Configuring Adams > Managing Files > Binary Files

Binary Files

You can create a binary file, acar, or adriveline, that contains database information for the customized menus, dialog boxes, and buttons that appear in template-based products (Adams Car, or Adams Driveline). When you start a template-based product with your binary file, the product reads in your customized interface instead of the standard binary file.

You can create the binary files in your private (home) directory where only you can access them or place them in the site location for all users to access.

To specify the interface changes that you want in the binary file, you create a command file containing Adams View commands for modifying the interface. For example, the following commands create a new menu named New Menu and a button named DO IT under the menu:

interface menu create &

menu_name=.gui.main.aca_sta_mbar.new_menu &

enabled=yes &

label ="New Menu"

interface push_button create &

push_button_name = .gui_man.aca_sta_mbar_new_menu.do_it &

enabled = yes &

label = "DO IT" &

command = "list_info entity=.ACAR"

The name of the command file must be acar_build.cmd, or adriveline_build.cmd, (depending on your product) and must be in your private or site directory.

For information on directory structure for storing binary files, see Directory Structure for Template-Based Products. For more on creating acar_build.cmd, see the Customize tab in your template-based product's online help. For more on command files, see the Adams View online help.

There is no restriction on the size of the binary file. While there is no theoretical limit to .bin file size, practically speaking, the size of a .bin file will be limited to the amount of RAM available to the Adams session.

To create a binary file on Windows:

1. From the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Adams x (where x is the release number, for example Adams 2024.1), and then select Command Prompt.

2. Enter acar, or adriveline.

3. Enter the code to create the binary (for example, enter cr-privatebin or cr-sitebin).

To create a binary file on Linux:

1. Right-click the Adams Car, Adams Driveline, tool, point to New, point to [Product] Binary, and then select the location for the binary file. For example, for Adams Car, point to Adams Car, point to New, point to ACar Binary, and then select the location for the binary file.

2. Select OK.

Note:

We strongly encourage you to review your product's log file (acar.log, and so on) for any warning or error messages that may have occurred during the building of the binary file.