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(continued from Awards Programs)

Graphics and Layouts

 Your Restaurant Manager POS System allows you to configure almost every aspect of every screen that comprises the POS Modules.  Many of the settings that control the layout of POS screens are covered in earlier sections of this manual.  This chapter covers settings that control the look and feel of your system but which are not covered in the following sections of this manual:

• Table Service Status Screen Layout
• Tabs Status Screen Layout
• Delivery Status Screen Layout
• Order Entry Screen Layout
• Settlement Screen Layout
• Function Buttons & Macros

Screen Savers

Restaurant Manager offers two types of screen savers – bouncing bitmaps and a slide show.  A screen savers main purpose is to prevent burning in of images on your screen. This usually happen if a monitor is left in an idle stat for a long period of time. Most computers are designed to into screen saver mode during these down periods. Restaurant Manager allows you to take this down time and turn it into a chance to promote your restaurant.

A standard screen saver can be used to promote the name of your restaurant, specials, and events. You can display different screen savers on different station. This option will allow you to re-enforce service messages to wait staff on monitors out of the customer’s sight. The Slide Show screen saver can be used for selling ad space to local vendors.

Slide Show Screen Saver

The Slide Show screen saver differs from a “static’ bitmap as it is capable of displaying more than one picture and is capable incorporating an expanded amount file types. It is the expanded amount of file types is what makes this method ideal for running advertising. The slide show screen saver supports audio/files in the following formats:

The slide show screen saver supports numerous file formats including the following image file types

Slide Show Configuration

1. Before activating the slide show screen saver, you must copy the image and movie files to the Restaurant Manager working directory (i.e. c:\rmwin). 
2. Once you have the desired images you wish to display, you can activate the slide show screen saver under Setup->Stations Configuration >POS Configuration >Screen Saver.  Enter a Timeout in minutes – the period of inactivity before the screen saver is displayed.

3. In the Screen saver type option, click on the (+) next to the name and choose “Slide show”
4. Copy the setting changes on all Stations using the [Copy Setting(s)] button at the bottom of the Station Configuration form.
5. Next you must go to Setup >General >Slideshow Screen saver in the RM BackOffice.  Restaurant Manager will display a setup form allowing you to enter the names of the image and movie files you wish to display. 

6. Click on the [Add] button at the bottom of the form to add a new line
7. Click on the [Browse] button to search for the image. Once you click on the file it will be added to the line and should be visible in the Image Preview.
8. Repeat the steps to add more images
9. Adjust the image duration- you can enter in any value from 1-9999 seconds. The typical duration for a single image is 10-60 seconds.
10. Sound- for movie files, configure the volume level anywhere from 0 to 100% (requires the computer to have speakers).

The POS stations will display the images (and movies) repeatedly when the screen saver is active.  When the screen saver is stopped and started again, it will resume from where it left off.  This ensures that your advertisers each get equal screen time.

Bouncing Bitmap Screensaver

You can configure your system to have a “static” bitmap to display on the POS when in an idle state. We will define a static bitmap as one being constant or unvarying. In other words, there will only be one image floating on the screen when idle. Nonetheless, this image can still be used for a number above purposes as described in the beginning of this section.

Bouncing Bitmap Configuration

 Before activating the bouncing bitmap screen saver, you must copy the image and movie files to the Restaurant Manager working directory (i.e. c:\rmwin). 

1. Once you have the desired images you wish to display, you can activate the bouncing bitmap screen saver under Setup >Stations Configuration >POS Config >Screen Saver.  Enter a Timeout in minutes – the period of inactivity before the screen saver is displayed
2. On the “Bouncing bitmap filename”, double click on the option to trigger the browse screen. In most cases these steps should lead directly to the rmwin folder. Select your image and click the [OK] button in the “Open” screen.
3. Copy the setting changes on all Stations using the [Copy Setting(s)] button at the bottom of the Station Configuration form. Remember you have different bouncing bitmaps on different stations.

POS TABLE Module Layouts

Restaurant Manager allows for a complete customization of background images to match the look or style of your establishment. The Restaurant Manager software is pre-loaded with a blue background. You can change this to whatever color or design you wish and can even program a station specific background. If your system is configured with the Table Service Module you can even customize each table group background to match the look of your dining area. This is in addition to customizing the table layout. However, you can customize the tables by creating your own bitmaps and arrange them on the screen using Image Sets. There remained of this section will describe the steps allowing you to further customize you Restaurant Manager POS system.

Station Specific Background

The background bitmap file can be set on a per station basis. Bitmaps used for background images should be placed in the rmwin folder (i.e. c:\rmwin). To setup station backgrounds go to Station Configuration and use the [Search Setting] function at the bottom of the form and type “background bitmap”. You can find the following options:

• Display Bitmaps – enable display of bitmaps for the station
• Background Bitmap - the filename of the bitmap file to be used
• Background Bitmap Effect - to display the background bitmap either as:
  • Tiled – great for small bitmap images to use as background, the bitmap will be tiled over and over again until the whole screen is covered
  • Stretched –the background bitmap will be stretched to fit the whole screen.  If the bitmap is smaller, it will be stretched out or if it is larger, then it will be stretched down.  Too much stretching out or down may result in the displayed bitmap to not look good.
  • Centered – the background bitmap will be centered on the screen.  If the bitmap is small enough to be displayed, then it be displayed centered on the whole screen.  If it is larger (in width, length or both), it will be displayed centered on the screen showing only the portion that fits on the screen.

Setup >POS Configuration >General >Miscellaneous Options

Table Group Background

The table group background bitmap file can be set on a per group basis. Bitmaps used for table group background images should be placed in the rmwin folder (i.e. c:\rmwin) prior to applying them in the RM BackOffice. Table Group background setup up is found tin RM BackOffice under Set-Up >Screen Layouts >Table Layouts:

1. On the Table setup form select the dining area. Restaurant Manager will always default to Dining Area 1.
2. Select the group in the dining area. There are eight table groups found directly the Dining Area option.
3. In the Groups Options field settings, click on the ellipsis next to the Group Background field.
4. Select your image and click the [OK] button in the “Open” screen.
5. Repeat these steps for each table group selecting a new image each time or use the same image if you chose.

You can verify your changes using the [Preview] button on the bottom of the Table Setup form. See next illustration:

Table Images

Restaurant Manager comes with a pre-set of images that can be used for tables and décor. You can add or substitute images for further customization. It is suggested that you keep all bitmaps pertaining to Restaurant Manager in the rmwin folder located on the rmserver. The list below is some of the shapes and descriptions for use that are pre-configured and included in your Restaurant Manager software.

• Square- Used for square and rectangular table, includes image sets for square shaped tables 2 and 4 seats. Two seat image sets come in both horizontal and vertical positions. Squares can be resized for longer tables and can be used with image sets for six seats with both horizontal and vertical positions
• Elliptical – Used for round and elliptical tables, includes image sets for 4and 6 seats.
• Bitmap – a bitmap based table button that gets the look for individual state of the button based on a selected table state. 
• Décor – a bitmap based table button that is stateless, meaning, it does not respond to any user click, does not get disabled or display any text.  This is useful when adding decorations like plants, walls and other restaurant features.

Pre-set image shapes can be resized by click and dragging on the edges.

Adding Tables/Decor

Adding tables is done in the RM BackOffice under Set-Up >Screen Layouts >Table Layouts. To add a table shape or décor button, you may do the following:

1. Click on the icon marked “BMP” for bitmap or “Décor” for a décor
2. Drag towards the location where you want it placed. Once a table is in place you may use the “Ctrl” key and arrow keys on the keyboard to micro-manage placement on grid.
3. Select an image set to use
4. Keep on adding more buttons

Click on “Preview” to see the buttons would look like on the POS.

Using Image Sets

The look of the table bitmap buttons and table bitmap decors are defined using image sets.  An image set is a set of selected bitmap images to display the different status of a button.

There are five (5) different images that may need to be specified for an image set.  These are:

1. Normal – the normal image to be displayed for a button.  For a table bitmap button, this is the image to be displayed when the table is available or is unoccupied.  If an image set is to be used for bitmap decors only, only the “Normal” image needs to be specified.
2. Open – the image to be displayed when the table is open and is occupied.
3. Print – the image to be displayed when the check for an open and occupied table has been printed.
4. Split – the image to be displayed when it is a split check.
5. Clear – the image to be displayed when the table needs clearing.  Will be displayed only when the option “Require table clear” in the Station Configuration is enabled.

Image for setting up image sets

Adding an image set

You can customize image sets for to meet you r specific require. Remember that you will have to create fine different image types if you will be using the images for tables. You can access the Image Set Setup form directly in the RM BackOffice by going to Setup > Screen Layouts > Image Sets.  To add an image set:

1. Click on the [Add] button on the bottom of the form.
2. Click on the new line add on the Image Set List and type in the new for the new image set.
3. Click on the ellipsis button in the corner of each image type (i.e. normal, Open, Print, etc.) Select the new image and the click on the [Open] button to continue.
4. Repeat step 3 to add more image types. The “Normal” image is used with tables of type “Décor” and do not need any further image types applied. However, you may need to lock the table to prevent employees from accidentally ringing sales.

Modify Button Look

Being a touch-screen based application, the button is the most displayed and interacted object on the POS screen.  Your establishment’s environment may dictate the need to change the appearance of the buttons. Changing the grade of a button may make the button easier to read. You may also want to affect the color of text on buttons to also help staff view the buttons with better. Changing a border width may help if your restaurant has an unusual amount of menu items with long descriptions. The two following description will guide you to further enhancing your system.

Button Effects

Options to control the look of the buttons can be set under Setup> Station Configuration under POS Configuration >General >POS Touch Buttons.

Button Surface –GRADIENT or SOLID.  The gradient look can be seen with color of the button becoming darker moving from left to right.  Although using gradients may look hi-tech, it should be noted that, on some screen displays specially those at 800x600 or lower screen resolutions, it may not look as great. 

  Gradient vs. Solid

Note: Gradients are not supported for stations running on Windows ’95

Button Border Width – the width of the border around the buttons is configurable with this option.  Use lower values 2 to 4 for lower screen resolutions while a 6 may look good on resolutions of 1024x768 and higher.  Valid values are from 2 to 16.

Border Width 2 and 12

Smooth Border – if enabled, will display the borders in smoothed and rounded look in contrast to “boxy” and “edgy” look.

Button Outline – if enabled, will display a black frame around the button

POS Button Colors

Restaurant Manager allows for the changing the properties of how button colors are display. This is not to be confused with the selecting a color for a button as defined in the POS Function Button Layout. Rather, the function allows you to define the shadow, pane, and text color themselves. The most common use of this function is to change the color of text. For instance, the white text on bright green color might be hard to read for some. Changing the text to black might be the solution. The Edit Color form is found in the RM BackOffice under Setup >General > Button Colors.

The Edit Color screen is made up of three mains parts:

• Color Scheme List-The left side of the Edit Color form lists the pre-configured colors that come with installation.
• Button Preview-The upper right side of the form displays button previews when a color from the list is selected. You can view your changes as you make them in the section. The [Cancel- reload Colors] button will bring back the original state of the button color properties while editing.
• Modify Colors-Colors can be modified by using the slider on the RGB color selector for each area. The following is a list of the button area under the “what to modify” section.
• Hilite Colors- Controls the upper and left border colors in normal state. Controls lower and right border when pressed.

• Shadow Colors- Controls the lower and right button in normal state and upper and left borders when pressed

• Pane Color- Controls the “body” or center part of button in normal state

• Down Color- Controls the “body” or center part of button in when pressed

• Text Color- Controls the text on the button. The text color is the same regardless of state (normal vs. pressed).

• Predefined- While highlighted on a button area, you may choose a pre-defined color

Edit Color Buttons

• Add- Add a new color to the Color Scheme List. Color added will not appear at the as an option for button colors.
• Delete- Remove a color from the Color Scheme list
• Ok- Accept changes made and leave the Edit Color form
• Cancel- Do not except changes and leave the Edit Color form.

(continued in BackOffice Management Functions)