Report customization falls into two categories: preferences in the dialog and the ability to run a modified report generator from a local or network location. This ability to externalize the system is shared by the Mechanical Wizard. It allows for modifications outside of the installation folder and reuse of a customized system by multiple users.
To run report externally:
The easiest customization is to simply replace Logo.png. The system uses that image on the wait screen and on the report cover page.
The file Template.xml provides the report skeleton. Editing this file allows:
Reformatting of the report by changing the CSS style rules.
Addition of standard content at specific points inside the report body. This includes anything supported by XHTML, including images and tables.
The file Rules.xml contains editable configuration information:
Standard files to include and publish with reports. The first is always the logo; other files could be listed as the images used for custom XHTML content.
Rules for excluding or bolding objects in the Contents.
Rules for applying headings when objects are encountered.
Selective exclusion of an object’s details. For example, part Color (extracted as a single number) isn’t meaningful in a report.
Exclusion of Graph figures for certain objects. This overrides the other four criteria used to decide if a Graph figure is meaningful.
Rules against comparing certain types of objects.
Object states that are acceptable in a "finalized" report.
Search and replace of Details text. For example, the report switches "Click to Change" to "Defined". This capability allows for the use of custom terminology.
Insertion of custom XHTML content based on object, analysis and physics types, and whether the content applies to the details table, the chart or the tabular data. For example, report includes a paragraph describing the modal analysis bar chart.
All files in the Report2006 folder contain comments detailing customization techniques.