The ShopMap tab stores information about the materials and equipment (substrates, plates, film, and presses) that you use with PLA jobs.
Using the ShopMap saves you the trouble of entering resource specifications every time you use PLA. Set up the ShopMap before you start using the software, and keep it up-to-date by adding new materials and equipment as needed.
Note: You can import existing ShopMap resources from the Pandora to PLA, but the ShopMaps are not synchronized. Any resources that you add to one ShopMap are not automatically added to the ShopMap of the other software application.
Artwork and marks resources are not managed through the ShopMap. Artwork is specified in the New Layout dialog box or from your MIS. Marks are specified on the Marks tab.
There are two ways you can add materials and equipment to the ShopMap:
- Add new resources one at a time by providing specifications in dialog boxes.
- Import resources one at a time as XML files, after exporting them from the ShopMap in Pandora.
If the resource that you are adding has only a few specifications (such as a substrate), adding it as new is probably just as fast as importing it. But if you are setting up several installations of the PLA software with the same material and equipment specifications, importing XML files ensures uniformity.