There are times when you will need to reference asset information while out in the field. Carrying around printed material for this task would normally be the way to go, but what if you need something that has multiple pages, or is in a large format? This information, once printed, may be heavy and not easily transported, or it may not be feasible from a safety perspective. Whatever the case, having the files in a digital format would be extremely beneficial.
The instructions that follow will guide you through making sure you have the information you need while out in the field, saving your back and many, many trees.
Preparation
The instructions in this section are to be performed on a computer that hosts the ExTrace® Management software.
- Open File Explorer on your Windows 11 computer (desktop/laptop) and find your Data folder for ExTrace®.
Hint: The location for this can be seen within ExTrace® Management on the Configuration window in the Application section. You may need to be signed in as an administrative user to be able to open the Configuration window.
- Find and open the folder that has the same name as your database.
Hint: The database name can be found at the top of the main application window, next to the application name.
- In the folder found in number 2 above, you will see 3 folders. Open the attachments folder and then open the assets folder. This folder contains sub-folders related to each asset on your database, and it’s these that we’ll copy.
- Find and select the assets you wish to copy to the tablet device.
Hint: You can select multiple folders throughout the listing but holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard and clicking each folder required (as used in the image above to select the folders named 11803, 11804, 11807, 11809).
- Right-click any of the selected folders and click on Copy.
- Create a temporary folder somewhere and open it.
Right-click an empty area and click on Paste to make a copy of the selection here. If required, repeat numbers 4, 5 and 6 until you have a copy of all the asset folders you require in the temporary folder.
Transfer
The instructions in this section are to be performed via a computer that host the ExTrace® Gathering software and an EX tablet that hosts the ExTrace® Gathering software.
- Plug in the EX tablet using the provided USB cable and allow the computer to detect it (if speakers are plugged into the computer and not muted, a sound will be played.)
- On the tablet, swipe down from the top of the screen to show notifications. If the device connected to the computer successfully, you should see a notification that says Charging this device via USB. Tap on that notification to show a larger view of it, then tap the notification again to open its options.
- Under the Use USB for section, choose File Transfer. As soon as this is done, the tablet will reconnect to the computer, adding a drive entry to File Explorer.
- Go back to your computer and click on the new drive entry. Open the Internal shared storage entry on the right, then open the Documents folder.
- Create a new folder and name as it something relevant, such as Asset Information or ExTrace, then open it.
- Go back to the temporary folder created at number 6 in the section above. Highlight all asset folders, right-click the selection and click on Cut.
- Navigate back to the new folder created in number 5 above. Right-click the empty area on the right and click on Paste. Allow the transfer to complete, then you should see something similar to the screenshot below.
In the Field
The instructions in this section are to be performed on an EX tablet that hosts the ExTrace® Gathering software.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to show all apps installed on the tablet.
- Find the Files app and tap it to open it.
- At the bottom of the app, you should see an entry named Internal Storage. Tap on this to open it.
- Tap on Documents to open it, then tap on the folder created at number 5 in the section above.
- You should now see all of your assets folders. Use tap-navigation (using the back button at the top as required) to find a file you want to open.
- Tap the file you require to launch it in an appropriate app.
Note: If no app exists that can handle the file type you’re trying to open, you will need to install one. For example, if you are trying to open a PDF, you may need to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader app, or a similar PDF reader, prior to going out in the field (where Wi-Fi may be non-existent).