PIC-Syms Studio

 

PIC-Sym design software for PIC-Logicator 2005

 

Tutorial

 

By following this guide, you will create a fully functional PIC-Sym for use within PIC-Logicator, using the ‘Alien’ set of supplied images.

 

PIC-Syms Studio screen layout

 

Line Callout 2 (No Border): Digital PanelLine Callout 2 (No Border): Object Information barLine Callout 2 (No Border): CanvasLine Callout 2 (No Border): Tool BoxLine Callout 2 (No Border): Image preview thumbnails (hidden)

 

 

Start up the PIC-Syms Studio and choose to ‘Create a new PIC-Sym’

 

 

Click Next.

 

After reading the next screen, click Next.

 

PIC-Sym saved files and their images MUST be stored in the same folder.  The ‘Alien’ images are stored in the PIC-Syms\Alien folder.  The PIC-Syms folder is installed within your ‘My Documents’ folder.

 

Using the dialog that has opened, browse to the PIC-Syms\Alien folder and type in the filename ‘My Alien’. 

 

Click Save.

 

At the next screen, click Finish.

 

Setting the background image

 

Double click the canvas area of the PIC-Syms Studio.

 

 

Click the Browse… button

 

 

…and select the ‘Alien Background.bmp’ image file. Click Open.

 

The Edit Background Image dialog now shows the image filename and the size.

 

 

Click OK.

Adding Outputs

 

There are two outputs to add for the Alien: the mouth and the eyebrows.

 

Firstly we will add the mouth.  From the Toolbox, click on the ‘Digital Output’ object and drag it onto the canvas. Position it roughly near the chin of the Alien.

 

 

Double click the Output Picturebox that you have just added, and the following window will be displayed…

 

 

Click the ‘Browse…’ button in the OFF State Image area and select the file called ‘Mouth1.bmp’. Click OK. 

 

Click the ‘Browse…’ button in the ON State Image area and select the file called ‘Mouth2.bmp’. Click OK.

 

Your dialog should now look like this…

 

 

Click OK.

 

Using the mouse, drag the Picturebox to the correct position on the canvas.  You can use the arrow keys to position the image finely.

 

It is a good idea to test an output after you have placed it.  Select the mouth Picturebox by clicking on it.  Selected Pictureboxes are shown with a red border.  Now click and hold on Output 0 in the Digital Panel and check that the mouth opens. 

 

 

When you unclick, the mouth should close.

 

 

Repeat the process of adding another Output Picturebox but this time use the eyebrows images.

 

Adding a Motor

 

Where outputs have two states (on or off), motors have four.  When a motor is switched on, the image displayed cycles through the four images available. Every motor must have a set of four images.

 

From the Outputs section of the Toolbox, drag a Motor Output object onto the canvas and double click it.

 

For each of the Image numbers, click the ‘Browse…’ button and select the corresponding ‘eyes’ image, so that your dialog looks as follows…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


…and click OK.

 

Using the mouse or the arrow keys, position the eyes over the background image.  Click and hold on Motor B in the Digital Panel to check that the eyes rotate.  Click with the left mouse button to test the motor forwards; click with the right mouse button to test the motor in reverse.  Note that Output 2 or 3 in the Digital Panel will also light when you test Motor B.  This is because in a PIC-based system, each motor uses two of the available outputs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Adding PCB Connections

 

It is a good idea to include the Power and Download connections in your PIC-Sym so that they can be used like a real PIC-based project.

 

Click on PCB Connections in the Toolbox; then click on the ‘Power Supply’ object and drag it onto position at the bottom of the blank ‘Control Panel’ area of the Alien background.  Double click on it, and select the ‘power on’ and ‘power off’ images in the same way as for an Output.  Click OK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Add a Download Cable to the PIC-Sym in the same way, so that it looks like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Your basic Alien PIC-Sym is now complete.  Click the disk icon on the toolbar to save the project.

 

Load up PIC-Logicator

 

From the PIC-Syms menu choose ‘Open PIC-Sym’.

 

When prompted, open your ‘My Alien’ file.  

 

You can resize the PIC-Syms window by dragging it; or switch between small and large versions by selecting the ‘Window’ menu.

 

In your project, Output 0 is the mouth, Output 1 is the eyebrows and Motor B operates the eyes.  Hold the mouse over that part of the picture to see a reminder.

 

Try a simple program such as:

Set the eyes rotating. After three seconds, make the mouth open for two seconds; then close.  After one second, stop the eyes rotating.

Remember that Motor B uses Outputs 2 and 3, so set these outputs to the “ignore” state (-) in the Output commands that switch the mouth on and off.

 

When you have completed the program, select an appropriate PIC Type that provides Outputs 0 to 3, such as a PICAXE18X.  Then download the program.  The program will carry out the sequence just once.  Click the battery connection off and on to run the program again.

 

Adding a Sound

 

Double click the mouth Picturebox to edit it.  Click the ‘Browse...’ button in the Sound file area and select the file called ‘wolf_howl.wav’ from the PIC-Syms\Samples\Alien folder. 

 

Click OK.  Save the file.

 

Return to PIC-Logicator.  Reopen the PIC-Sym and run the program again. The ‘wolf_howl’ sound will now play when the mouth output is on.

 

 

Adding an Input

 

Click on Inputs in the Toolbox.  Drag a button into the blank ‘Control Panel’ area of the Alien background.  This button automatically becomes Input 0.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Double click on the button, and the following window will be displayed......

 

 

Use this window to customise the button as you wish.  Click OK.  Save the file.

 

Return to PIC-Logicator.  Reopen the PIC-Sym and edit the program so that the ‘eyes and mouth’ sequence occurs each time you click on the button.

 

 

Using Feedback

 

In your current Alien system, the eyes just rotate continuously and stop at random.  If you set the Feedback option in the Motor window you will be able write a program to stop them in any position.

 

Hold the mouse over the Image Preview tab to see the four ‘eye’ images.  Image 1 has the eyeballs at the bottom.  Image 3 has the eyeballs at the top.

 

 

Double click the eyes Picturebox.  Click on the ‘Feedback’ check boxes for Image 1 and Image 3, and  for each one, choose an input number from the drop down list.  Note that you can use only inputs that have not already been used for Push Buttons, Picture Boxes or other Feedback.

The selected input will be ON as long as its associated image is displayed.

 

 

 

Click OK.  Save the file.

 

Return to PIC-Logicator.  Reopen the PIC-Sym and build a program that carries out the following sequence each time the button is pressed:

eyes up and stop; eyebrows down for one second; eyes down and stop.

 

 

 

Adding images of your own

 

In a program such as Paint, open the ‘Alien Background.bmp’ file from the PIC-Syms\Alien folder.  Draw a new feature such as hair onto a part of the picture that hasn’t been used so far.  Save this picture. 

 

 

Then open the ‘Alien Background.bmp’ file again and draw the new feature in a different position.  Save this picture.

 

 

 

Open the PIC-Syms Studio Help and read the section called ‘Creating Images’.  Follow the instructions in this section to cut out the two images of the new feature.  Save these images into the PIC-Syms\Alien folder.

 

 

 

 

Add the new feature to your PIC-Sym as a Digital Output, in the same way that you added the mouth and eyebrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Save the file.

 

Return to PIC-Logicator.  Reopen the PIC-Sym and build a program that uses your new feature.

 

 

More......

 

You could add more buttons to build a fuller Control Panel into your  ‘My Alien’ PIC-Sym.  It will then simulate an animatronics system in which the user can control each one of the Alien’s features with a different button.

 

Or....

Customise one of the existing PIC-Syms using the images supplied in conjunction with images of your own.

 

For full information on using the PIC-Syms Studio, see the main help file.