Released Sept 2015
(Includes changes since 6.44.00)
Digital Surfacing
Interfaces with digital calculators can now be done either directly from the order entry screen, or using the Digital Processor. Previous versions of Rx-Universe always used the Digital Processor to communicate with digital calculators.
The advantage of communicating with digital calculator(s) directly from order entry is that the user can see the results of the digital calculation directly from within order entry, and the work ticket that is printed, from OE, includes the results of the digital calculation.
The dis-advantage of doing digital calculations directly from Order Entry is that the user must wait for the communication with the DS calculator to finish before being able to finish entering/modifying the order. For a digital calculator that is located locally, this should be a short wait of, at most, a few seconds, but for a web-based digital interface, it could be many seconds, or even minutes.
The "mode" of communication can be set on the Digital Type setup for each manufacture. Note that this option affects only manually entered orders in Rx-Universe - orders sent electronically will still be processed by the Digital Processor.
When the "Interface at OE" is checked, digital jobs will communicate directly with the LDS calculator from order entry, and the digital processor will NOT process these jobs. The Digital Processor will, however, continue to process any jobs being received electronically from other systems.
The "Timeout for LMS files in OE" specifies how long, in seconds, the order entry session should wait for a response from the digital calculator.
Within order entry, when a digital job is entered, and the "F9/Calcs" button is pressed, the connection to the calculator is initiated. A series of messages will be displayed showing the progress of the communication.
Once the communication is complete, and results received, the results are available just as for a toric (non-digital job). Clicking the device icon will display the calculation results screen:
If results are not received back within the timeout period, an error will be raised:
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Miscellaneous Changes
The LDTYPE label defines the type of surface point file used for a particular design. This could be set manually using the VCA over-ride for a lens style, for example, but now will be automatically set based on the type of file returned by the digital vendor (version 6.45.00).
A new, easier method of setting up multiple lens designs for a digital vendor has been added. For complete details, please see Setting Up Lens Designs using Import File (version 6.45.00).
A new report, Digital Surfacing Report, has been added, showing number of lenses per digital design, for a designated period of time, and all or specific vendor (version 6.45.00).
It is now possible to interface with a digital calculator(s) directly from Order Entry. For complete details, please see Doing Digital Calculations From Order Entry (version 6.45.00).
New options are available to allow generating prism for digital jobs on equipment that supports that - for details, see Prism on Digital Designs (version 6.45.00).
The DLP barcode will now be printed for Essilor jobs which send it from Essilor, when the PCL work ticket is being used with the "conveyor barcode option". For details, see Essilor (version 6.45.00).
Potential problem with LDTYPE
Beginning in version 6.45.00, Rx-Universe will now set the LDTYPE based on the digital file(s) returned by the digital vendor. The value of LDTYPE is set based on the extension of the file returned by the digital vendor; an extension of SDF results in LDTYPE=SDF, an extension of HMF will return LDTYPE=STF.
A problem can occur with SatisLoh equipment that asks for the LDTYPE label if the lab is using the Zeiss digital calculator. When a Zeiss job is called up on SatisLoh equipment, it could error out on the generator (the surface point file is in the wrong format).
This can happen if the lab is configured on the Zeiss server to return a surface point file in a format different than the format indicated in the web service communication from Zeiss, What happens is the Zeiss web service returns the data identifying it as HMF/STF format, but the data in the file is actually SDF format.
There are 3 approaches to resolve the problem:
1) Check to see if the Zeiss calculator returns the LDTYPE label in the LMS packet (use View/Device Info from the customer service screen for the job). If the LDTYPE label is part of the LMS packet, then go to the Digital Surface Types maintenance screen for the Zeiss calculator, under the “Device” tab, check “Save device LDTYPE”. Checking this will cause the LDTYPE received in the LMS packet from the calculator to be sent to the device. Be sure to restart the digital processor and device session, and you will need to recalculate the job(s) to use the new setting.
2) If LDTYPE is not in the LMS packet then the lab can contact Zeiss to request it be added.
3) If LDTYPE is not in the LMS file, and the lab can't wait for Zeiss to add LDTYPE, a VCA override can be placed in each Zeiss digital design that the lab uses. The VCA Label will be set to LDTYPE while the value will be set to “SDF” or “HMF” or “STF” depending on the types of surface points being returned by the Zeiss digital calculator for the SatisLoh equipment. To determine the types of points in use, go to the folder that contains the SDF files for the digital calculators. The files names are based on the order numbers. Using an order that used a Zeiss design, find a file called “order#”_R.HMF, using a file editor open the file.
- If the first line contains “REQ=SDF” then the surface point type is SDF.
- If the second line contains an entry similar to “11004674_R.stf” then the surface point type is STF.
- If the first 2 conditions are not present, then the surface point type is HMF.
Zeiss Digital with Schneider Equipment and Alternate Interface (version 6.44.05)
When using Zeiss Digital with Schneider equipment, for which the alternate interface is to be used, a new option has been added which causes the order number of the job to be appended to the _ALTINTR=1 record sent to the device. This allows either the tray number or the order number to be scanned on the device, and allows the equipment to find the correct file. Because this option is not supported by all versions of software on Schneider equipment, it must be activated by checking the appropriate box when use is desired.
Essilor Eyezen
A checkbox has been added to the lens style Digital tab to require OC height (fitting height) to be entered for a design. This should be set for Essilor Eyezen design(s) (version 6.45.00).
Devices
Fixed issue where NPD was no longer being sent to the devices which requested it for IOT digital jobs (version 6.44.01).
The re-use database wasn't being correctly updated, and correct block records were not being read. This has been corrected (version 6.44.04).
Modified device interface to use Zeiss digital with Schneider equipment (version 6.44.05).
The device interface has been changed to send GAX as a decimal value, not an integer. If LAPAX is received, it will be saved and returned to devices when required (version 6.44.06).
Modified device interface to check if one-eye switch is set on interface, then the job number will be job+0 for the right eye, and job+1 for the left eye. We will parse the job number for the eye, and then send only the information for the eye that was requested (version 6.44.08).
A new option has been added to the "Tracer" tab of the device setup; when the "Combine L/R traces" option is checked, the lab can trace the left and right sides of a frame separately, and have them merged together when the second eye is received. 
Note that when using this option, care must be taken not to trace the right eye of one frame, and the left eye of a different frame, for the same tray at slightly different times (for doing so will cause the eyes to be combined into a single trace!) (version 6.45.00).
Support has been added for the Satisloh Micro-Blocker - for complete details, please see Satisloh Micro-Blocker (version 6.45.00).
A new checkbox has been added to the Device Interface Parameters on the Other tab; “Send one eye based on barcode” (version 6.44.08).
Work Tickets
A new option has been added to the Surf2 tab of System Settings, to specify that barcodes should be printed for the right and left eyes on the PCL work ticket:
This is needed for devices which must request the data for one eye at a time. When checked, the PCL work ticket will print 3 barcodes in the Conveyor section instead of just 1:
When using this option, the appropriate device interface should be set up to expect the one-eye barcode:
User-Defined Work Tickets
Support has been added for user-defined work tickets created using Satisloh's LOHReport program. For complete details, please see the section "User Defined Work Tickets".
Reports
The Stock Costing Report was modified to use the standard cost (vendor cost 1) instead of the average cost when determining the value of excess stock (version 6.44.02).
Order Entry
The PCL and PCI work tickets have been changed, for uncuts without frame, to print the User ELLH (version 6.44.04).
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When auto-attaching a trace to an order, if a CCIRCUM value exists, it will be removed since it resizes the new trace (version 6.44.07).
Databases
A new checkbox option for resizing frame shapes has been added. On the order entry screen, a new button allows a selected trace to be re-sized:
When selected, the subsequent window allows the user to the Device Interface Parameters on the Other tab; “Send one eye based on barcode” specify different sizes for the frame and PD measurements. The original shape/size is displayed, and the new, re-sized shape/size is displayed in red:
For more information, see the section Re-Sizing Frame Shape (version 6.4445.0800).
System Settings
Two new checkboxes have been added to the Surf2 tab; “Use A4 paper for WT” and “Separate barcodes for left and right eyes” (version 6.44.08).
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Invoice Export to XML has been modified to add an option to allow export to CSV (version 6.44.09).
Invoice Export has been modified to add a new option: Active orders only (version 6.45.00).
Inventory
Lens Receiving and Inventory Count have been modified to allow scanning of OPC codes (see Lens Receiving and Inventory Count) (version 6.45.00).