Signature Field

[NSRBusiness]

I have a FileMaker solution that manages customer signatures with a TabletPC, can the same be done with Alpha Five?

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Signature Field

Nelson,
Your question is quite scant in details. I'm thinking a significant amount of more detail would help you get more help in addressing your question.

[Tom Henkel]

Re: Signature Field

A very short reply is "Yes". We manage both client and employee signatures using Topaz signature pads. Our code works fine for our purposes. We use x-basic to open and activate the pad, Once the signature is finished, we save the signature off to a folder with a unique filename. then when we display the client or employee form, we just place the image of the signature onto the form. We use a very similar process to capture photos. I know Finian Lenon is using an active-X solution, which I would prefer using as ours doesn't display the signature as it is being captured.


I didn't really see your statement about the tablet PC, so I don't quite know the interface, but I would think that there would be a way to "see" the image as it is being written to the screen, and then capture it. X-basic, and Active-X would be the most likely solutions. You need to know how the Tablet PC does it's signature capture.


Tom

[NSRBusiness]

Re: Signature Field

Thanks for the response.

The existing solution was built with FileMaker 9, a Topaz plugin from Productive Computing and a Tablet PC with Windows TabletPC Edition. The application is a medical rep inventory system.

When medication samples are given to each doctor, is then signed in the TabletPC. A rectangular space appears for signature. Once the signature is taken and the done button is pressed, the signature appears in the form. This can be sync to another database just like a regular image.

My objective will be to create the same system in Alpha five.

Any other experiences to share?

Thanks,

Nelson

[Finian Lennon]

Re: Signature Field

Hi Tom:

In fact, I gave up on signature capture entirely. As I went through testing, it became clear that, if we supported the signature pad, we would be required to scan the signatures into Word and many other documents created by the user. This is certainly possible to do but I could see it becoming an ongoing development and support challenge.

Instead, I've opted for a scanning solution. Basically anything that can be scanned can be tied to a patient record and then viewed in the record with the Acrobat reader. It's much simpler and doesn't require major changes in the office.

[Tom Henkel]

Re: Signature Field

Nelson,

Is the Topaz plugin an active-X component? If so, then you just need to make alpha aware ofg it, and you should be able to address it in a similar manner to what you have now.

Finian,
Your code was so good, I just haven't had the time to change mine around. I can, however see your point. We don't have that massive amount of records to keep. This is just one small file captured so that we can print ID cards.

Here is a sample of our code. I just capture the signature to a .jpg file, then display the file into a bitmap on the form. I would really like the signature to appear as it is being written, but that coding is for another day...

dim sigplus1 as P
sigplus1 = ole.Create("SIGPLUS.SigPlusCtrl.1")
restart:
	sigplus1.initsigplus()
	sigplus1.tabletInvisible = .T.
	SigPlus1.ClearTablet()
	SigPlus1.EncryptionMode = 0
             SigPlus1.SigCompressionMode = 0
             SigPlus1.TabletState = 0
             SigPlus1.JustifyMode = 5
             SigPlus1.JustifyX = 10
             SigPlus1.JustifyY = 10
             SigPlus1.DisplayPenWidth = 16
	sigplus1.TabletState = 1
	sigplus1.lcdrefresh(0,0,0,240,128)
	sigplus1.lcdcapturemode = 2
	sigplus1.lcdwritefile(0,2,0,0,240,128,0,"C:\socsvcs\sigblock.bmp")
ans2 = ui_msg_box(Agency+" Signature Capture","Please Click -OK- When Finished Signing",65)
if ans2 = 2
	ui_msg_box(Agency +" Signature Capture","Action Cancelled at User Request")
	sigplus1.cleartablet()
	sigplus1.lcdrefresh(0,0,0,240,128)
	end
end if

if sigplus1.NumberOfTabletPoints() >0
	filename1 = "S:"+chr(92)+alltrim(str(employee->badge_no))+"s.jpg"

	if file.exists(filename1)
		file.remove(filename1)
	end if
	sigplus1.ImageFileFormat=4
	sigplus1.ImageXsize = 450
	sigplus1.ImageYsize = 150
	sigplus1.ImagePenWidth = 16
	sigplus1.JustifyMode = 5
	sigplus1.tabletstate = 0
	sigplus1.WriteImageFile(filename1)
	sigplus1.cleartablet()
	sigplus1.lcdrefresh(0,0,0,240,128)
	'display a message box
	f = file.open(filename1,FILE_RO_SHARED)
	ui_bitmap_load("temp",f.readb(10000000))
	f.close()
	DIM SHARED varC_result as C
	heading_string = "Is the Signature OK?"
	yes_button_label = "&Yes"
	no_button_label = "&No"
	cancel_button_label = "&Cancel"
	varC_result = ui_dlg_box("Signature Confirmation",<<%dlg%
		{region}
		{text=30,1:heading_string};
		{endregion};
		{region}
		{image=temp}
		{endregion};
		{line=1,0};
		{region}
		<*15=yes_button_label!Yes> <*15=no_button_label!No> <15=cancel_button_label!Cancel>
		{endregion};
		%dlg%)
	if varC_Result = "No"
		ui_msg_box(Agency+" Signature Capture","Please Try Again")
		sigplus1.cleartablet()
		sigplus1.lcdrefresh(0,0,0,240,128)
		goto restart
	  elseif varC_Result = "Cancel"
		ui_msg_box(Agency+" Signature Capture","Action Cancelled at User Request")
		end
	  else
	  	topparent:Bitmap2.bitmap.filename = filename1
		parentform.Refresh_Layout()
		end 
	end if
	
  else
  	ui_msg_box(Agency+" Signature Capture","No Signature - Please Try Again")
	sigplus1.cleartablet()
	sigplus1.lcdrefresh(0,0,0,240,128)
	goto restart
end if

Tom

[NSRBusiness]

Re: Signature Field

I am not quite sure if it is a Active X, is only a plugin that gets installed in the FileMaker extensiones directory.