# Connector This is the central tool which allows the user to define the interfaces to interact with the other system. # Welcome Screen The welcome screen allows the user to create a new (Ctrl + N) or open an existing (Ctrl + O) CGI Connector Project. Additionally, it also shows a list of the recently used projects to provide quick access. The exact location of the project can be seen in the tooltip of the individual projects. It will also display a list of sample projects that can be used as references.
--- # New Project A new project can be created from the Welcome Screen or via the menu bar (File > New Project) or via the shortcut “Ctrl + N”. This will open additional windows to help setting up the new project. #### Template-Selection In the Template-Selection screen the user needs to first select the location where the new project shall be stored and select which template shall be used as a starting point for the project. A template usually contains premade application code, build scripts, tooling related files and predefined project settings.
#### Setup On the next screen the user can configure the most important project settings. ##### General
**Property Name****Description**
NameName of the project.
DescriptionDescription of the project.
##### Tools
**Property Name****Description**
GenericEnables generic support. This will provide a plain C/C++ interface.
MATLABEnables support for MATLAB. This will provide additional options/setting related to MathWorks MATLAB support
##### CGI Studio
**Property Name****Description**
Root PathPath to CGI Studio package. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project paths.
##### Device-Platform
**Property Name****Description**
PlatformName of the CGI Studio Platform (as found in CMake)
Platform ConfigurationName of the CGI Studio Platform configuration (as found in CMake)
##### Code Generation
**Property Name****Description**
CompilerCompiler used to build code.
ArchitectureArchitecture used to build the code.

These, and more, settings can later be changed. For more information, please refer to the [“Project Settings”](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/cgi-studio-connector/page/project-settings) chapter.

#### Custom Templates It is possible to add custom templates to the CGI Connector. This can be useful to apply customizations from a project to other projects. To create a template, pack all needed content into a ZIP file. Make sure that it contains the CGI Connector-Project file (.cop) in the root. Then add an entry to the “Templates.xml” in “cgi\_studio\_connector/bin” where the name, description and file location needs to be specified. Note that the file location is relative to the CGI Connector binaries. --- # Modules Modules are used to group a set of interfaces which usually belong logically together. It is possible to add, remove and reorder them using the corresponding buttons at the top of the module list.
#### Properties In general, these offer a few basic options. However, depending on the targeted tool, different tool-specific options might be available. For more information about tool specific options and limitation refer to the specific target tool chapter.
**Property Name****Description**
NameName of the module. Only characters from ‘a’-‘z’, ‘A’-Z’, ‘0’-‘9’, ‘ ‘ , ‘-‘ and ‘\_’ are allowed, though the name must start with a character.
UIdThe UId is used to identify the module. It can be seen as the tooltip of the ‘UId’ button. When the button is clicked a new UId will be generated.
TypeDefines the type of module. The available options depend on the specific target tool.
--- # Interfaces Interfaces define the inputs and outputs of the CGI Application. Depending on the module type either one or both types of interfaces are available. By selecting the corresponding tab, interfaces can be added, removed or rearranged using the buttons at the top of the interface list.
--- #### General Properties The following general properties are available for all interfaces.
**Property Name****Description**
**Name**Name of the interface. Only characters from ‘a’-‘z’, ‘A’-Z’, ‘0’-‘9’, ‘ ‘, ‘-’ and ‘\_’ are allowed, though the name must start with a character.
**UId**The UId is used to identify the interface. It can be seen as the tooltip of the ‘UId’ button. When the button is clicked a new UId will be generated.
**Type**Defines the type of interface. The available options depend on the specific target tool.
**Data-Type**The used basic data type of the interface to transfer data. This value is automatically calculated depending on the used interface type and set properties. For arrays the length is indicated in brackets.
--- #### Types The following general interface types are available. **Input:**
**Name**
**Scene**
**Scene-Table**
**Data-Input**
**Function Call (Action)**
**Message (Action)**
**Output:**
**Name**
**Data-Output**
**Generic Event**
**Function Call (Event)**
**Message (Event)**

Depending on the used module type, some interface types might not be available or special interface types might be supported. Please refer to the target tool specific section for more details.

##### Scene Interface The Scene interface allows to control the state of a scene or group of scenes. Depending on the set value the scene/scenes will change to a different state. By default, the values have the following meaning:
**Property Name****Description**
0Destroyed (No data loaded)
**1**Loaded (Scene data is loaded to system memory)
**2**Uploaded (Scene data is uploaded to VRAM)
**3**Active (Scene and related behaviors are updated)
**4**Rendering (Scene is drawing)

The actual meaning of each value is controlled by the application specific implementation.

**Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this action will be queue. If the action is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous action in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Scenes**Scene controlled by the interface. A scene is defined by the following expression: \[FOLDERNAME#….#\]SCENENAME Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists possible scenes from the referenced Scene Composer solution. Multiple scenes can be specified by adding or removing additional lines with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
##### Scene Table Interface The Scene-Table signal allows to specify a collection of scenes and assigns them a certain Id. The interface value controls this Id and therefore selects the next entry to be activated. If the new entry contains a scene which was not ‘active’ before, it will be ‘activated’. Similar if the new entry is missing a scene which was ‘active’ before it will be ‘deactivated’. If a scene was part of the previous set of scenes and is still part of the new set, no action will be performed. Additionally, “Hints” can be specified which can affect how the change between different sets happens. These are primarily used to control the transition animation.

The actual behavior is controlled by the application specific implementation.

**Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this action will be queue. If the action is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous action in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Property Name****Description**
**(Scenes) Entries** Collection of Scenes represented by an Id. Multiple collections can be specified by adding or removing additional lines with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
**(Scenes) Entries ID** The Id representing this set of Scenes.
**(Scenes) Entries Scenes** Scenes which belong to this entry. A scene is defined by the following expression: \[FOLDERNAME#….#\]SCENENAME Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists possible scenes from the referenced Scene Composer solution. Multiple scenes can be specified by adding or removing additional lines with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
**(Scenes) Entries Activation**State of the scene to be applied when scene is activated.
**(Scenes) Entries Deactivation**State of the scene to be applied when scene is deactivated.
**Property Name****Description**
**(Hints) Entries** Collection of Hints represented by an Id. Multiple collections can be specified by adding or removing additional lines with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
**(Hints) Entries ID** The Id representing this Hint.
**(Hints) Entries Hint** Hint which belongs to this entry.
##### Data-Input Interface The Data-Input interface is used to send data values from external to the CGI Studio application. Only data-items provided by Courier Data-Binding can be set as destination. For more information about Data-Binding please refer to the [Courier documentation](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/courier). **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Item** Data-Item used as a destination for the data value transferred via this signal. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible data items defined for this application.
**Value Check** If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
##### Function Call (Action) Interface The Function-Call (Action) interface allows to trigger a user defined function. To learn how to define functions to be used in the Connector refer to the [Native Functions](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/cgi-studio-connector/chapter/native-functions) chapter. **Icon:**
**Properties: **
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this action will be queue. If the action is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous action in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Name**Name of the function to execute. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible functions defined for this application.
**Input Argument**When enabled, a single argument of the function can be defined as Input-Argument. The value of the argument will then depend directly on the data sent when triggering the interface.
**Arguments**List of arguments for this function (excluding the Input-Argument if specified). Here the values for the arguments that will be used to execute the function are set. Depending on the type of the argument, the \[ … \] button will be displayed next to the field. When clicking it, it will open a dialog window which lists possible objects from the referenced Scene Composer solution that can be used as a value.
##### Message (Action) Interface The Message (Action) interface allows to trigger the sending of a Courier message. For more information about Messaging in Courier please refer to the [Courier documentation](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/courier). **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this action will be queue. If the action is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous action in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Name**Name of the message to send. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible messages defined for this application.
**Input Argument**When enabled, a single argument of the message can be defined as Input-Argument. The value of the argument will then depend directly on the data sent when triggering the interface.
**Arguments**List of arguments for this message (excluding the Input-Argument if specified). Here the values for the arguments that will be used to send the message are set. Depending on the type of the argument, the \[ … \] button will be displayed next to the field. When clicking it, it will open a dialog window which lists possible objects from the referenced Scene Composer solution that can be used as a value.
##### Data-Output Interface The Data-Output interface is used to receive data values from CGI Studio application. Only data-items provided by Courier Data-Binding can be set as source. For more information about Data-Binding please refer to the [Courier documentation](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/courier). **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Item**Data-Item used as a destination for the data value transferred via this signal. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible data items defined for this application.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
##### Generic Event Interface The Generic Event interface is used to signal an event. Instead of being automatically triggered, this interface must be manually triggered from the CGI Application side. For more information on how to do this refer to the [TriggerGenericEvent](https://doc316en.candera.eu/link/1210#bkmrk-triggergenericevent) article. **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this event will be queue. If the event is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous event in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Output Argument**If enabled the event will be accompanied by an output value.
**Type**Data type of the value.
##### Function Call Interface (Event) The Function-Call (Event) interface will execute a native function to check if an event has been triggered. Depending on the result of the function call (return value must be true) and specified conditions, an event will be queued. To learn how to define functions to be used in the Connector refer to the [Native Functions](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/cgi-studio-connector/chapter/native-functions) chapter. **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this event will be queue. If the event is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous event in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Name**Name of the function which triggers the event. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible messages defined for this application.
**Output Argument**If enabled, the event will be accompanied by an output value. This value can be selected from the available members of the related message.
**Conditions**Conditions allow to specify additional conditions which the function must fulfill before the event is triggered. If multiple conditions are set, all conditions must be fulfilled. Conditions can be added and removed with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
**Argument**Name of the argument of the function this condition is applied to
**Operator**Operator used to check the condition
**Value**Value of the condition. Depending on the type of the argument, the \[ … \] button will be displayed next to the field. When clicking it, it will open a dialog window which lists possible objects from the referenced Scene Composer solution that can be used as a value.
##### Message Interface (Event) The Message (Event) interface allows to react to incoming Courier messages. If a matching message is received and all conditions are fulfilled an event will be queued. For more information about Messaging in Courier please refer to the [Courier documentation](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/courier). **Icon:**
**Properties:**
**Property Name****Description**
**Single Instance**When selected, only a single instance of this event will be queue. If the event is triggered again before the previous instance is executed it will overwrite the previous event in the queue instead.
**Value Check**If enabled, the sent value will be compared to the previous value and processing will be skipped if it has not changed. This can improve performance if the sent value is often the same/different.
**Name**Name of the message which triggers the event. Clicking on the ‘…’ button next to the field opens a dialog window which lists all possible messages defined for this application.
**Output Argument**If enabled, the event will be accompanied by an output value. This value can be selected from the available members of the related message.
**Conditions**Conditions allow to specify additional conditions which the message must fulfill before the event is triggered. If multiple conditions are set, all conditions must be fulfilled. Conditions can be added and removed with the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
**Argument**Name of the member of the message this condition is applied to
**Operator**Operator used to check the condition
**Value**Value of the condition. Depending on the type of the argument, the \[ … \] button will be displayed next to the field. When clicking it, it will open a dialog window which lists possible objects from the referenced Scene Composer solution that can be used as a value.
--- # Edit Menu It is possible to quickly edit external resources with via the edit menu or the toolbar.
**Property Name****Description**
**Edit Project**Opens the Project configuration window.
**Edit Scene Composer Solution**Edits the configured Scene Composer solution.
**Edit Courier Definition**Displays all Courier definition files based on the configured XCDL file and allows to quickly edit them using the Courier Editor.
**Edit Complex Types**Edits the configured Complex-Types definition file.
**Edit Native-Functions**Edits the configured Native-Functions definition file.

If a resource or related script file is not available, the function is disabled.

--- # Build Menu The build menu allows to quickly trigger a build from the specified Build-Projects. It lists all available default builds and, depending on the tool configuration, special tool specific builds. Same can be done via the toolbar.
Additionally, the related Build-Projects can be directly edited from the menu (not available via the Toolbar) --- # Project Settings Several project related configurations can be performed in the project settings window which is accessible var the “Edit” menu or the shortcut “Ctrl + 0”.
Via the List on the left the displayed options can be filtered to make it faster to find a related setting. All project settings (with a few additions) are available in any build that is executed. For more details about this refer to [Builds chapter](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/cgi-studio-connector/page/builds). ##### General
**Property Name****Description**
**Name** Name of the project.
**Description** Description of the project.
**Icon**Custom icon used for the project.
##### Interface
**Property Name****Description**
**Interface Definition** File containing the Interface definition. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Complex-Type Definition**File containing the Complex-Type definition. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Native-Function Definition**File containing the Native-Function definition. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
##### Tools
**Property Name****Description**
**Generic** Enables generic support. This will provide a plain C/C++ interface.
**MATLAB**Enables support for MATLAB. This will provide additional options/setting related to Mathworks MATLAB support
##### CGI Studio
**Property Name****Description**
**Root Path** Path to CGI Studio package. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project path.
##### Device-Platform
**Property Name****Description**
**Platform** Name of the CGI Studio Platform (as found in CMake)
**Platform Configuration**Name of the CGI Studio Platform configuration (as found in CMake)
##### Scene Composer
**Property Name****Description**
**Executable** Executable used to edit the Scene Composer solution file.
**Solution**Scene Composer solution file. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
##### Courier
**Property Name****Description**
**XCDL Definition File** File containing the Courier definition. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**XCDL Include Path**Additional include path required to by the XCDL definition. Multiple path must be separated by a ‘;’. Paths must be relative to the project file or CGI Studio root path.
##### Code Generation
**Property Name****Description**
**Compiler** Compiler used to build code.
**Architecture**Architecture used to build the code.
**Build-Project File**File containing default builds. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
##### MATLAB
**Property Name****Description**
**Build-Project File**File containing MATLAB related builds. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
##### Connector
**Property Name****Description**
**Edit Complex-Types Script File** Script file executed when editing Complex-Types. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Edit Native-Functions Script File**Script file executed when editing Native-Functions. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Edit SC Solution Script File**Script file executed when editing SC Solution. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Edit XCDL Script File**Script file executed when editing Courier definition. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Edit Build-Project Script File**Script file executed when editing a Build-Project. The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
**Show Console Window**When enabled, shows a command line window executing scripts. This can be used to debug scripts.
**Show Code Script File**Script file executed when editing code (via the log window). The path can be either absolute or relative to CGI Connector/Project/CGI Studio path.
--- # Builds When a build is started the Build-Window will be shown and the build will be automatically started. If the build contains some Option-Values an additional dialog will be displayed before the actual Build-Window, which allows the user to configure the build. Depending on the option, the user can either select from a set of predefined values or needs to enter a custom value.
A build is commonly separated into multiple steps each corresponding to a separate script file that is executed from the specified build-script folder.
The top row shows the current build state. It indicates the progress or if the build has finished/failed. On the right side the combined information about all build steps is shown. It displays the total amount of info, warning and error messages from the output. The second row provides information about the current executed step. When enabling the details, by checking the option in the bottom right, the output of the build scripts can be seen, grouped by the step. This output is also saved into a log-file into the specified build folder. #### Build Settings When a build is started, the builds specific options defined in the related Build Project are set (See [Build Projects](https://doc316en.candera.eu/books/cgi-studio-connector/chapter/build-projects) for more information). Further the following settings are applied by the Connector. **Root-Paths:**
**Argument****Description**
**CONNECTOR\_ROOT** Path to the Connector binary
**PROJECT\_ROOT**Path to the Connector project file
**CGI\_ROOT**Path to the CGI packages
**Variables:**
**Argument****Description**
**CONNECTOR\_EXECUTABLE\_PATH**Path to the Connector binary
**CONNECTOR\_PROJECT\_FILE**Connector project file
**CONNECTOR\_PROJECT\_PATH**Path to the Connector project file
**CONNECTOR\_PROJECT\_NAME**Connector project Name
**CONNECTOR\_PROJECT\_DESCRIPTION** Connector project Description
**CONNECTOR\_PROJECT\_ICON\_FILE**Connector project icon file
**CONNECTOR\_INTERFACE\_DEFINITION\_FILE**Interface definition file
**CONNECTOR\_COMPLEXTYPE\_DEFINITION\_FILE**Complex-Type definition file
**CONNECTOR\_NATIVEFUNCTION\_DEFINITION\_FILE**Native-Function definition file
**CONNECTOR\_ENABLE\_GENERIC\_TOOL**Indicates if ‘Generic Tool’ is enabled
**CONNECTOR\_ENABLE\_MATLAB\_TOOL**Indicates if ‘MATLAB Tool’ is enabled
**CONNECTOR\_CGISTUDIO\_ROOT\_PATH**Path to CGI Studio root folder
**CONNECTOR\_CGISTUDIO\_PLATFORM**CGI Studio Platform (e.g. Android, RCar,..)
**CONNECTOR\_CGISTUDIO\_PLATFORM\_CONFIG**CGI Studio Platform Configuration (x86/x64)
**CONNECTOR\_SCENECOMPOSER\_EXECUTABLE\_FILE**Scene-Composer executable file
**CONNECTOR\_SCENECOMPOSER\_EXECUTABLE\_PATH**Scene-Composer executable path
**CONNECTOR\_SCENECOMPOSER\_SOLUTION\_FILE**Scene-Composer solution file
**CONNECTOR\_COURIER\_XCDL\_DEFINITION\_FILE**XCDL root definition file
**CONNECTOR\_COURIER\_XCDL\_INCLUDE\_PATHS**XCDL include paths (separated by ‘;’)
**CONNECTOR\_COURIER\_XCDL\_RESOLVED\_INCLUDE\_PATHS**Resolved XCDL include paths using available root paths
**CONNECTOR\_CODE\_GENERATION\_COMPILER**Compiler used for code generation/build
**CONNECTOR\_CODE\_GENERATION\_ARCHITECTURE**Architecture used for code generation/build
**CONNECTOR\_CODE\_GENERATION\_BUILD\_PROJECT\_FILE**Default Build-Project file
**CONNECTOR\_MATLAB\_ENABLE\_LEGACY\_OPTIONS**Indicates if MATLAB legacy options are enabled
**CONNECTOR\_MATLAB\_BUILD\_PROJECT\_FILE**MATLAB Build-Project file
**CONNECTOR\_EDIT\_COMPLEX\_TYPES\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for ‘Edit Complex-Type definition’
**CONNECTOR\_EDIT\_NATIVE\_FUNTIONS\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for ‘Edit Native-Function definition’
**CONNECTOR\_EDIT\_SC\_SOLUTION\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for ‘Edit Scene Composer solution’
**CONNECTOR\_EDIT\_XCDL\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for ‘Edit Courier Definition’
**CONNECTOR\_EDIT\_BUILD\_PROJECT\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for ‘Edit Build-Project’
**CONNECTOR\_SHOW\_CONSOLE\_WINDOW**Indicates if console window is shown when running scripts.
**CONNECTOR\_SHOW\_CODE\_SCRIPT\_FILE**Script for triggering editor from Build details
The same environment variables are also set when any other script is executed (such as ‘Edit Scene-Composer solution’) #### Close on Success If a build contains the CONNECTOR\_BUILD\_CLOSE\_ON\_SUCCESS variable and sets a value of ‘1’ then the Build-Window will be automatically closed when the build is finished successfully. This can feature is very useful if Builds are used to just perform simple tasks or open other programs.

Note that some programs do ‘block’ the command script execution until closed even when started using the START command. To workaround this problem the provided ‘ProcRun’ tool found in ‘cgi\_studio\_connector\\BuildScripts\\Common\\ProcRun‘ can be used. The syntax to use it is: ProcRun <Executable> \[“<Arguments>”\]

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