Welcome to Datacolor Tools

Congratulations on your purchase of Datacolor Tools!

You can download the software from this page, view the Quick Start guide for your product, plus find helpful links to User Guides and additional support.

Get Started

Follow these simple steps below to start using your new software product:

1. Download

Download your software packages using the corresponding link:

Note: To install the ISO image, open File Explorer and right-click on the file. From the pop-up menu, select the Mount command. This will open a virtual drive that is visible in File Explorer, from which you can install the software.

2. Install

Important note before install: Please note this installation process is for standalone systems (a single computer), if you need multisystem installation, please contact your Datacolor representative for different procedures.
Additional factors for successful installation:

  • Make sure your computer hardware and operating system meet the requirements below
  • You must have administrative right to your computer for the installation to complete

Install the Software on your computer. You must install the software in the following order:

1) Sybase • 2) Datacolor Tools

 

3. Activate

There are two options for activating your new Software, select the options applicable to you:

  • Online Activation Process:
    Launch the software and follow the steps in License Activation Dialog Box. Use the activation code from your Datacolor email.
  •  

  • Offline Activation Process:
    If you don’t have internet access and need to active offline, please contact support.

    If you need additional information please download this guide.

4. Additional Information

Datacolor provides you additional information to get the most out of your software:

Software Downloads

Sybase

Datacolor Tools

Datacolor Sort

Datacolor Monitor

System Requirements

ComponentSystem Requirements
Operating SystemWindows 10 and 11 (Pro or Enterprise Only)
Required FrameworkMicrosoft .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher
ProcessorDual Core or higher (See Windows operating system requirements)
Memory8 GB or more
Hard drive500 GB
For ToolsSV: SSD 1 TB Min, 4 TB
Display1920×1080 – size of text only 100% supported
Graphic cardGraphic card supporting OpenGL 2.1
ConnectionsSerial, USB, Bluetooth or Ethernet (depending on spectrophotometer model)
Server OSWindows Server 2016, 2019, 2022
Additional RequirementsOnly for Paint 2.X: SQL Server 2022
Only for Tools 2.X: SQL Server 2012 to 2019
Internet ConnectionInternet access recommended for software updates and license activation
LAN ConnectionFor ToolsSV – Network should be 1 GBPS min
 
NotesLower system configurations may limit performance, data capacity and operation of some features. Faster processor, more memory and faster hard drives will significantly enhance performance.

Additional Information

Datacolor provides you additional information to get the most out of your software:

Do you have problems, questions or comments – feel free to contact us

Get Support

FAQs and Howtos for Tools

Turning off Lite Mode in Tools 2.X

  1. Go to the tab ‘System’ then select the 1st button ‘setup’ . When the ‘system setup’ menu appears. Uncheck the selection for ‘Lite Mode Enabled’. Then click ‘ok’. It will require closing in reopening Tools to take effect.
  2. Sometimes it does not work the first time so try the same procedure again and should work.
  3. You will know lite mode is off when you do not see the arrow below the desktop explorer section in Tools.

See attached screen shots.

Turn on Autoscale in Tools color Difference Plots

Go to the Tab ‘System’ then click on the first small icon (Plot Defaults). Then choose the ‘Color Difference’ tab. From there you can choose the scaling to a fixed amount or autoscale (Autoscale will adjust the graph to fit a batches on the graph)

Reconnect or reset instrument in DatacolorTools

If the calibrate button is not working it may be the instrument has lost connection. In Datacolor Tools go to the tab ‘instrument’ at the top. The click on the button ‘setup’(second from the left). There will be a drop down on this page. Click on it and select your instrument. If it says sim2000. That is incorrect. Select yours from the drop down and see if it connects.

Some specifier and user security settings can make button bars uneditable.

1) Using Windows Explorer locate the files: TOPBAR.CNF and BOTBAR.CNF

2) Right click on each. Select “properties” and ensure the “Read Only” attribute box is unchecked.

3) Verify that the current windows user has permission to read and edit files in the containing folder(s).
Restart Datacolor Tools / ColorTools

On the instrument menu, select Calibrate. Then, enter a number based on hours, in the box, Calibration Time Interval. The default is 8 hours. This is the recommended maximum setting.

Contrast Ratio is a mathematical measurement tool used to set a numerical value to a sample’s level of translucency up to the level of opacity. See attached for details.

You will click on the ’Search’ button on the ribbon bar in Tools. Then on the search page under ’sample type’ choose ’CSI Color Wall’. The option ’update CSI library’ button will be available. Click it and browse to the proper file on cd or elsewhere. The file name will have the extension .qtx_enc i.e. colorwall.qtx_enc . See file for details.

Tools has a search utility which can be used to help you identify measurements stored in its database which are colorimetrically close to a new color standard. You can set the parameters of this search. The Search option will return measurement names and their measurements so that you might then put them on the Tools desktop to further evaluate them against the new standard.

You must train the batches to a standard by marking them as ’Pass’, ’Fail’ or ’Exclude’. Then use the function ’A.I. Pass fail training’. Please see attached pdf for more detail.

Go to System Menu, select Plot Defaults and Type of plot and Click on Enable Print Names/Labels

Labels are not available for Trend and Histogram plots.

Select the Down Arrow key next to “STD:INST” or BAT:INST” button and select “Instrument Average”. Go to “Std” in Menu bar – File – Standard Defaults – From down arrow list for Instrument condition, select “Instrument Avg” and click OK. Follow the same procedure for Batch measurement default also, on the Bat menu bar.

You can use the command button, “Retrieve sample as Std”. Or, go to the menu option, Std, File, Retrieve Sample.