Effect Library Manager:
Effect libraries are collections of effect descriptions which tell ShowSim how to display the effects during a simulation.  Because there can be thousands of effects, they are organized into libraries to make them more manageable.  Each library is further organized into a fixed set of categories that organizes effects by type, such as gerb, strobe, peony shell etc.


The Effect Library Manager, which is accessed from the View menu, allows you to examine basic information about each effect library that you have installed.  This utility panel, as seen above, is very similar to the Show Manager in the way it operates.  When a library is selected from the list, some basic information will be displayed next to the list.

Each library has three permission levels: allow export, allow copy and allow edit.  The standard library that ships with ShowSim will allow export and copying, but editing is not permitted in order to insure that shows created by other people will perform the same on your computer.  If you need a new effect that is very similar to an effect in the standard library, the best way to create it is to clone the effect from the standard library into your own custom library, then edit the cloned version as needed.

Optional libraries that can be purchased online and downloaded into ShowSim will not allow exporting, copying or editing, otherwise it would be a simple matter to pirate these libraries and pass them around for free.  These libraries typically contain manufacturer specific timing and effects which should not be altered anyway.  There is no need to export a backup because you can always re-download any effect library that you have purchased as many times as you need to any time in the future.

Custom libraries that you create yourself will allow exporting, copying and editing of all effects.  In order to help insure that changes to your custom libraries are backed up using the export method, a “Backed Up” flag exists in the library summary.  If the backed up status is “No,” this means there have been changes to the library since it was last exported.  Whenever the library is exported, this flag will be set to “Yes.”

New- the new button is used to create a new custom effect library.  You will be prompted to enter a name and description for the new library, with the option to cancel the operation as well.  The new library will be added to the list once you click OK to confirm the new library.

Delete- the delete button will delete an effect library and all effects within it.  There is no way to undo this operation, so there is potential for permanent data loss.  In order to prevent accidental data loss, an effect library can not be deleted unless it has been exported first.  If the  backup status of the library is set to “No,” then the delete operation can not be completed.

Import- the import button will bring up the effect import panel, which is described here.

Export- the export button will bring up the effect export panel, which is described here.

Download- the download button is used to access effect libraries that you have purchased online.  A screen will pop up showing the names of all effect libraries that you have purchased, after which you can select one and download it into your local database.  Note that you must have an active internet connection when downloading effect libraries this way.