Custom buttons on the MES menu

The classic MES menu has spare buttons (for example on the Supervisor tab) that do nothing by default. Customizing one is the standard way to give operators or supervisors a shortcut to a dashboard, a UD form or a customized Epicor screen without leaving MES.

1. Put the target on a menu

The button launches a menu item by its Menu ID, so whatever you want to open must exist in Menu Maintenance first. For a dashboard, deploy it and add a menu item with Program Type Dashboard-Assembly (see Classic dashboards overview). Note the Menu ID, e.g. XX_MESDASH.

Users need menu security access to that item, or the button will open nothing.

2. Claim a spare button

1. Start MES with the -MESC shortcut and open the customization tools (right-click the MES menu, Customization).
2. Select the spare button. In its properties, clear any default EpiBinding and set Text to the caption you want.
3. Copy its EpiGuid from the Misc group.

3. Wire it up

The button is a base control, so you get it by EpiGuid, enable it on load and handle its click:

// Add Custom Module Level Variables Here **
private EpiButton btnXXDash;

public void InitializeCustomCode()
{
    btnXXDash = (EpiButton)csm.GetNativeControlReference("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000");
    btnXXDash.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.btnXXDash_Click);
}

public void DestroyCustomCode()
{
    btnXXDash.Click -= new System.EventHandler(this.btnXXDash_Click);
}

private void MESMenu_Load(object sender, EventArgs args)
{
    btnXXDash.ReadOnly = false;   // spare buttons start disabled
}

private void btnXXDash_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs args)
{
    ProcessCaller.LaunchForm(oTrans, "XX_MESDASH");
}

Add the Load handler with the Form Event Wizard so it’s wired correctly, then Test Code and save.

Passing a value to the form you open

LaunchFormOptions lets you pass something along, such as the job the operator is working on, and control how the new window behaves:

private void OpenJobHelper(string jobNum)
{
    LaunchFormOptions opts = new LaunchFormOptions();
    opts.IsModal = true;          // MES waits until the helper closes
    opts.ContextValue = jobNum;   // any object; a string is simplest
    ProcessCaller.LaunchForm(oTrans, "XX_JOBHELP", opts);

    oTrans.RefreshLaborData();    // refresh MES's activity list afterwards
}

In the launched form’s customization, read the value when it loads:

private void XX_JobHelpForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs args)
{
    if (XX_JobHelpForm.LaunchFormOptions != null && XX_JobHelpForm.LaunchFormOptions.ContextValue != null)
    {
        string jobNum = XX_JobHelpForm.LaunchFormOptions.ContextValue.ToString();
        // fill a field, run a search, etc.
    }
}

Replace XX_JobHelpForm with the launched form’s actual name, as shown at the top of its Script Editor.

A modal launch keeps the helper on top so it can’t get lost behind the MES window, which matters on shared shop-floor PCs.