3.13 The other function
3.13.3 Tips and tricks
Keyboard shortcuts
Atoll Getting Started-GSM Version 3.1.2
available on the map window.
• On the map window, a new interface(Alt+←) and (Alt+→) have been added.
• The keyboard shortcuts ”Alt+F8” could be used to open Add-ins and Macros.
• Keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+N could be used to create a new project.
How to define Auto Backup configuration?
From Tools-> Auto Backup Configuration, the auto backup configuration feature could be defined. User can activate the feature, and set the interval for backup.
If user activate the backup feature, a file with .bak postfix could be found in same path of current project. Remove .bak postfix, the backup project could be open with Atoll.
How to import geo data easily?
Drag and drop feature is available for any geo data object to import in ATOLL. To do this, just select the accurate geo data file in your file explorer and drag it to ATOLL. The format will be automatically detected by the tool.
This can also be made on PlaNET® index data file.
How to change globally a value for all the transmitters?
The right way to make global changes is to open the Transmitter table, modify the contents in the first cell, select all the columns and then use the fill-down feature, available in the Edit menu or with the shortcut ctrlD.
To select all the cells of the column, the easiest way is to select the first one, then select the last one holding the Shift button.
How to find easily a site on the map?
A search bar is available to find the location of sites on the map. The Search bar can be opened or closed by selecting the Search bar command in the View menu. In the Search bar, type the first characters of the site name in the Find site box. ATOLL displays a scrolling list containing all the sites, which the name begins with this string of characters. Then, either select the site in the list, or go on typing the site name to reduce the number of sites in the list. After choosing the site in the list, ATOLL automatically centers the map on the selected site. As in advanced filters, it is possible to use the “contains” (*string*) and “begins with” (string*) criteria to search for sites which name contains or begins with the given string.
Atoll Getting Started-GSM Version 3.1.2
Use the F3 shortcut to be automatically placed in the Find site box of the Search bar.
How to delete all sites and their transmitters in one shot (or a set of sites
and transmitters)?
The right way to delete all sites and their transmitters is to open the Sites table, select the first one and the last one holding the Shift button and use Suppr keyboard button. It is recommended to close the Sites and Transmitters folders before deleting a large number of sites and transmitters; otherwise the refresh of the explorer could take a long time.
How to access the properties of any object or group of objects?
In ATOLL, the properties of any object (geo data, sites, transmitters, measurements, etc…) can be accessed from the associated context menu. This is reachable by right-clicking on the considered object/group and choosing the properties command.
How to filter data rapidly?
The easiest way is to perform directly filters within the tables (popup menu available by right-clicking in the table). OR and AND criteria can be easily handled:
• Selecting cells in several columns and the option "Filtering by selection" in the popup menu performs a AND filtering criterion
Example: keeping transmitters with azimuth 120° and pilot power equal to 33 dBm
• Selecting cells in several rows and the option "Filtering by selection" in the popup menu
performs a OR filtering criterion
Example: keeping transmitters with pilot power equal to 33 dBm or 35 dBm
To check which kind of dynamic criterion has been used by ATOLL, you can open Transmitters/Properties/General tab and look at the advanced filter.
How to work only on "live" sites?
Let's assume there is a flag (user field) in Site table dedicated to the status of the site ("live", "on-built", "planned",…).
Filtering sites directly in the table with the popup menu ("Filtering by selection") allows to keep just "live" sites.
Filters on site are automatically performed on transmitters ("As site folder" is the default configuration for Transmitter folder). Further simulations or predictions will be achieved only on "live" sites.
How to use wildcard characters to filter text-format fields?
Wildcard characters such as “*” can be used when defining advanced filter criteria on fields with text format.
Entering *string* enables you to filter objects which the chosen field contains the string of characters.
Entering string* enables you filter objects which the chosen field begins with the string of characters.
Atoll Getting Started-GSM Version 3.1.2
Example: How to display transmitters which are allocated a channel XX?
In the Transmitter table structure, there is a field "Channels" which contains a flat list of the channels allocated to the transmitter. It is possible to define an advanced filter as follows: Use the Advanced filter tab of the Filter dialog
(Transmitters/Properties.../General/Filter/Advanced filter): Columns: select "Channels" in the list
Criteria: =* XX * (which means CONTAINS) Only the transmitters with the channel XX are displayed.
The same filter can be managed at the level of any study by transmitter.
How to change globally the names of all the sites?
There is a Find/Replace feature in the Edit menu available when a table is opened. To prefix all the sites with your name for example, select the first cell of the "name" column in the Site table and use the Edit/Replace feature.
How to find easily an object by its name in a folder?
Open the folder and type the first letters of the object's name.
How to open or close rapidly a folder?
Shortcuts, available in standard Windows applications are available within ATOLL to open or close the selected folder with shortcuts.
"Right arrow" and "Left arrow" respectively open and close the selected folder just like "+" and "-" on the numeric keyboard.
"*" on the numeric keyboard opens all the subfolders of the selected folder.
[Alt F4] may be used to quit Atoll rapidly when no modifications were made. If there are modifications, you will be asked to save them anyway.
How to find easily an object in a table?
A Find feature is available in the Edit menu when a table is opened. To find an object in a table, open the table and use the Find feature.
How to find easily an object on the map?
The “Centre map” feature allows the user to find on the map any object located into a folder (site, transmitter, etc…). When choosing this command in the associated context menu, the considered object is automatically displayed in the centre of the current workspace.
How to customize the columns displayed in a table?
When a table is opened, you may use the "Display columns…" feature available in the Format menu to choose which columns you want to keep within the table. This is useful to customize reports on transmitters or import Excel-format data by matching columns on both sides and copying-pasting into the table.
Atoll Getting Started-GSM Version 3.1.2
How to customize the table style?
When a table is opened, you may use features available in the Format menu in order to customize the table style.
• To change the title style, choose the Format title feature.
• To modify the column style, select a column and use the Format columns feature. You
may also use the Align Left, Centre, Align Right, Bold and Italic features.
How to change globally display properties of objects (sites, vectors,
measurement points…)?
In the Display tab, select the whole table describing the display configuration and click on the Modify button. In the Display window, you can choose a unique symbol for all the objects.
How to predict signal level (received from a transmitter) on a road?
The easiest way consists in using measurement features. Let’s assume you have previously imported a vector file. The procedure is divided into three steps:
• Right click on a linear object and select the Element properties feature. In the Geometry
tab, copy the list of coordinates (ctrl-C).
• Right click on the Measurement folder and select the New feature. Give a name to the
path, specify measurement unit, transmitter and receiver properties and finally click on the Paste button. Then, click on OK to validate the path creation.
• Open the path properties window. Choose a propagation model, click on Actions and
choose Calculate predictions. The signal level calculated on the path is displayed in a related table (P(dBm) column). You may use the Measurements window to visualize the signal level received from the selected transmitter on the path.
How to work on a set of sites selected by a polygon?
Let's assume polygons are available within ATOLL. Right-clicking on the polygon, you can use it as the working zone or as a filtering polygon. Sites, transmitters and future calculations are filtered with this polygon.
You can save the polygon filter as a configuration of the Site folder, and repeat this operation with as many polygons as you wish.
Then, directly right-clicking on the Site folder, you will get all the available configurations for the folder and be able to rapidly switch from one to another.
Configurations are saved in the ATL file but possibly also in database. How to obtain a link budget?
Right-click anywhere in the Profile window to open a context menu. This menu allows you to change receiver properties, gives the choice between signal level, pathloss or total losses display, and offers a link budget. If the propagation model used by the selected transmitter is a Standard Propagation Model, there is an additional feature, useful for validation, called "Model details" providing detailed results along the profile.
How is it possible to display city points and their names on the map?
With a vector format providing for each point an attribute containing the name (e.g. "name"). Import the vector file within ATOLL and choose the field "name" as label (you can use any field or list of fields in the same way).
Atoll Getting Started-GSM Version 3.1.2
Where can you define the default server for distributed computing?
In the Atoll.ini file: [RemoteCalculation]
Servers=Workstation_1; Workstation_2
If the list is empty, computations are run locally.
You can display different areas or view different scales of the same document at the same time thanks to the "Window->New" command. When selecting this command, a new Map Window is created with exactly the same view as the current one. You can then modify area and scale of both windows independently. For instance, with this feature you can zoom in very close on two faraway sites without having to display everything between them. You can also display an overview of the whole network and a small part of it with two different scales.
Note: Items displayed in all map views depend on the explorer settings and are the same in all windows, except if you have different scales for the windows and some visibility settings according to scales.
Atoll
Getting Started GSM/GPRS/EGPRS
Version 3.1.2
Head Office
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