

System requirements

WinCan VX is running on computers with a Windows operating system only. The various versions as well as the major hardware requirements are listed below:
Operating Systems:
Operating system (LOCAL):Windows XP, 7, 8/8.1, 10 (PRO-Versionen, 32 oder 64 bit)
or
Operating system (SERVER):Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2008-R2, 2012, 2012-R2
The latest Windows updates must always be installed!
Hardware:
Processor:INTEL Pentium Core Duo 2.5 GHz or higher.
Graphic card: NVIDIA GeForce 9 series, or higher (possibility of signal distribution to multiple monitors).
RAM: 4GB or higher.
Video card:VITEC card (PCI or PCI-Express), MobileCap124 (USB device) or any WDM based encoding card for video digitization.

Using WinCan VX in a TV Vehicle

The software is usually installed on a single workstation built-in to a CCTV van. Every PC must have an individually licensed and configured copy of the software, as CCTV vehicles can often have different camera equipment and/or text generators.

Using WinCan VX in the Office

WinCan VX can be installed and licensed individually on each required office PC (Client). Licensing can also be carried out once over the entire local network by installing a network dongle on the server:

In some cases, larger companies or municipalities work with special server systems such as MSSQL or ORACLE, which WinCan VX can also be used with.

Installation

The WinCanVXSetup.exe installation package is located on the installation CD or from the Web page www.wincan.com (Support > Download):

• Enable the account Administrator (i.e. system administrator) in the user administration of Windows 7, 8/8.1 and 10 (see appendix, last page) and set a password for this account.

• Reboot your computer and log on as Administrator.

• Double-click the installation file shown above to run the installation.

• If the system requirements are satisfied, the installation begins.

• Follow all the instructions of the wizard and click on the Next or Agree button to confirm each step.

• When WinCan VX is installed correctly, click Finish and start using WinCan VX.

The program installation is now complete.
All the files needed by WinCan VX are located in two directories on the PC:

• C:\ProgramFiles (x86)\CDLAB

• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\CDLAB

Setting Regional Defaults

To ensure the regional and language defaults are set correctly for your PC, open the Windows Control Panel of your computer to set as required for your own region and country:
These settings in the Windows operating system are used by WinCanVX automatically.

Licensing

After successful installation of WinCan VX, the user has to activate the software license. WinCan VX can be used either with a local or a network license. In both cases, licensing is done with the supplied dongle (USB-hardlock) and its corresponding license file (V2C file) supplied by the local reseller. The V2C file itself must be copied to a separate folder on the local PC.

Local License

The following steps describe the licensing process on single-user computers in TV vehicles or offices:

1. Insert the Black dongle to a free USB port on your computer. The dongle will be recognized by the system automatically, and will be confirmed by a message in the system tray:

1. WinCan VX always starts then in Viewer mode on the first run. Click Home > Program Information > Manage License and select License Update, to activate the license file (V2C file) to allow data entry and editing:

1. Browse to the location of the license file, select it, and click Open. A message will confirm the validity of the license, and then activates the corresponding functions of WinCan VX on the single computer:

License successfully updated

Network License

If you wish to use WinCan VX within a local network on multiple CLIENT computers, network licensing is the sensible solution. The SERVER and the CLIENT computers (PCs or notebooks) which have WinCan VX installed must be in the same subnet. The licensing procedure itself implies the following steps:

• Install WinCan VX on at least one CLIENT computer in the network making the dongle driver HASPUserSetup.exe available under C:\ProgramFiles (x86)\CDLAB\Drivers\Hasp.

• Copy the file HASPUserSetup.exe file from the CLIENT computer to the hard disk of the SERVER and run the driver installation there.

• Plug the red network dongle into a free USB port on the SERVER. The system recognizes the dongle automatically which is confirmed by a notification message in the system tray:

• Call up the address http://localhost:1947 via your web browser and click on the link Update/Attach. Hit the button Choose File, browse for the corresponding license file (V2C-file) and load it:

• A message confirms the validity of the license and activates the WinCan VX modules you will be able to use at least on 5 client computers in the local network. A license extension of 10 to 50 CLIENT computers can be ordered at any time.

Checking the license

After the license has been activated, you may call up all the hardlock keys available within the current network via the Sentinel Keys link in your web browser described previously, or by selecting Home > Program Information > http://localhost:1947 from the WinCan VX main window:

The above selections will also bring you to this location in your web browser:

If a network key is not recognized, it is possible to get it activated via the link Configuration > Access to Remote License Manager. The network administrator will then have to type the server IP address in the text field Specify Search Parameters. Simply select Help to get specific support to this topic:

Finally, check whether the Sentinel license service (PC > Control Panel > Administrative Tools) is activated within Windows, which must always be the case:

License Updates

If you want to upgrade the software with additional features or modules you will need a new corresponding V2C license file from your supplier to match your dongle. Copy the V2C file back to your PC and update the license in the same way as described in the previous chapters.
Finally select the command Home > Program Information click Manage License on the main screen and check the column on the right to check that the new modules are listed and activated:

Note on License Updates: If you have copied more than one version of a V2C file for the same dongle to your PC, you will have to load all of them individually in a chronological order by considering the final digit before the file extension:

1. 

   943326514.V2C (31.08.2014)

2. 943326514.V2C (30.11.2014)

3. 943326514.V2C (15.01.2015)

…
The license information itself is directly copied to the hardlock. So, after the installation of WinCan VX on different computers, the software can immediately be launched on any of them as soon as you have plugged in the dongle. The software modules activated with that specific license will therefore be available on that PC as well.

Logging on the Core Database

When launched WinCanVX usually opens the main-screen automatically and also gives direct access to the list of recently used projects. The software therefore either logs on the core database WCSYS as Administrator (username = admin; password = admin) or as Operator (username = operator; password = operator). Both user accounts are created per default during the installation of WinCanVX:
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Especially when working within a SQL-Server environment a user will have to log in (1) with his personal account. For such a case the Login screen is providing menu commands (2) for adding or editing specific connections to the core database WCSYS:
Default path of the core database WCSYS.3
After you have entered all required login parameters, test the connectivity (3) and thus make sure to be able to create and edit local or server projects in the future.

Program Settings

General program settings are mainly done via the command Home > Settings. The corresponding dialogue box is providing all options therefore needed and grouped into separate categories. Some important options are already activated per default:

The following pages are going to explain the categories with all their options in detail.

Presets

This menu sets the default settings for new projects.
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1. The country setting can be set in this line. It is recommended to mirror the personal computer settings.

2. The language in which the projects are recorded, can be set in this line. It is recommended to mirror the personal computer settings.

3. The preferred recording standard can be set in this line. This is automatically applied when a new project is created, but can be changed in the project at any time.

4. A preferred template can be set in this line. It is applied automatically when a new project is created, but can be changed in the project at any time.

5. This line sets the preferred database type.

6. In this line the default project save path is set for new projects.

7. This option makes new projects accessible to anyone who has access to it.

8. This option controls whether the project participants interface is launched immediately after creating a new project. Keep it unchecked if you prefer to start directly with the survey instead of entering the participants addresses.

General

Click on the tab General Settings within the categtory General to see all options which must enabled or disabled respectively prior to datay entry or survey start. Optiones required by the bulk of the customers are enabled per default and additional information about each check box can be found by hovering the mouse pointer over the text:


Click on the tab Colors to set the background colors for specific fields in the data entry areas and also the background colors of the column headings:


The tab AutoNaming (Section/Lateral) allows to select a predefined method for the renaming of sections or laterals. This AutoNaming procedure affects the field, where the section name usually is entered (i.e. OBJ_Key) and can be switched off by the user whenever needed:
Select the AutoNaming format Custom and use these buttons to select the database fields the section/node name should be based on.

The tab DataExchange is providing options to modify the settings for data output (i.e. for printing as well as for country specific exports):

Speech

In these settings, spoken observations can be switched on:


If the option Activate Speech is enabled, the observations are read out loud in the user's selected computer voice.

Keyboard Entry

In this section, keyboard combinations can be defined, to enable common commands during the recording of the project using keyboard shortcuts.


Keyboard shortcuts which are not supported by Microsoft Windows cannot be used. It is recommended to use no more than 2 buttons to assign a single function (i.e. Shift + S).
The entries can be deleted with the BACKSPACE key .

Live Video

In this area, the video source can be selected and activated. The option AutoStart Live Video is going to show the camera image in the video panel of WinCan automatically after a project has been opened. If the camera is turned off the video panel will remains black as there isn't any signal to be transmitted.
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1. Here, any detected video digitizing sources attached to the PC can be selected, and the video feed used for creating survey reports. These devices are most likely to be; a built-in Vitec card, a WinCan MobileCap or a WDM device: (Bsp DAZZLE).

1. With this Configure Device option, the video signal source can be configured. The button opens another settings window (Video Setup), which allows settings for the video signal device selected (1).

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1. The video digitizing device can be selected here. On the one hand it is plugged to the computer, on the other hand it must be connected to the signal source (TV camera) via a corresponding cable connection. The device used for digitization is always provided together with a specific driver which has to be preinstalled.

2. In the selection box Inputline, the channel can be selected. This selection is dependent on the video source.

3. Audio Device selection box is used to select any devices used for audio recording during survey work.

4. In the selection box Videonorm, the relevant video standard (PAL, NTSC) can be selected. The selection is also dependent on the video source.

5. In the Videoformat selection box, the resolution of the video image can be selected, depending on the video signal source.

6. This option sets the Framerate for the video recordings, depending on the video source.

7. The Codec dropdown lists the formats that the video recordings can be saved in. Also, this depends on the video digitizing source. If the signal is passing via a Vitec-board or a MobileCap the user will be able to record clips in the video formats MPEG1, 2 or MPEG4. WDM-devices usually get two entries (eg. USB-WebCam and _e_USB-WebCam{_}): when enabling the the first entry the device is going to produce clips in the format AVI which will use much more disk space than clip recording with the second entry. The latter one allows video storing as MPEG1 files and thus helps require much less disk space.

8. The video quality can be determined in the Quality selection box, depending on the video signal source. You can choose between low, medium, high or numbers between 1 and 4. The higher the image quality, the larger the video files will be.

9. The OSD Settings button opens a text layer to adjust text display controlled by the WinCan-Software. The width of the borders can be set in the video OSD Setup menu. Other settings are also available depending on the video signal source. A preview of the selected options in the video image frame can be displayed by clicking the Test button. Click the Green OK button last to save all settings:

1. The Codec Settings button is either active or inactive depending on the video signal source and codec selection. When typical codecs MPEG1, 2 or 4 format are saved, the codec settings cannot be changed, and the button is inactive.

2. The button Adjust Color and Sound is used for tuning picture and sound:

All settings are finally saved with the green tick button. Now the user is back to LiveVideo settings panel which provides three additional buttons (see page 17):
Restore the basic configuration of the device in case of malfunction
Open a separate panel to toggle the video player (Elecard <-> DirectShow) in case of video playback errors.
Configure Optical Character Recognition in order to read the current distance value directly from the photo and copy it into the distance field.

Textgenerator

WinCan VX gives you direct control of the text display of any industry-standard On Screen Display (OSD device, text generator), which in turn must be connected via a RS232 interface with a PC/laptop. Data entered in WinCan as well as device specific parameteres (i.e. OSD objects like distance, date, time, inclination, temperature etc.) can thus be displayed in a separate text layer and be recordeded together with the vidoe clip.
The connection between PC and text generator is usually via the RS232 communications cable supplied by the manufacturer of the device.

If a computer-side RS232 connection port is unavailable, you must connect the text generator via a USB-serial adapter and an available USB port on the computer. Such adapters are available together with the corresponding drivers via the PC trade.
The basic settings for the control of various OSD devices from the software WinCan VX are located in the general program settings as described in the previous section. Hit the command Home > Settings and jump to the category OSD:
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1. Push the button Select Device to open the list of all supported by WinCan VX text generators (data single panel unit). Up to 5 devices can be operated at the same time. Always assign the correct ComPort to each device.

2. Clicking on the test button checks the connection between the text generator and your computer.

3. Successful communication between the devices will light the corresponding number up red or green.

4. Device-specific functions can accessed be by clicking on the gear button.

The Settings button (5) allows you to custom configure the text display.
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The register of OSD Objects in the following dialog window allows the insertion of values provided by device-side built-in parameters (OSD-Objects) and positioning them on the video screen with the help of a virtual XY-matrix (X = horizontal alignment, Y = vertical alignment).
To the right of the list of all OSD objects is the text line on/off as well as the number of characters (e.g. X_max = 50) and rows (e.g. Y_max = 17), so the parameter on the video image can be moved.
You may also use negative values in the column Y (e.g. Y = -1) to make sure the corresponding object parameter is always shown at the lowermost line regardless of the number of lines supported by the OSD device.

At the bottom of the default OSD settings, the user can create himself manual (user-defined) OSD objects.
The Common tab allows you to configure the pop-up behavior of project bar, section data and observation text during surveys. Here the number is entered simply as lines, which positions the text from the upper edge of the video window.
Hole in pipe, from 11 to 1 o'clock
In the above example, the observation text duration during surveying is 5 seconds, 8 lines below the upper edge of the video:
The tab Function and Value Assignments regulates the communication between multiple text generators:

Should you have to connect multiple text generators, individual pop-up profiles can be set for each device. Each profile contains all information about displaying OSD-Objects which – in certain cases - can only be obtained by one or another specific device. WinCan VX supports simultaneous communication with up to 5 devices.
The specification of the content of project bar and section data is done via the corresponding tabs. WinCan VX has a default configuration of text to be displayed in the photo/video window, under the name Standard_ENGLISH (1).
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1. A blank New configuration can be stored under a new name of the user's choice. Note that during a rebuild of the configuration you must make sure to select the correct corresponding database field!

1. The Copy button copies the existing configuration into a new setup and takes over the existing settings. The name of the new configuration can be assigned by the user.

2. Using the Import button allows the user to bring in an * .xml file (configuration file) from another system.

3. Click on the Delete button to delete the current configuration.

The project bar usually allows up to 3 comprehensive lines of custom header text, which should be displayed during the entire video recording at the top of the video image, as soon as the operator has pressed the corresponding command button within the OSD panel:
1London, Oxford Street
MH01 -> MH02
Circle 450/450 Concrete 2
Click into each cell of the table (1) to select the database fields whose contents should be displayed in the project bar. Up to 8 variables in width and 15 lines are provided by the software.
The tick box (2) below the table allows the user to have the Start and End nodes displayed either according to the flow or to the inspection direction.

The section data including all the basic information about the current section of the pipe is called using the corresponding button in the OSD panel at the beginning of the inspection. WinCan VX provides 18 rows for section data output:
Date: 23 February 2017
City: London
Street:Oxford Street
Upstream MH:1
Direction:->
Downstream MH:2
Sewer Use:Waste Water
Profile: Circle 400/400
Material:Steel
Surveyed By:Miller
Weather: Light Rain 1

Click into the third column of the table (1) to select the database fields whose contents should be displayed in the section data.
All settings and adjustments to the data display will be finally confirmed via the green OK-button:

WinCan Web

WinCan Web is a separate software interface that allows end users (e.g. engineer offices, water authorities etc.) to access WinCanVX projects via internet.
You can setup and administer a WinCan Web account from here. You can also do everything included in this section via your web browser at https://web.wincan.com/
The Sign In tab allows you to sign into your WinCan Web account with your username and password, and also offers options to automatically sign in when you launch WinCan VX, and for the computer to remember your password.


Once you have logged into your account, there are 5 tabs containing settings that you can use to manage your online account and project delivery:

It is worth noting that WinCan Web is a wholly interactive service with your clients, and that it regularly sends out automated e-mails to your users whenever there are changes made to projects that have been assigned to them. These e-mails can be configured and branded to your own requirements by using the User and Company Profile tabs above, so a little time spent here getting this correct is time well spent.
Hit the tab Register company to setup a new WinCan Web account:


This tab allows you to submit your account username (your e-mail address) if you have forgotten your password and the system will respond with reset options:

Thematic Maps

The settings used within this category are linking WinCan VX queries defined in the module Statistics and Analysis with the module Map-VX. The topic related representation in Map-VX thus is going to be adapted to the WinCan VX query (i.e. different pipe diameters, pipe materials, water protection zones, damage grades etc.).

Plug-Ins

Within this category, related plugins can be enabled or disabled at the disposal. These Plug-Ins imply custom or country specific program implementations, which are not part of any of the standard software packages.

Citi

In this menu, projects can be made to connect to the Citi software. The server name must be localhost. Choose the Root directory for Citi projects. It should be noted that projects can only be imported!
Remark:
This category is only important for German customers that have purchased WinCan VX and want to import existing projects created with the Citi software.

Cityworks

The database link for the import and export of projects between WinCan VX and the Cityworks software package can be defined in this menu.

WinCanVX Main Screen

Unlike in previous versions WinCan VX is providing a main interface split into different working panels that can all be moved freely or individually hidden and thus rearranged on one or several screens. A built-in positioning wizard always selects that spot on the screen where you actually move the preferred panel keeping the left mouse key pressed:
Sections OverviewLive Video WindowObservations WindowOSD ControlPipe Graph
I addition the title bars of each working panel have got two small command buttons at the right edge that allow the user to either close or just hide and unhide the corresponding panel.

The positioning wizard indicates with flashing up arrow buttons and a blue target surface where the floating window would be positioned if the mouse pointer was released at that location:

Of course, it is also the possible to place any of the panels on a second screen and resize to suit. This new layout can then be saved as a profile.
Once you have rearranged the panels according to your personal needs for the acquisition of main and lateral sections (satellites) or manholes this individual view (profile) can easily be saved for further WinCanVX sessions via the tab Views. Of course the main interface (group of panels) as well as each single panel can be maximized to full screen size.
A single column within the section and observation panel can be DIRECTLY moved to another location too keeping the left mouse key pressed. Automatically displayed position arrows indicate that the column is set in the new location as soon as you release the mouse key:



Remark:
Rearrangement of columens as well as modification of column width currently cannot be saved as a part of the user profile.

Ribbon bar

The ribbon bar of WinCan VX is sub-divided into 8 categories whose commands or functionalities can easily be accessed via the corresponding tab:

Find below a brief description of each category:

• Home: this ribbon tab includes general program settings as well as functionalities for the management of users, directories, licenses, templates etc.

• Projects: this ribbon tab gives the user all the possibilites to create, edit and manage projects data as well as the global META database (address data, equipment data).

• Printing: Functions for printing control. Inspection data can either be printed directly as a default inspection report or as a table based summary created via a specific query (Reportgenerator).

• Data Exchange: Functions for data import and export. WinCanVX is able to read data provided in a specific format (XML, TXT etc.) and file structure and on the other hand to save inspection data into a specific file format (XML, TXT etc.).

• Tools: Functionalities for input, processing and output of the current project data.

• Views: Definition of a specific panel layout, font and text size to be displayed on the main screen.

• WinCan Analyst: this ribbon tab gives access to scoring and report analysis tools which are used for detailed survey data evaluation.

• Extended Modules: In this ribbon tab, you will find access to many additional and 3^rd party applications that support and harmonize with WinCan VX, including WinCan Draw, WinCan 3D, WinCan Map as well as the most important laser measurement control tools.

Views

This ribbon tab controls which window elements are visible or hidden, and which font/size to display the text in. With the available commands the user can determine the panel arrangements in the main screen itself and store the settings for future use:

The area View Settings in the menu bar allows the user to change the font and the font size throughout the WinCan VX user interface windows. Changing the settings here does not affect the fonts and font sizes used in the printed reports.
Besides the individual views each user has got several pre-defined views per default among which the following three examples are described:

• (default): Standard view with OSD bar displayed for operators in TV vehicles.

• default_office: Standard view without visible OSD bar for users applying WinCan VX in the office.

• default_viewer: Standard view without visible OSD bar for end customers who are able to run WinCan VX in the viewing mode only.

In case the panel layout has been too heavily "messed-up" or some important panels are even hidden the default layout can quickly be restored selecting the profile default:

The command Save Profile As allows the user to store the current window layout under its own name and thus update it. The command opens a window where the layout name can be entered:

In case you enter a new layout name it will then be in the drop-down list Profile for future reference.
With the command Show Hidden Windows, the user has the option to see which windows are currently not visible, so they can choose to display and position any of these on the screen as required.

Any window that you want to appear must be activated with a tick in the box and complete the choices with the Green OK button.
The command delete this profile deletes current profile in the layout list:

Deleting a stored window layout must be confirmed every time. Should the user accidentally call the command, there is no option to go back or cancel.

1. 1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

      Immediately after launching WinCan VX an empty main screen appears and the tab Projects is opened automatically:
      

      

      
      Note on Creating New Projects:
      Once you have clicked the Finish button and confirmed the basic project settings' you won't be able to change them in the future. So, always make sure that you use the RIGHT template and catalogue for the current project BEFORE you start the inspection job.

      Creating New Projects

      Click on the icon New Project in the Projects ribbon to create a new project with the Project Wizard:
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      Enter the name for the project (1) and WinCan automatically enters the date in the format year-month-day. This name can be extended or overwritten.
      Then, select the database type (2). By default, this is always the local database of the user's computer (Microsoft SQL Server Compact) and should only be modified by expert or network users.
      The Country and Language settings (3) will follow the default regional settings as applied to the host computer. Under normal circumstances, there will be no need to alter these settings.
      In the Project standard settings (4), the desired project template can be selected. Only the standards available to the Country/Language in the previous options will be listed.
      The button More Options opens the advanced project setup menu which allows you to further define the templates for your project. This is particularly useful for clients who have specific requirements.
      

      

      
      

      

      
      The New Project Standard button allows the user to save their own predefined option in the Project Standard drop down list by setting the required templates, catalogues and giving the standard a name:
      

      

      
      

      

      
      The Next button leads to the next step in the Project Wizard, which is where you can accept or alter the project save location.
      

      

      
      

      

      
      The default save location as defined in Home > Settings will be declared in the save location. You can change this by clicking the folder icon

      

      and selecting a different location.
      Click Next again to see a final summary of your settings. If you are unhappy with any of these, now is the time to go back and make adjustments.
      

      

      
      

      

      
      Click Next one more time and wait for the green bar (1) to complete, showing you that the project folder has been successfully created, and hit the green button (2) to close this stage of the Project Wizard.
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      WinCan VX automatically creates a project with a given structure in the destination folder C:\WinCan_Projects or in the folder defined in the settings. The basic folder structure and the most important subfolders of a WinCan project are described below:
      Subfolder containing all the video clips linked to the project:
      Sec = main section clips
      Nod = manholes clips
      Lat = lateral section clipsSubfolder for all the items deleted during the work on the project (i.e. photos, videos etc.)Subfolder containing all the photos linked to the project:
      Sec = main section photos
      Nod = manholes photos
      Lat = lateral section photosSubfolders for storing all data recorded with devices such as cameras provided with inclination and temperature sensors or scanner cameras (Panoramo, DigiSewer, RPP). Subfolder for storing all files/documents that are intended for final distribution via digital storage mediaSubfolder relating to external WinCan modulesSubfolder for the project database (SQL _compact (*.sdf))_Project folder (main folder)

      

      
      The project folder can be called up at any time by clicking on the project header tab of the WinCan VX main screen and selecting the Project Path link.
      In general, it is recommended to split the drive into 2 partitions: drive C:\ (approx. 100 GByte) is reserved for the installation of operating system and application software (e.g. WinCan VX) and drive D:\ (or E:) for storing the WinCan projects.
      

      Creating a Job

      Following the project folder structure and database creation, the Job Wizard is launched, where you can enter project header data like project description, project type, work order, start and end date etc. This dialog box can also be called up at any time by double-clicking the required survey line (2) in the Project Header tab (1):
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      When all the details are completed, click on the green tick to save and close the Job Wizard (Job Editor).
      Note on jobs:
      A WinCanVX project can be subdivided into several jobs, which must be defined in the project header. In most cases however, a project consists on just one job.
      
      

      Importing Existing Projects

      An existing project can only be opened in WinCan VX if the corresponding language and country standard have been installed and the relevant license slots are enabled on the dongle. Start WinCan VX, open the tab Projects in the main screen and hit the button Open project:
      

      

      
      In the dialog box that opens, use Windows to navigate to the location of your project folder. Double click on the subfolder DB and highlight the project database (.sdf file).
      

      

      
      Finally click the Open button to add the project to the list displayed in the left column of the WinCan VX main screen.
      Note on .sdf Files:
      Every WinCan VX project carries two .sdf files in the DB folder by default. The file that has the suffix _Meta.sdf is the metadata file for the project and cannot be used to open the project. It should be ignored for these purposes. This file only carries the project-specific user entries as well as the address data of the assigned participants (i.e. client, site, contractor, operators, equipment) but is none-the-less very important to the successful opening and editing of the WinCan VX project.
      
      

      The Project Manager

      For full administration of all the projects located either on a local or a network drive WinCan VX provides the user with various project management options via the Manage Projects button on the Projects ribbon:
      

      

      
      The Project Manager provides the user with the following options using the buttons on the right hand side of the dialog window:
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2. Create a new project using the project wizard.

3. Add projects located on the local or a network drive to the list of available projects.

4. Project Renaming: Click this button after you have selected the corresponding project in the list of available projects. This will bring up a new small dialog box where you can enter and confirm the new project name. A project which is currently loaded in WinCan VX can also be directly renamed.

5. Project Deletion: First highlight the project in the list of available projects before you click this button. You can then either confirm or reject the delete action in the message box that follows. WinCan only deletes the project links from the project manager's list. The project itself has to be deleted in the Windows-Explorer!

1. Project Properties: Clicking on the Project Properties button displays a panel that shows the project type as well as options for user access control. Unchecking the option Global Visible (5a) enables the check boxes in the list field below (5b) where the availability of the the project can be set for specific user groups. Additionally, the Project Memo (RTF) window on the right hand side of the panel (5c) allows the user to free-type and format notes about the project for inclusion in the final outputs.

2. Oracle/SQL Server Setup: If this button is not in view, go to the File menu of the dialog window and select Expert Mode. The setup of this command is for expert users typically running very large projects from multiple CCTV sources. Expertise can be sought from WinCan if help is needed with establishing these types of projects .

3. Undo Delete: This command allows the user either to restore deleted database records (1) or to have them deleted definitely (2) from the database:

Clicking the button allows the user to restore all records which have been deleted from the database. Hitting the button is going to undo the record selection.
General Note on Deleting: The software WinCanVX does NEVER delete a project or database records directly from the hard drive. This always lies within the user's responsibility.
The search field at the top of the project manager dialogue enables to look for a specific project within a large number of projects. Write a part of the project name into this text field and click on the magnifier icon to run the search process:

WinCanVX then is going to show you the first project that matches the search string you have entered before. The search string itself can be deleted with the delete button right to the magnifier icon.

Shortcuts to existing projects:

The WinCan main screen provides a quick access to the project list available inside the project manager. This view also allows the user to create groups which existing projects can be assigned to: Right-click on the basic folder Unassigned, create (1) and rename (2) as many folders (groups) as needed and drag the corresponding projects from the list directly to the desired folder (3).
Always mind that you lay the mouse pointer over the project symbol (4) before you drag the object to the target folder:
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Existing folders can be moved and deleted or renamed via the contect menu (5). When deleting a folder, WinCan is automatically going to move any projects back to the basic folder Unassigned.
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At the end of the folder list an arrow button (6) is giving access to another command group. Select the command Project list options (7) to edit the order of the folders (8) or to specify folders you want to hide (9).
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To quickly look for a specific project, simply type a part of the project name into the search field located below the group list (10) and WinCan is going to filter out the corresponding project(s) directly (11).
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Closing Project

The Close Project button ends the current project and saves all changes in their respective directories. This is a convenient option, which tales the se back to the main screen for new projects with WinCan VX in a neutral state.

Refreshing Project

The Refresh Project command helps the user to update the current project. This is useful at various times during project work including refreshing the outputs to WinCan Map and after merging data from other projects.

Project Participants

The Assign Project Participants button gives access to the address records of the client, project manager and contractor (i.e. the inspection company), in order to assign them to the current project:

The panel at the left (1) is reserved for the entry of the participants addresses and subdivided into the categories Client, Site/Manager and Contractor. In addition to the address data, you can enter operational resources such as staff (2), camera equipment and CCTV vehicles (3):
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There are a number of action buttons in the bottom right hand corner of each of the five data panels:
= Create new record
= Edit selected record
= Delete selected record
= Set as default contractor
You may also hover over a button to see a description of what it does.
All this data is managed within a separate database (Global META-database) in individual tables and can be reassigned to a new project or a new job accordingly. To assign an address to the current project simply activate the corresponding check box within the field Assign (4). Assigned address data are thus automatically copied into the Local META-database ([Project]_Meta.sdf).
The address records are shown in a grid view can be edited by either double clicking on the appropriate record, or with the Edit button. Once the data area is open, changes can be made to the participants associated with the project.
To assign the logo to a client or a contractor (e.g. default contractor) open the entry mask for the desired address and click on the button at the right end of the logo line:
Browse for the logo file in the dialogue box that follows.
A click on the diskette icon at the bottom right hand corner of the input mask is saving the current record and brings you back to the list view.
Note on logos:
When adding a logo to the Contractor's address details, this will appear at the top-left hand corner of every page in the PDF output report. When adding a logo to the Client's address details, this will appear once only in the PDF report, on the cover page. Any logos assigned to the Site/Manager will not be displayed in the report.

Creating Sections & Inspections

The project data in WinCan VX shows section, satellite and manhole data on the one hand and their inspection and observation data on the other. For data entry, the user can switch from a grid view (summary view) to an entry view within each category:
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Click on the button in the symbol bar at the bottom right hand corner of the section panel (1) to create a new section or use the context menu command New. The subsequent entry view then allows you to type in all section and inspection data required by the currently applied standard (3). Change from one field to the next pushing either the TAB key on your keyboard or the left mouse key. Some fields contain predefined lists (e.g. material) or input formats (e.g. inspection date) to make data entry easier.
To open an existing section directly in the entry view double click on the preferred section line (2). Finally click on the diskette button at the bottom right hand corner of the input mask to save your changes and to return to the summary view.
Sections are deleted from the summary view with the button at the bottom right hand corner of the section panel or via the context menu command delete (4).
The default field colours in the input mask are set to BLUE (section fields) or RED (inspection and observation fields) respectively. YELLOW coloured fields are so-called mandatory fields that require data entry. Use the command Home > Settings > General > Colours to select the field colours you prefer to work with.

Multiple Inspections

Basically sections, satellites and manholes can in be inspected several times and the relevant master data do NOT need to be re-entered for subsequent surveys.
First highlight the section where a repeat survey needs to be carried out and click on the button in the symbol bar (1) to directly assign a new inspection to the selected section. In the dialogue box that follows this option is already activated by default and only needs to be confirmed yet with the green OK-button (2):
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A repeat survey can be one in the same direction as the original, or the opposite direction. Most of the section header information will remain the same for each survey, with the only likely changes to be date and time (WinCan VX will do this automatically) and survey direction (this will be auto-entered based on the user's selections).
Once several inspections have been assigned to a specific section they can also be selected from a list box (3) located at the bottom left corner of the section overview panel. Furthermore a magnifier symbol is set in a separate column (4) to mark all the sections with more than one survey.
Inspections basically must be deleted within the input mask where they are listed in a table below the inspection data. Click on the inspection to be deleted and hit the button :

It is possible to add as many inspections as necessary to the same section where each inspection is created for a specific purpose as shown in the possible example below:

• Inspection 1: Standard survey for basic pipe damage recording. It is automatically created together with a new object (main section, lateral section or manhole) as soon as the user opens the data entry panel.

• Inspection 2: Pipe condition survey after rehabilitation (rehabilitation survey).

• Inspection 3: Pipe condition survey after a given period (e.g. 5 years)…

Note1 on Multiple Surveys:
This working strategy is especially used by large (water) authorities which are managing their survey data via a central database (SQL or ORACLE).
Private pipe survey companies on the other hand usually re-enter all the section and survey data into an empty project when inspecting the same pipe section after a given time period, and thus will always have just one inspection assigned to each section.
Note 2 on Multiple Surveys:
Users who are familiar with previous versions of WinCan are likely to be used to creating new survey sections each time they have to resurvey a pipe for any reason. Operators are encouraged to use this new system in WinCan VX.

Merging Abandonded Inspections

If the camera is unable to pass through the pipe during a survey (e.g. due to an obstacle) you must stop the inspection and try to re-start a new survey from the opposite end. Both partial surveys must be assigned to the same section and finally need to be merged into a ONE complete survey. The following pages describe how this procedure is implemented in WinCan VX.
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Enter your section and inspection data as usual and start damage recording. As soon as the camera is unable to continue for any reason you will have to stop the survey and enter the appropriate codes (e.g. survey abandonded (1)).
Click on the button (2) afterwards. WinCan VX then is going to copy all the inspection header data from the first survey into the new one and automatically inverts the inspection direction.
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Next run the survey from the opposite section end until the camera is reaching the site where you had to stop the first survey part. Enter again the appropriate codes (e.g. survey abandoned (3)), which may be completed by a specific remark:
WinCanVX is showing now both survey parts in the list box below the section overview panel (4). Furthermore, a magnifier symbol is set in a separate column (4a) to label all the sections with more than one survey.
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Now, create another survey hitting the command Tools > Combine abandoned inspections to merge the partial surveys:

The software then automatically recognizes all sections with partial surveys within the current project. Mark the sections via the corresponding check box (5).
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Always mind that the option Auto-calculate new length is enabled (6) to have the totally inspected length calculated (6a).
You may also type values provided by maps into the field New length (6b): the software then calculates the difference between the section length and the inspected length and shows the uninspected area in the pipe graph as well as on the inspection report page.
The merged and abandoned surveys can now be selected directly from the list box (7) below the section overview panel:
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At last you may delete both abandonded surveys listed in the inspection table below the input mask after you have merged them to a combined survey:

Observations

New sections in WinCan VX always show an empty observation area without any grid structure. Use the buttons in the symbol bar at the bottom right hand corner of the observation panel to create a new (1) or to delete (4 ) an existing observation or use the corresponding right-click menu command. To edit an existing observation directly double click on the observation text (2):
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In both cases the damage catalogue the current project is based on will automatically be opened in a separate panel. Use the TAB key on your keyboard or the mouse to jump from one category to the next in order to describe the damage in accordance with the standards for your region.
You may directly enter the observation code or a key word into the text field at the top left hand corner of the panel (3), and all the codes containing that word will be listed, from where you can select the moste appropriate option:
3Click on the green check mark to confirm the current observation or push the cancel button to quit the catalogue without saving any damage entry. The green check mark only appears when all the parameters required by the catalogue standard have been entered.

Additional Input Parameters

Some damage catalogues (e.g. PACP, WRC, WSA, NZPIM, EN-13508) require the input of additional parameters to accurately describe the observation. WinCan VX lists these yellow-marked input fields by default to the right of the catalogue window:
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Circumferential damage extents must be described with clock positions (example 3 o'clock or from 5 to 7 o'clock). If the clock is displayed you can directly click on a clock position to locate the damage. To describe a larger damage extent select clockwise two pointer positions (1). If the clock symbol is missing use the corresponding text fields to enter the pointer positions.
Some observations can be described as continuous. In such cases, it is necessary to select and highlight the text Start (2) in the list box before confirming the observation. At all subsequent observation entries, the description of the observation End automatically appears in the catalogue panel until the user selects it to confirm the end of the continuous observation:
Additional remarks relating to the observation can be added as defined by the coding template in the Remarks field or by clicking the … button to the right hand side of the Remarks Field to bring up a separate editing window.The user can make the observation text appear briefly on the video recording by clicking the button indicated.Double-click on the coloured damage code to close the continuous damage. 2

Damage Grading Scores

Some standards (e.g. PACP, WRC, WSA, NZPIM) apply an automatic damage assessment (also known as damage scoring or condition grading) whereas others allow the user to set the value manually. To manually run the grading system, select the Rating button from the WinCan Analyst tab:

Observations that have been graded can also be printed in specific colors, usually predefined by the corresponding damage standard (e.g. WRC).
In accordance with the standards that describe the way in which these grades are calculated, the user should take note that the values are offered as a guideline only, and are not always available for all types of pipe material.

Observations

New sections in WinCan VX always show an empty observation area without any grid structure. Use the buttons in the symbol bar at the bottom right hand corner of the observation panel to create a new (1) or to delete (4 ) an existing observation or use the corresponding right-click menu command. To edit an existing observation directly double click on the observation text (2):
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In both cases the damage catalogue the current project is based on will automatically be opened in a separate panel. Use the TAB key on your keyboard or the mouse to jump from one category to the next in order to describe the damage in accordance with the standards for your region.
You may directly enter the observation code or a key word into the text field at the top left hand corner of the panel (3), and all the codes containing that word will be listed, from where you can select the moste appropriate option:
3Click on the green check mark to confirm the current observation or push the cancel button to quit the catalogue without saving any damage entry. The green check mark only appears when all the parameters required by the catalogue standard have been entered.

Additional Input Parameters

Some damage catalogues (e.g. PACP, WRC, WSA, NZPIM, EN-13508) require the input of additional parameters to accurately describe the observation. WinCan VX lists these yellow-marked input fields by default to the right of the catalogue window:
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Circumferential damage extents must be described with clock positions (example 3 o'clock or from 5 to 7 o'clock). If the clock is displayed you can directly click on a clock position to locate the damage. To describe a larger damage extent select clockwise two pointer positions (1). If the clock symbol is missing use the corresponding text fields to enter the pointer positions.
Some observations can be described as continuous. In such cases, it is necessary to select and highlight the text Start (2) in the list box before confirming the observation. At all subsequent observation entries, the description of the observation End automatically appears in the catalogue panel until the user selects it to confirm the end of the continuous observation:
Additional remarks relating to the observation can be added as defined by the coding template in the Remarks field or by clicking the … button to the right hand side of the Remarks Field to bring up a separate editing window.The user can make the observation text appear briefly on the video recording by clicking the button indicated.Double-click on the coloured damage code to close the continuous damage. 2

Damage Grading Scores

Some standards (e.g. PACP, WRC, WSA, NZPIM) apply an automatic damage assessment (also known as damage scoring or condition grading) whereas others allow the user to set the value manually. To manually run the grading system, select the Rating button from the WinCan Analyst tab:

Observations that have been graded can also be printed in specific colors, usually predefined by the corresponding damage standard (e.g. WRC).
In accordance with the standards that describe the way in which these grades are calculated, the user should take note that the values are offered as a guideline only, and are not always available for all types of pipe material.

Recording Manholes or Nodes

Upstream and downstream node points that define the beginning and the end of a pipe section can be recorded within the WinCan VX project. Node points can be any start or end point including manholes, gullies, inspection chambers, catch pits and connections to other pipes.
The main view differs from that for Sections and Laterals in that the main screen for manhole inspections shows more panels, each displaying specific attributes. To edit manhole data, switch to the corresponding panel (1) and double-click on the required record to open the input panel.
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Use the In/Outlet panel to add, edit or delete incoming and outgoing pipes to your node point clicking on the corresponding buttons (2). This is also known as a connectivity report.
The Parts panel on the other hand is used to add, edit and delete parts of the manhole or node clicking on the corresponding buttons (3). In addtion you can alos add part-specific data about the currently selected item.
The Manhole Wizard (4) can also be used to help simplify the data build process, at the expense of a little data entry speed.

Video Digitization

The recording/digitizing of a video signal is done either via an internal (PCI/PCI-Express card from the company VITEC (1)) or an external MPEG video card (MobileCap 124) from the company Sensoray (2). Also WDM-based digitizing cards (3) available on the free market are supported.
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The video signal can be taken from a TV camera, a video recorder any video feed signal. The video capture device can be selected in the dialogue box under Home > Settings > LiveVideo. A click on the button Configure Device is opening another dialogue box providing all the options to activate the camera signal:

If the device settings are set correctly a video image taken from the camera is displayed within this window.
See section 5.5 for detailed description.

Video window

After the first launch of WinCan VX the video window is located in the upper right corner of the main screen. You may grab this window at the title bar, move it wherever you prefer and also enlarge it accordingly on a second screen. When the TV-camera is switched off the WinCan logo is shown within this window by default. The video window supports three different operational modes:

• Recording mode: Displaying and recording of a live signal transmitted by a TV camera.

• Clip playback mode: Playback of video clips recorded via a TV camera. If recorded via external systems (e.g. camera systems with integrated video digitization or external digital video recording systems connected to a TV camera) and finally imported into WinCan VX, the software producer can NOT give any guarantee that those video clips will be able to be played back without any error or quality loss.

• Photo display mode: Display of photos taken directly with the TV-camera connected to the PC. Pictures taken with a commercial pocket camera can easily be imported too.

Recording and Play Back of Video Clips

There's usually one recorded video clip per pipe section to visualize the damage profile of the current section. Switch on the live signal and then click on the red dot to start recording as described below:


Switch off live signal
OR
Close video play back
Adjust window to full screen sizeAdjust image quality
during recordingStart video recording
During the observation entry within the catalogue panel recording is AUTOMATICALLY paused and also resumed AUTOMATICALLY after confirming the code. Before you start recording check whether the corresponding option in Home > Settings> General is activated.
Take pictures directly from live signal or from video clipStop recordingPause recording
The videos are saved immediately in the project sub-folder video and linked to the first observation by default. A double-click on the film-strip icon in the Clip column starts playing back the recorded video clip:
Slide to play back video clip at a specific location.Play back video clip forward/backward
Stop play backPause play back
Set play back speed (far left is "normal"

Taking Pictures

You can take two photos per observation, either from the live signal directly, or from an existing video clip.

• Drive the camera crawler to the preferred location in the pipe OR start playing an existing video clip.

• Stop the camera OR pause the video clip at the damage point.

• Create a new observation to the current section.

• Push the photo button (1) in the video window or double-click on the grey bullet (2) in the observation columns Photo1 and Photo2 to take a photo of the current camera/video position:

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The pictures are immediately stored into the project sub-folder Picture and linked to the corresponding observation.
Note on replacing existing media files:
To replace existing video clips or photos directly during a running survey (i.e. the camera is switched on), just double-click on the corresponding film or photo icon and confirm the message below with YES:

View Pictures

To view pictures in the video window, first ensure that the live feed is turned off (1), then just double-click on the corresponding photo icon (2) in the column photo1 or photo2.
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The corresponding picture is finally shown in the video window:

Mark Damage Points on Photos

Open the corresponding damage photo and click on the button to open the dialogue box that provides the labelling tools:

Select the appropriate label type , set its colour and drag it directly into the picture keeping the left mouse key pressed. The label can then be rotated and moved freely:

As soon as you click on the green OK-button the picture is going to be saved together with the label and automatically replaces the previous picture file.
Note on labels:
Once a label has been set and saved on the picture it can NOT be removed anymore.

Import video clips and photos

To add a picture or video from an external source such as a pushrod camera, pocket camera or mobile phone, first ensure the source file is attached to, or saved on the PC and also be sure that the live video feed is disabled. Then, double-click on a grey bullet in the columns photo1, photo2 or film within an observation line and a Windows dialog box will open allowing you to navigate to and select the appropriate file:
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Then, double-click on a grey bullet (1) in the columns photo1, photo2 or film within an observation line and a Windows dialog box will open allowing you to navigate to and select the appropriate file:
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The original file in the source location or on the source device will not be altered or moved. WinCan VX will make a copy of the file to the required location in the project folder.

Deleting video clips and photos

Right-click on the observation line with the video clip to be deleted and select the context menu command Delete Clip:

Right-click in the photo column and the observation line that contains the pictures to be deleted and select the context menu command Delete Photo1 or Delete Photo2:

Further deletion options are available by clicking the button in the bottom right hand corner which will bring up this dialog window where the user can select either the whole observation or a selection of parts from it for deletion:

Note on picture deletion:
This process will NOT delete ANY video clip or photos from the hard disk. Deleted media files instead are automatically moved into in the corresponding project sub-folder \Trash\Video\Sec (for section clips), \Trash\Video\Node (for manhole clips), \Trash\Picture\Sec (for section photos) or \Trash\Picture\Node (for manhole photos).

Renaming Media Files

WinCan VX creates unique file names in the background for every video clip recorded and every photo taken. However, all the media file names contain a part that is customized at the beginning of the name with the start node ID, thereby retaining the unique file index required by the operating system while still making the file easy to locate.

Controlling On-Screen-Display (OSD)

All prerequisites and settings needed for proper OSD control via WinCanVX are described in detail in section 4.3. This section on the other hand is going to describe how the operator is able to conrol the text display directly from WinCanVX during recording using a set of buttons located in the OSD panel.

Configuration of the OSD panel

The OSD panel, usually displayed at the lower edge of the WinCanVX main screen, already contains a default set of control buttons which can be customized at any time.
Click with the right mouse button in an empty area of this panel to activate the configuration mode: the background colour of the panel then switches from GREY to YELLOW and a dialogue box is popping up showing you all the control buttons supported by the currently connected OSD device. The buttons can easily be dragged into the OSD bar keeping the left mouse key pressed:

Select the context menu command Save Settings to save the layout of the control buttons in the OSD bar…

... or re-activate the configuration mode to delete any unneeded control button from the OSD panel using the corresponding context menu command.
Deactivate the configuration mode via the corresponding context menu command and the background colour of the OSD panel is switching back to GREY again:
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The buttons Panel2 (1) and Panel1 (2) respectively allow the user to toggle between two default sets of control buttons within the OSD panel:
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Colors for text and text background must be defined via the button OSD-Objects that gives access to an additional dialogue box which finally contains the function buttons needed.

Setting color for text- und text background of the OSD objects provided by the connected device.Setting color for project bar and section data.
Click on the highlighted buttons above to open another dialogue box that finally allows to choose the preferred color from a palette:

Filtering records

If the current project contains a large data amount you can easily detect the desired objects applying the filter functionalities provided by WinCan VX. You may either use the AutoFilter (Quick Filter) to run a quick search on the project database or the extended filter (User Filter) to define more complex filtering criteria.

AutoFilter (QuickFilter)

The AutoFilter works with a list of pre-defined columns, containing a list of available criteria based on text you entered before (2). Once you click on the icon Apply Filter, the database is filtered and shows all records (highlighted in yellow) that match the criteria selected directly from the list.
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Click again on the highlighted filter button to quit the filter mode and to re-display all the records:
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Extended Filter (UserFilter)

The extended filter (4) on the other hand enables the user to link different criteria together and to query the project database in a more sophisticated way. The query always must be saved with a specific name (4a) before defining the criteria. Always hit the PLUS-button (5) to add additional criteria.
5ALL: shows records that match all criteria
ANY: shows records that match either one or any other criterion69784a4 10
Hitting the filter button (7) is displaying the number of records within the filter dialogue that match the criteria (6). Next push the magnifier button (8) to run the filter query and click on the green tick button (9) to confirm it. The filter result is finally displayed in the overview panel.
Click again on the highlighted filter button (10) to quit the filter mode and to re-display all records.

Exporting Filtered Data

The tab command Data Exchange > Project Export is going to copy the current filter result into a new project, which is automatically created in the background. The user hereby gets the possbility to limit the copy process to certain object categories or data types (1). If the option UseFilter is switched off (2) the whole project will be copied to the target folder (3):
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Searching for and replacing data entries

In order to be able to correct database entries, WinCan provides a search/replace functionality. First select the field(s) (1) containing the entries to be replaced and enter the original text (2) as well as the new text (3) into the corresponding columns. You may also imply more than one field per searching/replacing process using the button . Finally hit the REPLACE button to run the command:
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If the check box Replace always is enabled, WinCan VX is going to overwrite the old text with the new text for all records. It therefore recommended to keep this option disabled per default.
In case you want to replace certain field contents only within a specific group of sections, you may filter these records previously. The Search/Replace functionality thus is able to take into acount the filtered sections only.

Sorting records

Some end users prefer the inspection reports printed in a specific order. The command MiscTools > Sorting provides a panel that allows the user to re-order the sections according to predefined sorting critera which are applied hierarchically. Hitting the button adds a new criterion.
The sections in the example below are sorted first according to the field Street (ascending order) and second according to the field Total Length (descending order):
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After you hit the button Sort in the dialogue box the sections are put into the preferred order and will also be printed accordingly.

Data Output

After data entry has been completed there are four different ways that the user can publish and share the project data:

• Printing the inspection report to paper directly in the CCTV truck or the office.

• Saving and sending the inspection report as a PDF file.

• Burning or copying project data to external media (CD, DVD, HDD, USB drive) together with a WinCan VX viewer package.

• WinCan Web.

Printing Inspection Reports

Select the tab command Printing > Printing Panel in the WinCanVX main screen to print the current project data as you prefer. WinCan VX provides up to 26 different types of reports with their own default settings:
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1. This part of the dialog box lists all the report types currently provided by WinCanVX: Open the corresponding main group (1a) for sections, manholes or laterals and select the desired reports for the print-out.

2. This area contains all printing options for the report type selected in the part 1.

3. This part provides the output options for all the selected report pages.

4. Click the print button (4) to either get a preview of the selected reports or to create a corresponding PDF-file. Depending on the project size, this may take several minutes and you can follow the progress in the status bar (5).

Hitting the gear whell icon left to the printing button (6) gets access to additional printing options which are enabled per default.
In case you want to print the inspection report on header-paper with a pre-printed logo, you will have to disable the option Display header.
Wide contractor logos, that may fill up the major part of the page header, can be printed as soon as the option Display contact data has been disabled:
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A group of sections or single sections can be printed once the radio button Range is selected: you may type "1-10" if you want to set a section group or you may type "1,5,10,12,20", if you want to set a number of single sections. Both spellings can also be combined as shown in the illustration above (7a).
A PDF-file is created only when pushing the printing button after you enabled the option Create document > Document per print job and set the file location (7b):

Printing Inspection Reports with Classification Colours

The inspection report may also be printed with coloured observation text. This requires a damage grade which has to be set in the observation table; use the predefined value list available in the field Grade (1) for that purpose.
Call up the printing dialogue afterwards and select the report type Defect Grade Description (2). Right to the legend text the user may now select a specific colour for the corresponding damage class from a color palette: the corresponding panel opens when pushing the arrow button right to the color field (3).
Always make sure the grade values are taken from the Grade column you prefer (4). At last you can save this customized colour template via the button entering a new name for it (5):
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5 2
4
Additional colour templates can be added via the button , existing ones are called up when pushing the button .

Printing Inspection Reports with coloured Pipe Graph

Many damage code standards are working with a predefined list for the field SectionType in order to easily define it for each section. Before printing the report the user may also specify colors for different section types in order to have the pipe graph printed in the corresponding color. Call up the printing dialogue, select the report typ Section Inspection (2) and click on the button Section Type Colour (3) below the option list.
The small dialogue box that appears next allows you to assign a color to each section type when clicking on the color cell right to the section text via a color palette:
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Note on colours on TV-reports:
Some standards like WRC only allow a set of predefined colours to be applied for observation text as well as for the pipe graph.

Printing Inspection Report with Access Point Symbols

The fields Upstream Manhole and Downstream Manhole in most cases contain information regarding manholes. For pipelines whose upper and lower ends consist on access points other than manholes it makes sense to have the default grey circle on the inspection report replaced with more meaningful symbols. Please follow the instructions below to get the result you finally prefer.

• Enter the correct term for the upper access point (e.g. WC, toilet, kitchen drain, roof, road gully etc.) as well as for the lower access point (e.g. main pipe, collector, catch basin, creek, river, lake, sea etc.) into the corresponding fields Upstream Manhole and Downstream Manhole.

• Next click on the tab command Printing > Print, select the report type Section Inspection (2) in the printing dialogue and click on the button Manhole Symbols(3) below the option list.

• Enter exactly the same term you've already typed into the fields Upstream Manhole and Downstream Manhole again into the text field right to the desired symbol. Mind the orthography of the terms entered and save all descriptions with a click on the green OK-button. Multiple entries within this text field must be separated with a comma (4):

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The placeholder "{}{*}" (5) allows the software to recognize also parts of the text typed into the fields Upstream Manhole and Downstream Manhole. So the user may count up all access points of the same type (WC1, WC2, WC3 etc.) and the desired symbol will appear on the inspection report in all these cases.
The illustration below shows a sample preview of an inspection report created by WinCan VX. Within the preview panel you are able to print the report, save it as a PDF file or send it directly via e-mail. If you select a PDF output option, the resulting file will be saved automatically to [Project Folder] > Misc > Docu:

Data Distribution to DVD, USB & HDD

Like in previous versions of WinCan, the project data can be distributed on DVD or any kind of removable disk. Click on the icon Data Exchange > Viewer Export to run this module. A wizard will then guide you through the process to gather the information needed to run the distribution process, and to copy the whole project on one or more disks depending on its size:

Select the drive you want to have the data distributed on and click on Next to continue:
Normal = distribute current project with WinCanVX
Light = distribute current project with the Light Viewer
Select the project to be distributed and click Next:

Hitting the button More Options… opens another dialogue box to modify the distribution settings:

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1. Enable this option to get the disc name written into the corresponding inspection field (i.e. INS_VidoeRef).

2. Clicking this button is going to open a further dialogue for renaming picture and video files. Unskilled users are advised to apply the default presets (2a):

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1. Set or check the path for the temporary image folder. An image of the distributed data is usually created in the folder C:\Users\Public Documents\CDLAB\Common\Images and used for immediate burning with the WinCan burning software.

2. Set the path of the target folder where the distributed data should be saved as an ISO-file (compressed data package). ISO-files can be burnt later on another computer with any external burning software.

Finally push the green OK-button (5) to confirm all settings and to get back to the Media Distribution Wizard.
WinCan will now show a summary of the options that have been selected and clicking Next again will start the process of creating the intermediate data store in preparation for writing. This may take a few moments depending on the size of the project:

Click OK to engage the burning module, then click on the Burn button to start the burning process:

How the End User Views the Output

The end customer can view the project data delivered on the external data storage medium in WinCan VX or in the WinCan Light Viewer on any Windows computer. Both software applications run automatically in the viewer mode and are entirely license free.
After inserting the disc into the corresponding drive the following Windows message pops up:

A click on the 'Run Program' option will start WinCan VX and show the project data directly in the viewer mode:

The viewer mode automatically blocks all program functions for data entry and processing. If the end customers (e.g. engineers, local water authorities) need to post-process the data, then they will need to purchase a valid WinCan license.
Note that launching a project distributed on a DVD together with WinCanVX will take up to 3 minutes until the main interface shows all data.
When selecting the option Light within the MediaDistribution wizard the data distribution and burning process runs much faster and finally shows the output in the new application WinCan Light Viewer.
This software is purposely limited to the basic functionalities used to quickly browse through a project. Once the user has slided the DVD into the drive the WinCan Light Viewer is launched rapidly and shows a main interface subdived into three parts:

• The left part contains a video player that shows the video clip of the object (i.e. section, lateral or manhole ->

  

  ) which has been selected in the table below.

• The central part shows the inspection report of the currently selected section as a PDF-file.

• The right part shows all the photos taken for the currently selected section.

Note that launching a project distributed on a DVD together with the WinCan Light Viewer is unable to show all kind of data due to the reason mentioned above.
If an end user needs to access data like inclination curves, pipeline scans, deformation scans, 3D pipeline networks, GIS data etc. the project must be distributed together with WinCanVX.

Using WinCan Web

This button in the Tools tab takes you to the WinCan Web project distribution and management console. The software can be actioned to automatically sign into t the user's WinCan Web account by assigning the settings Home > Settings > WinCan Web.

Once you have logged into the system, you will see a dialog window with 3 tabs showing projects that exist only on the local computer or domain, only on WinCan Web, or in both locations.
The Local tab shows projects that only exist locally, and offers the user options to check their size and upload to their WinCan Web account.

The Only on Web tab allows the user to download, delete or share with other users projects that are already stored in the WinCan Web cloud.

The On Web and VX tab lists projects that exist in both locations, and offers the user the additional option to upload new projects or modify existing projects that are already online.
The buttons that do not have written words on them are described as:
The Links button allows you to create and distribute project links to users who may wish to view your projects.
The Browse button allows you to view the picture and video files associated with the WinCan Web project.
The Delete button is used to delete projects from the WinCan Web account. This does not delete them from their source (local) location.

Converting Projects

Projects recorded with the previous version WinCan V8 can easily be converted into WinCan VX. The converter module is launched with the button Data Exchange > Converter and a wizard will guide you through the conversion process. Once completed, you will find a new project compatible with WinCan VX in your default WinCan projects folder.

First, specify the source path of the V8 project database (.mdb file) and select an appropriate data mapping file for your project. hen, click the Next button to continue:


Specify the template used in the donor V8 project (e.g. NASSCO_PACP-6) as well as the damage standard (e.g. PACP-6) and click Next:



Confirm the summary listed below and click Next:


The Conversion process will now run and the progress will be displayed. After the conversion has finished as shown below, click on Finish to quit the converter module:


The converted project immediately appears in the project list of WinCan VX and can be opened.

Merging Projects

Project merging is a process during which WinCan VX takes data from two or more projects (source projects) and copies them into one single project (target project).
All the projects you want to merge should have the same template and the same damage standard. Otherwise, any subsequent country specific data export by the user is likely to include incorrect results.
It is recommended to always copy the data from the source projects to an empty target project. The merge module is launched with the button Data Exchange > Merger.

Once launched, the Merging Wizard opens and asks for the information needed to complete the merge process.
Firstly, select the projects that you would like to merge by ticking the box to the right of the required project names in the list of projects available on your PC (1):
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You can also include projects that are not contained in your project list but are connected to the PC by using the Add button at the bottom (2). Click Next to continue. The panel below with the extended option group is displayed only when activating the command File > Expert Mode.
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If not activated the merging wizard is setting default values within this option group as well as in the panels for further preferences (3).
Click Next to highlight the target project you want to have the source data merged into:


Click Next twice and wait until the progress bar completes and shows green :

The source project data are now copied into the target project. Click on the button Finish to quit the merge module and view the result in WinCanVX.

Merge Settings

The software WinCan VX is always copying the project data table by table. Data of each table or table group can also be merged applying different specific procedures as described below:

• Copy new inspection data only (without any section data) AND overwrite old inspection data

• Copy sections only WITHOUT the corresponding manholes

• Copy manholes only WITHOUT the corresponding section

These options will allow a faster data merge as soon as large projects are going to be copied. To modify the settings start the merging wizard and select the command File > Wizard Settings:

The settings dialogue is providing separate tabs for each object category (sections, manholes, satellites etc.). You may now assign a specific merge option for every table within an object category and define how and whether the data should be copied to the target project.


The available merging options are described below:

• No merging: The data of the selected tables are not copied into the target project.

• Add only merging: This option always creates a new object. Existing objects (i.e. sections and inspections) with the same name are not modified or overwritten. Duplicated sections have to be manually deleted by the user.

• Update merging: Previously exported objects are updated or overwritten. New objects are always added. This option is mainly applied when exporting data to a CCTV truck.

• Standard merging: All existing objects are overwritten. New objects are always added.

• Differential merging: Only recently created or updated objects are copied. This option is currently not yet implemented.

The tab Other contains further object categories (e.g. templates (templates), media files (photos and videos)) which the user can assign a specific merge option to:

Any modification of these default assignments should be done by experienced users only in order to avoid error risks when merging projects.
To minimize the error risk during a merge process the user may simply choose one of the four different predefined strategies available in the expert mode of the merge wizard as shown below:

Report Generator

To open the report generator click on Printing > Report Generator:

The Report Generator window will open offering the option to produce PDF and Excel reports:
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In the first row, use the tab buttons Section, Inspection, Observation and Ratings to display the related database fields which can be selected for a table report (1). Next select the fields (2) that you wish to query for the report as described below.
To create the report, consider each field to be a column in a table going from left to right, and drag the required fields into the Printing Fields boxes in the desired order:

The user can drag queries into the Printing Fields boxes at any time from any of the tabs in the top panel. The colors of the fields in the Printing Fields area shows which tab they have come from:

You can also add a placeholder column with a title of your choice. For example, if you require a column in the exported spreadsheet that may need to be filled in by a user at a later date.
To create a placeholder, right click on the Printing Field and select the option, giving it a name in the process.
When producing PDF reports, there is a limit to 8 fields due to the width of the output paper. However, there is no limit when exporting Excel spreadsheets. All the functionalities provided by the Report Generator are listed and described below:
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1. When producing PDF reports, there is a limit to 8 fields due to the width of the output paper. However, there is no limit when exporting Excel spreadsheets.

2. To add more fields, click the button indicated.To apply a sort order to the data rows, drag the corresponding field from the Printing Fields to the Sort area. You can apply multi-level sorting and use the Sorting Settings to apply the sorts as ascending or descending.

3. To clear all of the Report Generator options click this button.

4. If you wish to open a pre-saved report generator configuration, click the folder icon and navigate to the required (.rgf) file.

5. To save the current report configuration for future use, click the diskette icon and give the report file a name.

6. The recycle bin allows the user to drag any options from the Printing or Sort Fields for removal.

7. The Preview button allows further options for each column in the output including how the data is summarized.

8. Click the Excel button to output the report to an Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheet.

9. Click the PDF button to output the report to a .pdf file.

10. The red cross closes the Report Generator window and clears all current user selections.

Excel and PDF files created in the Report Generator will be automatically saved in the [Project Folder] > Misc > Docu location.
Where a project contains both Sections and Laterals, the reports will be carried in separate pages of the PDF file, or in separate worksheet tabs in the Excel file.
Reports can also be generated for Nodes in a similar way by ensuring that the main WinCan VX window is in the Nodes area before launching the Report Generator.

Report Designer

WinCan VX includes a very flexible Report Designer which is used to customize and edit the way in which the PDF reports appear. Access to this area is only available to users with Administrator login credentials. These various report designs are read from the installation folder and copied into the project subfolder \Misc\Reports when you create a new project.
Once the software is installed, the predefined report templates for all countries are available in the Windows directory C:\Users\Public Documents\CDLAB\Common\Reports:

Depending on the country, language and project standard selected, the required report templates in the project directory are applied when printing the survey data.
Launch the Editor from the Printing > Report Designer button:

Once launched, the menu dialog for editing the layouts opens. It is possible to edit the individual report for the current project only, or to customize the default report in order to get the change for all future projects.
The report editor first shows the user a list of all available report types:
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1. Select this option to modify only a predefined report template of the group _WinCanVX_Default_ in the project directory Misc\Reports and to apply these changes also for future projects.

2. Select this option to modify any other predefined report template (out of the group _WinCanVX_Default) in the project directory _Misc\Reports and to apply these changes also for future projects.

3. This option allows the user to modify also the country specific report templates (not recommended).

Leaving all three options unselected will result in any amendments only be made in the current project.
Hit the button in order to run the report designer taking into account the options you may have checked or unchecked in the panel above.
Important note:
Always create a copy of the report template you want to change and rename that copy adding the company name as a suffix to the default name (e.g. Sec-Inspection_TFL.lst). So this report won't be overwritten when updating the software.

Report Designer Interface

The different types of report are managed under the name Projects. In addition to the actual information defined in the WinCan VX project, the report also carries layout information such as page size and orientation, fonts, colors, frames, circles, lines and graphics. The report Editor recognizes three types of Projects; lists, labels, and cards.
The individual components of these Projects are called 'Objects'. So, for example a Project can contain text objects, image objects and a report container object.
New objects can be added using the Insert tab controls by selecting an object type and right-clicking and/or dragging on the workspace. The Report Editor provides different types of objects, which can be freely positioned and resized in the workspace.
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1. The tab Report Structure is showing the parts, which the current report page shown in the center is sub-divided into. In this example the page is split into a Header and a Table part.

1. The Objects tab displays the individual objects contained within the structure of the report:

In the example, the Objects present include a line, watermark, logo image, text area and the actual report container.
These objects can be clicked on once to highlight the corresponding item in the layout, and double-clicked to open the object editor.

1. The Layers tab allows the user to choose how different versions of the same Project design may be used. 

2. The Preview tab demonstrates how the final output will present to the user.

1. The Layout tab option shows the page with its corresponding code.

2. Layout Preview shows the locations of the elements.

3. Preview is much the same as the previously described Preview tab, but it shows in the large window view area.

Moving and Deleting Objects

To move an object within the report, first select it (1) in the register of Objects (i.e. the object Watermark (2) in this example). In the editing area, the object will be marked with an edge and handles (3). Now, the object can be moved with the mouse as required.
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The object can deleted by pressing the Delete key while the object is selected and showing edges and handles.

Editing an Object

To change the font, color or font size of an object, first double click the object name to open the Object Editor.

The Edit menu opens and now the user can change the appearance of the object in the right half of the menu. Clicking on the font editing button opens the edit buttons for the font. Here, the appearance of the font can be changed and saved by clicking OK.

Adding a Field

The Report Editor is a powerful tool that can be used to make all kinds of changes to the printing layouts including adding new fields relating to databases in the WinCan VX report. The process of adding new fields to the reports is complex and detailed, and should only be attempted by suitably trained advanced users or by the local reseller teams. This section is giving an example of all the steps needed to complete a report page with specific fields.
To get the caption as well as the content of the field Section Type shown open the report designer, select the inspection report and drag the corresponding field from the panel Variables/Field list at the right directly into the report header view.

As the report designer works with the original database field names you must make sure you really have selected the correct field. To do so open the input mask and hover with the mouse pointer over the filed Section Type (Section Usage) until the original database field name pops up in a direct help box.

The report designer is always showing two text boxes for each database field. Open the context menu to the field caption box and select the command Edit field to check whether the field name used in the function corresponds to that one provided by the direct help box in the input mask:

Click OK to confirm any modification.
To show the content of the database field right click on the field content box right to the field caption box and select the context menu command Edit field to check again whether the field name used in the function corresponds to that one provided by the direct help box in the input mask:

Click OK to confirm any modification.
In order to avoid syntax errors it's recommended to copy existing function or function parts into new text boxes and to change just the field name. The report designer mainly works with the following functions:

• GetTemplateCaption () : "Take the field caption directly from a main table"

• GetTemplateValueByKey () : "Take the field content directly from a main table"

• GetTemplateValueByRef () : "Take the field content from a reference field (e.g. Node Names)"

The caption as well as the content of the selected database filed finally appear in the header of the inspection report at the preferred location, as illustrated below:

Appendix 1: Supported OSD Devices