IMG's Blog - Recorded Keystrokes

The My-T-Soft^® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Keyboard Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

About Innovation Management Group

Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

About Supply Chain Services

Supply Chain Services delivers barcode scanning, rugged mobile computing, and barcode printing equipment, as well as Managed Mobile Services to support warehousing, manufacturing, logistics and distribution barcode solutions.

About Hormel Foods Corporation

Since 1891, Hormel Foods has been a recognized leader in the processing and marketing of pork. Their products are highly regarded for taste, nutrition, convenience and value, thanks to their extensive expertise, balanced business model, commitment to innovation and rigorous adherence to quality standards.

In the before time, the original release of My-T-Mouse utilized 3 main types of configuration files - files with .KBF, .KMF and .INI extensions. The keyboard data file was named with a .KBF extension for KeyBoard File. This data file contained panel rectangles, key rectangles, and window configuration information. The actual key labels and key actions were contained in the .KMF files - Keyboard Macro Files, which lended itself well to international / different keyboard layouts (same physical layout, different labels/key actions). User configuration information was in the initialization file, or MYTMOUSE.INI. Because certain data spanned the user configuration and had an effect on the keyboard display (i.e. size, visible keys, panels open, etc.), the intertwined nature of the .INI and .KBF file became a factor when working with the 1.xx software. Because of this, for best results when manipulating the keyboard software, using BOTH the .INI and .KBF files as a matched pair was recommended when externally controlling layout changes.

Due to various user interface conventions and customer requests, along with design considerations, the .KBF file became more & more flexible, and could be manipulated in various ways. For example, when the keyboard software is opened, it reads in the data file (.KBF file), along with user options (.INI file) and then configures things based on these settings (the KMF file in use relied on the Keyboard= setting in the .INI file). Since the user could have changed the .INI file via the separate Setup tool (or programmatically via Developer Kit tools), settings such as layout size might need to reconfigure the data read in from the current/saved .KBF file. The general approach was that user settings in the .INI overruled the .KBF file. However, due to design decisions and the possibility of impossible manipulations because of certain internal constraints, it became necessary to require that both the .INI and .KBF be a matched pair when being used to create multiple configurations for "on-the-fly" layout changes.

When the 2.xx software was designed, keeping the .KBF as the single / only data file was deemed the best solution. Having multiple files that needed to be managed to ensure proper display/operation is not keeping in line with making things as straightforward and as easy as possible for users and developers, so the single .KBF file per layout is how things work with the 2.xx software. Because there are many examples of "user" or "field" settings that need to be part of the keyboard layout data, an embedded MYTSOFT.INI has been incorporated into the 2.20 KBF data structure. This allows tools such as KBFEdit to open and modify these user based settings in the field by the user, allowing certain customizations for operational aspects and user settings.

In most cases, the single .KBF as data for a keyboard layout, with incorporated operational aspects works very well - in the spectrum of ideal to acceptable. However, there are situations where there are issues. Cases where the user should not be able to make modifications, or where there are many layouts and user settings should be "per user" can be accommodated, but not as easily as program/user options separated from the layout data. But before we touch upon future enhancements, let's review how the current Build-A-Board system works and creates .KBF files.

The Build-A-Board Builder creates its own sub-folder in the Public Documents location, and under the Build-A-Board folder, there are 3 folders: SOURCE, TARGET, BOARDS. Under the SOURCE and TARGET folders, there are Project Name folders. Let's use an example, and walk through the general steps. If you create a project called MyAwesomeLayout, you will get a sub-folder in SOURCE\MyAwesomeLayout. In that folder you will find all the source files that contain the information displayed in the Layout Builder - window size, keys, key sizes, key labels, key actions, etc., etc. When you close a project in the Builder, all the text and data files will be zipped up (i.e. compressed) into a single Project source file, e.g. SOURCE\MyAwesomeLayout\MyAwesomeLayout.zip.

When you open a closed project, it will be unzipped, and all the data from the project source files will be read in to the Builder, and the customizable layout will be presented, where properties, actions, etc. can all be modified. Then you can select a Run-Time Target - Linux or Windows, ANSI or UNICODE, 32-bit or 64-bit, and various other platforms & combinations of run-time targets. When you Build the project, the Project Name folder in the TARGET folder will be created, along with a Test sub-folder and the target folder, e.g. MSWIN32 for Windows 32-bit targets. So the run-time files for Win32 would be in TARGET\MyAwesomeLayout\MSWIN32. This folder could be copied to a Win32 system, and the MYTSOFT.exe can be run, showing the MyAwesomeLayout layout. In the TARGET\MyAwesomeLayout there are 2 .KBF files - MyAwesomeLayout.KBF and KEYBOARD.KBF. These are also in the Test folder (used for testing/running on the system running Build-A-Board), and in any run-time target folders. Also, the MyAwesomeLayout.KBF is copied to the BOARDS folder - so when the Board select option is used in My-T-Soft, it will appear as a board option to select.

The reason there are 2 .KBF files is that by default, when My-T-Soft is run, it will look for and run KEYBOARD.KBF - so each project always copies the Project Name .KBF file to KEYBOARD.KBF. The reason the project name is used (e.g. MyAwesomeLayout.KBF) is for dealing with many different projects, so each unique project has a unique .KBF file name.

So what data does a 2.xx .KBF file contain? For those that are interested, it is pretty easy to review the text files in the SOURCE folder for an open project and get a general idea. These are the main aspects of a layout file: Window information, Panel information, key positions, and then key information. Then there is supporting data - key images, base & international macro files (.KMF data), state data, image data, platform license data, and the MYTSOFT.INI. As much as possible, the user interface and operational aspects are controlled by the .KBF file / layout data.

So what does the future hold? There are actually many different items under development and slated for future enhancement regarding the .KBF KeyBoard File. As a single data file that defines the keyboard, the 2.xx approach has been deemed a success. To accommodate user specific options, an override approach has been defined as the best/most flexible. The way this will be implemented will be a user editable MYTSOFT.INI which can contain a subset of all possible entries, and those that are in the MYTSOFT.INI in the user application data/configuration area will be used as the actual setting, potentially overriding any matching setting in the .KBF file. Note that these user settings will apply to all .KBF files run, so any user settings set in this manner will apply to all layouts run. This approach will allow multiple users on a system to have different operational settings, all while using the same .KBF. If there are not user specific settings, then the settings in the .KBF will be used.

The general approach is for .KBF files to be layout files that can be used across multiple platforms. Because of platform differences, certain aspects of the layout may be interpreted differently based on the platform, screen resolution, system capabilities, etc. How these will continue to evolve depends on actual use cases and customer requirements. Although not yet formalized, the 3.xx release anticipates merging all capabilities of 1.xx and 2.xx software, along with additional capabilities incorporated based on real world customer input. As the original .KBF implementation passes 25 years of use, a nod can be made to its original design & flexibility, and a hearty thank you to the customers that have used and continue to implement the software to address and solve real world needs.

My-T-Soft traces its lineage back to the original My-T-Mouse release of 1993, and continues to be developed and improved, with added features & capabilities requested by customers and users. The 1.90 is a major step because it incorporates the 1.xx branch of the software and the 2.xx next generation branch (see Build-A-Board and My-T-Soft Basic) that easily blends custom layouts with the preset layouts that are part of the 1.xx software.

Where previous versions supported the 2.10 style layouts from Build-A-Board, the new release of My-T-Soft 1.90 now supports the current 2.20 style layouts, which feature full Unicode support, key style themes, external DLL integration options, and optional layout selection.

The license manager also includes support for new Build-A-Board.com Account based licenses. Where a IMG Personal License-Basic is sufficient for a My-T-Soft Basic install, the IMG Personal License-Standard is available for personal use of the full My-T-Soft 1.90.

For those technically inclined, here are key items that this release incorporates.

• All code has been moved into the same Visual Studio environment for easy targeting of 32-bit and 64-bit builds for Windows targets.
• Embedded manifests has support for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
• Build-A-Board 2.xx run-time software is same as My-T-Soft Basic release, and supports layouts in the Public Documents Build-A-Board Boards folder, along with ability to tie to Build-A-Board.com accounts and favorite boards
• The IMG Smart Download software is 32-bit (so it can run on both 32-bit and 64-bit windows), but can sense a 64-bit system, and will pull down and start the installation of the 64-bit My-T-Soft build.

• Key Action/Label abstraction allows operation with version 1.xx Keyboard Macro Files - allows for quick change of language/layout/operation
• Key image selection - layout appearance can be changed at will within Build-A-Board
• Region (display) support - arbitrary shapes possible, along with rounded edges or split layouts
• Integrated board selection tool
• Get My Boards command and selection option
• Embedded Macro support
• KBF Editor (KeyBoard File) included for field editable options
• TypeFile tool included for external macro support
• Arbitrary Startup / Shutdown executable support
• Cursor / Move / Menu options (per board)
• Key Zoom (Key Echo feedback window) options
• Parallax settings
• Key Block timeout settings
• Support for external DLL display

As a release for existing customers, this provides a bridge between the older software and the next generation. With the full capabilities of both code bases, and multiple Windows versions support, it makes sense as an upgrade, or the next step for new systems. By also bringing in all the capabilities of the Build-A-Board run-time, it adds a great deal of functionality within the main product, vs. the choice between 2 possible solutions, as was previously the case.

For developers and integrators, it provides a wealth of possible solutions to the user interface needs of sophisticated systems. By integrating a flexible on-screen keyboard solution (not tied into the fixed/limited options of the Windows based option), a comprehensive, secure user interface can be built.

For those not familiar with the depth & power of My-T-Soft, this provides a comprehensive solution all in one package.

To review, work with, or check out the My-T-Soft 1.90 release, you can download it here

Sometime around 2012, IMG started working towards a more technology oriented approach vs. a product oriented approach. Although we still deliver our software in a product oriented way, we also are working towards a more straightforward relationship with our customers, not focusing on the specific product or products in use, but more on the customer relationship and keeping things as simple as possible for all customers, whether they are an individual having fun with Joystick-To-Mouse, or a global enterprise deploying custom My-T-Soft layouts throught the world.

The IMG Personal License (IPL) options, along with the IMG Professional License, utilize a Build-A-Board.com online account so users can manage their account & licenses, and can access the online database of keyboard layouts. As of 2016, the IMG Personal License-Basic includes access to My-T-Soft Basic, Joystick-To-Mouse, SmartClick, TouchRight Utilities, and WordComplete. The IMG Personal License-Standard includes access to all IPL-Basic software and also includes access to My-T-Soft 1.90. These personal licenses are meant for individuals who want access to the software, but do not want to pay the full license amount for support, maintenance, etc. These licenses require system access to the internet to retrieve system-tied licenses, and do not qualify for support beyond what is available within the software, tech support knowledgebase, and other online resources.

The IMG Professional License adds the ability to license systems not connected to the internet, and qualifies for technical and programming support along with maintenance & upgrade options.

For individuals using the IMG Personal License, once a system is licensed, the license is perpetual for that system, and this system does not need the internet or a valid Build-A-Board.com account to remain licensed. However, if there is a major operating system re-install, or system restore, or other major system event that invalidates the license, it would need the internet and access a valid Build-A-Board.com account to re-license. For practical purposes, once a system is licensed, the license lasts the life of the system. Note that for individuals who constantly rebuild systems, or swap hard drives, or are developers, the IMG Personal License is probably not the best choice.

Key licensing aspects to understand about the IMG Personal License and the relationship to the Build-A-Board.com account:

• A valid (active/non-expired) Build-A-Board.com account is required to license a system
• Build-A-Board.com accounts are valid for 3 years and can be renewed or reactivated if expired
• a system must have internet access to apply for and retrieve its license
• all licensing actions must be from the system being licensed (you cannot use a different system - if you do, you will license that system)
• Once a license is used on a system, it cannot be removed or transferred (the system is licensed for the life of the system)
• 3 system activations (licenses) are included (e.g. 1 laptop/1 desktop/1 mobile)
• Additional IPL purchases will add licenses, and extend the expiration date
• the license uses a unique system ID / system registry entry to identify the system, and the license file generated and retrieved on to the system must match this system ID. Moving the license file to another system will not match and the license will be invalid, and a major system registry change (i.e. rebuilt system) will also fail to license

The IMG Professional License adds a few additional capabilities:

• Licenses can be granted to any system (with or without internet access) using the 16 character System ID that is used to generate a License Key/Serial Number unlock pair from within the License Manager tab in a Build-A-Board.com account
• Qualifies for full technical and/or programming support
• account can be renewed at maintenance rates (15%)

As always, if there are specific circumstances that are not correctly managed by these license approaches, please contact IMG Customer Service to assist and resolve any issues.

By integrating the software with an personalized internet account, IMG's user interface software along with customized layouts can be quickly retrieved on different devices. Expanding on what the band The Fixx said in their song, "Less Cities, More Moving People" we are moving towards a world with More People, and even More Connected Devices. Creating a platform to quickly and easily access the tools & user interface software necessary to be productive is one of the underlying reasons for building this approach. When a customer gets a new device or moves to a different one, rather than downloading/installing/configuring software, someone can log on and then quickly & easily download their software & configuration. By having a centralized / personalized account, this becomes a breeze. For companies utilizing operator panels or customized interface options, when a new system needs to be deployed, this internet account becomes the ideal way to add IMG software to a unit.

The IMG Personal and IMG Professional licenses tied to a Build-A-Board.com account provides everything necessary for customers to manage their IMG software, along with access to the growing online database of layouts and ways to personalize & customize their configuration.

A different situation arose when a Clever Devices employee (provider of innovative technology solutions for all modes of public transportation) was doing testing and development on a Windows Server platform. Since 2012, Clever Devices has had an Annual Distribution agreement with IMG, and the license they had was for deployment on stand-alone systems. After determining their agreement was in force, IMG was able to quickly release a Server license so their developer could continue testing on the Server platform. Once again showing that these reasonable annual fees provide value so when the need arises, a quick & easy solution is readily available.

The My-T-Soft^® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Key panel Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

About Innovation Management Group

Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

About Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation

Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation is formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dow Corning Corporation. Manufacturer of the highest-quality polysilicon for semiconductor and solar wafer manufacturing for over 50 years.

The My-T-Soft^® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Key panel Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

About Innovation Management Group

Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

About Xplore Technologies

Xplore Technologies Corp., maker of the most rugged tablets on Earth, has been in the business of developing, integrating, and marketing industrial grade rugged tablets for our customers in the Energy, Utilities, Manufacturing and Distribution, Public Safety, Field Services, Transportation, and Military sectors for more than 20 years. With our recent acquisition of the Motion product line, our company now delivers the broadest range of rugged Windows and Android tablets available in the market.

The My-T-Soft^® Family (My-T-Pen, My-T-Soft, My-T-Soft Terminal Server, and My-T-Touch) along with IMG's Build-A-Board Key panel Designer offers a consistent cross-platform onscreen user interface that is fully customizable and programmable for various hardware / software platforms. It allows customers to control user input in any field or any application and maintain a higher level of security than with a traditional physical keyboard or membrane panel.

The main focus of the product is to provide a controlled user interface, integrated at the lowest level of the operating system for best performance, reliability, and security, on any commercial, industrial, kiosk, mobile, pen, rugged, tablet, or touch screen based system or application supporting those devices.

The My-T-Soft product family is ideal for use in environments such as automation, field service, food and beverage, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, laboratory, logistic, medical, military, mobile, pharmaceutical, ruggedized, utility, warehousing, whiteboard, or other extremely clean, dirty, or hazardous interactive user environment.

About Innovation Management Group

Since 1995, Innovation Management Group has been the primary supplier of onscreen keyboard user interfaces and designer utilities for major automation, handheld, instrumentation, in-vehicle, kiosk, pen, rugged, tablet, touchscreen, ultra mobile, vehicle mount, voting, wearable, and whiteboard systems manufacturers, integrators, and users worldwide. IMG's products run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on some of the most secure, advanced, and critical systems in the world.

About Police Scotland

Police Scotland’s purpose is to improve the safety and well-being of people, places and communities in Scotland. Our focus is on Keeping People Safe which is at the heart of everything that we do.
There are 13 local policing divisions, each headed by a Local Police Commander who ensures that local policing in each area is responsive, accountable and tailored to meet local needs. Each division will encompass response officers, community officers, local crime investigation, road policing, public protection and local intelligence.