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PDI-TOMO™ Quick Start Guide

Rev. 5 – March 27, 2017

PDI-TOMO Version 2017.3

CHA-W & PDI-TOMO LICENSING

Starting with CHA-W version 2016.017 and the initial release of PDI-TOMO version 2016.1, PDI’s new

uniform software licensing scheme takes effect and each of those programs will have to be licensed

before their first use — even if you already use a previous version of Cross-Hole Analyzer (CHA-W). PDI-

TOMO shares a license with CHA-W so when you update either one the other will also be updated.

When you first run the CHA-W program after installation you will be prompted to initialize the licensing

procedure by sending a SITE CODE to license@pile.com. After a SITE KEY is returned by PDI’s licensing

support and entered into the SITE KEY license window CHA-W and PDI-TOMO will become operational.

CROSS-HOLE ANALYZER

This Quick Start Guide addresses only PDI-TOMO and not the Cross-Hole-Analyzer (CHA-W) software

which has its own user manual (with the exception of a brief discussion of exporting PDI-TOMO data).

PDI-TOMO currently works only with source data exported by CHA-W and it is assumed that the user is

already familiar with CHA-W and has the ability to generate a report document in that program using

previously collected profile data. Please refer to the CHA-W user manual supplied with that software

product for more information.

Important: The quality of the tomography results obtained from CROSS-HOLE data is enhanced by use of

the latest software at each stage of processing, from data collection in the field with a CHAMP device, to

report generation in both CHA-W and PDI-TOMO. As of March 2017, the latest software versions are as

follows:

CHAMP – 2015.015

CHA-W – 2017.019

PDI-TOMO – 2017.3

If you are not using these versions (at a minimum) it is highly recommended that you contact Pile

Dynamics for information about upgrading. For CHAMP updates contact HardwareSupport@pile.com.

For CHA-W and PDI-TOMO updates contact SoftwareSupport@pile.com. You may also contact us by

telephone at +1 216 831 6131, or by visiting www.pile.com.

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Beginning with version 2017.3, PDI-TOMO will automatically check for updates and prompt you to

download a new version if available. You may disable this feature by checking the ‘Do not ask again’

box. You may also manually initiate the update check by selecting ‘Check for updates’ from the Help

menu.

REQUIRED GRAPHICS CAPABILITIES

PDI-TOMO uses the advanced capabilities of your computer’s graphics card (or built-in chipset) and it is

essential that this card has the ability to support relatively recent advances in graphics processing.

OpenGL (GL = graphics language) is the basic Windows technical specification that graphics drivers are

required to support. As with most software products, the version of the driver currently in use is of

critical importance.

In pre-release testing we have found that OpenGL 3.3.0 is the minimum version required. If your

computer does not support this version, or higher, then a message alerting you to this fact, and

including technical information about the state of your current driver, will be displayed when PDI-TOMO

is first run. If you encounter this message when running PDI-TOMO, the first thing you should do is

make sure that your graphics driver is up-to-date. The OpenGL version on your computer can be found

on PDI-TOMO’s ‘View’ menu under ‘Error Messages’ or also in the ‘View’ menu under ‘OpenGL

Information.’

Updating a graphics card driver is not as simple as it should be. You can start by opening the Windows

Device Manager which is accessible via the Control Panel – click on ‘Hardware and Sound’ – or click on

the ‘Start’ button and type ‘Device Manager’ in the ‘Search programs or files’ box. When Device

Manager is opened click on ‘Display Adapters’ and select the appropriate adapter (most computers will

have only one display adapter).

In the ‘Properties’ window for your display adapter there is usually a button for automatically updating

the driver. You should try this method of updating first, but understand that in our experience it rarely

finds a more up-to-date driver – even though one may be available. The best method of updating the

driver is to make note of your graphics card model number (available somewhere in the ‘Properties’

window you just opened), then visit the manufacturer’s web site and look for their driver download

page.

Three of the more popular manufacturers of graphics cards are Intel, NVIDIA and AMD:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/

http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

http://support.amd.com/

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Please contact SoftwareSupport@pile.com if you have questions or need assistance. If you do contact

support, please send a copy of the OpenGL report mentioned above along with your request. This

report is also available on PDI-TOMO’s ‘View’ menu under ‘Error Messages.’

EXPORTING FROM CHA-W TO PDI-TOMO

PDI-TOMO is designed to run on Windows 7 minimum and is very tightly integrated with CHA-W. The

native file type for PDI-TOMO is “*.TCX” which is exported directly from CHA-W. The TCX file initially

contains only the profile data from the CHA-W report. After processing the profiles in PDI-TOMO to

obtain tomographic results you then have the option of saving those results back to the TCX file.

The first step in working with PDI-TOMO is to open or create a report document in CHA-W. Then, once a

report is displayed, from the ‘File’ menu select ‘Export PDI-TOMO.’ You will note that ‘Export

TomoSonic’ is still on the menu as exporting capabilities for that program have not been removed from

CHA-W.

On selecting ‘Export PDI-TOMO’ you will be presented with the pre-export data viewing window which is

shown below.

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If you have previously used TomoSonic, you will notice that there is more information contained in this

window than before. TomoSonic only required the user to enter an average wave speed value before

exporting.

CHA-W now automatically calculates the average wave speed and, in addition, adjusts all profiles to

conform to the average. It also makes adjustments for data that has diverged from one end of the scan

to the other. There are two primary explanations to which the divergence can be attributed: (1) non-

parallel tubes, and (2) encoder calibration errors and/or slippage of the cables while pulling.

All of the adjustments are automatic but CHA-W provides extensive visual feedback into the process of

adjustment, primarily for development and diagnostics purposes. In normal use you do not need to be

concerned with the adjustments, and the results first shown can just be accepted.

Here is a brief description of each of the controls on the PDI-TOMO export window:

(1) The ‘Pile name’ list

Tomography processing can only be done on one pile at a time (the term ‘pile’ is used in this guide to

convey either a ‘bored pile’ or ‘drilled shaft’). Since CHA-W allows users to select multiple piles in a

report this selection box is essential to ensure that only profiles from a single pile are exported to PDI-

TOMO. Select (click to highlight) the desired pile to be analyzed from this list.

(2) The ‘Profiles’ list:

This is a list of all profiles in the report associated with the selected pile. Basic information about each

profile is included: The profile name (i.e. 1-2, 2-3, etc.), the profile type (PER=perimeter, MAJ=major

diagonal, MIN=minor diagonal), the average wave speed before adjustment, and the average wave

speed after adjustment as described above. The percent difference between these two wave speeds is

displayed.

(3) A ‘waterfall’ diagram of the currently selected profile – for reference only.

(4) A graph of wave speed vs. depth before adjustment for the selected profile.

(5) A graph of wave speed vs. depth for each stage of the adjustment process selectable via a slider

control directly below the graphs. When the slider is moved all the way to the right the caption displays

‘Final adjusted avg. wave speed.’

(6) The export controls

Auto Start: After exporting the data to a TCX file, PDI-TOMO will automatically be launched and the TCX

file loaded if this box is checked. If not checked, the TCX file will be saved and may be opened in PDI-

TOMO at a later time.

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Auto Process: When PDI-TOMO is launched from CHA-W and a TCX file is loaded, automatic processing

of the data will begin if ‘Auto Process’ is checked. If not checked, the file will simply be loaded into PDI-

TOMO without processing. Processing may then be manually started in PDI-TOMO.

There are no specific guidelines for selecting these options as they are entirely dependent on the user’s

preferred workflow, but generally it is likely more efficient to check both boxes.

(7) The ‘Major Diagonals Only’ check box. If this box is checked (highly recommended), only major

diagonal profiles are used for the calculation of average wave speed. If unchecked, all profiles are used.

Because of tube spacing measurement inaccuracies inherent in shorter distances, along with less

concrete in the path for perimeters, using only major diagonals to calculate the average wave speed is

preferred.

(8) The ‘Export’ button. After you are certain that all of the data being displayed is what you want to

process in PDI-TOMO, click the ‘Export’ button. You will be prompted to save the TCX file which at this

time will only include the profile scan data that is exported from CHA-W.

After you have saved the TCX file, PDI-TOMO will optionally open the file and process the data

depending on the state of the check boxes discussed above. You may also simply save the TCX file and

then open it in PDI-TOMO from the ‘File’ menu.

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GENERATING TOMOGRAPHY DATA IN PDI-TOMO

Important

Individual profile files (*.chx) and report files (*.chr) contain only 2D information

located in the plane defined by the area between the two tubes used for data

collection, and only a limited amount of 3D positioning data which is of critical

importance in tomography processing. The csl.project file contains this

additional 3D information and its existence in the project folder is

essential for proper data exporting.

If you have neglected to include the csl.project file (which originates on the CHAMP

device) when copying data files from a device to another computer, you will not be

able to export the data to PDI-TOMO. CHA-W sometimes creates an empty csl.project

file out of necessity, but this file will not be sufficient to replace the original. When

you attempt to export data with a missing, or otherwise incorrect, csl.project file,

CHA-W will present a message:

If you see this message, you must locate the original csl.project file from the CHAMP

device and copy it to your project folder.

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After a TCX file has been loaded into PDI-TOMO, either automatically after exporting from CHA-W or

manually by selecting it from the ‘File’ menu, you are ready to begin the tomography processing. If the

file was opened automatically via exporting from CHA-W – and the ‘Auto Process’ button was checked –

processing will begin immediately. If you did not select ‘Auto Process’ – or you opened the file manually

from the PDI-TOMO ‘File’ menu – then you must manually begin the process.

To manually begin the process, select ‘Start’ from the ‘Processor’ menu. Tomography is a calculation-

intensive process so completion may take a few seconds, or longer, depending on the amount of data. A

status bar will be present during the processing phase.

Once tomography processing has completed, the results will be displayed as either a 3D view of the

shaft or as a series of slices at various depths initially selected automatically by a default algorithm. The

user can toggle between these two primary views, 2D slices and 3D shaft, via the ‘View’ menu (‘Slices’

or ‘3D’) or via the associated toolbar buttons.

SLICE VIEW

The slice mode view displays an effective area graph on the left and four automatically selected

horizontal cross-sectional slices on the right. The automatically selected slices are part of the seamless

one-step operation to go from CHA-W to PDI TOMO. These slices can easily be re-defined by the user as

explained in sections below

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Effective Area Graph

In PDI-TOMO, the principal measure of determining the quality of concrete at a particular depth is

‘effective area’. The tomography process results in a finite number of discrete three-dimensional cells

distributed over the entire volume of the pile, each with its own calculated wave speed value. When a

slice is created at a specific depth, those three-dimensional cells become two-dimensional cells

distributed across the cross-section.

Effective area is defined as the ratio of the cross-sectional area (number of cells) of the slice with wave

speeds greater than a user-defined threshold to the total cross-sectional area (total number of cells).

The user-defined threshold is called EWS (Effective Wave Speed).

For example, if all cells in a cross-sectional slice are above the user-defined limit (EWS – or Effective

Wave Speed), then the slice has 100% effective area. If 80% of the cross-sectional area has wave speeds

above the limit and 20% below, the effective area is 80%, and so on.

In addition to the effective area wave speed limit, EWS, there are four other wave speed values that will

be discussed briefly.

SWS – Source Wave Speed.

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This is the average wave speed value of the profiles exported from the Cross-Hole Analyzer. This

average value excludes potential defects and is adjusted for diverging tubes, calibration errors, cable

slippage, etc. as described above in EXPORTING FROM CHA-W TO PDI-TOMO. This is an image of a CHA-

W profile that has been adjusted:

A slope of zero indicates that any non-parallel characteristics of the profile have been removed and the

intercept indicates that the average wave speed (SWS) is 3857.1 meters/second.

SWS is equivalent to the average wave speed entered by the user when exporting to TomoSonic. Since

this value is now carefully and accurately calculated by CHA-W, user entry is no longer required.

The source wave speed is a critical component required to begin tomography calculations and it

represents the nominal wave speed value of good concrete in the pile for a single two-dimensional

profile scan.

AWS – Average Wave Speed

The average wave speed value (AWS) is the equivalent average wave speed (good concrete only) of the

three-dimensional cells after tomography processing.

From a theoretical point-of-view, both the source wave speed and average wave speed should have the

same value. From a practical standpoint the amount of input data available for tomographic processing

in Cross-Hole measurements for deep foundations applications is typically below the optimum (when

compared to use in medical and other highly-precise work) and this relative lack of data results in slight

differences between the two values. However, the difference is generally less than one percent and

should not be a concern to users.

AWS is a calculated value and cannot be changed by the user.

HWS – High Wave Speed

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Since the majority of wave speeds in any given pile will be centered on the average (AWS), and defects

will have wave speeds that drop well below the average to varying degrees, we want to define a range

of wave speeds that will correspond to the wave speeds of interest in our analysis. As a default, we

define the high end of this range as equivalent to the average wave speed (100% of AWS).

LWS – Low Wave Speed

Likewise, we define the default low end of the wave speed range as 77% of AWS which corresponds to a

30% increase (e.g. delay) in first arrival time from the average.

The values of both LWS and HWS can be re-defined by the user as described below in Wave Speed

Limits.

Wave speeds between LWS and HWS are displayed in the slices as a continuous spectrum corresponding

to the visible light spectrum from red to blue (e.g. low to high wave speeds respectively).

The three horizontal white lines on the color spectrum scale correspond to HWS (highest line), LWS

(lowest line) and EWS (center line).

EWS – Effective Wave Speed

As described above, EWS is the threshold value used for effective area calculations. Any value below

this threshold is considered potentially less than desirable concrete. EWS must be a value between LWS

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and HWS. The effective wave speed limit currently defaults to 95% of AWS but, like LWS and HWS, it

can be modified by the user as described below in Wave Speed Limits.

The value of EWS is important for interpretation of the tomographic analysis results but the use of a

default value of 95% should not be considered an absolute limit, below which concrete is considered

‘defective’ and above which it is considered ‘good’. Pile Dynamics, Inc. makes no recommendation on

what value should be used for EWS and leaves this up to the engineering judgment of the user.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Effective tomographic analysis requires much more source data than is typically

available in CROSS-HOLE measurements. The calculations in PDI-TOMO have taken this relative lack of

data into consideration and optimizations have been added. Optimizations are currently more

successful when a minimum of six access tubes per shaft are utilized. We continue to develop improved

optimizing algorithms for shafts where a lesser number of tubes are used.

Evaluation of tomographic results from a civil engineering standpoint is beyond the scope of this guide.

This guide provides only the basic information required to operate the program. Please contact

EngSupport@pile.com if you require technical support for tomographic results evaluation.

Wave Speed Limits

As noted above, the Source Wave Speed (SWS) and Average Wave Speed (AWS) are calculated values

that cannot be changed by the user. The Effective Wave Speed limit (EWS) and the High and Low limits

(HWS, LWS) can be changed as described below. Setting each of these limits to appropriate values is

critical for proper analysis and presentation of the results.

The variable wave speed limits may be changed via the Wave Speed Limit Editor dialog shown below.

Select ‘Wave Speed Limits’ from the ‘Edit’ menu, or click on the green tool bar button .

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HWS is initially set to 100% of AWS, LWS to 77% of AWS and EWS to 95% of AWS. These values can be

adjusted according to the judgment of the engineer.

After the desired wave speed values have been entered, click ‘Apply’ to apply the values to the current

document while observing the changes and without closing the editor, or click ‘OK’ to apply and close

the editor. Click ‘Cancel’ to leave the current values intact.

HWS and LWS Sliders

In addition to the method described above, HWS and LWS may be changed by means of ‘slider’ controls

in the left pane when displaying slices. When you drag either of these sliders up or down the display of

the slices and the color spectrum scale will change accordingly.

The sliders are initially locked to prevent inadvertent adjustment of carefully selected LWS and HWS

values. In order to use them you must uncheck the boxed labeled ‘Lock’ located directly below the

sliders.

In order to obtain a two color display, LWS should be moved to its highest position – where it matches

EWS – and likewise, HWS to its lowest position where it also matches EWS.

EWS has no equivalent slider control due to the large number of calculations based on the entire volume

of the pile that are required whenever EWS is changed.

TWO-COLOR Mode

In the lower left corner of the Wave Speed Limits dialog is a check box labeled ‘Two Color.’ When this

box is checked, EWS acts as a simple binary threshold. All values above EWS will be displayed as blue

and all values below as red. In the two-color mode, HWS and LWS will be set equal to EWS and the

entry controls for those two values are disabled as shown in the figure below.

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Slices

After tomography calculations have completed, the processor automatically determines the depths of

up to four cross-sections where the effective area has a local minimum. These slices are useful for quick

evaluations but in most cases you may want to re-define, or at least make adjustments to, the default

slice locations – including the number of slices which is selectable from 1 to 4.

The first method of adjusting a slice depth is to simply click on one of the preselected depths

(represented by red or yellow dashed horizontal lines) in the effective area vs. depth graph and drag it

to a new depth location. This method works well for coarse adjustments but for finer control right click

on the slice (after dragging it to an approximate location) in the “Effective Area” chart and select ‘Zoom

here.’ The effective area scale will change to zoom in on the slice at the depth where you right-clicked.

After you have made fine adjustments to the depth, right-click again and select ‘Cancel zoom.’ Repeat

this procedure for each slice as required.

A second method is to open the slice depth editing dialog window (shown below) and manually enter

exact depth locations.

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To open the slice depth editing dialog window right-click anywhere in the effective area vs. depth graph

and select ‘Edit slice depths.’ As you enter a depth in one of the edit boxes to the left, the

corresponding depth marker (yellow dashed line) in the graph changes in synch. If the ‘Zoom’ box is

checked, the graph also zooms to the correct location as depths are entered.

Auto-Slice

The Auto-Slice button duplicates the functionality of the auto-slice method used by the tomography

processor. Whenever tomography processing is started, the last stage is always the selection of default

slices and this button allows you to return to those defaults after you have made edits that you do not

intend to keep.

Slice Mode – “Area” and “Weighted Area” (W.Area)

Since the effective area calculation is based on a simple threshold level there are some subtle issues that

arise when attempting to detect the relative magnitude of multiple defects. For example, if 3200 m/s is

the EWS limit and you have potential defects at two depths – each with 50% of the area slightly above

3200 m/s but one defect with the other 50% of the area at 3000 m/s and the other defect with 50% of

the area at 2000 m/s – then both of these slices are considered equivalent according to the effective

area calculation.

But the slice with 50% of the area at 2000 m/s is arguably more serious than the one with 50% of the

section at 3000 m/s. The weighted effective area calculation takes into account not only the percentage

of the cross-section below the limit but also how far below the limit it is.

The weighted effective area is currently not used in auto-slice calculations but intended only as an

additional tool for the user when manually selecting slices.

3D SHAFT VIEW

This view presents the shaft in 3D mode along with a single cross-sectional horizontal slice in the lower

left corner. The slice will initially be set to the depth of the currently selected slice in the left pane and

will track changes made to the selection. Select ‘3D’ from the ‘View’ menu or click the toolbar

button to show the 3D Shaft View.

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Right-clicking with the mouse in this view will bring up a menu with various options for manipulating the

images as explained below.

Fixed

This is the standard mode for viewing a shaft in 3D. It provides several features useful for locating and

inspecting various areas of the shaft.

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To rotate the shaft, click the left mouse button in the background area of the view to the left or right of

the shaft.

To drag the shaft vertically, move the mouse near the center of the shaft until the cursor changes to a

hand, then click and drag up or down. Hold the ‘Ctrl’ key down for faster dragging.

Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.

To change the depth of the slice shown in the lower-left corner of the view, navigate to the depth of

interest on the shaft, then left-click on shaft at that depth while holding down the ‘Alt’ key (or double-

click at the location). The slice in the lower-left corner will now display the slice at the depth of interest.

Free

“Free” mode allows free rotation of the shaft during visual examination by the user.

Show Tubes, Depth Scale, Volume

The three main components of the shaft view, the ‘volume’ representing the tomography data, the

tubes and the depth scale can be turned on or off from the “show volume”, “show tubes”, “show depth

scale” respectively (as shown in the menu on figure above). .

Volume Aspect Ratio

Since the ratio of a typical shaft’s length to its diameter is relatively large, PDI-TOMO presents a method

of reducing this ratio to aid visualization. When a volume aspect ratio of ‘1’ is selected the shaft will be

displayed in its actual proportion. Selecting a value of ‘2’ for the ratio will expand the diameter by a

factor of 2. Likewise with ‘4’ and ‘8’.

You also have the ability to enter a custom aspect ratio if one of these standard values is not sufficient.

MISCELLANEUOUS MENU ITEMS

Edit – Logo

The printed report page includes space in the upper-right corner for your company’s logo (.jpg, .png,

.bmp, etc.) which can be selected by means of this menu item. This logo will also be stored in each

document you create so it is recommended that you have a pre-selected logo which has been optimized

for size. We recommend that the image file be no more than 20 kB.

Edit – Job Information

Includes various additional items that will appear on the printed report such as company name, project

name, pile name and test date.

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There are also entries for pile length, diameter and cage diameter which are for reference only and do

not affect calculations in any way.

View – OpenGL Information

Information obtained from the operating system regarding the state of your computer’s graphics

capabilities, primarily for diagnostics purposes when graphics issues arise. PDI will always request this

information when you initiate a support request for any issues that may be related to graphics.

Note that the same information is available in the error messages report (see next item) and it is

preferred that you supply the full error report / OpenGL info when initiating a support request.

View – Error Messages

The PDI-TOMO software makes an attempt to log graphics-related errors for diagnostics purposes. As

noted above, if you have issues with graphics and request support, please send a copy of this report to

PDI along with your request.

Options – Units

PDI-TOMO is capable of displaying all data in either Metric or English units regardless of the units system

used originally during data collection or report generation in CHA-W. Initially, PDI-TOMO uses

information from your Windows Regional Settings to determine the most appropriate units, but you

may change this at any time by means of this menu item.

Note that internally all calculations and data storage in PDI-TOMO and CHA-W is in MKS units. English

and Metric are for display purposes only.

Options – Background Color

You have three options for background color when displaying a 3D shaft image or slices: black, white

and gray.

Options – Translations

Currently under development and planned for a future release, PDI-TOMO has limited support for

displaying some of the screen text translated to the user’s language of choice rather than in English.

This item will turn the translations on or off as desired. It is inactive in the initial release of PDI-TOMO.

Options – Load Most Recent File

If this item is checked, PDI-TOMO will load the most recent file you had open each time it runs – with

the exception of being called from CHA-W for auto-processing.

Help – License Information

Displays the current status of PDI-TOMO’s license and facilitates updates when required.

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Help – Check For Updates

Will connect to www.pile.com to determine if a more recent version of the software is available. If it is,

an option will be provided to download the more recent version. This feature will be active only if the

installer has place the version checker dll file in the expected location. If it is not active, please contact

SoftwareSupport@pile.com.

Help – Quick Start Guide

View this Quick Start Guide. It will be active only if the guide has been placed in the expected location

by the PDI-TOMO installer.

PRINTING

PDI-TOMO includes standard Windows printing features accessible via the ‘File’ menu or the Print

button on the toolbar. The general layout of the printed page can be viewed on the screen by means of

the ‘Slices (Print Mode)’ option on the ‘View’ menu. The print mode can also be selected via tool bar

button labeled ‘OUT’ for output.

Like most Windows programs, PDI-TOMO will use the system default printer unless another printer is

selected in the Printer Setup dialog ‘Print …’ which is accessible via the ‘File’ menu. The selection of an

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alternate printer normally lasts only for the period in which the program is running. When the program

is closed and then re-opened at a later time, the selected printer will revert to the system default.

If desired, PDI-TOMO will remember your preferred printer and always use it instead of the system

default. To enable this feature select ‘Printer’ from the ‘File’ menu and check ‘Remember Selection’.

Note that using the Windows system default printer is usually the preferred method. If you typically

always use the same printer for all applications it is recommended that you set the system default

printer via the Windows Control Panel ‘Devices and Printers’ and leave PDI-TOMO’s Printer selection set

to ‘Use System Default’.