Advanced FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition and

PanelView™ Plus Machine-Level Application Topics

For Classroom Use Only!

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Advanced FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition and
PanelView™ Plus Machine-Level Application Topics

Contents
Before You Begin .......................................................................................................................................... 7
About this lab .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Tools & prerequisites ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Document conventions ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
PanelView™ Plus 7 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint.................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Begin the Lab – Mandatory ......................................................................................................................... 11

Before You Begin ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11

New - Exploring Design Time Improvements ............................................................................................. 13

Language Switching during Development ...................................................................................................................................... 13
Object Explorer Visibility Feature .................................................................................................................................................... 15

Remote Access – FactoryTalk® Viewpoint versus VNC ............................................................................ 20

Publish FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Displays ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Configuring FactoryTalk® ViewPoint ME security .......................................................................................................................... 22
Test FactoryTalk® ViewPoint.......................................................................................................................................................... 25
VNC – Virtual Network Computing.................................................................................................................................................. 31
Explore Terminal Info ActiveX Configuration .................................................................................................................................. 31
Test VNC ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 34

Designing Faceplates and Reusable Objects ............................................................................................. 36

Global Objects ................................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Parameter Passing ......................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Global Object Parameters............................................................................................................................................................... 36
Faceplates ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Examine an Existing Global Object................................................................................................................................................. 38
Configure the Global Object on a Graphic Display ......................................................................................................................... 41

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Create a parameter file for use with faceplates .............................................................................................................................. 46
Complete an existing faceplate ....................................................................................................................................................... 48
Create a popup faceplate display ................................................................................................................................................... 51
Add navigation buttons to call the faceplate at runtime .................................................................................................................. 56
Testing Global Objects and faceplates ........................................................................................................................................... 60

Log Production Data with DataStore Plus................................................................................................... 64

Configuring the DataStore Plus ActiveX Control............................................................................................................................. 65
Test the DataStore Plus ActiveX..................................................................................................................................................... 71

New - Plot Two or more Variables against each other using the new Chart OCX ..................................... 74
Configure the Chart Control OCX ................................................................................................................................................... 74
Test Run the Chart Control OCX .................................................................................................................................................... 79

Advanced Alarm Topics .............................................................................................................................. 83

Configure an Alarm Trigger that can be filtered .............................................................................................................................. 83
Advanced Alarm Settings including embedded variable server update rate................................................................................... 90
Add and configure an Alarm List object .......................................................................................................................................... 92
Configure a Filter for an Alarm List object....................................................................................................................................... 94
Testing the Alarm Application ......................................................................................................................................................... 97

Advanced Animation Topics...................................................................................................................... 105

Using Horizontal and Vertical Position Animation ......................................................................................................................... 105
Using Vertical Slider Animation..................................................................................................................................................... 111
Adding Navigation to a Pop-up Display ........................................................................................................................................ 115
Testing Animation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 117

New - Inactivity Timeout............................................................................................................................ 120

Configuring Inactivity Settings....................................................................................................................................................... 120
Using Inactivity Settings in a Graphic Display............................................................................................................................... 124
Inactivity Settings at Runtime........................................................................................................................................................ 128

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................... 132

Creating the Runtime Application File........................................................................................................................................... 132
Downloading a runtime MER to a PanelView™ Plus terminal ...................................................................................................... 133
Running an Application on a PanelView™ Plus Terminal ............................................................................................................ 136

Lab Setup and Configuration Information ................................................................................................. 137

Lab Information ............................................................................................................................................................................. 137
Hardware Configuration ................................................................................................................................................................ 137
Computer/Host Settings ................................................................................................................................................................ 137

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Application/Programming .............................................................................................................................................................. 138
Additional Equipment Required .................................................................................................................................................... 138
RSLinx - DDE/OPC Topic Configuration....................................................................................................................................... 138
RSLinx - Driver Configuration ....................................................................................................................................................... 138
RSlinx Enterprise – Shortcut Configuration .................................................................................................................................. 139
Application Versions ..................................................................................................................................................................... 139
Hardware Setup Diagram ............................................................................................................................................................. 140
Required Pre-Lab Configuration ................................................................................................................................................... 141

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Before You Begin

About this lab

This lab uses a FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition application called SuperJuice_Advanced. The lab covers the following
topics:
New design time improvements – language switching during development and help with finding objects on a display using
Object Explorer visibility
Remotely accessing the PanelView™ terminal using FactoryTalk® ViewPoint and VNC
Capture data to a csv file using DataStore Plus OCX
Use the new Chart Control OCX to plot two variables against each other
Explore Global Objects and the two methods for using parameters
Discover the new enhancements to the Inactivity timer
Discover some of the more advanced animation capabilities
Learn how to display specific alarms using Alarm Filtering and how to use Embedded Variables in an alarm message

This lab takes approximately 1 hour to complete.

Who should complete this lab

This lab is intended for users with existing experience using FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition. The lab’s content is designed
to demonstrate the capabilities of both Machine Edition and the PanelView™ Plus terminals. New users should take lab VZ02 –
FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition and PanelView™ Plus: Introductory Lab before performing this one.

How the lab is organized

All of the lab sections are independent of each other and you are free to choose to perform them in any order.

Tools & prerequisites

To complete this lab you must use the following hardware and software:
A Microsoft Windows® Server 2008, R2 Standard or higher 64-bit computer
Ethernet connection between computer and PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal
FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition Studio v8.20.00
FactoryTalk® Services Platform 2.80
RSLinx™ Enterprise v5.80
RSLinx™ Classic v3.80
Studio 5000™ Logix Designer v23.00
SoftLogix 5800 v23.00
Microsoft Excel® 2013 or newer
PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal with FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition Station v8.20 and OS v2.45
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint V8.20

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Document conventions
Throughout this workbook, we have used the following conventions to help guide you through the lab materials.

This style or symbol: Indicates:

Words shown in bold italics Any item or button that you must select, click on, or a menu name from
(e.g., RSLogix 5000 or OK) which you must choose an option or command. This will be an actual
name of an item that you see on your screen or in an example.

Words shown in bold This is the name of an item that you see on your screen or in an
(e.g., Communication Setup) example.

Words shown underlined and bold An entry that you must type in the specified field. This is information that
(e.g., Controller1) you must supply based on your application (e.g., a variable).
Note: When you type the text in the field, remember that you do not
need to type the quotes; simply type the words that are contained within
them (e.g., Controller1).

Text that appears inside of a gray box is supplemental information

This is sample text. regarding the lab materials or learning goals; the information is not
required for you to complete the lab exercises. The supplemental text
may provide you with helpful hints that can make it easier for you to use
this product.

Note: If the mouse button is not specified in the text, you should click on the left mouse button.

FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition

FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition (ME) is a machine-level HMI product that supports both open and dedicated operator
interface solutions for monitoring and controlling individual machines or small processes. It provides a consistent operator
interface across multiple platforms, including Microsoft® Windows® CE and Microsoft® Windows® 7 solutions.
FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition contains two components:
FactoryTalk® View Studio - This is the development environment containing the tools you need for creating all aspects of a
human-machine interface (HMI), including graphic displays, trends, alarm reporting and real-time animation. It also provides
tools for testing individual displays and entire applications. When development is completed, a run-time (.MER) file is
created to run on a PanelView™ Plus or personal computer.
FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition Station - This is the run-time environment. FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition
Station executes the run-time (.MER file) application. FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition Station is embedded in
PanelView™ Plus terminals. Run-time applications may also be executed on a personal computer. Executing run-time
applications on a personal computer requires additional software licenses.

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PanelView™ Plus 7
The PanelView™ Plus are operator interface terminals designed to optimize system development, performance, and efficiency. The
PanelView™ Plus 7 line of terminals is the latest addition to Rockwell Automation’s versatile family of Allen-Bradley PanelView™
operator interface displays for machine level operator terminal applications in industrial environments.

The PanelView™ Plus 7 line extends the portfolio with increased display resolutions while still supporting a known design
environment – FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition. Please reference the following tables for more information regarding the
PanelView™ Plus 7 Performance and the entire PanelView™ Plus 7 family.

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FactoryTalk® ViewPoint
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint is an add-on to FactoryTalk® View ME running on PanelView™ Plus that provides for a fully scalable,
fully animated, view of existing applications from a Web browser. FactoryTalk® ViewPoint 8.10 and newer now supports
HTML5. This means you can use iOS and Android devices to view the Viewpoint content. Previous versions of FactoryTalk®
ViewPoint used Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, so only Windows devices were supported.
To make information about your plant or process available on demand from a Web browser in your office, home, or hotel, all you
have to do is select the FactoryTalk® View graphic displays you want to make ready for the Web, and then publish the displays
to the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Server which runs on a PanelView™ Plus.
There is no installation of any Rockwell Software products on the browser computer. All you need to connect to a published
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Web application is the name (or IP address) of the PanelView™ Plus hosting the FactoryTalk®
ViewPoint Server that stores the application.
Once you enter a simple address directly into your Web browser using the name or IP address, the browser will connect to the
published web application and open the initial display selected. Use navigation buttons in the application to view other published
displays, or use the web browser's navigation tools.

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Begin the Lab – Mandatory

Before You Begin

Now let’s launch FactoryTalk® View Studio on the lab PC and open the SuperJuice_Advanced application. We will use this
application throughout the lab.

1. From the Start menu, select FactoryTalk View Studio.

2. Select View Machine Edition and click Continue.

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3. Select the SuperJuice_Advanced application and click Open.

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New - Exploring Design Time Improvements

In this lab section you will learn about two new features that were added to FactoryTalk® View 8.20 – language switching during
application development and a visibility control feature that was added to the Object Explorer tool. These new features will help
improve efficiency during application development.

Language Switching during Development

FactoryTalk View Machine Edition provides the ability to switch languages during runtime. Prior to v8.20, you would have to
create a runtime file and deploy it to the PanelView™ Plus terminal in order to see how your language translations fit on a text
object. This new feature allows you to switch between languages during application development so you can see how the
translated text looks on your display, saving you development time.

The Spanish (Mexico) es-MX language was added to the application for you. The application strings were
then translated using a web translation utility and imported back into the application. Note: the translated
strings are a gist translation and may not have the appropriate meaning – they are for demonstration
purposes only.

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1. Open the 10 Tank_Detail display by double clicking on it.

Notice the English text on the display.

2. Click the Change Application Language button on the toolbar.

3. Select Spanish (Mexico), es-MX using the drop down menu and click OK.

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Notice that the text has changed to Spanish and you can see how the translated text looks on the display. Now, you can make
adjustments to the text objects if any of the characters are cutoff prior to generating a runtime file.

4. Once you are finished examining the display, change the language back to English and leave the display open.

Object Explorer Visibility Feature

1. Leaving the 10 Tank_Detail display open, right click on the display and select Object Explorer.

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2. Scroll to the very top of the list and find Display. Uncheck the box.

Notice that all the objects have disappeared from the display.

3. Click the Display check box to make all the objects re-appear.

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4. Now, let’s find Group 72 and expand it. This is the tank group.

Object Explorer does a good job on helping to find a specific group or item within a group. However, if there are a lot of items on
a display or within a group, it can be confusing. It would be nice to just display those items that are currently being worked on.

5. Uncheck some of the checkboxes under Group72 to better see what groups make up the Tank object.

6. Once you are finished exploring, go back to the top of the list and uncheck the Display checkbox again to
remove all of the objects.

7. Close the 10 Tank_Detail display and then reopen it.

Notice that you were not prompted to save the display and that all the objects are shown again. The Object Explorer visibility
feature does not physically remove objects from the display.
Besides the new visibility feature, Object Explorer also has some other features to help during development or troubleshooting.
Let’s say we wanted to find out what groups or objects have color and fill animation.

8. Right click on the 10 Tank_Detail display and select Object Explorer.

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9. Click on Settings…

10. Select Color and Fill under By animation type: and then click OK.

11. Select Highlighting on.

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Notice that all the objects that have color and fill animation are highlighted.

12. Select Group72 and expand it.

13. Expand Group2 and then select Highlighting on.

Now the groups or objects within a top level group that have color and fill animation are highlighted.

14. Close the 10 Tank_Detail display and do not save any changes.
Congratulations! You have now completed the Design Time Improvements lab section.

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Remote Access – FactoryTalk® Viewpoint versus VNC

FactoryTalk® ViewPoint provides a thin client connection using a web browser to remotely connect to a PanelView™ Plus
terminal. ViewPoint publishes its own displays, independent of what the operator sees, so display navigation does not affect
production unlike VNC. We will take a look at VNC in the next section.

Configuration of FactoryTalk® ViewPoint is done through the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Administration tool, launched from
FactoryTalk® View Studio. Here, the desired displays are selected and published so that they will be available to any browser
client connecting to your operator interface terminal. The FactoryTalk® ViewPoint ME Administration tool runs on the same
computer as FactoryTalk® View Studio and is available from the Free Software Download website.

Publish FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Displays

1. Select ViewPoint Administration from the Application menu to launch the tool.

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2. Ensure the 1001 FTVP MAIN, 1010 FTVP Tank_Detail, and 1070 FTVP Trend screens are enabled. The 1001
FTVP MAIN display should be designated as the Initial Display. Select Publish displays.

Displays that are selected and published are the ones we will have access to when we connect to the ViewPoint Server using a
web browser.

3. Once the status reads “Finished publishing”, click on Security Settings.

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Configuring FactoryTalk® ViewPoint ME security
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint has the ability to secure individual display access as well as secure the write capability for that display.
You can also secure the entire application.

Note that in ViewPoint 2.0 security is role based rather than user based. As a result only User Groups are
shown and not individual users. You can expand on the groups that have a + sign beside them to see the list
of users assigned to each group but you cannot individually select the user.

1. In the Security Settings, go to the Secured Displays tab.

2. Check Enable Application Security.

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 Once Enable Application Security is checked, security is applied to each published display.

3. Select 1001 FTVP MAIN and assign the Engineers and Operators security settings as shown below Click the
box twice for a green check mark.

4. Select 1010 Tank_Detail and assign the Engineers and Operators security settings as shown below.

Engineers are given write and view privileges. Operators are given only view privileges.

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5. Select 1070 FTVP Trend display and assign the Engineers and Operators security settings as shown below.

Engineers are given write and view privileges. Operators are denied access.

6. Click Save to apply the security settings. Close the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Administration Tool window.

7. Create a Runtime Application and be sure the Include ViewPoint content checkbox is selected. See the
Appendix if you need more information on how to create a runtime file and deploy it to the terminal.

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 The FactoryTalk® Viewpoint server that runs on the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal is enabled by default and
can be

disabled/enabled via the Control Panel applet - .

Test FactoryTalk® ViewPoint

1. Once the application is running on the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal, Launch Google Chrome on the lab PC and
enter the following address: http://192.168.1.20 (this is the IP address of the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal).

2. Log into the application as an operator with the following credentials

User name: pvpuser
Password: pvp
Click the Log On button.

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The users will be directed to the Plant Summary based on the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint Initial Display configuration.

It may take up to 1 minute for the display to initially load. Each tank’s fill color may be different than is shown
above, depending on what recipe was last loaded for that tank.
You can resize the browser if needed and ViewPoint will scale the display at the same time.

3. Click on any of the tanks to navigate to the tank detail display.

Notice that the application running on the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal is not affected by the Viewpoint navigation.

4. Click on the Trend button at the top of the display.

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Since the user does not have access to view this display, a Forbidden message appears.

5. Click OK and then click Log off in the upper right corner.

6. Now you will be using the Chrome mobile device emulator to see how the application looks on a cell phone.
The screen size may not be a 1:1 ratio compared to the mobile device selected, but this emulator is for
simulation purposes only.

Perform the following steps to change the view in Chrome:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+I

2. Minimize the Developer’s Tool window that pops up

3. Select the mobile device you most commonly use from the drop down directly above the SuperJuice
Application displayed. If your device is not listed, please select iPhone 6.

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7. Log into the application as the engineer using clicking on the login fields and entering the following credentials.
User name: pvpeng
Password: pvp
Click the Log On button.

It may take up to 1 minute for the display to load.

8. Change the view to landscape using the Rotate button above the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint display

9. Select the Trend button again to go to the display with all four tank levels being trended.

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10. In the Trend screen, go to the Settings menu

11. Clear the checkbox next to the Slidebar. Removing the Slidebar will allow the graph to be larger on the screen.
Close the Settings screen.

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12. View the trend. Click on the top pen label in the legend to bold the trend line associated with Tank1.

13. Close all Chrome windows.

Congratulations! You have completed the FactoryTalk® ViewPoint portion of this lab section. This section demonstrated how
a PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal can be accessed remotely without disrupting production or interfering with the local operator.
Furthermore, security can be applied to the published displays to limit access to the display itself or provide view access only.

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VNC – Virtual Network Computing
The PanelView™ Plus terminal contains a VNC server. We connect to the terminal using a VNC client. The VNC client can
control the terminal or have view only access. This configuration is done on the VNC server side. VNC, unlike FactoryTalk®
ViewPoint, provides the same display view as the operator sees. This makes it a great troubleshooting tool. On the other hand,
if control access is granted, the VNC client can take over control from the operator.
This lab section uses the Terminal Info ActiveX control and VNC to allow remote access to a PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal. The
Terminal Info ActiveX control will provide the terminal’s IP address without having to shut down the running application.
Let’s explore the Terminal Info ActiveX control’s configuration.

Explore Terminal Info ActiveX Configuration

The Terminal Info ActiveX control is used to provide the terminal’s IP address without needing to shut down the application.

1. Open the 98 OCX Container display by double clicking it.

2. Double click METerminalInfoControl1 to bring up its properties.

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3. Click the Connections tab to view the tags associated with the ActiveX control.

This ActiveX control can also obtain the IP info of a second NIC – the 2711P-RN20 Ethernet PCI card
accessory would be a second NIC. This Ethernet card accessory provides an isolated NIC which can be
used for remote connectivity to a PanelView™ Plus 6 terminal, while using the internal NIC for the Control
network. The PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal does not support any add-on PCI cards.
The TerminalInfo ActiveX control also provides some diagnostic information, if tags are assigned, such as
CPU Temperature, Battery Voltage, Memory Load, etc.
Once TerminalInfo\Enable transitions from 0 to a 1, any assigned connections are updated every 500mS.
The Device Name and NIC information is only updated once per trigger.

4. Close the ME TerminalInfo Control Properties window and the 98 OCX Container display.

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The PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal comes with a VNC server installed. The terminal ships with the VNC
server disabled. The VNC server has been enabled for this lab. A Control Panel applet called Services
enables/disables the VNC server.

The VNC server configuration was done for you using another Control Panel applet called Server Config.
The default setting View Only (no remote control) was unchecked and Enable security was checked.
Passwords for the Password and View-only password properties were created by typing the password in
the text box for each selection.

If write control is desired, you would connect to the PanelView™ Plus 7 using the assigned password for
Password property. If Enable security & View Only (no remote control) is unchecked, no password is
needed when connecting to the terminal and full control is granted. Checking View Only (no remote
control) overrides any write control privileges.

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Test VNC

1. On the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal, on the Plant Summary display, click the Login button in the title
bar. Login using the Supervisor account.
User name: pvpsup
Password: sup

The Logout button will appear and user pvpsup will display as the current logged in user

2. Click the Diagnostics button in the title bar. Record the IP Address found in Network Information to
be used for the VNC connection.

3. Turn to the desktop of the lab PC and click Start>TightVNC Viewer.

4. Enter the IP address that was obtained in step 2 and press Connect.

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5. Enter pass2 for the password and click OK.

You are now connected to the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal. Note: your display may appear different depending on the order the
lab was completed in.

6. Using the VNC connection, try clicking on the buttons across the top of the application. Nothing should happen
as pass2 only provides view control.

7. Now turn back to the PanelView™ Plus terminal and click the Home button to navigate to the Plant
Summary display.
You are now viewing the exact same display on the lab PC as is being shown on the PanelView™ Plus terminal.

8. Exit the VNC connection on the lab PC by clicking the X to close the window.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the VNC lab section. VNC allows one to view or control the entire
PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal unlike FactoryTalk® ViewPoint, which publishes independent web pages. This tool is ideal for
troubleshooting when the expert is in a different location or the terminal is in a remote location.

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Designing Faceplates and Reusable Objects

In this section, you will learn how to:

Create global objects with parameter definitions
Use place holders in global objects
Create faceplate style global objects that use parameter files
You will reuse a tank defined as a Global Object, and create a fourth instance of the tank on the 01 Main display. Once you
have created the fourth tank, each Global Object will have unique tags assigned so that at runtime, each of the four Global
Objects will call up one tank detail display passing parameters unique to each tank. You will then modify an existing global object
to be used as a faceplate to monitor the tanks in greater detail.

Global Objects
Global Objects allow you to link the appearance and behavior of a graphic object to multiple copies of that object in the same
application. When you make changes to the original object, the copies are changed as well.
Global Objects are created on Global Object Displays. These displays are created in the Global Objects folder in the same
manner that standard displays are created in the Displays folder of FactoryTalk® View Studio. All objects and groups of objects
found on a Global Object Display are Global Objects.
When Global Objects are copied and pasted onto a standard display, the copy is called a reference object. The original object
on the global objects display is called the base object. Changes made to this base object will be reflected in any reference object
used on a standard display (this requires closing and reopening the display).
Global Object Displays are saved with the extension *.GGFX in the project folder.

Parameter Passing
When you create a graphic display that has tag placeholders, you can specify a parameter list that will supply tag or folder
names, or parts of tag names, for these tag placeholders. A placeholder is a crosshatch character (#) followed by a number from
1 to 500. At runtime, you can use a parameter list to replace the tag placeholders with whatever string you have defined for the
placeholder. The first tag in the list will replace #1 in the display expression, the second tag in the list will replace #2, and so on.
A parameter list stays with the object when it is copied or duplicated.

Global Object Parameters

Global Object Parameters are an extension of existing parameters designed to be used primarily with Global Object faceplates.
Global Object Parameters are useful when more than one instance of a Global Object is used on a single display. For example,
a single display could contain two or more Logix_PIDE faceplates, each referencing a different PIDE in the controller.
Global Object Parameters are not passed to the reference objects at runtime. You do not need to assign a parameter file or list
from a graphic object. The placeholder is defined in the base object, and the tag is specified in the reference object.

Faceplates
Faceplates are nothing more than Global Objects designed for a specific purpose and have the ability to be reused within an
application. Premade faceplates are available for most existing Rockwell Automation hardware such as controllers, drives or
switches. However FactoryTalk® View Studio contains the tools that allow you to create faceplates for your own purposes.

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Faceplates available within FactoryTalk® View Studio
The default installation of FactoryTalk® View Studio contains a collection of faceplates that are designed for
machine level applications and can be added to any application.
Right click on the application name in the Explorer window.

Select the desired faceplates from the various options available. The faceplates will be added to the
application as both displays and global objects.

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Examine an Existing Global Object
Examine the properties of an existing global object.

1. Open the Tank Global Object display from Graphics > Global Objects in the Explorer window.

The Tank Global Object display contains several components used within the applications graphic displays. We will be
working with the collection of objects grouped as the large tank near the center of the display.

2. Click on the large tank to select it.

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3. Select Edit > Tag Substitution… from the menu.

4. Use the scroll bars of the Search for: list to examine how partial tag names and placeholders have been used
within this Global Object.

When using Global Object parameters, it is good practice to use partial name substitution. Note that what
you are seeing is similar to using parameters on regular graphic displays.

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5. Click when done examining the tag names and placeholders.

6. Right click the tank, and select Global Object Parameter Definitions.

In the dialog box, you will see five tag placeholder definitions that have been defined for the Global Object, along with a
description for each parameter.

7. Click OK to close the dialog.

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Configure the Global Object on a Graphic Display
Place a global object on a display and configure unique parameters for that copy of the global object.

1. Ensure the Tank Global Object is selected, right click and select Copy from the menu.

2. Double click the 01 Main display from Graphics > Displays in the Explorer window to open it.

3. Right click in the display to open the context menu, then click Paste.

4. Right click on the pasted Global Object and select Global Object Parameter Values.

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5. Enter the following as the values for each parameter:
Row 1: 3
Row 2: 0
Row 3: 1
Row 4: 2

6. Select the tag ellipsis for Row 5 to open the Tag Browser.

7. Browse for DisplayNav/Navigate_To_Tank_Detail_PVP.

During runtime, the Global Object Parameter Values selected here will be used to replace the #1-#5 tag placeholders
configured in the Global Object Parameter Definition.

Both tags and hard coded values can be used as the values of Global Object Parameters.

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8. Click OK.
The Global Object Parameter Values dialog should look like the following:

How the Tank Global Object Works at Runtime

Note that contained within the Tank Global Object group there is a Goto Display button configured to use the
new Use variable Display setting, which allows a tag to define the display name to be opened at runtime. In
this demo, #5 is the parameter placeholder for that tag. You will be passing the HMI Tag,
DisplayNav\Navigate_To_Tank_Detail_PVP to #5 at runtime.

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 The Goto Display button Parameter List option will be used to pass the #1, #2, #3, and #4 parameter
placeholders at runtime.

The 10 Tank_Detail display will be opened when one of the four tanks on the 01 Main display are tapped at
runtime.

9. Click OK to close the Global Object Parameter Values dialog window.

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10. Right click on the new Tank Global Object and select Property Panel

11. With the Properties tab selected, enter ‘948’ for GroupLeft and ‘128’ for the GroupTop as shown below:

12. Click the X in the upper right corner of the Property Panel dialog to close the window and save the changes.

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 The display should now look similar to the following:

13. Click Save from the menu.

Create a parameter file for use with faceplates

Copy an existing parameter file and edit the properties to be used with a faceplate global object.

1. Right click the motor1FP parameter file located under Graphics > Parameters in the Explorer window and
select Duplicate….

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2. Enter ‘motor4FP’ in the Component name: field and click OK.

3. Double click the motor4FP parameter file you just created.

4. Replace the 0 with ‘3’ for both tag paths listed as shown below.

Note that that tanks are referenced as 0 through 3 in the Logix application tags however in FactoryTalk® View Studio the
tanks are numbered 1 through 4.

5. Click the X is the upper right corner, click Yes to save the changes to the parameter file.

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Complete an existing faceplate
Add the final parameter driven tag name to a Numeric display on the faceplate global object.

1. Return to the Tank Global Object display.

The Tank Global Object display contains several components used within the applications graphic displays. We will be
working with the collection of objects grouped as the faceplate near the bottom left of the display.

2. Click on the faceplate to select it.

3. Select View > Object Explorer from the drop down menu.

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4. Expand Group29, right click on NumericDisplay10, select Connections....

5. In the Value field enter ‘{#1.Sts_Speed}’ as shown below.

Note that at runtime the #1 is replaced with the tag path value from the parameter file you created earlier. The end result will
be the complete tag address for this Numeric display, ::[SuperJuice]Program:Tank.Tank[0].Agitator.Motor.Sts_Speed.

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6. Click OK to save the changes.

7. Click the Save button in the menu toolbar to save changes to the Tank global object display.

8. Right click the faceplate and select Copy.

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Create a popup faceplate display
Add a global object to an existing On Top popup display.

1. Double click the 05 Motor Status display from Graphics > Displays in the Explorer window to open it.

2. Right click the empty space in the 05 Motor Status display and select Paste.

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The new display should look like the following.

3. With the 05 Motor Status still having focus, click the Test Display button in the menu bar to test the display.

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The Test Display parameter selection dialog box will be displayed.

4. Check the Parameter File radio button and select the browse button next to the Parameter File field.

5. Select either of the parameter files listed in the Component Browser and click OK.

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The 05 Motor Status display will run in Test Display mode and the parameters defined in the faceplate will be
replaced by tag names defined in the parameter file. The display will show real time data from the controller.

6. Click the Edit Display button to stop the Test Display action.

7. Click the X is the upper right corner, click Yes if prompted to save the changes.

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Replace tag placeholders in test display mode
The Test Display dialog box appears when testing a display if one or more tag placeholders are defined in
the display. This feature was introduced with FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition v8.10. You can specify a
parameter file or list to replace them with the actual tag names. You can also click Cancel to quit the display
testing and go back to the Edit mode.
Parameter File
Select this option if the parameter values will be provided by a parameter file.
Click the browse button and select a file in the Component Browser. The parameter file assigns tags to tag
placeholders in the display when the display runs.
Parameter List
Select this option if the parameter values will be provided by a parameter list.
All tag placeholders in the display are listed. Enter a tag name or value for the placeholder. You can also
click the browse button to select a tag.

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Add navigation buttons to call the faceplate at runtime
Add a display navigation button and assign a parameter file to display the correct tag values at runtime.

1. Return to the 01 Main display.

2. Click the GoTo Display button in the toolbar to select it

3. Place a GoTo Display button above the far right tank.

4. Within the GoTo Display Button Properties dialog box, click the drop down list box next to the Display: field.

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5. Select 05 Motor Status from the Component Browser drop down list and click OK.

6. Within the GoTo Display Button Properties dialog box, click the drop down list box next to the Parameter file:
field.

7. Select motor4FP from the Component Browser drop down list and click OK.

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8. Click OK to close the GoTo Display Button Properties dialog box and save your changes.

9. Right click the GoTo Display button you just created and select Copy.

10. Right click on the 01 Main display and select Paste.

11. Select and move the new GoTo Display button above the first tank.

12. Right click this new GoTo Display button and select Properties.

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13. Within the GoTo Display Button Properties dialog box, click the drop down list box next to the Parameter file:
field.

14. Select motor1FP from the Component Browser drop down list and click OK.

15. Click OK to close the GoTo Display Button Properties dialog box and save your changes.

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16. Close and save changes to the 01 Main display.

17. Close the Tank Global Object display and do not save any changes if prompted.

Testing Global Objects and faceplates

1. Click the Test Application icon, selecting Yes if prompted to save any changes. Click Finish if the
language pop up display comes up.

When Plant Summary display opens, notice that the new tank is animated with the color and name of the juice currently
being mixed in Tank 4. Note that your display may look different depending on the actions of the controller.

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2. Click Tank A4 to open the Tank Detail display.

When Tank Detail opens, note that the display shows details specific to Tank 4. Also, note that in the bottom right corner,
there are details for Tanks 1, 2, and 3. This Tank Detail display is populated using parameterized tags passed to it at
runtime from one of the four Global Object tanks located on the Plant Summary display.

3. Click the Home button to return to the Plant Summary display.

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4. Click on the other tanks to navigate to the Tank Detail display and see how it changes.

5. Return to the Plant Summary display.

6. Click the GoTo display button above Tank 4.

7. Click the Close faceplate button.

8. Click the GoTo display button above Tank 1.

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 Note the difference in the values displayed in faceplates between Tank 1 and Tank 4. Even though the same 05 Motor
Status display is opened both times the values displayed are different due to the tag paths contained in the unique
parameter files. Using parameter files this way at runtime works correctly because only one global object is used on the
display. If multiple global objects were used on the same display then global object parameters would be required to be
defined at design time as shown with the tanks earlier in this section of the lab.

9. Click the Close faceplate button.

10. Click the X key on the keyboard to shut down the running Test Application when finished.

Congratulations! You have completed the Global Objects and faceplate section of this lab.

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Log Production Data with DataStore Plus

The DataStore Plus OCX allows one to configure which analog tags and string tags to log to a CSV file. It also allows the
configuration of the frequency of logging, the format of the csv file, and the creation of additional log files. The following table
describes the difference between the internal Data Log Model and the DataStore Plus ActiveX.
Internal Data Log Model DataStore Plus ActiveX control
Native/built-in control Add-on feature
Timed, data change, data % change Timed or tag trigger logging
triggers
Always active/running Can control logging (on/off)
Only 1 data log model supported at Multiple data log support at runtime
runtime
1 file only, first in-first out after Multiple file support
maximum data points
300,000 data point maximum (pre v7) Only storage limit to data points

1,000,000 data point maximum (v7 or

higher)
Binary proprietary file Plain text .CSV file
Works with Trend display to show Does not work with trends
historical data
Supported in all PanelView™ Plus 7 Supported in all PanelView™ Plus 7 terminals
terminals
Good for Trending historical data and Excellent for plain text or high speed data
native functionality. Easy setup. archiving.
100 tags maximum 100 Analog tags and 50 String tags maximum
n/a Log file tamper detection
Refer to AID 520349 for more information regarding the DataStore Plus ActiveX.

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Configuring the DataStore Plus ActiveX Control
Let’s configure a HMI tag that contains the location to log the csv file to and that we will assign to the ActiveX a bit later on.

1. Double click Tags to open the HMI Tag Database.

2. Open the DataStore folder and select the DataStore\DataStore_Location string tag.

3. Perform the following steps:

Enter \My Documents\DataStorePlus\TankInfo.csv for the Initial Value: - this is the location on the PanelView™ Plus
7 terminal along with the desired name of the csv file that will be created.
Check Retentive – we will not be changing this location during runtime.
Click Accept to save the changes.

4. Close the HMI Tag database.

Next, let’s configure the ActiveX control.

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1. Open the 98 OCX Container display by double clicking it.

2. Double click MEDataStorePlus2 to bring up its properties.

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3. Click the General tab and assign the file management settings as shown below.

The control is now setup to start a new log file every hour and to only maintain 2 log files total.

4. Click the Advanced tab and assign the logging settings as shown below.

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5. Click the Connections tab and assign HMI tag, DataStore\DataStore_Location, to FileLocation by using the
Tag Browser.

6. Assign direct reference tag, ::[SuperJuice]Program:Tank.Tank[0].Temp, to Float01 by using the Tag

Browser.

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7. The Connections tab should appear as shown below. Click OK to apply the changes.

8. Close the 98 OCX Container display and save the changes if prompted.

9. Open the 30 Diagnostics display by double clicking it.

10. Right click on the DataLog Trigger slide switch panel group and select Object Explorer.

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11. Expand Group4 and double click MaintainedPushButton2 to open its properties.

12. Select the Connections tab.

13. Assign the HMI tag, DataStore\DataStore_Trigger, to the Value connection.

14. Select OK to apply the changes.

The DataStorePlus OCX can be enabled and disabled during runtime unlike the internal Data Log that uses a
data log model. The internal Data Log model starts logging once the application starts up and stops logging
once the application is shutdown.

15. Close the 30 Diagnostics display and select Yes to save changes.

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Test the DataStore Plus ActiveX
Now, let’s create a runtime file and deploy it to the terminal. If you need instructions on how to do this, see the Appendix. Once
the application is running on the PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal, follow the steps below.
We will make a connection between the Lab PC and the PanelView™ Plus terminal using the File Transfer Protocol.

1. Now, turn to the Lab PC, minimize FactoryTalk® View Studio Machine Edition and click the Windows Explorer
icon.

2. Enter ftp:\\192.168.1.20 in the path window and click the Enter key on the keyboard.

You are now connected to the PanelView™ Plus terminal.

3. Double click the My Documents folder.

4. Double click the DataStorePlus folder.

This is the location of the csv log file that was assigned to the ActiveX control in a previous step.

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Notice that no csv file exists.

5. Now, turn back to the PanelView™ Plus terminal and click the Diagnostics button.
Notice that the DataLog Trigger button indicates that the OCX is not enabled.

6. Click the DataLog Trigger button to enable the DataStore Plus OCX.

7. Turn back to the Lab PC and click the refresh button in the FTP window. Now you should see the CSV file.

The DataStore Plus OCX has the ability to be enabled and disabled during runtime. The native FactoryTalk®
View Machine Edition Data Log does not have this capability - the data log is started when the application is
loaded and run, and is disabled when the application is shutdown.

8. Let the data log run for about 1 minute and then copy the CSV file to the desktop of the PC by clicking and
dragging the file.
The DataStorePlus OCX allows you to copy the csv file without having to stop the data log. You cannot do this with the native
data log.

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9. Close the Windows Explorer window used to make the FTP connection.

10. Double click the csv file on the desktop to open it up in Microsoft Excel.

11. When you are finished examining the csv file, close Microsoft Excel. You don’t need to save changes.

12. Maximize FactoryTalk® View Studio on the lab PC.

13. Shutdown the running application on the PanelView™ Plus terminal by clicking the Exit button and then
clicking the green check mark on the confirmation popup display.

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New - Plot Two or more Variables against each other using the new Chart OCX

In this lab section you will learn about the new Chart Control OCX. This ActiveX provides the ability to plot two or more variables
against each other. The existing Trend object only provides the ability to plot against time. The new Chart Control OCX uses
two User Defined data Types - Chart and DataSeries - to contain the data and datasets used to draw the chart at runtime. AID
769049 contains more information about the OCX - the UDT’s needed, a sample application, and sample ladder file. Most of the
information contained in the AID is shown in this lab section.
AID 772292 contains information and tips to obtain the best performance from the Chart Control OCX.

Configure the Chart Control OCX

1. Open the 71 Chart OCX display by double clicking on it.

2. Double click on the chart to open its properties.

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3. On the General tab, change the Chart title and the Redraw mode options as shown below.

The Chart title can either be obtained from a tag or be assigned a literal string. The refresh rate of the Chart
called Redraw mode can also be controlled by a tag or be assigned an automatic refresh rate. The Chart
orientation can be fixed to either the X-axis (horizontal chart) or the Y-axis (vertical chart).

4. Select the Pens tab.

Here we can set various pen attributes. The width for pens 1, 2, and 3 was set to 2.

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 When running the Chart Control OCX on a PanelView™ Plus terminal, only solid or dashed pen styles are
supported.

5. Select the X-Axis tab and change the Min/Max value options and Display options as shown below.

6. Select the Y-Axis tab and change the Min/Max value options and Display options as shown below – Fixed
value is PRESSURE (PSI).

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7. Select the Connections tab and assign the tags shown below.

8. Assign Chart_OCX\ClearChart to the Clear property.

9. Assign Chart_OCX\ErrorMessage to the ErrorMessage property.

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10. Assign ::[SuperJuice]Program:Chart_OCX.Valve_Chart to the Data_Source property.

Your connection assignments should appear as shown below.

11. Click OK to apply the connection assignments.

12. Close the 71 Chart OCX display and save the changes.

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Test Run the Chart Control OCX

1. Click the Test Application icon in the toolbar and then click Finish on the Language selection popup.

2. Once the test application is running, close the Alarm banner.

3. Click the Chart button.

Wait a few seconds for the chart to draw, remember we set the redraw rate to 5 seconds.

4. Press and release the Clear Chart button to clear the chart and see that 5 seconds later it is redrawn.

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The Chart OCX has some diagnostic capabilities – it provides various error messages or error codes. Remember, we assigned
a string tag to the Error Message property.
Error
Error Message
Code
0 No error
1000 Error, Visible element of all DataSeries is set to false (zero)
1001 Error, Visible element of DataSeries_FixedAxis is set to false (zero)
1002 Error, Visible element of DataSeries_1 through DataSeries_8 is set to false (zero)
1003 Error, NumberofDataPoints element is greater than 500
1010 Error, X-axis minimum value is greater than maximum value
1011 Error, Y-axis minimum value is greater than maximum value
Warning, all data points in the DataSeries_N (N being the first data series number
1100
with the error) are greater than the X-axis maximum
Warning, all data points in the DataSeries_N (N being the first data series number
1101
with the error) are less than the X-axis minimum
Warning, all data points in the DataSeries_N (N being the first data series number
1102
with the error) are greater than the Y-axis maximum
Warning, all data points in the DataSeries_N (N being the first data series
1103
number with the error) are less than the Y-axis minimum

5. Press the X-Axis Visible button. Notice the error that is generated.

The error message will appear when the chart is redrawn again. Also, note that the chart is blank.

6. Press the X-Axis Invisible button to clear the error.

7. Click the X key on the keyboard to shut down the running Test Application when finished.
Note that while using the Test Application option within FactoryTalk® View Studio, the X key will also shut down the test.

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The ladder file was configured for you. The Chart and DataSeries UDT’s were imported into the file. These
contain the properties that are used by the Chart Control OCX. A Program tag called Valve_Chart was
created and assigned the Chart data type. This is the tag that gets assigned to the Chart Control OCX’s
Data Source. The Program tag Valve_Chart.NumberOfDataPoints was assigned a value of 100. This
value would be how many individual data points are contained in each data series. Each data series can
contain a maximum of 500 points. However, to maintain optimal performance, it is recommended to not
exceed a total number of 1000 data points. In this lab, four data series were used and each contained 100
points for a total of 400.

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The lab showed an example of plotting Pressure data against Flow data. The example showed 3 sets of
pressure – the middle plot was the desired pressure or golden value. The other two plots were a maximum
and minimum. The Flow data was loaded into data series DataSeries_FixedAxis. The three sets of
Pressure data were loaded into data series DataSeries_1 through DataSeries_3. The FFL instruction was
used to load the data. Then using a CONTROL data type tag, once the data series was loaded with all 100
data points, the FIFO was reset.
A timer, fixed values, and math were used to simulate the data used to plot the chart. These can be ignored.
The FFL instruction, Control.DN, and Control.POS are what is needed to load the data to plot on the Chart
Control OCX. Additionally, to see the plot on the chart, each data series has a visibility tag that must be set
to 1. The Visible element was set to 1 for all 4 data series in the lab.

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Advanced Alarm Topics

Your customer wants the operators to view the status of alarms filtered for each of the four tanks in the plant. The customer also
wants to use some type of auditing to determine who took what actions for each alarm event.
This section will cover the configuration of an alarm filter so that only the desired alarm events will be displayed at runtime. This
section will also configure an alarm message using an embedded variable to record current values at the time of an alarm event
or other information that can change at runtime. Finally the capabilities of the new electronic signature functions available for
alarm objects will be shown.

Configure an Alarm Trigger that can be filtered

Although FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition does not support FactoryTalk® Alarms and Events, the built in alarm system can
create alarm triggers for the ALMA and ALMD device based alarms. Follow the steps below to configure an alarm trigger for one
of these device based alarms.

1. Open Alarm Setup by double clicking it in the Project Explorer.

2. Click Add… to add an alarm trigger.

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 Note that a feature enhancement is available on the Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase for FactoryTalk®
View Studio version 7.00 that enables the Alarm Setup editor to be resized. The Answer ID for this
document is 570221. This functionality is built into the version 8.00 and later releases of FactoryTalk® View
Machine Edition.

3. Click the ellipsis button under Tag.

4. Select the appropriate tag using the steps below:

Expand the SuperJuice shortcut
Expand the Online folder
Navigate to Program:DE04_Program
Select myALMATank4.HHInAlarm from the right side of the tag browser

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5. Click OK.

6. Click OK to save the new alarm trigger tag.

7. Enter ‘Tank4’ in the Trigger label: field for the trigger just added:

{::[SuperJuice]Program:DE04_Program.myALMATank4.HHInAlarm}
The Trigger label: will be used later to provide alarm filtering.

Alarm events that occur for this trigger can now be filtered using the value Tank4.

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8. Select the Messages tab.

9. Widen the Trigger column to show the full trigger names.

10. Click the <Unassigned> field to open the drop down list.

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11. Select {::[SuperJuice]Program:DE04_Program.myALMATank4.HHInAlarm}.

12. Enter ‘1’ in the Trigger value field for this trigger.

13. Enter ‘ALMA.HHInAlarm – Tank 4 Alarm HIGH HIGH, The level of the tank is: ’ in the Message field.

Existing messages from other cells can be copied and pasted into the new cell to make message creation
simpler.

Embedded variables allow you to show values that change dynamically at run time. Placeholders are used
within strings where the embedded variable will be shown. At run time, the placeholder is updated with the
real-time values of the variables.
There are two types of embedded variables:
A tag is read to provide the run-time value. Use tags, to embed tag values (Numeric or String), date values,
and time values. The tag is read at run time and the current value is shown.
A tag is not read. Use this type to embed literal strings and numbers that will be shown at run time as they
were entered.
You can use one or more embedded variables in text captions on graphic objects, in display title bars, and in
message text.
Embedded variables can consist of:
Numeric (analog or digital) tags
String tags
Tag placeholders
Time
Date
Literal strings or literal numbers

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14. Right click in the Message field just created and select Edit String from the drop down list.

15. Place the cursor at the end of the message text, ensure there is a space after the : and click Insert Variable….

16. Select Numeric… from the drop down list.

17. Click the ellipsis button to browse for a tag.

Leave all other options at the default.

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18. Select the appropriate tag using the steps below:
Expand the SuperJuice shortcut
Expand the Online folder
Navigate to Program:DE04_Program
Select myAnalogOutput1 from the right side of the tag browser

19. Click OK.

20. Click OK to save the embedded variable within the alarm message.

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21. The edited alarm message should look like the one below. Click OK.

Advanced Alarm Settings including embedded variable server update rate

Examine and modify runtime alarm behavior configurations using the steps below.

1. Select the Advanced tab.

Display Current alarms –This display will appear when an alarm is triggered. Default: [ALARM].
History Size –Up to 10,000 alarms can be stored in the alarm history. When that limit is reached, the oldest
alarms are deleted when new alarms occur. Default value: 128. Only 128 alarms will be retained in the
alarm history (also referred to as the alarm log file).
Maximum update rate (second) – Select the maximum rate at which data servers will supply data to the
trigger tags specified in the Triggers tab. This rate also applies to any tags used in trigger expressions,
remote tags or expressions, and tags in trigger message embedded variables. By default, the update rate is
1 second.
Embedded server update rate – Select the embedded server update rate at which the data server will
supply data to the tags in the trigger message embedded variables. The default update rate is set to match
the alarm update rate. The embedded server update rate cannot be set to be larger than the maximum
update rate.
At run time, all of these tags are updated immediately upon startup, no matter what the update rate is.

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To ensure that the embedded variables used within the alarm messages contain the current value at the time of the alarm event
it is a good practice to set the Embedded Server update rate faster than the alarm Maximum update rate.

2. Select the drop down list next to the Embedded Server update rate (second): field.

3. Select an update rate of 0.25 from the drop down list.

4. Click OK to close the Alarm Setup dialog and save the changes.

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Add and configure an Alarm List object
Follow the steps below to add an Alarm List object to an existing display, and configure it for the application.

1. Double click 50 Alarm History in the Project Explorer to open the display.

This display has been preconfigured with objects in order to save time.

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2. Select the Objects > Advanced > Alarm > Alarm List object.

3. Click and drag the mouse from the upper left corner of the display under the Alarm Banner text down to the
bottom right corner of the display, above the Alarms filtered for Tank 4 object.
Be careful not to cover any existing objects on the display.
The 50 Alarm History display should look similar to the one below:

4. Close and save the 50 Alarm History display.

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Configure a Filter for an Alarm List object
Four displays have been preconfigured so that they show information for each tank separately. Follow the steps in the section
below to configure an Alarm List object to filter alarms for Tank 4 only.

1. Double click 54 Tank4 Alarm Detail to open it.

The 54 Tank4 Alarm Detail display will open, containing some preconfigured objects.

Detail screens for Tanks 1-3 have been completed for you.

2. Select the Alarm List object from Objects > Advanced > Alarm menu.

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3. Click and drag the mouse from the upper left corner of the display under the Tank 4 Alarm Detail text down to
the bottom right corner of the display, above objects located near the bottom of the screen.
Be careful not to cover any existing objects on the display.

4. Select the Alarm tab on the Alarm List Properties dialog box.

5. Click the ellipsis button next to the Filtered triggers: field.

6. Click the checkbox next to the Tank4 trigger label item, and click OK.

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 The Alarm List object has now been configured to display only those alarm events whose triggers have a label of Tank4
specified in the Alarm Setup.

7. Click the Display tab.

Configuration of the displayed alarm conditions is done in this tab. For this application, leave these settings at their default
values.

8. Click OK to save the settings configured for the Alarm List and close the properties dialog box.

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The 54 Tank4 Alarm Detail display should now look similar to the picture below:

9. Save and close the display using the X button.

Testing the Alarm Application

1. Click the Test Application icon in the toolbar and then click Finish on the Language selection popup. The
test application will open in the upper left corner of the monitor, displaying 01 Main as the initial display.

2. If the [ALARM] banner appears due to active alarms, click Close.

3. Click the Alarm icon at the top of the screen to open the 50 Alarm History display.

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 The Alarm List display may have alarms that have already been triggered, similar to what you see above. The state of each
alarm is dependent on the current values in the controller.

4. Click the Alarms filtered for Tank 4 button to open the Tank 4 Alarm Detail display.

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Notice the detail screen is displaying alarms that are pertaining to Tank 4 only.

5. Click the Close button to return to the Alarm History display.

6. Navigate to the other tank alarm detail screens to explore any other active alarms, then return to the Alarm
History display.

7. On the Alarm History display, click and hold the Analog Alarms Test until the alarm counter resets the trigger.
The counter will count from 0-5000, triggering alarms for all 4 tanks in the process.

The [ALARM] display, containing the Alarm Banner object will open several times when the test alarm counter is ramping
up to 5000.

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8. Click Close to close the Alarm Banner display.

9. Explore the Alarm Detail displays to view the alarms that have occurred for each tank.

Note that filtering is working to display only those alarms specific to the tank selected. Feel free to manage the alarms using
the Ack Alarm, Ack All and Clear All buttons.
Note that the Ack All button for Tank 4 will not acknowledge alarms unless a user other than Default is logged in. The button
has been configured using the new electronic signature functionality available in FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition version
8.20.00. Continue with the steps below to learn how this new feature can record and secure the execution of an action at
runtime.

Note that FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition version 8.20.00 introduces the electronic signature function
to record and secure the execution of an action at run time.
The electronic signature properties are common to the following Alarming graphic objects:
Acknowledge Alarm button
Acknowledge All Alarms button
Clear Alarm History button
Reset Alarm Status button
Note that other graphic objects in FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition version 8.20.00 that can be used to
modify tag values or user properties also contain the electronic signature functionality.
Use the E-Signature tab of the Properties dialog box to configure electronic signature capability to control
and record operator actions.

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10: Navigate to the Tank 4 detail display by clicking on the Alarms filtered for Tank 4 button.

11: Select an alarm and click the Ack All button.

12: A prompt will appear warning that the action is not allowed, click OK to close the dialog box.

13: Close the Tank 4 detail display by clicking on the Close button

14. Login to the application by clicking on the Login button in the title bar on the Alarm History display.

15: Enter pvpsup for the User Name and sup for the Password, click Login.

Note that the pvpsup user is now logged in as displayed on the title bar and the icon has changed to unlocked.

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16. Navigate back to the Tank 4 detail display by clicking on the Alarms filtered for Tank 4 button.

17. Select an alarm and click the Ack All button.

18. Note that this time an Electronic Signature dialog is displayed. Enter some text in the Comment field and click
Accept.

An event is logged to FactoryTalk® Diagnostics recording what action was performed, by who and the comment.

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For this example the Ack All button was configured with the simplest of electronic signature options which required a logged in
user and the entry of a comment. Other, more complex options are available.

19. Click X on the keyboard to stop the Test Application.

Congratulations! You have completed the Alarm section of this lab!

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Advanced Animation Topics

FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition includes the ability to animate objects in order to more easily convey what is occurring in the
system. The most common types of animation are fill, color and visibility, extensively used in the application already. This
section will cover three more types of animation – Horizontal Position, Vertical Position, and Vertical Slider. These types of
animation have an offset property and we will examine how to configure that property and then view the animation during
runtime.

Using Horizontal and Vertical Position Animation

We will use Horizontal and Vertical position animation to simulate liquid flowing through the pipes connected to the tanks in our
demo application. Follow the steps below to configure and explore Horizontal and Vertical Position animation.

1. Double click the 01 Main screen to open the display.

2. Select the Ellipse drawing object from the Object Toolbar, then draw an ellipse on the display.

3. Change the background color to blue on the General tab, then click the Common tab.

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4. Change the settings on the Common tab to the following:
Height – 15
Width – 15
Top – 125
Left – 8

5. Click OK to close the properties dialog.

6. Right click the circle, and select Animation, then Horizontal Position.

7. Use the Tags… button to open the Tag Browser, and select the following tag:
::[SuperJuice]Program:HMIData.PosHor

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8. Change the Use constant values to the following:
Min: 0
Max: 100

9. Next, use the following steps to determine the Horizontal offset.

Click the At minimum: checkbox
Click and drag the circle across the screen to the far right end of the pipe
Check the At maximum: checkbox.
Click and drag the circle back to the starting point.
The Animation dialog should look similar to the following:

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10. Click Apply and Close to save the changes.

11. Copy the circle by right clicking the object, and selecting Copy.

12. Paste the circle to the screen by right clicking anywhere on the screen and selecting Paste.

13. Double click the circle to open the Properties window and select the Common tab.

14. Change the Top and Left values to the following:

15. Click OK to close the window.

16. Next right click the new circle, and select Animation, then Horizontal Position.

17. Click the Delete button to remove that type of animation from the object and click Apply. Select Yes to close
the warning message.

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18. Click the Vertical Position tab.

19. Use the Tags… button to open the Tag Browser, and double click the following tag:
::[SuperJuice]Program:HMIData.PostVert

20. Change the Use constant values to the following:

Min: 0
Max: 20

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21. Select the At minimum: checkbox, then select the At maximum: checkbox and change its value to 65.

The 0, 0 point on a screen is in the upper left corner.

22. Click Apply to save the changes.

23. Next, click the Visibility tab.

24. Use the Expression… button to open the Expression Editor, then use the editor to create the following
expression:

25. Click OK.

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26. Click Apply to save the changes, and Close to close the Animation window.

27. Close the display and Save the changes.

Using Vertical Slider Animation

Follow the steps below to explore and apply Vertical Slider animation to a preconfigured graphic object.

1. Double click the 11 Tank_Level screen to open it.

2. Using the Object Explorer, browse to Group3 and right click Group8, selecting Animation, then Vertical
Slider.

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112 of 144
3. Use the Tags… button to open the Tag Browser, then browse through SuperJuice > Online > Program:Tank
> Tank > Tank[0], double clicking Capacity.

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4. Remove the 0 from the tag string, and replace it with #1.

5. Next, change the Use constant Max value to match the picture below.

6. Finally, modify the Vertical offset (Pixels) minimum and maximum settings to match the picture below:

Remember that the 0, 0 point on a display is in the upper left. Therefore, to make the slider move upwards
from its 0 point, the maximum must be a negative number. If the slider was to move downward from its
starting point, the value would be a positive number.

7. Click Apply, then Close the Animation dialog.

8. Close the display and Save the changes.

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Adding Navigation to a Pop-up Display
Next, we will add a Goto Display button to the Tank Detail display.

1. Open the 10 Tank_Detail display by double clicking on it.

2. Click Objects from the toolbar, click Display Navigation, and then select Goto.

3. Drag a rectangle over the larger tank object

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4. Change the Border style to None and the Back style to Transparent. Click Apply.

5. Select the 11 Tank_Level display under the Display settings section on the General tab using the ellipsis
button.

6. Select Parameter list and enter {#1}.

7. Click OK, close the 10 Tank_Detail display and Save the changes.

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Testing Animation

1. Click the Test Application icon and click Finish leaving English as the default language.

2. When the application has loaded, close the alarm banner.

Notice the flow indicators created are showing the liquid flowing through the pipes across the top of the display, and appear
in the Tank A1 pipe when the valve is open. Note: your display may look different depending on which lab sections you
have completed.

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3. Click any of the tanks on the screen to navigate to the Tank_Details display.

4. Next, click the Main Tank on the display, opening the Tank Level display.

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5. Use the Slider to change the Capacity of the Tank.

6. Click X on the keyboard to stop the Test Application.

Congratulations! You have completed the Using Advanced Animation lab section.

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New - Inactivity Timeout

FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition can be configured to log out a user after a specified amount of inactive time when the
application is running. In addition, the application can be set up to change screens to an unsecured portion of the application
when this log off occurs.
With version 8.20, additional configuration settings are made available to the user, including an additional delay after logging off
before the screen changes, as well as the ability to inhibit the inactivity timeout.

Configuring Inactivity Settings

Follow the steps below to configure Advanced Inactivity settings for the project.

1. In FactoryTalk® View Studio Machine Edition, double click Project Settings.

2. In the Project Settings dialog, select the Inactivity tab.

3. Check the Enable advanced inactivity actions checkbox.

This will activate the configuration settings for inactivity.

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4. Check the Log out the current user after an inactivity period check box.

Note that the Inactivity Period can be configured to be a literal value or a tag value.

5. Use the default Literal value and set it to 1 minute.

6. Check the Navigate to a display after an additional delay checkbox.

This setting, when configured, will result in the application changing screens when the timeout occurs and the user is logged
out. This change can occur following an additional delay, or immediately following the logout.

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7. Leave the Literal value at 0, resulting in an immediate screen change at timeout.

8. Use the Navigate to display drop down menu to select 01 MAIN.

9. Next, modify the Inactivity time remaining (secs) field by selecting the ellipsis button to open the Tag
Browser.

Assigning a tag to the Inactivity time remaining (secs) field makes it possible to send that value to a memory or device
tag.

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10. Select the Security folder then select TimeRemains, and click OK.

Assigning a tag here enables the application to send the remaining time before a timeout to a tag. This tag can then be
used on a screen.

11. Finally, select the ellipsis button for Inhibit inactivity actions.

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12. In the Tag Browser, select InactiveInhibit, and click OK.

InactiveInhibit is a boolean tag. When the value of this tag is 1, the application will no longer log out due to the inactivity
timeout.

13. Click OK to accept all of the Inactivity configuration changes, and close the Project Settings dialog.

Using Inactivity Settings in a Graphic Display

For this application, there needs to be a way to stop the inactivity timer. Follow the steps below to configure two objects – one to
determine how much time is left in the timer, and the second to stop and then restart the timer.

1. Under Displays, double click 30 Diagnostics.

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2. Double click the Inhibit Inactivity maintained pushbutton to open its properties dialog.

3. Select the Connections tab.

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4. Click the Value Tag ellipsis to open the Tag Browser.

5. Double click InactiveInhibit to assign that tag to the value connection.

6. Close the Properties dialog by clicking OK.

7. Double click the Inactive Time numeric display to open its properties dialog.

8. Select the Connections tab.

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9. Open the Tag Browser using the Value Tag ellipsis button.

10. Double click TimeRemains to assign it to the numeric display value.

The Numeric Display will now show the time that remains before the user will be logged out automatically.

11. Click OK. Close the 30 Diagnostics display and save the changes.

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Inactivity Settings at Runtime

1. Test the full application by clicking the Test Application button.

2. Close the Alarm Banner.

3. Click the Logon button at the top of the runtime screen.

4. Log in using the following credentials:

Username: pvpuser
Password: pvp

5. Click the Diagnostics button.

Notice the Inactive Time has already started counting down from 60 seconds.

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6. Wait until the Inactive Time counts down to 0.
Notice that the screen automatically changes back to the Main screen, and the user is logged out. Note: Your display may
look different based on what lab sections have already been completed.

7. Log back in as pvpuser.

Username: pvpuser
Password: pvp

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8. Navigate to the Diagnostics screen.

9. Now, click the Inhibit Activity button.

Notice the Inactive Time has changed to 0. In addition, the screen has not changed back to the Main screen. This indicates
that the user will not be logged off automatically after the configured timeout has elapsed.

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10. Click the Inactivity Inhibited button to restart the timeout counter.

After 60 seconds have passed, the user will be logged off, and the application will return to the Main screen.

11. Click the X key on the keyboard to shut down the running Test Application when finished.
Congratulations! You have completed the Using Advanced Inactivity Timeout Configuration setting!

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Appendix

Creating the Runtime Application File

In order to transfer the application to a PanelView™ Plus terminal, it first must be compiled into a Runtime Application File
(*.mer). Follow the steps below to create the runtime file.

1. Select the Application>Create Runtime Application menu item.

Additional Runtime Application Options

The options available in the Conversion to development application section allow later recovery of the design
files from the runtime project using the Application Manager.
Always allow conversion [Default] – The design information is always included with the runtime, so that it
may be restored from the MER. The resulting MER requires more terminal memory to store the file.
Never allow conversion – Design information cannot be recovered from an MER created with this option
selected. The MER created requires the least amount of terminal memory.
Conversion protected by password – When using Application Manager to extract the design information
from the runtime file, the user will be prompted for the configured password. The resulting MER requires
more terminal memory to store the file.

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2. Save the runtime project using the suggested name SuperJuice_Advanced.mer by clicking the Save button.

3. Click Finish, leaving English as the initial language.

While FactoryTalk® View Studio for Machine Edition is creating the runtime MER file, a progress dialog will appear:

The runtime file has been created when the progress bar disappears.

Downloading a runtime MER to a PanelView™ Plus terminal

1. To download the runtime MER to the PanelView™ Plus terminal located at this workstation, first select the Tools
> Transfer Utility menu item.

The Transfer Utility will open

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2. Click the Source File Browse button to select the runtime MER file to download.

This opens the Select File to Download dialog.

Note that the window may contain additional runtime files than those shown in the picture above.

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3. Click on the SuperJuice_Advanced.mer file to select the project, then click Open.
The Source file is now updated with the SuperJuice_Advanced.mer directory:

4. Double-click the EtherNet, Ethernet driver to expand the item.

5. Select the 192.168.1.20, PanelView Plus 7 Perf 1200W, item by clicking on it once.
Note that more devices may be shown in the list than shown in the picture below. Also, the PVP number shown will be
unique to your terminal.

6. To initiate the download process, click the Download button.

7. If a message stating that the application already exists on the terminal, click Yes to overwrite it.
A progress dialog will then appear.
When the download process completes, a confirmation dialog is shown.

8. Click the OK button to acknowledge the dialog.

9. Click the Exit button to close the Transfer Utility.

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Running an Application on a PanelView™ Plus Terminal
Use the steps below to load and run the application on the PanelView™ Plus located at this station.

1. Click .

2. Select SuperJuice_Advanced.mer and click .

3. Click to replace the terminal’s current communication configuration.

4. Click .
While the terminal is starting the application, an update dialog is displayed.

It may take up to 1 minute for the application to load and run. Once the application is running, if there are any alarm messages,
just click the Close button to close the alarm banner.

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Lab Setup and Configuration Information

Lab Information

Advanced FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition and PanelView™ Plus

Lab Name Machine-Level Application Topics
If you are an experienced FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition application
developer, this lab session allows you to pick and choose from subjects related to
more advanced capabilities. Topics include: designing reusable faceplates and
global objects, working with ActiveX controls, graphic animations, and remote
connectivity using the new HTML 5 version of FactoryTalk® ViewPoint.
Suggested prerequisite: VZ02 - FactoryTalk® View and PanelView™ Plus
Lab Description Introductory lab.
Lab Creator Wil Mattheis
Date Created 03-31-2016
Updates:

Hardware Configuration
Qty Demo Cat.# / Description Communication Location Firmware
2711P-T12W22A9P
PanelView™ Plus 7 12”W 8.20 w/ 2.45
1 terminal Ethernet OS
1 Ethernet cable

Computer/Host Settings
Location Files
Computer Name SERVER-BASE
IP Address 192.168.1.1
Operating System Windows Server 2008 R2

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Application/Programming
Location Files
C:\Lab Files\View ME - Advanced\FTView ME SuperJuice_Advanced.apa
C:\Lab Files\ View ME – Advanced\SoftLogix SuperJuice.ACD

Additional Equipment Required

Qty Items

RSLinx - DDE/OPC Topic Configuration

Topic Name Path to Hardware
n/a

RSLinx - Driver Configuration

Topic Name Path to Hardware
AB_VBP-1 (no topic
required) Virtual Backplane driver to access the SoftLogix processor

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RSlinx Enterprise – Shortcut Configuration
Topic Name Path to Hardware
Through SoftLogix Ethernet IP module in slot 3 to
SoftLogix processor in slot 4 Ethernet, Ethernet > 3,
SuperJuice 192.168.1.1 > Backplane > 2, 1789-L60 v23

Application Versions
Service
Version
Vendor Software Pack
FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition Studio 8.20
FactoryTalk® Services Platform 2.80
RSLinx Enterprise 5.80
RSLinx Classic 3.80
Studio 5000 23.00
SoftLogix 5800 23.00
FactoryTalk® ViewPoint 8.20
Microsoft Excel 2013
v8.20 & OS
PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal v2.45

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Hardware Setup Diagram
The only hardware needed for the lab is a PanelView™ Plus 7 12 inch, wide terminal and the Lab PC. The virtual machine
running on the Lab PC is using SoftLogix as the controller. The PanelView™ Plus 7 terminal should also have an RFIDeas RFID
reader attached to the USB port for the RFID reader portion of the lab.
Once the VM Ware image is starting up, it will copy a specific backup file from the terminal and apply it to the Virtual File System
of the PVP, which will configure the terminal for all the labs.

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Required Pre-Lab Configuration

Configure the Virtual Network

Select Virtual Network Editor from the Edit menu to open the Virtual Network Editor dialog.

The dialog below will appear.

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Select the Host Virtual Network Mapping tab.

For VMnet0 select the physical Ethernet adapter that will be connected to the PanelView™ Plus terminal.

Click the OK button to commit the changes that have been made.

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Notes

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Publication XXXX-XX###X-EN-E — April 2016 Copyright© 2016 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All rights reserved.
Supersedes Publication XXXX-XX###X-EN-E — Month Year

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