The Messages panel gives access to units database. Here you can view messages received from units (coordinates, parameters, speed, etc.) as well as SMS messages received from units, commands sent to units and events registered in units history. Besides, data messages can be exported to several formats.
To open the Messages panel, choose a corresponding name in the top panel or click on the necessary item in the main menu customizer. The workspace of the panel can be divided into four sections:
Vertical sizes of the messages panel and the map are adjustable. To control them, click on the splitter between them and holding the mouse button, drag in a required direction.
There is a specially developed app to work with messages — Messages Manager.
Working with Messages
Working with messages is query messages, view and filter them, and delete them.
Request Messages from Server
The request is formulated in the Messages, in top left corner of the window. You specify the following parameters:
1. Select a unit for execution. The dropdown list contains not all the units available to you, but only
the units from the work list of monitoring panel. In case the work list is empty (when dynamic
work list is used or when units have been deleted from the work list manually), the units to
which you possess the corresponding rights will be displayed. Spanner shaped button situated
to the right of the dropdown list serves to summon up a Unit Properties dialog.
2. Specify time interval to show messages for. The principle of interval adjustment is the same as in
reports (see Query and View Reports). The second and fourth steps can be united into one if you
choose one of the 'quick intervals' (the buttons Today, Yesterday, Week, and Month).
3. Select message type from the dropdown list (each type is described in detail below):
4. At the end, press the Execute button. A table will be generated in the right part of the window. To clear table (and map), press Clear.
Note.
There are alternative ways to query messages:
Note that in order messages track to be displayed on the map you should check if the corresponding
layer icon in the main menu is active.
Viewing Messages
Messages of any type are displayed in the form of a table.
If a large time interval is selected, there will be probably many messages. In this case they will be
presented in several pages. Use navigation panel (blue arrows) to move through the pages, or enter
page number manually and press
The width of the columns is also customizable. To change it, drag column edge with the mouse in the required direction. To reset columns width, push Set column auto width button in such a way that A letter appeared there. In this case, column width will be set per contents in the cells. To save columns width when moving to other page of messages, make the button inactive. Note that if loading many messages (500, 1000 per page), it is better to disable column auto width because it can considerably slow down the loading process especially if the number of parameters differs from one message to another.
Table's content is adjustable. It is possible to hide and show back any column. To choose columns to be displayed, place the cursor over table's header. Near each column name there is a button to show the dropdown list where you can choose what to display. Note that all columns cannot be hidden simultaneously. If sensors are displayed, each of them has its own column that can be enabled or disabled. By default, only visible sensors are displayed (the rest can be enabled manually).
Messages Filter
To quickly find a necessary message, use a special filter. Data messages (with
parameters shown as raw data) can be filtered by parameter names and parameter values, SMS
messages and registered events — by message/event text, sent commands — by additional parameters'
values, log — by description of the action. The filter is disabled for data messages with parameters
shown as sensor values.
Details instructions for filter usage were given above. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?) or input
your query without them. For example, to find all messages with images input “image”. Other available
parameters depend on device type used.
To apply the filter, press
Attention! The filter affects only the current page. However, while leafing through pages, the filter is
applied to each new page automatically.
Note. Deleting last incoming message or last message with position (valid coordinates) is impossible.
That is why the delete checkbox for these messages is always dimmed.
Note. Measurement system (either metric or U.S.) used to display speed, altitude as well as statistic
information depends on unit's properties.
Statistics
In the Statistics section the general information about the request is given:
Using the Map
The track for the chosen period is displayed on the map. It is generated together with the table. Click on
any message in the table to move to this point on the map. The map is centered on this point and a blue
marker is set there.
By default, track color is blue, but you can adjust settings to paint the track depending on speed or sensor value. This is set in unit properties dialog on the Advanced tab.
Besides, to get information about track points, hover mouse cursor over and see information in a tooltip (time, address, speed, altitude, coordinates, satellites, sensor values). Note that messages are searched in the radius of 50 pixels from the cursor.
Note. If after the Messages panel you switch to Map or Reports panel, map layout and all track lines
are preserved. To remove unnecessary graphics, go back to the Messages panel and press the Clear
button. More…
Charts
Besides tables, some data can be presented in the graphical form. To switch between the modes, use and buttons correspondingly.
In the graphical mode, parameters charts are available. When you switch to the graphical mode, the Chart legend panel opens on the left. There you tick parameters to be displayed in the chart. Several parameters can be selected simultaneously. Then the chart will contain several curves. For your convenience, they will by drawn with different colors.
The chart can be zoomed with the help of a mouse. Select the necessary section holding the left mouse button. Place the mouse pointer over a point to get the precise value at the point in a tooltip.
SMS Messages
SMS messages can be sent by unit while executing a command, generating an alarm or in other cases, which depend on device type. A table generated for this request will consist of three columns: time when message was received, message text, and SIM card number embedded into unit. Messages can be filtered by text.
Sent Commands
Commands sent to the unit by user(s) are displayed for this request. There is a special button in the monitoring panel to send commands to units. The resulting table includes:
Registered Events
Different types of events can be registered in unit history automatically or manually.
Automatic registration is adjusted with the help of notifications (delivery method must be Register event for unit, Register as violation, or Register unit status). In such a manner, you can control geofence visits, connection loss, idling, service intervals, etc.
Manually an event can be registered in the special registrar in the monitoring panel. With this method, you can register fuel fillings, maintenance, unit statuses, and any custom event.
Traffic counter reset and routes statuses can be saved as events.
In the table, you see:Unit Log
Any manipulations with unit properties or its database are logged in the system automatically. In addition, records can be added to unit log manually — through event registrar. To see unit log or add messages to it, you should have not only Query reports or messages access but also Manage log.
Any changes in Unit Properties dialog are logged as well as import, export, and removal of messages, assignment or reset of a driver and others.
Unit log contains the following information:
Unit log is also presented as a report.
Export/Import Messages
Messages can be imported and exported. It concerns only messages of the first type that is data
messages.
Attention! Size limit for an imported file/archive is 64 MB, which, in case of archive, is approximately
3.5 million messages.
Export
Open the Export Messages tab in the left section of the window. Select destination format and push
Export.
Depending on your browser configuration settings, you will be offered to open or save the file. The
resulting file can be compressed. For this, leave the flag Compress file.
The supported formats are:
Import
Select the Import Messages tab in the left section of the window.
The supported formats are:
Click on the empty field, specify a file (or an archive) to import messages from, and push the 'Upload' button.
Hint. To simplify and accelerate the process, you may first compress files with ZIP or GZIP. When the
uploading process is completed, files will be unpacked and processed on the server.