Task 3.4: Implement Custom Text

Purpose:  Creates or changes custom headers and footers that appear on various TraCS reports for example, the parking ticket instructions, or guardian letterhead banner.

Requirements: TraCS Office computer, web client and system admin account

Note: For more details on the Table Manager tools, see the reference section of this guide.

If your agency is satisfied with the letterhead banners being blank or you plan to use pre-printed letterhead, you may choose to skip customizing letterhead banners.  However, the closing sections of the letters and the parking ticket instructions should be customized because the reports aren’t very useful with these sections left blank.  Some sample custom texts are listed at the end of this task.

• Start TraCS 

• Sign in with a System Admin Account.

• Select the Tools tab on the ribbon menu.

• Open the Custom Text Utility Form

  • From the Tools ribbon menu.

  • Select Custom Text.

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• Update Custom Text to add an update group.

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Note: The  Delete Group button will delete the current group it is above. 

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• Enter the requested data.

• Verify that the correct TraCS Agency Number for your agency appears.   (If you support multiple agencies in the same TraCS database, you will want to login as a system admin for the agency you want to configure.)

• Tab to the Custom Text Name field. 

• Select item from the drop-down list that you want to add or modify the text of.

• Press <Enter>.

 Note: Any pre-existing custom text will display in the Custom Text field.  The dashed red line indicates the allotted space form the custom text.  Any text entered showing below the red line will not appear on the report. 

• Click the Edit button to open the rich text editor.

• Create your custom text using the rich text editor.

Note: the rich text editor is a stripped down word processor similar in function to MS-Word.  You may create your custom text using a variety of fonts and formatting.

Although there is no button for it in the editor, it is also possible to insert a small graphic into the custom text you are creating.  This is useful for incorporating your agency’s logo into the letterhead banner.   If you copy a small image to the clipboard from MS-Paint or elsewhere, you may use <Ctrl-V> to paste the image into the editor and it would accept it.  The image is stored in RTF format along with the rest of the custom text.  Custom text is limited to 5000 characters, overall.  It is easy to exceed this limit and crash program when working with image data!  Choose small, low resolution images and proceed at your own risk when incorporating graphics into custom text.

• Click Save/Close when you are done editing the custom text entry.

• Repeat from step 5a until all the custom texts have been edited to meet the needs of your agency.

• Press the validate button  to validate the form and add the custom text to TraCS.

After updating table

• User accounts for all Office are updated as soon as you click Apply.  However, a distribution will need to be created and run in order to push the changes to mobile clients. 

• Mobile Clients

  • Regular system – requires a distribution to get changes sent to the Field units

    • Complete Task 4.1 to make a new distribution. (Note: for web services agency see task 4.9 for alternate to running a distribution)

    • https://wi-state-patrol.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYCngg

  • Web Services System – set up with a batch server can set up a automatic system to distribute table updates

  • Hosted Environment – All local tables (e.g. Ordinance, court schedule, etc.) will be updated by the agency, which can be done using any web client. All table updates are due by the End of the Day before the tables are updated. Distribution of the updated tables will be processed and ready early every morning. Distribution will run the next time the user logs in and logs off if distribution is set to automatic download.

Sample Closing for Citation Letters

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Sample Instructions for Parking Tickets

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Sample Payment Address for Parking Tickets

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