Getting Started with Color iControl

English Version

Copyright © 2007 X-Rite, Inc. All rights reserved.

Version 3.04.001
Color iControl Getting Started

Once Color iControl is installed on your system, there are still a few preliminary
actions you must perform prior to being able to run the software fully. Each of these is
explained below.

Initial Logon for Color iControl

Double-click the program icon installed to your desktop. The Color iControl
opening splash screen will display, followed by the main program window and the log-on
screen. Type your initials into the Operator ID field in the log-on screen and then click on
the <SETUP> button at the lower left. (Operator ID’s are limited to six characters
maximum.)

Installing the Software License

The License Activation dialog box will appear (see Figure 1, next page). The first
field is for entering the serial number of your software. This number can be found on the
CD packaging on a small white label and marked “S/N”. The serial number will consist
of an alphanumeric string, two letters followed by ten numbers. The remaining fields are
all self-explanatory. Once you have filled in all the fields, click on the “Click here after
ALL fields entered” button at the center of the dialog.
At this point, the <Create License Request Document> buttons will become
active, both the “automatic” and the “manual.”
The “automatic” option will generate an e-mail with your license information
included and send it to X-Rite’s registration site. An activation key code will be
generated and e-mailed back to you.
The “manual” option will generate a *.doc file and open it in Microsoft Word.
This document can then be attached to an e-mail and sent to the e-mail address indicated
to receive your activation key code.
Once you have selected the appropriate option, click on the <EXIT> button to
close the dialog. Close the program by clicking on the “Exit” command under the File
menu while you wait for the return e-mail containing your activation key code. You will
be able to run the software for two days (48 hours) without activating the license. This
will allow plenty of time for you to receive your reply e-mail with the activation key
code.
Once you receive your e-mail reply, start the program again by double-clicking
the desktop icon. Then, enter manually or cut and paste the activation key code included
with your e-mail into the field at the bottom of the dialog and click the <Apply> button at
the lower left. A message should appear: “SITE KEY ACCEPTED.”

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 Figure 1 — The License Activation dialog.

Immediately after licensing the

software, the program will prompt you to
install a spectrophotometer as the first task
needing attention. The “Spectro Manager”
dialog will open. Instructions for installing
the sensor are included below.

Installing an Instrument
Prior to beginning this operation, be
sure that the spectrophotometer is connected
to the computer via a communication port
and that you know the ID for that port. In
addition, check to make sure the instrument
is plugged into the power outlet and powered
up.
Once the instrument is physically
connected to your computer, you must install
it in terms of the software. To do this, follow
the steps provided below.

Figure 2 — The Spectro Manager dialog.

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1. A dialog box titled “Spectro Manager”
(See Figure 2, previous page) will
appear.
2. Click on the “Install New...” button. A
second dialog titled “New Spectro”
will appear with a list of available
instruments for Color iControl (Figure
3, right).
3. Select the instrument you wish to
install by clicking once on the
instrument name (or manufacturer) and
clicking “OK.” (You may also at this
point be asked for a calibration disk(s)
that should have been provided with
your instrument. If this is the case,
follow the instructions that appear on-
screen.)
4. The Spectrophotometer Installation Figure 3— The New Spectro dialog box.
Wizard dialog box will appear (see
Figure 4, below).
5. Enter the name of your spectrophotometer into the space provided.
6. Tab to the next field.
7. Enter the serial number of your instrument.
8. Click “Next.”
9. Depending on the type of sensor
you are installing, the Choose
Sensor Model dialog box may
appear (not pictured). If it does,
select your instrument’s model
type from the drop-down list and
click <Next>.
10. Again, depending on the type of
sensor you are installing, the
Instrument Wavelength Range
dialog may appear at this point
(also not pictured). This dialog
allows you to select the default
wavelength range for taking
measurements. Generally, this will
appear when you have an
instrument capable of taking Figure 4 — The first Spectrophotometer Installation
measurements below 400 Wizard dialog box.
nanometers and above 700

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 nanometers. However, if you need to
compare data with other systems
using sensors not capable of taking
measurements in this range, it may
be a good idea to limit the range of
the instrument. Otherwise, accept
the default as it appears in this
dialog.
11. A dialog box allowing you to select
the communications port and the
baud rate of the instrument will
appear next (see Figure 5, right).
12. Click on the radio button identifying
the communication port where you Figure 5 — This dialog is for selecting the comm
have the instrument connected. The port and the baud rate of the instrument.
default is to have your instrument
connected to comm port
one. The baud rate should
default to the correct setting.
If your instrument is
incapable of communicating
at multiple baud rates, this
section of the dialog will be
unavailable. You may also
enable the Read button on
the sensor if you wish. Click
<Next> once you have
selected the comm port and
baud rate.
13. The “Installation Complete”
dialog (not pictured) will
appear informing you that
the instrument is now
installed. Click the <Finish>
button to complete the
installation.
14. Once the installation is
complete, wait a few
moments and the Calibration
Mode Properties dialog box Figure 6 — The Calibration Mode Properties dialog box.
will appear (see Figure 6,
right). This dialog will allow you to create an initial calibration mode for the
instrument just installed. The mode contains such information as the size of the
sample port, the type of illumination the instrument uses, whether or not you are

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 taking reflectance or
transmittance data, etc.
Click the <OK> button to
accept the current settings
as the default initial mode.
15. Once you have closed the
Calibration Mode Choose
Sensor Mode dialog box
will appear, allowing you
to create more calibration
modes for that instrument
(see Figure 7). The default
mode just defined should
be listed as the only mode.
You may define an
entirely new mode by
Figure 7 — The Choose Sensor Mode dialog box with Properties
clicking on the “Define
dialog, the multiple modes defined.
New” button. You should
refer to the documentation provided with your instrument to determine what
capabilities your sensor has and what variety of calibration modes you may want to
define. (See Spectro under Menu Commands in the Help file for more information
about setting the various sensor modes in Color iControl.)
16. Once you have selected the sensor, its communication port, and the mode in which it
will operate, all that remains to do is to calibrate the instrument. Do this by clicking
on the “Calibrate” command under the “Spectro” menu and following the instructions
on the screen. You must have a job opened in order for the “Calibrate” command to
appear as one of the options under the Spectro menu. Calibration generally consists of
taking readings of one or more tiles. These tiles should be supplied with your
instrument; refer to your instrument’s documentation for more information. The next
section guides you through this process.

Calibrating the Sensor/Taking a Measurement

The next action to take is to calibrate the sensor and to take a measurement in
order to be sure that the instrument installation has been successful. Obtain a standard
and three trial samples prior to starting (we will use the trials in the Color iControl
Tutorial which is included as a Adobe PDF file along with this document and the
Installation instructions.)
Important Note: These instructions use the menu commands as the main method
of accessing Color iControl’s various functions. However, buttons on the toolbar as well
as keyboard shortcuts exist for most of the commonly used menu commands, such as
taking measurements and calibrating the spectro. See Toolbar Buttons and Shortcut Keys
in the Reference section of the Color iControl help file for more information.
17. Click on the Spectro menu.

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18. Click on “Calibrate”
19. The system will prompt you to read the light trap/black tile. Place the light trap or
black tile on the instrument port and click <OK>.
20. The system will prompt you to read the white tile. Place the white tile on the
instrument port and click <OK>.
21. The system should report that the sensor has been successfully standardized.
22. Place the standard you obtained on the sensor port.
23. Open a new job.
24. Click on Data menu.
25. Click on “Measure with Spectro...” A sub-menu will appear. Click on “Measure
Standard.”
26. A dialog box will appear allowing you to name the standard. Enter a name and click
<Next>. Instructions for continuing will be displayed under the field where you
entered the name. Follow those instructions until the system prompts you to enter
another name for a measurement..
27. The Standard should appear as the first item in the Tree View at the upper left of the
open job.
28. Click on Job.
29. Click on “Close Current Job.” A standard Windows “Save As...” dialog box will
open.
30. Enter “tutorial” as the name and click <OK>. The system will automatically append
the *.jb3 extension to the job when it is saved.
31. Click on Job.
32. Click on “Exit.” The program should close.
The sensor is now installed and correctly functioning.

Checking for Software Updates

Once the instrument is installed, the user may check for a software update
provided the system has internet access. Click on Help | About Program... from the main
menu. A dialog box will open displaying some basic information about the software. The
dialog will contain a field displaying how long your software service agreement is valid.
If you still have a valid software service agreement, you may click on the <Updates>
button to go to a X-Rite website to download the latest version. Check the version
number at the bottom of this dialog box with the version number posted on the website
prior to downloading to be sure that a newer version is available. In addition, a button
marked <Training> will take you to a calendar of training sessions for using Color
iControl with information about how to sign up.

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 When downloading the new version, save the install executable onto the local
disk. Once the new setup program has been saved, exit all programs including Color
iControl before attempting to install the update. Do not attempt to install the update over
the internet or while the previous version is still running on your machine.

Editing the Default Job Settings File

Once the paths for the default system settings are established, you should edit the
default settings file. Color iControl originally ships with two default settings files, one for
screen resolution set at 800x600 and one for screen resolution set at 1024x768, titled
"default_800.st3" and "default_1024.st3", respectively. One of these settings files will be
the basis for any job opened in Color iControl without specifying an alternative (i.e.,
another settings file or template). Which one gets used depends on the resolution of your
monitor. This will be true even if you select to store your settings in the job and not in a
settings file, because even if you select to store the settings in each individual job, the
program has to have some settings to include when each job is initially created. Editing
the default job settings file is described below.
Editing the Default Settings File
33. To edit the default settings, first click once on "Edit Default Job Settings" under the
File menu. (This option will only appear when there are no open jobs. If a blank job
appeared when you started running the program, you must close it before you can use
this option. Use the "Close Current Job" command under the
34. Job menu or click once on the Windows close button in the upper right corner of the
job window.)
35. A job window will open with the title "Default_800.st3" or "Default_1024.st3,"
depending on your monitor's resolution. Click once on the "Settings" option under the
Application menu.
36. The Settings dialog box will appear. Click on the General tab. (For now, we will only
set up the most basic settings needed. You may need to edit this file again once your
familiarity with the software has increased.)
37. At the top left of the dialog are three radio buttons for selecting the desired color
space. The options are: CIEL*a*b*, Hunter, or FMCII. The system will default to
CIEL*a*b*. Select an option or leave the system set to CIEL*a*b*.
38. In the center left of the dialog are three drop-down lists allowing you to select the
primary, secondary, and tertiary illuminants for the system. The defaults are: D6510,
A-10, and F02-10. The appended 10 on the end of the illuminant means that it is
using the ten-degree observer. Two-degree observer illuminants are available and
designated with a “-02". Select your illuminants from the drop-down lists.
39. The last item in General Settings (for now) is the Print Header. This is simply what
will be printed out at the top of hardcopy data printed from within Color iControl.
You may enter your plant location, customer name, etc.

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40. Once you have selected these settings, click on the "Close Current Job" command
under the Job menu. The default settings you selected will be stored into the file.
These settings will be in place for every new job you open without specifying a
template. Of course, there are many other settings, both in the General tab and in the
Quality Control tab. Once you gain more familiarity with the software, you may want
to return to re-edit the settings stored in the default settings file.

Logging on to the System /Accounts and Passwords

When first installed, Color iControl has its security features disable, i.e.,
passwords are turned off. Enabling passwords will cause the splash screen to appear
requesting you enter an operator ID and a password every time you log on. The best way
to be sure that your Color iControl system is secure is to determine the number of
security levels you will require and what operational options will be available to each
account/password combination. However, you may be in a position not to require security
on the system. In that case, you can leave passwords disabled. To set up accounts, open
the Account Management dialog box by clicking on Account | Manage. The operation of
the dialog is simple. Instructions for using it are included below.
Using the Account Management Dialog
Color iControl ships with three accounts already created: Manager, Supervisor,
and Operator; the default password for each is the name of the account. You may use the
buttons at the bottom of the dialog to create new accounts or to delete accounts. Let us
step through the creation of a new account.
Creating a New Account
41. First, click on the “Disable Passwords” checkbox to re-enable the account/password
option.
42. Click on <Add New>.
43. A new account titled “A New User” will be added to the list of available accounts.
Click once in the Description field to place the cursor there and delete the phrase “A
New User.”
44. Type in the name for the new account, “Admin.”
45. Click on the <Tab> key.
46. The cursor will jump to the first password field. Enter in a password for the Admin
account. (You may select a password at random.)
47. Click on the <Tab> key again.
48. Enter the password again to verify it.
49. When creating new accounts, you will need to select the permissions that account will
have when operating the software. A check mark means that the account being
created will have access to an operation; a blank check box means that the operation
will not be available to that account. For the Admin account, let us just leave the

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 permissions at their defaults. (A complete list of the available permissions is included
below with a brief explanation.)
50. You have now created a new user account in Color iControl. You may delete it or use
it, as you wish.
If you will be needing user accounts, you will need to create your own along with
their passwords, or you may modify the existing accounts with new passwords. If you
will not be needing user accounts, it would be best to click on the “Disable Passwords”
checkbox again to turn that feature off.

Permissions Descriptions
This list of Permissions Descriptions is included for those needing to implement a
set of User Accounts.
Delete Data from Jobs — Selecting this option allows the account to delete data
from jobs. This includes replacing a standard in a job with a standard already loaded. For
example, you open a job with a standard already loaded into it and you do not have
permission to delete data from jobs. You will not be able to read a new standard into that
job since a job can only contain one standard and reading in a new one entails deleting
the old one, an action which you do not have permission to perform.
Delete Data from the Database — Selecting this option allows the account to
delete data from the database.
Set Up Name Formatting — Selecting this option gives the account access to the
Formatted Name Setup dialog box (reached through the Configure Naming
Conventions... command under the Data menu).
Modify Data in Job — Deselecting this option disables several of the right-click
menu options in the Job Tree View in QC mode preventing the user from altering the data
in the job. The “Create Hitch,” “Correct Measurement Using Hitch Factors,” and
“Properties...” options will be grayed out and unavailable unless this option is selected for
use by the account.
Save Data to Database — Selecting this option disables the “Save to Database”
command for the account, both from the Job Tree right-click menu and under the Data
option in the main menu.
Do Formulations — Selecting this option gives the account access to
Formulation mode.
Do Corrections — Selecting this option gives the account access to Correction
mode.
Evaluate and Store Primaries — Selecting this option gives the account access
to the Primary Evaluation mode.
Change System Settings — Selecting this option gives the account access to the
main settings dialog box in each mode, otherwise, that option will be grayed out. In

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addition, the “Properties...” option in the right-click menu of each view will also be
unavailable without this permission.
Setup or Modify Password Accounts — Selecting this option gives the account
access to the Account Management dialog box opened through the “Manage” command
under the Account menu.
Run the Instrument — Selecting this option gives the account access to the
instrument, including standardization and taking measurements.
Change Database Path — Selecting this option gives the account access to the
Default System Settings dialog box accessed through the File menu (only available when
there are no jobs open).
Tools Access — Selecting this option gives the account access to the options
under the Tools menu. These include the SLI-Taper option (if purchased), e-Submit, and
the Blend Tool.
Your system basics are up and running and ready for use. This concludes the
Getting Started section. It is highly recommended that you now proceed to the Color
iControl Tutorial which will walk you through some of the basics of operating the
software.

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