Overview

Instant OfficeView is a virtual in-out board that does not use a central server to operate. It is easy to install and requires no administration. One of the unique features of this program is the proprietary presence detector which indicates who are actively using their workstations.

The program automatically shows you as "In" when you start the program and when you stop the program, it adds "(off-line)" to your status. If you shut down Windows, "<shut down>" appears instead of "(off-line)". Several options control how the program handles your status remark. If you enable the option called "Time stamp start up and shut down", the program shows the time and day when the programs started and stopped.

Information and messages are exchanged instantly and the messaging system has an option to have new messages pop up on top of all other running programs. You can show or hide the program by clicking on the program tray icon.

Program Tray Icon

The program tray icon is located near the clock on the Windows taskbar. A single left click of the mouse on the tray icon brings the Instant OfficeView screen into view or hides it if it is currently in view. The tray icon symbol changes to indicate your status. It displays a small envelope when a new message arrives.

A right mouse click opens the Instant OfficeView tray icon menu which includes the following items:

Menu Items	Explanation
Your Name	Displays your name
Your Status	Shows your current status
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In	Changes your status to In
Busy	Changes your status to Busy - in but unavailable
Out	Changes your status to Out
Customize Status	Allows you to type in own status
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Start when Windows does	Adds a shortcut to the Startup folder
Add shortcut to Desktop	Adds a shortcut to the Windows Desktop
Refresh Status list	Reloads the Status page with names that are currently on-line
Set Subnet IP	Allows you to enter a subnet-directed IP broadcast address
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Show OfficeView	Displays the main screen
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Set status to Out and exit	Stops the program with your status set to Out
Exit	Exits the program

Status Screen
There are several ways to update your status on the board.

Quick action buttons located in the upper right hand corner of the board allow you to display "In", "Out", or "Busy" beside your name with a single click. The Status screen (select Status tab) has two buttons, "Set my Status" and "Enter my Status", that display a broader selection of remarks. The two buttons are. Choosing "Set my Status" displays a ready made list of remarks to choose from and "Enter my Status" prompts you to enter a remark that you personalize yourself.

Right clicking the program tray icon is also a quick way to change your status and select options. The pop up menu has functions to make Instant OfficeView start automatically when Windows boots up. It has an item to add a shortcut to the Windows desktop to make easy to start the program.

To change the status beside another person's name, right click on the name and select Change Status. The screen will display a new page with a list of remarks. This screen also includes the "Customize Status" button. Note that when someone else changes your remark, the remark will appear with a white background.

The Status screen is sorted alphabetically or by background color, depending on which of these two options you chose on the Options screen. When you are viewing the Status screen, you can type a letter to bring all names beginning with this letter to the top of the list. To cancel this feature, type any non-alphabetic key.

Background colors convey the following information:

Color	Meaning
Green	In
Red	Out
Fuchsia	Busy - In but unavailable
Yellow	Other custom remarks
White	Remarks set from another workstation
Grey	No activity at the workstation

Messages

Select the Messages tab to see your messages. Using the arrow buttons described below, you can move between messages.

The following buttons are available:

Button	Purpose
Print	Prints the current message.
Copy	Copies the text to the Windows clipboard.
Erase	Deletes the current message.
Reply	Replies to the current message.
<--	Shows the previous message.
-->	Shows next message.

The Tray Icon displays as a tiny envelope indicating a new message has arrived.

The Options page allows you to configure the message system. The option, "New message arrival" in the "Bring Screen into View" section, permits users to have their messages pop up into view in front of any other screen. A single chime sound will announce the arrival of a new message when the "New message sound" option is on. You can completely hide the message system by enabling the "Hide and disable" option.

Compose Message

To send a message to a person , click their name on the Status screen. The Compose screen will appear. After typing a message, click on the Send button. Messages are sent in real-time. If the message is successfully delivered, a short note of acknowledgment will appear with a green background. Each message can be up to 360 characters long.

For the message to be delivered, the receiving program must be running. When the recipient's program is not running, the program informs you that the message can not be sent.

Discuss

Click on the Discuss tab to participate in a virtual discussion. Anyone can add comments to the page. To post your comment , type it into the field at the bottom of the page and click on the submit button.

Options

The Options screen allows you to tailor the program to suit your needs, e.g., font size, screen size, colors of your status remarks, and when the board should display. Initially, the program identifies you by your log-on name. This name appears in the list on the Status screen. To change it, type your name in the "Display my Name as:" box.

You can choose from three screen heights. The small and medium heights are fixed but the large size allows both the width and height to be adjusted by dragging the Status screen edges. The list can be divided into two columns to display more names without scrolling. Normally, the status screen is sorted alphabetically by name. However, you can sort the screen by the background colors of the remarks by selecting the "Sort by Color" option.

The background colors that appear on the Status page can be customized. The "Reset Colors" button will restore the default colors. Click on one of the colored rectangles to bring up a color selection screen. Select a basic color in the color matrix to pick an initial color then click the "Define Custom Colors" button to display an auxiliary area. Use the slider on the right side to adjust the luminescence or intensity of the color.

To modify your Status list, click on the "Customize Status List" button to display the list. You can edit the list to suit your needs. Click on the "Sort List" button to sort the list alphabetically. The "Default List" button restores the standard list and the "Clear List" button erases all entries from the list.

In the lower corner of the Options screen is the "Idle Time" field. It sets the time (in minutes) that must elapse with no keyboard or mouse activity before your name background color changes. The background color is then set to the "idle color" to indicate that you are not using your workstation. Setting the "Idle Time" value to zero will disable this feature.

The option, "New message arrival" in the "Bring Screen into View" section, permits users to have their messages pop up into view in front of any other screen. A single chime sound will announce the arrival of a new message when the "New message sound" option is on. You can completely hide the message system by enabling the "Hide and disable" option.

There is an option to remove the "In" or "Busy - In but unavailable" when you stop the program.