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Integration

One size does not fit all. FastLook Technology gives you more ways than any other viewer technology to integrate CAD drawings and graphics into your solution.

The beauty of FastLook Technology is that you can tailor the tools we give you directly to the task at hand. Let's face it, we shouldn't force everyone in the company to become a computer expert. The computer should be used to help them perform their task to the highest level possible. The mix of tools needed to accomplish this varies from application to application.

FastLook can easily become a graphics engine for any Windows application. Use direct DLL calls or our ActiveX to project and control the FastLook drawing window directly in your application. All the power of FastLook is at your fingertips. Your application will have all of the capabilities of FastLook, including viewing, zoom and pan, print/plot, redlining and linking.

Utilize all of FastLook's tools from your custom interface, including all of the advanced interaction capabilities. Establish two-way communication between images and databases, redline attributes and even data stored inside an AutoCAD® drawing.

FastLook API
This is not a launch, not OLE, but true integration. Leave room on your form, and FastLook provides the graphics. Use over 400 API calls to project and control the FastLook drawing window. Your application will have the ability to view, zoom, pan, print/plot, redline and hyperlink all of the graphic formats supported by FastLook.

Simple Front-end
For example, the interface above is intended to be used on the shop-floor. We have employed what we have called "The Big Button Theory," keeping the interface simple and easy to understand, with just the tools needed.

The technician enters in the part number, and the correct drawing is retrieved and displayed. The only other functionality needed is the ability to zoom and print the drawing. The user interface is simple, effective and requires low maintenance and almost no training.

Creating an Interactive Application
FastLook offers your custom application the ability to not only view an image, but to interact with it using our robust API. All of the power of FastLook is available, including mark-up, linking and data extraction.

The interface below is a fully integrated application called the Cemetery Management Information System (CMIS). This Facilities application is written in Visual Basic and shows how FastLook provides the tools to tie data and drawings together for any application.

FastLook provides calls to create and edit redline entities programmatically. Calls are also available to highlight, hatch and flash redline entities at will. Developers have full control over the creation, display and manipulation of multiple redline files.

Hyperlinks may be defined over any portion of the drawing. FastLook's standard linking tools are available, along with a style that allows a developer to control the information stored in the link. When a user clicks on the link controlled by your custom application, the application will get the information you stored and take a specified action.

CMIS is an example of how the numerous FastLook integration methods allow a developer to choose exactly how the user is presented and interacts with information. That's power!

Access AutoCAD Data
The practice of using AutoCAD drawings to store non-graphical data and links to external databases is rapidly gaining in popularity. Until now, a user was forced to have a seat of AutoCAD to be able to access this information. This fact has obviously limited the number of users throughout the company who have benefited from this very powerful feature. Now, FastLook gives you the ability to access this information directly from the drawing without the need for AutoCAD.

FastLook has the capability to display data stored as block attributes, extended entity data, object data and SQL links. When FastLook is used with DLL calls, any external application can make use of this data. Simply pick an entity, and the associated data is passed to your application. The user may also walk through the entities in the file and extract any data associated with the entity.

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