The Actions pane is a powerful tool to create handy shortcuts for launching documents or other items frequently used with your inspections. But what about using it to open outside programs, web pages, or utilities like mapping) that may also be useful to inspectors?

Yes, users with a Standard or Premier edition of the 3D Inspection System software also have the ability to create special Miscellaneous actions that may be used to open external files, launch applications or web pages, or even perform custom commands.

OPEN FILES: An "Open a File" action lets you simply open a particular program or file. Your windows associations to that file launch it in its related application (similar to how double-clicking or launching a file directly in windows explorer works). For instance, if you select a PDF file, it would be opened using your default PDF reader. Selecting an HTML web link would open in your default browser. When setting up your action, simply browse to the desired file and select it. It's that easy.

This works for standard web pages. For example, to create an Action to a particular web page in your default browser (we'll use the 3D website in this example, but you may replace it with another favorite):

  • Click Customize My Actions at the bottom of the Actions pane.
  • Click Add Action. Enter a name for your action, perhaps "3D Website", and click Next
  • Click next on category and then choose the Miscellaneous- Open a file type, and click Next.
  • When entering the file to open, type http://www.3dinspection.com
  • Click Next, and then click Finish.
  • Click Save to save your new action. Clicking your new action in the program would open the URL you specified.

LAUNCH APPLICATIONS: For easily opening outside programs from the convenience of your 3D program screen, you may also set up "Launch an Application" actions. These open an outside application or program. For instance, you could open another application you often use as part of your inspection process, such as camera software or another tool.

For instance, a prior tips article showed how to use this type of action to launch the windows calculator (Tips: To launch a different application, replace calculator in those steps with the desired application. Note that the path to the file may be need to be included for some applications if the path is not stored in Windows an application path environment variable or in the registry App Paths key; If an icon normally launches a particular program, "Target" settings in its Icon properties usually indicates the path and executable name, or you may Browse to its executable on your computer.)

The 3D help topic about the various types of actions indicates that "Launch an Application" also supports command arguments, in other words, additional words or information that follow the name of the command and give more information about what to do. These could include specific filenames or other commands. An additional tip is that Office Management merge fields may also be used as part of a command, in which case the merged information becomes part of the parameters at the time it is executed.

Here is an example how that might be particularly useful. Happily, it seems Google Maps supports command arguments that may be used in a command line to specify a particular address for lookup (http://blog.seven29.com/post/22037266/command-line-hacking-google-maps/ )
Thus combined with the Launch an Application Action's ability to use Office Management merge fields as variables, you may set up a Launch an Application command like this to merge the main job address:

explorer "http://maps.google.com/maps?q="[DB:Main.Address] [DB:Main.City] [DB:Main.State] [DB:Main.Zip]

That command would merge in the main job address state and zip code information for your current job, and then execute it. This means when you have a particular job displayed or active and click your Action set this way, it should launch that website command along with your inspection site address. Pretty cool! Here's are the complete steps to set up such an action to launch Google Maps to your current job address:

  • Click Customize My Actions at the bottom of the Actions pane.
  • Click Add Action. Enter a name for your action, perhaps "Google Maps", and click Next
  • Click next on category and then choose the Miscellaneous- Launch an Application type, and click Next.
  • For the application to launch line type or copy and paste the following bold text into the line: explorer "http://maps.google.com/maps?q="[DB:Main.Address] [DB:Main.City] [DB:Main.State] [DB:Main.Zip]
  • Click Next, and then click Finish.
  • Click Save to save your new action. The new action instantly opens Google Maps to your inspection address. How convenient! (Tip: Remember, when no report is open, fields merge for the currently displayed record in Office Management; when a report is open, it merges the job information linked to that report)


You may think of other creative ways to use the power behind these Actions. Other websites or programs may or may not have additional commands that may be used along with them, so you would need to check their documentation.  Nonetheless, they certainly could be simply launched directly for convenience.