RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide

Transcription

VIEWSE_UM005C_EN_E_Ttlpg.qxd
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User’s Guide
Volume 2
Doc ID VIEWSE-UM005C-EN-E
Contacting Rockwell
Software
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Technical Support Fax—440-646-5801
World Wide Web—http://www.software.rockwell.com or http://
support.rockwellautomation.com
Copyright Notice
© 2004 Rockwell Software Inc., a Rockwell Automation company. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Portions copyrighted by the Allen-Bradley Company, LLC, a Rockwell Automation Company.
This manual and any accompanying Rockwell Software products are copyrighted by Rockwell
Software Inc. Any reproduction and/or distribution without prior written consent from
Rockwell Software Inc. is strictly prohibited. Please refer to the license agreement for details.
VBA and DCOM, Copyright 1996, 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
Trademark Notices
Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, RSLinx, RSView, and VersaView are registered trademarks, and
the Rockwell Software logo, RSLogix, RSTools, RSView Machine Edition, RSView ME Station,
RSView Studio, RSView Supervisory Edition, RSView32, A.I. Series, Advanced Interface (A.I.)
Series, ControlNet, Data Highway Plus, DH+, FactoryTalk, MobileView, Object Smart Path,
PanelBuilder, PanelView, SLC, and WINtelligent are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.
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registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
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All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.
Warranty
This Rockwell Software product is warranted in accord with the product license. The product’s
performance will be affected by system configuration, the application being performed, operator
control, and other related factors.
The product’s implementation may vary among users.
This manual is as up-to-date as possible at the time of printing; however, the accompanying
software may have changed since that time. Rockwell Software reserves the right to change any
information contained in this manual or the software at any time without prior notice.
The instructions in this manual do not claim to cover all the details or variations in the
equipment, procedure, or process described, nor to provide directions for meeting every possible
contingency during installation, operation, or maintenance.
Doc ID VIEWSE-UM005C-EN-E
September 2004
16
Creating graphic displays
This chapter describes:

what graphic displays and graphic objects are.

the Graphic Displays editor.

basic editing techniques.

working with graphic objects.

importing graphic files from third-party applications.

using bitmaps.

using objects from the Graphic Libraries editor.

using tag placeholders to specify tags at run time.

setting up runtime appearance and behavior for a graphic display.

printing graphic displays at run time.
For details about creating and editing specific graphic objects, see Help.
About graphic displays and graphic objects
A graphic display represents the operator’s view of plant activity. The
display can show system or process data, and provide operators with a
way to write values to external devices such as programmable
controllers. Operators can also print the display at run time to create a
visual record of tag values.
Each graphic display can contain up to 3000 references to expressions
or tags. This limit includes the tags contained in embedded variables.
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Graphic displays are made up of graphic objects which can be:

created in the Graphic Displays editor.

dragged and dropped from a graphic library.

created by another Windows® application, then copied and pasted
into a display or inserted using Object Linking and Embedding.
ActiveX® objects embedded in the graphic display.
Importing and exporting graphic display XML
files
Each graphic display’s information is contained in a file called
Displayname.gfx.
The Graphics Import Export Wizard in RSView Studio allows you to
export this information to an XML file, or to import a graphic display
XML file. You can edit XML files to modify objects that already exist
or to add new objects.
For more information about importing and exporting graphic display
XML files, see Appendix E, Importing and exporting XML files.
About the Graphic Displays editor
To open the Graphic Displays editor:
1.
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Q
In the Application Explorer, open the Graphics folder, right-click
the Displays icon and then click New, or double-click an existing
display.
RSView Supervisory Edition User’s Guide
The Graphic Displays editor consists of these parts:
Docked toolbar
Display area
Floating toolbar
Diagnostics list
Status bar
contain buttons for commonly-used menu items. The
figure shows only three toolbars but there are others, including toolbars
for foreground and background colors, pattern styles, and aligning
objects.
The toolbars
You can hide or show toolbars using the View menu, and move the
toolbars around on the screen.
For more information about toolbars, see page 16-7.
The display area is the graphic display. The appearance of the display
in the Graphic Displays editor is similar to its runtime appearance
except for the title bar and the position of the display. Changes made at
design time, such as resetting the zoom feature, do not affect the
appearance of the display at run time.
Use the Display Settings dialog to specify general runtime appearance
and behavior for a display. For example, you can set up a title bar for a
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display, and specify the size of the display, position, background color,
and whether it has a border at run time. For details, see Help.
displays information about system activity such
as command and macro usage, tag reads and writes, communication
errors, and system-related warning for the computer on which
RSView® is installed.
The Diagnostics list
describes the action performed by the selected menu
item or button. The status bar also displays the x- and y-coordinates,
and width and height, of the selected object.
The status bar
Using the Object Explorer
The Object Explorer displays a tree-list of all the objects in a display.
Objects are listed in front-to-back order, with the most recently-created
objects at the front. Grouped objects are listed as expandable items in
the tree, with a + icon.
To open the Object Explorer:

Select Object Explorer from the View menu, or right-click an object
in a display and select Object Explorer from the context menu.
Click the + icon to view the
objects and grouped objects
within the group.
When you click an object in
the Object Explorer, you
automatically select the
object in the graphic display.
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Q
When you right-click an
object in the Object Explorer,
the object’s context menu
opens, just as if you had
right-clicked the object in the
graphic display.
When you click an object in the list, it is selected in the display and
selection handles appear automatically around it. This lets you use the
Object Explorer to select an object that is hidden behind others in a
display, without bringing the object to the front.
You can keep the Object Explorer open while you work on different
objects, and in different displays. It does not show wallpaper objects, or
the objects within ActiveX composite objects.
You can also use the Object Explorer to highlight specific types of
objects, and objects that have animation, or a tag or expression assigned
to them.
To highlight selected objects:
1.
In the Object Explorer, click the Setting button.
2.
In the Highlight Settings dialog box, check the boxes beside items
that you want highlighted and then click OK.
3.
In the Object Explorer, check the Highlighting on check box.
The objects are highlighted in red in the Object Explorer and in the
graphic display.
Using the Property Panel
Show/Hide Property Panel
tool
The Property Panel displays the properties of objects and the values
assigned to the properties. It also lists an object’s connections, and
shows which tags or expressions are assigned to them.
To open the Property Panel:

Right-click an object in a graphic display, and select Property Panel.
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Use the Property Panel to modify the properties of objects, and assign
tags and expressions to objects. You can select multiple objects and
make changes to common properties of all of them at the same time.
Click this button for help with
the selected property.
Scroll to see more
properties …
… or drag this bar up or
down to see more properties,
or more of the description.
This box describes the
selected property, and
indicates the type of data the
property uses.
You can keep the Property Panel open as you work in the Graphic
Displays editor, and you can drag the panel’s borders to make the
Property Panel larger or smaller. For details about using the Property
Panel, see Help.
Basic editing techniques
When working on a graphic display, certain actions and techniques are
used frequently. Knowing how to perform these actions can save time.
Zoom in
Zooming in and out
Zoom out
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Q
To magnify or reduce the view of a graphic display, use the Zoom In or
Zoom Out option on the View menu. Zoom In magnifies objects,
Zoom Out reduces magnification.
If the Size property for a display, which is set in the in the Properties
tab of the Display Settings dialog box, is set to Specify Size in Pixels,
you can use Zoom to Fit to resize the display to fit the workspace
window. If the Size property is set to Use Current Size, Zoom to Fit
behaves the same as Cancel Zoom, which returns a display to its
original size.
Using the grid
To size and position objects precisely, use the grid items on the View
menu. You can change the grid settings any time during the drawing
process.
Select this check box to
make the grid visible.
Select this check box to
make the grid active.
Set the spacing of
the grid points in
pixels.
Select a color for the
grid points.
If you select Snap to Grid, the grid is activated. The next object you
draw or position is pulled to the closest grid point. This simplifies
aligning and sizing objects. When the grid is on, all objects you draw or
place are automatically aligned to the grid. Turning on the grid does not
affect the placement of existing objects.
If you clear Snap to Grid, the grid is passive, and does not affect the
position of objects. Turn off the grid to draw or position an element
between the grid lines.
Using the toolbars
The toolbars are a convenient way to perform an action. You can:

hide or show them using the items on the View menu. If there is a
check mark beside the toolbar name, the toolbar is visible.
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drag them anywhere on the screen.

dock them to an edge of the window (except the ActiveX Toolbox)
Selecting a drawing tool
The Objects toolbar contains tools for creating, selecting, and rotating
objects. The tools are also available on the Objects menu.
To draw an object, click a tool in the toolbox or on the Objects menu
to select it. When you click a tool, the pointer changes to show which
tool is active.
To deselect a drawing tool, click the Select tool, or click another
drawing tool.
Selecting and deselecting objects
To work with an object, you must first select it. You can use the mouse
or the Object Explorer to select objects.
To select an object in a graphic display using the mouse, place the arrow
cursor on the object and click the left mouse button. Handles appear
along the edges of a selected object.
To select a group of objects, left click in the display at one corner of the
group and then drag the cursor diagonally across the group drawing a
bounding box around it. When you release the mouse button, all the
objects within the bounding box are selected.
You can also select a group of objects by holding down the Ctrl key
while you click the individual objects.
To deselect an object or group of objects, point the cursor outside the
object(s) and click the left mouse button.
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Q
Using the context menu
When you right-click in a graphic display, a context menu opens. The
items on the menu depend on the cursor’s location. For example, when
you right-click an object, the menu contains items relevant to that
object.
When you right-click an
object …
… the context menu
opens. It contains
menu items for
working with the
selected object.
Working with objects
Duplicating objects
To duplicate an object:

Right-click an object in a graphic display and select Duplicate.
Duplicate also duplicates actions. For example, if you duplicate an
object, move it, and then duplicate it again, the second Duplicate will,
in one step, duplicate and move the object. This is useful for creating a
series of objects with an equal distance between them.
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Duplicate works until you deselect the object.
Select object
Duplicate object
Move object
Duplicate again
When an object is duplicated, any animation attached to the object is
also duplicated. If a group is duplicated, the new copy of the group can
be ungrouped into individual objects.
Reshaping objects
When you select an object, handles appear around it. To reshape an
object using these handles, point the mouse cursor at a handle, hold
down the left mouse button and then drag the handle until the object
is the correct shape.
You can also reshape some objects using the editing tool. To do this,
right click the object and select Edit from its context menu. The editing
tool varies depending on the object that has been selected.
Resizing objects
You can resize objects using the mouse or using the keyboard. The keys
let you resize objects in small increments.
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Q
When you select an object, handles appear around it. Use these handles
to resize the object.
Drag a side handle to change
either the width or height.
Drag a corner handle to change
both the width and height.
To maintain the proportions of an object as you resize it, grab a corner
handle, press Shift, and then drag the mouse.
Arranging objects
You can arrange objects in a number of ways using the items on the
Arrange menu or the buttons on the toolbar. You can:

stack objects by moving them in front of or behind other objects.

align objects with each other.

space objects horizontally or vertically.

flip objects horizontally or vertically.

rotate objects around an anchor point.

combine several objects into a group that behaves as a single object.

separate a grouped object into its component objects.
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Stacking objects
You can stack objects on top of each other. Objects are stacked in the
order they are created, with the most recently created object on top.
Change the stacking order with Send to Back and Bring to Front.
Send to Back moves the selected object to the bottom of the stack.
Select the object.
Send the object to back.
Bring to Front moves the selected object to the top of the stack.
Select the object from behind.
Bring the object to front.
To select the object at the back, place the pointer on the object, click
once, pause, and then click again. Do not double-click and do not move
the mouse.
Aligning objects
Objects can be aligned with each other and with the grid. Align objects
with each other when you want the tops, bottoms, or sides to line up.
This button or menu item
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Q
Aligns selected objects with the
Align Left
Left-most selected object
Align Center
Horizontal center of the largest object that
has been selected
Aligns selected objects with the
Align Right
Right-most selected object
Align Top
Top-most selected object
Align Middle
Vertical center of the largest object that has
been selected
Align Bottom
Bottom-most selected object
Align Center Points
Center of all selected objects
Align to Grid
Grid
Aligning objects top, middle, and bottom
Align top
Align middle
Align bottom
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Aligning objects left, right, and center
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Q
Select objects
Align left
Select objects
Align right
Select objects
Align center
Spacing objects
With Space Vertical and Space Horizontal, objects are moved vertically
or horizontally to have the same amount of space from the center point
of each object.
Does this
Space Horizontal
Places the centers of the selected objects an
equal distance apart horizontally.
Space Vertical
Places the centers of the selected objects an
equal distance apart vertically.
Spacing objects vertically and horizontally
Centers are
separated by an equal
vertical distance.
Select objects
Space vertically
Centers are
separated by an equal
horizontal distance.
Select objects
Space horizontally
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Flipping objects
Flipping an object moves it to a position that is the mirror image of its
original position. You can flip most objects.
Flips selected objects
Flip Vertical
Top to bottom (upside-down)
Flip Horizontal
Left to right
Flipping objects vertically and horizontally
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Q
Select object
Flip vertical
Select object
Flip horizontal
Rotating objects
Use the Rotate tool to rotate an object or group of objects around an
anchor point which is represented by the crosshair cursor.
You can place the crosshair inside an object.
You can place the crosshair outside an object.
You can also use the Rotate tool when attaching rotation animation to
a graphic object. For details about rotation animation, see “Using
rotation animation” on page 18-13.
You cannot rotate OLE objects, ActiveX objects, bitmaps, or text.
Grouping objects
Grouping combines several objects into one so you can manipulate
them as a single object. Grouping is useful for keeping objects in the
same position relative to each other. You can cut, copy, and paste
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groups, arrange the group as a single object relative to other objects,
and apply the same properties to all the members of the group at once.
Drag the mouse to select the objects.
Group them.
You can attach animation to a group, and any animation attached to
individual objects in the group remains active. The group animation
generally takes precedence over the animation of individual objects
within the group. For more information, see “Applying animation to
groups” on page 18-31.
Deleting a group deletes all individual objects in the group. Changing
the color or pattern style of the group changes the color or pattern style
of all individual objects in the group.
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Q
Ungrouping objects
Ungrouping deletes any animation attached to the group, because the
group no longer exists. However, animation attached to the individual
objects that were in the group remains active.
Select the group.
Ungroup it.
Editing grouped objects
Edit a group of objects in the same way you would edit an individual
object. You can:

use the Property Panel to apply the same properties to all the
members of the group at once. For example, change the line width
of all objects in the group to 2 pixels.
use the toolbars to apply the same pattern style, background style,
foreground colors, and background colors to all the members of the
group.
for objects that have states, use the States toolbar to cycle through
the states and apply the same properties to the states for each object
in the group at once. When you select a group containing objects
with states, only the states that are common to all objects in the
group appear in the toolbar. For information about using the States
toolbar, see “Testing the appearance of objects in different states”
on page 16-24.
Q
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Editing a group of objects without breaking the group is particularly
useful when you have animation attached to groups, because when you
ungroup an object, any animation attached to the group is deleted.
To edit grouped objects, double-click the grouped object. A rope-like
border appears around the group. Click inside this box to access
another group or to access the individual objects.
Double-click to edit the
group. A rope-like border
appears. This border
indicates that this is a group.
Click again. Handles appear.
The handles show the
individual object selected
within the group.
When you double-click, you are in group edit mode. In this mode, you
can select individual objects in the group and modify them. You can
also add new objects to the group.
To see what objects are selected, either look at the status bar, or use the
Object Explorer. For details about using the Object Explorer, see
page 16-4.
To stop editing, click outside the group.
Applying colors
The color palettes contain the colors you can apply to objects. To show
and hide the color palettes, click them on the View menu. You can
select colors before you draw an object, or you can apply them to an
existing object.
Use the Foreground Color palette to select a color for the outline of an
object, for text, or for hollow objects.
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Q
Use the Background Color palette to select a color for the inside of an
object or for solid objects.
For objects with patterns, you can set the color of the pattern
separately. To do this, open the object’s Properties dialog box, click the
Pattern color box, and then click a pattern color.
Applying pattern styles
Pattern styles are available on the Pattern Styles toolbar. To see the
toolbar, click the View menu, select toolbars, and then click Pattern
Styles.
An object’s pattern only appears if the object’s background style is
Solid. Objects with a transparent background have no pattern.
Pattern styles apply to the interior of objects. Closed objects such as
rectangles, circles, polygons, text objects, and wedges are completely
filled. Open or partially open objects, such as polylines or freehand
objects, can also take a pattern style. The editor draws an imaginary line
from the start and end points, and then fills the object as a closed
object.
Hollow polyline object
Filled polyline object
You can apply pattern styles to objects before or after you draw them.
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Changing line properties
You can select a line object and change its width and style in the
General tab of its Properties dialog box, or in the Properties Panel.
The line styles are:
Solid
Dash
Dot
Dash-Dot
Dash-Dot-Dot
Line style uses both the foreground color and background color
attributes. Foreground color applies to the line, and background color
applies to the spaces in the line. For example, to obtain the dash-dot
line, choose black as the foreground color, and choose white as the
background color. Black is applied to the dots and dashes and white is
applied to the spaces between the dots and dashes.
For trend objects, you can also customize line width and color using the
Pens tab of the Trend Properties dialog box. For details about trend
objects, see Chapter 19, Setting up trends.
Assigning tags and expressions to objects
Use the Connections tab in the Property Panel to assign tags or
expressions to the selected object. If multiple objects are selected, the
tab is blank because you can assign tags or expressions to only one
object at a time.
16–22
Q
How values are updated
The arrows indicate the direction in which the data flows between the
tag or expression and the object:

A right arrow indicates that the object sends values to the tag or
expression. The object can write to the tag or expression.
A left arrow indicates that the tag or expression sends values to the
object. The object can read from the tag or expression.
A double arrow indicates that the data flows in both directions. The
object can write to, or read from, the tag or expression.
Type a tag name or
expression in this column.
The arrows show the
direction in which data flows
between the object and the
tag or expression.
This box describes the
selected connection, and
indicates the type of data it
uses.
Using tag substitution to replace text
associated with objects
Using tag substitution you can replace any text string, such as a tag
name, an expression, or an RSView® command, associated with a
graphic objects.
Tag substitution does not work for text objects created using the Text
tool.
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Tag substitution will also replace the tags contained in embedded
variables. For information about creating embedded variables, see
Chapter 21, Creating embedded variables.
For details about using tag substitution, see Help.
Testing graphic displays
Test Display mode
Edit Display mode
To test objects in a graphic display, use Test Display mode. When you
are finished testing, switch back to Edit Display mode to continue
editing. To switch between test and edit modes, use the buttons on the
toolbar or the items on the View menu.
To test a graphic display that contains objects associated with tags, the
system must be set up to communicate with data servers, OPC ®
servers, or DDE servers.
IMPORTANT
Test mode is not the same as running the display. Test
mode does not change the appearance or position of the
display, as set up in the Display Settings dialog box.
Testing the appearance of objects
in different states
Some objects have multiple states. Each state has different settings that
make the object change its appearance when its state changes. To make
sure the different states for an object are set up correctly, you can view
each of the states using the States toolbar, or using the Property Panel.
To open the States toolbar
X
16–24
Q
On the View menu, select Toolbars, and then click States.
To view an object’s states using the States toolbar
1.
Select one or more objects.
2.
In the States toolbar, click the state you want to view.
If you selected multiple objects, the toolbar shows the states that are
common to all the objects.
3.
To view the next state, click it in the list in the States toolbar, or
press the Down Arrow key on the keyboard.
You can also use these keys to select a state:

To view the previous state, press the Up Arrow key.

To view the first state, press the Home key.

To view the last state, press the End key.
To view an object’s states using the Property Panel
1.
Select one or more objects.
2.
In the Property Panel, click the State property and then click the
state you want to view.
3.
To view the next state quickly, double-click the row, or press the
Enter key on the keyboard.
Naming graphic objects
When you draw a graphic object it is given a default name. You can
change this name in the Common tab of its Properties dialog box or in
the Property Panel.
The object’s name is used when logging events for the object. It is also
used with commands. For example, when using the Invoke command
to call a method, you must specify the name of the object in which the
method is implemented.
Q
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The object’s name also appears in the Object Explorer. For details
about using the Object Explorer, see page 16-4.
Adding tooltips to objects
Tooltips appear at run time when you bring the cursor to rest over an
object for a few seconds, if the object is not disabled and if you have
specified a tooltip for the object. The default for the tooltip is to be
blank..
When you type a
name here …
… the object’s
name changes
here.
When you type
text here …
… a tooltip appears for
the object at run time.
16–26
Q
You can create tooltips for objects in two ways:

in the Property Panel.
in the Common tab of the object’s Properties dialog box. For
details, see page 17-10.
Creating a background for a display
You can create a background for a graphic display by converting
objects to wallpaper. When objects are converted to wallpaper, they are
locked into position and become an unchanging background for the
other objects in the display. This is useful for importing photographs
of a machine or process and overlaying them with animated objects.
Converting objects that do not need to be selected or animated speeds
up animated displays. Converting bitmaps to wallpaper can significantly
improve the performance of a graphic display.
Objects that have been converted to wallpaper cannot be selected or
edited until you unlock the wallpaper. Also, any animation attached to
the objects is not in effect. However, animation is restored when you
unlock the wallpaper.
Importing graphic files from third-party applications
RSView can import the following types of files:
File extension
Type of file
.wmf
Windows® metafiles
.bmp, .gif, .tif, .pcx
Bitmap files
.jpg
JPEG files
.dxf
AutoCAD ® files*
* RSView does not import AutoCAD 13 or later .dxf files. To import a
graphic file created in AutoCAD 13 or later, export the graphic file as a
.wmf file in AutoCAD, and then open the .wmf file in RSView.
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Before importing files, set up the computer’s display settings to display
more than 256 colors to ensure that the colors of imported objects
appear the same as in the original.
Converting imported objects to RSView
native objects
Converting imported objects to native objects offers the following
advantages:

Graphic display files are smaller.
Objects are groups of objects rather than a single object. This
means you can edit the individual parts of the object, including
attaching animation to individual parts.
Using bitmaps
Bitmaps consume Windows resources, so when using bitmaps follow
these guidelines:
Use device-dependent bitmaps
Device-dependent bitmaps (.bmp files) display faster than displayindependent bitmaps (.dib files) because the RSView Graphic Displays
editor is optimized for device-dependent bitmaps. Also, you can edit
device-dependent bitmaps in place using the Microsoft® Paint
program.
Avoid unnecessary color depth
Create bitmaps in the lowest color depth possible. The more colors you
use, the more memory that is consumed:
16–28
Q

16-color bitmaps consume 4 bits per pixel (½ byte per pixel)

256-color bitmaps consume 8 bits per pixel (1 byte per pixel)

24-bit bitmaps consume 24 bits per pixel (3 bytes per pixel)
If possible, use 16-color bitmaps. To change a higher-resolution bitmap
to 16 colors, open the bitmap in the Microsoft Paint program and save
the bitmap as a 16-color bitmap.
In 256-color systems, match palettes
In a 256-color system, if bitmaps use two different color palettes,
Windows must recalculate and redraw all bitmaps when window focus
changes. Redrawing the bitmaps causes delays and can make a scanned
image or photograph `sparkle’ or appear as a negative.
To match palettes, use a bitmap-oriented graphical tool that lets you
match palettes.
Palette matching is an issue only for 256-color video adapters. 24-bit
color systems do not match palettes and 16-color systems dither colors
(that is, alternate pixels of different colors to approximate another
color).
Do not use the Scale option
The Scale option in the Display Settings dialog box causes the contents
of a graphic display to change size to suit the size of the graphic
display’s window. To speed up the display of a graphic containing
bitmaps, choose Pan rather than Scale because bitmaps take longer to
draw when they are scaled to a size different from their original size.
An OLE object can be a bitmap or a bitmap wrapped in a metafile.
These types of OLE objects will also draw more slowly when scaled.
Avoid large bitmaps
Graphic displays that contain large bitmaps consume memory and can
be very slow to display because of the delay in loading them from disk.
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You can change a bitmap to a native RSView object by converting the
bitmap to wallpaper, tracing over the bitmap with RSView drawing
objects, and then deleting the bitmap.
Avoid many bitmaps
Whenever possible, create graphic objects using the RSView drawing
objects.
When a bitmap could help
Bitmaps generally make graphic displays slower. However, objects with
large amounts of detail, such as subtle shading, might draw more
quickly if converted to a bitmap because bitmaps take the same amount
of time to draw regardless of their complexity.
Using graphic libraries
RSView comes with a set of libraries that contain graphic objects and
displays. Many of the objects are preconfigured with animation. Use
the objects as they are or change them to suit your needs. You can:

look at the objects and displays to get ideas for the application you
are creating.
drag and drop objects from the libraries into displays.
Location of library files
For Windows 2000, library files are stored in the folder,
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\
RSView Enterprise\SE\Libraries
For Windows XP, library files are stored in the folder,
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\
RSView Enterprise\SE\Libraries
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You can change the folder where library files are located. For details,
see Help.
Using tag placeholders
Tag placeholders can save time by providing a way to use a single
graphic display for several similar operations.
For example, imagine you are creating displays for a plant that cans
corn and beans. The machinery used in both processes is identical.
Instead of drawing two displays and then specifying corn-related tags
in one display and bean-related tags in another, you can create one
display and not specify any tag names. Where a tag name is required,
type a tag placeholder instead.
When the display runs, the placeholders must be replaced with tag
names. This can be done in two ways: with a parameter file, or by
specifying the tag names as parameters to the Display command.
For tag placeholders in alarm summary objects only, you can use
wildcards in the parameter file. For example, #1 = bean_* is a valid
parameter entry. The alarm summary would display any alarms
associated with tags beginning with bean_.
You cannot use wildcards in placeholders for any objects other than
alarm summaries.
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Creating a tag placeholder
A tag placeholder is the cross-hatch character (#) followed by a
number from 1 to 500, as shown in the following example:
If you are using an HMI tag, you can also add a folder name to the
placeholder. For example, #1\PV is a valid placeholder and requires
only one parameter (the folder name).
wildcards in the placeholder. For example, #1\PV* is a valid
placeholder.
Replacing tag placeholders using a
parameter file
A parameter file contains one entry for each unique placeholder in a
graphic display. When you run a display, you add to the Display
command the /P parameter and the name of the parameter file.
For details about the Display command, see Help.
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Example: Replacing tag placeholders using a parameter file
To run the display called Canning with the parameter component called
Beans, type:
Display Canning /PBeans
Assigning parameter files to graphic displays
You can also use parameter files with:

graphic displays that are opened using display list selectors. For
details about setting up display list selectors, see page 17-45.
the graphic display that opens when the RSView SE Client connects
to the application.
In the RSView SE Client wizard, select the graphic display in the
Initial display list.
In the Display parameters box, type the /P parameter from the
Display command, and then type the name of the parameter file you
want to use with the display (for example /PBeans). You can
include any parameters for the Display command in the Display
parameters box, but do not type the Display command in the
Display parameters box.
For details about setting up RSView SE Clients:

in distributed applications, see page 26-15.

in stand-alone applications, see page 27-5.
Replacing tag placeholders using
parameters with the Display command
When you run a graphic display, instead of using a parameter file you
can replace tag placeholders using the /T parameter with the Display
command.
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wildcard characters when you specify tag names at the command line.
Example 1: Replacing tag placeholders by listing tag names
To run the display called Canning with the tags Pea_Weight, Pea_Level,
and Pea_Temp, type:
Display Canning /TPea_Weight,Pea_Level,Pea_Temp
Example 2: Replacing tag placeholders by using a folder name
In the following example, the tag database contains these tags:
Corn\Weight
Bean\Weight
Corn\Level
Bean\Level
Corn\Temp
Bean\Temp
Anywhere a tag name is required, the placeholder #1 is used for the
folder name. That is, all objects that use these tags would be set up
using the folder placeholder and the tag name: #1\Weight, #1\Level,
or #1\Temp.
To run the display called Canning with the folder containing corn tags,
type:
Display Canning /TCorn
To run the display called Canning with the folder containing bean tags,
type:
Display Canning /TBean
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Setting up runtime appearance and behavior for a
graphic display
The Display Settings dialog box lets you set up many appearance and
behavior attributes for a graphic display. You can edit these attributes
any time while you are drawing.
To open the Display Settings dialog box
X
On the Edit menu, click Display Settings, or right-click an empty
area of the display, and then click Display Settings on the context
menu.
Using the Display Settings dialog box
The Display Settings dialog box has two tabs: Properties and Behavior.
Use the Properties tab to set up the appearance, performance and
security of a graphic display.
Use the Behavior tab to set up how objects in the graphic display will
behave at run time.
These options are described in detail in Help.
Changing the default display settings
When you begin to create displays for an application using the Graphic
Displays editor, the values in the Properties and Behavior tabs of the
Display Settings dialog, are used as the defaults. For example, the
Display Type property is set to Replace, the Title Bar property is
checked, meaning the display will have a title bar, and the Background
Color property is set to white. All new displays will have these settings.
To change the default settings, create a display, change the settings to
what the new default values for all displays are to be, and then click OK
to save the changes and close the Display Settings dialog box. Open the
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Display Settings dialog box again and then click the button, Set as
Default, at the bottom of the dialog box. The values for the display
become the defaults for all new displays.
When you make changes in the Display Settings dialog box, the Set as
Default button changes to say Apply. This lets you apply display setting
changes to the current display without closing the dialog box. It does
not affect the default settings.
Setting up display properties
The Properties tab lets you
set up the appearance,
security, and performance of
a graphic display.
In the Properties tab you can:

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specify how the display interacts with other displays.
allow multiple copies of the display to run simultaneously on the
same client.

specify how displays are cached.
specify what buttons and text appear in the title bar, how often the
display is updated, and other display attributes.
specify the display’s size and position, and whether it can be resized
at run time.

set up security for the display.

specify the display’s background color.
Specifying the display type
is the default display type. Use this option if you want the
graphic display to replace other open graphic displays when it opens.
The RSView SE Client closes any graphic display that the newlyopened display overlaps, so you don’t need to issue separate commands
to close the other displays.
Replace
Overlay Use this option if the graphic display doesn’t need to replace
others or appear on top. The display will layer with other displays,
overlapping some and being overlapped by others as the focus changes
between multiple displays.
Overlay displays always appear behind On Top displays, and are
replaced by Replace displays. Use Overlay with care, because keeping
multiple displays open can affect system performance adversely.
Keep at Back Select this check box if you always want this graphic
display at the back. However, we recommend that you use the On Top
display type to control the layering of displays. To use Keep at Back,
you must click the Overlay option.
Use this option to keep the graphic display on top at all times.
It remains on top even if another display has focus. However, if more
than one graphic display of the On Top type is open at once, the display
that appears on top is the one that has focus, or that had the most
recent focus.
On Top
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You can use the PullForward, PushBack, and SetFocus commands to
cycle through multiple On Top and Overlay screens on the RSView SE
Client at run time.
Allowing multiple running copies
Use this option with displays of type Overlay or On Top. Select this
check box to allow more than one copy of the graphic to be displayed
at run time. When this option is not selected, running displays are
brought to the foreground when they are called via the Display
command, rather than a new copy being loaded.
For example, to display two copies of the same graphic display in
different places on the screen you could use these commands:
Display PID /Q1
Display PID /Q2
PID is the name of a graphic display. /Q1 positions the first display at
the top-right corner of the screen. /Q2 positions the second display at
the top-left corner of the screen.
You can also run multiple copies without selecting this option, by using
the Display command with different parameter files for each copy of
the display.
For details about parameter files, see “Replacing tag placeholders using
a parameter file” on page 16-32.
If multiple copies or several separate displays are running and one is
hidden behind another, use the SetFocus command to bring the hidden
display forward. For details, see Help.
A graphic display of type On Top is always at the front, regardless of
which display has focus.
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Caching displays
Placing the graphic display in the cache makes the graphic display
appear more quickly every subsequent time, because it does not have
to be read from disk. You can have up to 40 graphic displays in the
cache. Use this option for large or complex displays only, to minimize
the use of system resources.
IMPORTANT
Cached displays consume memory. Once Windows
consumes all physical memory, it is forced to swap to
disk, which slows all system activities.
You can use the Always Updating option to keep the cached display up
to date. For example, use this option to update trend data continuously
for the display, even when the display is not visible. You can also use
this option to execute VBA code in the background.
IMPORTANT
Always updating a cached display can cause added
communications overhead because data is retrieved for
tags whose values might not be needed.
The Always Updating option affects the behavior of the display’s
startup and shutdown commands. For more information, see
“Specifying startup and shutdown commands” on page 16-43.
Setting up the title bar and other display attributes
At run time, a graphic display can have a title bar. This allows the
operator to move the graphic display’s position on the screen at run
time.
If you type a title for the graphic display, it will appear in the title bar at
run time in place of the component name. The title can be anything you
want and can include spaces.
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The following illustration shows the window style options available if
you select the Title Bar check box. To include an item, select the
appropriate check box. Otherwise, leave the check box blank.
Maximize button
Title
Minimize button
Title bar
Close button
(comes with System menu box)
System menu box
Scaling the graphic display
You can resize the graphic display to automatically fit the size of the
RSView SE Client main window when the display starts running. The
graphic display is panned or scaled, depending on which option you
select.
RSView graphics are resolution independent. This means that no
matter what resolution you use to create graphic displays, they are
automatically resized to fit the monitor on which they are displayed at
run time.
Showing the last known values of tags
You can set up the graphic display to show the last known value for
each HMI tag in the display until current values arrive from the
programmable controller. In many applications, selecting this option
will help display graphics more quickly.
IMPORTANT
The last acquired value can be displayed for HMI tags
only. For other kinds of tags, the last value cannot be
retained.
If the graphic display is not set up to show the last known value, objects
with values that have not yet been updated appear in outline form. The
outline indicates that data is not current, or is in error.
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The first time the display starts, the objects might appear in outline
form. This is because the HMI tags used in the display might not be
initialized and so might not have any values. Once the HMI tags have
been initialized and tag values arrive, the objects appear in their normal
form.
This does not affect objects with HMI tags that are in error. If an
object has a tag that is in error, the object appears in outline form.
Setting the update rate for tags
This is the fastest rate at which data servers send changes in tag values
to the graphic display.
Set the update rate as fast as, or faster than, the rate at which the values
of tags used in the expressions change, unless it is desirable to miss
changes in tag values.
The default update rate is 1 second. This means that data servers will
not send updates to tag values faster than once every second.
Preventing scroll bars on the main window
If a graphic display is larger than the RSView SE Client main window,
scroll bars will appear on the main window and will remain there even
if subsequent displays are smaller than the main window.
To prevent scroll bars from appearing, all graphic displays must be
smaller than the working area in the RSView SE Client main window.
Keep in mind that the size of the working area depends on several
factors: the size you make the window, the monitor’s display resolution,
whether the display’s title bar is visible, and whether the activity bar is
shown.
To minimize the need for scroll bars, the RSView SE Client tries to
position all graphic displays within the working area of the RSView SE
Client main window, unless explicitly overridden by the /X and /Y
parameters of the Display command.
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To ensure the RSView SE Client main window never has scroll bars,
select the Size to Main Window at Runtime option for large displays.
Do not select this option for smaller graphic displays that are not
meant to fill the screen. However, be sure to position the smaller
displays so they are completely visible, otherwise scroll bars might
appear.
Specifying display position
The window size and position you specify in the Display Settings dialog
box can be overridden by the RSView Display command. The Display
command accepts size and position parameters, which override the
Display Settings options. For details about the Display command, see
Help.
Securing the graphic display
To restrict access to the graphic display, select a security code. For
detailed information about security, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
Setting up display behavior
In the Behavior tab, you can specify:

startup and shutdown commands.

colors for input fields.

behavior of interactive objects.

behavior of objects with input focus.

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launching an on-screen keyboard, for systems that don’t have a
hardware keyboard attached to them at run time.
The Behavior tab lets you set
up how objects in the graphic
display behave at run time.
Specifying startup and shutdown commands
The startup command runs before the graphic opens, so commands
such as UploadAll or RecipeRestore will not work in a startup macro.
The shutdown command runs after the display closes, so commands
such as DownloadAll or RecipeSave will not work in a shutdown
macro.
If you use the Always Updating option with the Cache After Displaying
option, the startup command is executed when the display is loaded
into the cache. The shutdown command is executed only when the
cache is flushed. The cache is flushed when:

the FlushCache command is issued.

a user is logged out.
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the RSView SE Client is closed.
For a complete list of RSView commands, see Help.
Specifying colors for input fields
Input fields are created with the Numeric Input, String Input, and
Recipe drawing tools. At run time, operators can use these fields to read
values from or write values to the programmable controller.
Text color is the color of the text in the input field. Fill color is the
background color of the input field. To open the color palette click a
colored box, and then click a color to select it.
When choosing colors for the input fields, be sure to choose colors that
will stand out from the background color of the display. Choose
different colors for when the field is selected, so the operator can tell
that the field is highlighted.
Specifying the behavior of interactive objects
Interactive objects are those that the operator can interact with at run
time, using a mouse, keyboard, or touch screen. For example, a button
that has a press action is interactive.
You can create a tab sequence for interactive objects that use index
numbers. For details, see “Creating a tab sequence” on page 18-25.
Specifying the behavior of objects with input focus
When an object has input focus—that is, the object is ready to accept
keyboard or mouse input - the object will have a highlight box. You can
enable or disable this highlight box, and select the color of the box.
When choosing a highlight color, be sure to choose a color that stands
out from the display’s background color.
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The following illustration shows the two types of highlight:
This object is an interactive
object, but it is not the object
with input focus.
This object is the one with
focus—as indicated by the
cursor. The highlight box is a
different color than the
highlight box for the
interactive object.
An object can have both types of highlight at one time.
Displaying the on-screen keyboard
Select this option to display a keyboard on the screen at run time for
numeric input, string input, and recipe fields in the graphic display. The
keyboard appears only when an operator selects one of these fields for
input. The on-screen keyboard is typically used with systems that do
not have a hardware keyboard, such as systems that use touch screens
only.
When the operator clicks or touches the selected field, or presses Enter
on a hardware keyboard, the on-screen keyboard appears.
The keyboard for string input and recipe fields allows alphanumeric
entry.
The keypad for numeric input fields allows numeric entry only.
Displaying graphics more quickly
Graphic displays appear more quickly if they have been stored in the
display cache. You can place up to 40 graphic displays in the cache.
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To cache displays:

click the Cache After Displaying option in the Display Settings
dialog box. For details, see Help.
use the [cache] parameter with the Display command. The [cache]
parameter loads a graphic display into the cache without displaying
it. The [cache] parameter has two options: /Z and /ZA. The option
/Z loads the graphic display into the cache but does not display it.
When the graphic is called up, it is displayed quickly. The option
/ZA loads the display into the cache and continually updates the
values in the display. For details about the Display command, see
Help.
Removing displays from the cache
To remove all graphic displays from the display cache, use the
FlushCache command. To remove a specific graphic display from the
display cache, use the FlushCache <file> command. Graphic displays
are also removed from the cache when an RSView SE Client is closed.
If a display uses the Always Updating option with the Cache After
Displaying option, the display’s shutdown command is executed when
you issue a FlushCache command, or when you close the application.
For details about the FlushCache command, see Help.
Printing displays at run time
Operators can print graphic displays at run time using the PrintDisplay
command. You must provide the operator with a way to issue the
command when you create the display. For example, create a button
object, display key, or client key with the PrintDisplay command as the
press action.
When you use the PrintDisplay command, RSView prints the entire
display, even if parts are covered by other displays. You can use the
ScreenPrint command to print an image of whatever shows on the
monitor. For more information about these commands, see Help.
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17
Setting up graphic objects
This chapter describes how to create, set up, and use graphic objects.
For details about the basic techniques for using the Graphic Displays
editor and setting up graphic displays, see Chapter 16, Creating graphic
displays.
Types of graphic objects
You can create the following types of objects:
Geometric and freehand objects, images, panels,
and text. These are the only objects that do not require data setup.
Drawing objects
Push buttons
Objects that typically are used to start or stop processes
or actions.
Numeric and string
Objects that are used for entering or displaying
numbers or text.
Objects that display the status of a process or operation by
showing colors, captions, images, or options to indicate different states.
Indicator
Gauge and graph Objects that show a range of values, and
relationships between variables.
Objects that represent keys on a keyboard, and are for use with
touch screens.
Key
Objects, such as trends and alarm summaries that allow the
user to view and analyze the application data.
Advanced
OLE objects Objects such as spreadsheets, charts, or text produced
by other Windows® applications. The OLE objects that are available
depend on the software installed on the system.
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Objects such as gauges, or sliders, can be created
using a tool like Visual Basic®, or purchased from a third-party vendor.
They allow an external action, such as a mouse click, to initiate an
action in RSView®.
ActiveX® object
For details about animating an ActiveX object, see Help or “Animating
ActiveX controls” on page 18-16
Creating drawing objects
To draw simple objects—for example, lines, rectangles, and ellipses—
use the drawing tools on the Objects toolbar, or on the Objects menu.
Once a drawing tool is selected, there are two ways to draw objects:
dragging, or clicking end points. Some objects, such as rectangles,
ellipses, and arcs, can be drawn only by dragging. Others, such as
polylines and polygons, can be drawn only by clicking end points.
For details about creating individual drawing objects see Help.
For details about changing the properties of drawing objects, see
“Changing the properties of drawing objects” on page 17-5.
Tips for creating drawing objects
Drawing a rectangle or square
Use the Rectangle tool to draw a rectangle or square.
Rectangle tool
To draw a rectangle
1.
Drag the tool diagonally until the rectangle is the desired size.
To draw a square
1.
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Press Ctrl while you drag the Rectangle tool.
Drawing a rounded rectangle
Rounded rectangle tool
Use the Rounded Rectangle tool to draw a rectangle with rounded
corners.
To draw a rounded rectangle
1.
Drag the tool diagonally until the rounded rectangle is the desired
size.
To change a rounded rectangle into a right-angle rectangle
1.
Place the pointer on the small box that appears inside the rounded
rectangle.
2.
Drag the drawing tool until the rectangle is the desired shape.
3.
If the black box is not visible, right-click the rounded rectangle and
select Edit from the context menu.
Drawing a polyline or polygon
Polyline tool
A polyline is a series of connected line segments. A polygon is a closed
polyline shape.
Polygon tool
Polyline
Polygon
Filled polygon
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To draw a polyline or polygon
1.
Drag the Polyline or Polygon tool to create the first segment of the
object.
2.
Release the mouse button.
To draw horizontal or vertical lines (not diagonal lines), press Ctrl
while you drag the mouse.
3.
Move the drawing tool to where the angle of the object is to be and
then click the left mouse button.
Repeat this step until the object is completed.
4.
To finish drawing, click the Select tool.
Drawing an ellipse or circle
Use the Ellipse tool to draw an ellipse or circle.
Ellipse tool
To draw an ellipse
1.
Drag the tool diagonally until the ellipse is the desired size.
To draw a circle
1.
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Press Ctrl while you drag the tool.
Drawing an arc or wedge
Arc tool
Arcs and wedges are drawn in two steps: first you create an ellipse or
circle, and then you reshape the ellipse or circle.
Arc
Hollow wedge
Filled wedge
Wedge tool
To draw the arc or wedge
1.
Drag the Arc or Wedge tool to draw a circle.
2.
Release the mouse button.
When you do this, a set of handles appears that you can use to
reshape the circle.
3.
Click a handle, and drag the mouse to ‘cut out’ part of the circle.
.
To draw the arc or wedge in 45-degree increments, press Ctrl while
you draw.
You can also use the Arc and Wedge tools to reshape any arc, ellipse,
or wedge.
Changing the properties of drawing objects
You can change the properties of the drawing objects in several ways:

in the object’s Properties dialog box. For details, see Help.
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in the Property Panel. For details about using the Property Panel,
see page 16-5.
using the toolbars for Foreground and Background color, and
Pattern style. For details, see the topics starting on page 16-20.
To open an object’s Properties dialog box
1.
Double-click the object or right-click it and then click Properties.
2.
In the object’s Properties dialog box, specify how the object looks.
All of the drawing objects
except the text, image, and
panel objects have the same
properties. Line objects have
no pattern.
Working with text
Choosing a font
You can choose a font before or after you create text, and change the
font of any object, including display and input objects. When choosing
a font, style, size, and color for text, keep the following design
principles in mind:

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Choose a font that was designed for on-screen viewing. Examples
include Arial, Arial Narrow, Trebuchet MS, and Verdana. You can
download these and other fonts free of charge, from the Microsoft®
Typography web site.

TrueType™ and OpenType® fonts are recommended because they
can be resized easily, without losing text quality.
Choose only one or two fonts, and use them for all the graphic
displays in an application.
Choose a font size that can be read easily. Test the font size, and
adapt it to the screen resolution operators will see at run time.
To save screen space, use a condensed font such as Arial Narrow,
that fits more characters per line, rather than reducing the font size.
Sans-serif typefaces are easier to read at small sizes and lower
resolutions on the screen than serif typefaces. For example, for
normal text use Arial rather than Times New Roman.
Use high-contrast color combinations, such as yellow on blue,
rather than low-contrast combinations like black on green.
Use colors with recognizable meanings. For example, in some
countries the colors red and green mean stop and start. Keep color
meanings consistent by assigning red only to Stop buttons, and
green only to Start buttons.
Some people are color blind to red and green so don’t rely on color
alone to establish meaning.

Ensure that the fonts chosen for graphic displays are installed on all
the computers on which the displays will run. If a font is not
installed, Windows substitutes one that is installed, possibly with
unsatisfactory results.
Adding an image to a graphic display
RSView can read .bmp and JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jif, .jfif) files in their
original format, without requiring conversion. For information about
importing graphic files in formats other than .bmp or JPEG, see
“Importing graphic files from third-party applications” on page 16-27.
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For information about choosing graphic file formats for best
performance and about bitmap files, see “Using bitmaps” on
page 16-28.
To add an image to a graphic display you can:
an image copied from another application. For details, see
“Pasting images into graphic displays” on page 17-8.

paste

place

import an image that is not in the Windows bitmap format (.bmp).
an image that is to be used in several displays. For
information about placing images in graphic displays, see page 17-9.
When you import an image, RSView converts .gif, .tif, .pcx, and .jpg
images to the Windows .bmp format. Vector images in .dxf and
.wmf formats are converted to RSView graphic objects. For details,
see “Importing graphic files from third-party applications” on
page 16-27.
Pasting images into graphic displays
To add an image copied to the Windows clipboard from another
application, use Paste Special to paste the image into a graphic display.
Adding images to an application
Images you add to an application can be added to graphic displays over
and over again. If you modify the image, the modified image appears
automatically in all the graphic displays that use the image.
When you add an image using the Image Browser, the image also
appears in the Application Explorer automatically, and vice versa.
To add an image you want to use in several displays, add it to an
application using the Image tool, or add the image to the Images folder
in the Application Explorer.
You can add an image to an application when you place it on a graphic
display or before you place it in the display
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Placing images in graphic displays
Image tool
Use the Image tool to place bitmap or jpeg images in displays. If the
image is not a bitmap or jpeg file, you must use image editing software
to convert it to one of those formats before you can place it in a graphic
display.
If the image is monochrome (1 bit per pixel, 2 colors), you can change
its color, background color, and transparency, and you can make it blink
at run time. For monochrome images, the background color becomes
transparent when you change the Image back style to Transparent.
For color images, any area of the image that is black becomes
transparent when you change the Image back style to Transparent.
Creating a panel
Panel tool
Use the Panel tool to draw rectangles and squares that have borders.
The panel object supports visibility animation, and you can also use the
General tab in the Panel Properties dialog to set up panel objects to
blink at run time.
Creating objects that use data
Objects that use data are called interactive objects, because the operator
can interact with them at run time using a mouse, keyboard, or touch
screen. For example, a button that has a press action and a numeric
input object are both interactive.
To create interactive objects, use the drawing tools on the Objects
toolbar, or the items on the Objects menu.
The basic steps are:
1.
Click a drawing tool, and then drag the cursor to create a box
approximately the size you want the object to be.
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2.
For some objects you need to double-click the object to open its
Properties dialog box. For other objects, a Properties dialog box
opens automatically.
3.
Set up the object’s properties in the tabs of the dialog box.
Objects described in other chapters
Detailed information about setting up some of the interactive objects
is located in other chapters.
For information on the alarm summary object, see page 11-39.
For information on the trend object, see Chapter 19, Setting up trends.
Using tag names
At run time, interactive objects obtain data from tags. When creating
interactive objects, you must specify the name of the tag that supplies
the object with data.
To supply a tag name
X
Type a tag name in a Tag box or in an Expression box, or click the
Browse button and select a tag from the Tag Browser. For details
about the Tag Browser see “Using the Tag Browser” on page 8-9.
Setting up properties common to all graphic objects
Every graphic object has a Common tab in its Properties dialog box.
Use the Common tab to set up these properties for the object:
17–10
Q

height and width

top and left position

name

tooltip

visibility
For ActiveX and trend objects, you can also set up these properties:

focus highlight

pointer highlight

key navigation

tab index
Using the keyboard to navigate to and select objects
If a mouse or touch screen is not connected to the computer at run
time, the operator can use the keys on a keyboard or keypad to select
(give focus to) these objects:

push button objects
control list selectors, piloted control list selectors, and display list
selectors

trends

third-party ActiveX input objects
What input focus looks like
The object with focus is surrounded by a highlight box, unless the
check box, Disable Highlight When Object has Focus, is selected.
Highlight box
You can also specify the color of the highlight in the Display Settings
dialog box. For details, see “Specifying the behavior of objects
with input focus” on page 16-44.
Q
17–11
Focus highlight for ActiveX and trend objects
For ActiveX and trend objects, use the Common tab in the object’s
Properties dialog box to specify whether or not to display a highlight.
For details, see “Setting up properties common to all graphic objects”
on page 17-10.
If the check box, Disable Highlight When Object has Focus, is selected,
that setting overrides the setting you specify in the object’s Properties
dialog box.
Using the keys on the keyboard or keypad
When a graphic display opens, the display list selector, control list
selector, piloted control list selector, trend, push button, or ActiveX
input object that has a tab index of 1 is selected. The operator can use
these keys to move to and select a different object:
Use this key
To do this
Tab
Move from the upper left to the lower right
Shift+Tab
Move from the lower right to the upper left
Ctrl+arrow key
Move left, right, up, or down
Removing objects from the tab sequence
By default, you can use the keys to navigate to the display list selector,
control list selector, piloted control list selector, trend, push button,
and ActiveX input objects in a display. You can also turn off key
navigation for all of these objects except the push button and input
objects.
When an object’s key navigation is turned off, the operator can still
select the object using a mouse or touch screen, if available.
17–12
Q
To turn off key navigation, use one of these methods

In the Property Panel, click the Properties tab, and then set the
KeyNavigation property to False.
For display list selectors, open the object’s Properties dialog box,
click the General tab, and then clear the Key navigation check box.
For ActiveX and trend objects, open the object’s Properties dialog
box, click the Common tab, and then clear the Key navigation check
box.
How to use push buttons
Push buttons start or stop processes or actions and change tag values.
IMPORTANT
Never use push buttons for emergency stops.
Emergency stop buttons must always be hard wired.
You can create different kinds of push buttons, depending on the needs
of the application:
Buttons can run RSView commands, or they can work like momentary
push buttons.
push buttons change a tag to one value when the button
is pressed, and another value when the button is released. Momentary
push buttons work like the Pulse button on a food processor, but with
an indicator light to signal whether the motor is running or stopped.
The machine is on only while the button is held down. When the
button is released, the machine turns off. Momentary push buttons are
useful for jogging a motor, and they can be set up to start and stop a
machine or process.
Momentary
push buttons toggle between two values. This type of
button is useful for changing a setting within a machine or process, but
not for starting the machine or process. For example, use the
maintained push button for changing modes, such as Auto to Manual,
or Metric to Imperial.
Maintained
Q
17–13
push buttons lock in the on position, and must be unlocked
by another button or process to return to the off position. This type of
button is useful for starting a machine or process.
Latched
push buttons allow an operator to cycle through multiple
options consecutively, using a single button. The current state of a
process or operation is displayed on the button by a different color,
caption, or image for each state.
Multistate
Interlocked push buttons work in groups, and share the same tag. The
buttons work together like the preset station selector buttons on a car
radio: pressing one button cancels another. Although interlocked push
buttons work as a group, you add them to the display one at a time.
Ramp push buttons increase or decrease the value of a tag by either an
integer or floating point value. You can use two ramp buttons together
to create an increase/decrease control, for example for the speed of a
motor.
Setting up push buttons
Once you have created a push button, you need to set it up using its
Properties dialog box. You can open a push button’s Properties dialog
box at any time by double-clicking the push button.
In the Properties dialog box, the various features of push buttons are
organized in tabs. For details about how to set up a push button, see
Help. This is available by clicking the Help button in the Properties
dialog box tabs.
Creating button push buttons
Button tool
17–14
Q
Use the Button tool to create push buttons that work like standard
Windows buttons. You can attach RSView commands to the buttons
so they trigger actions when pressed and released. You can apply all
types of animation to the button, except fill, rotation and touch. For
details see Chapter 18, Animating graphic objects..
Setting up the button’s appearance, and how
it works at run time
In the General tab of the Button Properties dialog box, specify general
characteristics for the button including style, index number, runtime
focus highlight, and whether or not the cursor is captured when the
button is pressed. For details, see Help.
Q
17–15
Setting up the button’s action
In the Action tab of the Properties dialog box, set up how the button
will behave when the user presses, holds, and releases it at run time. For
details, see Help.
Setting up what the button looks like when it
is not pressed
In the Up Appearance tab, specify what the button looks like when it
is not pressed. For details, see Help.
Setting up what the button looks like when it
is pressed
In the Down Appearance tab, specify what the button looks like when
it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Creating momentary push buttons
Momentary Push Button
tool
Use the Momentary Push Button tool to create a button that starts a
process or action. When pressed, momentary push buttons change a
tag to one value, and when released, they change a tag to another value.
The momentary push button’s states can perform one of three kinds of
actions:

17–16
Q
Change the Value tag to 1 when the button is pressed, and to zero
when the button is released. This kind of button is called normally
open, because its released state is off. Pressing the button
completes the circuit.
Change the Value tag to zero when the button is pressed, and to 1
when the button is released. This kind of button is called normally
because its released state is on. Pressing the button breaks
the circuit.
closed,

Change the Value tag to a value you specify. You assign the desired
values to the button’s press and release actions..
The error state
The button’s error state is displayed at run time when:

the Value tag is unassigned.

the Value tag does not match one of the state values you set up.

the Indicator tag or expression does not match one of the state
values you set up.
Q
17–17
Setting up the appearance and action of the
momentary push button
In the General tab, specify the general appearance for all states of the
momentary push button at run time, and what type of action the
button performs. For details, see Help.
Setting up what the momentary push button
does when it is pressed and released
In the States tab, specify what the button looks like and does for each
state, when it is pressed and released. For details, see Help.
Connecting the momentary push button to
data
In the Connections tab, specify the tags or expression with which the
button exchanges data. For details, see Help.
Creating maintained push buttons
Maintained Push Button
tool
17–18
Q
Use the Maintained Push Button tool to create a button that changes a
setting in a machine or process. Maintained push buttons are not useful
for starting or stopping a machine or process.
When pressed the first time, the maintained push button changes a tag
to one value. When pressed and released a second time, the button
changes the tag to another value.
The error state

the display first opens, if the Value tag does not match one of the
state values you set up.
values you set up.
Q
17–19
Setting up the appearance of the maintained
push button
In the General tab, specify the general appearance and touch margins
of the button, how it changes states, and whether or not an audio signal
is produced when it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Setting up what the maintained push button
In the States tab, specify what the button looks like and does for each
state, when it is pressed and released. For details, see Help.
Connecting the maintained push button to
data
Creating latched push buttons
Latched Push Button tool
Use the Latched Push Button tool to create a button that latches in the
on position, and must be unlatched by another button or process to
return to the off position. This type of button is useful for starting a
machine or process.
When the operator presses a latched push button, it changes a tag to
one value, and remains at that value until the operator presses another
button to change the Handshake tag to a non-zero value. The
17–20
Q
Handshake tag must be set back to zero before the latched push button
can be pressed again.
The error state

the display first opens, if the Value tag does not match one of the
state values you set up.
values you set up.
Q
17–21
Setting up the appearance of the latched
push button
of the button, its latch reset type, and whether or not an audio signal is
produced when it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Setting up what the latched push button does
when it is latched and unlatched
In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is latched and
unlatched. For details, see Help.
Connecting the latched push button to data
Creating multistate push buttons
Multistate Push Button tool
17–22
Q
Use the Multistate Push Button tool to create a button that displays and
allows an operator to cycle through multiple options consecutively. The
multistate push button displays the current state of a process or
operation by showing a different color, caption, or image to reflect
different states.
Each time the operator presses the button, the tag changes to the value
for the next state. When the button is in its last state and the operator
presses the button, the button returns to its first state.
The error state

if the Value tag does not match one of the state values you set up.

values you set up.
Q
17–23
Setting up the appearance of the multistate
push button
of the button, how it changes states, and whether or not an audio signal
is produced when it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Setting up what the multistate push button
In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is pressed and
released. For details, see Help.
Setting up whether the multistate push
button repeats when held down
In the Timing tab, set up whether or not the button is to repeat
automatically when the operator presses and holds the button down.
You can also set up the rate at which the button repeats. For details, see
Help.
Connecting the multistate push button to
data
Creating interlocked push buttons
Interlocked Push Button
tool
17–24
Q
Use the Interlocked Push Button tool to create multiple buttons that
work together in groups, and share the same tag.
The buttons work together like the preset station selector buttons on a
car radio: pressing one button cancels another. Although interlocked
push buttons work as a group, you add them to the display one at a
time.
When the operator presses one of the interlocked push buttons, the
button’s Value tag changes to one value. When the operator presses a
different interlocked button, the buttons’ Value tag changes to another
value. All the buttons share the same Value tag.
Setting up the appearance of the interlocked
push button
of the button, its value, and whether or not an audio signal is produced
when it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Q
17–25
Setting up what the interlocked push button
In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is pressed and
released. For details, see Help.
Connecting the interlocked push button to
data
Creating ramp push buttons
Ramp Push Button tool
Use the Ramp Button tool to create a button that the operator can use
to increase or decrease the value of a tag.
Ramp push buttons can change a tag by either an integer or floating
point value. You can use two ramp buttons together to create an
increase/decrease control.
Each time the operator presses the button, the tag changes to the next
highest or next lowest value, depending on how you set up the button.
Some data servers do not impose a minimum or maximum limit on the
value of a tag. As an alternative to using the Ramp command with a
button, use a ramp push button, and set the upper and lower limits of
17–26
Q
the ramp push button to limit the range of values the operator can send
to the data server.
Setting up the appearance and action of the
ramp button
of the button, the action the button performs, and whether or not an
audio signal is produced when it is pressed. For details, see Help.
Q
17–27
Setting up a caption and image for the ramp
button
In the Label tab, create a caption and specify an image to be used on
the button, if any. For details, see Help.
Setting up whether the ramp button repeats
when held down
In the Timing tab, set up whether or not the button is to repeat
automatically when the operator presses and holds the button down.
You can also set up the rate at which the button repeats. For details, see
Help.
Connecting the ramp button to data
Creating numeric or string fields
You can create different kinds of numeric and string fields, depending
on the application’s needs:

Display fields show values in a graphic display. Use them to show
a value that an operator does not need to modify.
Input fields allow an operator to enter or modify values. When the
input field is not being used by the operator to enter a value, you can
set it up to display a value, eliminating the need for a separate display
field.
Numeric Input tool
Creating numeric or string input fields
String Input tool
17–28
Q
Use the Numeric Input tool to create fields that operators can use to
enter data for tags that accept numeric values.
Use the String Input tool to create fields that operators can use to enter
data for tags that accept text.
When the display runs, operators can use these fields to write values to
the tags. A display can contain up to 1000 input fields.
12345
To download data, the operator types a number into
the input field, and then presses PgDn or Enter.
Programmable controller
Numeric and string input fields can also be used to upload values and
display them in a graphic display.
12345
To upload data and display it in the input field, the
operator presses PgUp.
Programmable controller
Operators can select any one of the input fields in the display and read
or write the values associated with that field, or they can read or write
all the values at once. You also have the option of setting input fields
so that tag values update continuously when the operator is not using
the field to input data.
Q
17–29
An operator can also retrieve a series of values from a recipe file,
change them, write the changed values back to the programmable
controller and save them to a recipe file. For more information about
recipe files, see “Creating a recipe file” on page 17-49 and “Using a
recipe at run time” on page 17-51.
If an upload fails because of a communication error, the numeric input
field is wire-framed.
Colors for input fields are set in the Display Settings dialog box. For
details, see “Specifying colors for input fields” on page 16-44.
Validating operator input using VBA
Use the Display object’s event called BeforeInputFieldDownload to
validate input fields before they are downloaded to the tag. For details
about the Display object, see Help.
Using input fields at run time
At run time, operators can use input fields to retrieve data from and
send data to the value table so it can be used by the programmable
controller, external OPC ® server or DDE device, or by RSView
memory.
Updating tag values continuously
When a numeric or string input field is set to update continuously and
display tag values, its appearance changes to reflect which mode the
field is in:

17–30
Q
When the field is displaying a value from the programmable
controller or server (display mode), the border around the field is
dotted.
When a value has been entered in the field but not downloaded yet
(pending write mode), the border around the field is solid.

When a field is ready to receive input (input mode), the border is
solid and the field is surrounded by a highlight box.
This field is in
display mode.
This field is in
pending write
mode.
This field is in
input mode.
The operator can put the field into input mode by selecting the field,
uploading to the field, or restoring a recipe to the field. The operator
can set the field back to display mode by pressing the Escape key.
When you first open a display containing fields set to update
continuously, the first non-updating field in the index sequence has
focus by default. If all fields in the display are set to update
continuously, no field has focus until the operator selects a field.
Keys
Operators can use the following keys to retrieve data from and send
data to the value table. You can re-assign these actions to other keys or
assign them to button objects.
downloads the contents of all input fields that are in pending
write mode (in the active graphic display) to the value table.
PgDn
Ctrl+PgDn downloads the contents of a selected input field to the value
table.
Q
17–31
Enter downloads the contents of a selected input field to the value
table, unless the display was invoked using the /E parameter, which
turns off the Enter key.
If the display has been set up to use the on-screen keyboard, pressing
Enter brings up the on-screen keyboard.
PgUp uploads all values from the value table and then displays them in
the input fields.
Ctrl+PgUp
uploads a value from the value table for the selected input
field.
Tab
moves among input fields.
RSView commands
Operators can use these commands to retrieve data from and send data
to the value table:
Download
downloads the contents of the selected input field to the
value table.
downloads the contents of all input fields that are in
pending write mode to the value table.
DownloadAll
uploads a value from the value table and displays it in the
selected input field.
Upload
UploadAll uploads all the values from the value table and displays them
in the input fields.
If you want operators to use these commands, assign them to buttons
in the graphic display.
For detailed information about commands, see Help.
17–32
Q
Using the on-screen keyboard
You can set up displays so that operators can use an on-screen
keyboard for input entry in numeric, string, and recipe input fields.
The characters the operator types using the on-screen keyboard appear
in the selected input field when the operator presses the Download or
Update Field button on the on-screen keyboard, or when the operator
presses Enter on a hardware keyboard.
This button
Does this
Update Field
Closes the on-screen keyboard, and stores the new value
in the field for later download.
Download
For numeric and string input fields, closes the on-screen
keyboard, and downloads the value or text the operator
typed.
For recipe fields, closes the on-screen keyboard, opens
the Recipe dialog box, and then inserts into the Recipe
File field the text the operator typed.
Cancel
Closes the on-screen keyboard, and discards the
operator’s changes.
For information about setting up displays to use the on-screen
keyboard see “Displaying the on-screen keyboard” on page 16-45.
Q
17–33
How to use indicators
Indicators display the status of processes or operations by showing
different colors, captions, images, or options to reflect different states.
You can create different kinds of indicators, depending on the
application’s needs:
indicators display the current state of a process or
operation by showing a different color, caption, or image to reflect
different states.
Multistate
Symbol indicators display a symbol that changes to match the state of
a process or operation. This allows the operator to see the status of a
process or operation at a glance.
indicators display a list of states for a process or operation, and
highlight the current state. Each state is represented by a caption in the
list. This type of indicator is useful to let operators view the current
state and also see the other possible states. For sequential processes, the
list can inform the operator about what happens next.
List
How to use the States tab for indicators
Indicators change their appearance based on their states. You set up an
indicator’s appearance for each state in the States tab of the indicator’s
Properties dialog box.
Most indicators have several states, and an error state. The error state
occurs when the indicator is receiving invalid data.
The List indicator has no error state. If the value of the Indicator tag
does not match an available states, none of the states is highlighted.
17–34
Q
How to use Least Significant Bits to trigger
states
The Least Significant Bit (LSB) trigger type changes the indicator’s
state based on the position of the lowest bit in the tag’s value. Any
higher bit positions are ignored.
Each bit position in the tag’s value corresponds to one of the indicator’s
states: for example, position 1 triggers state 1.
The number of states a tag’s value can trigger depends on the tag’s data
type. For example, a tag of type long integer can be used to change up
to 33 of an indicator’s states (32 bit positions plus zero).
You can use a programmable controller to set these bits individually.
How to use the Connections tab for indicators
To connect with a device such as a programmable controller, indicators
use a tag or expression called the Indicator tag or expression. Set up the
Indicator tag or expression in the Connections tab of the indicator’s
The tag or expression changes the indicator’s appearance for each of
the indicator’s states, providing visual feedback to the operator. For
example, the Indicator tag can show that a process is running or
stopped. The Indicator tag is similar to a pilot light on a hard-wired
panel.
Creating multistate indicators
Multistate Indicator tool
Use the Multistate Indicator tool to create an indicator that displays the
current state of a process or operation by showing a different color,
caption, or image for each state.
Specify the state values of the multistate indicator. For details, see Help.
At run time, the indicator displays the state whose value matches the
Indicator tag or expression’s value.
Q
17–35
Creating symbol indicators
Symbol Indicator tool
Use the Symbol Indicator tool to create an indicator that displays a
monochrome image that changes color to match the state of a process
or operation. This allows the operator to see the status of a process or
operation at a glance.
Specify the state values, and the image to be displayed for each state.
For details, see Help.
At run time, the indicator displays the state that matches the Indicator
tag or expression’s value.
Creating list indicators
List Indicator tool
Use the List Indicator tool to create an indicator that displays a list of
states for a process or operation, and highlights the current state.
Each state is represented by a caption in the list. This type of indicator
is useful to let operators view the current state and also see the other
possible states. For sequential processes, the list can inform the
operator about what happens next.
Specify the state values of the list indicator. For details, see Help.
At run time, the indicator highlights the state whose value matches the
Indicator tag or expression’s value.
How to use gauges and graphs
Gauges and graphs display graphical representations of numeric values.
Using gauges to show limits
Gauges display numeric values in dial format. They are useful for
displaying a value in relation to its lower and upper limits.
17–36
Q
For example, a temperature gauge shows the current temperature in
relation to its minimum and maximum extremes. By looking at the
position of the needle on the gauge (pointing left, up, or right), the
operator can tell at a glance whether the temperature is nearer its lower
or upper limit, or nearer the middle.
Gauges are used instead of numeric displays when it’s important for the
operator to recognize an abnormal condition immediately, either from
far away when the scale on the gauge isn’t visible, or before the operator
can make an exact reading on the gauge. This is one of the reasons
gauges are used in automobile instrumentation.
Thresholds change a gauge’s fill color
As the needle sweeps higher on a gauge, the gauge can fill the area
below it with a color. The gauge can change its fill color to help an
operator recognize abnormal conditions. The change in color occurs
when the tag value crosses a specified threshold. For example:

if the temperature of an oven is lower than required for a recipe, the
gauge can show the temperature in blue.
if the temperature is in the correct range for the recipe, the gauge
can show the temperature in green.
if the temperature is higher than the recipe will allow, the gauge can
show the temperature in red.
When you use colored fills on a gauge to show abnormal conditions,
make sure enough of the fill is visible when the abnormal condition
occurs that the operator can recognize the condition.
IMPORTANT
Some people are color blind to red and green, so don’t
rely on color alone to establish meaning.
Q
17–37
Using graphs to compare values
Graphs display numeric values in bar graph format. They are useful for
comparing multiple values, or for representing the fill levels of tanks for
which a reading on a vertical scale is useful.
For example, one bar graph can show the required level of a tank of
ingredients for a recipe, and a second bar graph can show the actual
level of the tank. The first graph changes to represent the required level
for each recipe, and the second graph changes as the actual level in the
tank rises or drops.
Graphs are used instead of numeric displays when it’s important for the
operator to analyze the relationships between numeric values. It’s easier
for the operator to see that one graph is at a lower level than the other,
or that one’s fill is green and the other’s red, than it is to subtract one
numeric value from another.
Thresholds change a bar graph’s fill color
As it fills, a graph can change its fill color to help an operator recognize
abnormal conditions. The change in color happens when the tag value
crosses a threshold you set up for the graph. For example:

if the level of the tank of ingredients is lower than the recipe
requires, the graph can show the tank’s level in red.
if the level of the tank is in the current range for the recipe, the
graph can show the level in yellow.
if the level is higher than the level the recipe requires, the graph can
show the level in green.
Use bar graphs with scales to show limits
Unlike gauges, bar graphs do not have integrated scales. You can show
values on a bar graph using a scale and text.
17–38
Q
Scales consist of major ticks, represented by long lines, and minor ticks,
represented by short lines. To indicate the values of major or minor
ticks, use text objects.
Creating gauges
Gauge tool
Use the Gauge tool to represent a numeric value using a needle on a
dial.
Specify the maximum and minimum values of the gauge, and the tag or
expression to which the gauge is connected. For details, see Help.
At run time, the gauge indicates the value of the tag or expression in
relation to the gauge’s minimum and maximum values.
Creating bar graphs
Bar Graph tool
Use the Bar Graph tool to create a graph that represents a numeric
value by filling and emptying as the value rises and falls.
Specify the maximum and minimum values of the bar graph, and the
tag or expression to which the graph is connected. For details, see Help.
At run time, the graph shows the value of the tag or expression in
relation to the graph’s minimum and maximum values.
Creating scales
Use the Scale tool to create a scale for a bar graph.
Scale tool
Specify the appearance of the scale. For details, see Help.
To place values on the scale as a legend, use text objects. Because the
scale doesn’t change at run time, you don’t need to connect it to a tag.
Q
17–39
How to use keys
In RSView graphic displays, the term ‘key’ can mean three things:

are graphic objects you place on a display to simulate the
functions of keyboard keys. This type of key can only be used with:
Keys

control list selectors and piloted control list selectors

display list selectors

trends
For details about using keys, see the topics in this section.

links an object or display to a keyboard key or
mouse button so operators can perform an action by pressing the
key or mouse button. For details about using key animation, see
“Associating objects and displays with keys” on page 18-21.
Key animation
The on-screen keyboard allows touch screen users to type
numbers or text in input objects without the need for a keyboard
attached to the computer. To enable the on-screen keyboard, select
Display on-screen keyboard, in the Behavior tab of the Display
Settings dialog box. For details, see “Setting up display behavior” on
page 16-42.
Using the Key objects
For control list selectors, display list selectors, piloted control list
selectors, or trends, you can create different keys, depending on the
application’s needs:
Backspace
moves the cursor back to the highlighted item.
moves to the bottom item of the page that is currently displayed.
For trends, resumes trend scaling and moves to the current or latest
data in the trend.
End
Enter
17–40
Q
selects the item that is currently highlighted.
Home moves to the top item of the page that is currently displayed. For
trends, pauses the trend and moves to the earliest data in the trend.
Move left
pauses the trend and scrolls to the left.
Move right
pauses the trend and scrolls to the right.
Move down moves down one item in the list. For trends, scrolls down
to display lower values on the vertical scale.
Move up moves up one item in the list. For trends, scrolls up to display
higher values on the vertical scale.
Page down
Page up
moves down one page in the list.
moves up one page in the list.
Using keys with the object that has focus
If a graphic display contains more than one control list selector, piloted
control list selector, display list selector, or trend, you can use the same
set of keys to control each object. You don’t need to create a separate
set of keys for each one.
To link one set of keys to several objects, create the keys, and then set
up the keys to send their press action to the object with focus. Specify
the “Send press to” property in the General tab of the key object’s
Properties dialog box. For details, see Help.
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Creating keys
You create and set up all of the keys in the same way, except that the
move up, move down, page up, and page down buttons can be set up
to auto repeat. The other keys have no auto repeat function.
Home
Move up
Move right
End
Backspace
Move left
Enter
Page up
Page down
Move down
You can set up any combination of keys in a graphic display that
contains a list object or trend. Create and then set up each key
separately. For details about setting up the options for Key objects, see
Help.
Setting up whether the key repeats
when held down
The Timing tab is available only for the move up, move down, page up,
and page down keys.
In the Timing tab, set up whether or not the key press repeats
automatically when the operator presses and holds the key down. You
can also set up the rate at which the key repeats. For details, see Help.
Creating advanced objects
The Objects menu includes an Advanced submenu, from which you
can create these objects:

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Q
alarm summary

arrow

control list selector

piloted control list selector

tag label

display list selector

local message display

recipe

time and date

trend
Objects described in other chapters
Detailed information about setting up some advanced objects is
located in other chapters:

For information on the alarm summary object, see page 11-39.

For information on the trend object, see Chapter 19, Setting up trends.
Creating arrows
Arrow tool
Use the Arrow tool to create arrows that move based on the results of
an expression. Arrows can move vertically or horizontally.
Vertical arrows move up or down in relation to a tag’s Low or High EU
(Engineering Units). For HMI tags, arrows can move in relation to
the tag’s minimum and maximum values, or values specified in the
General tab of the Arrow Properties dialog. For non-HMI tags, values
must be specified in the General tab. Horizontal arrows move left and
right in relation to the minimum and maximum values.
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For vertical arrows, if the value is less than or equal to the minimum
value, the arrow is at the bottom. If the value is equal to or greater than
the maximum value, the arrow is at the top.
For horizontal arrows, if the value is less than or equal to the minimum
value, the arrow is at the left. If the value is equal to or greater than the
maximum value, the arrow is at the right.
For details about setting up the options for arrows, see Help.
Creating tag labels
Tag Label tool
Use the Tag Label tool to create fields that display different types of
tag information at run time.
Because of their extended properties, HMI tags have equivalent labels,
but with different names than other types of tags. The equivalents for
HMI tags are shown in the shaded columns in the table below:
This tag label
Is the same
as this HMI
tag label
For this
HMI tag
type
And displays
Low EU
Minimum
Analog
A tag’s minimum value
High EU
Maximum
Analog
A tag’s maximum value
Contact Value
Status
Digital
The current status of a tag. When the tag value
is 1, ‘On Label’ is displayed. When the tag value
is 0, ‘Off Label’ is displayed.
Engineering Units (EU)
Units
Analog
A tag’s Units label
Tag Name
Name
All types
A tag’s name
Tag Description
Description
All types
A tag’s description
Contact Open Label
Off Label
Digital
A tag’s Off label
Contact Close Label
On Label
Digital
A tag’s On label
For details about setting up the options for the tag label object, see
Help.
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Q
Creating time and date displays
Time and Date Display
tool
A time and date display shows the current time and date. Use the Time
and Date Display tool to create a box that shows the time and date in
a graphic display. You specify the appearance of the time and date
display, and the format in which the time and date appear.
Creating display list selectors
Display List Selector tool
Use the Display List Selector tool to create list of displays in the
application. Each graphic display is represented by a different state in
the display list selector. At run time, the operator selects a graphic
display by highlighting the state in the list, and then pressing Enter to
select the state. This opens the display.
For details about creating a display list selector and specifying the
graphic displays associated with each state, see Help.
For distributed applications, display list selectors work with graphic
displays located in the home area only. For details about the home area,
see page 5-3.
Understanding the States tab for display list
selectors
Decide how many displays are to be in the list, then in the States tab,
add that number of states to the display list selector object. For each
state, specify a display and a caption that will identify the display
associated with the state. This is what will be seen in the list at run time.
For details about using the States tab, see Help.
How to use local message displays
Use local message displays to provide the operator with information
about what to do next, or about a process. For example, the messages
could describe the status of a device whose condition cannot be
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represented graphically with accuracy, or tell the operator how to deal
with a situation that has arisen. At run time, the local message display
shows one message at a time.
To use local messages:

in the Local Messages editor, create a local message file.
in the Graphics Displays editor, create a graphic display and add a
local message display object to it.
in the Properties dialog of the local message display object, assign a
local message file to it.
In the local message file, each message has a trigger value assigned to
it. At run time, when the local message display’s Value tag or expression
matches the trigger value in the local message file, the corresponding
message is displayed.
What is displayed at run time

If the Value tag or expression is unassigned, the display is filled with
question marks (?).
The Value tag or expression is rounded to the nearest integer. If the
value does not match any of the trigger values in the specified
message file, the display is filled with question marks (?).
If the message is too long to fit in the list, the last displayed
character is replaced with an asterisk (*).
When the Value tag or expression’s value is 0, the display is cleared.
Creating local message displays
Local Message Display
tool
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Q
Use the Local Message Display tool to create a local message display
object in which messages are displayed. Local message displays are
useful for providing the operator with information about what to do
next, or with information about a process.
Specify the messages in a local message file, and then set up the local
message display to show the messages when the local message display’s
Value tag or expression matches a trigger value in the local message file.
For details about setting up a local message display object, see Help.
Creating local messages
Use the Local Messages editor to create a local message file in which
you type the messages and assign a trigger value to each. At runtime, a
message is displayed in the local message display object when its trigger
value is equal to the object’s Value tag or expression.
You can use multiple local message display objects in a display, and link
each object to a different local message file. You can also use the same
local message file for multiple local message displays.
For details about creating and using the local messages, see Help.
The following example shows how local messages work.
Example: Displaying local messages
This example shows how to notify the operator of the status of a hoist.
1.
Create an analog tag called Hoist_Status. This tag points to an
address in a programmable controller that is linked to a sensor on
the hoist. The tag has five possible values:
When the hoist is
The tag’s value is
At bottom
1
Raising
2
Stopped between the top and bottom
3
Lowering
4
At top
5
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2.
In the Local Messages editor, create these messages with trigger
values that match the values of the Hoist_Status tag:
Trigger value
Message
1
The hoist is ready to rise.
2
The hoist is raising the pallet.
3
The hoist has stopped.
4
The hoist is lowering the pallet.
5
The hoist is finished rising.
3.
Save the message file with the name Hoist status.
4.
In the Graphic Displays editor, create a local message display.
5.
In the object’s Properties dialog box, click the General tab, and
then select the Hoist status message file.
6.
Click the Connections tab, and then type Hoist_Status in the Tag/
Expression column.
At run time, when the operator views the graphic display containing
the local message display object, the status of the hoist is displayed.
Trigger values cannot be zero
The trigger value can be any non-zero integer value (positive or
negative). Trigger values do not need to be contiguous, but they must
be unique for each message. For example, you could use trigger values
of 1, 2, and 3, or values of 10, 20, and 30.
Because trigger values cannot be 0, if you use a digital HMI tag, you
can only use the value 1 to trigger a message. If you use an analog tag
or an expression, you can use any non-zero integer or floating point
value to trigger a message. Floating point values are rounded to the
nearest integer.
When the Value tag’s value is 0, the local message display is cleared.
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Q
Creating a recipe object
Recipe tool
Use the Recipe tool to create a box in which operators specify the name
of a recipe file containing tag values for all the numeric and string input
objects in a graphic display.
At run time, operators can load all the values from a recipe file into the
numeric and string input objects using the recipe object rather than
entering the values one by one. Operators can also write these values to
network devices using the recipe object.
IMPORTANT
Each graphic display can have only one recipe object.
For details about setting up options for the recipe object, see Help.
Creating a recipe file
A recipe file contains tag values for all the numeric and string input
objects in a graphic display. You can create a recipe file with the Recipes
editor or, at run time, you can specify a file name in the recipe field and
save values to that file.
The recipe file uses index numbers to identify which tag value goes into
which input object. RSView assigns index numbers to input objects and
button objects as you create them. To check the index number for an
object, double-click the object to open its Properties dialog box, and
then check the number in the Tab index box.
For details about index numbers, see “Using index numbers to navigate
to objects” on page 18-23.
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Example: Creating a recipe file at run time
The following display was used to create a recipe file for chocolate-chip
cookies:
Numeric input fields
String input field
Recipe field
This is the recipe file that was created:
Index number
Value
Tag name
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Q
Using a recipe at run time
At run time, operators can restore values from a recipe file into input
objects and send those values to a network device or server. Operators
can also upload values from a network device or server into input
objects, and then save those values to a recipe file.
To move to a recipe object, do one of the following:

double-click the recipe object to open the Recipe dialog box, and
then save or restore the recipe file.
press Ctrl+R to move to the object, and then press Enter to restore
the contents of the recipe file.
press Ctrl+W to move to the object, and then press Enter to save
the recipe file.
If the display has been set up to use the on-screen keyboard, selecting
the recipe object and pressing Enter displays the on-screen keyboard.
Pressing the Download button on the on-screen keyboard opens the
Recipe dialog box, where you can save or restore the contents of the
recipe file.
To restore the values from a recipe file
1.
In the recipe object, type the name of a recipe file and press Enter,
or click in the recipe object and press Enter, to open the Recipe
dialog.
2.
If you didn’t type a name, select a file from which to restore values.
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3.
Click Restore.
To download recipe values to a network device or server
X
Download the values in the input objects by pressing PgDn, or by
using the RSView Download or DownloadAll command.
You can also restore the values from a recipe file using the RSView
RecipeRestore command. For details, see Help.
To save recipe values from a network device or server
1.
Upload the values to the input object by pressing PgUp, or by
using the RSView Upload or UploadAll command.
2.
In the recipe object, type the name of a recipe file and press Enter,
or click in the recipe field and press Enter. The Recipe dialog box
opens.
3.
If you didn’t type a name, select a file to which values will be saved.
4.
Click Save.
You can also save the values from a recipe file using the RSView
RecipeSave command. For details, see Help.
Choosing between piloted control list selectors and
control list selectors
Piloted control list selectors include the following features that control
list selectors do not:
17–52
Q

The states can be selected either by an operator, or remotely, for
example by a network device, or by both an operator and a network
device. Individual states can be turned off, to prevent them from
being selected by either the operator or the network device.
Control list selectors can be controlled either by the operator, or by
a network device, but not both. Control list selectors do not allow
states to be turned off.

The state values of all of the items that are visible in the list can be
written to the Visible States tag when the list scrolls. The Visible
States tag must be a data-server tag that supports arrays. You cannot
use an HMI tag.
Control list selectors have no Visible States tag.

The state value of the item at the top of the list can be written to the
Top Position tag when the list scrolls.
Control list selectors have no Top Position tag.
How to use control list selectors
Control list selectors allow an operator to scroll through a list of states
for a process and select one of the states. A highlight in the list shows
the current state.
How control list selectors work at run time
A control list selector can show several states at the same time, but only
one state can be selected at a time. As the operator scrolls through the
list, each state is selected automatically. If you want the operator to
confirm the selection of a particular state before the state’s value is
written to the network device, include an Enter key with the control list
selector.
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Using control list selectors with key objects
Control list selectors work with:

key objects. These are graphic objects that duplicate the functions
of keyboard keys. Use them with touch-screen terminals. For
details, see “How to use keys” on page 17-40.

the arrow keys and Enter key on a terminal’s keypad.

the arrow keys and Enter key on a keyboard.
The operator presses the keys to scroll up or down the list, or to make
selections from the list. The keys can be set up to work with the control
list selector that has focus, or with a specific control list selector.
How the Value tag works
The Value tag can be changed in three ways:

when the operator selects the next item in the list.
if the control list selector requires that a selection be confirmed
using the Enter key, the Value tag changes when the operator
presses the Enter key.
when another process changes the tag’s value in the network device.
For example, a control list selector is used to change a tag’s value. If
the tag’s value is zero, when the operator selects the next state the
tag’s value changes to the value for the next state, for example 1.
If another process changes the tag’s value to 2, the next time the
operator selects the next state, the tag’s value changes to 3.
How Enter key handshaking works
When the operator presses the control list selector’s Enter key, the
highlighted state’s value is written to the network device.
17–54
Q
Use Enter key handshaking to hold the value of the tag at the network
device for a specific period of time, to ensure the value is read before
the control list selector overwrites the value with a new value.
Using objects in the graphic display
Before the Enter key handshaking is complete, the operator can
provide input to other objects in the graphic display.
If the operator presses the Enter key for an object whose handshaking
is still in process, an error is sent to the diagnostics log file.
Graphic display changes
If the graphic display is closed, the Enter tag is reset to 0, and any
handshake timing is also reset.
Creating control list selectors
Control List Selector tool
Use the Control List Selector tool to create a list that displays multiple
options and lets an operator to cycle through them consecutively. The
control list selector displays the current state of a process or operation
by highlighting the state.
Each time the operator presses a key, the control list selector’s highlight
changes position, and the Value tag changes to the value for the next
state. When the control list selector is in its last state and the operator
presses the key, the control list selector returns to its first state.
For details about setting up options for the control list selector, see
Help.
How to use piloted control list selectors
Piloted control list selectors allow an operator or remote device to
scroll through a list of states for a process and select one of the states.
A highlight in the list shows the current state.
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How piloted control list selectors work at run
time
A piloted control list selector can show several states at the same time,
but only one state can be selected at a time.
You can set up the piloted control list selector to be operator controlled
or remote controlled by assigning tags or expressions in the
Connections tab.
You can also set up individual states to be operator controlled, remote
controlled, both, or none. If set to none, the state is turned off.
If the piloted control list selector is set up to be operator controlled,
and the operator selects a remote controlled state, or one that is turned
off, a hollow cursor is displayed.
The operator can select this state.
The operator cannot select
this state.
Using piloted control list selectors with key objects
When a piloted control list selector is operator controlled, it works
with:

key objects. These are graphic objects that duplicate the functions
of keyboard keys. Use them with touch-screen terminals.

the arrow keys and Enter key on a terminal’s keypad.

the arrow keys and Enter key on a keyboard.
The operator presses the keys to scroll up or down the list, or to make
selections from the list. The keys can be set up to work with the piloted
17–56
Q
control list selector that has focus, or with a specific piloted control list
selector.
For details about how keys work, see “How to use keys” on page 17-40.
Selecting items in the list
Each state can be selected directly by an operator, or remotely by a
device such as a programmable controller. The operator or the
controller scrolls through the list to select a different state or a different
group of visible states.
When an operator or remote device selects a state, the value assigned
to the selected state is written to the piloted control list selector’s Value
tag. If the state is turned off, the state’s value is not written to the Value
tag.
If the operator attempts to select a state that is remote controlled, the
state’s value is not written to the Value tag.
Scrolling through the list
If the piloted control list selector contains more states than can be
displayed in the list simultaneously, the value of the Top Position tag (if
assigned) changes whenever the item at the top of the list changes.
If the Visible States tag is assigned, the values assigned to all visible
states are written to the Visible States tag whenever the list scrolls. If all
the visible states are written, the tag must support arrays, and the array
must be the same length as the number of visible states in the piloted
control list selector.
How to use the States tab for piloted control
list selectors
Piloted control list selectors change the Value tag, and change their
appearance based on their states. For each state, you define the value to
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which the piloted control list selector changes the Value tag, and set up
the text that appears in the list.
You can also set up whether each state can be selected by the operator,
or remotely, for example by a network device, or by both the operator
and a network device, or by neither. If you set access to None, the state
cannot be selected.
Set up the states in the States tab of the piloted control list selector’s
You can set up 255 states for a piloted control list selector. This
provides the operator with up to 255 selections in the list.
How to use the Connections tab for piloted
control list selectors
To connect with a network device such as a programmable controller,
piloted control list selectors use tags or expressions. You set up these
tags or expressions in the Connections tab of the Properties dialog box.
Piloted control list selectors have seven tags for sending and receiving
data:

17–58
Q
The Value tag receives the value of the currently-selected state. You
can use this value to triggers an action, for example setting a motor’s
speed to low, medium, or high.
The Indicator tag selects an item in the list if the piloted control list
selector is being controlled remotely, for example by a network
device.
The Remote Access tag or expression determines whether the
piloted control list selector can be operated by the operator, or
remotely, for example by a network device. If the remote access tag
has a value of zero, or is not assigned, the operator can select states
in the list. If the remote access tag has a non-zero value, the selected
state is determined by the value of the Indicator tag or expression.

The Top Position tag receives the value of the state that is the first
item in the list whenever the list scrolls.
The Visible States tag receives the values of all the states visible in
the list whenever the list scrolls. The tag must support arrays, and
the arrays must have as many elements as the number of items
visible in the piloted control list selector.
For example, if the piloted control list selector has 5 visible states,
and the state values are written to network device addresses N7:0
through N7:4 using RSLinx Enterprise, the Visible States tag should
be an array tag with the following address:
::[RSLinx Device Shortcut]N7:0,L5
where L5 indicates that the tag writes values to five addresses in the
array.

The Enter tag allows a network device to confirm a selection after
Value tag is written. The Enter tag is set for as long as is specified
in the Timing tab.
The Enter handshake tag or expression resets the Enter tag, using
the Handshake reset type option specified in the Timing tab.
How the Value tag works
The Value tag can be changed:

if the Write on enter check box in the General tab is cleared, and the
operator selects an item in the list.
For details about the Write on enter check box, see Help.

if the Write on enter check box in the General tab is selected, and
the operator selects an item in the list, and then presses the Enter
key.
when a remote device selects an item in the list.
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How Enter key handshaking works
Enter key handshaking can only be used if the Write on enter check box
is selected, and the piloted control list selector is operator controlled.
When the operator presses the Enter key associated with the piloted
control list selector, the highlighted state’s value is written to the
network device.
Use Enter key handshaking to hold the value of the tag at the network
device for a specific period of time, to ensure the value is read before
the control list selector overwrites the value with a new value.
How the handshaking tags and settings interact
If the Enter tag is not assigned, no handshaking takes place.
If the Enter tag is assigned, when the operator presses the Enter key
associated with the piloted control list selector, the following happens:
1.
The timer for the Enter key control delay option begins timing.
When the time has expired, the Enter tag is set to 1.
If the Handshake reset type is set to Non-zero value, the Enter
Handshake tag must be 0 when the Enter key control delay expires
in order to set the Enter tag to 1.
2.
The timers start for the Enter key handshake time, and Enter key
hold time.
3.
If the Enter Handshake tag is assigned, the Enter tag remains set
until the Enter key handshake time expires or until it is reset by the
Enter Handshake control, whichever happens first.
If the Enter Handshake tag is not assigned, the Enter tag remains
set until the Enter key hold time expires.
4.
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Q
The Enter tag is reset to 0.
How the Handshake reset type option works
The Enter Handshake tag resets the Enter tag like this:

Non-zero value resets the Enter tag when the Enter Handshake tag
is a non-zero value.

resets the Enter tag when the Enter
Handshake tag changes from zero to a non-zero value.
Zero to non-zero transition
In either case, if the Enter key handshake time expires before the Enter
Handshake tag resets the Enter tag, an error appears in the diagnostics
log file.
Using objects in the graphic display
Before the Enter tag is reset to 0 the operator can provide input to
other objects in the graphic display.
If the operator presses the Enter key for an object whose Enter tag has
not yet been reset (using a key, or external keyboard or keypad), an
error appears in the diagnostics log file.
Graphic display changes
If the graphic display is closed, the Enter tag is reset to 0, and any
handshake timing is also reset.
Creating piloted control list selectors
Piloted Control List
Selector tool
Use the Piloted Control List Selector tool to create a list that displays
and allows an operator to cycle through multiple options consecutively.
The piloted control list selector displays the current state of a process
or operation by highlighting the state.
For details about setting up the options for piloted control list selectors,
see Help.
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Using OLE objects
OLE is an acronym for Object Linking and Embedding. OLE objects
are objects created in other Windows applications and linked to, or
embedded in, an RSView graphic display. RSView is an OLE client
application, which means it cannot be embedded in other Windows
applications.
The main difference between linking and embedding is where data is
stored. Linked objects are stored in the source file. The graphic display
stores only the location of the source file and displays a representation
of the linked data. Embedded objects become part of a graphic display.
This difference means that:

linking pastes the object into the graphic display and retains links to
the source file in addition to allowing it to be edited. If the source
file is changed, the object in the display is changed.
When you double-click a linked object to edit it, its application
opens in another window. The object’s source file is active.
If you move an application, remember to move, copy, or update the
link for the source file to the new location.

embedding pastes the object into the graphic display and allows it
to be edited. If the source file is changed, the object in the display
is not affected.
When you double-click an embedded object to edit it, the Graphic
Displays editor’s toolbar is replaced by the application’s toolbar. A
border appears around the object to indicate that it can be edited.
This is called in-place editing.
If you move an HMI project, embedded objects are automatically
moved with the HMI project files.
17–62
Q
Creating OLE objects
When you create an OLE Object on a graphic display, you are actually
inserting an object made by another application.
To create an OLE object on a graphic display
1.
Select the OLE object tool from the Objects menu and drag it to
create a box the size needed to contain the OLE object.
2.
In the Insert Object dialog box, select Create New to open the
application within the graphics display and create an object, or
choose Create from File to select and insert an existing object.
For details about inserting and editing OLE objects, see Help.
Converting OLE objects
The reasons to convert an object are:

to change any type of embedded vector-based object into a polygon
that is more readily manipulated.
to reduce the size of a graphic display file.
Embedding an object in a graphic display increases the size of the
graphic file because the embedded object includes information
about its source application. This lets you double-click the object
and edit it using the source application. To reduce the size of the
graphic file, convert the object to an RSView graphic object. You
can no longer use its source application to edit the object, but you
can still use the editing tools in the Graphic Displays editor to work
with the object.
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Using ActiveX objects
An ActiveX object is a software component that is supplied
independently from RSView through products such as Microsoft®
Office XP, Visual Basic®, and many other third-party applications.
An ActiveX object gives you access to its features through the object’s
properties, events, and methods. By embedding an ActiveX object in an
RSView graphic display and then assigning properties or specifying
handlers for the object’s events, the object can interact with RSView.
Information is passed between an ActiveX object and RSView using
RSView tags.
For example, you can embed the Microsoft Forms ActiveX objects in
RSView graphic displays. If you attach an RSView tag to an ActiveX
object’s Value property, the object’s behavior changes as the tag’s value
changes.
IMPORTANT
RSView supports the use of windowed ActiveX controls
only. You cannot use windowless ActiveX controls.
When exchanging data with tags, use the
same data type
To pass information between an ActiveX object and RSView, the
ActiveX object must supply information in the same format as the tags
with which the information is exchanged.
For example, if the ActiveX object is connected to an HMI tag, the
ActiveX object must provide information that is compatible with the
analog, digital, or string format of the tag. RSView does not support
pointer parameters in an ActiveX object.
ActiveX properties, methods, and events
An ActiveX object has three types of attributes:
17–64
Q
Properties are named characteristics and values of an object such as
shape, color, position, or number.
Events are actions triggered by the ActiveX object in response to an
external action on the object, such as a mouse click.
In RSView you can use events to change the value of a tag, or to run an
RSView command or macro. When the event occurs, the command or
macro runs. To use the ActiveX object to change a tag’s value, associate
the tag with one of the object’s event parameters.
are functions implemented in the ActiveX object that allow
external actions to change the object’s appearance, behavior, or
properties.
Methods
A call to a method might be made in response to events from other
controls and could trigger other events. You can use the RSView
Invoke command as the external event that calls a method.
Creating ActiveX objects
When you create an ActiveX object on a graphic display, you are
actually inserting an object made by another application.
To create an ActiveX object on a graphic display
1.
Select the ActiveX Control tool from the Objects menu and drag it
to create a box the size needed to contain the object.
2.
In the Insert an ActiveX Control dialog box, select an object from
the list that is presented
For details about inserting registering ActiveX objects, see Help.
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Making ActiveX objects interact with RSView
To set up an ActiveX object to interact with RSView you can:

connect an object’s properties to tags. To do this, use the Property
Panel. For details, see “Assigning tags and expressions to objects”
on page 16-22.
connect an object’s methods to tags. To do this, use the Invoke
command. For details, see “Connecting tags to an object’s
methods” on page 18-19.
connect an object’s events to tags. To do this, use the ActiveX
Control Events dialog box. For details, see “Connecting tags to an
ActiveX object’s events” on page 18-20.
Using VBA code to make ActiveX objects
interact with RSView
You can also use VBA code to make an ActiveX object’s properties,
methods, and events interact with RSView. For details about opening
the VBA Integrated Development Environment (IDE) window in the
context of a selected object, see “Opening the VBA IDE” on
page 24-3.
Using the ActiveX toolbox
You can use the ActiveX toolbox to set up tools for the ActiveX objects
you use frequently. This toolbox cannot be docked.
By default, the ActiveX toolbox contains some of the Forms 2.0
ActiveX controls that are installed with VBA and the RSView SE
Signature Button.
For details about adding objects to the toolbox, see Help.
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Deploying ActiveX components automatically
at run time
RSView SE clients can automatically install the correct versions of
ActiveX controls used in graphic displays.
To deploy ActiveX controls automatically, you must create .cab files for
the ActiveX controls, and then put the .cab files in the same folder
where you installed RSView. To do this, use the program
CABARC.exe located on the computer that is running the HMI
server.
On a Windows 2000 computer the folder is in:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\
RSView Enterprise\ActiveX Control Setup.
On a Windows XP computer the folder is in:
RSView Enterprise\ActiveX Control Setup.
For information about creating .cab files, see the text file
CreatingCabFiles.txt in the ActiveX Control Setup folder. The text file
contains examples for creating .cab files, and information about the
naming conventions that must be used.
If you open a graphic display containing ActiveX objects that are not
installed, the graphic display runs, but a shaded rectangle appears in
place of the ActiveX object.
Recording and authorizing run-time changes using
electronic signatures
RSView includes an electronic signature verification and authorization
feature that provides a way to secure operations by verifying the
identity of the operator before an action can occur.
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The operator’s identity is verified by the signature button—an ActiveX
control that allows certain operations to be performed only if the
operator provides the appropriate user name and password.
The user name should include the domain name. The format is
DomainName\UserName. If the user does not provide a domain
name, the first user in the user accounts list, minus the domain name,
that matches the user name that is entered, is verified.
When the operator clicks this
button, the RSView Electronic
Signature dialog box opens, and
the user must be authenticated
before values are downloaded to
the network device.
Securing tag writes, commands, and
downloads
Using the signature button, you can secure these operations:
17–68
Q

setting a tag value

issuing an RSView command

downloading all input field values to a network device
For added security, the signature button can also be set up so that
authorization by another person, such as a supervisor, is required
before the operation can be carried out.
At run time, the action can be prevented from being carried out and an
error message can be displayed if a user name or password is incorrect,
or if other information, such as an operator’s comment, is required but
not provided.
An additional level of security can be set up through display-level
security. To do this, create an expression to the button’s Enabled
property on the Connections tab, that uses the security function,
CurrentUserHasCode. This checks to make sure that the current user
has the security code assigned to the display that contains the button.
For details about assigning security to a graphic display, see “Assigning
security to a graphic display” on page 15-13.
Creating signature buttons
The electronic signature button is an ActiveX object. The tool to create
an electronic signature button is in the ActiveX toolbox.
To create an electronic signature button
1.
Make sure that the ActiveX Toolbox item on the View menu is
checked and the toolbox is visible.
2.
Click the Electronic Signature icon in the ActiveX toolbox.
3.
Drag the tool to create a box on the display that is the size the
button is to be.
4.
Right-click the button and then select Properties to open the
RSView SE Signature Button Properties dialog box.
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For details about how to set up an electronic signature button, see
Help.
Securing objects in displays
The signature button does not change the way the graphic objects on a
display work. For example, any numeric input objects in a graphic
display will download their values to a network device when the user
presses Enter or Page Down, even if the signature button appears on
the display.
To ensure that values are downloaded only if the an electronic signature
is verified, you must secure these graphic objects separately:

To turn off the Enter key, add the /E parameter to the Display
command. For details about the Display command, see Help.
Use display keys to set the Page Up, Ctrl+Page Up, Page Down, and
Ctrl+Page Down keys to do nothing. For details about display key
animation, see page 18-29.
Tracking changes with FactoryTalk™
Diagnostics
The operations initiated by the signature button are logged to
FactoryTalk Diagnostics, and can be viewed in the Diagnostics List or
Diagnostics Viewer. For details see Chapter 12, Logging system activity.
The logged information includes user name, old value, new value,
operator’s comments, and name of the person approving the change.
Using the signature button for compliance
with regulated manufacturing applications
The signature button can be used together with other features of
RSView Supervisory Edition™ to meet the security standards required
for regulated manufacturing applications, for example those required
for US Government 21 CFR Part 11 compliance.
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18
Animating
graphic objects
This chapter describes the various types of animation you can attach to
graphic objects, and outlines how to:

use the Animation dialog box.
use tag names, tag placeholders, commands, macros, and
expressions when attaching animation.

set the range of tag values for animating an object.

use Object Smart Path™ to define an object’s range of motion.

attach animation to OLE objects.

attach animation to ActiveX® objects.

attach object and display key animation.

apply animation to groups of objects.

check, copy, and duplicate animation.
Types of animation
To animate objects in a graphic display, create the objects, and then
attach animation to them. You can:

attach animation that links an object to a tag so the object’s
appearance changes to reflect changes in the tag’s value.
attach OLE verb animation to an OLE object that will run a verb
associated with the object, when an expression evaluates to true.
Animating graphic objects
n
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attach animation to ActiveX objects so you can:

map tags to an ActiveX object’s properties so changes to the
object’s properties change the tag’s value and, in some cases,
changes to the tag’s value change the object’s properties.
map commands to an ActiveX object’s events so commands
run based on the object’s events.
map tags to event parameters.
animate ActiveX objects using VBA code. This is a more complex
way of animating ActiveX controls, but more flexible.
attach key animation that links an object or display to a key or
mouse button so operators can perform an action by pressing the
key or mouse button.
All graphic objects can have animation
All graphic objects can have animation attached to them. Groups of
objects can also have animation attached.
Some graphic objects, such as the multistate indicator, can have only
visibility animation. Others can have as many types of animation as you
like. For example, you can apply both width and height animation to the
drawing objects to give them the appearance of moving into or out of
the display as they shrink and expand.
Using the Animation dialog box
Use the Animation dialog box to set up animation for graphic objects.
To open the Animation dialog box

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Click an object, then click Animation on the View menu, and select
a menu item.
Right-click an object, click Animation, and then select a menu item.
Animation types that are not supported for the selected object are
unavailable.
To attach key animation, use the Object Key and Display Key dialog
boxes. For information about key animation, see “Associating objects
and displays with keys” on page 18-21.
Working with the Animation dialog box
The Animation dialog box is a floating dialog box, which means it can
be open all the time and you can move it around the screen, select other
objects, and open other dialog boxes.
Range of values
through which the
object is animated.
A check mark indicates that
animation of this type is
assigned to the selected object.
Animation tabs
Expression area
Expression range.
For details about the options in the Animation tabs, see Help.
For more information about creating expressions, see Chapter 20,
Creating expressions.
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Using Object Smart Path to set
animation visually
Because the Animation dialog box stays open, you can go back and
forth between the dialog box and the graphic display. This makes it easy
to set the range of motion for an object because you do not have to
know how many pixels you want the object to move. Instead, use the
RSView® Object Smart Path feature.
For details, see “Defining a range of motion for an object” on
page 18-7.
Testing animation
Test Display tool
Edit Display tool
You can quickly test the animation you have set up in a graphic display
by switching to test display mode. When you are finished testing, switch
back to edit display mode to continue editing. To switch between test
and edit modes, use the buttons on the toolbar or the items on the View
menu.
If graphic displays contain objects that are associated with device tags,
the system must be set up to communicate with the devices or data
servers in order for you to test animation.
IMPORTANT
Test display mode is not the same as running the display
in the RSView SE client. Test display mode does not
change the appearance or position of the display as set
up in the Display Settings dialog box, and you cannot
switch among displays.
Some commands are ignored when issued in test display
mode. For a complete list, see page A-6.
Before you deploy an application, always test it using the
RSView SE client, to verify that everything works as
intended.
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Using tag names and tag placeholders
When setting up animation for objects, you are linking objects to tags,
so you have to specify a tag name or tag placeholder. Following is a
brief description of how to use tag names and placeholders.
Tag names
You can use tag names that already exist in a device or that you have
already added to the tag database, or you can use a new tag name that
you will add to a device or to the tag database later.
Tag placeholders
Tag placeholders allow you to create displays that can be used with
different tags. A placeholder is a cross-hatch character (#) followed by
a number between 1 and 500. Tag names are substituted for
placeholders when the display is run. If you are using HMI tags, you
can also substitute folder names for part of the tag name. For example,
#1\#2\MotorValve. This allows the same animation to be added to
multiple objects where only the folder name is different.
When setting up object keys, you can specify the [Tag] parameter as a
placeholder for a tag name or any character string. The [Tag] parameter
is used for object keys only. For more information about this
parameter, see “Using the Current [tag] parameter with object keys” on
page 18-26.
Using commands and macros
Some types of animation, such as touch animation, require you to
specify an action. The action is an RSView command, or a macro. The
command or macro you use depends on what type of action you want.
For example, if you want the action to open another graphic display, use
the Display command.
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This chapter does not provide detailed information about using
RSView commands or macros. For a complete list of commands and
their syntax, see Help.
For details about macros, see Chapter 22, Creating macros.
Using expressions
Many types of animation require an expression. You can use
expressions involving tag values, constants, mathematical equations,
security functions, and if–then–else logic. A tag name or tag
placeholder can be included as part of an expression, or it can stand
alone as the entire expression.
This chapter does not provide detailed information about creating
expressions. For details, see Chapter 20, Creating expressions.
Setting the range of tag values for animating
an object
Many types of animation require a minimum and maximum range for
an expression. These values determine the start and end points for a
range of motion.
When setting up animation, select one of these methods for calculating
the minimum and maximum values:

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Q
Use tag’s min and max property values—this is the default. The
values are taken from the minimum and maximum range of values
for the first HMI tag used in the expression.
Use constant—select this method to use numeric constants. Type
the minimum and maximum values in the boxes.

Read from tags—use this option when you expect the minimum
and maximum values to change.
IMPORTANT
The minimum and maximum values are read only
the first time animation is started for the object.
Defining a range of motion for an object
To define a range of motion for an object, you can:

move the objects in the Graphic Displays editor. This is called
Object Smart Path. For details, see below.
type values in the At minimum and At maximum boxes.
All motion is defined in pixels, degrees, or percent.
Animation that does not use a range of motion
Visibility, color, and touch animation do not use a range of motion,
because these types of animation represent a change of state, not a
range of values.
Using Object Smart Path
With Object Smart Path, you can easily set the range of motion for
an object. The following example shows how this feature works.
Example: Using Object Smart Path to define a range of
motion for a horizontal slider
1.
In the Graphic Displays editor, create a slider using a line and a
rectangle, or copy a slider object from the Sliders library in the
Graphics Libraries.
2.
Right-click the slider, select Animation, and then click Horizontal
Slider.
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3.
In the Tag box, type a tag name or click the browse button to
navigate to and select a tag.
4.
In the display, drag the slider to the position that indicates the
lowest number in the range.
5.
In the Animation dialog box, set this position by clicking the
At minimum check box.
6.
In the display, drag the slider to the position that indicates the
highest number in the range.
7.
In the Animation dialog box, set this position by clicking the
At maximum check box.
8.
To save the settings, click Apply.
When you finish setting up the animation, the slider returns to its
starting position.
Using visibility animation
With visibility animation, an object becomes visible or invisible based
on a tag value or the result of a logical expression.
Visibility animation is available for all objects, and overrides an object’s
visibility property.
If an object is invisible, no other animation attached to the object is
evaluated, to prevent unnecessary processing.
For more information about setting up visibility animation, see Help.
Using color animation
With color animation, an object changes color based on a tag value or
the result of an expression. Specify up to 16 color changes (A to P) for
any object. Colors can be solid or blinking. For each color change,
specify the value or threshold at which the color changes, and specify
18–8
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the colors you want the object to change to. At run time, when the
value reaches or crosses the threshold, the color changes.
Color animation does not affect string input, numeric input, or recipe
fields. Color for these fields is defined in the Display Settings dialog
box.
For more information about setting up color animation, see Help.
Example 1: Creating text that blinks
This example describes how to create text that blinks between two
colors. In this example, the expression is simply a constant value that
matches the value for the selected threshold.
For details about creating text and other graphic objects, see Help.
1.
Using the Text tool, type the text.
2.
Select the text.
3.
Open the Animation dialog box, and then click the Color tab.
4.
In the Expression box, type 0. Zero is the default value for
threshold A.
5.
In the list, click threshold A. Leave the value in the Value box as 0.
6.
For the foreground color, click Blink (only foreground color
affects text).
7.
Click each color box to open the color palette, and then click a
color.
8.
Click Apply.
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Example 2: Creating an object that changes color as the fill level
changes
This example describes how to create a rectangle object that changes
color as the object’s fill level increases. This example uses a tag called
Hopper\FlourLevel. The tag has a range of 1 to 100. When the flour
level reaches 80, the rectangle blinks between gray and yellow to warn
the operator that the hopper is nearly full. When the flour level
reaches 95, the rectangle blinks between gray and red.
To create the object
1.
Using the Rectangle tool, create a rectangle.
2.
Right-click the rectangle, and then click Properties. In the Back
Style list, click Solid.
3.
Using the Foreground Color and Background Color palettes, make
the rectangle gray.
4.
With the rectangle selected, open the Animation dialog box, and
then click the Fill tab.
To attach fill animation to the object
1.
In the Expression box, type Hopper\FlourLevel (this is the tag
that monitors the fill level).
2.
For Fill Direction, click Up.
To attach color animation to the object
18–10
Q
1.
Click the Color tab.
2.
In the Expression box, type Hopper\FlourLevel (the same tag that
was used in the Fill tab).
3.
Set up the color for the normal state.
4.
5.
6.
a.
In the thresholds and colors list, click A, and leave the value in
the Value box as 0.
b.
For foreground and background colors, click Solid.
c.
For each, open the color palettes, and then click gray (the same
gray used for the rectangle).
Set up the color for the first warning.
a.
In the thresholds and colors list, click B.
b.
In the Value box, type 80.
c.
For foreground and background colors, click Blink.
d.
For the first foreground color, select gray. For the second
color, select yellow. Repeat for the background colors.
Set up the color for the second warning.
a.
In the thresholds and colors list, click C.
b.
In the Value box, type 95.
c.
For foreground and background colors, click Blink.
d.
For the first foreground color, select gray. For the second color,
select red. Repeat for the background colors.
Click Apply.
Using fill animation
With fill animation, the level of fill in an object changes based on the
result of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the specified
minimum and maximum values. The object’s fill level is proportional to
the value of the expression. For example, if the value of the expression
is halfway between the minimum and maximum values, the object will
be half full.
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Fill animation does not affect string input, numeric input, or recipe
fields, or push buttons objects. It also does not affect transparent
objects or line objects, even if those objects are grouped into a single
object.
For more information about setting up fill animation, see Help.
Using horizontal position animation
With horizontal position animation, an object moves horizontally
based on the result of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the
specified minimum and maximum values. The object’s horizontal
position is proportional to the value of the expression. For example, if
the value of the expression is halfway between its minimum and
maximum values, the object will be halfway between its minimum and
maximum pixel offset.
For more information about setting up horizontal position animation,
see Help.
Using vertical position animation
With vertical position animation, an object moves vertically based on
the result of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the specified
minimum and maximum values. The object’s vertical position is
proportional to the value of the expression. For example, if the value
of the expression is halfway between its minimum and maximum
values, the object will be halfway between its minimum and maximum
offset.
For more information about setting up vertical position animation, see
Help.
Using width animation
With width animation, an object’s width changes based on a tag value
or the result of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the specified
18–12
Q
minimum and maximum values. The object’s width is proportional to
the value of the expression. For example, if the value of the expression
is halfway between its minimum and maximum values, the object will
be half its full width.
For more information about setting up width animation, see Help.
Using height animation
With height animation, an object’s height changes based on the result
of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the specified minimum
and maximum values. The object’s height is proportional to the value
of the expression. For example, if the value of the expression is halfway
between its minimum and maximum values, the object will be half its
full height.
For more information about setting up height animation, see Help.
Using rotation animation
With rotation animation, an object rotates around an anchor point,
based on the result of an expression or a tag value, in relation to the
specified minimum and maximum values. The degree of rotation is
proportional to the value of the expression. For example, if the value
of the expression is halfway between its minimum and maximum
values, the object will rotate half the specified amount.
Panel and image drawing objects, the button object, advanced objects
(except arrows), OLE objects, ActiveX objects, and bitmaps cannot be
rotated.
Setting up rotation animation
To set up rotation animation, you must specify:

the tag or expression that will provide values to rotate the object.
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the range of values for the tag or expression (values outside the
range will not be used to rotate the object.)
Object rotates when tag
values fall within this range
Object stops rotating
when tag values fall
within this range
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Tag values

the degree of rotation for the object.
the center, or axis, of rotation (for example, to rotate the object
around its center point, or around its top left corner). The center of
rotation can be inside or outside the object. If the center is outside
the object, the object moves in an arc.
With its center of rotation
inside tthe object at the
top-left corner, this object
rotates from zero degrees to
180 degrees as its tag
values change.
Tag values
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
With its center of rotation
outside the object at the
top-left corner, this object
rotates in an arc from zero
degrees to 180 degrees
as its tag values change.
Tag values
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
For more information about setting up rotation animation, see Help.
18–14
Q
Using touch animation
With touch animation, you can specify press, repeat, and release actions
that are triggered when an operator touches an object with a mouse or
on a touch screen.
To highlight touch objects, use the options in the Display Settings
dialog box. You can make a highlight box appear around a touch object
when a cursor passes over the object. You can also make the computer
beep when a touch object is selected.
For more information about setting up touch animation, see Help.
IMPORTANT
Do not use drawing objects with touch animation as
momentary push buttons.
To create a momentary push button, create a
momentary push button object, or a button object with
a momentary push button action.
Using horizontal slider animation
With horizontal slider animation, you can create a graphic object that
sets the value of a tag. To do this, define a path for the object and then
use the mouse to move the object horizontally. The pixel position of
the object is translated into values that are written to the tag. If the tag
value is changed externally, the position of the slider changes as well.
An object can have both vertical and horizontal slider animation.
For more information about setting up horizontal slider animation, see
Help.
Using vertical slider animation
With vertical slider animation, you can create a graphic object that sets
the value of a tag. To do this, define a path for the object and then use
the mouse to move the object vertically. The pixel position of the object
is translated into values that are written to the tag. If the tag value is
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changed externally, the position of the slider changes as well. An object
can have both vertical and horizontal slider animation.
For more information about setting up vertical slider animation, see
Help.
Using OLE verb animation
With OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) verb animation, you can
set up OLE objects to perform certain actions. When the expression
evaluates to true—that is, when the expression does not equal 0—the
specified OLE verb is activated. The verbs available depend on the
OLE object. Typical verbs include open and edit.
For more information about setting up OLE verb animation, see Help.
Attaching other types of animation
to OLE objects
You can attach visibility, touch, and OLE verb animation to OLE
objects. Like other objects, the type of animation you can attach
depends on the object. For example, you could attach visibility
animation to a spreadsheet and then create a button that, when
selected, would display or hide the spreadsheet. This could be used to
show or hide various shift reports or management summaries
contained in embedded spreadsheets or database forms.
Animating ActiveX controls
To animate an ActiveX control in RSView means to connect the
ActiveX control’s properties, methods, or events to tags, so they can
receive or modify data at run time.
There are two ways you can animate an ActiveX object’s properties,
methods, and events with data from RSView:
18–16
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In RSView Studio™, using the Property Panel, the Invoke
command, and the Events and Methods items on the context menu.
This is the simpler way, but less flexible.
In the Visual Basic® editor, using VBA code. This is the more
complex way, but more flexible.
A graphic display is like a Visual Basic form. When you insert an
ActiveX control in a graphic display, you can gain access to the
ActiveX control’s methods, properties, and events using VBA code.
For an overview of how VBA code works in RSView, see
Chapter 24, Using the SE client object model and display code. For detailed
information and code examples, see Help.
You can also change an ActiveX object’s properties without using tags.
If you choose this method, the object’s properties do not change
dynamically at run time. You make static changes to an ActiveX object’s
properties just as you do for any other graphic object—in the
Properties tab in the Property Panel. For more information, see “Using
the Property Panel” on page 16-5.
IMPORTANT
The run-time behavior of ActiveX objects depends on
the vendor’s implementation. Before making your
application available to users, test ActiveX objects
thoroughly to ensure they behave as desired.
For details about how to create an ActiveX object, see Help.
Naming ActiveX objects
An ActiveX object’s name is used:

to identify the object when logging its events.
with commands (for example, when using the Invoke command to
call a method, you must specify the name of the object in which the
method is implemented).
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All objects have a default name. You can change the default name of all
objects, including ActiveX objects.
For information about:

naming graphic objects, see page 16-25.
ActiveX events, see “Connecting tags to an ActiveX object’s
events” on page 18-20.
the Invoke command, see “Using the Invoke command to call a
method” on page 18-19.
Connecting tags to an ActiveX object’s properties
Each ActiveX object has a set of properties. To view the object’s
properties, right-click the object, and then click Property Panel.
The content of the Property Panel is determined by the application that
created the ActiveX object, not by RSView.
This ActiveX check box
changes an oven’s
temperature control from
Automatic mode to Manual
mode when the check box is
cleared.
To do this, the ActiveX
control’s Value property is
assigned to the Auto tag in
the Oven folder.
18–18
Q
Connecting tags to an object’s methods
A method is an action the object can perform. Methods are part of the
object. You can:

view a list of the object’s methods.

find documentation for the object’s methods.

use the Invoke command to call the object’s methods.
Viewing an object’s methods
The Object Methods dialog box shows the methods implemented for
the selected object. To view the object’s methods, right-click the object,
and then click Methods.
For more information about
the object and its methods,
click this button.
Using the Invoke command to call a method
To call an object’s method, the object must have a name. For details
about naming ActiveX objects, see page 18-17.
Use the RSView Invoke command to call the method for the named
object.
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With the Invoke command you can:

call an object’s method.

assign the value returned by a method to a tag.

set an object’s property to a tag value or a constant.

set a tag to the value of an object property.
The easiest way to specify the parameters for the Invoke command is
to use the Command Wizard. For details about using the Invoke
command, see Help.
Connecting tags to an ActiveX object’s events
The ActiveX Control Events dialog box shows the events associated
with the selected ActiveX object and allows you to specify RSView
commands or macros that will run when the event occurs at run time.
To view an ActiveX object’s events, right-click the object, and then click
ActiveX Events.
To open the
Command Wizard,
click this button.
For more information
about the object and
its events, click this
button. Help for the
object is provided by
the object’s vendor.
18–20
Q
For in formation about the options in the ActiveX Control Events
dialog, see Help.
Using VBA code to make ActiveX objects
interact with RSView
You can also use VBA code to make an ActiveX object’s properties,
methods, and events interact with RSView. For details about opening
the VBA IDE (Integrated Development Environment) window
in the context of a selected object, see “Opening the VBA IDE” on
page 24-3.
Associating objects and displays with keys
You can associate RSView commands with graphic objects in a display
using object keys, and with the display itself using display keys.
A key is either a key on a keyboard or keypad, or a button on a touch
screen connected to the computer or monitor an operator uses to
interact with the RSView application at run time. Operators can use
keys to perform actions such as moving between screens, setting tag
values, and so on.
Some keys are reserved for use by Windows® and RSView. For details,
see “Reserved keys” on page 23-9.
Object keys and display keys are different from client keys. Object keys
and display keys are active only while a particular object or display has
input focus. Client keys are active at all times. Object and display keys
are discussed on the following pages. For details about client keys, see
page 23-12.
For details about the order of precedence among object, display, and
client keys, see page 23-7.
Q
18–21
Using object keys
Object keys associate graphic objects with keys. When an object has
input focus, an operator can use keys to interact with the object.
The Object Keys dialog box allows you to define control keys for an
object. You can also assign an index number to the object and specify
that a highlight is to be displayed around the object when it is selected
at run time.
To open the Object Keys dialog box, right-click an object and select
Object Keys.
For information about the options in the Object Keys dialog box, see
Help.
For detailed information about how keys work at run time, see
“Specifying the behavior of interactive objects” on page 16-44.
Example: Using object keys
Imagine you have a graphic display showing a tank with two valves. The
two valves control the flow in and out of the tank. Both valves have
been set up with object key animation as follows:
18–22
Q
Valve 1 F2 = Open
F3 = Close
Valve 2 F2 = Open
F3 = Close
At run time, operators can select either valve, and then press F2 to
open it and press F3 to close it.
Using index numbers to navigate to objects
RSView assigns index numbers to the following objects:

numeric and string input objects

button objects

objects with object key animation

ActiveX objects
As you create these objects, they automatically receive a tab index
number. The number increases by one for each object you create.
For example, if you create a numeric input object, then a button object,
and then a string input object, the objects will have the index numbers
1, 2, and 3.
How tab index numbers work
Tab index numbers are used to:

determine a tab sequence for interactive objects.
move among objects using the Position, NextPosition, and
PrevPosition commands at run time. For details about these
commands, see Help.
Q
18–23

specify which tag value goes into which numeric or string input field
in a recipe file. For details about recipe files, see “Creating a recipe
file” on page 17-49.
Checking an object’s index number
To check an object’s index number, do one of the following:

Double-click the object and then check the number in the Tab
index box.
For objects with object key animation, right-click the object, click
Object Keys, and then check the number in the Tab index box.
The selected object
has tab index
number 1.
18–24
Q
Changing index numbers
Once you have created two or more objects with index numbers, you
can change the index numbers.
For example, if you have created four input fields, you can change the
order of their index numbers. You can change input field 4 to index
number 1. However, you cannot change input field 4 to index
number 5, because you have not created five input fields.
When you change an index number, other numbers are adjusted so two
objects do not have the same number and there are no gaps in the
numbering.
If you type a number that is too high, RSView automatically adjusts the
index number to use the highest available number.
If you type a number that is already in use, RSView renumbers the
other objects in the display. This changes the tab sequence.
Creating a tab sequence
A tab sequence is the order in which users can move through a series
of objects using the Tab key. To create a tab sequence, use index
numbers.
To move through a tab sequence

Press Tab to move through the objects from the lowest index
number (1) to the highest index number.
Press Shift-Tab to move through the objects from the highest index
number to the lowest index number.
Q
18–25
Example: Creating a selection order
In the display below, pressing the Tab key moves users through the
objects in a left to right pattern.
The grouped drawing objects
have object key animation.
The boxes are numeric input
fields.
The buttons are button
objects.
The circled numbers above
the objects show each
object’s index number.
Using the Current [tag] parameter with object keys
The Current [tag] parameter is a placeholder for a tag name or any
character string. Use this parameter to create a command that is object
specific.
For example, if you want F2 to set the value of a selected object’s tag to
0, you would set up a display key for F2, using the [tag] parameter, and
then set up object keys for each object on the screen, specifying which
tag to use for each object.
Summary of steps
1.
18–26
Q
Create a graphic object.
2.
On the Edit menu, click Display Keys.
3.
In the Display Keys dialog box, associate a key with an RSView
command. For details about creating display keys, see page 18-29.
4.
In the Press Action box, type an RSView command with [tag] as
the command parameter.
5.
Select the graphic object.
6.
On the Edit menu, click Object Keys.
7.
In the Current [tag] box, type a tag name or a character string.
Current [tag] need not always be the name of a tag.
At run time, when the object is selected and the display key is pressed,
the contents of the Current [tag] box replace [tag] in the RSView
command.
Three examples
The following three examples show how to use the Current [tag]
parameter.
Example 1: Creating display-wide keys to open and close valves
Imagine you have a graphic display containing 20 valves and you want
operators to be able to open and close all the valves with the same two
keys, F2 and F3, respectively. Instead of specifying the tag name for
each valve, use the [tag] parameter with display keys.
1.
In the Display Keys dialog box, assign two display keys. For the
press action, type Set [tag].
2.
In the Object Keys dialog box, type the tag name in the Current
[tag] field for each valve object.
Q
18–27
At run time, the operator can select any valve object, and then press F2
to open the valve and F3 to close it.
Example 2: Opening object-specific Help
Imagine you have a graphic display containing various graphic objects
that represent plant-floor equipment. If something goes wrong with a
piece of equipment, you want operators to be able to select the
appropriate object and then display a Help file that suggests steps for
correcting the situation.
1.
In the Display Keys dialog box, create a display key. For details, see
Help. In the Press Action box, type Help [tag].
2.
In the Object Keys dialog box, type the appropriate Help file name
in the Current [tag] field for each equipment object.
At run time, when an operator selects any equipment object and
presses the appropriate Display key, the help file for that piece of
equipment is displayed.
Example 3: Opening an object-specific alarm summary
Imagine you want to have alarm information available for a specific
machine. If something goes wrong and causes an alarm, you want the
operator to be able to display an alarm summary for that machine.
To display the alarm summary for the machine, the operator can
position the cursor over any object related to that machine in a graphic
display, and then press a Display Key.
1.
Create an alarm summary that uses a filter containing only the
alarms for the machine. The filter must contain a tag placeholder
(for example, #1).
For information about creating an alarm summary, see page 11-39.
18–28
Q
2.
In the Display Keys dialog box, assign a display key. In the Press
Action box, type Display AlmSumm /t[tag].
3.
In the Object Keys dialog box, type the name of the machine you
want to specify in the alarm summary filter.
At run time, the value of [tag] in the Display Keys, replaces #1 in
the Alarm Summary filter, and then displays alarms for the selected
machine only.
Using display keys
Display keys work like object keys, except that instead of associating a
key with an object, the key is associated with a whole graphic display.
This means that an object in the graphic display does not have to be
selected before the key will respond when pressed.
Using the keys, operators can interact with the graphic displays at run
time.
To open the Display Keys dialog box, right-click in the display and
select Display Keys.
For information about the options in the Display Keys dialog box, see
Help.
Example: Using a display key
Suppose you want the Home key to display a main menu display. To do
this, create a display key that redefines the following the Home key by
typing the following in the Press Action box:
Display “Main Menu”
Whenever an operator presses Home, the active graphic display closes
and the Main Menu display opens.
Q
18–29
If the Main Menu display is of the Overlay display type, you must use
the Abort command to close the active display.
For details about how keys and other interactive objects work at run
time, see “Specifying the behavior of interactive objects” on
page 16-44.
Viewing the key list at run time
At run time, users can use the key list to see which keys are associated
with an object and display, and to see what actions the keys will
perform.
Label
Modifiers
Key
The key list displays the keys listed in the Select key list in the Object
Keys and Display Keys dialog boxes. All object keys are displayed first
in the list, and then all display keys. The key list does not separate the
two types of keys because this distinction does not matter to
operators—they only need to know what action will occur when they
press a key.
To display a key list at run time

18–30
Q
Click the object with key animation.
The key list is displayed. It lists keys associated with this object and all
keys associated with this display.
Disabling the key list
To disable the key list, use the /O parameter with the Display
command. For details, see Help.
Applying animation to groups
You can apply animation to objects and then group those objects and
apply animation to the group. In general, when the display is running,
animation set up for a group of objects takes precendence over
animation set up for the individual objects.
This rule does not apply to visibility, fill, or color animation. For
visibility and color, object animation takes precendence over group
animation. For fill animation, group animation is added to object
animation. As well, some positioning animation might be additive.
Be sure to test group animation to ensure that it produces the effect
you intend.
To apply animation to objects within groups, use the group edit feature.
For details about editing grouped objects, see page 16-19.
Checking the animation on objects
To see what type of animation a graphic object or grouped object has,
right-click the object and then select Animation menu or the select the
object and open the Animation dialog box. To see what type of
animation objects within a group have, use the group edit feature. For
details about editing grouped objects, see page 16-19.
To find which object in a graphic display is animated by a particular tag,
or to find objects with animation attached, you can use the Object
Explorer. For details, see page 16-4.
Q
18–31
Copying or duplicating objects with animation
You can copy or duplicate objects that have animation attached to
them. When you do, the animation attached to the objects is also
copied or duplicated.
If you copy or duplicate a group, the copy of the group can be
ungrouped to individual objects, just like the original.
For details about copying or duplicating objects, see Help.
Copying animation without copying objects
If you have attached animation to an object, you can copy the
animation and paste it onto another object. If the object has more than
one type of animation, all animation is copied and pasted.
For more information about copying animation, see Help.
You can only use visibility animation with ActiveX controls.
18–32
Q
19
Setting up trends

what trends are.

creating trends, and the Trend Properties dialog box.

the parts of the trend graphic object.

the different chart types.

choosing colors, fonts, lines, and markers for the trend.

displaying current value legends and line legends.

using shading to compare trends.

using overlay trends to compare current and historical tag values.

using trend templates.

use objects from the Trend graphic library.

testing trends.

using trends at run time.
About trends
A trend is a visual representation, or chart, of current or historical tag
values. A trend provides operators with a way of tracking plant activity
as it is happening. You can:

plot data for as many as 100 tags or expressions on one trend.

use shading to emphasize a comparison between two pens.
Setting up trends
n
19–1

plot data over time, or plot one tag against another in an XY Plot
chart to show the relationship between the two tags.
display isolated or non-isolated graphs. Isolated graphing places
each pen in a separate band of the chart. With non-isolated
graphing, pen values can overlap.
The following illustration shows two trends that have been added to a
graphic display.
Current versus historical data
The data displayed in a trend can come from two sources. A data server
collects real-time data for the trend. Historical data comes from a data
log model’s set of files.
19–2
Q
You can plot historical data from a data log model in the HMI server
you are running, or you can plot data from a different HMI server,
either on the same computer, or on another computer in the
application. For information about data log models, see Chapter 13,
Using data logging.
Creating trend objects
You can create a trend using the Trend drawing tool and the tabs in the
Trend Properties dialog box, or you can use the ready-made trend chart
in the Trends graphic library. For more information, see “Using the
Trend graphic library” on page 19-26.
To create a trend object
1.
In a graphic display, click the Trend tool in the Objects toolbar or
click the Objects menu, select Advanced Objects, and then click
Trend.
2.
Drag the mouse to create a box approximately the size the trendis
to be.
3.
Double-click the trend to open the Trend Properties dialog box.
4.
Set up the trend. For details, see Help.
5.
To name the trend, open the Property Panel and then type a name
in the (Name) row.
Trend tool
The name can contain letters, numbers, and the underscore
character (_), but the first character must be a letter. Do not use
spaces in the name. It is used in the status bar, Diagnostics List,
Property Panel, Object Explorer, and Diagnostics messages.
Once you have set up the trend, you can edit it as you would any other
graphic object. You can move it, resize it, attach animation to it, and so
on. You can also use this object in other graphic displays by dragging it
from one display and dropping it into another.
Setting up trends
Q
19–3
For information about editing graphic objects, see Chapter 16, Creating
graphic displays.
Setting up trends
When you double-click a trend object, the Trend Properties dialog box
opens. Use the dialog box to set up the trend.
Set up the chart title, data
server, chart style, and
chart update mode.
Set up the apearance of the
trend.
Set up appearance, tags,
and expressions for pens.
Set up the horizontal axis.
Set up the vertical axis.
Add or delete snapshots of
historical data.
Specify trend properties to
save as a template.
Set up runtime options.
Set up the trend’s size and
position.
For details about the options in the Trend Properties dialog, see Help.
19–4
Q
The parts of a trend
The following illustration shows a standard trend chart, with two pens
and a three-minute time span. A standard chart is one of two plot types.
The two plot types allow you to plot either against time or against a
scale of values. For more information about the plot types, see Help.
Chart title
Trend border
Pen with a
square symbol
pen marker
Chart
Y-axis
Pen icon
Y-axis legend
Pen without a
pen marker
X-axis
X-axis legend
Scrolling
mechanism
Line legend
Current value legend is displayed
as a column in the line legend.
Chart
The chart is bounded by the y-axis on the left and the x-axis on the
bottom. The chart contains the plotted trend data, shown using pen
lines and pen markers, as well as grid lines.
Setting up trends
Q
19–5
Chart title
The chart title is the name you give to the trend chart. Naming the
trend is optional.
X-axis
The x-axis is the bottom horizontal edge of the chart. It is also known
as the horizontal axis or time axis.
X-axis legend
For standard charts, the x-axis legend indicates the time span covered
by the trend. For XY Plot charts, the x-axis legend shows the scale, or
range, of values from a pen you select.
You can set up the trend to omit the x-axis legend. The number of
timestamps or values shown depends on the size of the trend object
and the number of vertical grid lines.
The x-axis legend can also be double-clicked at run time to open the XAxis tab of the Trend Properties dialog box.
Y-axis
The y-axis is the left vertical edge of the chart. It is also known as the
vertical axis.
Y-axis legend
The y-axis legend shows the scale, or range, of values for the pens. You
can set up the trend to omit the y-axis legend.
The minimum and maximum values for the scale can be:
19–6
Q

determined automatically (using the best fit for the current data).

derived from a pen’s minimum and maximum values.

constant values.

controlled by tags.
You can set up the trend so that all pens use the same scale, or so that
each pen has its own scale on the y-axis. When the operator clicks a pen
in the line legend, the vertical axis shows the selected pen’s scale.
For example, if Pen 1 has a minimum value of 10 and a maximum value
of 100, the scale on the vertical axis is 10 to 100 when the pen is
selected. If Pen 2 has a minimum of -10 and a maximum of 50, the scale
on the vertical axis changes to -10 to 50 when the operator selects the
next pen in the line legend.
The y-axis legend can be double-clicked at run time to open the Y-Axis
tab. The legend can also be used to pan data. For more information
about panning data at run time, see “Using pan at run time” on
page 19-34.
Pens
Pens are the lines or symbols used to represent values. Pens can be
different colors, widths, and symbols—called markers—so operators
can distinguish one pen from another easily.
For an example of how pen markers are used, see page 19-8.
The pen values can be tags you are monitoring, expressions that
manipulate tag values, or constants.
Legends
There are four kinds of trend legends:

x-axis legend

y-axis legend

line legend
Setting up trends
Q
19–7

current value legend
The x-axis and y-axis legends are described earlier in this chapter.
The line legend shows the color, name, description, minimum value
and maximum values for each pen line shown on the trend chart.
The current value legend shows the pen icon, current pen value, and
current time for each pen line shown on the trend chart.
The position of the line legend determines where the current value
legend appears on the chart. When the position of the line legend is set
to Left, the line legend appears on the left side of the trend chart and
the current value legend appears on the right side. When the position
of the line legend is set to Bottom, the current value legend appears as
a column in the line legend.
For more information about displaying the line legend, see page 19-17.
For more information about displaying the current value legend, see
page 19-16.
Pen icons
Pen icons appear at the right edge of the chart. You can specify whether
or not pen icons are displayed on the trend chart.
At run time, if a pen’s current value is within the scale shown on the
vertical axis, the icon is displayed. The icon’s position indicates the
pen’s most recently-recorded value, even if the trend is paused, or if the
most recent value has not yet been plotted.
Pen markers
Pen markers are symbols that indicate data points. A data point is the
exact position of a value plotted on a trend chart. If data is plotted
frequently, the markers might not appear as distinct, separate symbols.
19–8
Q
You can use pen markers to show when data is sampled. For example,
when the trend is updated as the value changes, the pen marker
indicates when the trend is updated.
A ‘boxed’ pen marker
An ‘Up triangle’ pen
marker
You can use pen markers to read pen values at run time. Place the value
bar on a pen marker, and the value bar shows the value of the chart
point indicated by the pen marker.
Setting up trends
Q
19–9
Value Bar
The value bar marks the value of each pen at the selected position on
the trend chart.
You can position the value bar by clicking anywhere on the trend chart
at run time.
The value of each pen
plotted on the trend chart at
this position
The value bar
19–10
Q
Trend chart types
Standard Chart
A standard chart plots tag values against time.
In a standard chart, the yaxis shows pen values …
… and the y-axis legend
shows time values.
Setting up trends
Q
19–11
XY Plot Chart
An XY Plot chart plots the values of one or more tags against another
tag.
Use the XY Plot chart to plot one (or more) tag’s values against another
tag’s values instead of plotting one tag’s values against time. For
example, you could plot the temperature of a tank against the pressure
of the tank.
In an XY Plot, the y-axis
shows pen values …
… and the x-axis legend
shows pen values.
In the illustration above, the y-axis pen’s data is plotted as a diagonal
line on the trend chart.
The x-axis legend displays the scale for the x-axis pen. The time period
covered by the chart is at the upper left.
19–12
Q
Isolated graphing
For charts with multiple pens, you can allow the pen values to overlap,
or you can isolate each pen in its own horizontal band on the chart. Use
isolated graphing to view each pen individually on the trend chart.
This is an example of isolated graphing, with 0% isolation between
each pen’s band. A pen band is the area of the trend chart used by an
isolated pen. Use the isolated graphing percentage to specify the space
between each band.
In this illustration each pen uses its own scale. Another option is to use
the same scale for all pens.
With isolated graphing, a grid line is automatically placed above each
pen’s band.
Setting up trends
Q
19–13
Plotting a value across the full width of the
chart
Use horizontal lines to provide an orientation for your tag data. For
example, if you define values that are the limits within which a tag must
operate, and display horizontal lines in your trend to indicate the limits,
when a tag crosses one of these limits the tag’s alarm condition is
obvious on the trend.
There are two ways to plot a value so that it appears as a horizontal line
across the full width of the chart:

In the Pens tab, add a pen with a constant value.
When values for the pen have been plotted across the full width of
the chart, the pen appears as a solid horizontal line.

In the Pens tab, add a pen with a tag or expression that will
determine the position of the pen line. In the Type column of the
Pen Attributes spreadsheet, choose Full Width.
As soon as the trend is displayed, the pen appears as a horizontal
line across the full width of the chart.
The pen’s vertical position is determined by the tag, expression, or
constant’s value. If the value changes, the position changes.
Choosing trend colors, fonts, lines, and markers
The following table summarizes where in the Trend Properties dialog
box to specify colors, fonts, lines, and markers for a trend.
19–14
Q
To specify this
Click this tab
And then use
this box or
column
Chart background color
Display
Background color
Text color of the x-axis legend
Display
Text color
Text font, style, and size
Display
Font (button)
To specify this
Click this tab
And then use
this box or
column
Pen line, pen marker, pen icon, and
the text color of the y-axis legend
Pens
Color
Pen line width
Pens
Width
Pen line style
Pens
Style
Pen marker
Pens
Marker
Color of vertical lines in the grid
X-Axis
Grid color
Color of horizontal lines in the grid
Y-Axis
Grid color
You can also specify these settings in the Properties tab of the Property
Panel. For details about using the Property Panel, see page 16-5.
Changing the trend highlight color
The chart title, y-axis legend, x-axis legend and line legend use the
highlight color for the graphic display, specified in the Behavior tab of
the Display Settings dialog box. For information about the highlight
color for the graphic display, see Help.
Setting up trends
Q
19–15
Changing the trend object background
The space behind and around the trend chart and legends is the
background of the trend object.
You can change the color and style settings for the background using
the WindowStyle and WindowColor options in the Property Panel.
The shaded area is the
background of the trend
object.
For information about using the Property Panel, see page 16-5.
Displaying a current value legend
The current value legend can be displayed by itself or as part of the line
legend. When the line legend is set to appear at the bottom of the trend
chart, the line legend includes the current value legend. When the line
legend is displayed to the left of the trend, the current value legend is
displayed to the right of the trend.
19–16
Q
The following illustration shows the current value legend to the right
of the trend:
Current time
Current pen value
Pen icon
Pen line color
The following illustration shows the current value legend as part of the
line legend, at the bottom of the trend:
Pen caption
Current value
legend
Min/max values
Engineering units
Displaying a line legend
The line legend shows the details of a pen line, including the line color,
pen name, the minimum and maximum values, and the engineering
units.
The line legend’s appearance differs depending on where it is located
relative to the chart. The previous illustration shows the line legend as
it appears when it is in the bottom position.
The following illustration shows the line legend as it appears when it is
in the left position:
Pen caption
Engineering units
Min/max values
Setting up trends
Q
19–17
Using shading to compare pens
You can set up a trend so that certain parts of it are shaded to
emphasize a comparison between two or more pens. At least two pens
must be set up before you can use shading.
For example, you can set up Pen 1 to show a tag’s value and Pen 2 to
show a constant value that is an alarm threshold. When Pen 2 is the
upper boundary for Pen 1, the shading will highlight where the tag’s
value exceeds the alarm threshold by filling in the area between the two
pens with Pen 1’s line color.
Set up shading in the Pens tab in the Trend Properties dialog box.
IMPORTANT
Shading is determined by the position of lines on the
trend chart—not by the actual tag values.
The trend below calls attention to tag values in alarm. The difference
between the tag’s value and the tag’s alarm level is shaded.
Shading between pen values
Upper-bound pen
Lower-bound pen
19–18
Q
Example 1: Shading with three pens
The upper pen, Pen 2, has a constant value of 75 and the lower pen,
Pen 3, has a constant value of 25. Pen 1 represents the tag called
VIN_LEVEL. The trend is shaded whenever Pen 1 goes above Pen 2
or below Pen 3. A plot for this trend looks like this:
Pen 1
Pen 2
Pen 3
To produce the shading shown above, the following settings were used:
Shading
Pen
Tag name or
Constant value
Upper Bound
Lower Bound
Pen 1
VIN_LEVEL
Pen 2
Pen 3
Pen 2
75
Pen 3
25
Setting up trends
Q
19–19
Example 2: Shading with two pens
Whenever Pen 1 goes above Pen 2, the trend is shaded like this:
Pen 1
Color 1
Pen 2
19–20
Q
Shading
Pen
Tag name or
Constant value
Upper Bound
Pen 1
VIN_LEVEL
Pen 2
Pen 2
OIL_LEVEL
Lower Bound
Example 3: Shading between two pens
Whenever Pen 1 goes above or below Pen 2, the trend is shaded like
this:
Pen 1
Color 1
Pen 2
Shading
Pen
Tag name or
Constant value
Upper Bound
Lower Bound
Pen 1
VIN_LEVEL
Pen 2
Pen 2
Pen 2
OIL_LEVEL
Setting up trends
Q
19–21
Comparing real-time and historical data
You can layer a trend with a snapshot of previously-charted data. This
is called an overlay.
An overlay allows you to compare current charted data to a historical
snapshot, and is useful if you want to compare data from a particular
shift or batch process.
Overlay time
Overlay pen
Currently-plotting pen
Currently-plotting pen
Overlay pen
Setting up snapshots and overlays
Before you can add a snapshot to a trend and set it up as an overlay, you
must first create a snapshot.
To create a snapshot
19–22
Q
1.
Open RSView® Studio™.
2.
On the Tools menu, click Launch SE Client and run the graphic
display containing the trend.
3.
Right-click the trend and then click Create Snapshot.
4.
In the Component Name dialog box, type a name for the
snapshot, and then click OK.
To add a snapshot to the trend as an overlay
1.
In RSView Studio, open the graphic display containing the trend.
2.
Double-click the trend. The Trend Properties dialog box opens.
3.
In the Overlays tab, click Add.
4.
In the Component browser, click a snapshot, and then click OK.
Operators can show or hide overlays on the trend chart using the
context menu at run time. For information about setting up the trend’s
runtime options, see Help.
When you add a snapshot to a trend as an overlay, the pens from the
snapshot are automatically added to the Pens tab in the Trend
Properties dialog box. You can change the attributes of pens used in
overlays in the same way as the attributes of regular pens.
For information about changing the overlay at run time, see
page 19-36.
Using trend templates
You can use a trend template to:

apply a consistent appearance to trend charts.

create a set of different views for the same data.

return to a standard display after experimenting with display
options.
save pen attribute data.
Setting up trends
Q
19–23
Use the Trend Properties dialog box to create the trend template. For
details, see Help.
Applying a consistent appearance
to trend charts
Create a trend template to standardize a trend chart for all your
applications. Use a standard template when you have several different
applications and you need the trend chart to work the same way in each
application.
When you have created and saved the template, load the template into
each application’s trend chart.
Creating a set of different views
for the same data
Create a trend template for each type of trend data chart you need to
use in order to assess the data. Load these trend templates at run time
to change the appearance of your trend data.
Returning to a standard display
Create a trend template to use as a standard display. Load the standard
display template when you or your operators have changed the trend
chart settings and you want to return to your standard trend chart.
Saving pen attribute data
Create a trend template to save pen attribute data. You can add a
number of new pens at run time, create a template, and then save pen
attribute data with the template. You can then close the trend graphic
display, reopen it later, and instead of having to add each pen again, you
19–24
Q
can load the template. When you load the template, the pen attribute
data will also be loaded.
IMPORTANT
If you load a template at run time, any existing pens in
the trend are deleted and replaced with the pens in the
template.
Loading templates
Load a template to return to your original settings, or to apply a
consistent trend appearance across applications.
To load a template
1.
In the Trend Properties dialog box, click the Template tab, and
then click Load template.
2.
Select a template from the Component browser, and then
click OK.
IMPORTANT
Saving, loading, and deleting templates takes effect
immediately, and cannot be undone.
Loading templates at run time
Use the Invoke command to load a template at run time.
Example: Using the Invoke command to
switch between two templates at run time
1.
Set up a template with isolated graphing called Isolated.
2.
Set up a template with non-isolated graphing called Non-Isolated.
Setting up trends
Q
19–25
3.
In the trend graphic display, create a button to load the isolated
graphing template with the following command:
Invoke Me.Trend1.LoadTemplate (“Isolated”)
4.
In the trend graphic display, create a button to load the nonisolated graphing template with the following command:
Invoke Me.Trend1.LoadTemplate (“Non-Isolated”)
5.
Use the buttons at run time to load the required template.
Using the Trend graphic library
The Trend graphic library contains a real-time trend, and objects for
controlling the trend. You can use the trend and objects as they are, or
you can edit them to suit your needs. To use the objects, drag and drop
them into your graphic display.
To use the Trend graphic library
1.
In the Application Explorer, open the Graphics folder.
2.
Open the Libraries folder.
3.
Right-click Trend, and then click Open.
4.
Drag and drop one or more trend buttons or the trends into the
display.
Testing trends
To test the trend, use test display mode. If communications are active
and there is data for the tags, the pens plot values in the trend. When
you are finished testing, switch back to edit display mode to continue
editing.
19–26
Q
To switch between test display and edit display modes
X
On the View menu, click Test Display or Edit Display, or click the
Test Display or Edit Display buttons on the toolbar.
Using trends at run time
Select run-time options in the Runtime tab of the Trend Properties
dialog box. For details, see Help.
Collecting data in the background at run time
Real-time trends collect data only while the trend is displayed. This
means that a trend will not contain any data when the graphic display
opens. This can be a problem if the trend chart is not open for the
whole time the application is running, or if other graphic displays are
opened before the trend display.
If you want the trend to contain data when the graphic display is
opened, you can either use a data log model, or you can create a startup
macro that loads and updates the display in the background. This loads
data into the data buffer for the trend.
For information about setting up an HMI server to run a startup
macro:

in distributed applications, see “Selecting the HMI server’s startup
and shutdown components” on page 5-20.
in stand-alone applications, see “Specifying HMI server startup
components” on page 6-5.
Setting up trends
Q
19–27
Example: Updating trend data in the background
1.
Create a startup macro that includes this command:
Display Trend1 /ZA
where Trend1 is the name of the display containing the real-time
trend, and /ZA is the parameter for loading the trend data into the
data buffer. This updates the trend while it is not visible.
Trend data remains in the cache until you use the FlushCache
command or until you stop running your application.
2.
When you want the real-time trend to become visible, issue the
following command:
Display Trend1
Trend1 will appear in the graphic display and will contain data.
19–28
Q
Selecting pens at run time
To display details about a pen, select the pen by clicking it in the line
legend. When the pen is selected, the vertical scale changes to reflect
the scale of values for the pen.
The y-axis legend shows the
minimum and maximum
scale for a pen …
… when you click the pen
line in the line legend.
Changing the trend properties at run time
Any changes made at run time are not saved. The changes will be made
to the trend that is running, but as soon as the display is changed or
closed, the trend changes are lost. To make permanent changes to a
trend, open and edit it in RSView Studio.
To open the Trend Properties dialog box
X
Right-click the trend chart, and then click Chart properties.
The Trend Properties dialog box opens. The dialog box shows only
the tabs for which check boxes are selected in the Runtime tab. The
Runtime tab is not accessible at run time.
Setting up trends
Q
19–29
To open the Graph title dialog box
The Graph title dialog box allows you to change the name of the trend
chart at run time.
1.
Double-click the trend title. The Graph title dialog box opens.
2.
Type a name for the trend chart, and then click OK.
To open the Y-Axis tab
1.
Double-click the y-axis legend. The Y-Axis tab opens.
2.
Change the settings for the Y-Axis tab, and then click OK.
To open the X-Axis tab
1.
Double-click the x-axis legend. The X-Axis tab opens.
2.
Change the settings for the X-Axis tab, and then click OK.
To open the Pens tab
1.
Double-click the line legend. The Pens tab opens.
2.
Change the settings for the Pens tab, and then click OK.
Using scrolling options at run time
You can create buttons and graphic objects with which to view a trend’s
data, or you can use the buttons in the Trend graphic library. For
information about the graphic library, see “Using the Trend graphic
library” on page 19-26.
A set of VCR-style buttons are included with the trend. These buttons
allow the operator to view different areas of charted data. To show the
19–30
Q
VCR-style buttons at run time, in the Display tab, click Display
scrolling mechanism.
Oldest data
Backward 1 Backward ½
time span time span
Pause
Forward ½
time span
Forward 1
time span
Most
current
data
Using the value bar at run time
The value bar displays the value of each pen at the position you select
on the trend chart.
Pen values
The value bar
Setting up trends
Q
19–31
To show the value bar
X
Click the trend where you want the value bar to appear.
To hide the value bar
X
Click the vertical axis or right-click the trend chart, and then click
Show Value bar to toggle the option off.
A check mark means the value bar appears on the trend chart, and
no check mark means the value bar is hidden from the trend chart.
The value bar changes color automatically so that it is visible for all
background colors. For example, if the trend background color is black,
the value bar color will be white. If the trend background color is white,
the value bar will be black.
A tilde (~) appears after a value in the value bar if the value is an
approximation. The approximation occurs because there is no value for
the pen at the exact time stamp of the value bar. The value displayed is
based on the nearest available reading.
19–32
Q
Using the delta value bar at run time
The delta value bar works with the value bar to show the difference in
value between two x-axis points for standard and XY Plot chart types.
The value of the data point
at the Value bar’s position.
The difference between
the value bar’s data point
and the delta value bar’s
data point.
The delta value bar
To show the delta value bar
1.
Right-click the trend chart, select Active value bar, and then click
Value.
2.
Click the trend where you want the value bar to appear.
3.
Open the context menu, select Active value bar, and then click
Delta.
4.
Click the trend where you want to see the difference between the
value at the value bar’s data point and the value at the delta value
bar’s data point.
Setting up trends
Q
19–33
To move the delta value bar
1.
Right-click the trend, select Active value bar, and then click Delta.
2.
Click the trend chart at the position on the trend where you want
to know the difference between the value indicated by the value
bar and the value indicated by the delta value bar.
To remove the delta value bar
1.
Right-click the trend, and then click Show value bar.
Both the value bar and the delta value bar are removed from the
trend.
2.
Open the context menu, and then click Show value bar again. The
value bar reappears but the delta value bar does not.
Using zoom at run time
Use zoom to view a selected area of the trend chart in more detail.
To zoom, you can

right-click and drag the y-axis to zoom vertically.

right-click and drag the x-axis to zoom horizontally.

left-click and drag the chart to zoom into the selected area.
To restore the original view of the trend chart
X
Right-click the chart, and then click Undo Zoom/Pan.
Using pan at run time
Use pan to view areas of the trend chart that are outside the area of the
chart you are viewing.
19–34
Q
To pan the trend chart
1.
Pause the trend chart by:

2.
clicking the pause button, located at the bottom of the trend
with the other VCR buttons.
right-clicking the trend chart, and then clicking Scroll to toggle
off the Scroll option.
Once the trend chart is paused, you can pan to an area of the trend
chart by:

left-clicking and dragging the y-axis legend to pan vertically.

left-clicking and dragging the x-axis legend to pan horizontally.
To restore the original view of the trend chart
X
Right-click the chart, and then select Undo Zoom/Pan.
Using the arrow keys at run time
You can use the arrow keys on the keyboard to perform some of the
same functions as the mouse and VCR-style buttons.
Press and hold
this key
And then press
this arrow key
To do this
(none)
Left
Move back half a time span.
(none)
Right
Move forward half a time span.
(none)
Up
Pan up 10%.
(none)
Down
Pan down 10%.
Shift
Left
Move back a full time span.
Shift
Right
Move forward a full time span.
Shift
Up or Down
Switch to the next pen’s y-axis.
Ctrl
Left or Right
Move the value bar to the next
data point.
Setting up trends
Q
19–35
Press and hold
this key
And then press
this arrow key
To do this
Ctrl
Up or Down
Pan up or down 10%.
Shift and Ctrl
Left or Right
Pause.
Shift and Ctrl
Up or Down
Switch to the next pen’s y-axis.
Printing the trend chart at run time
To print the trend chart
X
Right-click the trend, and then click Print Trend.
Using overlays at run time
Before you can use overlays at run time, a snapshot must be created and
the overlay must be set up in the Overlays tab. For more information
about snapshots and overlays, see “Setting up snapshots and overlays”
on page 19-22.
To align an overlay to the left of the trend chart
X
Right-click the trend chart, select Overlays, Align Left, and then
click the name of the overlay to align to the left of the trend chart.
To relocate an overlay
X
19–36
Q
Right-click the trend chart, select Overlays, Relocate, and then click
the name of the overlay to relocate.
To show or hide an overlay
X
Right-click the trend chart, select Overlays, Show/Hide, and then
click the name of the overlay to show or hide.
A check mark beside the overlay name means it is showing on the
trend chart. No check mark beside the overlay name means it is
hidden on the trend chart.
To open the Overlays tab
X
Right-click the trend chart, select Overlays, and then click
Properties.
The Overlays tab opens.
Fixing run-time errors
If data for the trend is not available at run time due to communication
errors, a message is sent to the Diagnostics List. For information about
setting up FactoryTalk® Diagnostics, see Chapter 12, Logging system
activity.
To view information in the Diagnostics List
X
In RSView Studio, click the Tools menu, and then click Diagnostics
Viewer.
For information about troubleshooting common trend problems, see
Help.
Setting up trends
Q
19–37
20
Creating expressions

why and where to use expressions, and what components they have.

which editors use expressions.

how to create expressions.

using tag names and tag placeholders.

using constants.

using operators.

using built-in functions.

using if-then-else logic.
About expressions
Sometimes the data you gather from devices is only meaningful when
you:

compare it to other values.

combine it with other values.

create a cause-effect relationship with other values.
Expressions allow you to create mathematical or logical combinations
of data that return more meaningful values.
Where you can use expressions
Expressions can be used in the following editors:
n
20–1

Graphic Displays—You can define an expression to control various
aspects of a graphic object’s appearance. You can also display the
value of an expression in numeric and string display objects.
Derived Tags—You can define an expression and then specify the
name of a tag that will store the result of the expression.
Events—You can define an expression and then associate it with an
action. When the expression changes from false to true (from 0 to
any non-zero value), the action (a command or macro) runs.
Data Log Setup—When setting up file management, you can
choose to have a log file created when a particular event occurs.
One way of doing this is to create an expression.
Using expressions in a command
You can also use expressions in the RSView® commands, If or Set, to
set the value of a tag. For details about these commands, see Help.
Expression components
Expressions can be built from:
20–2
Q

tag values.

tag placeholders.

constants.

mathematical, relational, logical, and bitwise operators.

built-in functions.

if-then-else logic.
All editors that can use expressions include an Expression box. In some
editors, you will also find:

expression buttons.

an Expression column.
The following illustration shows the items for creating an expression in
the Events editor.
Expression box
Expression buttons
Expression column
Q
20–3
Expression buttons
These are the expression buttons:
This button
Displays a list of
This button
Displays a list of
If-then-else operators
Bitwise operators
Logical operators
Built-in functions
Relational operators
Tags in the tag browser
Arithmetic operators
Using the Check Syntax button
Use the Check Syntax button to verify that the expression you typed
uses correct syntax. If the syntax is invalid, an error appears next to the
Check Syntax button.
The syntax of the expression is also checked automatically when you
click the Accept or OK button.
Cutting, copying, and pasting expressions
You can cut, copy, or paste an expression or parts of an expression. The
method for performing these actions depends on whether the
expression is in a window or in a dialog box.
When you are working in a window, you can use the commands on the
Edit menu, the toolbar, or the keyboard. When you are working in a
dialog box, you can only use the keyboard because there is no access to
the menu bar or toolbar.
When you cut or copy an expression, a copy of it is placed on the
clipboard. Once it is on the clipboard, you can paste it into any other
Expression box. You can also paste it into a command line.
20–4
Q
Formatting expressions
You can format expressions using tabs, line returns, and multiple
spaces so they are easier to read. However, do not let tag names, key
words, function names, or function arguments span more than one line.
Example: Formatting an expression
To format this if-then-else statement, you can align the Else with the
appropriate If, so the logic is easy to understand:
If (tag1>tag2) Then 0
Else If (tag1>tag3) Then 2
Else 4
Or you can condense it to the following:
If (tag1>tag2) Then 0 Else If (tag1>tag3) Then 2 Else 4
Using tag names and tag placeholders in expressions
A tag name can be included as part of an expression or can stand alone
as the entire expression.
To supply a tag name, type it in the Expressions box, or click the Tags
button and then select a tag from the Tag Browser.
Enclose tag names that contain dashes or start with a number, in
brackets {} when you use them in an expression. Also use brackets
when using wildcard characters (* or ?) to represent multiple tags, for
example, when using one of the Alarming functions in an expression.
This wildcard
character
Does this
?
Matches any single character.
*
Matches any number of characters, including the
backslash (\) character.
For detailed information about tags, see Chapter 8, Working with tags.
Q
20–5
Using area names with tag names
When referring to a tag in a different area, specify the area name as an
absolute or relative reference. For details about using absolute and
relative references with tag names, see “Using tag references” on
page 8-15.
Using tag placeholders instead of tag names
The Graphic Displays editor can accept tag placeholders instead of tag
names. Placeholders allow you to use the same display with a variety of
tags.
You can use tag placeholders in the same way you use tag names. A tag
placeholder is the cross-hatch character (#) followed by a number from
1 to 500. For detailed information about placeholders, see “Using tag
placeholders” on page 16-31
Using constants in expressions
A constant can have any of the following formats:

integer (123).

floating point (123.45).

scientific notation (1.2345E ² ).

string constant (“character string”).

20–6
Q
‘pi’ string (to represent the symbol π). RSView replaces the string
with its numeric value.
Using operators in expressions
Arithmetic operators
Arithmetic operators calculate values based on two or more numeric
values. The arithmetic operators are:
Symbol
Operator
Example
(For these examples, tag1=5 and
tag2=7)
+
addition
tag1+tag2
returns a value of 12
–
subtraction
tag1–tag2
returns a value of –2
*
multiplication
tag1*tag2
/
division
tag1/tag2
returns a value of 0.7142857
modulus
(remainder)
tag2 MOD tag1
MOD, %
The modulus operator is the remainder of
one number divided by another. For
example, the remainder of 13 divided by 5
is 3; so 13%5=3
Important: This operator is for integers
only, not floating point numbers.
**
exponent
IMPORTANT
tag1**tag2
Be sure that any tag value you use as a divisor cannot at
some point have a value of 0. Expressions that attempt
to divide a number by 0 produce an error at run time.
Q
20–7
String operands
The + operator can be used to join string operands. For example, the
expression “hello” + “world” returns: helloworld.
Relational operators
Relational operators compare two numeric or string values to provide
a true or false result. If the statement is true, a value of 1 is returned. If
false, 0 is returned.
The relational operators are:
Symbol
Operator
Numeric examples†
String examples‡
† For the numeric examples, tag1=5 and tag2=7
‡ For the string examples, serial_no=ST009
EQ, ==
equal
tag1==tag2
false
serial_no==“ST011”
false
NE, <>
not equal
tag1<>tag2
true
serial_no<>“ST011”
true
LT, <
less than
tag1<tag2
true
serial_no<“ST011”
true
GT, >
greater than
tag1>tag2
false
serial_no>“ST011”
false
LE, <=
less than or equal to
tag1<=tag2
true
serial_no<=“ST011”
true
GE, >=
greater than or equal to
tag1>=tag2
false
serial_no>=“ST011”
false
How string operands are evaluated
String operands are evaluated by case and by alphabetical order. Lower
case letters are greater than upper case letters. For example, h is greater
than H. Letters later in the alphabet are greater than those earlier in the
alphabet. For example, B is greater than A.
20–8
Q
Logical operators
Logical operators determine the validity of one or more statements.
There are three logical operators: AND, OR, and NOT. The operators
return a non-zero value if the expression is true, or a 0 if the expression
is false.
The logical operators are:
Example
(For these examples,
tag1=5 and tag2=7)
Symbols
Operator
Action
AND, &&
and
Returns a 1 if the statements to the
right and to the left of the operator
are both true.
(tag1<tag2) AND (tag1==5)
Both statements are true; returns a 1.
OR, ||
or
Returns a 1 if either or both
statements are true.
(tag1>tag2) OR (tag1==5)
tag1==5 is true; returns a 1.
NOT
negation
Reverses the logical value of the
statement it operates on.
NOT (tag1<tag2)
Although tag1<tag2 is true, NOT
reverses the logical value; returns a 0.
IMPORTANT
The parentheses are essential in the above expressions.
For more information, see “Evaluation order of
operators” on page 20-11.
Bitwise operators
Bitwise operators examine and manipulate individual bits within a
value.
IMPORTANT
These operators are for integers only, not floating-point
numbers.
Q
20–9
Symbol
&
Operator
Action
AND
Compares two integers or integer tags on a bit-by-bit basis.
Returns an integer with a bit set to 1 if both the corresponding
bits in the original numbers are 1. Otherwise, the resulting bit is 0.
|
inclusive OR
Compares two integers or tags on a bit-by-bit basis.
Returns an integer with a bit set to 1 if either or both of the
corresponding bits in the original numbers are 1. If both bits
are 0, the resulting bit is 0.
^
exclusive OR (XOR)
Compares two integers or tags on a bit-by-bit basis.
Returns an integer with a bit set to 1 if the corresponding bits in
the original numbers differ. If both bits are 1 or both are 0, the
resulting bit is 0.
>>
right shift
Shifts the bits within an integer or tag to the right.
Shifts the bits within the left operand by the amount specified in
the right operand. The bit on the right disappears.
Either a 0 or a 1 is shifted in on the left, depending on whether
the left-most bit is a 0 or a 1. If the left-most bit is 0, a 0 is shifted
in. If the left-most bit is 1, a 1 is shifted in. In other words, the
sign of the number is preserved.
<<
left shift
Shifts the bits within an integer or tag to the left.
Shifts the bits within the left operand by the amount specified in
the right operand. The bit on the left disappears and 0 always
shifts in on the right.
~
complement
Returns one’s complement; that is, toggles the bits within an
integer or tag.
Reverses every bit within the number so every 1 bit becomes a 0
and vice versa.
Example: Bitwise operators
For these examples tag1=5 (binary 0000 0000 0000 0101) and tag2=2
(binary 0000 0000 0000 0010)
20–10
Q
tag1&tag2
Returns 0 (binary 0000 0000 0000 0000)
tag1|tag2
Returns 7 (binary 0000 0000 0000 0111)
tag1^tag2
Returns 7 (binary 0000 0000 0000 0111)
tag1>>1
Returns 2 (binary 0000 0000 0000 0010)
tag1<<1
Returns 10 (binary 0000 0000 0000 1010)
~tag1
Returns –6 (binary 1111 1111 1111 1010)
Evaluation order of operators
Expressions with more than one operator are evaluated in this order:
Operators in parentheses are evaluated first.

Therefore, to change the order of precedence, use parentheses.
The operator with the highest precedence is evaluated next.

When two operators have equal precedence, they are evaluated
from left to right.

Operators are evaluated in this order:
Evaluation order
Symbols
1 (highest)
()
2
NOT
~
Q
20–11
Evaluation order
Symbols
3
*
/
MOD, %
**
AND, &&
&
>>
<<
4
+
–
OR, ||
|
^
5 (lowest)
EQ, =
NE, <>
LT, <
GT, >
LE, <=
GE, >=
Examples: Evaluation order
For these examples, tag1=5, tag2=7, and tag3=10.
_____________________________
(tag1>tag2) AND (tag1<tag3)
is evaluated in this sequence:
1.
tag1>tag2=0
2.
tag1<tag3=1
3.
0 AND 1=0
The expression evaluates to 0 (false).
_____________________________
20–12
Q
tag1>tag2 AND tag3
1.
tag2 AND tag3=1
2.
tag1>1=1
The expression evaluates to 1 (true).
_____________________________
NOT tag1 AND tag2>tag3 ** 2
1.
NOT tag1=0
2.
0 AND tag2=0
3.
tag3 ** 2=100
4.
0>100=0
The expression evaluates to 0 (false).
Using built-in functions in expressions
The types of built-in functions are:

tag

time

file

math

user
Many functions check for specific true and false conditions. They
return 1 if the condition is true, and 0 if the condition is false.
Q
20–13
Tag functions
The following built-in functions examine the status of a tag or alarm
event, or multiple tags or alarm events.
IMPORTANT
20–14
Q
If a graphic display requires more than 20 alarm
functions, to improve performance use these alarm
functions in derived tags instead.
This function
Returns
alm_ack(tag or event)
or
1 (true) if the tag or alarm event’s alarm has
been acknowledged.
alm_ack(tag*)
For multiple tags or alarm events, 1 (true) if
one or more of the tags’ or alarm events’
alarms have been acknowledged.
alm_allacked(tag*)
1 (true) if all of the tags’ alarms have been
acknowledged.
alm_fault(tag)
or
1 (true) if there has been an alarm fault for
the specified tag.
alm_fault(tag*)
For multiple tags, 1 (true) if there has been
an alarm fault for one or more of the tags.
alm_in_alarm(tag or event)
or
1 (true) if the tag or alarm event is in alarm.
alm_in_alarm(tag*)
For multiple tags, 1 (true) if one or more of
the tags or alarm events are in alarm.
alm_level(tag or event)
or
The alarm level or threshold for an analog
tag: a value between 1 and 8, or 0 if the tag
is not in alarm.
alm_level(tag*)
For multiple tags, the highest level of the
tags that are in alarm. For example, if the
alarms are levels 2, 6, and 8, this function
returns the value 8.
This function
Returns
alm_severity(tag or event)
or
The severity of the alarm—a value between
1 and 8, or 0 if the tag or alarm event is not
in alarm.
alm_severity(tag*)
For multiple tags or alarm events, the
highest severity of the tags or alarm events
that are in alarm. For example, if the alarms
have severities of 1, 3, and 6, this function
returns the value 1.
alm_suppress(tag)
or
1 (true) if the tag’s alarms are suppressed.
alm_suppress(tag*)
For multiple tags, 1 (true) if one or more of
the tags’ alarms are suppressed.
alm_tags_inalm(tag or
event)
or
alm_tags_inalm(tag*)
1 (true) if the tag or event is in alarm.
alm_tags_inalm_unack(tag
or event)
or
alm_tags_inalm_unack(tag*
)
1 (true) if the tag or event is in alarm and
unacknowledged
For multiple tags or alarm events, the
number of tags or events in the query that
are in alarm, or 0 if none are in alarm.
For multiple tags or events, the number of
tags or events in the query that are in alarm
and unacknowledged, or 0 if none are both
in alarm and unacknowledged.
Q
20–15
This function
Returns
alm_tags_unack(tag or
event)
or
1 (true) if the tag or event is
unacknowledged; 0 if the tag or event is
acknowledged
alm_tags_unack(tag*)
For multiple tags or events, the number of
tags or events in the query that are
unacknowledged, or 0 if all are
acknowledged.
comm_err(tag or event)
1 (true) if the last read or write operation
for the specified tag indicated a
communication failure.
You can examine the status of only one tag
with this function.
To examine multiple tags at once, use a wildcard character in the
expression argument.
This wildcard
character
Does this
?
Matches any single character.
*
Matches any number of characters, including the
backslash (\) character.
Example: Tag functions
ALM_IN_ALARM(/Ingredients::vessel3\TIC3\pv*)
Returns 1 (true) if one or more tags in the specified folder have a name
beginning with the letters “pv” and are in alarm. Returns 0 (false) if
none of the specified tags are in alarm.
In this example, the tags are in the area called Ingredients.
20–16
Q
Time functions
The following built-in functions examine system time. These functions
use the time or interval parameters.
This function
Returns
TIME(“time”)
1 (true) if the time specified is the current
time.
BEFORE_TIME(“time”)
1 (true) if the expression is evaluated before
the specified time.
AFTER_TIME(“time”)
1 (true) if the expression is evaluated after
the specified time.
INTERVAL(“interval”)
1 (true) if the specified time interval has
elapsed—the interval timer starts running
when an event file starts running.
IMPORTANT
The time and interval parameters must be enclosed in
quotes.
The time parameter can include the following options:

day of week
[Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, or Sat]

month
[Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep,
Oct, Nov, or Dec]

date
[1 to 31]

year
[1997 to 2100]

hour of day
[00: to 23:]

minute
[:00 to :59]

second
[:00 to :59]
It does not matter in what order options are listed. You can include any
or all of these options; the more you include, the more specific the time
becomes.
Q
20–17
Example 1: Specific time parameters
The following all represent the same date and time, and are valid time
parameters:

"mon aug 23 2004 17:00"

"mon aug 23 2004 17: :00"

":00 aug 23 mon 2004 17:"
IMPORTANT
The validity of the date is not checked. If Aug 23 2004 is
not a Monday, this error is not detected.
Example 2: Less specific time parameters
Following are valid examples of time parameters:

“17:00”
means any day at 5:00 P.M.
“ :30 ”
means any hour, on the half hour
“ mon 17:”
means 5:00 P.M. each Monday
The interval parameter has this format:
<number> <units>
where <units> is one of:
20–18
Q

mil (millisecond)

sec (second)

min (minute)

hou (hour)

day (day)

wee (week)

mon (month)

yea (year)
Example 3: Time and interval functions
TIME(“sun aug 22 2004 14:30”)
Returns 1 (true) if it is exactly 2:30 P.M. and 0 seconds, on Sunday,
August 22, 2004; otherwise returns 0 (false).
AFTER_TIME(“sun aug 22 2004 14:30”)
Returns 1 the first time the expression is evaluated after 2:30 P.M. on
Sunday, August 22, 2004.
BEFORE_TIME(“aug 22 2004”)
Returns 1 (true) the first time the expression is evaluated before
August 22, 2004.
INTERVAL(“1 min”)
Returns 1 (true) if a minute has elapsed since the expression last
returned a 1.
(tag1>500) and INTERVAL (“30 sec”)
Returns 1 (true) when tag1>500 on some 30-second interval since the
event file started running. (It does not mean 30 seconds after
tag1>500.)
Q
20–19
File functions
The following built-in functions check if a file exists and check the
amount of free disk space.
The file parameter is the path name, surrounded by quotes. The drive
parameter is the drive letter.
This function
Returns this value
Example
FILE_EXISTS(“file”)
1 (true) if the specified
file exists
FILE_EXISTS(“C:\Documents and Settings\
All Users\Shared Documents\
RSView Enterprise\SE\ActivityLog\
Activity.exp” returns 1 (true) if the file exists or
0 (false) if the file does not exist.
Use this function to set a tag when a specified file
has been created or deleted.
FREE_BYTES(drive)
The number of bytes
free on the specified
drive
FREE_BYTES(c)
returns the number of bytes available on drive C,
up to a maximum of 2.1 GB.
Use this function to display a message or trigger an
alarm when disk space is getting low.
To have an expression containing these functions evaluated more than
once, assign the expression to an event rather than to an object in a
graphic display.
Math functions
Use math functions to calculate the square root, log (natural or base
10), or trigonometry ratios (in radians or degrees) of a tag or
expression.
20–20
Q
This function
Returns this value
SQRT (expression)
The square root of the expression
LOG (expression)
The natural log of the expression
LOG10 (expression)
The base ten log of the expression
This function
Returns this value
SIN (expression)
The sine of the expression in radians
COS (expression)
The cosine of the expression in radians
TAN (expression)
The tangent of the expression in radians
ARCSIN (expression)
The arc sine of the expression in radians
ARCCOS (expression)
The arc cosine of the expression in radians
ARCTAN (expression)
The arc tangent of the expression in radians
SIND (expression)
The sine of the expression in degrees
COSD (expression)
The cosine of the expression in degrees
TAND (expression)
The tangent of the expression in degrees
ARCSIND (expression)
The arc sine of the expression in degrees
ARCCOSD (expression)
The arc cosine of the expression in degrees
ARCTAND (expression)
The arc tangent of the expression in degrees
Security functions
Use security functions to control access to the application. These
functions allow you to determine a user’s identity or security rights in
order to limit access to the application based on these criteria.
This function
Returns this value
Example
CurrentUserName
The name of the current user. The
user’s domain is not included.
CurrentUserName()
Returns the name of the current user.
CurrentUserHasCode
True (1) if the user possesses any of
the specified security codes.
If checking multiple security codes,
do not type a space between the
security code letters.
CurrentUserHasCode(ABP)
Returns true if the current user has
been assigned one or more of the
specified codes.
Q
20–21
Using if-then-else logic in expressions
If-then-else expressions carry out an action conditionally or branch
actions depending on the statements in the expression. The if-thenelse statements enable the expression to perform different actions in
different situations and to repeat activities until a condition changes.
IMPORTANT
Do not confuse the if-then-else expression with the If
command. For details about the If command, see Help.
To build conditional expressions, use the relational operators and the
logical operators for the statement, and values.
The if-then-else structure is:
If statement Then value1 Else value2
If the statement is true then the expression returns value1; if the
statement is false then the expression returns value2. Keep in mind that
the statement is a mathematical equation and true means a non-zero
value, and false means 0.
The if–then–else structure is illustrated below.
enter
statement
true
false
value2
exit
20–22
Q
value1
Nested if-then-else
It is common to nest an if-then-else structure inside the then or else
part of an if-then-else structure.
Example 1: Nested if-then-else
This expression:
If statement1 Then value1
Else if statement2 Then value2
Else value3
has this interpretation:
enter
statement1
true
false
statement2
true
false
value3
value2
value1
exit
Q
20–23
Example 2: Nested if–then–else
This expression:
If statement1 Then
If statement2 Then value1
Else value2
Else value3
has this interpretation:
enter
statement1
true
false
value3
exit
20–24
Q
statement2
false
value2
true
value1
21
Creating
embedded variables

the types of embedded variables.

where you can create embedded variables.

creating embedded variables.

embedded variable syntax.

how embedded variables are updated at run time.

how embedded variables are displayed at run time.
About embedded variables
Embedded variables allow you to display values that change
dynamically at run time. You can use embedded variables in the text
captions on graphic objects, and in message text. You can use multiple
embedded variables in the same caption or message.
For example, you could embed a tag value and the time variable in a
local message. At run time when the local message is displayed, it is
updated to reflect the tag’s current value as the value changes. The time
is also updated as the time changes.
Embedded variables can consist of:

numeric (analog or digital) tags.

string tags.
Creating embedded variables
n
21–1

tag placeholders. For information about tag placeholders, see
page 16-31.

the time.

the date.
Where you can create embedded variables
You can create embedded variables in these editors:

Graphic Displays—Use this editor to insert embedded variables in
the captions for graphic objects. For graphic objects with multiple
states, you can insert different embedded variables in each state’s
caption.
For information about specific graphic objects, see Chapter 17,
Setting up graphic objects.

Local Messages—Use this editor to insert embedded variables in
local messages.
For information about local messages, see page 17-47.
To create an embedded variable in the caption
of a graphic object
21–2
Q
1.
Open the graphic object’s Properties dialog box.
2.
Click the tab containing the Caption box (the General, Label, or
the States tab, depending on the type of object).
3.
Click Insert Variable.
4.
Click the type of variable to insert.
5.
Fill in the options in the dialog box that opens. For details about
the options, see Help.
To create an embedded variable in a message
1.
In the Local Messages editor, right click the Message column, and
then click Edit String.
2.
Click Insert Variable.
3.
Click the type of variable to insert.
4.
Fill in the options in the dialog box that opens. For details about
the options, see Help.
Embedded variable syntax
Embedded variables are case sensitive, and must use specific syntax to
work. Otherwise, the embedded variable is treated as a piece of text.
Therefore, we do not recommend creating and editing embedded
variables manually. Instead, use the Insert Variable and Edit Variable
dialog boxes.
Numeric embedded variable syntax
Use numeric embedded variables to insert analog or digital tag values
into text strings.
Numeric embedded variables use this syntax:
/*N:# Tag_name Fill_character DP:#*/
Q
21–3
where

N indicates that it is a numeric embedded variable.

# indicates the number of digits.

Tag_name is the tag to display; you can also type a tag placeholder
here.
Fill_character is the fill character: NOFILL, ZEROFILL, or
SPACEFILL.
# indicates the number of decimal places.
Example: Syntax for numeric embedded variables
To display the current value of an analog tag called Oven_temp, with 3
digits, no decimal places, and no fill character, you would type this:
/*N:3 Oven_temp NOFILL DP:0*/
String embedded variable syntax
Use string embedded variables to insert string tag values into text
strings.
String embedded variables use this syntax:
/*S:# Tag_name*/
where

21–4
Q
S indicates that it is a string embedded variable.
# indicates the number of digits if you select a fixed number of
digits; type 0 if you don’t want to use a fixed number.
Tag_name is the tag to display; you can also type a tag placeholder
here.
Example: Syntax for string embedded variables
To display the current value of a string tag called Blower_status, with a
fixed length of 20 characters, you would type this:
/*S:20 Blower_status*/
Time and date embedded variable syntax
Use time and date embedded variables to insert the current time or date
into text strings.
Time and date embedded variables use this syntax:
/*Time_date_format*/
where
Time_date_format uses one of these character sequences:
These characters
Specify this format
SD
Short date
LD
Long date
SDT
Short date and time
LDT
Long date and time
T
Time
TSD
Time and short date
TLD
Time and long date
Q
21–5
Example: Syntax for time and date embedded variables
To display the time followed by the short date, you would type this:
/*TSD*/
A space is placed between the time and date when the embedded
variable is displayed at run time.
How embedded variables are updated at run time
At run time, this is how embedded variables are displayed and updated:

Graphic objects—When a display containing a graphic object that
uses an embedded variable is open, the value of the embedded
variable is updated whenever a new tag value is read from the data
source. For time and date embedded variables, the time and date are
updated as the system time and date change.
Local messages—When a display containing a local message
display object is open, and the message the object is displaying
contains an embedded variable, the value of the embedded variable
is updated whenever a new tag value is read from the data source.
For time and date embedded variables, the time and date are
updated as the system time and date change.
How embedded variables are displayed at run time
If there is no valid data available for the embedded variable, the variable
is replaced with question marks (?). This could occur when a display
first opens and the data has not arrived yet, or when there is a problem
that prevents communication with the data source.
If a string or numeric embedded variable has been set up but no tag has
been assigned, the embedded variable is replaced with asterisks(*).
21–6
Q
Numeric embedded variables
The value shown for a numeric embedded variable depends on
whether the tag value is a floating-point number or an integer. Integer
values are displayed as is. Floating-point values are rounded to fit the
specified number of digits for the variable.
For example, if the variable is set up to show 6 digits, 1234.56 is
rounded to 1234.6. The value 1234.44 is rounded to 1234.4. The
decimal counts as one of the digits.
If the tag value, including the decimal point and minus sign, contains
more digits than specified for the variable, the numeric variable is
replaced with asterisks (*).
Number formats
The numeric variable uses the number format you set up on the runtime computer. For example, if the run-time computer is set up to use
a comma for the decimal symbol, the numeric variable uses a comma
for the decimal symbol.
String embedded variables
For string embedded variables that do not use a fixed number of
characters, the entire string tag value is displayed, unless a null character
is read. Nothing after a null character is displayed.
If a fixed number of characters is used, the variable displays the value
of the tag up to the number of characters specified, unless a null
character is encountered before the specified length. Nothing after a
null character is displayed. If necessary, spaces are used to make up the
required number of characters.
Null characters have a hex value of 0. The null character indicates the
end of string input. It does not add to the actual string length.
Q
21–7
Time and date embedded variables
For embedded variables that show both the time and the date, a space
is placed between the time and date when the embedded variable is
displayed at run time.
Time and date formats
Time and date embedded variables use the time and date formats you
set up on the run-time computer. For example, if you specify the short
date format, at run time the display uses the short date format that the
run-time computer uses.
21–8
Q
22
Creating macros

what macros are.

macro syntax.

running macros.
About macros
A macro is a series of commands stored in a macro component. The
name of the macro component is then used like a command, and can
be used anywhere a command can be used. When the component name
is entered, the macro runs, executing all the commands in the
component.
You can create macros to perform almost any action. For example, a
macro can:

open a group of windows and define their initial positions.

define temporary key definitions.

close any open windows.

set tag values.
Use the Macros editor in the Logic and Control folder of the
Application Explorer to create macros.
For details about using the Macros editor, see Help.
Creating macros
n
22–1
Macro syntax
When entering commands in macros, follow these guidelines:

Separate each identifier, specification, or string with a space or a tab.
Start each command on a new line, or separate commands on the
same line with a semicolon (;).
Precede comments with an exclamation mark (!). The comment
lasts until the next semicolon (;) or line break.To replace a tag name
with its current value when the macro or command is evaluated,
enclose the tag name in dollar signs ($) to create a placeholder in
the command. When a macro containing $tag$ runs, all the tag
values are substituted when the macro first opens for execution.
To indicate a percent in a macro, use two percent signs (%%)
because a single percent sign indicates a parameter.
IMPORTANT
Do not use dollar signs or percent signs in
comments in your macros. This causes errors at run
time.
For information about command syntax, see “How to use commands”
on page A-1.
For assistance while typing macro commands, double-click anywhere
in the Macros editor to open the Command Wizard. For information
about using the Command Wizard, see page A-11.
Example 1: A macro called Factory
Display /Ingredients::Overview
Display /Ingredients::Detail
/Ingredients::Valve23=Open
22–2
Q
When the macro called Factory runs, the graphic display called
Overview appears, then the graphic display Detail appears, then the tag
Valve23 is set to its open state. All are in the area called Ingredients.
Example 2: A macro using placeholders in commands
Display /$Tag1$::Process1
Display /$Tag1$::TrendDisplay$Tag2$
Valve23=Open
Tag1=Mixing, and Tag2=2. Tag1 is a string tag, Tag2 is an analog tag.
When the macro runs, RSView™ replaces the placeholders in the
commands with the tags’ current values.
The graphic display Process1 in the Mixing area appears, then the
graphic display TrendDisplay2 appears, also from the area called
Mixing, and finally, the tag Valve23 in the home area is set to its open
state. In this example, the home area is the area in which the macro is
run.
You don’t need to put brackets around tag names when using
placeholders in commands.
Using parameters
Macros can accept parameters. To specify a parameter in a macro, type
a percent (%) sign followed by a number. Up to nine parameters are
allowed.
To run the macro and parameters, specify the macro name followed by
the parameters. Separate multiple parameters with spaces.
Creating macros
Q
22–3
For example, here is the same Factory macro with two parameters:
Example 3: Factory macro with two parameters
The Factory macro consists of these three lines.
Display Overview
Display %1
Valve23=%2
To run the macro, type its name and the parameters that are to be
substituted for the placeholders %1 and %2.
Factory Detail Open
The macro performs the same actions as in Example 1 because it
substitutes “Detail” wherever %1 appears in the macro and substitutes
“Open” wherever %2 appears in the macro. However, this macro runs
in the home area rather than in the Ingredients area.
Typing macro names that contain spaces
If the name of a macro contains spaces, enclose the name in quotation
marks when typing the macro name.
If the macro contains parameters, place the parameters outside the
quotation marks.
Example 4: Macro name with spaces and parameters
If the name of the macro used in example 3 was Factory Display
instead of Factory, to run it, at the command line you would type:
“Factory Display” Detail Open
22–4
Q
Nesting macros
You can insert a macro within another macro—this is called nesting.
You can have eight nesting levels in macros.
Example 5: Nesting macros
For example, a macro called Draw contains:
Display Overview
Display Detail
and a macro called Factory contains:
Draw
Valve23=Open
Typing Factory performs the same actions as the Factory macro in
Example 3.
Running macros
At run time, operators can run a macro anywhere they can run an
RSView command. Ensure you include a way for operators to run
commands or macros, for example by specifying them as press actions
for buttons.
Creating a macro that runs when
an HMI server starts
If you have created an HMI server with components that must start in
a particular order, create a Startup macro. To make this macro run
when the HMI server starts, select this macro as the startup macro in
the Components tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box.
For details about specifying the startup macro in distributed
applications, see page 5-20.
Creating macros
Q
22–5
For details about specifying the startup macro in stand-alone
applications, see page 6-5.
22–6
Q
23
Setting up navigation

what navigation is.

examples and ideas for creating a hierarchy of displays.

different ways users can move among displays.

examples of navigation methods.

using keys to operate the application.

creating client keys.

running client key components.
About navigation
An important part of the complete operator interface is the way
operators navigate through and interact with an application. RSView®
gives you the tools for linking displays and creating an overall
application structure that is easy for operators to use.
Developing a hierarchy of displays
A display hierarchy is a series of displays that provide progressively
more detail as users move through them. Design the display hierarchy
so that it meets the needs of the various users, including managers,
supervisors, and operators.
A hierarchy could include:

an initial graphic display that serves as a menu.
n
23–1

an overview of the plant, including links to displays located on
RSView SE servers in areas around the plant.

a comprehensive display of each process being monitored.

process-specific displays.

management summary displays.

trend displays of historical and real-time data.
The following illustration shows a display hierarchy:
Main Menu
Graphic Display
Process-Wide
Alarm Summary
Area 1
Process
Overview
Area 2
Process
Overview
Management
Summary
Process 1
Monitoring
Process 2
Monitoring
Process 3
Monitoring
Process 4
Monitoring
Process 1
Trend Display
Process 2
Trend Display
Process 3
Trend Display
Process 4
Trend Display
Ways of moving among displays
To set up displays so operators can easily move among them, you can:
23–2
Q

create a keyboard-based application.

create a mouse- or touch screen-based application.
You can use one or both of these methods in your application.
Although the methods look different to the operator, they work
similarly—that is, they all initiate RSView commands.
Commands for moving among displays
To open, close, and switch between displays, use the following
commands. They are run at the RSView SE client only.
RSView command
Function
Display
Opens the specified graphic display.
If a display is already open and it allows multiple
running copies (specified in the Display Settings
dialog box in the Graphic Displays editor), this
command will open another display and make it
active. If the display is already open but does not
allow multiple running copies, this command
simply makes the display active.
If a display of type Replace overlaps any other
displays when it opens, the displays it overlaps
will be closed.
Displays of type Overlay open on top of any
other open displays without closing them.
Displays of type On Top remain on top of any
other open graphic displays.
Abort
Use this command only for displays of type
Overlay or On Top. The Abort command closes
the active display or a specified display.
PullForward
Pulls forward the specified display. If the
specified graphic display is of the Replace or
Overlay type, PullForward gives the specified
display focus, and positions it behind any On Top
display that is open.
Q
23–3
RSView command
Function
PushBack
Pushes the specified display behind other
displays. If the display’s type is On Top, PushBack
positions the display behind any other open On
Top displays, and in front of any open Replace or
Overlay displays.
The PullForward and PushBack commands provide quick display
changes because displays are already up and running. However, the
more displays that are open, the more memory and CPU are used.
The display type you choose gives you additional control over how the
operator navigates between displays. For example, use the On Top
option to keep a display on top at all times, even when another display
has focus. Or use the Replace option if you want a display to replace all
other open displays that it covers or touches, when it opens. For details
about assigning display type see “Specifying the display type” on
page 16-37.
Reducing display call-up time
To reduce the time required to display a graphic display, load it into the
display cache. You can

load the display before it is displayed by using the Display command
with the /Z or /ZA parameter. For details, see Help.
load the display when it is displayed for the first time by using the
Cache After Displaying option in the Display Settings dialog box of
the Graphic Displays editor. For details, see “Caching displays” on
page 16-39.
Where to use RSView commands
Commands can be used in:

23–4
Q
a field that requires you to enter an action, such as in a Display or
Object key definition, or in Touch animation.

a macro.
a command line. The command line is available in RSView Studio™,
and in the RSView Administration Console. It is not available in the
RSView SE client that operators interact with at run time.
Many RSView commands accept parameters. For a complete list and
description of commands, see Help.
Examples of navigation methods
Following are examples of various navigation methods.
Example 1: Keyboard operation
The following graphic display has been designed to act as a menu,
listing keys users can press to open different displays.
To create this display, the designer assigned various RSView commands
to keys using the three types of key definitions: object, display, and
client. In all cases, keys (not mouse buttons) were defined to run
commands.
Q
23–5
Object key and display key animation are set up in the Graphic Displays
editor. For details, see Chapter 18, Animating graphic objects. Client keys
are created in the Client Keys editor. For details, see “Creating client
keys” on page 23-12.
Example 2: Mouse and touch screen operation
The following graphic display contains buttons that users can click with
the mouse or press on a touch screen to call up detail displays. This
display presents information and acts as a menu.
To create the buttons, the designer used the Button drawing tool in the
Graphic Displays editor. The buttons can be selected with a mouse or
by pressing a touch screen. For details about how to create buttons, see
page 17-14.
23–6
Q
Using keys
You can associate RSView commands with objects in a display or with
the entire display using object key animation, display key animation,
and touch animation. You can also associate commands with keys that
will be active at all times throughout the system by creating client keys.
At run time, operators use these keys to interact with the system, for
example to change displays or set tag values.
Keys with repeat actions are ideal for such tasks as ‘ramping’ a tag’s
value.
When deciding what type of key to create, use the following table as a
guide:
To
Do this
For details, see
Associate a key with a
specific graphic object
(object key)
Attach object key
animation in the
Graphic Displays editor
page 18-22
Associate a key with a
specific graphic display
(display key)
Attach display key
animation in the
Graphic Displays editor
page 18-29
Create a key that works
everywhere on a client
(client key)
Create a key definition
component in the Client
Keys editor
page 23-12
General rules about precedence
You can assign a single key to one or more of the three types of key
definitions—object, display, or client. For example, the F2 key can
open a valve when the valve object has input focus, or it can close a
popup display that has focus, or the F2 key can be a client key that
opens a graphic display containing an overview of your process.
When a graphic display is active and an object has input focus, object
keys have precedence over display keys and client keys.
Q
23–7
When a graphic display is active, display keys have precedence over
client keys. This means that if you assigned the F2 key as a display key
in some graphic displays in an application, and you assigned F2 as a
client key in the same application, F2 will only work as a client key if
the current display does not have F2 assigned as a display key as well.
When you design a system, pay particular attention to the keys used by
embedded objects. Object keys and display keys have precedence over
keys used by embedded objects (for example, ActiveX®, or OLE
objects), except for OLE objects that are not part of RSView (for
example, an Excel worksheet), whose keys have precedence over object
or display keys. For details, see the pages that follow.
Precedence and the F1 key
When you are editing an RSView application, the F1 key always
launches context-sensitive Help.
At run time, if a graphic display has focus and a press, release, or repeat
action has been defined for the F1 key, F1 acts as a display, object, or
client key instead of launching Help.
Precedence and embedded ActiveX objects
When a graphic display is active and an embedded ActiveX object has
input focus, a key that triggers an action in the embedded object will
not trigger that action if the key has been defined as an object or display
key as well. When you press the key, the action of the embedded
ActiveX object will not be initiated; the action of the object key or
display key will be triggered instead.
For example, you might have an ActiveX slider object to control the
speed of a motor, with the F2 key defined to increase the motor’s
speed, and the F3 key defined to decrease the motor’s speed. If you
have defined F2 as an object key to jog the motor’s position, pressing
F2 will never increase the motor’s speed—every time an operator
presses F2, the motor’s position will be jogged instead.
23–8
Q
If a key that triggers an action in an embedded ActiveX object has been
defined as a client key, pressing that key will trigger both the action
defined for the embedded object and the action defined for the client
key.
For example, if the F2 key for an ActiveX gauge object increases a
motor’s speed, and you have defined F2 as a client key to print the
current graphic display, each time the operator presses F2, the motor’s
speed will be increased, and the graphic display will be printed.
Precedence and embedded OLE objects
For embedded OLE objects, a key that triggers an action in the
embedded object will trigger only that action, even if it has also been
defined as an object or display key. In this case, the action defined for
the object or display key will not be triggered at all.
If a key that triggers an action in an embedded OLE object has been
defined as a client key, pressing the key will trigger both the action
defined for the embedded object and the action defined for the client
key.
Reserved keys
The following keys and key combinations are normally reserved for use
by Windows® and RSView.
This reserved key
Does this
+ on the numeric keypad
Displays the Recipe dialog box, or saves the
recipe if Ctrl+W was pressed previously, or
restores the recipe if Ctrl+R was pressed
previously.
Tab
Moves focus to the object with the next highest
index number.
Shift+Tab
Moves focus to the object with the next lowest
index number.
Q
23–9
This reserved key
Does this
Enter
If Enter is pressed when a button has focus,
the button’s press and release actions are
performed.
If Enter is pressed when an input field has
focus, the field’s value is downloaded to the
data source. If the input field is set up to display
the on-screen keyboard, pressing Enter
displays the on-screen keyboard.
If Enter is pressed when a recipe field has
focus, the Recipe dialog box is displayed. If
Ctrl+W was pressed previously, the recipe is
saved. If Ctrl+R was pressed previously, the
recipe is restored. If the recipe field is set up to
display the on-screen keyboard, pressing Enter
displays the on-screen keyboard.
23–10
Q
Ctrl+Up Arrow,
Ctrl+Left Arrow,
Ctrl+Down Arrow,
Ctrl+Right Arrow
Moves focus to an object in the direction in
which the arrow points.
PgUp
Uploads data into all input fields.
Ctrl+PgUp
Uploads data into the selected input field.
PgDn
Downloads data from all input fields.
Ctrl+PgDn
Downloads data from the selected input field.
Ctrl+R
Sets input focus to the recipe object, and
prepares for a recipe restore.
Ctrl+W
Sets input focus to the recipe object, and
prepares for a recipe save.
Up Arrow,
Down Arrow
Moves the selection bar on the Object Key
menu.
Left Arrow,
Right Arrow
Moves the cursor one position left or right.
This reserved key
Does this
Esc
Closes the Object Key menu, or exits the input
mode of a continuously-updating input field.
Backspace
Deletes the character to the left of the cursor.
Del
Deletes the character to the right of the cursor.
Shift+End+Del
Deletes all characters from the cursor position
to the end of the line.
Home+Shift+End+Del
Deletes the contents of the input field.
Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Ins
Copies the selected items to the clipboard.
Ctrl+X or Shift+Del
Cuts the selected items, and places them in the
clipboard.
Ctrl+V or Shift+Ins
Pastes the contents of the clipboard at the
current cursor position.
Home
Positions the cursor at the beginning of the
data entry field.
Ctrl+F4 or
Ctrl+Shift+F4
Closes the active window.
Ctrl+F6
Moves focus to the next window.
Ctrl+Shift+F6
Moves focus to the previous window.
The arrow keys perform different actions when a trend graphic object
has focus. For details, see page 19-35.
Precedence
If you assign a reserved key to an object or display key, the object or
display key function takes precedence, and the default, reserved
function of that key is disabled.
If you use a reserved key or key combination as a client key, the key will
perform both the actions of the client key you defined and the action
of the reserved key. Because the results can be unpredictable, defining
client key actions for reserved keys is not recommended.
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23–11
Creating client keys
A client key is a key that has been assigned commands or macros. At
run time, when the key is pressed, the assigned action is triggered.
A client key is active at all times because it is not associated with a
particular graphic object or display.
Use the Client Keys editor to create client keys. For details about the
options in the editor, see Help.
Running client key components
Use the RSView Key command to run client key components. Type
this command in a macro or anywhere else you can use an RSView
command. For details about using the Key command, see Help.
IMPORTANT
23–12
Q
You cannot run more than one client key component at
a time. If you try to run more than one component, the
components are not merged. Instead, the second
component overrides the first component.
24
Using the SE
client object model
and display code

using VBA with RSView®.

the VBA integrated development environment.

quick start steps for using VBA with RSView.

the objects in the RSView SE client object model.

getting Help on RSView Display Client objects.

opening VBA Help.
Using VBA with RSView
Use the RSView SE client object model with Microsoft® Visual Basic®
for Applications (VBA) code in graphic displays to customize and
extend the capabilities of the RSView SE client.
If you regularly require RSView
data for use in programs such as Microsoft Excel or SQL Server,
consider using the RSView SE client object model and VBA display
code to integrate these applications with RSView.
Using data with other applications
Creating custom forms for operators You can use VBA to create
custom forms, for example, pop-up dialog boxes that operators can
interact with at run time. You can also use VBA logic to validate the
Using the SE client object model and display code
n
24–1
operator’s input, for example, to ensure that the value an operator
enters in a numeric input object falls within the correct range of values.
Use the RSView SE client
object model to provide ActiveX controls with data, for use in graphic
displays. For example, use list boxes or combo boxes in graphic displays
to allow operators to select options such as recipe items.
Designing intuitive graphic displays
®
Write VBA code to
arrange graphic displays based on the size of the RSView SE client
window. This allows you to adapt an application dynamically to various
screen sizes and resolutions.
Manipulating the RSView SE client window
Send
specific messages to the Diagnostics List and Diagnostics log file, to
record operation conditions and events through VBA code.
Sending custom messages to the Diagnostics log file
The RSView SE client object model allows you
to obtain security information about who is using the system, and to
use the security information and events to control access to the system.
For example, you can restrict a user’s access to a graphic display by
creating code that opens the graphic display only when the user is
logged in with a particular security code.
Securing the system
The VBA integrated development environment
The integrated development environment for Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA IDE), is available from the RSView Graphic
Displays editor. Use the VBA IDE to create, test, and debug VBA
procedures. VBA procedures can be designed to run in response to
events that occur in RSView graphic displays at run time.
This chapter highlights aspects of VBA that are unique to RSView
Studio™, and describes how to open the VBA IDE from RSView
graphic displays. It does not include detailed information about using
VBA —it is assumed that you are familiar with the VBA environment
and Visual Basic programming language.
24–2
Q
Opening the VBA IDE
To open the VBA IDE
1.
In the RSView Graphic Display editor, open the graphic display
for which you want to write VBA code.
2.
To open the VBA code window within the context of the graphic
display:

In the Graphic Displays editor, click the Edit menu, and then
click VBA Code.

Right-click an open graphic display, and then click VBA Code.

Right-click an object in a display, and then click VBA Code.
Parts of the VBA IDE
Project Explorer
window
Properties
window
Procedure or
Code window
For information about opening VBA Help, see page 24-11.
Q
24–3
Project Explorer window
For each graphic display, a VBA project with a default name of
DisplayCode is created. The Project Explorer shows the VBA project
for each graphic display that is open in the Graphic Displays editor.
Each project contains an RSView Studio Objects folder. This folder
contains a module called ThisDisplay, which represents the graphic
display. The module contains the code that interacts with objects on the
display. The module called ThisDisplay can contain any number of
procedures.
You can create additional VBA modules and user forms. To use the
procedures in these modules, you must call them from procedures that
exist in the module called ThisDisplay.
Properties window
This window lists the property settings for the code modules, class
modules, and the VBA user forms and the objects on those forms.
Procedure or code window
This window is where you write and edit VBA procedures. In
ThisDisplay, any RSView SE client objects that raise events are listed in
the drop-down list at the upper left of the window. When an object is
selected in the list, the object’s events are listed in the drop-down list
on the right.
Quick Start steps
Step 1—Start with a graphic display
Display code is saved with a graphic display. Before you can write VBA
code that manipulates graphic objects, first create the graphic display
and the graphic objects.
24–4
Q
For details about creating graphic displays, see Chapter 16, Creating
graphic displays.
Step 2—Write VBA code
Using the Visual Basic programming language, write procedures in the
code window for the module called ThisDisplay.
For information about creating Visual Basic procedures, see VBA
Help. For information about opening Help for VBA, see “Using VBA
Help” on page 24-11.
About procedures
A procedure is a named block of code that runs as a unit. Examples of
procedures are Visual Basic subroutines and functions. The module
called ThisDisplay contains the procedures that you create to run in
response to a display’s events.
VBA procedures can call procedures in other user forms or modules.
How VBA code runs
The VBA procedures you create are called in response to events that
occur in a display at run time. Graphic display’s events that can be used
in this way are defined in Display Client object model and include
actions such as the display being opened and animated, mouse clicks,
and so on.
The RSView SE client object model
The RSView SE client object model contains objects that represent the
features of the RSView SE client. Using these objects, you can interact
with an RSView SE client by writing code that is run when an object
event occurs.
Q
24–5
VBA can interact with the following objects in the RSView SE Client
Object Model:
The ActiveXControl object merges properties and
methods that are implemented by RSView graphics with those of an
ActiveX object.
ActiveXControl
AlarmSummary
Represents the RSView Alarm Summary object.
Represents the RSView SE client container program. Use
this object for access to the RSView graphics object model.
Application
Arc
Represents the RSView arc object.
Arrow
Represents the RSView arrow object.
Represents the RSView backspace button object.
This object works like the Backspace key on a keyboard.
BackspaceButton
BarGraph
Button
Represents the RSView bar graph object.
Represents the RSView button object.
ControlListSelector
Represents the RSView control list selector
object.
Represents a graphic display.
Display
DisplayListSelector
Represents the RSView display list selector
object.
Displays
Contains a collection of Display objects.
Represents any object in a graphic display. This object
contains the base properties and methods for all RSView objects. The
Element object’s properties and methods are merged with the objectspecific properties, methods, and events.
Element
Elements
Ellipse
24–6
Q
Represents a collection of Element objects.
Represents the RSView ellipse object.
EmbeddedOLE EmbeddedOLE objects represent third-party objects
such as Excel charts.
Represents the RSView end button object. This object
works like the End key on a keyboard.
EndButton
EnterButton Represents the RSView enter button object. This object
works like the Enter key on a keyboard.
Freehand
Gauge
Represents the RSView freehand object.
Represents the RSView gauge object.
Represents a objects that have been grouped together on a
display. To write VBA code that responds to a group’s events you must
create the group in a graphic display before you open the VBA IDE. If
you don’t create the group in a graphic display first, the group object
will not generate events, and code written for the group will not
respond to the group’s events at run time.
Group
Represents the RSView home button object. This
object works like the Home key on a keyboard.
HomeButton
Image
Represents the RSView image object.
InterlockedPushButton
Represents the RSView interlocked push
button object.
LatchedPushButton
Represents the RSView latched push button
object.
Line
Represents the RSView line object.
ListIndicator
Represents the RSView list indicator object.
LocalMessageDisplay
Represents the RSView local message display
object.
MaintainedPushButton
Represents the RSView maintained push
button object.
Q
24–7
MomentaryPushButton
Represents the RSView momentary push
button object.
MoveDownButton Represents the RSView move down button
object. This object works like the Down arrow key on a keyboard.
Represents the RSView move left button object.
This object works like the Left arrow key on a keyboard.
MoveLeftButton
Represents the RSView move right button object.
This object works like the Right arrow key on a keyboard.
MoveRightButton
Represents the RSView move up button object. This
object works like the Up arrow key on a keyboard.
MoveUpButton
MultistateIndicator
Represents the RSView multistate indicator
object.
MultistatePushButton
Represents the RSView multistate push
button object.
NumericDisplay
NumericInput
Represents the RSView numeric display object.
Represents the RSView numeric input object.
Represents the RSView page down button object.
This object works like the Page Down key on a keyboard.
PageDownButton
Represents the RSView page up button object. This
object works like the Page Up key on a keyboard.
PageUpButton
Panel
Represents the RSView panel object.
Picture
Represents the RSView bitmap object.
PilotCtrlListSelector
Represents the RSView piloted control list
selector object.
Polygon
Represents the RSView polygon object.
Polyline
Represents the RSView polyline object.
PolyPolygon
24–8
Q
Represents the RSView polypolygon object.
RampButton
Recipe
Represents the RSView ramp button object.
Represents the RSView recipe object.
Represents the RSView rounded rectangle
object. Use the polygon object to represent rectangles.
RoundedRectangle
Represents the RSView scale object. Use this object with bar
Scale
graphs.
StringDisplay
StringInput
StringList
Symbol
Represents the RSView string display object.
Represents the RSView string input object.
Represents a collection of unique strings.
Represents the RSView symbol object.
Represents the FactoryTalk tag object. Use the Tag object to
provide runtime information for a tag, or to set the value of a tag.
Tag
TagGroup
Contains a collection of Tag objects.
TagLabel
Represents the RSView tag label object.
Text
Represents the RSView text object.
TimeDateDisplay
Represents the RSView time and date display
object.
Wedge
Represents the RSView wedge object.
Viewing the objects
Use the Object Browser to view the RSView SE client objects in the
VBA IDE.
Q
24–9
To open the Object Browser

Right-click anywhere in the Code window, and then click Object
Browser.

On the View menu, click Object Browser.

Click anywhere in the code window and then click F2.
To display only those
objects related to the
RSView SE client, click
DisplayClient.
To view all RSView
SE client constants,
properties, methods, and
events, click <globals>.
Select any object to view
its properties, methods,
and events.
Getting Help on RSView Display Client objects
RSView Help contains detailed information about the objects,
properties, methods, and events in the Display Client object model.
To get context-sensitive Help on an item

24–10
Q
Select the item in the Object Browser, and then press F1, or click
the ? button on the toolbar.
In a line of code in the code window, highlight an RSView object’s
name, property or method, and then press F1.
To open object model Help from the RSView Help Contents
window
1.
In RSView click Help, and then click Contents.
2.
In the Contents list, double-click Creating Graphic Displays.
3.
In the list of topics, do one of the following:

For a list of overview topics, double-click Creating VBA
Display Code.
For details about the objects, double-click Using the RSView
SE Client Object Model.
Help topics for VBA code and the RSView SE client object model
open in a separate window, on top of the RSView Help window.
To return to the RSView Help window, close the SE client object
model Help window.
Using VBA Help
To open VBA Help

On the Help menu in the VBA IDE, click Microsoft Visual Basic
Help.
In any area of the IDE, press F1.
VBA documentation
If you’re new to Visual Basic, you might want to look at the following
Microsoft publications:

Visual Basic Getting Started

Visual Basic Programmer’s Guide
Q
24–11
25
Setting up a redundant
system

what a redundant system is.

setting up a redundant RSView® Supervisory Edition™ system.

HMI redundancy as part of a complete strategy.

protecting against software failures.

considering redundancy options.

planning the layout of a redundant system.

licensing in a redundant system.
About redundancy
A redundant system is a back-up system that duplicates the function of
a device. This means that redundant components are alternate
components that can be used when primary components fail. For HMI
systems, redundancy provides a means of ensuring system availability.
This chapter includes information about how to protect against
software failures by taking advantage of redundancy features built into
RSView Supervisory Edition and FactoryTalk™. These features
minimize operation disruptions and data loss when system failures
occur.
Setting up a redundant system
n
25–1
Setting up a redundant RSView SE system
Redundancy options can be set up at any time in a distributed RSView
Supervisory Edition system. No special redundancy programming is
required when developing RSView applications. Simply develop and
test an RSView application using RSView Studio™, and then follow the
steps outlined below.
To set up redundancy
1.
Install the necessary software on the backup computers set aside
for redundant operation.
For details about installing RSView Supervisory Edition software,
see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
2.
Copy RSView SE server files to a backup computer.
For details, see “Moving HMI project files” on page 26-6.
3.
Copy the data server files to a backup computer.
Each computer must host identical data server settings, including
topics, networks, and other settings.
For details, see “Moving data server files” on page 26-13.
4.
In RSView Studio, set up redundancy properties for RSView SE
HMI servers to specify the name of the computer where the
redundant HMI server is located.
5.
In RSView Studio, set up data server properties to specify the
name of the computer where the redundant data server is located.
For details, see “Changing data server properties” on page 26-14.
The settings you specify on the Redundancy tab of the HMI Server
Properties dialog box are saved with the application, and are the
same for both primary and secondary HMI servers. You do not
25–2
Q
need to specify different settings for the computers that are hosting
the primary and secondary servers.
It is not necessary to set up server redundancy on RSView SE client
computers—all HMI server redundancy options are set up only on
the computers hosting HMI servers.
For details, see “Server restrictions” on page 5-14.
HMI redundancy as part of a complete strategy
The level of availability in a system when hardware or software fails,
increases with the number of redundant system components. There
could be none, some, or complete component redundancy. Here are
some things to consider in order to increase the level of system
availability:

use
redundant programmable controllers. For example, Rockwell
Automation’s ControlLogix® platform allows transferring control
from a primary controller to a redundant controller when a
failure occurs.
To protect against programmable controller failures,
To protect against programmable controller network failures,
install redundant programmable controller networks, such as a
Rockwell Automation’s ControlNet® network.

To protect against information network failures, install a
redundant Ethernet® network with a backup domain controller,
network cables, and network interface cards.
provide
backup computers to host application software such as RSView
Supervisory Edition.
To protect against host computer hardware failures,
To protect against software failures,
set up redundant RSView
and RSLinx® application servers.
Q
25–3
This chapter includes information about protecting a supervisory-level
HMI system against software failures by taking advantage of
redundancy features built into RSView Supervisory Edition. This
chapter does not describe how to protect the control system, the
information network, hardware, or operating system and other
supporting software.
Protecting against software failures
A distributed HMI system includes both client components and server
components. The client components provide the interface used by the
operators of the system, typically via graphic displays that are updated
dynamically. These graphic displays depict the current state of the
manufacturing system and allow operators to monitor and control its
operation.
The dynamic information in these graphic displays, including animated
pictures, alarm summaries, updating tag values, and real-time and
historical trends, is provided by the server components in the HMI
system. Servers also log historical data and perform other behind-thescenes monitoring and control functions.
For operators to maintain continuous visualization and control of their
manufacturing system, the server components must provide a
continuous flow of information to the client components. This is why
software redundancy is so important. To help ensure that loss of
monitoring and control functions is minimized, even during server
disruptions, RSView Supervisory Edition provides these redundancy
features:

25–4
Q
Clients detect loss of communications with the primary server
within 5 seconds, and then switch over to backup servers within
30 seconds. Typically, clients detect that a server has failed in fewer
than 5 seconds and fail over (connect to a secondary HMI server)
in fewer than 5 seconds. This means that, depending on the server
they are connected to, clients might not see any interruption in the
operation of their application.

During server failure detection and switch-over, operators need not
take any action or restart client software to continue using the
system.
During the failover process, operators can continue to interact with
servers that are still online. Display objects that show data from
failed servers are shown with outlines, so that operators do not rely
on tag values that might be incorrect.
Once the system switches to backup servers, clients continue
functioning normally.
When the primary server becomes available again, the system can
automatically switch back to it.
An RSView Supervisory Edition system includes three types of
servers, two of which can be made redundant through standard set
up options:
FactoryTalk Directory is a shared software component that works
like an electronic address book, allowing parts of an application to find
each other on a computer or across a network. All of the computers
participating in a distributed application must share the same
FactoryTalk Directory.
FactoryTalk Directory cannot be made redundant, but if it becomes
unavailable while an application is running, the application will
continue to run correctly and be able to read and write values,
acknowledge alarms, open and close displays, and so on. This is
because the FactoryTalk Directory on each SE client becomes its own
active FactoryTalk Directory. All previous information used by the SE
client before the FactoryTalk Directory became unavailable is cached
in memory.
However, while FactoryTalk Directory is disconnected, you cannot
modify an application’s structure—for example, you cannot add or edit
an area, a data server, or an HMI server.
HMI servers, also called RSView SE servers, store HMI components,
such as graphic displays, and serve these components to clients. HMI
Q
25–5
servers also store tag databases, detect alarms, and log historical data.
You can set up redundant HMI servers.
IMPORTANT
Multiple HMI servers can be located on a single
computer for development purposes only. When
deploying an application, ensure that each HMI
server is located on its own computer.
Data servers, such as RSLinx Enterprise, give clients access to
information in programmable controllers, in other hardware devices,
and from other data servers that comply with the OPC ®-DA (OLE
for Process Control—Data Access) 2.0 specification. A single
application can include up to 25 data servers. You can set up redundant
data servers.
Considering redundancy options
Servers associated with an RSView Supervisory Edition system can be
hosted on the same or on different computers on the network, allowing
for many different ways of setting up redundant systems.
25–6
Q
About failure of FactoryTalk Directory
If FactoryTalk Directory becomes unavailable while a client computer
is connected to the application, the client continues to operate
normally. The client can read and write tag values, acknowledge alarms,
open and close displays, and so on, because the FactoryTalk Directory
on each SE client becomes the client’s own active FactoryTalk
Directory. All previous FactoryTalk Directory information used by the
SE client before the FactoryTalk Directory became unavailable, is
cached in memory on the client computer. This allows the client to
continue to resolve tag addresses, view graphic displays, and so on,
even if the tags and graphic displays have not been accessed by the
client before.
Clients that have not previously used the application at least once
before FactoryTalk Directory went down will not be able to do so until
the FactoryTalk Directory is available again. This is because the
FactoryTalk Directory information is not cached on the client
computer until the client connects to the application.
In addition, while the FactoryTalk Directory is unavailable, the
application’s structure cannot be modified: for example, operators
cannot add or remove areas, data servers, or HMI servers.
IMPORTANT
Do not run FactoryTalk Directory on the same
computer as a Windows domain controller.
Since each computer in a distributed application needs to know where
the network-wide FactoryTalk Directory is located, set up all
computers to use the same FactoryTalk Directory computer. When the
FactoryTalk Directory comes back online, the system automatically
switches back to use it instead of continuing to the FactoryTalk
Directory on each computer.
Q
25–7
Redundant HMI servers
HMI servers can be set up to fail over to a secondary server if the
primary server fails. When the primary server becomes available again,
it automatically reassumes responsibility for HMI server activities.
When setting up redundant HMI servers, keep the following points in
mind.
Synchronizing alarms HMI servers manage the synchronization of
alarms, so alarm states are kept synchronized between the primary and
secondary servers. For example, if the primary server has five
unacknowledged alarms when failure occurs, the secondary server will
show the same five alarms as unacknowledged when failover is
complete. Alarm states are also kept synchronized when the system
switches back to the primary server.
While the primary HMI server is active, the secondary server runs the
alarm monitoring system in a backup mode, so alarm states are
synchronized even if you have not set up the secondary server to start
alarm monitoring on demand.
This backup mode that runs on the secondary server does not detect
alarms; it only keeps alarm states synchronized.
When the system fails over to the secondary server, alarm monitoring
starts automatically on the secondary server as if it was running on the
primary server. When the system fails back to the primary server, alarm
monitoring automatically starts on the primary server and the
secondary server returns to standby mode.
For alarm states to synchronize properly, the clocks on the primary and
secondary HMI servers must be kept synchronized to a time server.
You can set up a Microsoft® Windows® domain to include a timesynchronization service.
25–8
Q
If the clocks on the computers are not synchronized, multiple alarms
or inconsistent information could be displayed in an alarm summary
when failover occurs.
IMPORTANT
If many tags are being monitored for alarms, it is
possible that alarms are missed for tags that go into and
out of alarm quickly during server failover or fail back.
We highly recommend that in
any distributed system you send diagnostic and alarm information to a
central ODBC database, such as Microsoft SQL Server, for logging.
These system-wide logs can then be made secure and redundant
through features of the database. We also recommend setting up
RSView Supervisory Edition’s local diagnostic and alarm logs to buffer
information in the event that communications with the ODBC
database are lost.
Logging diagnostic and alarm data
Even if the HMI server is not set up with redundancy, we recommend
that you log diagnostic and alarm information to an ODBC database.
Because diagnostic log files are stored on every computer on which
system activity is generated, sending the alarm and diagnostic log files
to an ODBC database provides you with one place on the network to
look for diagnostic and alarm information when diagnosing problems.
When the primary server is active, the secondary server is loaded and
in standby mode. However, components such as event detection, alarm
monitoring, and data logging do not have to be running unless the
secondary computer becomes active. For details see, “Changing the
name of the host computer” on page 5-18.
Synchronizing memory tag values, derived tags, and
data log files To keep these elements synchronized, run
the same
derived tag components and data log models on both primary and
secondary computers. Memory tags can be kept synchronized if their
values are the result of derived tags.
Events that are triggered by an event detector, are
not specifically synchronized between primary and secondary HMI
servers. However, it is possible to manage which server is responsible
Managing events
Q
25–9
for detecting and running events, so that only one server is active at a
time. To handle the situation where an event is running when a primary
HMI server fails, issue the EventOn command (to start event
detection) only on an active HMI server, and always issue the
EventOff command (to stop event detection) on a standby server. To
do this automatically, you can issue these commands in the HMI
server’s On Active or On Standby macros.
If a primary HMI server fails
when a command or macro is running, the command or macro stops
during failover to a secondary HMI server. To continue, re-issue the
command or macro when the failover process finishes and the
secondary server becomes active.
Running commands and macros
IMPORTANT
Because uptime during operation is crucial in a control
system, RSView Supervisory Edition provides
redundancy during runtime operations. However,
configuration changes are not synchronized
automatically.
As part of maintaining a redundant system, develop a planned schedule
for copying project files from primary HMI servers to secondary
servers. Either copy project files manually, or duplicate the project
changes on each HMI server computer.
If you need to copy the HMI server while it is loaded, use the
HMIBackup utility. You can download the utility from the Rockwell
Automation Knowledgebase by searching for the Tech Note ID
P62940645. For details about locating the Knowledgebase on the
Internet, see “Contacting Rockwell Software Technical Support” on
page P-3.
Redundant data servers
Primary data servers, such as RSLinx or any OPC-DA data server, can
be set up to fail over to backup servers when a primary server fails. As
part of setting up redundant data servers, specify whether, after a failed
25–10
Q
primary server is restored, the system will automatically switch back to
the primary server or continue using the secondary server. This option
allows you to avoid unnecessary interruptions in the flow of data from
servers to clients.
To minimize the time required to complete a failover, the system
creates OPC groups containing the necessary tags on both the primary
server and the secondary server. However, the OPC groups and tags
are scanned only by the active data server, so no additional
communication load is placed on programmable controllers when
you set up a redundant data server.
Q
25–11
Planning the layout of a redundant system
Because all three types of servers involved in a distributed HMI system
are separate entities, they can be hosted on any computers on the
network. This provides flexibility in designing a redundant architecture.
An application with a single redundant pair of
HMI servers
For example, in a system that contains one HMI server, with a single
line or process to control, the FactoryTalk Directory, primary HMI and
RSLinx servers can all be hosted on the same computer, while a backup
computer hosts the secondary RSView SE and RSLinx servers.
25–12
Q
Alternatively, each of the primary and secondary servers could be
installed on separate computers, as shown below:
The setup shown above is not always necessary. Depending on an
application’s size and computing needs, and the level of redundancy
required, you might be able to install all three servers on one pair of
redundant computers, as shown in the previous diagram.
IMPORTANT
Do not run FactoryTalk Directory on the same
computer as a Windows domain controller.
It is recommended that you host the FactoryTalk Directory on a
computer that is usually in a running state, for example a computer
hosting an RSView SE server or RSLinx server.
Q
25–13
An application with two redundant pairs of
HMI servers
In an application that includes two HMI servers, with two areas or
processes to control, four computers could host all of the servers for
both areas; one pair hosting the primary and secondary servers for
area 1, and the second pair hosting the primary and secondary servers
for area 2.
Licensing in a redundant system
FactoryTalk Directory computer
The FactoryTalk Directory computer is part of the RSView
Supervisory Edition integrated architecture and does not require a
license.
RSView SE server software
RSView SE server software requires licenses for both primary and
secondary HMI servers. A dedicated SE Server licence must be
installed on each SE server computer because floating licenses are not
supported for the RSView SE server software.
25–14
Q
OPC Servers
OPC server licensing depends on the OPC server being used. RSLinx
requires a license for each instance that is running. However, RSLinx
for RSView is included with the RSView SE server software at no
additional cost: if you install RSLinx on the same computer as the
RSView SE server software, RSLinx uses the RSView SE server license,
which means you don’t need to purchase additional RSLinx licenses.
To set up a redundant system using RSLinx Gateway on separate
computers, you must purchase two RSLinx Gateway licenses.
RSView SE clients
In a distributed system, you can use two licensing mechanisms for
RSView SE clients: dedicated licenses and floating licenses. Dedicated
licenses are installed on the computer hosting the client, while floating
licenses are installed on the computer hosting FactoryTalk Directory.
Floating licences are held by the computer on which FactoryTalk
Directory is running, rather than by FactoryTalk Directory. As a result,
failure of FactoryTalk Directory does not ensure redundant licenses. To
ensure that RSView SE clients always have access to licenses,
independent of other computer failures, the use of dedicated SE client
licenses is recommended in a redundant system.
If you decide to use floating licenses installed on the FactoryTalk
Directory computer, be aware of the following scenarios:

RSView SE clients obtain their licenses from the computer hosting
FactoryTalk Directory services. If the FactoryTalk Directory
computer is not available, the clients will not be able to obtain
licenses.
If the FactoryTalk Directory computer fails after RSView SE clients
have obtained licenses, those clients continue to hold their licenses
and operate normally. Only licenses not currently used by clients
will be unavailable if the FactoryTalk Directory computer fails.
When a client logs off, however, its license is released. The client
Q
25–15
will not be able to obtain another license until the FactoryTalk
Directory computer becomes available again.
25–16
Q
26
Deploying
distributed applications

the high-level steps for deploying an application.

setting up the FactoryTalk Directory.

moving the application files.

specifying the FactoryTalk Directory location.

moving HMI project files.

changing HMI server properties.

starting and stopping HMI server components manually.

starting and stopping HMI servers manually.

synchronizing HMI servers and projects.

moving data server files.

changing data server properties.

setting up and opening RSView® SE clients.
About deploying distributed applications
Once you have finished developing and testing an application, you are
ready to move it to the set of computers that will run the application in
a live setting such as the plant floor. The process of moving the
application to its runtime environment is called deploying the
application.
Deploying distributed applications
n
26–1
There are several activities you must perform to deploy a distributed
application.
Overview of deploying distributed applications
Use this list of activities as the basis for your own checklist, to help you
deploy an application.
Make sure that you add to your checklist additional activities that are
not listed here but are part of your process. Such activities could
include setting up database software or OPC ® servers, and so on.
To deploy a distributed application:

FactoryTalk Directory is
software that allows the parts of a distributed application to find
each other on the network. On the computer you have designated
as the FactoryTalk Directory server, ensure that FactoryTalk
Automation software is installed on this computer, and use the tool,
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location, to set up the computer as
the host.
Set up the FactoryTalk Directory
For details see“Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory” on page 26-4.

Using Windows® Explorer, move the
application’s RnaD file (<application name>.RnaD) and other
application information from the development computer to the
FactoryTalk Directory computer.
Move the application files
For details, see “Moving the application files” on page 26-4.

Specify the location of the FactoryTalk Directory On all
computers participating in the application, except the one hosting
the FactoryTalk Directory, use the tool, Specify FactoryTalk
Directory Location, to specify the name of the computer that is
hosting the FactoryTalk Directory.
For details, see “Specifying the location of FactoryTalk Directory”
on page 26-5
26–2
Q

To deploy HMI projects, copy their files
from the development computers to host computers using
Windows Explorer.
Move HMI project files
For details, see“Moving HMI project files” on page 26-6

Set up HMI server properties For each HMI server in an
application, use the HMI Server Properties dialog box to change
properties, such as the name of the host computer, to ensure
correct runtime behavior of the HMI server.:
For details, see “Changing HMI server properties” on page 26-8.

Move data server files To deploy data servers, copy their files
from the development computers to host computers using
Windows Explorer.
For details, see “Moving data server files” on page 26-13.
If you move an OPC server
from one computer to another, you must change the name of the
computer on which the OPC server is installed.

Set up the data server properties

For details, see “Changing data server properties” on page 26-14.

Set up the RSView SE clients
At run time, operators interact
with graphic displays on RSView SE clients. Specify the application
that each RSView SE client connects to, and the components the
RSView SE client loads when it connects to the application. For
example, each RSView SE client shows an initial graphic display
when the client opens.
To set up an RSView SE client, run the RSViewSE Client wizard.
Q
26–3
If you have already set up an RSView SE client, you can copy the
client’s setup file (.cli) from one computer to another. You do not
have to modify the .cli file after you have copied it.
IMPORTANT

All of the users participating in a distributed
application must be members of the same Windows
domain.
Open the RSView SE client and test the application
To open
the RSView SE client, double-click the .cli file.
Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory
Make sure the FactoryTalk Automation Platform software is installed
in the computer that is to be the FactoryTalk Directory computer, and
then set up FactoryTalk Directory.
To set up the FactoryTalk Directory
1.
On the FactoryTalk Directory computer, click the Windows Start
menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk Tools, and
then click Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location.
2.
If the Computer hosting directory server box displays localhost,
click OK.
If the Computer hosting directory server box does not display
localhost, click the browse button and in the FactoryTalk Directory
Server Configuration dialog box, click This computer, and then
click OK.
Moving the application files
Each application has a file named <application name>.RnaD that
contains the application information which FactoryTalk Directory
requires, such as areas, HMI server names, and HMI server component
lists. There is also a folder with the same name as the application, which
26–4
Q
contains information such as RSLinx configuration files. This
information needs to be moved from the development computer to the
FactoryTalk Directory computer.
To move application files
1.
Make sure the FactoryTalk Directory Automation Platform
software is installed on the correct computer. For details, see the
RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
2.
On the development computer, use the Windows Explorer to
browse to this folder:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
\Rockwell\RNAServer\Global
The Global folder contains the application information that
FactoryTalk Directory requires. It includes a file with the same
name as the application and the file extension, RnaD, and a folder
with the same name as the application.
3.
Copy the Global folder and all its sub-folders.
4.
On the FactoryTalk Directory computer, paste the Global folder
into the same location as on the development computer. That is:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
\Rockwell\RNAServer\Global
5.
Restart the computer on which FactoryTalk Directory is running.
Specifying the location of FactoryTalk Directory
On each computer that is participating in the application the location
of the FactoryTalk Directory needs to be specified.
Q
26–5
To specify the location of the FactoryTalk Directory
1.
Click the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
Software, FactoryTalk Tools, and then click Specify FactoryTalk
Directory Location.
2.
Click the Browse button beside Computer hosting directory server.
3.
In the FactoryTalk Directory Server Configuration dialog box,
click Remote computer, and then type the name of the computer
on which the FactoryTalk Directory software is running.
4.
Click OK.
Moving HMI project files
Before you move an HMI project to a new location, make sure the
RSView SE server software is installed and the location of the
FactoryTalk Directory is set.
For details about setting up or changing the location of the FactoryTalk
Directory, see “Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory” on page 26-4.
Copying an HMI server that is not running
An HMI server that is in a running state is said to be loaded into
memory. The easiest way to copy an HMI server is to copy it when it is
not loaded.
IMPORTANT
The HMI server is automatically unloaded from
memory if RSView Studio™, the RSView
Administration Console, and the RSView SE client are
not running, and if the HMI server’s Startup type is set
to On demand in the HMI Server Properties dialog box.
If you are unsure whether or not the HMI server is
running, follow the steps in “Copying an HMI server
while it is running” on page 26-7.
26–6
Q
To copy an HMI server that is not running
1.
Using Windows Explorer, copy the files from the following folder
on the source computer to the same folder on the target computer:
RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI Projects\HMI projects*
*The path given is for Windows XP. For Windows 2000, the third
folder is not Shared Documents, but just Documents.
The folder for the HMI project has the same name as the HMI
server in the application, and contains the setup files for the HMI
server.
Copying an HMI server while it is running
You can make a copy of an HMI server while it is running, for example
to back up changes that were made while the server was online.
To do this, use the HMIBackup utility to copy the files from the source
computer to a temporary folder, and then copy the files from the
temporary folder to the target computer.
To copy an HMI server while it is running:
1.
Download and then install the HMIBackup utility.
2.
Run the HMIBackup utility to back up the HMI server.
3.
Copy the backup files to the target computer.
4.
Update the HMI server properties with the name of the new
computer on which the HMI server is running.
Q
26–7
To download and install the HMIBackup utility
1.
Download the HMIBackup utility from the Rockwell Software
Technical Support Knowledgebase by searching for the Tech Note
ID, P62940645.
For details about using the Knowledgebase, see “Finding the
information you need” on page P-2.
2.
Extract the utility to the local drive of the computer where the
HMI server is located.
A folder called HMIBackup is created in the folder you specify, and
the HMIBackup tool is located in this folder.
To run the HMIBackup utility, see the document readme.rtf, which
describes how to use this utility. This readme file is included in the zip
file that contains the utility.
To copy the backup files to the target computer
X
Copy the backup HMI project folders to this folder on the target
computer:
RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI Projects\*
Changing HMI server properties
You can change these HMI server properties in the deployed
application:

26–8
Q
the name of the computer on which the HMI server is located.
when the HMI server loads, for example, when the computer starts
up, or when the first client attempts to connect to the server.

which application components will start automatically when the
HMI server starts
the name of a computer hosting the secondary HMI server, if HMI
server redundancy has been set up.
In the HMI server’s Properties dialog, you can also start or stop the
HMI server’s components manually. If you have set up a redundant
HMI server, you can start or stop its components as well. This is useful
for testing or troubleshooting.
To update the name of the HMI server’s host computer
1.
Start RSView Studio, or the RSView Administration Console, and
then open the application. You can open the application locally or
remotely.
IMPORTANT
If you open an application in RSView Studio before
moving the HMI project files over, the HMI server
will not load. However, you can still open the HMI
server’s properties and edit them.
2.
Right-click the HMI server, and then click Properties to open the
HMI Server Properties dialog box.
3.
In the Computer hosting the server, box, type the name of the new
computer, or click the Browse button to select the name of the
new computer.
You can also use the HMI Server Properties dialog box to start or stop
components manually, and to view the HMI server’s name, project file
path, number of existing graphic displays, and the maximum number
of graphic displays allowed.
If you have set up redundancy, the HMI Server Properties dialog box
also shows the status of primary and secondary HMI servers.
Q
26–9
In distributed applications, you must set up the HMI server properties
separately for each HMI server in the application. For details, see
page 5-16.
For details about using the HMI Server Properties box, see Help.
Starting and stopping HMI server
components manually
You can start or stop the components running on an HMI server
separately for each HMI server.
To start HMI server components manually
1.
In the Application Explorer in RSView Studio or in the RSView
Administration Console, right-click the HMI server and then click
Properties.
2.
In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components
tab.
3.
In the Components tab, click Run Startup Components.
To stop HMI server components manually
1.
Properties.
2.
tab.
3.
In the Components tab, click Stop All Running Components.
All components stop running, including alarms, data log models,
derived tag components, and event components.
If a shutdown macro is specified in the Components tab, clicking
Stop All Running Components runs the Shutdown macro.
26–10
Q
Starting and stopping HMI services manually
Use the RSView SE Service Manager tool to start or stop the HMI
services running on a computer.
IMPORTANT
When you stop the HMI services manually, clients are
disconnected, all HMI servers running on the
computer are shut down, and the activation keys used
by the HMI servers are released.
When you start the HMI services manually, clients are allowed to
connect to HMI servers on the computer.
To stop HMI services manually
1.
On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software,
RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click RSView SE Service
Manager.
2.
In the RSView HMI Service Manager window, click Stop.
3.
To close the RSView HMI Service Manager window, click Close.
4.
Use the Windows Task Manager to ensure that the server-side
processes have been unloaded, as illustrated below.
Q
26–11
Stopping the services can take several minutes, depending on the
number of HMI servers running on the computer.
Wait until all instances of the
HMI alarm services have
been removed from memory.
To start HMI services manually
1.
RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click RSView SE Service
Manager.
2.
In the RSView HMI Service Manager window, click Start.
3.
To close the RSView HMI Service Manager window, click Close.
Synchronizing servers and projects
If you have set up redundancy for one or more HMI servers in an
application, ensure that the primary and secondary HMI servers are
running identical copies of the HMI project. To do this, synchronize
the HMI projects whenever you make changes to the project on either
server.
To synchronize HMI projects
1.
26–12
Q
Utilities, and then click Diagnostics Viewer.
2.
Check the FactoryTalk Diagnostics log files for information
messages on both servers, to determine which server was active
when changes were made to the HMI project.
3.
Stop the HMI services running on both computers in the
redundant pair. For details, see “Starting and stopping HMI
services manually” on page 26-11.
4.
Copy the HMI project that was changed to the server on which
the project is out of date. For details, see “Moving HMI project
files” on page 26-6.
Moving data server files
This section explains how to move files belonging to RSLinx®
Enterprise and RSLinx for RSView.
For details about copying third-party OPC data servers, see the
documentation supplied with the OPC server.
Files for RSLinx Enterprise
The device shortcuts for RSLinx Enterprise data servers are saved with
information about the RSView application on the computer that is
running FactoryTalk Directory. When you move the application
information to a different computer, the setup information for RSLinx
Enterprise data servers in the application is also moved. For details, see
page 26-4.
Files for RSLinx for RSView
After installing the RSLinx for RSView software on the target
computer, copy the data server’s setup files manually.
Q
26–13
To copy data server files for RSLinx for RSView
1.
RSLinx, and then click Backup Restore Utility.
2.
In the RSLinx Backup Restore window, click Backup.
3.
Select a folder for the backup file, type a name for the file, and then
click Save.
4.
Copy the backup file from the source computer to the target
computer.
5.
On the target computer, on the Windows Start menu, select
Programs, Rockwell Software, RSLinx, and then click Backup
Restore Utility.
6.
In the RSLinx Backup Restore window, click Restore.
7.
In the Open dialog box, browse for the backup file you copied
from the source computer, and then click Open to restore the
RSLinx configuration.
Changing data server properties
If you copy a data server from one computer to another, you must
change the name of the computer on which the data server is running.
To change the name of the data server computer
1.
26–14
Q
Start RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, and
then open the application.
2.
In the Application Explorer, right-click the data server and then
click Properties.
3.
In the Computer that will run the OPC server, box, type the name
of the computer that is hosting the RSLinx or OPC-DA 2.0 data
server, or click the Browse button to select the computer name.
4.
If you are setting up redundancy for the data server, specify the
properties of the secondary data server in the Redundancy tab. For
details, see “Setting up OPC data server redundancy” on page 7-9.
Setting up RSView SE clients
The RSView SE client provides a complete run-time environment for
the application.
With the RSView SE client you can:

load, view, and interact with multiple graphic displays at a time,
from any HMI server.

perform alarm management.

view trends.

adjust set points.

start and stop components on servers.

provide a secured operator environment.
Set up the RSView SE client using the RSView SE Client wizard. The
HMI server does not have to be running when you set up an RSView
SE client. However, the HMI server must be loaded before you can
open an RSView SE client.
The wizard creates a client setup file with the extension .cli. The
information in the file includes the name of the RSView application to
which the client can connect, the components that are started when the
connection is made, and the run-time behavior of the client.
Q
26–15
With the RSView SE client wizard you can create a new client setup, or
edit an existing one. You can also run a .cli file from the first screen of
the RSView SE client wizard, or you can remove a .cli file from the list
of available client files.
To create a new RSView SE client file
1.
RSView Enterprise, and then click RSView SE client.
2.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
If you need assistance while using the RSView SE Client wizard,
click Help.
Copying client setup files
When setting up RSView SE clients, you can specify the location for
the .cli files. The following instructions assume that the files for the
RSView SE client are present in their default location.
To copy RSView SE client setup files
X
Copy the .cli file from the following folder at the source computer
to the same folder at the target computer:
RSView Enterprise\SE\Client *
Opening RSView SE clients
To connect RSView SE clients to a distributed application, the server
computers and clients must be members of the same domain or
26–16
Q
workgroup and they must each point to the same FactoryTalk
Directory server computer.
For tips and troubleshooting suggestions to help you get
communications working between the client and server, see Help.
To open an RSView SE client by double-clicking the .cli file
X
Double-click the client setup file (.cli) you want to open, in the
following default folder:
RSView Enterprise\SE\Client
To open an RSView SE client using the menus
1.
Make sure all HMI servers used by the application are loaded.
2.
Do one of the following:

3.
On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
Software, RSView Enterprise, and then click RSView SE client.
In RSView Studio, on the Tools menu, click Launch SE client.
In the Launch RSView SE client dialog box, specify the name of
the .cli file, or click the Browse button to select the file, and then
click OK.
To create a new RSView SE client setup file, click New.
When you open an RSView SE client the current Windows user name
and password are validated automatically against the user list in the
User Accounts editor.
name, the first user in the user accounts list that matches the user name
that is entered, is verified. The domain name is not considered.
Q
26–17
If the login fails
If the current Windows user is not in the RSView User Accounts list,
the validation fails. A message is displayed, and you can then either
cancel the attempt to run the RSView SE client, or you can log in
manually as another user. If you click Retry to log in manually, the
RSView Login dialog box opens.
Opening the RSView SE client automatically
when Windows starts
1.
Create a shortcut to the.cli file.
2.
Move the shortcut to the Windows Startup folder. For details
about adding shortcuts to the Startup folder, see Windows Help.
Opening multiple clients
You can have more than one client window open on a single computer.
Multiple client windows allow you to connect to more than one
application from a single client computer.
To open multiple clients on one computer
1.
Make sure the HMI servers used by each application are loaded.
2.
Open each RSView SE client.
To open multiple clients using
the DisplayClientOpen command
1.
In a graphic display, create a button.
2.
For the button’s press action, type the following command:
DisplayClientOpen <file>
where <file> is the name of the .cli file you want to open.
26–18
Q
How server components start and stop
Server components start after the HMI server loads if the HMI server
is set to load on startup. Opening RSView SE client will not run the
Startup components. You can start HMI server components manually
using RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console. For
information about starting components manually, see page 26-10.
Server components stop when the HMI server is unloaded. Closing
the RSView SE client will not stop components that are running unless
the RSView SE client is the last client attached to the HMI server, and
the HMI server is set to load on demand.
You can stop all HMI server components manually using RSView
Studio or the RSView Administration Console. For details, see
page 26-10.
Q
26–19
27
Deploying
stand-alone applications

what deploying an application means.

overview of deploying an application.

moving the application.

changing HMI server properties in the application.

starting and stopping HMI server components manually.

moving up data server files.

changing data server properties.

setting up and opening the RSView® SE client.
About deploying stand-alone applications
Once you have finished developing and testing an application, you are
ready to run the stand-alone application. If necessary, you can move the
application to a new location in a live setting such as the plant floor.
This process is called deploying the application.
There are several activities you must perform to deploy a stand-alone
application.
Deploying stand-alone applications
n
27–1
Overview of deploying stand-alone applications
Use this list of activities as the basis for your own checklist, to help you
deploy an application.
Make sure that you add to your checklist additional activities that are
not listed here but are part of your process. Such activities could
include setting up database software or OPC ® servers, and so on.
To deploy a stand-alone application:
Use the Application Manager tool to copy
the application and move it from the development computer to the
production computer.

Move the application

Specify the HMI server’s startup settings
The startup settings
allow you to specify which parts of the application start
automatically when the HMI server starts.
Specify the startup settings in the Components tab of the HMI
Server Properties dialog box.

If you have moved an OPC
server from one computer to another, you might have to change the
name of the computer on which the OPC server is installed if you
did not use the name Localhost.
Set up the data server properties
Specify the computer name in the Data Server Properties dialog
box.

At run time, operators interact with
graphic displays on an RSView SE client. You must specify the
application the RSView SE client connects to, and the components
the RSView SE client loads when it connects to the application.
Set up the RSView SE client
For example, the RSView SE client shows an initial graphic display
when the client opens.
27–2
Q
To set up an RSView SE client, run the RSView SE Client wizard.
If you have already set up an RSView SE client, you can copy the
client’s setup file (.cli) from one computer to another. You do not
have to modify the .cli file after you have copied it.

Open the RSView SE client and test the application
To open
the RSView SE client, double-click the .cli file.
Moving stand-alone applications
To move a stand-alone application
1.
Close the RSView SE client, RSView Studio™, and the RSView
Administration Console.
You cannot copy a stand-alone application that is in use.
2.
On the Windows the Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
Software, RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click Application
Manager.
3.
Using the Application Manager tool, back up the stand-alone
application, and then restore it on the target computer.
For details about using the Application Manager tool, click Help.
Changing HMI server properties
After you copy the stand-alone application to its runtime environment,
you can change the components that run when the HMI server starts
or stops. You can also start or stop the HMI server’s components
manually.
The HMI Server Properties dialog box also shows the HMI server’s
name, project file path, number of existing graphic displays and the
maximum number of graphic displays allowed.
Q
27–3
For details about setting up the properties of an HMI server, see
page 6-5.
For details about using the HMI Server Properties dialog box, see Help.
Starting and stopping HMI server
components manually
To start HMI server components manually
1.
Properties.
2.
tab.
3.
In the Components tab, click Run Startup Components.
To stop HMI server components manually
1.
Properties.
2.
tab.
3.
In the Components tab, click Stop All Running Components.
All components stop running, including alarms, data log models,
derived tag components, and event components.
If a shutdown macro is specified in the Components tab, clicking
Stop All Running Components runs the Shutdown macro.
27–4
Q
Moving data server files
After installing the RSLinx® Enterprise or RSLinx for RSView
software, or the software for the OPC server, move the data server’s
setup files to the runtime computer. If you used the Application
Manager to copy the application files, RSLinx Enterprise server
configuration will have been copied as well, and this will not have to be
done separately.
For details about copying third-party OPC data servers, see the
documentation supplied with the OPC server.
For information about copying data server files for RSLinx Enterprise
or RSLinx for RSView, see page 26-13.
Changing data server properties
If you copy a data server from one computer to another, you might
have to change the name of the computer on which the data server is
running.
To change the name of the data server computer
1.
Administration Console, right-click the data server and then click
Properties.
2.
In the Computer that will run the OPC server, box, type the name
of the computer on which the data server is installed, or click the
Browse button to select the computer name.
Setting up RSView SE clients
The RSView SE client provides a complete runtime environment for
the application. For stand-alone applications, the RSView SE client and
the HMI server are located on the same computer.
Q
27–5
With the RSView SE client you can:

load, view, and interact with multiple graphic displays at a time from
any HMI server.

perform alarm management.

view trends.

adjust set points.

start and stop components on servers.

provide a secured operator environment.
Set up the RSView SE client using the RSView SE Client wizard. The
HMI server does not have to be running when you set up an RSView
SE client. However, the HMI server will be loaded when you open the
RSView SE client.
The wizard creates a client setup file with the extension .cli. The
information in the file includes the name of the RSView application to
which the client can connect, the components that are started when the
connection is made, and the run-time behavior of the client.
With the RSView SE client wizard you can create a new client setup, or
edit an existing one. You can also run a .cli file from the first screen of
the RSView SE client wizard, or you can remove a .cli file from the list
of available client files.
To create a new RSView SE client file
1.
On the Windows® Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
2.
Follow the instructions on the screen.
If you need assistance while using the RSView SE Client wizard,
click Help.
27–6
Q
Opening RSView SE clients
To open an RSView SE client by double-clicking the .cli file
X
Double-click the client setup file (.cli) you want to open, in the
following folder:
RSView Enterprise\SE\Client
To open an RSView SE client using the menus
1.
Do one of the following:

2.
On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
In RSView Studio, on the Tools menu, click Launch SE client.
In the Launch RSView SE client dialog box, specify the name of
the .cli file, or click the Browse button to select the file, and then
click OK.
To create a new RSView SE client setup file, click New.
When opening an RSView SE client the current Windows user name
and password are validated automatically against the user list in the
User Accounts editor.
name, the first user in the user accounts list, minus the domain name,
that matches the user name that is entered, is verified.
If the login fails
If the current Windows user is not in the RSView User Accounts list,
the validation fails. A message is displayed, and you can then either
cancel the attempt to run the RSView SE client, or you can log in
Q
27–7
manually as another user. If you click Retry to log in manually, the
RSView Login dialog box opens.
Opening the RSView SE client automatically
when Windows starts
1.
Create a shortcut to the .cli file.
2.
Move the shortcut to the Windows Startup folder. For details
about adding shortcuts to the Startup folder, see Windows Help.
How server components start and stop
Server components start after the HMI server loads. Opening RSView
SE client will run the Startup components. You can also start HMI
server components manually using RSView Studio or the RSView
Administration Console. For details, see page 27-4.
Server components stop when the HMI server is unloaded. In a standalone application, this happens automatically when you close the
RSView SE client.
You can also stop all HMI server components manually using RSView
Studio or the RSView Administration Console. For details, see
page 27-4.
27–8
Q
28
Administering
applications

what administering applications means.

using the RSView® Administration Console.

specifying time, date, and number formats.

backing up and restoring stand-alone applications.

monitoring disk space on HMI servers.
About administering applications
After an application has been deployed, you might need to make small
changes to the application while it is in use. This process is called
administration.
You can make changes to an application using either RSView Studio™,
or the RSView Administration Console
IMPORTANT
The RSView Administration Console shuts down after
2 hours of use, even though it does not require an
activation key.
Administering applications
n
28–1
To start the RSView Administration Console
X
RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click RSView SE
Administration Console.
Administering an application
With the RSView Administration Console you can:

change an HMI server’s properties.

change a data server’s properties.

28–2
Q
add users to or remove users from the system, using the User
Accounts editor.
change which commands are secured, and which users have access
to the commands, using the Secured Commands editor.
run RSView commands from the Command Line.

change how alarms are logged and annunciated, using the Alarm
Setup editor.
change the path of data log models.
change which system activities are logged, and how frequently,
using the Diagnostics Setup editor on the Tools menu.
change the location to which alarms are logged, and manage log
files, using the Alarm Log Setup editor on the Tools menu.
import and export HMI tags using the Tag Import and Export
Wizard on the Tools menu.
To find information about using these editors, see the chapters in this
manual.
Specifying time, date, and number formats
If a computer is not displaying the correct time, date, and number
formats, change the locale in the Windows® Control Panel’s Regional
and Language Options or Regional Settings.
For details, see Windows Help.
Backing up or restoring stand-alone applications
You cannot back up a stand-alone application that is in use. Close all
instances of RSView Studio, the RSView Administration Console, and
the RSView SE client first.
To back up or restore a stand-alone application
X
RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click Application Manager.
For details about using the Application Manager tool, click Help.
Administering applications
Q
28–3
Monitoring disk space on HMI servers
After you have deployed an RSView application, be sure that the disk
space on the computers running HMI servers does not fall below
20 MB.
To monitor disk space
1.
In the HMI server’s Events editor, create an event that uses the
free_bytes function to return the number of free bytes available on
the HMI server’s hard disk.
2.
Create a tag. For alarms that will indicate when disk space drops
below preset levels above 20 MB, use an analog tag. For an alarm
that indicates only when disk space drops below 20 MB, use a
digital tag.
3.
Create an alarm for the tag.
For information about the free_bytes function, see “File functions” on
page 20-20. For information about events, see Chapter 14, Using events.
28–4
Q
A
RSView commands
This appendix describes:

where and how to use RSView® commands.

using absolute and relative references.

creating symbols.

using the Command Wizard.
For details about specific RSView commands, see Help.
Using RSView commands
Where to use commands
You can use commands in:

a box that requires you to enter an action. For example, as the press,
release, or repeat action when you assign touch animation to an
object in a graphic display, or as the action for a button.

a macro or symbol.

a command line.
How to use commands
When entering commands, keep the following guidelines in mind:

In the descriptions of commands in the Help, parameters enclosed
in angle brackets <> are required and parameters enclosed in
square brackets [ ] are optional.
RSView commands
n
A–1

Parameters do not have to be entered in the order they are listed in
Help.
Commands and parameters are not case sensitive.
Start each new command on a new line or separate commands on
the same line with a semicolon (;).
Separate multiple parameters with a space.
Enclose long file names containing spaces with double quotes when
the file names are used as parameters. For example:
Display PID /P“Temperature Loop 1”

Enclose area and component names that contain spaces, or are
ambiguous, in double quotes. An ambiguous area name is one that
is the same as another parameter for a command. For example,
AlarmOn “/H” would turn alarm monitoring on in area H; whereas
AlarmOn /H would turn alarm monitoring on with handshaking,
in the current area.
The exclamation mark (!) indicates the start of a comment.
Everything after the exclamation mark is ignored unless the
exclamation mark and what follows it are enclosed in double quotes.
Many commands accept wildcard characters. If a command accepts
wildcard characters, this is noted in the description of the command
in the Help. The wildcard characters are:
* matches any number of characters, including the backslash (\)
and period (.) characters
? matches any single character
Using placeholders in commands
To replace a tag name with its current value when the command is
evaluated, enclose the tag name in dollar signs ($). This creates a
placeholder in the command. If the placeholder is enclosed with
A–2
Q
double quotes, or nested in the string value of another placeholder in
the command, RSView does not substitute the tag value.
Floating point tags can be a maximum of 17 digits long. If the value is
longer than 17 digits, it is represented in scientific format. The
maximum command length is 1000 characters. The command is
truncated if the substituted tag values cause the command to exceed
this length.
Tag names being used as placeholders in commands, do not need to be
enclosed in brackets because the the dollar signs that enclose them act
to disambiguate them, as well.
Example 1: A macro using placeholders in commands
Display Screen$Tag1$
Display $Tag3$$Tag2$
Valve23=Open
When the macro runs, Tag1=1, Tag2=2, and Tag3=Screen. These are
all string tags.
RSView replaces the placeholders in the commands with the tags’
current string values. The graphic display Screen1 appears, then the
graphic display Screen2 appears, then the tag Valve23 is set to its open
state.
Example 2: Changing the value of a tag and tag placeholders
In this example, the initial value of Tag1 is 0. The value 4 is assigned to
Tag1, and the tag is then used in a macro. Type the following text in a
button’s press action:
Tag1=4
!Set the value of Tag1
!to 4.
Display_Detail Tag1
!Run the
!Display_Detail macro,
RSView commands
Q
A–3
!using Tag1 as a
!parameter
In the Display_Detail macro, type the following:
Display Screen$%1$
!Displays a graphic
!display whose name is
!Screen plus the value of
!Tag1 (for example,
!Screen4).
RSView replaces the placeholder in the command with the tag’s current
string value. The graphic display Screen4 appears.
Tag placeholders are evaluated before commands run. You can ensure
Tag1 evaluates to 4 by embedding the tag placeholder in a macro, not
in the button. If you include the tag placeholder in the button, the tag
placeholder evaluates before the value of the tag is set to 4. $Tag1$ will
therefore evaluate to 0 (the tag’s initial value), not 4.
Precedence
Commands take precedence over macros. For example, if you have a
macro called Display, the Display command will run whenever you try
to run the Display macro.
Where commands run
Some commands run at the server, some run at the client, and some
run wherever they were issued.
Commands that run at the RSView SE server
A–4
Q
Acknowledge
AlarmPrintOn
DerivedOn
AcknowledgeAll
DataLogChangeRate
EventOff
AlarmEvent
DataLogMergeToPrimary
EventOn
AlarmLogNewFile
DataLogNewFile
HandShakeOff
AlarmLogOff
DataLogOff
HandShakeOn
AlarmLogOn
DataLogOn
Silence
AlarmLogSendToODBC
DataLogRenameFile
SilenceAll
AlarmOff
DataLogSnapShot
SuppressOff
AlarmOn
DataLogSwitchBack
SuppressOffAll
AlarmPrintOff
DerivedOff
Commands that run at the RSView SE client.
Abort
Key
PushBack
Define
Login
RecipeRestore
Display
Logout
RecipeSave
DisplayClientClose
NextPosition
ScreenPrint
DisplayClientOpen
NextWindow
SendKeys
Download
OpenRSLogix5000
SetFocus
DownloadAll
Position
SuppressOn
FlushCache
PrevPosition
Undefine
Help
PrevWindow
Upload
Identify
PrintDisplay
UploadAll
Invoke
PullForward
Commands that run at the computer on which they are issued
These commands run wherever they are issued. For example, if one of
these commands is issued at the client, it runs at the client.
= (Equal)
DDEExecute
Remark
AlarmLogRemark
If
Set
AppAbort
Pause
Toggle
RSView commands
Q
A–5
AppStart
PlayWave
Beep
Ramp
Commands that do not run in test display mode
These commands are ignored when issued during test display mode in
RSView Studio™.
Abort
Key
PrintDisplay
Display
Login
PullForward
DisplayClientClose
Logout
PushBack
DisplayClientOpen
NextWindow
SetFocus
FlushCache
PrevWindow
Using absolute and relative references
You can specify several command parameters using either absolute or
relative references. Relative references work like file names. Absolute
references work like file paths.
A relative reference is a reference to an application component,
excluding its path. The component’s path is determined from the
context in which the component’s name is specified.
An absolute reference is a reference to an application component,
including its path.
For example:

is an absolute reference to a
graphic display called IngredientDisplay in the area called
MixingArea.
/MixingArea::IngredientDisplay
IngredientDisplay is a relative reference to a graphic display called
IngredientDisplay in the current area.
In stand-alone applications you only need to use relative references.
A–6
Q
How relative references are resolved
You only need to understand how relative references are resolved if you
are creating distributed applications. If you are creating stand-alone
applications, you can skip this section.
Before RSView can perform an action on a component that is specified
using a relative reference, the relative reference must be resolved. To do
this RSView converts the relative reference to an absolute reference.
For example, if the current area is called RecipesArea, the graphic
display specified using the relative reference IngredientDisplay is
resolved to the absolute reference /RecipesArea::IngredientDisplay
before it can be used.
For commands, relative references are resolved in different ways,
depending on the type of parameters the command takes.
Commands that take tags as parameters
Commands that take tags as parameters are resolved as follows:

When the command runs from a graphic display, the area that
contains the graphic display is used to resolve the relative reference.
For example, if the command Display OverviewStats runs from the
graphic display called IngredientDisplay in the area RecipesArea,
the area name RecipesArea is used to resolve the relative reference
in the command.
If the command runs from the graphic display called
IngredientDisplay in the Mixing area, the Mixing area name is used
to resolve the relative reference in the command.

When the command is run by an Events component, the Alarm
Identification feature, or the Startup or Shutdown macros, the area
that contains the HMI server is used to resolve the relative
reference.
RSView commands
Q
A–7
Commands that take HMI project components as parameters
When the command runs from a graphic display, the area that contains
the graphic display is used to resolve the relative reference.
Some commands are run by a part of the system that runs in the
background. This background activity is managed by the HMI server.
For example, an Events component runs commands when events
occur. These parts of the system resolve relative references using the
area in which the HMI server is located, because the HMI server
manages the background activity.
Creating symbols
If you have long commands or commands with parameters that are
hard to remember or easy to mix up, you can rename those commands
with a single word called a symbol.
Symbols can be used anywhere a command can be used: in a box that
requires an action, in a macro, or at the command line.
You can define symbols in a macro or at the command line. However,
symbols are mainly an operational convenience when using the system
from the command line.
To define a symbol
X
At the command line or in a macro or box, type:
Define <symbol> <string>
<symbol> is the abbreviated command, without spaces.
<string> is an existing command with or without parameters. It can
contain spaces and other symbols.
A–8
Q
Example: The Define command
Define
Show
Display Overview
The Define command
The symbol
The string
In this example, the command Display Overview is replaced with the
word Show.
To clear a symbol
X
At the command line or in a macro or box, type one of the
following:
This command
Does this
Undefine <symbol>
Clears the symbol.
<symbol> is the name of the symbol you
want to delete.
Undefine *
Clears all defined symbols.
Example: Undefining symbols
Undefine Show
Clears the symbol Show.
RSView commands
Q
A–9
Important guidelines
When creating symbols, keep the following in mind:

RSView does not check for security access on symbol names.
Therefore, be sure to put security on the underlying RSView
command. For more information, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
If a symbol and a macro have the same name, the symbol runs
instead of the macro.
The order of precedence is: symbol, command, macro.
Using the command line
Use the command line during application development, testing, and
maintenance.
To open the command line

A–10
Q
In the Application Explorer, double-click the Command Line icon.
Using the Command Wizard
Use the Command Wizard to build command strings. The Command
Wizard lists all RSView commands and their syntax. The wizard also
lists any macros that you have created. .
When you click a
category here …
… the commands for
that category are
listed here.
To resize the list
boxes, drag this bar to
the left or right.
When you click a
command in the list,
the command syntax
is displayed here.
To open the Command Wizard

Double-click in an action box or anywhere in the Macro editor.
Click the Browse button beside an action box or any box requiring
an RSView command.
In the command line, Security Codes editor, Events editor, and
Macro editor, click Commands on the Edit menu
For details about using the Command Wizard, and about RSView
commands, see Help.
RSView commands
Q
A–11
B
Setting up DDE
communications for
HMI tags

what DDE communications are.

how to use DDE communications with HMI tags.
About DDE communications
To obtain values from HMI tags, you must set up communications. To
support legacy applications, RSView® supports DDE
communications.
DDE connections allow you to communicate with a wide range of
local and remote devices.
DDE is Dynamic Data Exchange, used with external DDE servers
such as the Rockwell Software RSServer™ products, or other thirdparty servers, to connect an HMI server to communication devices.
DDE servers provide a way to connect an HMI server’s HMI tags (the
DDE client) to:

communication devices such as Siemens or Modicon®.
a third-party DDE server such as Microsoft® Excel or Visual
Basic®.
Setting up DDE communications for HMI tags
n
B–1
Overview of DDE communications
The following illustration shows the different ways an HMI server can
use DDE for communications.
Computer running RSView SE Server
RSView SE Server’s
HMI tags
RSView DDE client module
CF_Text or
XLTable
Third-party
application,
such as
Microsoft Excel
AdvanceDDE
TM
RSServer
PLC network
* The third-party server can
use AdvanceDDE format if
the server uses the Rockwell
Software server toolkit
Modicon,
GE, Siemens
or other
programmable
controller
CF_Text or
AdvanceDDE*
Third-party
DDE server
Network or
communication
link
Other nonAllen-Bradley
device
Summary of steps
To set up an HMI server as a DDE client
B–2
Q
1.
Start the DDE server.
2.
Start RSView Studio™, and then create or open an application (the
DDE client).
3.
In the Tags editor, create tags. Select Device as the data source. In
the Address box, type the required DDE address.
For information about DDE addressing syntax, see page B-4.
For information about using tags, see Chapter 8, Working with tags.
Creating an HMI tag that uses DDE
This section describes how to complete the Data Source options in the
Tags editor for tags that use DDE communications.
For details about creating HMI tags, see Help.
Specifying Device as the data source
An HMI tag with Device as its data source receives its data from a
source external to RSView. This section describes how to create tags
for data that comes from:

programmable controllers through a DDE server.

another Windows® program through a DDE server.
To create a tag with Device as the data source
1.
Click Device.
2.
In the Address box, specify the DDE item.
Type the DDE address for the tag. The DDE item name and
format depend on the DDE server, and are not validated by
RSView.
Setting up DDE communications for HMI tags
Q
B–3
Syntax for DDE addresses
The syntax for DDE tag addresses is:
DDE : Application|Topic!Item
There are no spaces:

between the application name, the vertical bar, and the topic name.

between the topic name, the exclamation mark, and the item name.
For more information about addressing syntax, see the documentation
supplied with the DDE server.
Scanning for new tag values
When an HMI server containing tags is running, it must periodically
update its tag values in the value table.
For applications using DDE, values are updated by the server at the
rate specified in the server product. When the server detects a change,
it provides the changed value to RSView. For more details about setting
the poll rate, see the server documentation.
B–4
Q
C
ODBC
database schemas
RSView® produces three kinds of log files—diagnostics, alarm, and
data log—that can be stored in ODBC-compliant databases. This
appendix specifies the schemas for these databases.
FactoryTalk™ Diagnostics log table
FactoryTalk Diagnostics data logged in ODBC format, uses one table.
For information about how the log files are named, see “ODBC
database storage format” on page 13-4.
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
TimeStmp
The time and date data was logged, in
coordinated universal time (UTC) format.
SQL_TIMESTAMP
Driver
dependent
MessageText
The text of the message.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
254
Audience
A number representing the audience for
the message:
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
1
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
1
2 for Developer
3 for Secure
4 for Engineer
8 for Operator
Severity
A number representing the severity of the
message:
1 for Error
2 for Warning
4 for Information
8 for Audit
ODBC
database schemas
n
C–1
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
Area
The area in which the activity occurred.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
80
Location
The name of the computer that initiated
the command or action that caused the
activity.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
15
UserID
The name of the user that initiated the
command or action that caused the activity.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
38
UserFullName
The name of the user (including domain
name, if there is one) that initiated the
command or action that caused the activity.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
255
Provider
The name of the software product the
activity belongs to.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
20
Alarm log table
Alarm data logged in ODBC format, uses one table. For information
about how the log files are named, see “ODBC database storage
format” on page 13-4.
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
TimeStmp
The time and date data was logged, in UTC
format.
SQL_TIMESTAMP
Driver
dependent
MilliTime
Millisecond time when data was logged.
SQL_INTEGER
3
C–2
Q
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
TransType
The type of alarm that was generated. The
transaction type is one of:
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
6
SysAk (System Acknowledged)
InAlm (In Alarm)
OutAlm (Out of Alarm)
InFlt (In Fault)
OutFt (Out of Fault)
Ack (Acknowledged)
RmAck (Remote Acknowledged)
SupOn (Suppress On)
SupOf (Suppress Off)
Remar (Remark)
TagName
The name of the tag or alarm event that
caused the alarm.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
255
TagValue
The value of the tag at the time the alarm
occurred.
SQL_DOUBLE, or
SQL_INTEGER, or
SQL_SMALLINT
20
(10 decimal
places)
TagType
The type of the tag in alarm: 2 for Analog,
1 for Digital.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
1
ThreshVal
The threshold value.
SQL_DOUBLE, or
SQL_FLOAT
20
(10 decimal
places)
ThreshNum
The threshold number.
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
1
ThreshLabl
The threshold label.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
21
Severity
The alarm severity.
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
1
User
The name of the user (including domain
name, if there is one) that initiated the alarm
transaction. If the transaction was initiated
by an HMI server, the user is System.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
38
ODBC
database schemas
Q
C–3
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
AlarmType
The number RSView assigns to the
transaction type:
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
1
0 for SysAk (System Acknowledged)
1 for InAlm (In Alarm)
2 for OutAlm (Out of Alarm)
3 for InFlt (In Fault)
4 for OutFt (Out of Fault)
5 for Ack (Acknowledged)
6 for RmAck (Remote Acknowledged)
7 for SupOn (Suppress On)
8 for SupOf (Suppress Off)
9 for Remar (Remark)
Dscrptn
The message that is associated with the
transaction (alarm) type, the log message for
the alarm event, or the alarm log remark.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
132
SrcComputr
The name of the computer that initiated the
command or action that caused the alarm.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
15
SrcArea
The area in which the alarm occurred.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
80
If the ODBC database doesn’t support the SQL_TIMESTAMP data
type, then the data may be truncated. For example, the Oracle® ODBC
driver does not support the SQL_TIMESTAMP type. Use
SQL_DATE instead to store both the date and time without
truncating the data in Oracle.
C–4
Q
Data log tables
Information logged by the RSView data logging subsystem that is
stored in ODBC format, uses up to three tables. For more
information, see “ODBC database storage format” on page 13-4.
Floating-point and string tables
Log tables for floating-point and string data are the same except one
contains analog and digital tag data and the other contains string tag
data.
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
DateAndTime
The date and time the tag values were
logged.
SQL_TIMESTAMP
Driver
dependent
Millitm
The millisecond time the tag values were
logged.
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
4
TagIndex, or
The index number for the tag. The tag
name that corresponds to this number is
listed in the tag name table.
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
2 or
4
TagName
If the tag name table isn’t used, the tag
name appears in this column
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
255
Val
The analog or digital value of the tag.
SQL_DOUBLE, or
SQL_INTEGER, or
SQL_SMALLINT
8, or
4, or
2
The string value of the tag.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
82
ODBC
database schemas
Q
C–5
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
Status
Blank if communications are working
properly.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
1
E if a communication error occurred while
RSView was trying to acquire the tag value.
S if the tag value is stale; that is, if the value
has been acquired before, but has not been
updated.
U if the tag is uninitialized.
Marker
Internal tag marker.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
Tag table
This column
Contains
SQL data type
Length
TagName
The tag name.
SQL_VARCHAR, or
SQL_CHAR
255
TagIndex
The index number assigned to the tag name.
SQL_SMALLINT, or
SQL_INTEGER
2 or
4
TagType
The tag type:
SQL_SMALLINT
1
SQL_SMALLINT
2
2 for Analog tag
3 for Digital tag
4 for String tag
TagDataType
The tag data type:
-1 for Integer
0 for Long
1 for Float
2 for String
C–6
Q
D
Exporting text from an
application for translation

exporting text for translation

which text in an application cannot be exported.

how to export and import text.

troubleshooting import errors.

information for translators, including the file format of the text file
and information about which parts of the file must not be
translated. Give this information to the translator to ensure that the
file can be imported after translation.
About exporting text for translation
To allow an application to be translated into foreign languages,
RSView® Supervisory Edition™ enables you to export the application
text that is visible to operators at run time. The text strings in each
HMI server are exported to separate text files in Unicode format that
you can have translated.
The translated files can then be imported into the application. This
operation substitutes the translated text strings for the original text
strings of the application.
An RSView Supervisory Edition application can support only one
language at a time. For each language required, you must make a copy
of the application, and then import the translated text file.
Exporting text from an application for translation
n
D–1
For details about copying the parts of a distributed application, see
Chapter 26, Deploying distributed applications. For details about copying a
stand-alone application, see Chapter 27, Deploying stand-alone applications.
Text that you cannot export
All text in an application can be exported, except for:

text that is part of the language version of the RSView Studio™ or
RSView™ SE client software.
text that can be displayed at run time, but is used to operate an
application, for example the names of graphic displays and
command strings.
text that you add to an application, but is not displayed at run time.
Text that is part of the software
Any text that is part of the RSView Studio or RSView SE client
software cannot be exported. This includes any text that you do not
specify for an application at design time, for example:

D–2
Q
tooltips on buttons belonging to the RSView Studio or RSView
SE client software, except for tooltips that you add to objects in a
graphic display.

text on the on-screen keyboard or numeric keypad.

text in the Login dialog box that appears to operators at run time.

text in the Recipe dialog box that appears to operators at run time.
Text that is displayed at run time, but cannot
be exported
Some RSView Supervisory Edition components include text that you
do specify, but cannot be exported for translation. This includes:

command strings, including those you type for the Remark
command.
the description for tags in the tag database. To translate tag
descriptions, you can export the tag database separately to a
comma-separated value (.csv) file, translate the messages, and then
import the translated .csv file.
the text of alarm messages. To translate alarm messages, you can
export the alarm messages separately to a comma-separated value
(.csv) file, translate the messages, and then import the translated
.csv file.
string constants in expressions, and in all components that use
expressions. You might use string constants in expressions if an
application displays different strings in a string display based on the
result of an expression.
the text that appears in the title bar of the RSView SE client
window. This text is part of the setup for the display client. The text
is not part of the application.
System Tags
System tags can be used in an application to display text in graphic
displays. System tags are always shown in the format prescribed by the
language of the Windows® operating system. If you are running the
English language version of the Windows operating system, the text in
system tags is displayed in English, and dates and numbers are
formatted for U.S. English. The system tags include:

Time

Date
Q
D–3

DateAndTimeString

MonthString

AlarmMostRecentDate

AlarmMostRecentTime

AlarmStatus
Text that is not displayed at run time, and
cannot be exported
Some of the text that you can add to an application is never shown to
the operator at run time. RSView deliberately does not export this text
because it is not displayed at run time.
The following text strings are not exported. The properties listed below
apply to all graphic objects in an application that support the
properties, unless the names of specific objects are mentioned.
In this product
This graphic object
Includes text that cannot be exported
for this property
RSView Supervisory Edition
and RSView Machine
Edition™
all objects
Extended Name
Description
Image
St_Image
LinkedObject
Display list selector
St_Display
St_Parameter
D–4
Q
In this product
This graphic object
Includes text that cannot be exported
for this property
RSView Supervisory Edition
Recipe
Value
Numeric input and
string input
TagName
Numeric display and
string display
Expression
Tag label
TagName
PropertyName
Caption
Trend
All properties, except ChartTitle, Pen
Description, and EngineeringUnits. These
three properties are exported.
Goto display button
Display
Parameter
Local message display
MessageFile
Alarm list, alarm
banner, and alarm
status list
FilteredTriggers
Macro button
Macro
RSView Machine Edition™
Exporting text
Text in an application is exported to tab-delimited text files in Unicode
format.
For distributed applications, text from each HMI server is exported to
a separate file.
Because stand-alone applications contain only one HMI server, text in
a stand-alone application is exported to a single file.
If you cancel the export before it is complete, any files that were created
are not deleted, but their contents might not be complete.
Q
D–5
To export text in an application to a text file
1.
Ensure that the HMI project containing the text you want to
export is not being edited. If components are being edited
remotely and have not been saved, the exported file will not
contain the unsaved changes.
2.
In the Application Explorer, right-click the root of the application
tree, and then click String Import and Export to open the String
Import Export wizard .
For details about using the String import Export wizard, click Help.
Importing text
To import text from a file into an application, the file must be saved in
Unicode text format.
For details about saving the file in Microsoft® Excel, see “Saving the
text file in Microsoft Excel” on page D-11.
Text strings that exist in an application, but do not appear in the text
file are not deleted. This allows you to import only the strings that have
been modified.
If you are importing text into a distributed application, you can import
text for multiple HMI servers at the same time.
D–6
Q
To import text into an application from a text file
1.
Ensure that the HMI project you are importing text into is not
being edited. If components are being edited remotely and are
saved after you have imported text for them, the imported text will
be overwritten.
2.
Create a backup of the text currently in the application by
exporting it.
This is recommended because it allows you to restore the original
text to an application if an error occurs while importing, or if you
cancel the import before it is complete.
3.
In the Application Explorer, right-click the root of the application
tree, and then click String Import and Export.
For details about using the String Import Export wizard, click Help.
If you cancel the import before it is complete, any text strings that were
changed are not restored to their original values. To restore the text
originally in the application, import the text from the backup text file
you created in step 2.
Troubleshooting import problems
You do not have to check every graphic display in an application to
verify that text was imported correctly. If errors occurred while
importing text, they are displayed automatically from a log file called
ImportErrors.txt in the following folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\
RSView Enterprise\Strings*
* The path given is for Windows XP. For Windows 2000, the third
Each time errors occur while importing text into an application, the
ImportErrors.txt file is overwritten.
Q
D–7
If errors occurred while importing text, or if the import was canceled,
a message appears in the diagnostics list and in the diagnostics log file.
Common errors and their causes
If text appears to have been imported for some HMI servers and not
for others, see the ImportErrors.txt file for an error message. The
causes of common errors and their remedies are described below.
If some, but not all, of the text in an HMI server appears to have been
modified, the import might have been canceled. If you cancel the
import before it is complete, any text strings that were changed are not
restored to their original values. To restore the text originally in the
application, import the text from the backup text file you created in
step 2 on page D-7.
In these messages ‘Line x’ refers to the line number in the text file.
Error message
Cause and solution
ServerName defined in FileName.txt does not
exist. None of the strings in this file were
imported.
The name of the HMI server is invalid. If the HMI
server was renamed, open the file, and then correct the
name of the HMI server.
File “FileName”, Line x. ComponentType is not
a valid component type for the application.
The string was not imported.
The component type has been modified in the text file.
Open the text file, and then correct the text for the
component type.
File “FileName”, Line x. ComponentName is not
a valid component for the application. The
string was not imported.
The component name has been modified in the text
file. Open the text file, and then correct the text for the
component name.
File “FileName”, Line x. The string reference
must be an unsigned long integer value
between 1 and 4294967295. The string was
not imported.
The string reference number has been modified in the
text file, and the new string reference number is invalid.
Open the backup text file, and then copy the correct the
string reference number into the translated text file.
D–8
Q
Error message
Cause and solution
File “FileName”, Line x. The string was not
used in the application and was not imported.
This error occurs if:

the string reference number has been modified in the
text file, and the new string reference number is not
used in the application. Open the backup text file,
and then copy the correct the string reference
number into the translated text file.
the object was deleted from the application after the
text was exported. If this is correct, ignore the error.
File “FileName”, Line x. The string definition
must be contained within double quotes. The
string was not imported.
The translated string definition includes embedded
double quotes, but the string definition itself was not
enclosed in double quotes. Open the text file, and then
enclose all string definitions containing embedded
double quotes in double quotes. For example, the string
definition Start "Backup motor" must be enclosed in
double quotes, like this:
"Start "Backup motor""
File “FileName”, Line x. Invalid line format!
A line in the import file does not contain all the
component name or string reference number fields.
The import continues with the next line in the file.
Open the backup text file, and then copy the missing
fields into the translated text file.
Unable to open {FileName.txt}. None of the
strings from this file were imported.
The text file could not be opened. Make sure the text
file is in the folder from which you are importing files,
and that you can open the text file in Notepad or
Microsoft Excel.
Information for translators
This section contains information about the format and schema of the
exported file.
IMPORTANT
Because RSView Enterprise requires that parts of the
text file remain the way they were exported, give the
information in this section to the translator to ensure
that the file can be imported after it has been modified.
Q
D–9
File name and format
You can rename the exported file, for example, to distinguish the
translated version from the original.
However, to import text into an RSView Enterprise application, you
must save the file as tab-delimited text, in Unicode Text format.
Opening the text file in Microsoft Excel
When you open the text file in Microsoft Excel, the Text Import
Wizard opens.
To specify the file format (Step 1)
1.
In Step 1 under Original data type, click Delimited.
2.
In the Start import at row box, type or select 1.
3.
In the File origin list, click Windows (ANSI).
4.
Click Next.
To specify the field delimiter (Step 2)
1.
Select the Tab check box. If any other check boxes are selected,
clear them.
2.
Make sure the Treat consecutive delimiters as one, check box, is
cleared.
3.
Click Next.
To specify the column data format (Step 3)
D–10
Q
1.
If it is not selected already, under Column data format, click
General.
2.
Click Finish.
Saving the text file in Microsoft Excel
When you click Save, Excel warns that the file may contain features that
are not compatible with Unicode text.
1.
When prompted to keep the workbook in Unicode format which
leaves out incompatible features, click Yes.
2.
When closing the file, you are prompted to save changes. Click Yes.
3.
You can save the file using its original name, or you can type a new
name.
4.
When prompted again to keep the workbook in Unicode format
which leaves out incompatible features, click Yes.
Differences in file format for files saved in
Excel
If you use Notepad to open a Unicode text file that was saved in Excel,
you will notice some differences from a file edited and saved in
Notepad.
IMPORTANT
You do not have to change the format of the file before
you import it into RSView Studio.
The differences are:

Double quotes surrounding the string definitions are removed for
most strings.
String definitions containing embedded double quotes or other
characters that Excel treats as special characters, such as commas,
are enclosed within double quotes.
Any embedded double quotes are converted to a pair of double
quotes.
Q
D–11
Saving the Unicode text file in Notepad
When saving the file, save it using the Unicode encoding option in the
Save As dialog box.
File schema
Comments
The text file uses the # symbol as a comment delimiter if it is the first
character on a line.
Header
The first seven lines of the text file contain header information that
must not be translated or modified.
Body
The body of the text file starts on line eight, and includes the following
fields:
Field
Component type
Component name
String reference
“String definition”
Example
Graphic Display
Pump station
1
“Stop motor”
The file is sorted alphabetically by component name, and then
numerically by string reference number.
Each string reference number refers to a different object in the
component. In the example shown above, string reference 1 might
refer to a push button in the graphic display called Pump station.
D–12
Q
In the translated text file, the only text that needs to be modified is the
text inside the quotation marks in the string definition column. For
example, translated into German, the file would look like this:
Field
Component type
Component name
String reference
“String definition”
Example
Graphic Display
Pump station
1
“Motor abschalten”
Do not change the entries in the component name column, unless the
component was renamed in the application after the text was exported.
IMPORTANT
Do not modify the component type or string reference
number. The string reference number is a unique
number that is assigned to an object by RSView.
Modifying the component type or string reference
number prevents RSView from identifying the object
correctly when you import the text.
Working with pairs of double quotes
If a text string contains double quotes, the whole string definition must
also be enclosed in double quotes. For example:
Call "Duty Manager"
must be entered in the string file as:
“Call “Duty Manager””
Importing text containing multiple sets of double quotes
If the string definition contains an odd number of double quotes next
to each other, they will be rounded to an even number and each pair
will be imported as one double quote. For example, the string:
“Call “““Duty Manager””
will be imported as:
Call “Duty Manager”
Q
D–13
Working with backslashes and new-line
characters
To force text to begin on a new line, precede the text with the backslash
character \ and the new line character n. For example:
Motor\nabschalten
appears in the application as:
Motor
abschalten
To make the characters \n appear as part of the text, type \\n. To make
a backslash appear in the application, type two backslashes (\\).
Importing text containing multiple backslashes
If the imported text file contains an odd number of backslashes next to
each other, one of the backslashes will be ignored.
For example, the string:
Seven\\\Eight
is imported into the application as:
Seven\Eight
D–14
Q
E
Importing and exporting
XML files

what XML is.

exporting graphic display XML files from RSView®.

editing XML files.

importing graphic display XML files.

the XML file structure for graphic displays.
About XML
XML is the Extensible Markup Language used to create documents
with structured information. It has a standardized format and
structure. You can modify a graphic display by editing its elements and
attributes or by adding new ones in the XML file.
For more information about XML, see the World Wide Web
Consortium’s web page about XML at:
http://www.w3.org/XML.
Creating XML files by exporting
The quickest way to create an XML file for graphic displays is to export
the data from RSView. You can then open the XML file in Notepad,
edit it, and import the edited file into RSView.
Importing and exporting XML files
n
E–1
To export graphic display information to an XML file
1.
In the Application Explorer, right-click the Displays editor.
2.
Click Import and Export to open the Graphics Import Export
wizard.
3.
In the Operation Type dialog box, select Export graphic
information from displays, and then click Next.
4.
Follow the instructions in the wizard.
For details about using the Graphics Import Export Wizard, see
Help.
RSView creates XML files for the selected graphic displays, in the
location you specify.
When you export graphic display information, RSView creates a file
called BatchImport_Application name.xml, in the same location. You can
use this file to import multiple displays at the same time. To import a
different set of displays than you exported, edit the list of graphic
display names in the BatchImport_Application name.xml file.
Editing XML files
When you edit an XML graphic display file, you can make changes to
objects that already exist in the display or you can add additional
objects. When you import the file back into RSView, the revised file
overwrites the previous XML file so that the changes you have made
are visible when you open the display in RSView.
When you import the file you specify whether you are importing
changes or new objects. You can’t do both actions in a single import
operation.
E–2
Q
It is recommended that you use Notepad to edit XML files.
IMPORTANT
If you include attributes for an object whose name does not match
one of those in the graphic display, those attributes are not imported.
Attributes for all other objects in the file whose names do match the
ones in the graphic display are imported.
Saving XML files in Notepad
Save XML files created or edited in Notepad using either UTF-8 or
UTF-16 file format. Notepad’s Unicode file type corresponds to UTF16 file format. For files containing strings in English or other Latinbased languages, UTF-8 is recommended, to reduce the size of the
XML file. For other languages such as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean,
UTF-16 is recommended.
The first line of every XML file contains XML version and encoding
attributes. Make sure the encoding attribute matches the format that
you are going to use when you save the file. For example, if the original
file was saved in UTF-8 format and you plan to save it in UTF-16
format, make sure the first line specifies encoding=“UTF-16”.
Testing XML files
An XML file must be well-formed to be imported. To find out whether
your XML file is well-formed, test it.
To test an XML file
X
Open the XML file in Internet Explorer.
If you can see the XML code, your file is well-formed. If the XML code
is not well-formed, Internet Explorer displays an error message.
Q
E–3
Importing XML files
You can import graphic display information in an XML file that has
been created using an external editor, or you can import an XML file
that you originally exported from RSView and then modified.
IMPORTANT
When you import a graphic display, the existing graphic display will
be overwritten. To save a copy of the existing graphic display, export
it before you import the new one, or select Yes when the Graphics
Import Export Wizard displays the prompt “Do you want to back up
the displays that will be modified by the import?”.
Error log file
If errors occur during importing, the errors are logged to a text file. The
file opens automatically when importing is finished. The last paragraph
of the file lists the location of the file.
Importing graphic display XML files
You can import a single graphic display XML file at a time, or import
multiple graphic displays. You can also choose whether to import new
objects or update existing objects.
To import multiple graphic displays, specify the names of the graphic
displays in the file BatchImport_Application name.xml. RSView creates
this file when you export multiple graphic displays.
To import graphic display information from an XML file
1.
E–4
Q
In the Application Explorer, right-click the Displays editor.
2.
Click Import and Export to open the Graphics Import Export
wizard.
3.
In the Operation Type dialog box, select Import graphic
information into displays, and then click Next.
4.
Follow the instructions in the wizard.
For details about using the Graphics Import Export Wizard, see
Help.
Graphic display XML file structure
The graphic display XML file is an RSView XML document that
describes the objects and settings for a graphic display. The root
element of the XML document is called gfx. It represents the graphic
display.
An XML document can contain only one root element. All other
elements must be contained within the beginning and end markers of
the root element.
In an XML document, the start of an element is marked this way:
<element name>
The end is marked this way:
</element name>
The syntax for specifying an attribute for an element is:
attribute=“value”
The attribute value must be enclosed in single or double quotes. You
can specify multiple attributes for an element. For example, the caption
element contains 13 possible attributes.
Elements for group objects begin with:
<group name>
and end with:
</group name>
The <group> element contains all the elements and attributes for each
object in the group.
Q
E–5
Here is a sample structure for a graphic display XML document
containing two graphic objects. Animations, Connections, and States are all
group objects.
For more information about graphic object elements and their
attributes, see Help.
Element
Description
<gfx>
Root element.
<displaySettings>
Contains attributes from the Display Settings
dialog box in the Graphic Displays editor.
<object1>
Contains attributes from the General and
Common tabs in the object’s Properties dialog
box, as well as elements for the object’s caption,
image, animation, and connections.
<caption>
Contains attributes for the object’s caption.
<imageSettings>
Contains attributes for the object’s image.
<animations>
Is a group object that contains an animation
element for each type of animation set up for the
object.
<animateVisibility>
Contains attributes for Visibility animation.
<animateColor>
Contains attributes for Color animation.
</animations>
Indicates the end of the animations object.
<connections>
Is a group object that contains a connection
element for each connection assigned to the
object.
<connection name= “Value”>
Contains attributes for the Value connection.
<connection name= “Indicator”>
Contains attributes for the Indicator connection.
</connections>
E–6
Q
Indicates the end of the connections object.
Element
Description
</object1>
Indicates the end of the object1 element.
<object2>
Contains attributes from the General and
Common tabs in the object’s Properties dialog
box, as well as elements for the object’s states and
connections.
<states>
Is a group object that contains state elements for
each of the object’s states.
<state stateid=“0”>
Contains attributes for the object’s first state, as
well as elements for the state’s caption and image.
<caption>
Contains attributes for the state’s caption.
<imageSettings>
Contains attributes for the state’s image.
</state>
Indicates the end of the state element.
<state stateid=“1”>
Contains attributes for the object’s second state, as
well as elements for the state’s caption and image.
<caption>
Contains attributes for the state’s caption.
<imageSettings>
Contains attributes for the state’s image.
</state>
Indicates the end of the state element.
</states>
Indicates the end of the states object.
<connections>
Contains a connection element for each
connection assigned to the object.
<connection name= “Value”>
Contains attributes for the Value connection.
<connection name= “Indicator”>
Contains attributes for the Indicator connection.
</connections>
Indicates the end of the connections element.
Q
E–7
Element
</object2>
</gfx>
E–8
Q
Description
Indicates the end of the object2 element.
Indicates the end of the gfx element.
Index
Symbols
naming 18-17
navigating to 17-11
properties 18-18
using with VBA code 17-66, 18-21
ActiveX Toolbox 17-66
.bmp files 16-27, 16-28
.cab files 17-67
.clp files 16-28
.dat files 13-2, 13-3
.dxf files 16-28
.gif files 16-28
.jpg files 16-28
.mgl files 16-28
.obf files 13-4
.pcx files 16-28
.tif files 16-28
.wmf files 16-28
.xml files 16-2, E-1
= (Equal) command
and memory tags
Activity logging
See FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Addressing syntax
See Syntax, DDE communications
See Syntax, OPC communications
Administration Console
9-11
17-30, 17-31, 17-51
18-26
as placeholder 18-5
??? in input fields
[tag] parameter

A
Absolute references

5-4
in commands A-6
syntax 5-4, 5-5
to tags 8-15
Access
See Microsoft Access
Acknowledge bit 11-16
Acknowledge command
AcknowledgeAll command
Activation
redundancy

Active macro
11-13
11-13
25-14
See On Active macro
16-2, 17-2, 17-64
attaching animation 18-2, 18-16
deploying automatically 17-67
editing 18-18
events 18-20
methods 18-19, 18-20
ActiveX objects
See RSView Administration Console
17-9, 17-42
See also Interactive objects
Alarm banner 11-9, 11-11
Advanced objects
Alarm buffer zone
See Alarm deadband
Alarm commands
Acknowledge 11-13
AcknowledgeAll 11-13
AlarmLogRemark 11-50
AlarmOff 11-11, 11-52
AlarmOn 11-17, 11-52
Execute 11-47
HandshakeOn 11-17
Identify 11-48
SuppressOn 11-14
Alarm deadband 11-4, 11-7
Alarm events 11-17
Alarm faults 11-6
Alarm Import Export Wizard E-1
Alarm log files 11-9, 11-28, 11-36
adding remarks at run time 11-32
and third-party applications 11-9
contents of 11-10
creating 11-29
deleting 11-30
exporting to ODBC 11-31
maximum number of 11-36
Index
Q
I–1
naming
viewing

11-36
11-35
Alarm Log Viewer
Help

Alarm thresholds
Alarm triggers
11-10, 11-35
11-35
Alarm logging
11-28
See also Alarm monitoring
access permissions 11-37, 11-38
redundancy 11-22
to ODBC database 11-31
Alarm message types 11-9, 11-24
system default 11-24
user default 11-26
Alarm messages 11-26
importing XML E-4
setting up 11-24
Alarm monitoring 11-1, 11-28
acknowledge bit 11-16
alarm events 11-17
handshake bit 11-17
handshaking
switching on 11-17
starting
stopping 11-52
starting and stopping 11-52
stopping 11-52
Alarm printing
redundancy
11-22
11-20
importing XML E-4
Alarm severity 11-9
setting up 11-23
Alarm states 11-8
Alarm summary 11-11
creating 11-39
displaying 18-28
filtering data 11-43, 11-44
setting up
buttons 11-42
colors 11-9, 11-42
fonts 11-41
headings 11-40
showing areas 11-44, 11-51
sorting data 11-44, 11-46
using commands 11-48, 11-50
Alarm system tags 11-12

Alarm Setup editor
I–2
Q

importing XML
11-4, 11-6

E-4
AlarmLogRemark command
11-32
using with Execute button in alarm summary
11-50
Alarms
acknowledging 11-13, 11-16
adding to tags 9-14, 11-4
ALM_ACK expression
changing default behavior 11-15
charting in trends 19-18
expressions in 11-14
identifying 11-48
importing and exporting 16-2
logging 11-28
to ODBC 11-31
messages 11-24
planning 3-8
running custom programs 11-51
setting up 11-6
for analog tags 11-28
for digital tags 11-28
using Tags editor 11-3, 11-4, 11-26
severity 11-23
starting 11-52
stopping
starting 11-52
suppressing 11-14
using tags for 8-5
ALM_ (alarm) functions 11-14, 11-15, 11-16,
20-14
Analog HMI tags
alarms 11-28
alarms for 9-14, 11-4, 11-26
Animation 18-1
ActiveX objects 18-16
copying objects 18-32
copying without copying objects 18-32
Current [Tag] parameter 18-26
defining range of motion 18-7
display keys 18-29
finding 18-31
finding tags 18-31
for grouped objects 16-18
grouped objects 18-31
min. and max. values 18-6
object keys 18-22, 18-23
Object Smart Path 18-4, 18-7
precedence in grouped objects 18-31
tags and placeholders 18-5
testing 18-4, 19-27
using commands for actions 18-5
using VBA code 18-17
Animation dialog box 18-2
Animation types 18-1
color 11-11, 18-8
in grouped objects 18-31
fill 18-11
in grouped objects 18-31
height 18-13
horizontal position 18-12
horizontal slider 18-15
OLE verb 15-15, 18-16
rotation 18-13
touch 18-15
vertical position 18-12
vertical slider 18-15
visibility 11-11, 18-8
width 18-12
Application Explorer 2-4, 2-8, 5-10
components 2-12
editors 2-10
folders 2-9
undocking 2-8
Application files
deleting

2-15
Application Manager
Applications

5-15, 5-16, 27-3, 28-3
administering at run time 28-2
distributed 5-1, 5-2, 6-3
creating 5-10
deploying 26-1, 26-2
FactoryTalk Directory location
home area 5-3
renaming 5-15
localizing
see Localizing applications
opening 2-2

4-5
recently used 2-2
planning 3-1, 3-13
running Samples 2-2
securing 15-17
stand-alone 6-1
backing up 28-3
copying 27-3
restoring 28-3
Arc graphic object 17-5
Areas 5-2, 6-3
adding 5-11
home area 5-3, 8-16
max. number of HMI servers 5-15
removing 5-11
showing in alarm summaries 11-44, 11-49,
11-51
tag references 8-15
Arithmetic operators 20-7
Arrow graphic object 17-43
Auto-repeat
for keys

17-42
B
Backspace key 17-42
Bar graphs 17-39
Bitwise operators
AND, & 20-9
inclusive OR, | 20-9
Browse button 2-17
Built-in functions
file 20-20
math 20-20
security 20-21
tag 20-14
time 20-17
Buttons 17-14
C
CABARC.exe
Cache

17-67
creating for OPC data servers 7-10
synchronizing for OPC data servers 7-10
Calling methods 18-19
Index
Q
I–3
Check syntax
derived tags
expressions

Client commands
and /P parameter 2-15
and spaces 2-15
long 2-16
maximum length of 2-15
10-4
20-4
DisplayClientOpen 26-18
23-6, 23-12
creating 23-12
precedence among key types
running a key file 23-12
Components
Client keys

absolute references 5-4
adding 2-13
copying 2-13
deleting 2-15
in Application Explorer 2-12
naming 2-15
opening 2-12
relative references 5-4, 6-3
removing 2-15
starting manually 26-10, 27-4
startup 5-20
stopping manually 26-10, 27-4
23-7
Clients
See RSView SE Client
Color
in graphic displays 16-20
animating 11-11, 18-8
in trends 19-14, 19-16
Color animation 18-8
COMM_ERR function 20-14
Command execution A-4
Command line
using

Constants
A-10
Command Wizard
Commands A-1

2-18, A-11
See also individual command entries
absolute and relative references A-6
adding alarm data 11-48
assigning security to 15-12
attaching to ActiveX events 18-20
executed at client A-5
executed at server A-4
in editors 2-18
in macros 2-18
placeholders in 22-2, A-2
precedence over macros A-4
redundancy
See Redundancy
securing 15-12
startup and shutdown 16-44
using in graphic displays 18-5
using with alarms 11-47
Communications
See also DDE communications
See also OPC communications
errors 20-14
planning 3-6
setting up 7-1
Component names
I–4
Q
in expressions
20-6
2-17
using in graphics 16-9
Context menus

Control
See Animation
Control list selectors
17-53, 17-55
differences from piloted control list selectors
17-52
Enter-key handshaking 17-54
navigating to 17-11
Control network redundancy
See Redundancy
ControlLogix processor
Crystal Reports

8-3
See Seagate Crystal Reports
18-26
Current [Tag] parameter
D
Data log files
and third-party software
creating 13-7
deleting 13-7
max. at run time 13-2
naming 13-3
redundancy
See Redundancy

13-1
storage format 13-2
ODBC 13-2, 13-4
Data log models 13-2
editing 13-8
Data Log Models editor 13-5, 13-10
Data logging
access permissions 13-16
and events 13-14
choosing data 13-8
creating expressions 20-2
editing 13-8
log triggers 13-8
ODBC data source
creating new 13-10
using existing 13-9
ODBC database tables
creating new 13-10
using existing 13-9
on demand 13-15
paths
moving data between 13-12
switching at run time 13-9, 13-11
planning 3-8
redundancy
See Redundancy
setting up 13-1
starting 13-18
stopping 13-19
when to log data 13-8
Data logging commands
DataLogMergeToPrimary 13-12
DataLogNewFile 13-13
DataLogOff 13-20
DataLogOn 13-18
DataLogSnapshot 13-14
DataLogSwitchBack 13-11
Data server tags
Tags
8-1, 9-1
5-2, 6-3, 7-4
how to use 5-13, 7-5
load balancing 5-14
OPC
adding 7-7

Data servers
creating cache 7-10
redundancy 7-9
removing 7-16
setting up 7-8
synchronizing cache 7-10
redundancy 5-9, 5-13
See Redundancy
removing 7-16
RSLinx
adding 7-11
Prog ID 7-9
redundancy 7-12
removing 7-16
setting up 7-12
tags 8-2
Data source for tags 9-2, 9-9
Date and time
in graphic displays
DDE communications

17-45
B-2
and RSServer B-1
poll rate B-4
RSView as client
assigning server to RSView tags
setting up B-2
setting up B-1
syntax B-4
Deadband for alarms 11-4, 11-7
Define command A-8

B-4
Deploying applications
See Applications, distributed
See Applications, stand-alone
Derived tag commands
DerivedOn
10-6, 10-7, 14-6, 14-7
10-1
checking syntax 10-4
creating 10-3
max. components at run time 10-2
max. in a component 10-2
max. update rate 10-5
redundancy
See Redundancy
starting and stopping processing 10-5
Derived Tags editor 10-3
Derived tags

Index
Q
I–5
DeskLock 15-18
Device HMI tags
9-2
DDE communications B-3
OPC communications 9-9
Diagnostics List 2-5, 12-10
clearing messages 2-6, 12-11
hiding 2-7
resizing 2-6
showing 2-7
Diagnostics Setup 12-7
Diagnostics Viewer 12-12, 12-13
Digital HMI tags
alarms 11-28
alarms for 9-14, 11-8
Display cache 16-39, 23-4
Display command
and graphic displays 16-42, 16-46
and key lists 18-31
and parameter files 16-32, 16-33
and trends 19-28
Display keys 23-6
creating 18-29
precedence among key types 23-7
Display list selectors
navigating to

17-11
Display Settings dialog box

16-35
exporting to XML E-2
importing XML E-4
DisplayClientOpen command
Displays

26-18
See Graphic displays
Displays editor
See Graphic Displays editor
Distributed applications
See Applications
Documentation for RSView
finding

P-2
Documentation for RSView SE P-1
Download command 17-32, 17-52
DownloadAll command 17-32, 17-52
Drawing objects
See Graphic object types
E
Edit Display mode
Editors 2-10
I–6
Q

16-24, 19-27
Alarm Log Viewer 11-10
Alarm Setup 11-20
Data Log Models 13-5, 13-10
Derived Tags 10-3
Displays 16-2
Events 14-3
hints for working in 2-16
Secured Commands 15-11
Suppressed List 11-14, 11-34
Tags 9-7, 11-3, 11-26
tags 11-27
User Accounts 15-6
Electronic signatures 17-67
Embedded variables 21-1
creating 21-2
date and time
creating 21-5
displaying at run time 21-8
syntax 21-6
numeric
creating 21-3
syntax 21-4
string
creating 21-4
syntax 21-5
time and date
creating 21-5
syntax 21-6
types of values 21-1
updating at run time 21-6
End key 17-42
Enter key 17-42
handshaking 17-54, 17-59, 17-60, 17-61
Event commands
EventOff
EventOn
14-6, 25-9
14-5, 25-9
Eventbased alarms 11-17
Events 14-1
ActiveX 18-20
creating 14-4

editing 14-5
evaluation interval for 14-5
for on-demand logging 13-14
max. components at run time 14-2
max. in a component 14-2
max. update rate 14-5
redundancy
See Redundancy
starting and stopping processing 14-5
Events editor 14-3
Execute button
in alarm summaries
Execute command
Export
alarm files

11-47, 11-48
11-47
16-2, E-1
Expressions 2-19, 20-1
alarm events in 11-19
and animation 18-6
assigning to graphic objects
using the Property Panel 16-22
built-in functions in 20-13
checking syntax 20-4
constants in 20-6
copying 20-4
creating 20-3
formatting 20-5
if–then–else logic 20-22
in alarms 11-14
in data logging 13-14
operators in 20-7
tags and placeholders in 9-4, 20-5
using to report communication errors
20-14
using to retrieve alarm information 11-14

F
F1 key
precedence

23-8
FactoryTalk Diagnostics
12-1
See also Diagnostics List
access permissions for services
audiences 12-5
buffering messages 12-8

12-14
categories 12-4
destinations 12-3
logging to ODBC database
message audiences 12-5
message buffering 12-8
message categories 12-4
message routing 12-4
message severities 12-5
routing 12-4
routing messages 12-9
severities 12-5
tag writes 12-6
viewing log files 12-12

12-7
FactoryTalk Diagnostics log files
and third-party applications

12-2
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer
See Diagnostics Viewer.
FactoryTalk Directory
changing 26-5
HMI server names
setting up 4-3
specifying location
Fail-over

1-2, 4-1, 6-2

5-14

4-5, 4-6
See Redundancy
Failure
See Redundancy
File names
See also Component names
long
for data logs 13-3
short
for alarm logs 11-37
File types
graphics
importing 16-27
using bitmaps 16-28
log 13-2
.dat 13-3
data log 13-2
.obf 13-4
ODBC
alarms 11-31
data log 13-4
FactoryTalk Diagnostics

12-7
Index
Q
I–7
Fill animation
Filter

18-11
alarm summaries 11-43, 11-44
removing from tags 8-14
tags 8-13
FlushCache command 16-46
and trends 19-28
executing shutdown command with
Folders 9-4

16-43
Fonts
guidelines for choosing 17-6
in alarm summary 11-41
in graphic displays 17-6
substitution at run time 17-7
in trends 19-14
Functions
See Built-in functions
G
Gauges 17-36, 17-39
Graphic display commands
Display
and key lists 18-31
and parameter files 16-32, 16-33
caching 16-46, 19-28
positioning 16-42
Download 17-32, 17-52
DownloadAll 17-32, 17-52
FlushCache 16-46
and trends 19-28
executing shutdown command with
16-43
NextPosition 18-23
Position 18-23
PrevPosition 18-23
PrintDisplay 16-46
RecipeRestore 17-52
RecipeSave 17-52
ScreenPrint 16-46
SetFocus 16-38
Upload 17-32, 17-52
UploadAll 17-32, 17-52
Graphic displays 16-1
caching 16-39, 23-4
I–8
Q

with the Display command 16-46
color 16-20
creating 16-1, 17-1
creating a background 16-27
creating a template 16-35
creating templates 3-9
displaying alarm information in 11-11
downloading values from 17-28, 17-31
grid 16-7
importing XML E-4
improving performance 16-45
moving among 23-1, 23-3
planning 3-9
positioning 16-42
preventing scroll bars 16-41
printing 2-19, 16-46
reducing call-up time 16-39, 16-46
replacing text 16-23
running multiple copies 16-38
securing 15-13, 16-42
specifying run-time appearance 16-39
startup and shutdown commands for 16-44
testing 16-24
animation 18-4, 19-27
types 16-37
uploading recipes to 17-49, 17-51
uploading values to 17-28, 17-31
using parameter files 16-33
Graphic Displays editor 16-2
Graphic libraries
See Libraries
Graphic object types
17-1
ActiveX 17-64, 18-16
advanced objects 17-1, 17-9, 17-42
alarm summary 11-40
arc 17-5
arrow 17-43
bar graph 17-39
control list selector 17-53, 17-55
drawing objects 17-2
changing properties 17-5
text 17-6
gauge 17-36, 17-39
graph 17-36, 17-39
image 17-7
indicators 17-34
list 17-36
multistate 17-35
symbol 17-36
key
keys 17-42
local message display 17-45
local messages 17-47
numeric and string 17-28
electronic signatures 17-70
numeric display fields 11-11
numeric input field 17-28
OLE objects 15-15, 17-62
panel 17-9
piloted control list selector 17-55, 17-61
polygon 17-3
polyline 17-3
push buttons 17-13
buttons 17-14
interlocked 17-24
latched 17-20
maintained 17-18
momentary 17-16
multistate 17-22
ramp 17-26
rectangle 17-2
rounded rectangle 17-3
scale 17-39
square 17-2
string display fields 11-11
string input field 17-28
tag label 17-44
time and date display 17-45
trend 19-1
wedge 17-5
Graphic objects 17-1
aligning 16-12
animating
See Animation
arranging 16-11, 16-15
assigning tags
color 16-20
common properties
converting 16-28
to wallpaper 16-27
duplicating 16-9
editing 16-19
embedded variables in 21-2
flipping 16-16
formatting 16-20
grid 16-7
grouping 16-17
importing 16-27
importing XML E-4
line properties 16-22
methods 18-19
naming 16-25, 18-17
navigating among 17-11
pattern styles 16-21
positioning 16-12, 16-15
with grid 16-7
replacing text 16-23
resizing 16-10
rotating 16-17
spatial properties
setting up 17-10
stacking 16-12
testing states 16-24
ungrouping 16-19
using tags and placeholders 17-10
using with object keys 18-22
visibility 17-10
Graphs
See Bar graphs
Grouped objects
animation

18-31
Index
Q
I–9
H
Handshake bit 11-17
HandshakeOn command
Handshaking

secondary 5-19
setting up 5-16, 6-5
showing in Tag Browser 8-10
starting and stopping components 26-19,
27-8
starting components manually 26-10, 27-4
starting manually 1-5
status 5-8
stopping components manually 26-10, 27-4
stopping manually 1-5, 26-11
synchronizing 5-8, 26-12
tags 8-2
11-17
for Enter key 17-54, 17-59, 17-60
resetting 17-61
switching on 11-17
Hardware failure
See Redundancy
Height animation
Help

18-13
activation 1-5
alarm log viewer 11-35
RSView SE Client object model
technical support 1-6
VBA 24-11

24-10
Help files
creating for displays
Highlight

18-28
ActiveX objects 17-12
enabling or disabling 16-44
trends 17-12, 19-15
HMI clients 5-6, 6-2
HMI projects 5-6, 6-2
HMI servers 5-6, 6-2
adding 5-12
alarm monitoring 11-52
allowing clients to connect 26-12
attaching to existing 5-13
components stop automatically 27-8
copying 5-12
creating 5-12
deleting 5-22
how to use 5-13
importing projects 5-13
load balancing 5-14
load on demand 26-19
max. number of servers 5-15
moving files 26-6
naming 5-14
On Active macro 5-20
On Standby macro 5-21
primary 5-19
redundancy 5-7, 5-13, 5-19, 5-21
removing 5-22
I–10
Q
HMI services
starting manually 26-12
stopping manually 26-11
HMI tags
See Tags
Home area
5-3, 8-16
finding tags in 8-10
Home key 17-42
Horizontal position animation
Horizontal slider animation
18-12
18-15
I
Identify command 11-48
If-then-else expressions 20-22
Image graphic object 17-7
Images
placing in graphic displays

Import
17-9
alarm files 16-2, E-1
multistate indicator files E-1
Index numbers 18-23
and recipe files 17-49
changing 18-25
checking 18-24
removing 17-12
using for tab sequences 18-23
Indicator tag
indicators 17-35
piloted control list selectors
Indicators 17-34
indicator tag 17-35
list 17-36
multistate 17-35

17-58
symbol

See also Key list
See also Special keys
auto-repeat 17-42
precedence 23-7
reserved 23-9
understanding 17-40
using to open displays 23-5
viewing at run time 18-30
17-36
Input field commands
Download 17-32, 17-52
NextPosition 18-23
Position 18-23
PrevPosition 18-23
Upload 17-32, 17-52
Input fields
creating
numeric 17-28
string 17-28
downloading values from 17-28, 17-31
highlight
enabling or disabling 16-44
question marks in 17-30, 17-31, 17-51
specifying behavior for 16-44
specifying color for 16-44
uploading values to 17-28, 17-31
using at run time 17-30, 17-51
using keys with
special keys 17-30
Input focus
giving to graphic objects 17-11
specifying behavior 16-44
Integrated Development Environment
See IDE
Interactive objects
See also Advanced objects
creating 17-9
specifying behavior 16-44
Interlocked push buttons 17-24
Internet technical support P-3
Invoke command 18-20
K
Key list
18-30
disabling 18-31
Keyboard
on screen
on-screen

17-33
16-45
Keyboard navigation 17-11
Keypad for numeric input 16-45
Keys 17-42, 23-7
L
Latched push buttons
Libraries 16-2, 16-30

17-20
location of files 16-30
using for alarm displays 11-11
using for trends 19-26
Limits
number of HMI servers 5-14
tags in graphic displays 8-2
tags with alarms 8-3
List indicators 17-36
Load balancing
data servers 5-14
HMI servers 5-14
Local message displays
17-45
17-46
Local messages 17-47
embedded variables in 21-2
value tag 17-48
Localizing applications D-1
exporting text D-5
file format D-10
file name D-10
file schema D-12
importing text D-6
information for translators D-9
new line character D-14
text that is not exported D-2
troubleshooting importing text D-7
value tag

Logging in
and security 15-18
at run time 15-18, 26-18, 27-7
Logging out
and security 15-19
at run time 15-19, 26-18, 27-7
Logging paths
Index
Q
I–11
Microsoft Visual Basic
See Data logging, paths
Logical operators 20-9
Login command 15-12, 15-18
Login macro 15-10
assigning to users

assigning to users

15-10
15-19
Logout command 15-12,
Logout macro 15-10
15-10
M
Macros
22-1
assigning to users 15-10
creating 2-18, 22-1
login and logout 15-10
startup and shutdown 16-44, 22-5
using the Command Wizard A-11
nesting 22-5
On Active 5-20
On Standby 5-21
precedence of A-4
redundancy
See Redundancy
securing 15-12
using in graphics 18-5
using parameters in 22-3
using to identify alarms 11-48
using with trends 19-27
Maintained push buttons 17-18
Memory tags 9-3, 9-10
redundancy
See Redundancy
Messages
clearing in Diagnostics List 12-12
routing to FactoryTalk Diagnostics 12-9
Methods 18-19
calling 18-19
Mic·osoft Visual Basic
and DDE communications B-1
Microsoft Access 11-9, 13-4
Microsoft Excel
and alarm logging 11-9
and data logging 13-1
and FactoryTalk Diagnostics
using to create tags 9-11
Microsoft SQL Server 13-4
I–12
Q
11-9
See also RSView SE Client object model
See also VBA code
See also VBA documentation
See also VBA IDE
Modicon devices 7-1, B-1
Module called ThisDisplay 24-4
Momentary push buttons 17-16
momentary on button 17-16
Move Down key 17-42
Move Left key 17-42
Move Right key 17-42
Move Up key 17-42
Multistate indicators 17-35
Multistate push buttons 17-22
N
Naming graphic objects
Navigation

16-25
among graphic objects in a display
planning 3-9
12-2
17-11
Network
planning layout 3-2
redundancy
See Redundancy
NextPosition command 18-23
Non-Allen-Bradley devices 7-1, B-1
Number format 28-3
Numeric input graphic object 17-28,
and on-screen keyboard

17-31
16-45, 17-33
O
Object Browser
VBA
24-9
23-6
creating 18-22
key list 18-30
precedence among key types

Object keys
Object model

23-7
See RSView SE Client object model
18-4, 18-7
Object Smart Path
Objects

viewing

24-9
Objects that use data
ODBC data logging
See Data logging

17-9
ODBC schemas
value tag
17-58
11-25
See also Tag placeholders
in alarm summaries 11-45
in commands 22-2, A-2
Planning applications 3-1
See ODBC storage format
ODBC storage format
data log files

Offsetting

Placeholders
13-2, 13-4
Offsetting tag values 8-6
17-1, 17-62
attaching verb animation 18-16
converting 17-63
securing 15-15
OLE verb animation 18-16
On Active macro 5-20
On Standby macro 5-21
On-screen keyboard 16-45, 17-33
OLE objects
PLC network redundancy
See Redundancy
PLC redundancy
See Redundancy
Poll rate for DDE B-4
Polygon graphic object 17-3
Polyline graphic object 17-3
Position command 18-23
Precedence
OPC
RSView as client
assigning server to RSView tags
and RSLinx 7-1
setting up 7-1
syntax 9-10

9-9
OPC data servers
among client, object, and display keys
and the F1 key 23-8
embedded ActiveX objects 23-8
embedded OLE objects 23-9
reserved keys 23-11
PrevPosition command 18-23
PrintDisplay command 16-46

23-7
Printers
See Data servers
selecting
OPC-DA data items
2-19

Procedure window
See Tags
OpenRSLogix5000 command
Overview of RSView 1-6

3-14
See VBA Procedure window
Procedures
defined
features in brief 1-3
software programs 1-1

24-5
Programmatic ID
for RSLinx for RSView

Project Explorer
P
7-9
See VBA Project Explorer
Properties
Page Down key 17-42
Page Up key 17-42
Pan
in trends

19-34
Panel graphic object
Parameter files

ActiveX
16-21
Property Panel
17-9
assigning to graphic displays

18-18
See VBA Properties window
Passwords 15-20
Pattern styles 16-21
invisible

Properties window
Piloted control list selectors

16-33
17-55, 17-61
controlling remotely 17-57
differences from control list selectors 17-52
Enter-key handshaking 17-60
indicator tag 17-58
assigning tags to graphic objects 16-22
using with ActiveX objects 18-18
Push buttons 17-13
buttons 17-14
interlocked 17-24
latched 17-20
maintained 17-18
momentary 17-16
multistate 17-22
ramp 17-26
Index
Q
I–13
Q
Question marks
in input fields 17-30, 17-31, 17-51
1-6
VBA code 24-4
Quick Start
R
Ramp push buttons 17-26
Read tag 16-23
Read-write tag 16-23
Recipe commands
Download 17-32, 17-52
RecipeRestore 17-52
RecipeSave 17-52
Upload 17-32, 17-52
Recipes
and on-screen keyboard 16-45, 17-33
recipe file 17-49
using at run time 17-51
using index numbers 17-49, 18-24
Rectangle graphic object 17-2
Redundancy 25-1
activation
See Redundancy, licensing
alarms 11-22, 25-8, 25-9
commands 25-10
control network 25-3
data log files 25-9
data servers 5-9, 5-13, 25-10
OPC 7-9
RSLinx 7-12
derived tags 25-9
effect on clients 25-5
events 25-9
FactoryTalk Directory cached copy 25-7
fail-over time for servers 25-4
hardware 25-3
HMI server status 5-8
HMI servers 5-7, 5-13, 5-19, 5-21, 25-8,
25-12, 25-14
information network 25-3
I–14
Q
licensing 25-14
macros 25-10
memory tags 25-9
planning 3-5, 25-1, 25-3, 25-12
PLC 25-3
primary HMI server 5-19
RSLinx 25-10
RSView SE Servers
See Redundancy, HMI servers
secondary HMI server 5-19
synchronizing servers 5-8, 26-12
References
absolute 5-4
relative 5-4, 6-3
syntax 5-5
to tags 8-15
Relational operators 20-8
Relative references 5-4, 6-3
in commands A-6
resolving in commands
syntax 5-4, 5-5, 6-3
to tags 8-15

A-7

11-32
Remarks
adding to alarm log file
23-9
precedence 23-11
Retentive tags 9-3
Reserved keys
Rockwell Software
contacting

P-3
Rotation animation 18-13
Rounded rectangle graphic object
RSLinx

17-3
and OPC communications 7-1
browsing for offline tags 8-10
redundancy
See Redundancy
RSLinx Enterprise
See Data servers
RSLinx Enterprise data servers
See Data servers
RSLinx for RSView
See also Data servers
prog ID 7-9
RSLogix 5000 8-3
OpenRSLogix5000 command 3-14
Sequential Function Charts 3-14
RSServer
RSView

exploring
B-1

value bar 19-31
zoom 19-34
2-3
RSView Administration Console
1-2, 13-9,
28-2
shutdown after 2 hours 28-1
RSView commands A-1
See also Commands
See also individual command entries
RSView SE Client 1-2
copying configuration files 26-16
FactoryTalk Directory fail-over 4-7
HMI server fail-over 5-7
opening 26-16, 27-7
opening multiple 26-18
securing 15-17
setting up 26-15
for stand-alone applications 27-5
starting when Windows starts 26-18, 27-8
RSView SE Client object model 24-1, 24-5
RSView SE Server 1-2
See also HMI servers
RSView SE Service Manager 1-5
RSView Studio 1-1
exploring 2-3
starting 2-2
Run time
changing logging paths 13-9, 13-11
changing passwords 15-20
font substitution 17-7
input fields 17-30
logging in 15-18
logging out 15-19
recipes 17-51
setting up clients
for distributed applications 26-15
for stand-alone applications 27-5
time, date, and number formats 28-3
trends 19-29
delta value bar 19-33
loading a template 19-25
overlays 19-36
printing 19-36
scrolling 19-30
troubleshooting 19-37
S
Samples application
running

2-2
Scale graphic object 17-39
Scaling tag values 8-6
ScreenPrint command 16-46
Scroll bars
preventing on graphic displays 16-41
12-2, 13-1
15-11
Seagate Crystal Reports
Secured Commands editor
Security 15-1
access permissions
alarm logging 11-37, 11-38
data logging 13-16
FactoryTalk Diagnostics logging
adding groups 15-7
adding users 15-7
applications 15-17
changing passwords 15-20
DeskLock 15-18
disabling access to key combinations
for tags 8-6
graphic displays 16-42
locking users into RSView 15-17
logging in 15-18, 26-18, 27-7
logging out 15-19, 26-18, 27-7
OLE objects 15-15
Passwords 15-1
planning 3-11
removing groups 15-8
removing users 15-8
securing commands 15-10
securing macros 15-10
setting up default access 15-6
Signature button 17-67
super user account 15-6
system administrator 15-6
tags 15-16
Unspecified_Command 15-11
Windows user list 15-2, 15-5
Index

12-14

15-18
Q
I–15
Security codes
15-2
assigning to commands 15-12
assigning to graphic displays 15-13, 16-42
assigning to groups 15-9
assigning to macros 15-12
assigning to OLE objects 15-15
assigning to user accounts 15-5
assigning to users 15-9
default 15-11
Service Manager 1-5
Services
setting access permissions
FactoryTalk Diagnostics logging
Set command 9-11, 14-1
SetFocus command 16-38

12-14
Short file names
for alarm logs
States toolbar 16-24
Status bar 2-6, 16-4
hiding 2-7
showing 2-7
String input graphic object
and on-screen keyboard
Strings
see Text
Suppressed List editor
SuppressOn command
Symbol commands
Define A-8
Undefine A-9
Symbol indicators
Symbols A-8
Syntax
Software failure
See Redundancy
Special keys
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location
4-5
Square graphic object
Stand-alone applications
See Applications
Standby macro
On Standby macro

Startup components
Startup macro 22-5
using with trends
I–16
Q

5-21
5-20
19-27
11-14, 11-34
11-14
17-36
System administration
backing up stand-alone applications 28-3
date formats 28-3
number formats 28-3
restoring stand-alone applications 28-3
RSView Administration Console 28-2
time formats 28-3

17-2

17-28, 17-31
16-45, 17-33

absolute references 5-4, 5-5
checking in derived tags 10-4
checking in expressions 20-4
embedded variables
date and time
syntax 21-6
numeric 21-4
string 21-5
time and date 21-6
relative references 5-4, 5-5, 6-3
tags
11-37
Siemens devices 7-1, B-1
Signature button 17-67

arrows
using in trends 19-35
Ctrl
drawing objects with 17-2, 17-4, 17-5
Ctrl-PgDn 17-31
Ctrl-PgUp 17-32
Ctrl-Tab 20-5
Enter 17-32, 17-52
using with on-screen keyboard 17-33
PgDn 17-31, 17-52
PgUp 17-32, 17-52
Shift-Tab 18-25
Tab 17-32, 18-25
using to navigate at run time 17-12

System tags
for alarms

11-12
T
Tab index

removing
Tab key
18-23
17-12
creating a tab sequence
Tab sequence

18-25
changing index numbers 18-25
checking index numbers 18-24
creating 18-23, 18-25
removing objects from 17-12
Tag Browser
displaying tag properties 8-13
displaying tags 8-12
filtering items 8-13
hiding tag descriptions 8-12
home area 8-10
removing filter 8-14
showing server names 8-10
showing tag descriptions 8-12
using 8-9
using wildcards
using wildcards in 8-13
Tag commands
= (Equal)
using for memory tags
Set 9-11, 14-1

9-11
Tag Import and Export Wizard 9-14
Tag label graphic object 17-44
Tag placeholders 16-31, 17-10, 18-5
creating 16-32
in alarm summaries 11-45
replacing by listing tag names 16-33
replacing using a parameter file 16-32
resolving at run time 11-46
using in alarm summaries 16-32
using in expressions 20-5
using the [tag] parameter 18-26
using with tag folders 16-32
Tag substitution 16-23
Tag values
changing 9-11
displaying in a tag label object 17-44
downloading 17-28, 17-31
logging 8-16, 12-6, 13-8
updating 17-31, B-4
continuously in graphic displays 17-30
uploading 17-28, 17-31
Tags 8-1, 9-1
See also [tag] parameter
See also Analog tags
See also Derived tags
See also Digital tags
See also String tags
See also System tags
absolute references 8-15
adding alarms to 9-14, 11-4
and events 14-1
assigning to graphic objects 17-10
basic steps for using 8-3
browsing 8-4, 8-9
browsing offline 8-10, 8-12
creating later 8-4
data server tags
how to use 8-5
when to use 8-4
data sources 9-2
DDE B-3
displaying 8-12
displaying properties 8-13
filtering 8-13
hiding descriptions 8-12
HMI tags
alarms 9-14, 11-28
basic steps for using 8-7
creating 8-14, 9-6, 9-11
data sources 9-9
deleting 9-8
device 9-2
duplicating 9-8
editing 9-8
folders 9-4, 9-7
grouping 9-4
importing 8-14, 9-11, 9-12, 9-14
memory 9-3, 9-10
naming 9-3
organizing 9-3
retentive tags 9-3
Tags editor 9-7
when to use 8-5
home area 8-10
Index
Q
I–17
in graphic objects
updating continuously 17-30
limits
alarms 8-3
in graphic displays 8-2, 16-1
logging values 8-16, 12-6
min. and max. values 8-6
offline 8-10
offsetting values 8-6
planning database 3-7
redundancy
See Redundancy
references 8-15
relative references 8-15
removing a filter 8-14
scaling values 8-6
securing 8-6, 15-16
showing descriptions 8-12
showing server names 8-10
storing values in memory 8-7
syntax
using for alarms 8-5
using in editors 2-17
using in expressions 2-19, 9-4, 20-5
with built-in functions 20-14
using in trends 19-14
using with placeholders in commands 22-2,
A-2
Tags editor 9-7, 11-3, 11-27
Technical support P-3, 1-6
Test Display mode 16-24, 18-4, 19-27
Text
importing and exporting
Text graphic object 17-6
ThisDisplay module 24-4
Thresholds for alarms 11-4, 11-6
Time and date 28-3
Time and date displays 17-45
Toolbars 2-4, 16-3, 16-7
ActiveX toolbox 17-66
hiding 2-7
showing 2-7
I–18
Q
States toolbar
Toolbox

16-24
ActiveX 17-66
1-4
Alarm Log Setup 1-5
Alarm Log Viewer 1-5, 11-35
Application Manager 1-4, 5-15, 5-16, 27-3,
28-3
DeskLock 1-5, 15-18
Diagnostics Setup 1-5, 12-7
Diagnostics Viewer 1-5, 12-12, 12-13
RSView SE Service Manager 1-5
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location
1-6, 4-5, 4-6
Tag Import and Export Wizard 1-5, 9-11,
9-14
Tools
Tooltips
adding to graphic objects
Touch animation 18-15
Translating applications

16-26
19-1
appearance 19-16
background color 19-16
changing at run time 19-29
chart scale 19-6
charts 19-5, 19-11, 19-12
comparing data 19-18, 19-22
creating
setting up 19-3
delta value bar
displaying tag values 19-14
editing at run time 19-29
graphic library 19-26
isolated graphing 19-13
legends 19-7
current value legend 19-7, 19-16
line legend 19-7, 19-17
x-axis legend 19-6
y-axis legend 19-6
multiple pens 19-13
navigating to 17-11
overlays 19-22
Trends
adding 19-23
at runtime 19-36
pan 19-34
parts of
Heading 3 19-5
pens 19-7
icons 19-8
markers 19-8
selecting at run time 19-29
planning 3-11
plotting an XY chart 19-12
printing 19-36
running in the background 19-27
scrolling 19-31
at run time 19-30
shading 19-18
snapshots 19-22
adding as an overlay 19-23
creating 19-22
templates 19-23
loading 19-25
testing 19-26
troubleshooting 19-37
using at run time 19-10, 19-27
pan 19-35
value bar 19-10, 19-31
x-axis 19-6
y-axis 19-6
zoom 19-34
U
Undefine command A-9
Upload command 17-32, 17-52
UploadAll command 17-32, 17-52
User account commands
Login 15-12, 15-18
Logout 15-12, 15-19
User accounts 15-5
adding 15-7
administrator 15-6
assigning security codes
login and logout macros
maintaining in Windows 15-2, 15-5
removing 15-8
tracking system usage by 12-12
User Accounts editor 15-6
Utilities 1-5
See also Tools
V
Value table
updating
Value tag

8-6
B-4
local message displays 17-46
local messages 17-48
piloted control list selectors 17-58
VBA code 18-17
planning 3-12
quick start 24-4
using with ActiveX objects 17-66, 18-21
validating operator input 17-30
VBA documentation 24-11
VBA IDE 24-1, 24-2
Procedure window 24-4
Procedures defined 24-5
Project Explorer 24-4
Properties Window 24-4
ThisDisplay module 24-4
using 24-3
using the IDE 24-3
VBA Integrated Development Environment
See VBA IDE
Vertical position animation 18-12
Vertical slider animation 18-15
Viewing objects 24-9
Visibility animation 11-11, 18-8
Visual Basic
See Microsoft Visual Basic
W
Wallpaper
converting graphic objects to
Wedge graphic object 17-5
Width animation 18-12
Wildcards 9-3, 9-6

15-9
15-10

16-27
and commands A-2
using to select tags 8-13
Index
Q
I–19
Windows
security

15-2, 15-5, 15-20
4-2, 5-7, 15-7
4-2, 5-7, 15-7
Windows workgroups
Workgroups in Windows
Workspace 2-4
Write tag 16-23
X
XML
using with RSView

XML files
E-1
creating E-1
editing E-3
exporting E-1
graphics
structure E-5
importing E-4
testing E-3
Z
Zoom
in trends
I–20
Q

19-34