ÿþ <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="765" bgcolor="#daeaf1"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="9"><img height="160" border="0" width="765" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/header_newsletter_May.png" alt="Front Panel Express Newsletter" title="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="9">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="400"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial;"><b>Front Panel Express&nbsp;&nbsp;<font size="3" face="arial" color="#323378"><br><i>Tips and Shortcuts for Designing Your Panel</i></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="125" valign="top"><img height="114" border="0" width="125" align="left" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/FrontPanelDesigner4_0.jpg" alt="Front Panel Designer" title="Front Panel Designer" /></td> <td width="280" valign="top"><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><P ALIGN="justify">As with most software programs, there are multiple ways to do almost everything in <i>Front Panel Designer</i>. This month, we have compiled a list of tips and shortcuts to make designing your panel simpler, and also to double-check your panel before placing your order. </td> </tr> </tbody></table></P> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Keyboard Shortcuts & Hot Keys</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> How you access certain tools and functions, whether by mouse or keyboard, is a matter of personal preference. This section is for those who prefer keyboard shortcuts. <br> <br> <ul><li><b>"U" -- </b> To show or hide reference points, simply hit the "U" key <br><br> <li><b>"CONTROL + G" -- </b> Turns grid view on and off <br><br> <li><b>"CONTROL + SHIFT + W" -- </b> Closes all files / panels at once <br><br> <li><b>"CONTROL + Z" -- </b> Undo last function <br><br> <li><b>"CONTROL + R" -- </b> Repeat last function <br><br> <li><b>"CONTROL + N" -- </b> Opens a new panel / file <br><br> <li><b>"N", followed by # -- </b> Sets the location of the origin. Imagine the numbers on the 10-key pad as your panel, where "7" is the upper left corner, "3" is the bottom right corner, and "5" is the center of the panel. Press the number corresponding with the location on the panel where you would like to place your origin. Please note, this visual only works with a 10-key pad. </ul><br> </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Tips for Designing Your Panel</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> Keyboard shortcuts, or "hot keys", are not the only shortcuts available in <i>Front Panel Designer</i>. The program also has design shortcuts, such as mirroring, rotating, and grouping. These tools are great if you have an object, or group of objects, that you need to recreate in different areas of the panel. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Mirroring</b> is best used for creating a mirrored image of an existing object, or for copying an object on the opposite side of the panel. For example, if you have a hole that you want to place in all four corners of a panel, start by creating the first hole in the upper left hand corner. When finished, right click on the hole that you just created, and select "Mirror" (or SHIFT+S). </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> From the "Mirror Selection" dialog box, select "Mirror horizontally", "Center of front panel" and check the "Apply to copy" box, then hit "OK". This will mirror the hole on the other side of the panel. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Mirror.png"target="_blank"><img height="314" border="0" width="257" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Mirror.png" alt="Mirroring" title="Mirroring Objects"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Next, select both holes, and repeat the above process, only this time selecting  Mirror vertically instead. When you hit  OK , both holes will be mirrored to the bottom of the panel, thus giving you a hole in each of the four corners. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Rotating</b> works in much the same way as mirroring, only it works around an axis. Also, if applying to a copy, it creates a rotated copy, not a mirrored image. Rotating is great for creating scales, fan vents, and creating shapes around the perimeter of a panel. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> For a detailed example of how to use the rotate tool to create a scale, see our <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/22_March_2011/Newsletter_March_2011.html""target="_blank"><b>March 2011 Newsletter</b></a></b>. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Grouping</b> can work in conjunction with other tools, such as mirror, rotate and move. The grouping tool combines multiple objects into a single object, so that you can mirror, rotate or move the entire group at once. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> To create a group, simply select all of the objects on your panel that you would like to include. You can do this by selecting each object while holding down the "Shift" key, or by drawing a box around all of the objects with your mouse (if there are no other objects interfering). Now right click, and select "Grouping". You now have a group of objects that will act as one object. You can now mirror, rotate, move or make a macro of that group. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Move</b> is a tool that allows you to move or copy an object to predetermined coordinates. Simply select an object, or group of objects, then right click and select "Move" (or press "M"). Next, enter in the coordinates where you would like to move or copy the object(s) to. If you want this to be a copy, leaving the original in its initial spot, select "Apply to copy", then hit "OK". </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Double-checking Your Panel</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> Before submitting your order, it is a good idea to check your panel. Not only to make sure that you have all of the objects that you need on your panel, but also to make sure that there are no objects that you <b>do not</b> want. Most importantly, double-checking your panel can save you money! Outline Mode and Overview Mode are two tools to ensure that you are not being charged for objects that you do not want on your panel. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Outline Mode</b>, or "Wire Mode", is a good way to check for black text on black panels, which is often missed. In wire mode, color is not displayed, everything is black and white. This allows you to see all objects as an "outline". To view your panel in Outline Mode, simply press <b>CONTROL + D</b>, or select "Outline" from the View menu. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Outline.png"target="_blank"><img height="396" border="0" width="400" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Outline.png" alt="Outline Mode" title="Checking for black text on a black panel"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Overview Mode</b> is helpful in revealing objects that have inadvertently been positioned off of the panel. By pressing <b>CONTROL + A</b>, or selecting "Overview" from the view menu, Front Panel Designer will automatically scale the panel so that all objects fit onto the screen. It is a good idea to do this before submitting your order, to make sure there are no objects placed outside the perimeter of the panel. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Overview.png"target="_blank"><img height="375" border="0" width="400" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Overview.png" alt="Overview Mode" title="Checking for objects off of the panel"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <b>Reviewing the Price Calculation</b> is recommended on all orders. Specifically, double-check the items labeled "Other" to make sure that the charges match up to what you designed. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Two common charges that are often avoidable are "Working on reverse side" and "Multicolor":</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> <ul><li>If you have a through hole, but have checked the box to place on the reverse side of the panel, a charge for "Working on reverse side" will appear. You can remove this charge by unchecking the "Place on reverse side" box within the tool's dialogue box.<br> <br><li>The Multicolor charge is often overlooked, especially on black panels. So if you see the "Multicolor" charge on your calculation, but only used one color of infill, then most likely there is overlapping text or black text on a black panel. Go back and check your engravings to find out where the additional color is being applied.</ul> </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> For more helpful tips and tricks on using <i>Front Panel Designer</i>, please see our <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/support/tips-tricks/index.html""target="_blank"><b>Tips & Tricks</b></a></b> page. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> If you have any further questions or have any trouble with the above tools or functions, call us at (206)768-0602 or email <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;"href="mailto:info@frontpanelexpress.com"><b>info@frontpanelexpress.com</b></a></P> </font> <br/> <br/> <font size="3" face="arial" color="#323378"><br><b><i>May Announcements</i></font></b></br> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Facebook</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> You can now find <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.facebook.com/frontpanelexpress""target="_blank"><b>Front Panel Express</b></a></b> on Facebook, where you will find the latest news, tips and product releases. Become a fan now to find Facebook exclusive discount codes. </P></font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Requests and Suggestions</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial" color=black> Do you have a suggestion for a future newsletter topic, a project you'd like us to consider for Project of the Month, or want to share about your experience with Front Panel Express? Email it to us at <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;"href="mailto:support@frontpanelexpress.com"><b>support@frontpanelexpress.com</b></a>. </P> </font><br /><br /><br /> <br /> </td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <P ALIGN="right"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/frontpanelexpress"target="_blank"><img height="30" border="0" width="95" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/14_July/FacebookBadge.gif" alt="Front Panel Express" title="Front Panel Express"/></a></P><br/> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200" align="left"><img height="3" border="0" width="200" align="left" alt="" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/2/ruler.jpg" style="float: left;" /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200" align="left" style="margin: 0pt; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right; padding-top: 5px;"><b>Project of the month:</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="200" align="right" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right;"><b>Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153; </b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="200" align="right" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right;"><b><i>courtesy of Bryan McAdams<br/> <br/><font color="#323378" face="arial" size="2"></i></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Red-Head.png"target="_blank"><img height="133" border="0" width="200" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Red-Head.png" alt="Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153; " title="Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153; "/></a></center> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><i>photos by <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.ms-takes.com/""target="_blank"><b>www.ms-takes.com</b></a></b></i> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black> Two years ago musician Bryan McAdams took on the daunting task of building a Stereo VCA-based Audio Compressor kit. A seemingly simple task was complicated by the fact that the kit no longer existed, all designs and instructions had vanished from cyberspace, and very little information about it was available. Thus, Bryan was left to his own wits to build the compressor literally from scratch. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>It was a two year labor of love, earning the compressor the name, "The Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153;". Working from very limited information and a musician's knowledge of electronics, Bryan patiently pieced together the compressor, finishing it off with a black anodized panel from Front Panel Express. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>In the end, Bryan's hard work and determination paid off. His Red-Headed Stepchild looks great, and sounds even better! </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><br><center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Red-Head_Finished.png"target="_blank"><img height="90" border="0" width="200" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/24_May_2011/Red-Head_Finished.png" alt="The Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153;" title="The Red-Headed Stepchild&#0153;"/></a></center> </td></tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><i>After so much hard work I knew the compressor case had to match the quality of the sound. I chose red knobs on a black anodized panel and it looks exactly as I designed it in the software. FPE was very helpful when my initial measurements turned out to be initially off. The whole process was easy and very professional.</i> </font></td> </tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><i> - Bryan McAdams</i> </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>To learn more about Bryan McAdams and his work, please visit <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.bryanmcadams.com/""target="_blank"><b>www.bryanmcadams.com</b></a></b>. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> <tbody> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="9"><br /> <font size="2" face="arial color=black, helvetica">Front Panel Express - 5959 Corson Avenue South, Suite I - Seattle, WA 98108<br /> Phone (206) 768-0602 - Fax (206) 768-0679 - <a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com?&amp;utm_source=FrontPanelExpressNewsletter&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_content=Link&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletter_May_2011">www.frontpanelexpress.com</a> - info@frontpanelexpress.com</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="9">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>