What is Bender Project Control (BPC)?

This user interface design allows projects to be controlled via a palette of bender channel buttons that organize projects so that they are connected to a network of benders.

Core Concept: Bender Channel

A core concept is called a "bender channel."  The Bender Project Control shows channels like this:

The goal is to allow bender operators to associate a VTube project file with any bender and quickly switch to that project by pressing one of several buttons on the bender channel palette.

About the Difference Between Bender Channels and Bender Numbers

VTube uses the terms "bender channel" and "bender number" to refer to two different concepts.

1. BENDER CHANNEL: A Bender Channel is a VTube communication channel that can be configured to connect to any Bender in the network. Multiple channels can even be connected to a single bender.
    
2. BENDER NUMBER: A Bender Number is used exclusively for the number used at the bender in a network of benders.

The Advantages of the Bender Channel Approach

The channel paradigm offers greater flexibility for configuring your bender network and managing the tube database. See three examples for how channels can help you manage benders, operators, and projects efficiently.

Examples of Bender Channel Configurations

• Idea 1 - The multiple-channel-to-single-bender approach: Assign Bender channels 1, 2, and 3 to Bender number 1 - the only bender you own.  Each channel has a unique project and part number.
   
• Idea 2 - The operator-centric approach: Assign Bender channels 1-5 to operator John, and assign Bender channels 6-10 to operator Sally.  Then assign Bender channels 1-5 to John's benders (benders 1 and 2), and Bender channels 6-10 to Sally's benders (benders 3 and 4).
   
• Idea 3: The one-part-per-channel approach: Assign every tube shape its own Bender channel.  You have 1000 parts, so you let VTube-LASER build 1000 Bender channels.

How to Turn On BPC

To allow a project to be controlled using BPC, load a VTube-LASER project using the Load Project button.

Then, click on the Bender Project Control button in the toolbar:

Next, click on any bender channel number to associate with a VTube-LASER project.

Press the button on the left to associate the project with channel 1, then press Open.

The project will load, and the toolbar changes like this:

As you use Bender Project Control, it stores the models in the buttons like this:

Over time, the images and setup for Bender Project Control will build up like this:

To load a new project into VTube-LASER, click on the appropriate channel button:

Press the Open button:

And the new project loads immediately.

If the previous project needs saving, then VTube will ask you to save it before switching to VTube Bender Channels.

About the BENDER PROJECT CONTROL WINDOW in VTube-LASER

This window shows the Bender channel buttons with channel numbers. Each channel button shows the...

• latest model image
• part number
• bender number to which it is connected
• bender name to which it is connected

How Bender Project Control works with the BENDER SETUP WINDOW (for communications to benders)

This window is used for automatic bender corrections. It shows both the VTube bender channel number and the bender's associated bender number. 

For example, VTube bender channels 1 through 3 can be connected to the same bender - as shown in the image:

Or VTube could be programmed to connect each channel to one bender. The choice is yours.

BPC WINDOW Rules Used by VTube When Changing Bender Channels

• Rule 1: If a new VTube Channel is selected in Bender Project Control, VTube will ask the new user to save unsaved changes in the previous project before loading the new channel's project. This protects changes made by previous user projects. This is true whether the previous project is under BPC control or not.
   
• Rule 2: If a project file attached to a Bender Channel button is no longer found, BPC will clear that button's image and part number and not allow the user to load it.
   
• Rule 3: BPC will show the Bender NUMBER configured for any given channel - even if no project file is associated with that channel.

BENDER SETUP WINDOW Rules Used by VTube for When a User In VTube Bender Channel

• Rule 1: Whenever a VTube project comes under Bender Project Control, the bender number in the Bender Setup window will always change to the VTube Channel number used to load the VTube project file.
   
• Rule 2: If BPC controls the current project, Bender Setup does not allow users to change the VTube Bender channel value manually. See this example:
  
  
  Disabling a channel change prevents accidentally correcting the wrong bender.
   
• Rule 3: If a project is cleared so Bender Project Control is no longer active, then Bender Setup allows users to change its channel.
  
• Rule 4: If a new project is loaded outside Bender Project Control, then Bender Setup allows users to change its channel.

BPC Video - Bender Channel Search Capability