How do I Make a Custom Process Model?

TestStand allows you to easily modify the Process Model. It is easiest to copy the default process model and make changes to the copy, however, you can also start by creating a new sequence file. This discussion assumes that you will copy the default process model and modify the copy.

Copying Default Process Model

From Windows Explorer, copy the <TestStand>\Components\NI\Models\TestStandModel directory to TestStand\Components\USER\Models\TestStandModel.

By default, TestStand will use components in the USER directory instead of components in the NI directory because the User components directory is placed above NI components directory in TestStand's search directories. You can view the search directories by selecting Configure>>Search Directories.

Refer to the User Manual for a detailed discussion of the search directories.

When you return to the main window of the sequence editor, you can view the TestStand Station Model in the status bar at the bottom of the sequence editor.

Note1: The status bar may not refresh immediately and you may need to relaunch the sequence editor to refresh the display.

Note2: You can double click on the displayed process model to open that sequence file.
If you rename TestStandModel.seq, you will need to specify the new name of the Station Model in Configure>>Station Options under the Model tab.



In this dialog, you specify the process model that TestStand uses during sequence execution. Please refer to the User manual for a detailed explanation of the Model tab of the Station Options dialog box.

Modifying the Process Model

You can now modify your copy of the process model by adding steps or variables to perform the specific operations that you need. You can add execution or configuration entry points or callbacks.

When you add steps to the execution entry point sequences, you must disable Record Results. Only the results of the MainSequence Callback should be sent to the TestReport Callback which is the first index in Locals.ResultList. If you add another step to an execution entry point sequence, but don't disable Record Results, then the results of that step will be sent to the TestReport Callback.

Open the copy of TestStandModel.seq from <TestStand>\Components\User\Models\TestStandModel. Since the process model is a sequence file, you can edit this file just like any other sequence file. Most steps include comments to explain their purpose.

Select All Sequences in the sequence file View selector ring. This displays all sequences within TestStandModel.seq. Each sequence has a comment explaining its purpose.


The sequences are color coded. The five different colors denote the five types of sequences, as described below.

Sequence Type	Color		Purpose
Execution Entry Point	Red		Each execution entry point in the menu represents a separate entry point sequence in the process model which gives the test station operator different ways to invoke a Main sequence
Model Callback	Green		These are sequences thats can be overwritten in the client sequence to customize the behaviour of the process model.
Normal	Blue		These are normal sequences that performs a task.
Configuration Entry Point	Purple		Configures a feature of the processmodel. Configuration entry points are listed in the Configure menu.
Engine Callback	Dark Purple		Callback sequences that is invoked at specific points during execution, like before and after the execution of individual steps, before and after interactive executions,etc.

You can configure or create new sequences in the process model. For more information about modifying the process model, refer to the User Manual and other documents in NIDZ.

See Also:
What is a Configuration Entry Point?
Adding Configuration Entry Points to TestStand Process Models
Adding Custom Callbacks to TestStandModel.seq
Adding Execution Entry Points to TestStand Process Models

Related Links:
TestStand User Manual

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