What is Ibid?
Ibid is an electronically controlled digital PC whiteboard with productivity software designed for use in the context of a personal office, conference, or training room. The 2'x3' whiteboards weigh less than 18 pounds, the 3' x 4' whiteboards weigh 30 pounds, and the 4' x 6' board weighs 50 pounds . They are designed to mount on an office wall, cubicle divider, or on an optional easel. The software portion is a 32-bit application for use on any i486 33Mhz (or better) PC running Windows (Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, and Windows NT 3.51 & 4.0). Ibid uses standard dry erase markers and is powered from a small plug-in "brick" 7.5v power supply. A custom eraser is supplied. You can see the complete product line of Ibid whiteboards by clicking here.
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How Does Ibid Work?
Ibid uses resistive sensor technology to "feel" the location of your pen or an eraser.
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Who is Ibid ideally designed for?
Ibid is applicable to anyone who uses a whiteboard and PC, and therefore has a broad-based functionality and user target. From engineers, architects, and MIS personnel to executives, lawyers, and physicians, anyone who works with a whiteboard, collaboratively or alone, will benefit from Ibid's ability to capture, display and transmit hand-drawn information in real time.
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How does Ibid save money?
It's often said that time is money, and Ibid saves both by making you and your staff more efficient and productive. No longer will staff need to copy whiteboard text or diagrams during an important meeting, since information displayed on Ibid can be printed out immediately and distributed to meeting attendees. No longer do you have to recreate the results of brainstorming sessions for employees unable to attend or located in other offices, since data created on Ibid can be stored and sent promptly as either hard-copy or electronic output.
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How does Ibid communicate with the PC?
Ibid uses a standard RS-232 serial cable to communicate with the PC. The whiteboard controller generates up to 192 touch points per second, which are transmitted at 9600 baud to the PC. On the PC side, a driver runs under Windows/NT and checks the designated serial port 200 times per second for incoming data. If data is available, the Ibid Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) validates the data, saves it to a file, and updates the application screen. In Windows 3.1x and 95, Ibid does not use an Interrupt Request (IRQ) or require that one be available for the designated serial port. However, Ibid cannot access the port if another driver has opened the port and/or taken an IRQ resource for that port. With Windows NT, an available IRQ resource is required.
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What file format does Ibid use and can I export the data to other applications?
Ibid uses a proprietary, compact vector-based format. Each snapshot image can be exported directly to a disk file either through the "export" command or by dragging the snapshot to the desktop. Ibid can export snapshot images as both .BMP and .WMF formats. Ibid can place snapshots onto the Windows clipboard for use by other applications that can accept .BMP and .WMF formats. A third approach to working with images involves dragging them, one at a time, directly to an OLE-aware application window such as Word or PowerPoint. Ibid also supports moving multiple images between Ibid files, either directly from within the application, or through the clipboard. Ibid does not support moving multiple images into another application in a single operation.
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How does Ibid know where I am?
Ibid uses Resistive sensor technology. Resistive sensor technology is a very common and inexpensive means of creating a touchscreen for small format devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and CRT monitors. Recently, PolyVision Corporation has developed a number of processes that allow this technology to be used on very large formats, such as Ibid. The front surface of the whiteboard is actually a thin polyester membrane, called the "top sheet", suspended over a solid back surface and held under some tension. Another thin polyester sheet, the "bottom sheet", is bonded directly to the backer under the top sheet. Each sheet is coated with a conductive film. The space between the top sheet and the bottom sheet is called the "gap" and averages about 0.030 inches. The inside facing surfaces of the two sheets are coated with a conductive material that allows a small electrical current to flow through them. Electrical contacts are made to the upper and lower edges of the bottom (Y) sheet and to the left and right edges of the top (X) sheet. The writing location on the surface is determined by applying sufficient force to cause the two conductive surfaces to come into contact with each other. The sheets then act as resistive voltage dividers. By applying electrical signals alternately to the top and bottom sheets the touch location can be measured in each axis.
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What is Ibid's resolution?
Ibid is a vector-based system. That means that instead of capturing images in an array of pixels like a bitmap, it remembers where you draw and stores that information as a set of individual lines called "strokes". Because of that, the instant you write on the board, it is captured on the PC, in the order you actually write.
The advantages of vector-based graphics is that they are resolution independent. A vector-based image printed on a 300 DPI printer will print at 300 DPI. The same image printed on a 600 DPI printer will print at 600 DPI.
The raw data rate between the whiteboard and the PC is 192 points per second. While you are making contact with the board, the controller is checking your location and reporting it to the computer almost 200 times every second. Why so many points? Consider that if you draw your hand across the 2'x3' board in 2 seconds, that is a velocity of 18 inches/second. We would report a new location every 0.094" or about 90 thousands of an inch.
Our electrical resolution is also governed by the physical distance you have to move along the surface at any speed before the controller can detect a change in voltage. For the 2'x3' board, this number is about 0.005", or 5 thousandths of an inch. In other words, we can detect over 8000 different positions in each axis.
Since, under most conditions, Ibid captures far more data than can be displayed or printed, we then compress the data somewhat and throw out the near identical points to reduce the file size.
The issue of resolution usually comes up because the user is experiencing "jagged" edges. When users export to a bitmap (.BMP) file, they are outputting to one of the lowest resolution graphics formats. A typical bitmap file has only 200 by 200 pixels, far less than the several thousand we save. Unless the bitmap file is created with literally thousands of points in each axis, the visible resolution will be dramatically reduced.
A Windows metafile (.WMF) on the other hand, is a higher resolution graphics format because it also stores information as strokes, not pixels. Stroke data will appear far less "jaggedy" when stored and translated from this format because it actually re-draws the lines when the file is opened. Since the vast majority of the whiteboard screen is usually empty, a meta-file is also a much more efficient representation of the data as well.
Unfortunately, a display monitor also produces a bitmapped image so even a meta-file will produce jaggedy lines on a low resolution display. The same principal holds true for printers. Again, since vector-based graphics are resolution independent, the higher the resolution of the monitor or printer, the "smoother" the Ibid image will appear.
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Why is the icon above or below the one I pressed, selected?
Occasionally the controller inside the whiteboard will lose it's calibration settings due to a power surge or by other means. Additionally, certain actions performed in the included testapps will change the setting of the controller. If this is the case the board will need to be recalibrated. This can be self-performed by downloading the templates and instructions or by calling technical support for assistance.
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I only have one serial port on my desktop PC. Currently my mouse is connected to that port. Can I use a Y-mouse connector to install both the mouse and the Ibid whiteboard to COM1?
No. A Y-mouse connector allows you to connect 2 devices that use a similar driver. For example, you could connect a mouse and a tablet because they both use a pointing device driver. You could connect 2 monitors to one port using a Y-mouse connector or you could connect 2 keyboards to one port using a Y-mouse connector. Because the mouse and the whiteboard use dramatically different drivers, you would not be able to share COM1 using a Y-mouse connector. If you want to leave your serial mouse on COM1 and you do not have another serial port available, you must purchase and install another I/O (Input/Output) controller to get another serial port.
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I will be installing this in another country. What power supply output voltage does Ibid require?
Ibid requires an output voltage from its power supply of between 7.5 and 12 volts DC. The power supply must be able to source at least 300 milli-amperes. We are currently working on the internationalization of the power components and should have UK wall bricks available shortly. The DC power input to Ibid is a round barrel connector with tip negative and ring positive. CAUTION: If you substitute a power brick with the wrong polarity, you may cause permanent damage to the Ibid PC controller board into which the serial and power cables connect.
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Do I need special pens, eraser, or cleaner for the Ibid whiteboard?
No, the Ibid whiteboard does not require special pens, eraser, or cleaner. Any type of whiteboard dry-erase marker, eraser, or cleaner will work on Ibid. PolyVision Corporation does provide a special round eraser with Ibid that works well with our software. PLEASE NOTE: The surface of Ibid is designed for contact only with whiteboard markers and soft erasers. Do not use ball point pens, hard pointers or other devices that may cause a crease or scratch in the surface of the whiteboard. This may render the board inoperative and is not covered by the warranty.
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Is there a way to remove permanent marker from the whiteboard?
Yes. Take one of the Expo dry erase marker and draw over the permanent ink. Let it sit for a few seconds and wipe off with a cloth or towel. There is a solution in the Expo markers that will lift off the permanent ink.
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Will Ibid work with Microsoft NetMeeting?
Yes. Ibid 2.0 provides automatic integration with Microsoft NetMeeting which provides you with complete control of the NetMeeting whiteboard using the Ibid whiteboard tools.
The Ibid whiteboard should work with most conferencing software that can "share" applications. In this manner you can transmit whiteboard images over Internet, LAN, or modem-to-modem connections in real-time. At this time, the whiteboard has been tested with NetMeeting? 2.1 and 3.0.
To use Ibid with the conferencing software, you would "call" the participating parties through the conferencing software's connection facility. In NetMeeting?, you can "call" users modem-to-modem, via an IP address, or via their "computer name" in a LAN environment. Once the users are connected, you would start the Ibid application (if it is not already running).
Start the NetMeeting whiteboard utitlity and use the ibid board as you would normally. The icon strip and strokes will map into the NetMeeting whiteboard and send that data to all participants with the NetMeeting whiteboard utility open. The data will record in both NetMeeting and in ibid on the local machine. Remote machines will only receive data in NetMeeting and do not need the ibid application to participate.
A second method would be to identify Ibid to the conferencing software as a "Shareable" application. Please note that with NetMeeting? version 2.0+, users running NT cannot support sharing applications unless they have installed Service Pack 3. Depending on the conferencing software you are using, you may need to turn on the "Collaboration" option, allowing others to take control of your Ibid session.
At this point, the NetMeeting parties can view what is being drawn on the whiteboard. With the 1.0 and 1.5 versions of Ibid software, if a remote user wants a printout of the whiteboard snapshot(s), the snapshot file(s) must be electronically sent to that user from the host PC. If the remote user is not running the Ibid application or the Freeware Viewer, make certain to export the images to a .BMP, .WMF, .JPG, or HTML format.
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What size are the .WBD files when doing a real-time transfer over the Internet?
Not to be vague, but the size of the .WBD file depends on the size of the drawing you are doing. With version 1.0 and 1.1 (NT Beta), the initial size of a blank .WBD file is approximately 70KB. Typical file sizes for 10 snapshots range less than 150K. Files can grow to several MB if you use the board for many days and put all of that activity into the same .WBD file. In addition, with the 1.5 Professional Series software, you can embed .WMF overlays into your file. Your file size can grow quite large depending on the complexity of the .WMF overlays.
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Will Ibid work with a configuration that has a digitizing tablet such as a WACOM product instead of a mouse on one of the serial ports?
Yes, the Ibid board will work with a tablet that is connected to a serial communications port. The only problem comes in when you decide to move the tablet onto a different serial port so that you can install Ibid on the COM port the tablet is currently on. You must uninstall the tablet both logically and physically from the first COM port, then reinstall it (logically and physically) on the second COM port. If you do not run the uninstall program provided with your tablet, the pen driver will not release the COM port and the Ibid software cannot communicate with the whiteboard during the installation.
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Will Ibid work on a Macintosh PC?
Yes, we now have Macintosh software available.
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Will Ibid work with my Laptop? I read a review that indicated there were some Laptops that might have difficulties communicating with the Ibid board.
There are some Laptops that have a serial port that is only available for modem use. Check with your manufacturer to determine if your Laptop's serial port is a standard serial connection or a communications-only (modem only) serial port.
At this time, the only known issue for using Ibid with Laptops is a signal interference caused by the Laptop AC adapter. Basically, when the Laptop is running off of the AC adapter, the whiteboard data being captured and sent to the PC is broken up. We have received shipment of grounded power supplies for the whiteboard and are in the process of distributing them now. Please e-mail us if this affects you. In the meantime, you can circumvent this problem by either running off battery power or by using an external monitor attached to your Laptop. The external monitor will ground the system and allow you to use the Laptop's AC adapter with no signal interference.
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Does the Ibid software modify the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files?
Neither file is modified during installation of the Ibid application.
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What type of serial cable does Ibid use, and what is the maximum length of cable that can be used with the whiteboard?
Ibid uses the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 standard for serial communications with the PC. A 9-pin female connector is provided under the whiteboard tray and a 9-25 pin adapter is included in the accessory kit. Only three wires are needed: transmit, receive, and ground wires (pins 2, 3, & 7). There is no support for handshaking. The maximum length of cable that is supported is 25 feet.
If a longer distance is required we recommend using line drivers.
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Does Ibid come in multiple sizes?
At present there are four size configurations of the Ibid PC Whiteboard available. They are the Ibid 100 & Ibid 200, the Ibid 150, the Ibid 300 & Ibid 400, and the Ibid 500 & Ibid 600. The 100, 200 and 150 have approximately the same active area (36" by 24"). The Ibid 100 & 200 are in a landscape format, while the Ibid 150 is in a portrait format. The larger format Ibids include the Ibid models 300 & 400 which provide an active area of 3' x 4', and the Ibid models 500 & 600 which provides an active area of 4' x 6'. Visit our Ibid products page for the latest updates on our products. Click here to view a Products & Pricing matrix.
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Can Ibid snapshots be displayed back on the Ibid whiteboard?
Yes with a LCD projector. If you have a professional series board and an LCD projector, your captured images can be projected onto the whitebaord.
It is not possible without a projector. Other than rear projection, no technology is known for displaying computer-stored data on a surface such as a whiteboard.
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Does Ibid work with USB?
Yes, ibid will work with USB to RS232 adapters and hubs. As long as the software and drivers included with the adapter/converter treat the port as COM1-4, ibid software will communicate with the whiteboard. The USB converter drivers will automatically intercept the data passing through the USB port and assign it to a generated COM port. There may be no actual COM port on the PC, but the drivers will trick the PC into treating the USB data as a Com port.
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How do I upgrade my software and board to the new version?
This depends on what model board you have and what version of the software you are currently running. If you have any of the business series whiteboards (Model 50,100,150,300,or 500) all you need is the free business series software download.
If you have a professional series board (200,400,600), you will need to purchase an upgrade kit from your local dealer. There is a change in the whiteboard icon strip on the Model 400 & 600, and therefore a stick-on icon upgrade is needed. The kit inlcudes the new CD-ROM software, icon upgrade stickers, a plastic stylus for projection, and a users guide.
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