IA-09-L16 – FactoryTalk View SE Lab Manual

Presenter: <<Your name>>

<<Your business group>>

For Classroom Use Only!

IA-09-L16 — Configuring a FactoryTalk View SE
Application

Contents
Before you begin .........................................................................................................................................7
About this lab .................................................................................................................................................7

What You Will Accomplish In This Lab..........................................................................................................8

Who Should Complete This Lab....................................................................................................................8

Tools & prerequisites .....................................................................................................................................8

Hardware .......................................................................................................................................................8

Software.........................................................................................................................................................9

Lab Files ........................................................................................................................................................9

Overview.....................................................................................................................................................11
FactoryTalk View SE Components..............................................................................................................11

FactoryTalk View SE - Network and Local ..................................................................................................15

Best Practice................................................................................................................................................15

FactoryTalk View SE – Servers...................................................................................................................20

Section 1: Create and run a simple application .....................................................................................22

Creating a Network HMI Project in FactoryTalk View Studio ......................................................................22

Add an Area to the application ....................................................................................................................25

Add an HMI Server to the application..........................................................................................................26

Add Process Faceplates into the HMI Server .............................................................................................28

Add a data server ........................................................................................................................................29

Configure Communications .........................................................................................................................32

Create a display and add a numeric display object.....................................................................................37

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Section 2: Importing Application Components ......................................................................................40

Section 3: Tags ..........................................................................................................................................44

Read about HMI Tags and Direct Reference Tags .....................................................................................44

Creating an HMI tag.....................................................................................................................................46

Import/Export Tags Wizard ..........................................................................................................................49

Add Object referencing an HMI tag .............................................................................................................55

Section 4: Graphic Displays, Objects and Animations..........................................................................61

Read about Graphic Displays ......................................................................................................................61

Modify an XML file .......................................................................................................................................63

Tooltips ........................................................................................................................................................71

Docked Displays ..........................................................................................................................................78

Commands ..................................................................................................................................................84

Animations and Expressions .......................................................................................................................89

The Object Explorer.....................................................................................................................................90

Local Messages...........................................................................................................................................94

Section 5: Alarming .................................................................................................................................101

Read about Types of Alarming ..................................................................................................................101

Add Database Connection.........................................................................................................................103

Enabling device-based Alarms and Events ...............................................................................................105

Using FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Objects.............................................................................................108

Creating Tag-Based Alarms ......................................................................................................................128

Section 6: Global Objects .......................................................................................................................134

Create Reference Objects .........................................................................................................................134

Reference Object Properties .....................................................................................................................142

Look at the Global Object Defaults............................................................................................................144

Modifying Global Objects...........................................................................................................................146

Section 7: Security ..................................................................................................................................149

Read About Security..................................................................................................................................149

Creating a User and User Group...............................................................................................................150

Configuring Action Security .......................................................................................................................153

Configuring Runtime Security....................................................................................................................157

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Assign Security Codes to Commands .......................................................................................................159

Assign Security Codes to Displays............................................................................................................161

Assign Security Codes to Tags .................................................................................................................162

Verifying Security Settings.........................................................................................................................165

Section 8: Data Logging and Trending..................................................................................................170

Runtime Exploration ..................................................................................................................................170

Configuration Exploration ..........................................................................................................................171

Configuring Trends ....................................................................................................................................176

Viewing the Trend at runtime.....................................................................................................................182

Section 9: FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup and the Viewer .................................................................190

Read About FactoryTalk Diagnostics ........................................................................................................190

Diagnostics Setup......................................................................................................................................195

ODBC Database as a Message Source ....................................................................................................198

View the ODBC Log...................................................................................................................................201

Section 10: Language Switching ...........................................................................................................203

Read About Language Switching ..............................................................................................................203

Configuration of supported languages.......................................................................................................205

Language switching command ..................................................................................................................212

Device-based alarm language switching ...................................................................................................216

Tag-based alarm language switching........................................................................................................219

Section 11: Testing Displays..................................................................................................................226

Test Display ...............................................................................................................................................226

Configure a Client File ...............................................................................................................................228

Run Client ..................................................................................................................................................235

Verify Online Edits .....................................................................................................................................236

Test commands at Runtime.......................................................................................................................237

Section 12: Advanced .............................................................................................................................238

Importing screens from RSView32 ............................................................................................................238

Alarm Migration Tool..................................................................................................................................247

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Before you begin

This lab is intended to be a compilation of several smaller exercises designed to instruct the user on the basics of
FactoryTalk View Site Edition. Though the lab can be done linearly, where all exercises are cumulative, the only
required exercises are all of Section 1: Creating your application and Section 2: Importing/Exporting Application
Components. From there, the user may select which exercises interest them most without having to be concerned
with numerical order.

The following steps must be completed before starting the lab exercise:
1. If Log On To Windows dialog is active type ‘administrator’ for Username and type ‘rockwell’ for
password.
2. Use the same Login information if prompted to Log On to the FactoryTalk Directory or when
creating a FactoryTalk Alarms and Events History Database.

About this lab

Welcome to the FactoryTalk View SE Hands-On Lab series. This session provides you with an opportunity to
explore the basics of FactoryTalk View Site Edition (FactoryTalk View SE). The following sections explain what
you’ll be doing in this lab session and what you will need to do to complete the hands-on exercises.

Note: In v 5.00 (CPR 9), product name changes have taken place to better reflect Rockwell Automation’s system-
oriented software and integrated architecture.
RSView name (CPR 7 FactoryTalk View RSView name (CPR 7 FactoryTalk View
and earlier) name (CPR 9 and and earlier) name (CPR 9 and
later) later)

RSView Supervisory FactoryTalk View Site RSView Enterprise FactoryTalk View

Edition (SE) Edition (SE)

RSView SE Stand-alone FactoryTalk View SE RSView SE Distributed FactoryTalk View SE

(Local) (Network)

RSView SE Client™ FactoryTalk View SE RSView Studio FactoryTalk View Studio

Client

RSView SE FactoryTalk View SE RSView SE Server™ FactoryTalk View SE

Administration Console™ Administration Console Server

RSView ME Station™ FactoryTalk View Machine RSView Machine FactoryTalk View Machine
Edition Station Edition™ (ME) Edition (ME)

This lab uses FactoryTalk View SE 5.00 (CPR 9). View SE is an integrated package for developing and running
multi-user, networked human-machine interface (HMI) applications. View SE is designed for automated process

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or machine monitoring, and supervisory control.

In this lab, you will be working with a network application containing an HMI Server, a data server, and a single
HMI Client. For this lab, these servers and clients will all be located on the same computer. View Studio, the
development environment, will also be on this computer. In the deployed system however, these components
could actually be on separate computers, and additional HMI clients could be used, since View SE scales easily
from small to large systems. This lab procedure contains content and exercises for both novice and advanced
users. After executing the first few sections of the lab you can pick and choose other sections.

It is recommended that users complete remaining lab procedures in the order they are presented, time permitting.

What You Will Accomplish In This Lab

As you complete the exercises in this hands-on session, you will gain an understanding of the functionality and
capability of FactoryTalk View Site Edition by

creating an application

configuring an HMI server

configuring an RSLinx Enterprise data server and enabling it for alarm and event support

utilizing graphics and animation

test running displays

configuring and running an HMI client file

configuring and monitoring alarms (FactoryTalk device and tag based)

implementing security

working with data log models and trends

using the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer

working with Global Objects

configuring your application for language switching

Who Should Complete This Lab

This hands-on lab is intended for individuals who:

Have a basic knowledge of HMI software and are involved in the design and implementation of supervisory-
level HMI projects.

Tools & prerequisites

Hardware
This hands-on lab does not require any hardware. A Logix5000 controller could be used in place of SoftLogix
5800.

Note: FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Device Based Alarms requires firmware version 16.20 or higher for
ControlLogix, CompactLogix L3x and L4x, and DriveLogix.

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Software
This hands-on lab uses the following software:

FactoryTalk Services Platform v2.10.00.0117

FactoryTalk View SE v5.00.00.55

RSLinx Enterprise v5.00.00.99

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events v2.10.00.0117 (included with FactoryTalk View Site Edition and
RSLinx Enterprise)

RSLinx Classic (used for Logix programming) v2.52.00.17

RSLogix5000 v16.03.00

SoftLogix 16.03.00 (Bld 42)

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is a free, redistributable version of Microsoft SQL Server.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events uses Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine for logging alarm
and event information. You can connect to an existing SQL Server database, or you can install
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, Service Pack 2, which is included in the Redist folder on the
FactoryTalk View SE and RSLinx Enterprise CDs.
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free, easy-to-use graphical
management tool for managing SQL Server 2005 Express. It is included in the Redist folder on the
FactoryTalk View SE and RSLinx Enterprise CDs.

Lab Files
This hands-on lab uses the following files located in the C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\ subdirectory:

Language Switching – contains 3 files that will be used in the language switching section of the lab

InstantFizz_Translated.xls
– Translated file for FactoryTalk View SE

InstantFizz_Controller-Tags_translated.TXT
- Translated file for FactoryTalk Alarms and Events device-based alarm messages in RSLogix
5000

InstantFizz_FTAETagServer_Alarm Export_translated.xls
- Translated file for FactoryTalk Alarms and Events tag-based alarm messages in the
FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Server

RSLogix 5000 – contains 1 file that can be used with RSLogix 5000.

InstantFizz_Controller.ACD – control program to be used in this lab

Graphics displays – contains 19 files that have been pre-configured

alarm banner.gfx

alarmlogviewer.gfx

Alarms.gfx

alarmstatusexplorer.gfx

Blending.gfx

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cip - process steps.gfx

CIP - Sensor Trend.gfx

CIP - Valves.gfx

CIP Overview.gfx

filling.gfx

labeling.gfx

Languages.gfx

Navigation.gfx

packaging.gfx

Plant Overview.gfx

Rapid Mix - Overview.gfx

Rapid Mix - Process Steps.gfx

Security.gfx

Images – contains 56 pre-configured images

Client – contains a preconfigured FactoryTalk View SE Client file

ClientFile_DockedDisplays.cli

Client Keys - ClientKeys.key

ODBC database - ODBC_InstantFizz.mdb

Graphic XML file - CIP - Process Steps.xml

Exported Tag database - Additional_Tags.CSV

Local Messages – 2 pre-configured files

CIPProcessSteps.loc

RapidMix.loc

Trend Templates – 9 pre-configured Trend Templates

Datalog – CIP.mdf

RSView32 migration files

Global Objects - CIPComponents.ggfx

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Overview

About this lab

This lab will outline the major components and fundamental ideas of FactoryTalk View Site Edition. It will
specifically:

Discuss the components of FactoryTalk View SE

Discuss the differences between FactoryTalk View SE Local and Network Application

Discuss HMI Servers, data servers, and Tag Alarm and Event Servers

Discuss FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Services for Device Based and Tag Based Alarms

FactoryTalk View SE Components

FactoryTalk View Site Edition

FactoryTalk® View Site Edition is an integrated software package for developing and running human-machine
interface (HMI) applications that involve multiple users and servers, distributed over a network.

A member of the FactoryTalk family of products, FactoryTalk View Site Edition (also called FactoryTalk View SE)
provides all the tools you need to create powerful, dependable process monitoring and supervisory control
applications.

FactoryTalk View SE software is designed for use with Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Windows XP, and
Windows 2000 operating systems.

FactoryTalk View Site Edition consists of several pieces of software you can use to build automation applications.
Depending on the particular software packages installed, you will have one or more of the following pieces of
software: FactoryTalk View Studio, FactoryTalk View SE Client, FactoryTalk View SE Server, FactoryTalk Alarms
and Events, FactoryTalk Services Platform, FactoryTalk Administrator Console, FactoryTalk™ Directory, and
FactoryTalk Activation.

FactoryTalk View Studio

Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Studio
FactoryTalk View Studio is configuration software for developing and testing FactoryTalk View SE applications.
FactoryTalk View Studio contains editors for creating complete applications, and includes client and server
software for testing the applications you create. Use the editors to create applications that are as simple or as
complex as you need. You can use FactoryTalk View Studio to develop FactoryTalk View Site Edition and
FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ME) applications.

FactoryTalk View comes with process faceplates and graphic libraries that can be used in your applications.

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Process faceplates are preconfigured to work with various Logix5000 instructions (for example, PIDE, D2SD, and
the new ALMD and ALMA instructions). Many of the graphic library objects are preconfigured with animation. Use
the objects as they are, or change them to suit your needs.

When you have finished developing an application, use FactoryTalk View SE Client to view and interact with the
application.

FactoryTalk View SE Client

Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > FactoryTalk View Client
FactoryTalk View SE Client is a complete runtime operating environment for viewing and interacting with
FactoryTalk View SE local and network applications. To set up a FactoryTalk View SE Client, you need to create
a configuration file using the FactoryTalk View SE Client wizard. The HMI Server does not have to be running
when you configure a FactoryTalk View SE Client. With the FactoryTalk View SE Client you can:

Load, view, and interact with multiple graphic displays at a time from multiple servers

Perform alarm management

View real-time and historical trends

Adjust set points

Start and stop components on any server

Provide a secure operator environment

And much more!

FactoryTalk View Administration Console

Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk View > Tools > SE Administration Console
FactoryTalk View Administration Console is for administering FactoryTalk View applications after they have been
deployed. FactoryTalk View Administration Console contains a sub-set of the FactoryTalk View Studio editors, so
you can make minor changes to an application without the need for installing FactoryTalk View Studio. The
FactoryTalk View Administration Console has a two hour run-time limit. A warning message is displayed five
minutes before the time is up. To continue using it you simply shut it down and restart it.

FactoryTalk View Administration Console allows you to:

Change the properties of an HMI server.

Change the properties of a data server.

Add FactoryTalk users to an application, using the Runtime Security editor.

Set up security for commands and macros, using the Runtime Secured Commands editor.

Run FactoryTalk View commands from the Command Line.

Change how HMI tag alarms are logged and annunciated, using the Alarm Setup editor.

Change the path of data log models.

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Change which system activities are logged and how frequently, using the Diagnostics Setup editor
(on the Tools menu).

Change the location alarms are logged to, and manage log files, using the Alarm Log Setup editor
(on the Tools menu).

Import and export HMI tags using the Tag Import and Export Wizard (on the Tools menu).

FactoryTalk View SE Server

The FactoryTalk View SE Server, also called the HMI server, stores HMI project components (for example,
graphic displays, global objects, and macros) and serves them to clients. The server also contains a database of
tags, performs historical data logging, and HMI alarm monitoring. FactoryTalk Alarms and Events can be used
instead of FactoryTalk View SE HMI alarm monitoring. To maintain compatibility with existing applications,
FactoryTalk View still supports the traditional HMI alarm monitoring.

The FactoryTalk View SE Server has no user interface. Once installed, it runs as a set of ‘headless’ Windows
services that supply information to clients as they request it.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

Before FactoryTalk® Alarms and Events (introduced in Version 5.00), FactoryTalk View SE supported only HMI
tag alarm monitoring. To maintain compatibility with existing applications, FactoryTalk View still supports this type
of alarm monitoring.

However, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events now allows multiple FactoryTalk products to participate together in a
common, consistent view of alarms and events throughout a FactoryTalk system. FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
supports two types of alarm monitoring:

Device-based alarm monitoring. Pre-built alarm instructions, available in RSLogix 5000 v. 16 or
later, are programmed in a logic project and then downloaded into a Logix5000 controller. The
controller detects alarm conditions and publishes event information, which is routed through the
system for display and logging.

Tag-based alarm monitoring. If you are not using Logix5000 controllers, or if you do not want to use
the pre-built alarm instructions available with RSLogix 5000, tag-based alarm monitoring offers the
equivalent of HMI Tag Alarm Monitoring, but with an expanded feature set. Software-based Tag
Alarm and Event Servers monitor controllers for alarm conditions through data servers and publish
event information for display and logging. Tag-based alarm monitoring is supported for Logix5000
controllers, PLC-5, and SLC 500 devices communicating through Rockwell Automation Device
Servers (RSLinx Enterprise), or for third-party controllers communicating through OPC data
servers.

FactoryTalk Services Platform

FactoryTalk Services Platform provides common services (such as diagnostic messages, health monitoring
services, and access to real-time data) to products and applications in a FactoryTalk system.

FactoryTalk Directory
FactoryTalk Directory centralizes access to system resources (for example, FactoryTalk View SE Servers, or
OPC servers) and names (for example, data tags, graphic displays, and log models), for all of the FactoryTalk
products and components participating in an automated control system.

FactoryTalk Directory software works like a telephone directory, or electronic address book, providing a lookup
service that allows parts of an application to find each other on a single computer, or across a network.

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Through the lookup service, application components such as tags and graphic displays can be stored in their
original environments, and yet be made available to all clients participating in an application.
No duplication is necessary.

FactoryTalk View Site Edition applications use two types of FactoryTalk Directory:

• FactoryTalk Local Directory (also called the Local Directory) manages local applications. All local
application components, except for OPC data servers, must be located on the same computer.

• FactoryTalk Network Directory (also called the Network Directory) manages network applications.
Network applications can consist of multiple clients and servers, distributed across several computers
connected over a network. One Network Directory manages all of the FactoryTalk products that
participate in a single network application.

Both the Local and the Network Directory are set up on the computer, when you install the
FactoryTalk Services Platform.

FactoryTalk Administration Console

Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Administration Console
Part of the FactoryTalk Services Platform, FactoryTalk Administration Console is an optional, stand-alone tool for
developing applications and managing a FactoryTalk system. You can use FactoryTalk Administration Console or
FactoryTalk View Studio to develop applications and manage a FactoryTalk system. Only FactoryTalk View
Studio can be used to create HMI servers and HMI projects.

FactoryTalk Administration Console allows you to:

Create and configure application, area, and data server elements in a FactoryTalk Directory.

Create and configure alarm and event servers, including both tag-based and device-based
servers.

Configure alarm conditions for tag-based alarm detection.

Organize securable actions into groups.

Create database definitions for logging historical alarm and event messages.

Configure options for routing, logging, and viewing diagnostic messages.

Back up and restore an entire directory, an individual application, or system settings.

Set up redundancy for OPC data servers and Tag Alarm and Event Servers.

Configure client computers to recognize the location of a Network Directory Server computer.

Configure system-wide policy settings.

Secure a FactoryTalk system with security services.

FactoryTalk Activation

Start > Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Activation > FactoryTalk Activation Tool
FactoryTalk Activation provides a secure, software-based system for activating Rockwell Software products and

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managing software activation files. With FactoryTalk Activation, there is no need for a physical “master disk” or
any physical media; instead, activation files are generated and distributed electronically.

FactoryTalk Activation provides these types of activations:

Local node-locked activations are locked to a single computer.

Mobile node-locked activations are locked to a hardware dongle.

Shared concurrent activations are locked to an activation server computer, and shared by client
computers on the network.
There are two types of shared concurrent activation: floating and borrowed. Floating concurrent activation
requires a continuous network connection, while borrowed concurrent activation does not.

FactoryTalk View SE - Network and Local

Network Applications
A network application can contain several servers, running on multiple computers on a network, with multiple
client users connecting to the application simultaneously, from anywhere on the network. For example, you may
use separate servers for different functional areas or locations within your enterprise, and allow clients to interface
to any of the servers. Network applications have one or more areas (see Areas definition below), one HMI server
per area, and one or more data servers. An area may contain another area within it.

Once you have created the applications and an HMI server, you can use the FactoryTalk View Studio editors in
the HMI server project to create application components such as graphics displays, global objects, and data log
models.
Areas: A key part of the network architecture system is the area. An area is a logical division within
your application. You can think of areas as partitions of your hard drive. The partitions are all on the
same main disk (or application, in this analogy), but they divide it logically and hold information
independently of each other. An area can also be used to organize the application in a way that
makes sense for the process it is controlling.
For example, an area might represent a portion of a process, or a region within the process facility.
An automotive plant could be divided into areas called Press and Fabrication, Body Shop, Paint
Shop, Engine, and Transmission; a bakery could be divided into areas called Ingredients, Mixing,
Baking, and Packaging. Alternatively, a plant with identical production lines could be divided into
areas called Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, and so on. This would allow you to add new, identical production
lines to the application by copying HMI server projects into new areas.

Root Area: All FactoryTalk View applications have one system-defined area called the root area,
which has the same name as the application. The application root area can contain one HMI server,
and one or more data servers.

Best Practice
Since an area is nothing more than a logical method of organizing the application, and not a physical entity, there
is not a limit to the number of areas that can reside within an application. However, there is a limit of 1 HMI server
per area and 10 HMI servers per application*.

The recommended limit of data servers within an application is 10*. There is not a limit to the number of data

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servers that can co-exist in the same area. However, it makes sense to logically organize the data servers that
are serving alarms in order for the alarm summary to filter alarms appropriately at runtime. For example, a single
area may contain an HMI server for a physical location of a facility, an RSLinx Enterprise data server (configured
as a FactoryTalk device based alarm server), and a 3rd party OPC server (configured with the FactoryTalk tag
based alarm server). This configuration allows for the alarm summary to filer alarms based on the area name,
regardless of which server the alarm comes from.

What you want to avoid is one physical installation of a data server to be referenced multiple times from different
areas of the application. This is not necessary because FactoryTalk allows any client to see any data point within
the application, regardless of which area it comes from.

*Note: The initial release of FactoryTalk Alarms and Events have different limits than FactoryTalk View SE 5.0.
Please refer to the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Quick Start Guide or Answer ID 44177 within the Rockwell
Automation Knowledgebase for more information.

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This is an example of a FactoryTalk View SE network application.

Network
Directory

Root
Area HMI
HMI Server
Servers

Area
Areas

Data server

The Insta Corp application consists of four different defined areas: ie_packaging, ie_production,
is_packaging, and is_production. The areas are marked by the folders that are right off the root,
which is the application Insta Corp.
Try looking at one of the areas – ie_packaging, the topmost area. Notice that the HMI server called
IE_CasePack is located inside the area.
The folders under the ie_packaging HMI Server titled System, HMI Tags, Graphics, Alarms, Logic and
Control, and Data Log are all different components you can configure under each HMI server – they are
not areas within the area, but are actually components of an HMI server.
There is a data server called RSLinx Enterprise located under the root area (Insta Corp).

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The diagram below shows an example system architecture using a Network application as part of a distributed
FactoryTalk system.

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Local Applications
A local application is similar to an RSView32 project; all application components and the FactoryTalk View SE
client are located on a single computer. There is only one HMI server that is created for you in the root area when
the application is created. You may use local applications for parts of the plant or process that are self-contained
and are not related to other parts of the process.

The diagram below shows an example system architecture using a Local application as part of a stand-alone
FactoryTalk system.

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Creating a new FactoryTalk View SE application
Here are the general steps for creating an application:

1) Create a local or network application

2) If it’s a network application, add one or more Areas

3) If it’s a network application, one HMI server can be added per area (local creates one automatically).
Choose to add any of the faceplate displays into the HMI server.

4) Set up data server communications. Add one or more of the following data servers

a. Rockwell Automation Device Server

b. OPC Data server

5) Set up Tag Alarm and Event Server

6) Create graphic displays, global objects, and other components into your HMI server

7) Set up historical FactoryTalk alarm and event logging

8) Set up Security

9) Set up a run-time FactoryTalk View SE Client

FactoryTalk View SE – Servers

HMI Servers

HMI servers are software programs that supply information to clients as they request it. An HMI server stores HMI
project components such as graphic displays, and serves these components to clients. An HMI server also
manages a database of tags, detects HMI tag alarms, and logs historical data.

Data Servers
A data server provides a route to physical devices on the network, allowing applications to monitor and control the
values in those devices. For example, data servers can connect application clients to programmable controller
values, OPC® tags (and their value or status information), or named variables in a Logix5000 controller.

A data server can be a Rockwell Automation Device Server (RSLinx Enterprise) or a third-party OPC data server
that serves up tag values. Once a data server is configured, you can set it up to point to a specific controller such
as a ControlLogix processor. Properly configuring a data server allows you to browse for a tag directly.

The following types of data servers are supported:

Rockwell Automation Device Servers (RSLinx Enterprise) provide best performance when
communicating with Logix5000 controllers, or with many clients. You can also use RSLinx
Enterprise servers to subscribe to device-based alarms and events.

OPC data servers (including RSLinx Classic) support any data server that conforms to the OPC-DA
2.0 standard. OPC stands for OLE for Process Control, a protocol that allows FactoryTalk View to
retrieve tag values from:

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Rockwell Automation programmable controllers and devices, using RSLinx Classic or RSLinx
Gateway as an OPC server.

Third-party controller devices, such as Siemens or Modicon®, using third-party OPC servers.

Alarm and Event Servers

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events allow multiple FactoryTalk products to participate together in a common,
consistent view of alarms and events throughout a FactoryTalk system. FactoryTalk Alarms and Events support
two types of alarm monitoring:

Device-based alarm monitoring. Pre-built alarm instructions, available in RSLogix 5000 v. 16 or
later, are programmed in a logic project and then downloaded into a Logix5000 controller. The
controller detects alarm conditions and publishes event information, which is routed through the
system for display and logging.

Tag-based alarm monitoring. If you are not using Logix5000 controllers, or if you do not want to use
the pre-built alarm instructions available with RSLogix 5000, tag-based alarm monitoring offers the
equivalent of HMI Tag Alarm Monitoring, but with an expanded feature set. Software-based Tag
Alarm and Event Servers monitor controllers for alarm conditions through data servers and publish
event information for display and logging. Tag-based alarm monitoring is supported for Logix5000
controllers, PLC-5, and SLC 500 devices communicating through Rockwell Automation Device
Servers (RSLinx Enterprise), or for third-party controllers communicating through OPC data
servers.
An Alarm and Event Server can be a Rockwell Automation Device Server (RSLinx Enterprise) that is enabled for
monitoring device-based alarms or a FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Tag Server that has been configured for
monitoring tag-based alarms.

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Section 1: Create and run a simple application

FactoryTalk View Site Edition (SE) can be used to develop and run applications that involve single or multiple
users and servers and can be distributed over a network or can be local to a single computer.

The two types of SE applications are explained below:

1. FactoryTalk View SE Local (Stand-Alone) - A local application is similar to an RSView32 project; all
application components and the FactoryTalk View SE client are located on a single computer. There is
only one HMI server that is created for you in the root area when the application is created. You may use
local applications for parts of the plant or process that are self-contained and are not related to other parts
of the process.
2. FactoryTalk View SE Network (Distributed) - A network application can contain several servers,
running on multiple computers on a network, with multiple client users connecting to the application
simultaneously, from anywhere on the network. For example, you may use separate servers for different
functional areas or locations within your enterprise, and allow clients to interface to any of the servers.
Network applications have one or more areas, one HMI server per area, and one or more data servers.
An area may contain another area within it.
You can use FactoryTalk View Studio to create application components such as graphics displays,
global objects, alarms and data log models.

In this lab we will create and run a network FactoryTalk View SE application.

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Create a Network Application called InstantFizz

Add an area called Area1

Add an HMI Server within Area1 called InstantFizz_HMIServer

Add Process Faceplate Displays into your HMI Project

Add a data server called RSLinx Enterprise

Configure a Communications path called shortcut that will point to the SoftLogix controller

Verify communications

Create a display, add a numeric display object

Test the display
This entire section must be completed prior to doing any other sections in this lab.

Creating a Network HMI Project in FactoryTalk View Studio

We are creating a network application, which supports multiple HMI, Data servers and clients distributed
across a network. As explained in detail in the “Overview” section, a network application requires a Network
FactoryTalk Directory to be configured. The configuration of the FactoryTalk Directory is generally done
during the install, but it can be configured subsequently using the FactoryTalk Directory Configuration
Wizard from Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Tools > FactoryTalk Directory
Configuration Wizard.

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 Once the FactoryTalk Directory has been configured you can specify what computer will be hosting the
Directory. The default location of the FactoryTalk Directory is the local computer, but it can be any computer
on your network. Note: For a FactoryTalk View Local application, the Local FactoryTalk Directory must be
used.

Specify the FactoryTalk Directory location

1. Specify the FactoryTalk Directory location.

Go to Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk Tools > Specify FactoryTalk Directory
Location.

A prompt to login will open

Login.
Username: Administrator.
Password: rockwell

Note: In order to Specify the FactoryTalk Directory Location you must have administrator rights.

During the install of the FactoryTalk Services Platform the “Windows Administrator” and “Administrator”
groups are automatically added to the Network FactoryTalk Directory. Hence, you can login with any user
belonging to either of these groups.

2. The Specify FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility will open. In this lab we will set the
FactoryTalk Directory Location to the local computer (localhost). In a FactoryTalk View SE Network
application, the FactoryTalk Directory can be located on any computer on the network that has the
FactoryTalk Services Platform installed. Use this utility to modify the location of your FactoryTalk
Directory. Follow steps a to b to specify the FactoryTalk Directry Location.

b. Click OK to
close.

a. Ensure the FactoryTalk

Directory Server Location is
set to localhost.

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Create a new FactoryTalk View SE (Network) application

1. Run FactoryTalk View Studio. Select the Start > All Programs > Rockwell Software > FactoryTalk
View > FactoryTalk View Studio menu item.

Select FactoryTalk
View Studio

2. Create a Network application called InstantFizz by following steps a to f. You will be prompted with the
following dialog:

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 b. Select
Continue

a. Select Site
Edition (Network)

c. Select
New tab
d. Type
‘InstantFizz’ e. Ensure English
language is selected.

f. Select
Create

Wait for several seconds to allow FactoryTalk View Studio to create the application.

Add an Area to the application

1. Follow steps a to c to add an Area called Area1.

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 Note: the first line in the Explorer Window: Network (LOCALHOST) indicates that we are creating a Network
(Distributed) application and the FactoryTalk Directory is located on the local computer (LOCALHOST).

a. Right-click on
InstantFizz and
select “New Area”.

b. Type area
name: Area1.

c. Press OK to
complete.

Add an HMI Server to the application

1. Follow steps a to g to add an HMI Server to the application.

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 a. Expand “InstantFizz” to
see the Area1 icon.

b.Right-click on Area1, go
to “Add New Server” then
select “HMI Server”.

c. Select “Create a
new HMI Server”.

d. Select Next.

e.Type the HMI Server name:

InstantFizz_HMIServer.

f. Choose which computer will host

the HMI Server. It can be any
computer on your network. For this
lab, leave this as the local
computer (default setting).

g. Click Finish to
complete.

Note: The HMI Server will take a few moments to load.

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Add Process Faceplates into the HMI Server

When you add an HMI server to a network application, or when you create a new local application, you have the
option to add the process faceplate displays that are installed with FactoryTalk View SE. The Add Process
Faceplates Dialog box will open, if it’s set to display when you create a new HMI server.

1. Select the Clear All button.

2. Check the boxes for this display types:

• Discrete 2-State Device – D2SD

• Help – Help Browser

Your dialog window should look like this:

3. Click the OK button.

4. Observe that a network application, InstantFizz has been created. The HMI Server called
InstantFizz_HMIServer has been created under the area Area1.

5. Maximize or resize your FactoryTalk View Studio window to the desired size for working with your
application.

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 Add Process Faceplates Dialog
When you add an HMI server to a network application, or when you create a new local application, you
have the option to add the process faceplate displays that are installed with FactoryTalk View SE. The
Add Process Faceplates Dialog box will open, if it’s set to display when you create a new HMI server. If
you don’t want to add faceplates, click Cancel to close the dialog box, without affecting HMI server
creation. If you don’t want to be prompted every time you create an HMI Server, uncheck the option to
“Display this dialog when creating a new application”.
After you create the application or HMI server you can still add process faceplates by right-clicking on
the HMI server and then selecting the Add Process Faceplates menu item. If you added a display
previously, you can either replace the existing display or remove it from the list of displays.
Note: Adding faceplate displays to an application affects the license count. Each added faceplate
display (.gfx file) counts as one display for activation purposes.
New Faceplates
The Alarm Analog – ALMA and Alarm Digital – ALMD faceplates are preconfigured to work with the
new RSLogix 5000 instructions that are available in V 16 or later. These faceplates along with the
existing ones can be used as is or changed to suit your needs.

Add a data server

To allow our application to monitor and control the values within the SoftLogix Controller that is running the control
program for this lab you need to add a data server. You will be adding a Rockwell Automation Device Servers
(RSLinx Enterprise). It provides the best performance when communicating with Logix5000 controllers.

To monitor alarms in a Logix5000 controller, a Rockwell Automation Device Server (RSLinx Enterprise) needs to
be added to a FactoryTalk application.

1. Right-click on the area Area1, select the Add New Server > Rockwell Automation Device Server
(RSLinx Enterprise)… context menu item.

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 Note: For this lab we are adding the RSlinx Enterprise data server to the area Area1. Read the Area Best
Practices paragraph in the Overview section for other alternatives in a distributed application.

2. The RSLinx Enterprise Server Properties will appear. Leave the defaults on the General tab.

a. Identify the computer that will host the

RSLinx Enterprise data server. For this
lab, RSLinx Enterprise will be hosted on
the local computer (default setting).

Note: The RSLinx Enterprise Server Properties window is also used to configure Data Server redundancy
and FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.

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3. Enable Alarms and Events by following steps a-c. The FactoryTalk Alarms and Events will be discussed in
more detail during the Alarming section.

a. Select the Alarms and Events tab

b. Check the Enable alarm and

event support option

c. Un-Check the Enable history

button

7. Click the OK button

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4. Verify that the RSLinx Enterprise device server has been successfully added into your application.

Configure Communications

We are going to now configure a device shortcut.

Device Shortcuts: A Device Shortcut allows you to create a ‘pointer’ to a device that you can refer to
throughout the application while developing displays. This enables the user to change the location of a
processor or other such device in one place, which then propagates throughout the rest of the project,
without having to change all tag references to that processor. A device shortcut is similar to a Windows
shortcut on your computer’s desktop that provides easy access to an application.

Communications Setup Editor Improvements

Offline tag browsing no longer requires you to associate the device shortcut with a controller. In
previous releases, you were required to associate a shortcut with both a controller and an offline tag file
to be able to browse the tags in the offline tag file. You can now create a shortcut that is associated
only with the offline tag file if all you want to do is browse tags in that file.
The Communication Setup editor has been enhanced to prevent the creation of shortcuts that point to
devices that do not provide data (such as communication modules and backplanes).
The Communication Setup editor now provides status messages about shortcuts as you create them as
well as a summary of all messages via a shortcut verification report.
The Communication Setup editor has a new option for enabling alarm and event support at the device
level.
Warnings have been added to FactoryTalk to tell users if making an edit in the development
environment will adversely affect the run-time system. If the change is made through a dialog box, this
warning icon appears next to the component where the edit can be made.

1. Open the Communication Setup. Expand the RSLinx Enterprise device server. Double-click on
Communication Setup

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The Communication Setup dialog will appear to the right of the Explorer tree.

2. Add a Device Shortcut by following steps a-b.

a. Click the
Add button

b. Type the
shortcut name
“Shortcut”.

3. Browse to the controller. Right-click on the 1789-A17, Backplane, Select Start Browsing

4. Select 2, 1789-L60/A, SoftLogix5800 Controller. Note: Instead you may see 2, 1789-L60/A,
InstantFizz_Controller.

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 Note: 2 is the slot number of the SoftLogix module that is in the chassis. This is where the control
program for this lab is running.

5. Add an Offline Tag File. Click the Browse… button next to the Offline Tag File entry field. Browse
to C:\InstantFizz-Lab Files\RSLogix 5000\ folder. Select the InstantFizz_Controller.ACD file. Click the
Open button.

Browse to C:\InstantFizz-Lab
Files\RSLogix 5000\ folder and
select InstantFizz_Controller.ACD
file.

Offline Tag Browsing

The offline tag file will enable you to browse a ControlLogix controller's tags when that controller is not
online. The file must be located on the local PC, not on a networked location.

Offline Tag Browsing Improvement

Offline tag browsing no longer requires you to associate the device shortcut with a controller. In
previous releases, you were required to associate a shortcut with both a controller and an offline tag file

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to be able to browse the tags in the offline tag file. You can now create a shortcut that is associated
only with the offline tag file if all you want to do is browse tags in that file.

Because it’s possible to have many application shortcuts configured to different controllers, you must also enable
Alarm and Events on your application shortcut to enable which controller you would like to receive alarming
information from.

6. Enable Alarm and Events by selecting Yes from the pull-down menu.

Set Enable Alarms &

Events to Yes.

7. Apply the settings to the device shortcut “Shortcut” by following steps a-c,

c. Click the Apply button to

apply the shortcut settings.

b. Ensure 2, 1789-L60/A,
a. Ensure Shortcut SoftLogix5800
is highlighted. Controller is selected.

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 8. The following RSLinx Enterprise prompt will appear. The prompt lists all the changes made to the
shortcut. Make sure your shortcut is set to Shortcut as we will be using pre-configured displays
referencing that shortcut name.Compare your prompt to the one below. If it matches select Yes to apply
the changes.

Select Yes to
complete.

9. To Verify communications at any time, select the Verify button at the bottom of the Communications
Setup window.

The Verify dialog will appear. Review your changes. Click the Close button.

10. Click OK on the Communications Setup dialog to close.

Your device shortcut has been created.

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Create a display and add a numeric display object
Let’s take a minute to verify that communications is setup correctly. Verify that you are communicating by adding
a Numeric Display Object to a display and then test that display in FactoryTalk View Studio. Verify that you can
access controller tags from the online SoftLogix Controller and the offline tags file by performing tag browses. In
the Explorer, right-click on the Display folder, select the New context menu item

An untitled display will be opened.

1. Single-click to select the Numeric Input object from Objects > Numeric and String > Numeric Input from
the menu.

2. On the empty display, Single-click and hold down the mouse button, drag the cursor to draw the numeric
input and release the mouse button. As you are dragging the mouse you will see a rectangle to show the
size of the object that will be created.

3. When you release the Numeric Input Properties dialog will appear.

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 Numeric Input Enhancement
Numeric input object allows for user-assigned minimum and maximum values that are validated prior to
download.

4. Click on the Connections tab.

5. Click on the Tags… button next to the Value field.

6. The Tag Browser will open. If you don’t see a folder for Shortcut, right-click on InstantFizz, select the
Refresh All Folders context menu item.

7. Expand the Shortcut folder then notice two sub-folders Online and Offline. The Online folder references
the tags of the online controller that the shortcut is pointing to (such as our SoftLogix controller). Offline

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 folder references the tags in the ControlLogix controller file (.ACD). Use the Offline tag browsing and
Offline Tag File in the RSLinx Enterprise Communications Setup when the online controller is not
available, and you only have access to the controller file (.ACD). Follow steps a to b to select the
MixSteps tag.

a. Select the
“Online” folder. b. Select the
MixSteps tag
then click OK.

11. The tag will appear in the Tag/Expression field next to the Value. Your selected tag should look like
this:

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 11. Click the OK button on the Numeric Input Properties dialog.

12. After adding an object to our display, we can verify the communications to our controller and Test the
display.

Single-click on the Test

Display button from the
tool menu.

13. A value (ex. 7) should appear on the display. This actually verifies that you got the tag from the online tag
file and you are online with the controller. If you were not online with the controller, it would appear as
what is called a wireframe, because the data is not available at this time. It would look something like this
instead.

14. Click the Edit Display button to get back to edit mode.

15. Close the display and when prompted to save your changes select No.

Section 1 is complete. You have created a simple network application. You have the building blocks in place and
are ready to start creating your graphic displays.

Section 2: Importing Application Components

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Import pre-configured application components

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FactoryTalk View SE allows you to import and export individual or all HMI Server components, including Displays,
Alarms, Local Messages, Images, Parameter Files, Data Logs etc.

The graphic displays are stored in gfx files. GFX files can only be modified (in this format) when imported in
FactoryTalk View Studio. You can import a display from one application to another by adding the .gfx files.

This is the Application Explorer window that is used throughout this entire hands-on lab. The Explorer allows you
to select different objects, displays, and other components of the FactoryTalk View SE application.

Network Area within the

Directory Application.
HMI Server

Application Commands

Displays

Global Objects

Images

RSLinx Enterprise
Data Server

Adding preconfigured HMI components:

There are preconfigured HMI components (i.e., Displays and macros) that will be used in this lab. Do the following
to add them to the HMI Server.

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1. Right-click on Displays and select “Add Component Into Application…”

2. Browse to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\Graphic Displays and add the displays by following steps a-b.

a. Select all the GFX

files in this folder,
then click Open.

b. The graphic displays

will be migrated. This may
take a few seconds.

You have now added the preconfigured graphical displays. Some of the displays reference external
images (JPG, bmp etc). The next few steps will show you how to import these images into your
application.
3. Right-click on Images and select “Add Component Into Application…”

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4. Browse to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\Images to add the images

5. Select all the .bmp

files in this folder,
then click Open.

You have added the preconfigured graphical displays and the corresponding images. The next two steps
will show you how to add the pre-configured startup macro into your application. You can learn more
about macros in Section 4.

5. Right-click on Macro and select “Add Component Into Application…”

6. Browse to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\ and select startup.mcr to add the pre-configured macro

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Section 3: Tags

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Learn the difference between HMI tags and direct reference tags

Create an HMI tag

Import and Export tags

Add an object and reference an HMI tag

Learn about Tag Labels

Read about HMI Tags and Direct Reference Tags

A tag is a logical name that represents a variable in a network device or in local memory. FactoryTalk View SE
has two types of tags:

- Data server tags (also called direct reference tags) provide direct access to the controller tags, through
data servers you add to an application.

- HMI tags provide additional properties for run-time security and data manipulation. HMI tags are created
in the Tags editor and stored in an HMI server’s tag database.

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For some uses in an application, using direct references tags offers advantages over using HMI tags, and visa
versa. The following table contains a list of advantages for HMI tags and direct reference tags. Depending on the
application you can choose one over the other or use a combination of the two.

HMI Tags Direct Reference Tags

Using the extended capabilities of HMI tags
To take advantage of extended capabilities,
such as run-time security, scaling or
offsetting of tag values, or more flexible
addressing, create HMI tags in FactoryTalk
View Studio, in the Tags editor.
Using direct referencing to eliminate duplication
Using a direct reference minimizes errors, by having
to create the tag database only once (in the controller)
and not having to duplicate it again in the HMI. This
applies to all objects including device-based
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events. Moreover, while
developing the HMI there is no need to create a tag
database which saves time. Also, use the data server
tags to add, modify, or delete tags in a device without
having to duplicate the changes in the HMI server’s
tag database.

Organizing tags in folders Providing access to complex data types

The tags can be organized in logical folders
and subfolders. For example, create a folder
for the CIP process of a soda plant. In a
large application, you can easily find tags by
organizing them in folders.
Some devices (Logix5000 controllers, for
example) support data types such as arrays and
structures, which can contain hundreds of member
elements. Use data server tags to reference the
tag values directly, and eliminate the need to
create an HMI tag for each member element. You
can maximize optimization by placing data in
arrays and structures.

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Storing values in memory
Create HMI memory tags to store values
without the need for an attached or
accessible device. For example, you can
use memory tags to:
- store the result of a calculation.
- act as a temporary counter or index.
- maintain information about the
system’s current state, for example,
which graphic display was last
displayed.
Reusing Displays and other components between
applications
For example, export displays from one application
onto another application which uses the same
controller tags. There is no need to move the HMI
tag database. All the direct tag references are
transferred with the display.

Reusing HMI tag names Speed

HMI tags do not require hard-coded physical Direct references are a direct link to the data
addresses or device-specific variable server and controller which helps to speed up an
names. This means you can reuse an application update rate.
application with other devices, by changing
the physical addresses that the HMI tag
names are mapped to.

Importing Exporting HMI tags

- Use the Tag Export/Import Wizard
to import/export tags in the .CSV
format (can be opened in Excel).
- The exported tag database can be
used in other FactoryTalk View
projects.
- You can modify and create all the
tags in Excel and save engineering
time.
- You can Import RSLogix Address
files into the FactoryTalk View tag
database

Descriptive names
Some controllers and OPC servers do not
allow descriptive tag names, for example
SLC. Creating an HMI tag will allow you to
provide meaningful names to tags instead of
memory locations such as N7:0.

Creating an HMI tag

Lets create a tag in the tag database.

1. Open the Tag database from the HMI Server, InstantFizz_HMIServer. Follow steps a-i to add an HMI
tag in a folder.

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 a. Double-click on Tags
from the HMI Tags
folder to open the tag
database.

While the tag database is open, select the Edit menu item to create a new folder.

b. Click on the Edit menu

item then select New
Folder.

Note: This menu item can be used to Add, Delete, Duplicate and Rename Tag Database folders. Another
major use is the Other Databases menu item, which allows you to import tags from other databases such
as the RSLogix 5/500 controller files (.rss, .rsp).

c. Type the new folder

name “CIP” then
click OK.

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Setup the new tag properties as shown below :

e. Type the new tag f. Choose the tag Type

name WaterAmount. as Analog. HMI tags
can be Analog, Digital
or String Type.

g. Type the tag

description.

h. Choose the Min,

Max, Scale, Offset
and Units as shown.

i. Click on the ellipses button to

d. Ensure the CIP folder open the tag browser. Then
is selected. We want browse to the following tag
to create a tag in this SodaCIPTanks.Water.Value.
folder.

10. Click Accept to complete.

11. The tag database also allows you to search for tags. Follow steps a-b to search for a tag.

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 b. Click Close to
exit the tag
database.

a. You can search for any tag in the tag

database using the Search For field.
Highlight the root folder then Type
the word System\Second to search
for a predefined memory tag then
press Enter.

Import/Export Tags Wizard

Let us import tags that were pre-created using the Tag Import/Export Wizard. Use the Tag Import and
Export Wizard to convert databases to and from a CSV (Comma Separated Variable) format compatible with
Excel. You can also merge one FactoryTalk View tag database with another tag database and import an A.I.
Series or Logic 5 text database.
To successfully import tags, the application you are importing tags into must be open in FactoryTalk View
Studio.

Import & Export Choices:

There are several Import / Export options as shown in the Tag Import/Export Wizard.

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 - Export a FactoryTalk View tag database to CSV files

Exports a FactoryTalk View tag database to CSV files.

- Import FactoryTalk View tag CSV files

Imports tag information from CSV files into a FactoryTalk View database. You can create your
tags in Excel then import them into the project using this setting in the Tag Import/Export Wizard

- Merge FactoryTalk View tag database

Merges tag information from one FactoryTalk View project with another FactoryTalk View
database.

- Import A.I. Series or Logic 5 database files

Imports symbols from the Rockwell Software A.I. Series or Logic 5 CSV format into a FactoryTalk
View database.

- Import RSLogix5/500 Address & Symbol ASCII files

Imports symbols from the ASCII export file of RSLogix5 or RSLogix 500 into a FactoryTalk View
database.

1. Review the pre-created CSV file Additional_Tags.csv from C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\

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 Open the pre-created CSV file with pre-
created HMI tags. Go to C:\InstantFizz –
Lab Files\ and double-click on
Additional_Tags.csv. Review the file and
note the Excel column/row format used.
You can add and modify tags and folders
in Excel then import them into your
application.

2. Close Excel without saving.

3. Return to FactoryTalk View Studio and open the Tag Import/Export Wizard from the Tools menu.

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4. Select the “Import FactoryTalk View tag CSV files” option from the drop-down and then click Next.

5. Select Site Edition

as Project Type.

6. Browse to our HMI project under

C: Documents and Settings\All
Users\Shared Documents\RSView
Enterprise\SE\HMI
Projects\InstantFizz_HMIServer\. Select the
file InstantFizz_HMIServer.sed.

7. Select Next to
continue.

8. Make sure Tags is checked.

Select the pre-created CSV
file to import from
C:\InstantFizz – Lab
Files\Additional_Tags.CSV

9. Select Next to
continue.

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 10. You can skip existing
tags or update existing
tags. Leave the
default for our lab.

11. Select Next to

continue.

12. Select Finish to

complete.

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 13. View the results of the
Database Import, then
click X to close.

We have now imported the pre-created tags into our application.

14. Open the tag database editor by double-clicking on Tags to view our imported tags.

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 15. Note the new folders and tags
added to our tag database via
the Tag Import/Export Wizard.

16. Close the Tag database.

Add Object referencing an HMI tag

1. Open a new display

An untitled display will be opened.

2. Single-click to select the Numeric Display object from Objects > Numeric and String > Numeric
Display from the menu.

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3. On the empty display, Single-click and hold down the mouse button, drag the cursor to draw the
numeric display and release the mouse button. As you are dragging the mouse you will see a rectangle
to show the size of the object that will be created.

4. The Numeric Display Properties window will open

4. Select Tags to open

the Tag Browser and find
a tag to reference.

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 5. The same Tag Browser window is used to browse for HMI Tags, Direct Reference Tags associated with
an online and offline controller, Diagnostic Items and pre-defined System tags.

Let us review the Tag Browser.

5. CIP and RapidMix are

folders created in the HMI
Tag Database.

6. “Shortcut” is the device shortcut

associated with the SoftLogix controller.
It contains all the direct reference tags
to the controller.
- Diagnostic Items: Pre-defined
diagnostics tags to Logix controllers,
such as @Mode, which indicates the
current mode of the controller (Run,
Program, Remote)
- Offline: Direct reference tags to the
Offline Tag File that was associated
with the “Shortcut”
- Online: Direct reference tags to the
controller.
7. System contains the
pre-defined memory tags
and are stored in the HMI
Server. For example,
System\Second.

Structured Tag Support in FactoryTalk Tag Browser

The tag browser has been enhanced to let you select a structure tag in the left-hand pane of the object
browser and return a partial tag identifier to the editor that launched the browser. This structure tag can
be assigned to a faceplate object to supply values to multiple objects.

8. Browse to the HMI tag RapidMix\WaterAmount

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 8. Expand the RapidMix
folder, then select
WaterAmount and click
OK.

9. The tag has been added

to the object. Click Apply
then OK to exit.

10. Add a Tag Label object on the same display to the right of the Numeric Display object.

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 Use label objects to display information about a tag's properties at run time. You can display the value of
one property per tag label. The properties include: Low EU (tags Minimum Value), High EU (tag
Maximum Value), Contact Value (tag Status), Engineering Units (EU) (tag Units), Tag Name, Tag
Description, Contact Open Label (tag Off Label), Contact Close Label (tag On Label).

11. The Tag Label Properties window will open. Set up the properties as shown below. Browse to the same
RapidMix\WaterAmount tag and set the Property to Engineering Units (EU).

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12. Click OK to close.

13. Test the display

13. Single-click on the

Test Display button
from the tool menu.

14. The Numeric Display

object will display the
14. Review the display. current value of the
RapidMix\WaterAmount
HMI Tag and the Tag Label
will display the defined
Engineering Units of the
HMI Tag.

Note: The Tag Label object only works with HMI Tags, because we defined the properties (such as Units) of
this tag in the HMI Tag Database. It does not work with direct references. To display the engineering units of
a direct reference you can add a Text Object and type the applicable units.

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 15. Click the Edit Display button to get back to edit mode.

16. Close the display without saving.

Section 4: Graphic Displays, Objects and Animations

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Read about Graphic Displays

Use XML file to edit displays

Use Faceplates

Configure and use Tooltips

Configure and use Local Messages

Configure and use Docked displays

Using the Object Explorer

Configure and use Animations and Expressions

Using Commands

To help with the navigation within FactoryTalk View Studio for the components used in this section, you can again
refer to the Application Explorer image from Section 2.

Read about Graphic Displays

Types of Graphic Displays

Standard Displays - stored in the Displays folder. These are the displays that the operator sees at run
time. They present views of automated plant activity or processes. They can show system or process
data and provide operators with a way to write values to a real-time database or network devices such
as a controller.
Global Object displays - stored in the Global Objects folder. Global object displays let you link the
appearance and behavior of a graphic object on a global object display to multiple copies of that object
in standard displays. When you make changes to the original object, the changes are automatically
applied to the copies.

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Library displays - stored in the Libraries folder. A library display contains ready-made graphic objects
that you can use in other displays.

A graphic display represents the operator’s view of plant activity. The display can show system or process data,
and provide operators with a way to write values to external devices such as programmable controllers. The
elements that make up a graphic display are called graphic objects. The Objects menu in the Graphic Displays
editor (Figure 1) provides simple drawing elements such as line, rectangle and ellipse, as well as ready-made
objects such as push buttons, input and display fields, and alarm summaries. Use these elements to create visual
representations of processes and activities then animate the display by linking objects to tags so that the
appearance of the objects will change as the values of the tags change.

The graphics editor allows you to easily duplicate objects, reshape or resize objects, and arrange them in a
variety of ways like stacking them, aligning them with each other, spacing them horizontally or vertically, flipping
them horizontally or vertically, rotating them, and grouping them so they behave as a single object. Graphic
objects can be

Created using the Graphic Display editor.

Copied and pasted from the Graphics Libraries.

Copied to the clipboard from another Windows application and then pasted into the graphics display.

Created by another Windows application and inserted into the graphic display using object linking and
embedding.

Dragged and dropped from another graphic display or library, or another Windows application.

Figure 1: Objects Menu

Libraries
The Graphics Library comes with a number of ready-made graphic displays containing objects that you can use in
other displays

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There are many different library objects that you can use within your applications.

Note: any animation that has been attached to an object will be included with it when it is copied into a display.

Modify an XML file

In FactoryTalk View Studio, you can also use the Graphics Import Export Wizard to export graphic display
information to an XML file, or to import a graphic display XML file into an application. XML has a standardized
format and structure. You can modify the elements and attributes of a graphic display by changing them, or by
adding new ones, in the XML file.

You can edit the XML files before importing them back into an application, to modify existing graphic objects, or to
add new objects to a display.

You can create or edit graphic displays independent of FactoryTalk View Studio, including display settings,
objects, object properties, connections, animations, groupings, key assignments etc.

In the previous section we have imported a few pre-configured graphic displays. Next, we will modify one of these
displays by modifying a pre-exported XML file.

1. Expand Displays then double-click on the “CIP – Process Steps” display to open.

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 1. We will modify “Step
1” text of this display in
the XML file. Currently,
the text displays “Step
1: Adding H2O”

2. Close the display “CIP – Process Steps” without saving

3. Go to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\ then double-click to open the pre-exported XML file “CIP –
Process Steps.xml”

The xml file will open in Internet Explorer.

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 Review the XML file. The file
contains all the objects and
object attributes that are
contained in the “CIP –
Process Steps” display.

4. To modify the file we must open it up in Notepad. Close the Internet Explorer file.

5. Right-click on the pre-exported XML file “CIP – Process Steps.xml” from C:\InstantFizz – Lab
Files\ then select Open With and choose Notepad.

The file will now open in Notepad.

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6. We will change the text “Step 1: Adding H2O” to “Step 1: Adding Water”

In Notepad file, select the

Edit menu item then click
Replace.

7. Fill the Replace window as follows then click the Replace All button.

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 Type the text as
indicated, press the
Replace All button then
click Cancel to exit. The
Find What text is letter H,
number 2 and letter O.

8. Save the file from File>Save then exit.

9. Lets import the modified display.

Right-click on Displays and select “Import and Export….”

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10. Select “Import graphic information into displays” then select Next.

11. Select No then click Next.

12. Select Single Display Import File then click Next.

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13. Configure the window as shown below. The XML file to import can be fount in C:\InstantFizz – Lab
Files\CIP – Process Steps.xml. This is the file we have just modified.

14. Click Finish to complete the import.

15. The Graphics Import Export Wizard provides a status file on the success of the import/export.

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 15. Close the
DisplaysImport.txt
file before continuing.

16. Lets review the modified display. Now, open the CIP – Process Steps display by double-clicking on it
from the Displays item in FactoryTalk View Studio.

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 16. Review the
display. The text has
been changed from
H2O to Water.

Note: In this example it would have been easier to simple change the text in the display within FactoryTalk
View Studio. There are applications however, in which you may need to automatically create many objects and/or
displays. Creating them in an XML file can save a lot of engineering time.

Tooltips

To provide information about a graphic object to an operator, you can add a tooltip to objects:
- Tooltips can be added to graphical objects
- Tooltips supports embedded variables
- Language switching is supported on tooltip text

By default, an object has no tooltip. If you add a tooltip, it displays at run time, when the operator positions the
pointer over the object for a few seconds.

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 Parameter Enhancements
Added parameter enhancements provide support for embedded variables in tooltips and title bars;
literal numbers and strings in the embedded variable syntax; and display for the right-most characters
in embedded string variables.

In this lab we will add a Numeric Input object to show a tooltip example.

1. Open the “CIP – Process Steps” display (It should already be open.)

2. We will add a Numeric Input object to the “CIP – Process Steps” display.

From Objects menu

item, select Numeric
and String then click
on Numeric Input.

3. Add the Numeric Input object in the display location shown below.

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 4. Configure the Numeric Input Properties as shown below by following steps a-d.

a. Select the
Connections tab.

b. Click on the ellipses

button to browse and add
the Value tag:
{[shortcut]SodaCIPTanks
.RecoveredWater.Value

c. Click on the ellipses

button to browse and add
the Minimum tag:
{[shortcut]SodaCIPTanks.
d. Click on the ellipses RecoveredWater.Minimum
button to browse and add
the Maximum tag:
{[shortcut]SodaCIPTanks.
RecoveredWater.Maximum

Numeric Input Enhancement

Numeric input object allows for user-assigned minimum and maximum values that are validated prior to
download.

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Tag Browser to select the Value, Minimum and Maximum tags:

5. Click OK to close.

6. Save the display.

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7. Test the display

Single-click on the Test

Display button from the
tool menu.

8. We have specified the Minimum and Maximum values for the Numeric Input Object. Lets write a value
“22000” into our object. This value has to be higher than the Minimum and lower than the Maximum
values.
Type “22000” then
press Enter.

The object background will turn red indicating that the value enter is outside the valid minimum and maximum
bounds.

How will the operator know what the valid bounds are? Add a tooltip!

9. Click the Edit Display button to get back to edit mode.

10. Double-Click on the Numeric Input object to open up its properties. Or right-click and select
“Properties”.

11. Add a Tooltip by following steps a-e.

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 a.Select the
Common tab.

b. Type “Minimum:
” in the “ToolTip
Text” area .

c. Click on Insert
Variable and select
Numeric to add a
variable.

d. Browse to the
{[shortcut]SodaCIPTanks.
RecoveredWater.Minimum}
tag.

e. Click OK.

12. Repeat steps a-e to add the “Maximum” information as well. The Maximum tag to browse to is
{[shortcut]SodaCIPTanks.RecoveredWater.Maximum}.

The final ToolTip text should look as follows:

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 Click OK.

13. Save the display.

14. Test the display

Single-click on the Test

Display button from the
tool menu.

15. Lets try this again. Write a value “22000” into our object. Type “22000” then
press Enter.

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 Again, the object background will turn red indicating that the value enter is outside the valid minimum and
maximum bounds.

16. Hover the mouse over the object and you should see our tooltip text indicating the proper value bounds

Hover mouse over

the Numeric Input
object and observer
the Tooltip text!

17. Click the Edit Display button to get back to edit mode.

18. Close the display “CIP – Process Steps”

Docked Displays

Docked Displays
At run time, graphic displays can be docked to an edge of the FactoryTalk View SE Client window,
allowing an operator to gain access to certain displays at all times. Docked displays cannot be
accidentally closed by the operator and cannot have other graphics placed on top. They will, therefore,
always remain visible to the operator.
For example, you might consider docking:

Navigational menus, that allow the operator to move among displays in an application.

Headers or banners, that provide specific information to the operator, such as the current user’s
name and area, or information about alarms.

Control panels, that contain standard buttons for special purposes, such as changing users, closing
open windows, or sending information to a maintenance team.

In this lab we will use docked displays for navigational menus and as an alarm banner. The docked display will be
visible to the operator at all times.

1. Open the display “Navigation”. This will be the first docked display.

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2. Open the Alarm Banner display. This will be our second docked display.

3. To dock a display to an edge of the SE Client window, after the client starts up, we will use a start-up
macro that utilizes a display command.

A macro is a list of commands or command symbols stored in a text file. To run a macro you
use its name just as you would a command. The commands in the macro will be executed in the
order in which they are listed.
A macro can be specified on startup or shutdown of a client or display. It can be called from a command
line in FactoryTalk View Studio, from a button or from the Factory Talk View Administration Console for
system administration.

FactoryTalk View has multi-tasking capabilities that you can take advantage of when you create macros.

Some commands (such as Print) finish quickly and the next command can start. Others, such as Set, take
longer. In the case of Set, it does not finish until the message has been sent to the controller. In cases

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 like that, you can set up the macro so that the next command can be executed before the previous
command is finished. Use the ampersand character (&) to do this.

You have added the start-up macro in Section 2 of this lab.

4. Expand the Macros menu item and double-click on ‘startup’ to open

Double-click
on startup to
open

5. Review the display commands in the startup macro file

Display Navigation /DB

Display Alarm Banner /DT

In general, to dock a display uses the syntax shown below:

To dock a display in this position Use this parameter

Top edge of the client window Display /DT
Bottom edge of the client window Display /DB
Left edge of the client window Display /DL
Right edge of client window Display /DR

These commands will be executed when the macro is run at the start-up of the FactoryTalk View SE
Client.

6. Close the startup macro without saving.

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Explore Docked Displays at run-time
Lets explore the docked displays functionality at run-time. An SE client file has already been created for
you to run with this application. Our StartUp macro will be executed when the SE client file is launched.

1. Click the Launch

SE Client icon.

2. Browse to the C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\ClientFile_DockedDisplays.cli then click OK

NOTE: This will take a few minutes to fully load.

3. Review the layout of the client. The startup macro docked displays in 2 areas. The header display
contains an alarm banner and is located at the top of the client window; the footer display contains
navigation buttons and is located at the bottom of the client window.

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 “Alarm Banner”
is docked on the
top edge

“Navigation” is
docked on the
bottom edge

5. Minimize the Plant Overview display.

6. Drag the minimized title bar around to the edges of the display client:

Top edge: Bottom edge:

7. Click the restore button on the Plant Overview display.

8. Observe that it will not overlay the docked areas.

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9. Drag the Plant Overview display to the lower edge or lower right corner of the client.

10. Observe that it will not overlay the docked areas and scroll bars will appear so the display will still be visible.

11. Move the Plant Overview display so the close button is visible and close the display.

12. Select the Plant Overview button on the footer display to open the Plant Overview display. Notice how it is
sized to fit in the main viewable area of the docked displays.

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Commands

FactoryTalk View commands allow you interact with and control application components. Most commands accept
parameters for added precision and control.

- You can set up keys and graphic objects to run commands at run time. For example, as the press,
release, or repeat action when you assign touch animation to an object in a graphic display, or as the
action for a button
- You can run commands from the HMI server’s command line
- You can create a list of commands in a macro, and run the macro in places where the commands are
required.
- You can run commands at a particular event, using Event file
-
There are approximately 80 different commands. Use the Command Wizard for assistance with selecting and
building commands.

We will create a Button object with a display command.

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, close all the currently open displays without saving.

2. Open the Rapid Mix - Overview display

Select the Button menu item.

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3. Draw the Button in the Rapid Mix – Overview Display as shown below

Draw the
Button here.

4. Configure the Button Properties by following steps a-b.

a. Select the
Action tab.

b. Click on the
ellipses button to open
the Commands
Wizard.

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5. Select the Display command by following steps a-b. You can either select All Commands and Macros
and find the Display command alphabetically, or select Graphics > Graphic Displays > Navigation >
Display

a. Select the
Display Command.

b. Click Next to
continue.

6. Fill the display command information as shown below by following steps a-b. If our application had
more than one area we could choose to open a display from a different area.

a. Fill out as shown. The

Display command has
many additional
properties, leave these
unchecked for this
example.

b. Click Finish
to complete.

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7. Add a Button Caption by following steps a–b.

a. Select the Up
Appearance tab. Then in
the Caption field type
“Rapid Mix- Process
Steps”

b. Click OK to
complete.

The new button added

should look as shown
here. Resize the button if
needed.

8. Save the display then close

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9. Return to the running client window and select the Rapid Mix button in the navigation display.

Click on Rapid
Mix button.

10. Open the Rapid Mix – Process Steps display.

In the upper right corner of

the Rapid Mix display, click
on the newly added Rapid
Mix – Process Steps button.

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 Rapid Mix –
Process Steps
display will open!

Using the Command Wizard we have created a button which when pressed opens another display.

The Commands Wizard contains many more commands related to closing/opening displays, alarming,
printing, languages, external applications and many others.

Animations and Expressions

Animation is the ability to add logic to a graphic object so that some characteristic of the object will change when
a tag value changes. For example, an object can be made to fill (up, down, left, or right) or change color in
relation to a tag value.
Expression: An expression is a mathematical or logical equation that returns a value. It can contain tag
names, constants and mathematical, relational, logical and/or bitwise operators. A single tag name is
often used for simple expressions.

In Figure 1, the animation dialog shows that expressions are used to animate objects. There is a tab for each type
of animation. If there is a check mark in front of the animation type it means that the selected object is using that
animation. If an animation type is not available for a selected object, the fields on that animation tab will be grayed
out. In the example below, the Fill and Color animations are being used on the selected object. Selecting a new
object while the Animation dialog is opened will update the Animation dialog for the object that was just selected.

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Figure 1: Animation Dialog

The Object Explorer

The Object Explorer provides a list of all the objects in the current graphic display, including those that are hidden
by other objects. A group of objects has a plus sign in front of its name. Click this to expand the list of objects that
make up the group. You can expand or collapse the whole list using the Expand and Collapse buttons.

When you click an object in the display to select it, its corresponding entry in the Object Explorer is highlighted in
gray.

When you click an item in the Object Explorer, the object it corresponds to is selected. If an object is hidden by
another, or is part of a group, when you select it in the Object Explorer the handles outlining the selected object
are visible.

Let’s open up one of the displays and take a look at animation.

To open the Object Explorer

1. To open the Rapid Mix - Overview display, expand the Displays folder, double-click on the Rapid Mix –
Overview display.

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2. The Rapid Mix - Overview display will be opened.

3. Select the View > Object Explorer menu item

Or
Select the Show/Hide Object Explorer button from the menu bar to show or hide it.

Once selected (indicated by a check next to the menu item name), the Object Explorer appears. The Object
Explorer can be resized and moved. You can click on any of the objects listed, and you will notice that the
objects will be highlighted in the display.

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 Highlighted
TankMixture
group.

The Object Explorer is truly useful when you group items together and want to reference individual elements
within that group.
Grouping is useful when you have common objects that you want to move around or apply
behaviors toward, for example, animation behavior.

Look at groups and animation by using the object explorer

1. Expand and Select the TankMixture group in the Object Explorer.

2. Right-click on the Water element within the TankMixture group and select the Animation > Fill context
menu item

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 .

3. The Animation dialog will appear and open on the Fill tab.

The Fill animation expression has already been pre-entered for you. You can review and familiarize yourself with
the Fill and other animation properties, such as Colour.

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4. Close the Animation window.

5. Return to the running client and press the START button on the Rapid Mix – Process Steps display to see
the animations in action.
5. Press the
START button to
start the Rapid
Mix process.

6. Watch the
water tank fill!

Local Messages

Use local message displays to provide an operator with information about a process, or about what to do next, at
run time. For example, the Rapid Mix – Process Steps display contains a Local Message object that gives the
operators instructions on what the current step is in the mixing tank.

1. In the client window, Close the Rapid Mix-Process Steps Display

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 In the running client, close
the Rapid-Mix Process
Steps display by pressing x
button.

2. Return to FactoryTalk View Studio. We will import a preconfigured, Local Message file.

In the Explorer Window, right-

click on Local Messages and
select Add Component Into
Application…

3. Add all local message files from C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\Local Messages into the application.

Select both Local Message files

then click Open to add to the
application.

4. Review the RapidMix Local Message file.

Double-click on RapidMix
under Local Messages to
open.

Local Message editors consist of “Trigger Value” and “Message” columns. When the value of the Local
Message tag equals to the Trigger Value, the corresponding Message will be displayed.
For example, if the tag value is equal to 6, the message “STEP 6: Initiate CIP Clean” will be displayed.

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5. Click Close

6. We have created the local message file. In order to view the messages on a display at run-time, a Local
Message object needs to be added.

7. Open the Rapid Mix – Process Steps display.

8. Add the Local Message Display to Rapid Mix – Process Steps display by following steps a-b.

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 a. Select the Local
Message Display to
add.

b. Draw the Local Message

Display object as shown.

9. We will modify some properties of the message text, such as font and color. Double-click on the Local
Message Display object to view the object properties. Follow steps a-d.

a. Double-click on the
Local Message Display
object to view the object
properties.

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 b. Select the
General tab.

c. Change the
Back Color and
Fore Color as
shown. Or leave
as default.

d. Change the font

size to 16.

10. We would like this Local Message Display to display messages from the RapidMix Local Message File,
which we imported into the application. The messages will be triggered by the [shortcut]MixSteps tag.
Follow steps a-d to configure the Local Message display.

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a. Click on the
ellipses button
to browse the
Local Message
File.

b. Select RapidMix
then click OK to
close.

c. Select the Connections tab

and browse to the
[shortcut]MixSteps tag. In
the tag browser expand
Shortcut, select Online then on
the right side select the
MixStps tag. The value of this
tag will determine which
message will be displayed.

d. Click OK
to close.

18. The Local Message Display should look similar to the one below:

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19. Save the display, then close.

20. View the Local Messages in action! Go back to the running client and launch the Rapid Mix –
Process Steps display from the Rapid Mix – Overview display. Follow steps a-c.

a. Click the Rapid Mix –

Process Steps button to
open the display.

b. Click the START button at the

bottom of the Rapid Mix –
Process Steps display to start
the process. It may be already
started.

c. Follow the Local Message

steps/instructions and
watch the animation in the
Rapid Mix – Overview
display.

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 23. Click on the exit button to close the client.

Section 5: Alarming

About This Section

In this section, you will:

Read about types of Alarming Systems
o Read about FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
o Read about FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Configuration
o Enable Alarms and Events

Use FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Objects
o Alarm Summary – design and runtime behavior
o Alarm Banner – design and runtime behavior
o Alarm Log Viewer – design and runtime behavior
o Alarm Status Explorer – design and runtime behavior

Observe and Create Device-Based Alarms

Observe and Create Tag-Based Alarms

Read about Types of Alarming

Alarms are an important part of plant control applications because they alert operators when something goes
wrong. Often, it is also important to have a record of alarms, what time they occurred, and if they were
acknowledged and by whom.

FactoryTalk View SE supports the existing traditional HMI tag alarm system and the FactoryTalk Alarms and
Events system. The choices you make will depend on factors such as the design of your application, the
processes you need to monitor for alarms, the types of devices used in the application, and whether you want to
build alarm detection into those devices.

Traditional HMI Tag Alarm System

In FactoryTalk View Studio, you can set up a complete alarm system. At run time, alarm monitoring occurs at the
HMI server. If alarms are detected – tag values outside the configured limits - notification is sent to connected
FactoryTalk View SE clients, where operators can view and acknowledge the alarms. This is a traditional HMI tag
alarm system.

An HMI tag alarm system only detects alarms set up for tags in an HMI server’s tag database. HMI tag alarm
detection does not include FactoryTalk alarms. Use a traditional HMI tag alarm system if your application uses
HMI tags for other purposes, and you want to monitor these tags for alarms. FactoryTalk View SE Clients receive

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HMI tag alarm information by way of the FactoryTalk View SE Servers (also called HMI servers) that contain the
HMI tags.

Traditional HMI tag alarm data is not managed by FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services. To monitor and
respond to HMI tag alarms, you must use the HMI tag alarm displays and logs available in FactoryTalk View SE.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events System

The FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Services centralize the distribution of device-based and tag-based alarm data
to run-time clients, through FactoryTalk alarm servers that you add to a FactoryTalk View SE application.

device-based alarms, set up by programming alarm detection instructions directly into Logix5000 controllers.
FactoryTalk View SE Clients receive device-based alarms by way of Rockwell Automation Device Servers
(RSLinx Enterprise) that you add to a FactoryTalk View SE application.

tag-based alarms, set up to specify alarm conditions for tags in older programmable controllers (PLC-5 or
SLC 500), in third-party devices communicating through OPC data servers, or in an HMI server’s tag
database (HMI tags). FactoryTalk View SE Clients receive tag-based alarms by way of FactoryTalk Tag
Alarm and Event Servers that you add to a FactoryTalk View SE application.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events

Provides a single, integrated set of alarm information. All participating FactoryTalk products work
together to provide a consistent way to define, manage, log, and view alarm and event information
across a FactoryTalk application.

Streamlines alarm programming and eliminates polling with device-based alarm monitoring. If your
automation system includes Logix5000 controllers, you can use pre-built alarm instructions,
available in RSLogix 5000 v. 16 or later, to simplify coding, and then download to the controller.
Device-based alarm monitoring eliminates the need for duplicating alarm tags in an HMI server and
requires fewer controller communication resources by eliminating polling.

Allows other controllers to participate in the integrated system with tag-based alarm monitoring. If
your automation system includes older controllers, such as PLC-5s or SLC 500s, or if you prefer not
to use the new alarm instructions with Logix5000 controllers, software-based tag servers monitor
controllers for alarm conditions and publish event information.

Allows monitoring alarms and events from third-party controllers. Tag-based alarm monitoring also
makes it possible to monitor alarm conditions from third-party controllers, which communicate
through OPC-DA servers.

Provides accurate time stamps on alarm conditions that are generated from Logix5000 controllers
using device-based alarm monitoring. With device-based alarm monitoring, time stamps are applied
immediately in the controller and are not delayed until alarms reach an HMI server. To ensure
accurate time stamps on device-based alarms, synchronize the clocks of all controllers that produce
alarms. The event time is propagated throughout the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system, so
inaccurate time stamps can affect where alarms are displayed in the Alarm and Event Summary or
the Alarm and Event Banner as well as reports about the alarm and event history. The Logix5000
Clock Update Tool which is included with RSLogix 5000 can be used to accomplish this
synchronization.

Sends process data with events and messages. You can associate up to four tags with each alarm
to include process data with event information and alarm messages.

Secures access to alarm and event operations through integration with FactoryTalk Security.

Generates messages for logging, including audit messages that track operator actions, system-
related diagnostic messages, and historical alarm and event messages.

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Displays alarm messages and status information during run time, from FactoryTalk View graphic
displays.

Add Database Connection

In the next section you will be configuring the alarm and event history support. We have added the RSlinx
Enterprise server in Section 1.

FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Historian

There is a FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Historian that performs historical logging of FactoryTalk alarm
and event data (generated by one or more Rockwell Automation Device Servers (RSLinx Enterprise) or
FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Servers) to a database. This component also defines and manages
database definitions between alarm and event servers and logging destinations. You can log historical
alarms and events to a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SP2) database (which can be
optionally installed from the FactoryTalk View SE or RSLinx Enterprise CDs) or to your own existing
Microsoft SQL Server databases.
Before you add and configure the Rockwell Automation Device Server you are going to create a database so you
can also enable FactoryTalk Alarm and Event History logging in the next section. Alarming will be discussed in
more detail later in the lab.

1. Expand the Connections folder in the Explorer Window.

2. Right-click on Databases folder, select the New Database… context menu item

3. When the Alarm and Event Historian Database Properties opens enter:

Definition name: FTAEHistory

Database user name: administrator

Database password: rockwell

Database name: FTAE

And leave the defaults for the other fields.

Your properties dialog should look like this:

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4. Click on OK.

5. When you are prompted with the Database does not exist message box: “The database will be created.
The database user will also be created. If the user already exists, the user will be assigned access to the
database. Do you want to create the database?” click the Yes button

6. After the database is created the dialog will close. Expand the Databases folder to confirm that it was
created.

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Enabling device-based Alarms and Events
To monitor alarms in a Logix5000 controller, Alarm and event support must be enabled in the Rockwell
Automation Device Server (RSLinx Enterprise). The device server subscribes to alarms in the controller and
then publishes the alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events services. We have already enabled the
alarms in Section 1 but we did not enable Alarm and Event History.

1. Right-click on the server node RSLinx Enterprise, select the Properties… context menu item.

2. The RSLinx Enterprise Server Properties will appear. Leave defaults on the General tab. Follow steps
a-e to enable Alarms and Events.

a. Select the Alarms and Events tab

b. Check the Enable alarm and

event support option. If it is
already checked, leave as is.

c. Check the Enable history option

d. Select the FTAEHistory

database definition

e. Click the OK button

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Ensure that the Shortcut is enabled to receive Alarms from our controller.

8. In the Studio Explorer, double-click on Communication Setup under the RSLinx Enterprise.

9. In the Communication Setup window that appears, select the shortcut called shortcut, and ensure
that Enable Alarm and Events is set to Yes.

10. Below the Enable row you will notice a Buffer Timeout (min.) property. Leave the default setting of 20
minutes.

You can specify the amount of time you want the Logix5000 controller to buffer alarms in the event that it
loses communication with RSLinx Enterprise. You can enter the desired time in the Buffer Timeout Field in
the Communications Setup editor.
Keep the following in mind when specifying the alarm buffering time:
• The default value is 20 minutes
• To disable the alarm buffer, enter a value of 0 (zero). Select OK and a confirmation popup will
appear. Select Yes to continue and close.

• Alarms are buffered until the buffer timeout expires or until the buffer in the controller is full.
• The timeout starts counting at the point RSLinx Enterprise and the controller stop communicating.

• Buffered messages appear only in the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events log database once the
connection is re-established.
• In the event the buffer overflows, the following diagnostic message is logged:
The Logix controller buffer indicated that the alarm buffer overflowed, possible loss of alarm data
occurred while disconnected.
11. Click OK on the Communication Setup and select Yes to the confirmation prompt if it opens.

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In the next section, you will test your connection to the FactoryTalk Alarm and Events server for device-based
alarms.

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Using FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Objects

In this section, you will observe all of the FactoryTalk Alarm and Event objects in both runtime via the SE client
and design time via FactoryTalk View Studio. You should have both FactoryTalk View Studio and the Client
opened.

Alarm and Event Summary (display: Alarms)

Use the Alarm and Event Summary object, embedded in a FactoryTalk View graphic display, to acknowledge,
disable, suppress, filter, and sort alarms during run time. You must use the Alarm Status Explorer to un-suppress
an alarm that has already been suppressed.

Run Time: Alarm Summary Object

1. From the SE client, click the button in the navigation display.

2. The Alarm Summary display is opened.

3. You probably don’t see any alarms displayed, so click the button to generate some.

Your summary should appear something like this:

4. Select a row in the summary list to see details about the alarm in the details pane.

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5. Mouse over the toolbar on the Summary to see what the configured buttons do (read the tool tips).

Observe also the Status Bar at the bottom of the Summary. Mouse over those icons to see what information it is
telling you (read the tool tips).

6. Select one of the predefined filters from the filter drop down list

7. Observe that the list and count are updated in the Summary, only showing you the filtered alarms. Note also
that the Status Bar updates its counts according to what is being displayed.

8. Clear any selected filter by selecting (No filter).

9. Select a row in the Summary and click on the run alarm command button or double-click on the
row in the Summary. The FactoryTalk View Command defined in the controller is then executed.

Note: If the button is gray there is not a FactoryTalk View command associated with that alarm or the row
is not selected. Select a row and try it again.

For example, if you double-click on the CIPValve1 alarm, you will get the CIP – Valve popup displayed.

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Feel free to experiment by clicking more of the buttons in the tool bar to see what they do. Next we’ll move on to
using the Summary object in design time.

Design Time: Alarm Summary Object

In FactoryTalk View Studio….

10. From the Explorer, double-click on the Alarms display to open it.

11. Double-click on the Alarm and Event Summary Design View object in the display and the Alarm and
Event Summary Properties will open.

Double-
Click

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12. Click on each tab to look at all the properties.

A couple of things to point out here:

Appearance

The Run Alarm Command will be invoked when the operator double-clicks on an alarm in the Banner

Button sizes and text fonts can be configured
Columns

Hide and show columns

Resize columns

Reorder columns
Toolbar and Status Bar

Hide and show buttons/panes

Reorder buttons/panes
Event Subscriptions

This Summary object will subscribe to all events with any priority
Display Filters

This Summary object has preconfigured filters. These filters were preconfigured using the Alarm Name
field that was configured for the alarm.
Sort

Configure sort order
States

Configure text and background colors for the alarm states and priorities
Behavior

The Run Alarm Command will be invoked when the operator double-clicks on an alarm in the Summary

13. Feel free to make configuration changes to the AlarmSummary display and perform a Test Display

in Studio. Alternately, you can save your changes and use the button on the
navigation display of the Client to open the display again to see your changes.

7. Close the Alarms display in FactoryTalk View Studio when you are done.

Alarm and Event Banner (display: Alarm Banner)

Use the Alarm and Event Banner object, embedded in a FactoryTalk View graphic display, to monitor and
respond to the most current alarms requiring immediate attention.

Run Time: Alarm Banner Object

In this section, we are going to use the Alarm Summary object described in the previous section to demonstrate
the features of the Alarm Banner object. So just as in the previous section…

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1. From the SE client, click the button in the footer display.

2. The Alarm Summary display is opened.

3. Click the button to generate some alarms. There may be some alarms already.

4. Observe that the alarms appear both in the Alarm Banner located on the header of your client, as well as in
the Alarm Summary.

Alarm
Banner

Alarm
Summary

5. Now click the button to programmatically clear the alarm status.

Observe how the alarms have cleared from the Alarm Banner but stay active in the Alarm Summary until they are
acknowledged by the operator.

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6. For the next step, click the button to enable alarms again.

Then Close the Alarm Summary screen in the Client by clicking the button.

7. Select a row in the Alarm Banner in the header display and double-click.

Click
Click

8. Observe that the Alarm Summary display is automatically launched.

Note that this behavior is configurable and will be discussed on the next section.

Design Time: Alarm Banner Object

In FactoryTalk View Studio…

9. From the Explorer, double-click on the Alarm Banner display to open it.

10. Double-click on the Alarm and Event Banner Design View object in the display
and the Alarm and Event Banner Properties will open.

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11. Click on each tab to look at all the properties.

A couple of things to point out here:

General

The Alarm and Event Summary command will be invoked when the operator double-clicks on an alarm
in the Banner. This is why the Alarm Summary display appeated when you double-clicked on the row in
the Alarm Banner.

Button sizes and text fonts can be configured
Columns

Hide and show columns

Resize columns

Reorder columns
Status Bar

Hide and show panes

Reorder panes
Event Subscriptions

This Banner object will subscribe to all events with any priority
States

Configure text and background colors for the alarm states and priorities

Normal and unacknowledged alarms will not appear in the banner.
12. Feel free to make configuration changes to the Alarm Banner display and perform a Test Display

in Studio.

13. Close the Alarm Banner display in FactoryTalk View Studio when you are done.

Alarm and Event Log Viewer (display: AlarmLogViewer)

Use the Alarm and Event Log Viewer object, embedded in a FactoryTalk View graphic display, to view and filter
historical alarm information stored in Microsoft SQL Server databases.

Run Time: Alarm Log Viewer Object

1. From the SE client, click the button in the navigation display, then click the Log
Viewer button in the Alarm Summary display.

2. The AlarmLogViewer display is opened.

3. Select a row in the list to see details about the alarm.

4. Mouse over the toolbar on the Log Viewer to see what the configured buttons do.

Design Time: Alarm Log Viewer Object

5. From the Explorer, double-click on the AlarmLogViewer display to open it.

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6. Double-click on the Alarm and Event Log Viewer Design View object in the display
and the Alarm and Event Log Viewer Properties will open.

Double-
Click

7. Click on each tab to look at all the properties.

A couple of things to point out here:

General

The log must be selected

Text fonts can be configured
Columns

Hide and show columns

Resize columns

Reorder columns
Toolbar

Hide and show buttons

Reorder buttons
Display Filters

This Log Viewer object can have preconfigured filters.

Notice that there is not an Event Subscription tab. This is a historical view of what is in the log (database).

8. Feel free to make configuration changes to the AlarmLogViewer display and perform a Test Display

in Studio. Alternately, you can save your changes and use the button from the Alarm
Summary display to see your changes.

9. Close the AlarmLogViewer display in FactoryTalk View Studio when you are done.

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Alarm Status Explorer (display: AlarmStatusExplorer)
Use the Alarm Status Explorer object, embedded in a FactoryTalk View graphic display, to enable or disable
alarms and suppress or unsuppress alarms

Run Time: Alarm Status Explorer

1. From the SE client, click the button in the footer display, then click the

Status Explorer button in the Alarm Summary display. Or click the

Status Explorer icon from the Alarm Summary toolbar.

2. The AlarmStatusExplorer display is opened.

3. Mouse over the toolbar on the Status Explorer to see what the configured buttons do.

4. Select a row in the list and select the show details for selected alarm button from the toolbar. Review
the details window then close.

5. Select a couple of rows and then click the suppress button. On the Suppress Alarm pop up press
Suppress button to confirm.

6. Click on a column header to see the list sort by that column. You may need to resize the columns to fully see
text.

7. Click the suppress column until the suppressed alarms appear at the top of the list.

8. Select all the suppressed alarms and then click the unsuppress button. On the Unsuppress Alarm pop
up press Unsuppress button to confirm.

9. Type ‘*Valve2*’ in the name field for the Alarm source filter and click the Apply Filter button.

10. Observe the list is filtered to show only the alarms that contain Valve2 in the name.

11. Click the Cancel Filter button

12. Observe the list shows all alarms.

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Design Time: Alarm Status Explorer
1. From the Explorer, double-click on the AlarmStatusExplorer display to open it.

2. Double-click on the Alarm Status Explorer object in the display. Nothing happens.

You must right-click on the object and then select the Properties… context menu item.
Now, the Alarm Status Explorer Properties will open.

3. As in the previous steps, feel free to make configuration changes and perform a Test Display or

Save your changes and View your modifications in the Client.

4. Close the AlarmStatusExplorer display in FactoryTalk View Studio when you are done.

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Read about Device-Based Alarms

Logix controllers will serve alarm information to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Services with FactoryTalk View
SE 5.0. Two new alarm instructions have been added to the Logix Controllers. These new instructions are
available in the ladder logic, function block, and structured text programming languages.

Digital Alarm (ALMD)

A digital alarm is configured to monitor its input for one of the following alarm conditions:

o The input value equal to one

o The input value equal to zero

When the alarm condition is true, the alarm enters the In Alarm state. When the alarm condition is false, the
alarm enters the Normal or Out of Alarm State.

Analog Alarm (ALMA)

An analog alarm can be configured to monitor for two types of alarm conditions: Level and Rate of Change.

A Level alarm monitors an input for alarm conditions that go In Alarm when the input value goes above or below
predefined limits. When defining a level alarm, you can configure up to four alarm level conditions each with limits
(sometimes called thresholds), a severity and alarm message. The supported alarm conditions are:

o High High (HIHI)

o High (HI)

o Low (LO)

o Low Low (LOLO)

A Rate of Change alarm monitors an input for alarm conditions that go In Alarm when the input value changes
faster or slower than predefined limits. When defining a level alarm, you can configure up to two rate of change
conditions each with limits, a severity, and an alarm message. The supported alarm conditions are:

o Rate of Change Positive (ROC_POS)

o Rate of Change Negative (ROC_NEG)

Configuration Options
Let’s look at some of the configuration options and how they are related to the HMI. You can make any change to
an alarm instruction while the controller is running. The changes take effect immediately and are displayed in the
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events objects the next time the alarm changes state.

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Severity

The severity value can range from 1 to 1000, to indicate different levels of importance. Alarm severities are
integer values, where 1 is the least severe, and 1000 is the most severe. For example, a level alarm may be
configured with the HI level condition using a severity of 750 to warn that a vat is 80 percent full of liquid while the
HIHI level condition could use a severity of 900 to indicate that the vat is about to overflow.

Because 1000 different alarm severities can be cumbersome to work with, ranges of alarm severities are mapped
to one of four (Low, Medium, High, Urgent) alarm priorities by the FactoryTalk Alarms and Events system.

Minimum Duration

The Minimum Duration specifies the minimum amount of time that the alarm condition must be true (the Input=1 in
this case) before the alarm condition goes In Alarm. This setting is used to minimize false alarms.

Associated Tags

In many cases it is useful to have additional process information associated with an alarm. When an alarm is
defined, you can associate up to four tags with the alarm. At run time, the tag values are recorded in the Alarm
and Event History Log and can also be displayed in the Alarm and Event Summary or Alarm and Event Log
Viewer, and embedded in alarm messages. The contents of the Alarm and Event Log Viewer can be filtered
based on the value of an associated tag.

Alarm Class

To help group alarms, you might want to classify alarms that relate to each other in ways that do not include
severity or priority. For example, you might want to group together alarms by function, such as those that monitor
for valves that fail to open or close, pressure, temperature, equipment running, or tank levels. The alarm class is a
text string of up to 40 characters that you enter when configuring an alarm.

At run time, the value of the alarm class is recorded in the Alarm and Event History Log and can also be displayed
in the Alarm and Event Summary or Alarm and Event Log Viewer. The contents of the Alarm and Event Summary
or Alarm and Event Log Viewer can also be filtered based on the value of the alarm class.

FactoryTalk View Command

You can associate a FactoryTalk View command of up to 1000 characters with any alarm. The command is
executed from the Alarm and Event Summary or Alarm and Event Banner when the operator selects an alarm
and then clicks a button. The Summary and Banner can also be configured to execute the command when the
operator double-clicks the alarm in the list. A common use for the FactoryTalk View command is to display a
screen that shows an overview of the equipment related to the alarm.

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Observe Configured Alarms in Logix 5000

If you would like to take a look at the alarms that have been configured for this lab, do the following.

Open RSLogix 5000

1. Select the InstantFizz_Controller.ACD shortcut from the Start menu

Or double-click the InstantFizz_Controller.ACD from the location of C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\RSLogix 5000

2. Go online with the controller by selecting the Communications > Go Online menu item.

3. If the Connected To Go Online dialog appears, select the Upload button.

4. Navigate to the MainTask routine if you are not already there (double click to open) and select the Alarms
subroutine..

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View Digital Alarms

5. Observe the ALMD instructions. Click on the button next to the one of the ALMDs to open the property
pages.

6. Observe the Configuration properties for the selected ALMD instruction

7. Close the dialog when you are done.

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View Analog Alarms

8. Go to rung 4 of the ladder logic and observe the ALMA instruction. Click on the button next to the alarm
name to open the property pages.

9. Observe the Configuration properties for the selected ALMA instruction.

Notice that the Low Limit input level is not enabled.

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10. Go back to your SE Client momentarily and try to simulate the LO Limit alarm for the Motor Temperature
from the Alarm Summary display.

You will see that nothing happens.

11. Return to the ALMA Properties in RSLogix5000.

Enable the Low Limit for the MotorOverheatAlarm

12. Click on the Messages tab and configure a message for the Low Limit.

Tip: You may click on the button to help you compose the message using runtime variables.

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13. When finished composing your message, click OK then Apply to load your configuration changes to the
Alarm and Events server.

14. Close the ALMA Properties dialog when you are done.

15. Again, go back to your SE Client momentarily and try to simulate the LO Limit alarm for the Motor
Temperature from the Alarm Summary display.

Guess what? Now you see the alarm with the message you configured!

16. Return to RSLogix 5000.

Create your own device-based alarm in RSLogix5000

1. While you are online with your controller in RSLogix 5000 and looking at the Alarms subroutine from the
previous section, double-click the (End) ladder rung to create a new one.

2. Click on the new rung to highlight it, then select an Examine On instruction from the Favorites tab on the
Instruction toolbar.

Your rung should look like this:

Select an ALMD instruction from the Alarms tab on the Instruction toolbar.

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 Your rung should look like this:

3. Double-click on the ? of the Examine On instruction and either type CIPAlarmTrigger[31] or use the
tag browser to find it.

4. Double-click on the ? of the ALMD instruction

and type MyALMD. Right-click and select New “MyALMD”

Click OK to accept the default tag declaration.

5. Fill-in the ProgAck, ProgReset, ProgDisable, ProgEnable parameters of the instructions by typing in the
following:

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6. Click on the … next to the alarm name to open the property pages and type a message for the instruction.

Click OK to close the property pages.

Your rung should look like this:

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7. Click on the button to finalize all edits you made to the program and download them to your controller.
Click Yes on the confirmation popup.

8. Right-click on the CIPAlarmTrigger[31] bit and select Toggle Bit to trigger your new alarm.

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9. Go back to your SE Client momentarily and you will see your new alarm displayed in the Alarm Summary!

Creating Tag-Based Alarms

FactoryTalk tag-based alarms are set up by specifying alarm conditions for tags in devices that do not have built-
in alarm detection. Use tag-based alarms to include these devices in an integrated FactoryTalk Alarms and
Events system.

You can set up tag-based alarms for tags in older programmable controllers (PLC-5 or SLC 500), for tags in third-
party devices communicating through OPC data servers, or for HMI tags in an HMI server’s tag database.

You can also set up tag-based alarms for Logix5000 controllers that do support device-based alarms, if you prefer
not to set up built-in alarm detection. FactoryTalk View SE Clients receive tag-based alarm data by way of Tag
Alarm and Event Servers that you add to a FactoryTalk View SE application.

Create a Tag Alarm and Event Server

1. From the Explorer, right-click on Area1 and select the Add New Server > Tag Alarm and Event Server…
context menu item.

2. On the General tab of the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties page type ‘FTAETagServer’ for the
name.

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3. Click on the Priorities and History tab, leave the settings at the defaults:

Notice the history is being logged in English and the tag alarms will be logged in the same database as the
device-based alarms.

4. Click the OK button

5. Tag based alarms can be created and configured with the Alarm and Event Setup Editor.
Double-click on the Alarm and Event Setup icon by first expanding the FTAETagServer in the Explorer.

6. The Alarm and Event Setup Editor will open. Notice that there are no alarms. You will use the import to
create alarms.

7. Close the Alarms and Events Setup Editor.

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Importing Tag-Based Alarm and Events
8. Right-click the FTAETagServer and select Import and Export

9. The Alarm Import Export Wizard will appear. Select Import alarm configuration from Excel file.

Click Next.

10. Specify the file to import

C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\Alarm and Events \InstantFizz_Area1_TagFTAEServer_AlarmExport.xls

Click Next.

11. Select the appropriate import method.

Click Finish.

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12. The import will begin and when completed, you should see this:

Click OK.

13. Double-click on the Alarm and Event Setup icon under the Alarm and Event Tag Server in the Explorer.

And you should now see alarms in the configuration.

14. In the Alarm and Event Setup, click around the tabs and observe the contents to get yourself familiar with
the control setup.

When the input tags listed above are triggered, you will see these alarms in the same Alarm Summary that
displays the device-based alarm instructions discussed in the previous section.

15. If desired, you may simulate one of these alarms by finding the appropriate Input Tag in RSLogix5000 and
setting it to 1.
For example, setting the tag AlarmLabelJam in the controller to 1:

Displays this in the Alarm Banner of the running client:

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Create your own tag-based alarm
1. Tag based alarms can be created and configured with the Alarm and Event Setup Editor.
Double-click on the Alarm and Event Setup icon under the Alarm and Event Tag Server in the Explorer.

2. The Alarm and Event Setup Editor will open. Click on the Digital tab and select the New Alarm icon.

3. When the Digital Alarm Properties panel appears, fill it in as follows:

Click OK.

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4. Save the Alarm and Event setup and your new alarm will automatically be downloaded to the Alarm and
Events Server.

And that’s all you have to do!

5. Close the Alarm and Event Setup window.

6. If desired, you may simulate this new alarm by setting the controller tag AlarmFillerConvJam to 1 in
RSLogix5000. You should see the new alarm appear in the Alarm Summary of your SE client.

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Section 6: Global Objects

About This Section

In this section, you will learn about:

Global Objects

Create reference objects in a display, and view the display

Using Global Object Parameters

Reference Object Properties

Modifying a global object, and view the changes in a display

Design recommendations for working with global objects

Read about Global Objects

FactoryTalk View global objects allow you to link the appearance and behavior of one graphic object to
multiple references of that object in the same application.

Global objects are created on global object displays. In FactoryTalk View Studio, you create global object
displays in the Global Objects folder, the same way you create standard graphic displays in the Displays
folder.

Changes you make to the base object are reflected in all of the reference objects linked to it the next time
a display containing the reference objects are opened, or refreshed by closing and reopening them.

Global Object Parameters

Global object parameters let you customize each reference global object instance with a specific
tag(s) for that instance without having to break the link to the base object's tags and
expressions. This means each reference object can have a unique data source(s), and still be
able to be updated with changes to other aspects of the base global object.
Parameter passing is dynamic, meaning it happens at runtime on the client. Global object
parameters give you an alternative way of using parameter passing at design time.

Create Reference Objects

In this section of the lab, you will use a pre-created global object and add a reference objects on a
display. You will use the parameter values to specify which tags you want to view and animate. You will
then run the client to test your work.

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Add pre-created Global Object displays

1. From the Explorer Window, add a pre-created Global Object display – Right-click on Global
Objects, select the Add Component Into Application…. context menu item.

2. Browse to C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\Global Objects, select the CIPComponents.ggfx file and
click Open.

3. Open the CIPComponets global object - Expand the Global Objects folder in the Explorer,
Double-click on CIPComponents

CIPComponents
global object display.

4. Right-click on the tank global object and select “Global Object Parameter Definitions”

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 Right-click on the tank
global object and select
“Global Object Parameter
Definitions”

5. Review the Global Object Parameter Definitions for the tank global object.

Global object parameters are defined in base objects in global object displays. They let you
customize each reference global object instance with a specific tag(s) for that instance without
having to break the link to the base object's tags and expressions.

When you copy a global object from a global object display onto a standard display from the
Graphics folder, you can assign values to the global parameters in the resulting reference object.

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 We have defined
parameters #1 - #5 and
provided a description for
each.

Click OK to
close.

The placeholder parameters can be used in any object contained on the global object display but
the Global Object Parameter Definitions are assigned at the top level group.

6. Open the CIP – Overview display - Expand the Displays folder in the Explorer, Double-click on
CIP Overview

7. Create a reference object on the CIP - Overview display – Single-click on the tank global
object (in the CIPComponents) to select, drag and drop it on the tank location of the CIP –
Overview display. You may need to bring the CIPComponents display to the front (by double-
clicking on the CIPComponents under Global Objects again) so that it is not covered by the CIP –
Overview display.

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 Drag and drop the tank
from the global objects
display into the CIP –
Overview display.
Position the object in the
location shown.

8. Move Sanitizer text on top of the tank, to indicate what this tank represents. Follow steps a-b.
a. Right-click on
Sanitizer text, select
Arrange > Bring to
Front.

b. Move the text on

top of the tank.

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9. The newly added reference object should look as follows:

10. Close the CIPComponents global object.

11. Open the Global Object Parameters dialog on the reference object - Right-click on the
reference object and select the Global Object Parameter Values context menu item.

Right-click on the
reference object and
select the Global Object
Parameter Values context
menu item.

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 The Global Object Parameter Values dialog is opened.

Notice that there is a description for the #1 to #5 parameters. You will be browsing for several
tags.

12. Assign tags for #1 - Click on the … button under the Tag column for #1.
When the Tab Browser opens navigate to {[shortcut]CIPFilling[3]}

Click the OK button

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 13. Repeat the above step for #2 - #5 using the tags below

Name Tag Description

The value of the liquid in the tank
#2 {[shortcut]CIPTimer[3].ACC}
while the tank is filling.

The value of the liquid in the tank

#3 {::[shortcut]Program:Main.TempCalc[3]}
while the tank is emptying

Colour of the tank

#4 {[shortcut]CIPTankColour[3]}

CIP active?
#5 {[shortcut]CIPActive}

The completed Global

Object Parameter Values
dialog should look as
follows.

14. Click the OK button on the Global Object Parameter Values dialog.

You can use the test display mode to test global objects. However, this global object uses parameter
placeholders and even though we set the values they are ignored. Remember, not all FactoryTalk
View commands work in test display mode and parameter placeholders are ignored.

15. Close the CIP – Overview display and save.

Test Display

Now you will have to test the display in the client.

1. Go to the running Client file. If the client is not running launch it from Studio.

Click the Launch SE

Client icon.

Select the C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\ClientFile_DockedDisplays.cli then click OK

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2. Click the CIP button from the navigation bar

3. What happens? The CIP - Overview display should be opened and you should see values and
animations for all tanks. Each one of the tanks is a reference object to the tank global object. We
have assigned unique Global Object Parameter Values for each tank, resulting in different colors, fill
values and data for every tank.

4. To see the animation in action, press the CIP – Repeat Cycle button.

Reference Object Properties

The reference object has a LinkBaseObject property that specifies the name and location of the base
object the reference object is linked to. You cannot modify the LinkBaseObject property. If the specified
global object display or base object does not exist, the reference object will appear in red outline, with a
red cross on a white background.

Once you have a reference object, you cannot easily change the object name in the base object. You will
get a warning message when attempting to rename a base object. If you accidentally perform a name
change or delete a base object, it can be restored. To restore the reference object, you must recreate the
base global object with the same name, on the same global object display in order to allow the reference
objects to work again.

A reference object has properties that link it to its base object. When a reference object is created, the
global object defaults are used to set how the reference object will be linked to the base object. These
properties can be modified after the object has been created. You can choose to break the link to the
base object after the reference object is created. If you break the link the object will become a graphics

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object and will no longer reference the base object.

The values of the Link properties determine whether aspects of the reference object’s appearance and
behaviors are defined by the base object, or by the reference object itself.
LinkAnimation
The LinkAnimation property determines whether the reference object uses the animation set up
for its base object.
Set up the LinkAnimation property of the reference object by selecting:

Link with expressions, to use the animation, including expressions, set up for the base
object.

Link without expressions, to use the animation, excluding expressions, set up for the base
object. This means you can set up the expressions for the reference object separately.

Do not link, to set up animation and expressions for the reference object separately.
For a Button push button object, the LinkAnimation property determines whether the reference
object uses the press, release, or repeat actions set up for the base object. This is true when
you select either Link with expressions or Link without expressions.

LinkConnections
The LinkConnections property determines whether the reference object uses the connections
set up for its base object.
Set up the LinkConnections property of the reference object by selecting:

True, to use the connections assigned to the base object.

False, to set up connections for the reference object separately.
In FactoryTalk View Site Edition, a reference object that is a tag label, trend, or Button push
button with an action other than Command, always uses the connections assigned to its base
object. You cannot set up connections for these reference objects separately.

LinkSize
The LinkSize property determines whether the reference object uses the height and width set up
for its base object.
Set up the LinkSize property of the reference object by selecting:

True, to use the height and width set up for the base object.

False, to set up the height and width of the reference object separately.
If you attempt to resize a reference object with its LinkSize property set to True, the object will
snap back to its original size.

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Look at the Global Object Defaults
1. Open up any display then from Explorer, select the Edit > Global Object Defaults menu item.

These are the default settings.

Global Object Default Settings

The Global Object Defaults are now set to Link with expressions for the LinkAnimation
properties and true for the LinkConnections. These have changed because Global Object
Parameters allow you to use placeholders in the connections and expressions. This means
each reference object can have a unique data source(s), and still be able to be updated with
changes to other aspects of the base global object.

All the reference objects in this application have been created with these defaults. This means that any
changes we make to the animation, connection, or size of the base object will be reflected in the
reference object.

2. Click the Cancel button to close the Global Object Defaults dialog.

Look at the Reference Properties

1. From Explorer, Open the CIP – Overview display that we just modified.

2. Open the Property Panel

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 Right-Click on our
Sanitizer tank and select
Property Panel.

3. Observe the reference object properties

Reference object
Properties – you can view
the Global Object display
name and base object
name, that this reference
object is linked with.

4. When you are done close the display.

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Modifying Global Objects
What happens when you think you have your application all done and then you get a change request?
The change could be adding a new item to a display or changing colors on an animation. Global objects
allow you to make the change in the base object and the reference objects will inherit that change. This
makes maintaining your application a lot easier.

You will be modifying the CIPComponents Global Object.

Modify Text
We will change the color of text that is used several times in the CIP Overview display. Instead of
changing the color property several times for each reference, we will only change it once in the base
object and every reference object will reflect that change.

1. From Explorer, open the CIPComponents Global Object

2. Open the Object Explorer by selecting View > Object Explorer menu item.

3. Find the Text1 object in the Object Explorer.

4. Double-click on Text1 to open the Text Properties dialog.

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 After Text1 properties
have been opened,
change the Fore Color of
the text to RED.

5. Click the OK button.

6. Save the global object.

7. Go to the running Client

8. Click the Close CIP button in the top right corner

9. Click the CIP button from the navigation bar

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10. Notice four reference objects have been changed

So we made a change in 1 place, the base object and the 4 reference objects now reflect the change.
The text label change would have been updated in all of the reference objects regardless of what the link
properties were set to.

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Section 7: Security

About This Section

In this section, you will learn about:

Security

Creating a User and User Group

Configuring Action Security

Configuring Runtime Security - Assigning security codes (A - P)
o Users and User Groups
o Commands
o Display Settings

Verifying Security Settings

Read About Security

For FactoryTalk products like FactoryTalk View SE, the FactoryTalk Directory stores information about
which users are allowed access to the parts of a control system.

FactoryTalk Security uses this information to provide two basic services:

User authentication verifies the user’s identity, and whether a request for service actually
originated with that user.

User authorization verifies the user’s request to access a software resource, based on the access
rights and privileges defined for that user.

For example, when a FactoryTalk View SE network application user logs on to FactoryTalk View Studio,
FactoryTalk Security services verify the user’s identity first.

If authentication succeeds, security services check permissions assigned to the user, to authorize actions
performed on secured parts of the application.

In a network application, security services also check whether the user is allowed to perform authorized
actions on the current computer.

In addition, FactoryTalk Security services manage system-wide policies, such as how often users must
change their passwords, or whether users can back up and restore applications.

The security system is extremely powerful. Some particular considerations:

You can enforce “line-of-sight” security by restricting operators to specific computers that are
within visual range of the machine or process.

Inheritance allows you to define basic levels of access for a broad set of users, across a
FactoryTalk-enabled system. You can then refine security settings for selected users as
necessary, by overriding inherited permissions on lower-level resources.

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In a FactoryTalk View Site Edition application, an HMI server always inherits the permissions
assigned to the area in which it resides. You cannot set up access to an HMI server separately.

You can explicitly deny rights to certain users from all computers or from specific computers.
Selecting the Deny check box for an action denies permission explicitly. This always takes
precedence over allowing permission.

If a user belongs to two different groups, and one group is allowed to delete applications but the
other group is denied that permission explicitly, then the user will not be allowed to delete
applications.

Security
Following installation of the FactoryTalk View SE software, the All Users account is
automatically added to the Runtime Security list and allowed all run-time security codes. This
gives any FactoryTalk View SE Client user permission to run a client, open displays, write to
tags, and execute commands and macros.
In a secured FactoryTalk system, you must remove the All Users account, add users to the
Runtime Security list, and then give the users the security permissions needed to run an
application.

After the FactoryTalk View SE software is installed, all users have full initial access to network and local
applications on the computer.

There is no need to log on, to run FactoryTalk View Studio, the FactoryTalk View SE Administration
Console, or a FactoryTalk View SE Client. The current Windows user is automatically logged on to
FactoryTalk View SE.

However, you do need to log on and off to change users, or to gain access to secured parts of the
FactoryTalk system.

FactoryTalk View Runtime Security

FactoryTalk View Runtime Security manages run-time security for HMI project components, including
FactoryTalk View commands and macros, graphic displays, OLE objects, and HMI tags. In FactoryTalk
View Studio, you can secure access to HMI project components by assigning security codes (A - P) to
users and user groups (in the Runtime Security editor); to commands and macros (in the Runtime
Secured Commands editor), to graphic displays and OLE object animation (in the Graphics editor), and to
HMI tags (in the Tags editor).

Before you can assign FactoryTalk View security codes to users and user groups, you have to create the
user and user group accounts in FactoryTalk Security, and then add them to the Runtime Security editor.

Creating a User and User Group

When setting up security for a FactoryTalk View application, it is recommended that you create group
accounts and set up access permissions for them first. Using group accounts makes it easier to assign
and manage permissions for multiple users with similar security needs. Rather than assigning
permissions to each user in the system, you can create accounts for new users, and then add the users
the appropriate groups.

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You are going to create a new user and user group. You will assign the user to a user group. You will do
this from FactoryTalk View Studio.

1. From the Explorer, expand the Users and Groups folder.

2. Right-click on the User Group folder, select the New > User Group… context menu item.

3. The New User Group dialog will be opened.

4. Type ‘Operators’ in the Name field

5. Click the button

6. The Select User or Group dialog will open, Click the Show users only radio button and click
Create New > User… menu item.

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7. The New User dialog will open. Type ‘CIPOperator’ for the user name, check the user cannot
change password, check the password never expires, and type ‘password’ for the password.
Follow steps a-f to configure.

a. Type ‘CIPOperator ‘

b. Select User cannot

change password

c. Select Password never

expires

d. Type ‘password’

e. Type ‘password’

f. Click the Create

button

8. Confirm the fields. Click the Create button.

9. You will be back at the Select User or Group dialog.

Select the CIPOperator and click the button.

10. You will be back at the New User Group dialog. CIPOperator should be in the Members list:

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11. Click the Create button.

12. Operators will appear under User Groups and CIPOperator will appear under Users in the
Explorer.

Configuring Action Security

When setting up security, you can specify which actions a user or group can perform on the resources in
your system while working from a particular computer or group of computers. In a FactoryTalk Local
Directory, actions can only be performed from the local computer — the FactoryTalk Local Directory does
not contain any computer accounts.
Action
An organized activity performed on a resource in order to accomplish an objective. Actions are
grouped into categories. In addition to a set of common actions that apply to most FactoryTalk
products, each product can also include its own set of actions. For information about those
actions, see Help for the FactoryTalk product.

Resources
The objects in a FactoryTalk system for which actions can be secured. Each FactoryTalk
product defines its own set of resources. For example, some products might allow you to
configure security for resources such as servers in an area. Other products might allow you to
configure security for logic controllers and other devices. FactoryTalk Administration Console
allows you to configure security for the System folder and its contents, applications, areas, and
many other items. Do not confuse resources with resource groupings: resource groupings allow
you to group together control hardware represented in the Networks and Devices tree, and then
configure security for the grouping in one step.
Let’s specify that our operators cannot perform certain alarming actions.

1. From the Explorer, right-click on InstantFizz and select the Security… context menu item

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2. Security Settings for InstantFizz dialog appears. Click the Add… button.

In the Security Settings

for InstantFizz, click the
Add button.

3. The Select User or Computer dialog appears. Select the Operators and click the OK button.

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4. While the Operators group is selected, expand the Alarming action, Check the Deny check box
next to Alarming and check the Allow checkbox next to Acknowledge.

You are only allowing the operators to acknowledge FactoryTalk Alarm and Events Alarms. They
cannot perform the other actions.

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 Your dialog should look like this.

5. Click the OK button. When prompted with this message,

select the Yes button.

6. The Security Settings for InstantFizz dialog closes.

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Configuring Runtime Security

After you have created users and user groups in FactoryTalk Security, you add them to the security
accounts list in the Runtime Security editor in FactoryTalk View SE. When you add an account, you also
assign the security codes that will give them access to secured HMI components. (Secured HMI
components are those that have been assigned security codes.)

These codes (A through P), along with those assigned to HMI project components, determine which
components a user has access to at run time.

To restrict access to a command, macro, graphic display, OLE object verb, or HMI tag, you assign a
security code from A through P to it, and then assign that code only to the users who are supposed to
have access to the component.

Assign Security Codes to Users and User Groups

1. Double-click on the Runtime Security icon in the Explorer

Or
Select the Settings > Runtime Security…. menu item.

2. The Runtime Security dialog is opened.

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3. Click on the Security Accounts… button.

4. The Security Settings for InstantFizz dialog is opened.

5. Select the Add… button.

6. The Select User and Computer dialog is opened.

7. Select the Operators and click the OK button.

8. The Select User and Group dialog is closed and the Operators group is added to the Users list.
While it is highlighted, expand the FactoryTalk View Security Codes actions. Select the Deny
checkbox for A.
Your settings should look like this.

9. Click the OK button.

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10. When prompted

Select the Yes button.

11. Select the Close button on the Runtime Security dialog

12. When prompted with the message “Save changes to document?” Select the Yes button.

13. The Runtime Security dialog closes.

Assign Security Codes to Commands

Security can be assigned to commands to limit who can execute them.

1. Select the Settings > Runtime Secured Commands… menu item.

2. The Runtime Secured Commands dialog is opened. Expand the window to see all the fields.

3. Click in a cell in row 2 to select it.

4. Click the … button next to the Command field.

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5. The Command Wizard is opened.

6. Observe all the commands that can be assigned security codes. Select the DisplayClientClose
command from the Logic and Control > Display Client folder then click Finish.

Select the
DisplayClientClose
Command then click
Finish.

7. Observe the Security Code drop down list that can be used to assign a security code to a command.

Select Security Code A, then click Accept.

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8. Click the Close button on the Runtime Secured Commands dialog.

9. When prompted with the message “Save changes to document?” select the Yes button.

10. The Runtime Secured Commands dialog will close.

We have secured the DisplayClientClose command. Only users with Security Code A will be able to
stop the running client.

Assign Security Codes to Displays

Security can be assigned to displays, to limit who can have access to certain displays.

You will assign the A security code to the CIP-Valves display.

1. Open the CIP-Valves display from the Explorer.

2. Select the Edit > Display Settings… menu item.

3. The Display Settings dialog will open.

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4. Select the A from the Security Code drop down list.

Set the display

Security Code to A.

5. Click the OK button.

6. Save the display.

7. Close the display.

We have secured the CIP - Valves display. Only users with Security Code A will be able to access this
display.

Assign Security Codes to Tags

Security can be assigned to tags, to limit who can write to certain or all tags.

1. Open the tag database from the Explorer window. Double-click on Tags to open.

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2. The Tags dialog is opened. You can assign
Security Codes to Tags,
to prevent users from being
able to write to certain tags.

3. Click the Close button on the Tags dialog.

4. When prompted with the message “Do you wish to continue?” select the Yes button.

5. Using the tag database we can secure individual tags and assign permissions to them. The users will
be able to write to some tags but not to others. If there is a need to secure ALL tags for a certain user
group or user, then we can deny the Write action for this user.

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6. From the Explorer, right-click on InstantFizz and select the Security… context menu item

7. Security Settings for InstantFizz dialog appears.

You can select the user

group or user (for
example Operators and
in the Common
Permissions deny the
Write action.

8. Click Cancel to exit.

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Verifying Security Settings

In this section you will verify your security settings with the client. You will login in as the CIPOperator
and then try to suppress an alarm. First you will try to suppress it from the Alarm display, then from the
CIP – Valves display. Your attempts should fail because of the security settings. Let’s see what happens.

1. Go to the running client. Launch the client if it is not open.

2. Click on the Overview button on the navigation display to go to the plant overview.

3. Click the Security button to open the security pop-up display. Then click on Log In.

a. Click on Security
button. b. Click on Log In
button.

5. Login as the new user ‘CIPOperator’ using the password of ‘password’. Then click OK. Note user
name is not case sensitive.

6. The information message “CIPOperator has been logged in.” will appear in the diagnostics list.

7. Close the Security pop-up window.

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 Close

8. Click on the button from the navigation display.

9. From the CIP display click on a tank valve. The valves have Touch animation associated with them,
which when clicked opens the CIP – Valves display.

9. Click on the valve

to launch the CIP –
Valves display.

10. What happened? Nothing! The message “Currently logged-in user does not have security
access to CIPValves.” will appear in the diagnostics list. The display setting security worked!

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11. Click on the button in the footer display.

12. The Alarms is displayed. We did not secure this display. We only secured the CIP – Valves display.

13. Select a row (alarm) in the summary list and click on the suppress button.

14. When the Suppress Alarm dialog comes up, click the suppress button to confirm that you want to
suppress the alarm.

15. What happened? There is a message right? The message should read something like “Failed to
Suppress Alarm alarm [alarm name] TCIPOperator does not have Suppress/Unsuppress
permission. The message will appear in the diagnostics list. If the option to display errors from
operator action in a dialog was checked when configuring the summary (which it was originally), a
dialog with the message will appear. If the message dialog appears, click the OK button.

The actions security worked!

16. Select an alarm in the list and then click on each of the first 4 buttons (enable alarm, disable alarm,
suppress alarm, unsuppress alarm) to try to perform these actions. Observe what happens. The
actions are secured and the operator cannot perform them.

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17. Right-click on an alarm in the summary and select one of the Ack context menu items.

18. The alarm will be acknowledged because the CIPOperator has permission to perform that action.

19. Close the Alarms display.

20. We have assigned security to the command DisplayClientClose. Only users with security code A will
be able to execute this command. Our CIPOperator does not have security code A permission.

Let’s verify command security.

21. Click on the Exit button in the navigation window to close the running client.

22. What happened? The client did not close. A message will appear in the diagnostics list, indicating that
the current user does not have the permissions to close the client.

4. Click the Security button to open the security pop-up display. Then click on Log In.

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 a. Click on Security
button. b. Click on Log In
button.

23. Login as the new user ‘administrator’ using the password of ‘rockwell’. Then click OK. Note user
name is not case sensitive.

24. The information message “administrator has been logged in.” will appear in the diagnostics list.

25. Close the Security pop-up window.

Close

26. Perform some of the steps above. Do not close the client at this time. You should be able to open the
CIP – Valves display and perform all actions on the alarms.

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Section 8: Data Logging and Trending

About This Section

In this section, you will learn about:

Runtime Exploration

Data Logging

Trending

Configuration Exploration

Historical Trending

Runtime Trending

Data Log Models

Configuring Methods using the Invoke command
You will be using the CIP – Sensor Trend display and CIP data log model that we will add –
Adding existing HMI Components.

Runtime Exploration

Data Logging
Data logging is a FactoryTalk View component that collects and stores tag values. You specify which tag
values to collect, when to collect them, and where to store them by defining a data log model.

The HMI tag database does not store actual tag values; it only defines which values are to be collected.
The values themselves are stored on a given HMI server. When the HMI server is turned off, the value
table is cleared (excluding retentive tags). To have a permanent record of tag values, log them to the data
log file on disk. Remember: controller tags will keep their value when an HMI server is powered down
because they’re located within the controller; they’re not HMI (or memory) tags stored on the server itself.

To log tag values to disk, you create a data log model and specify the tags that are to be logged. This is
done in the Data Log Model editor. The values can also be logged to an ODBC-compliant database.

An application can have up to 20 data log models running at a time. The maximum number of tags that
can be logged by one data log model is 10,000.

Trending
A trend is a visual representation, or chart, of current or historical tag values. A trend provides operators
with a way of tracking plant activity as it is happening. The trend object displays real-time data and
historical data from the FactoryTalk View Site Edition data logs. Pens on the run-time chart represent
data from the tags and expressions that you add to the trend object. The trend object provides extensive,
flexible run-time control. You can add pens, toggle between isolated and non-isolated graphing, specify
unique line settings, plot one variable against another in XY plots, and print chart data.

There are two different types of Trending

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 - Historical Trending

o Historical Trending is when a trend polls data from a data log that is previously
configured. This will allow the user to browse through a timeline to look at the data over a
given period of time.

- Runtime trending

o A Runtime trend displays data trends directly from the processor. The trend will start
trending its runtime data from the time it’s first loaded on the display.

Configuration Exploration

Data Log Models

1. Add the pre-configured datalog model to your application. From the Explorer, navigate to Data Log >
Data Log Models > Add Component Into Application…
Right-click on Data
Log Models then
select Add
Components Into
Application…
2. Browse to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\DataLog and click Open to add the CIP.mdf file

3. Double-click on the CIP datalog to open.

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4. The CIP Data Log Model dialog opens to the Setup tab.

This is a pre-configured
System DSN pointing to a
database that is called
ODBC_InstantFizz. For this
example the ODBC data
source points to Microsoft
Access. An alternative
could be SQL Server.

Click the Create

Tables button.

You can set up logging to log to a file set or to log to any database that you can connect to
with ODBC.

The data log model can be configured to be stored as a file set or an ODBC database. Notice that this
data model is being stored in an ODBC database. There is a System Data Source Name (DSN) called
ODBC_InstantFizz that points to a Microsoft Access database called ODBC_InstantFizz.

An ODBC System DSN stores information about how to connect to the indicated data pointer. If you
want to see how the System DSN was configured, Select the Start > Settings > Control Panel menu
item. From the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools, and then select Data Sources (ODBC).
Look at the System DSN tab and the DSN called ODBC_InstantFizz.

5. Click the Create Tables button if you haven’t already done so. You should get a FactoryTalk View
Datalog Editor message saying ODBC tables were successfully created. Click the OK button.

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6. Click on the Paths tab.

Notice Enable ODBC

Backup Path is
enabled.

This configuration tab is used to set the file location of the data logs. This is useful if you
have a distributed network set up; you will want to store the logs to one common location
instead of on each individual HMI server on the network.

Notice that the Enable ODBC backup path was selected and a logging path was specified. If the
connection to the ODBC database fails (Microsoft Access) you will be able to see the historical data
in the trend display because of the secondary Backup Path.

7. Click the File Management tab

This configuration tab is used to configure how long you want to keep logging to individual
files until you either create a new file or delete older files.

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8. Click the Log Triggers tab

This configuration tab is used to decide how often and based upon what event the log
should be updated.

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Notice that the trigger for logging is On Change.

Trigger is
Periodic

Log periodically
every 3 seconds.

The data log can be configured to log Periodically, On Change, or On Demand.

- Periodic
To log tag values periodically, select Periodic, then type a time in the Interval field and select a
time unit to specify how often tag values will be logged. All tags will be logged each time this
interval expires.

- On Change
On Change logging only logs tags whose values have changed. Use the On Change trigger to log
tag values once a certain percentage of change in the value has occurred. The percentage is
based on the tag's minimum and maximum (or High EU and Low EU) values. For example,
specifying 10 means a tag's value must change by 10 percent to be logged. This applies to
analog HMI tags only. For data server tags and digital and string HMI tags, which do not have
minimum/maximum properties, every change is logged.

- On Demand

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 Choose On Demand as the trigger, to log data only when the FactoryTalk View command
DataLogSnapshot is issued. This command can be given anywhere that other FactoryTalk View
commands and macros can be. For example, it could be typed in the command line, or specified
as the action for an event. If you specify Periodic or On Change, you can still use on demand
logging whenever it is appropriate.

9. Click the Tags in Model tab

This configuration tab is used to select what information is logged. You can add or remove
different tags from this menu using the tag browser.

10. Notice 6 tags have been added to the model.

11. Click the OK button to close the CIP Data Log Model dialog

Configuring Trends

Do not add a new trend or change this one. You can do so at the end of this section.

1. From the Explorer, double-click on the CIP – Sensor Trend display to open it.
The Trend object can be created by selecting the Objects > Advanced > Trend menu item

or by selecting the Trend button on the menu bar

2. Double-click on the grid of the Trend object.

3. The Trend Properties dialog will open. Lets get familiarized with trend properties and capabilities.

4. Click on the General tab.

The general tab contains several configurable properties. The Chart Style determines the plotting
style of the chart. A trend chart can either plot values against time or against a selected pen.

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 A trend chart can either
plot values against time
or against a selected
pen.

5. Click the Pens tab.

6. Notice that the Model column has CIP which is the data model that was created.

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 These pens were added by selecting the Add Pen(s) from Model button. The Configure Tags dialog
opened. The Add All button was selected to add all the tags. Then the OK was clicked to accept the
changes.

7. Click on the X-Axis tab.

Use this tab to set up the time range and display options for the chart's run-time horizontal axis. The
Time Span controls the amount of data that displays on the run-time chart. For a standard line chart,
the time span controls the chart's horizontal scale. For an xy plot, the Min and Max properties (set up
on the Pens tab) of the selected pen control the horizontal scale, and the time span controls the
number of data points plotted.

The Time Span controls

the amount of data that
displays on the run-time
chart.

8. Click on the Y-Axis.

Use this tab to set up the minimum/maximum value options, display options, and scale options for the
chart's run-time vertical axis. For example, Isolated graphing places each pen in a separate band of
the chart. To allow pens to overlap, you would need to clear the check box.

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 You can set the
Minimum/Maximum
values of the trend.

Each pen can be displayed

in a separate band of the
chart (isolated) or all pens
can overlap.

9. Click on the Overlays tab.

With the trend object, you can capture and save a snapshot of graphed data at run-time and then
layer that saved data over current data in a trend. This feature allows you to overlay and compare
historical data with current data or any multiple sets of data.

You can capture a snapshot of

runtime data and overlay it over
current data in a running trend.

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10. Click on the Template tab.

Use this tab to save the settings for the current trend as a template, to load another template for the
current trend to use, or to delete a template. The settings that are saved for the template are those
from the General, Display, Pens, and X and Y Axis tabs.

A template can be applied to all trends in an application to create a consistent appearance. You can
load templates during design time and runtime.

You can save current trend

settings in a template, than load
the template when needed,
during design time or runtime.

We will import several pre-created templates into the application. But first we will complete reviewing
the Trend properties and capabilities.

11. Click on the Runtime tab.

Use this tab to determine which trend options are available to operators at run time. To prevent
operators from changing these options, the Runtime tab is not available at run time.

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12. Click the Cancel button on the Trend Properties dialog to close the dialog.

13. Lets import a few pre-created templates into the application.

14. In the Explorer window, right-click on Trend Templates and select Add Component Into
Application…

15. Browse to C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\Trend Templates, select all the files and click Open.

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16. In the CIP – Sensor Trend display Double-click on the Start button to open the button
properties.

17. Click the Action tab and look at the Press action. This command DataLogOn CIP starts the data
logging for the model.

The datalogon command can be placed in a start-up macro as well. When the client is launched, the
dataloggging is started automatically from the start-up macro.

18. Click the Cancel button to close the button properties.

19. Double-click on the Stop button to open the button properties.

20. Click the Action tab and look at the Press action. This command DataLogOff CIP stops the data
logging for the model.

21. Click the Cancel button to close the button properties.

22. Close the CIP – Sensor Trend display. If prompted to save changes, select the No button.

Viewing the Trend at runtime

1. Go to the running client. If you have any open pop-up displays, please close them.

2. Click the CIP button button from the navigation display. Then click on CIP Trend

button in the top right corner

3. The CIP – Sensor Trend will be displayed.

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4. Click the Start button. The start button will start historical logging.

5. While the CIP – Sensor Trend display is open, click on the CIP – Repeat Cycle button on the
CIP Overview display to start the CIP clean.

6. The CIP data is being logged. Observe the trend in the CIP – Sensor Trend display. To view the
data of another CIP cleaning cycle, click the CIP – Repeat Cycle button again.

CIP data trend.

Configurable
trend legend.

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7. Earlier we have executed the DataLogOn command with the START button. The trend historical
data is stored in the Microsoft Access database. If we close the trend and then re-open it, we will
still be able to view our CIP cycle from a few minutes ago.

You can try it. Click the close button on the CIP – Sensor Trend display. Then re-

open the trend display from the CIP – Overview display.

You may need to Scroll back on the trend to see the CIP cycle data.

8. The CIP – Sensor Trend display contains several buttons to demonstrate trend functionalities
and capabilities.

9. As seen earlier, the trend can be configured to display data in different time spans, for example 2
Minutes, 1 Hour, 1 Day etc. To view the different time spans at runtime, the trend configurations
can be saved to templates, such as the templates we had imported earlier. The templates can
then be loaded at runtime using the Invoke command.

10. Go back to FactoryTalk View Studio and open the CIP – Sensor Trend display (if it is not

already open). Then double-click on the 2 Minutes button.

11. The Button Properties window will open. Select the Action tab.

Invoke command to
launch the template
called “2Minute” at
runtime.

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12. Click the Cancel button to exit the button properties.

13. Go back to the running client. Click on the different time spans buttons to see the trend object
X-Axis change.

14. You can also use templates to switch between different pen views: Isolated pens or all pens on
one scale.

Click on the Pen Display buttons to see the pens change.

Isolated pens. Each

pen has a separate
trend band. Notice
the Y-axis.

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 All pens on 1
Scale. Notice the
Y-axis.

15. Many objects in FactoryTalk View SE have Object Methods for additional object functionality.
You must use Invoke commands to call a Method.

Lets explore some Object Methods for the trend object.

16. Go back to FactoryTalk View Studio and the CIP – Sensor Trend display.

17. Righ-click on the trend and select Methods.

The Object Methods dialog box appears. It displays methods and properties implemented in
the selected trend object. A method is a function that is part of an object.

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 Explore the different
methods available.

18. Click Close.

19. Let’s see an example where the Object Methods can be used. We have already used the
LoadTemplate method to load our Time Span templates. Double-click on the Print Trend

button on the CIP – Sensor Trend display.

20. In the Button Properties, select the Action tab.

The Invoke command was used to launch the PrintTrend Method.

Always use the Invoke command to call a method. When you use the Invoke command to call a
method, you need to specify the name of the object in which the method is implemented. In our
case the name of the object is Trend1. For help on how to use the Invoke command, go to
FactoryTalk View Help and search for Invoke.

21. Click cancel to exit the Button Properties.

22. Let’s see our PrintChart method in action.

Return to the running client. On the CIP – Sensor Trend display click on the Print Trend

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 button.

23. The Print properties will open. In this example, we are printing to a Pdf file.

24. Click OK.

25. The print dialog will open.

26. Type a file name and click Save. You can open the saved PDF file to view the printed trend.

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27. As discussed in Configuring Trends section, many of the trend properties can be configured to
be accessible during run-time. Right-click on the trend in the client and explore the options.

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Section 9: FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup and the Viewer

About This Section

In this section, you will learn about these topics:

FactoryTalk Diagnostics

Diagnostics List

Diagnostics Viewer

Diagnostics Setup
o Configuring the FactoryTalk View Diagnostics List
o Configuring the Local Log
o ODBC Database as a message source

Read About FactoryTalk Diagnostics

The idea behind FactoryTalk Diagnostics is to answer the question, "Why did that happen?" FactoryTalk
Diagnostics collects and provides access to a global store of time-and-date stamped messages that can
help answer that question.

The FactoryTalk Diagnostics service includes a Diagnostics Setup editor, a Diagnostics Viewer, and a
Local Log on each computer where the FactoryTalk Services Platform is installed. Other custom logging
destinations are also available. For example, the FactoryTalk AssetCentre software product provides
customized FactoryTalk Audit Logs.

Use the Diagnostics Setup editor to set up options for logging destinations and to filter the types of
messages you want to log on the local computer.

Use the Diagnostics Viewer to review diagnostics messages. You can view both local messages and
messages retrieved and merged from logs on multiple computers.

FactoryTalk View SE, FactoryTalk Alarms and Events, and other FactoryTalk software products are all
sending messages to one Local Log and to one FactoryTalk Audit Log on one computer. When you set
options for a particular logging destination, the options you choose affect the log on this computer that
any number of FactoryTalk products may be using. Likewise, when you configure message routing
options, the filtering options you choose affect the types of messages routed from all FactoryTalk
products that send messages.

Each FactoryTalk product and service categorizes the messages that it generates using a matrix of
Severity options (Error, Warning, Information, and Audit) together with Audience options (Operator,
Engineer, Developer, and Secure). For example, a product might generate a series of security messages
classified as Operator-Audit and Operator-Information, and also generate a series of communication
messages classified as Operator-Warning, Engineer-Warning, and Developer-Error.

Diagnostics information can be displayed in the Diagnostics List or in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer.

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The Diagnostics List is intended to show messages as they occur. Messages displayed in the Diagnostics
List are not time stamped. The Diagnostics Viewer provides a way to retrieve messages after they
occurred. New messages do not appear in the Diagnostics Viewer. A refresh can be done to reload the
messages. Messages that appear in the Diagnostic Viewer are time stamped so you know when they
occurred.

Diagnostics List
The Diagnostics List can be displayed in a FactoryTalk View Studio window, FactoryTalk View SE Client,
and FactoryTalk View Administration Console window. You have used the FactoryTalk View Diagnostics
List in earlier sections of this lab. You can clear messages from the Diagnostics List by selecting a row or
multiple rows and clicking the Clear button or by clicking the Clear All button. Removing a message from
the Diagnostics List does not delete the message from the Diagnostics log. Removing a message from
one Diagnostics List does not remove it from another Diagnostics List. I.e., removing a message from the
View Studio window does not remove it from the View Client window. When the application (View Studio,
View Client, or View Administration Console) starts new messages begin to get logged to the list. Old
messages will be removed from the list as new ones come in and the message limit has been reached.
When the application is closed, the list is cleared.

Diagnostics Viewer
The FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer allows you to view both local messages and messages retrieved and
merged from multiple products running on multiple computers logging to multiple destinations.

Open the Diagnostics Viewer

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, from the menu, select the Tools > Diagnostics Viewer… menu item

Or

select the Start > Diagnostics Viewer menu item.

2. The FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer will open.

When the Diagnostics Viewer window is open, new messages do not appear automatically. To
refresh the view and reload messages, press the F5 key or click the Refresh button.

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3. Mouse over the toolbar and look at the menus to see the operations you can perform with the
Diagnostics Viewer.

Filter Diagnostics List

1. Select the View > Options… menu item.

2. On the General tab of the Properties dialog, make sure message source is set to Local Log.

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 3. Click the tab on the Properties dialog. Move the Properties dialog so that you can see the
items in the Diagnostic Viewer. Follow steps a – e.

a. Select the Audience

e. Select the
c. Select Equals OK button

d. Select
Developer

b. Click the
Add Where Condition…) button

4. Click on Apply from the Properties dialog.

5. Observe the list was updated but no messages appear in the list. Follow steps a-e to change the
Audience from Developer to Operator.

a. Select the Audience

= ‘Developer’

b. Click the Modify… button

c. Select Equals
d. Select Operator
e. Select the
OK button

6. Click on Apply from the Properties dialog.

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7. Observer the list was updated to only show messages that were created with the audience set to
operator.

8. Select the Audience = ‘Operator’ select records where condition and click the Remove button.

9. Create a message filter by following steps a-e.

a. Select the Message

c. Select Contains

e. Select
d. Type ‘CIP’ the OK
button

b. Click the
Add Where Condition… button

10. Click on OK from the Properties dialog.

11. Observe the list was updated to only show messages that contained the string CIP.

12. Close the Diagnostics Viewer without saving.

Lets take a look at the diagnostics setup to see why you didn’t see any developer messages.

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Diagnostics Setup

Open the Diagnostics Setup

1. Run the Diagnostics Setup from within the FactoryTalk View Studio. From the Tools menu, select
the Diagnostics Setup… menu item

2. The FactoryTalk Diagnostics Configuration dialog will open

3. Expand the Destination Setup

4. Click on each item and look at the settings.

Configuring the FactoryTalk View Diagnostics List

Earlier in the lab you used the Diagnostics List in FactoryTalk View Studio and Client to look at
diagnostic messages. Look at the Destination Setup and the Message Routing configuration to see what
messages got routed to the FactoryTalk View Diagnostics List.

1. Expand the Destination Setup, select the FT View Diagnostics List item. Notice that there aren’t
any configuration settings. The destination is the Diagnostics List which is managed by FactoryTalk
View.

2. Select the Message Routing setup and then select the FT View Diagnostics List

Based on the setup, messages that were intended for Operator and Engineer audience that were of type

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Error, Warning, and Info appeared in the FactoryTalk View Diagnostics List.

Configuring the Local Log

You just used the Diagnostics Viewer to look at the local log. Look at the configuration.

1. Select the Destination Setup > Local Log item

The local log is a file that exists on this computer. There are options for overwriting events, log size, and
an option to clear the log.

2. Select the Message Routing setup and then select the Local Log

Messages that were intended for Developer audience were not logged to the Local Log so that is why we
did not see any.

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3. Change the Message Routing for the Local Log to include all message types for the developer
audience. Check all the options in the Developer row.

4. Click the Apply button. Minimize the Diagnostics Configuration window.

5. Go to the running client; click the clear all button in the Diagnostics List at the bottom.

6. Click on the CIP button in the navigation display. Then click on the CIP – Process

Steps display.

7. Type ’7000’ in the Step 1: Adding Water input field and select the enter key.

8. Notice 3 messages in the diagnostics list got updated. You will need to scroll up/down in the client
Diagnostics List to view the messages

9. From FactoryTalk View Studio, Select the Tools > Diagnostics Viewer menu item.

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10. Select the last 2 messages in the list to look at the details. Notice that they are developer messages
one is of type audit and the other is of type information.

ODBC Database as a Message Source

Depending on the products you have installed and the configuration options you have set, FactoryTalk
Diagnostics can also route these messages to other centralized logging destinations, such as an ODBC
database or FactoryTalk Audit Log.

Use the ODBC Database Destination Setup window to send messages to an ODBC data source. To send
messages from multiple computers, configure the destination on each computer where the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics service is installed.

The ODBC Database destination supports these ODBC-compliant databases:

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft Access

Oracle

Sybase SQL Server

Some types of information cannot be logged to an ODBC database destination. This includes:

any additional database fields not included in the ODBC table format, that a FactoryTalk product
might use. Even if you create the additional fields manually, nothing will be logged to them. The
additional information logged by a FactoryTalk product will, however, appear in the Local Log on
the computer where the product is installed.

any messages where the audience type is set to Secure, or the severity type set to Audit. Secure
messages can only be logged by the FactoryTalk AssetCentre software product to the
FactoryTalk Audit Log.

Configure the ODBC Database Setup

1. Go to the Diagnostics Configuration

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You are going to configure the destination setup. You will use a System DSN called ODBC_InstantFizz
that has been configured to point to a MS Access database called ODBC_InstantFizz.

2. Select the Destination Setup > ODBC Database item.

Browse

3. Click the … button next to the data source name. When the Select Data Source dialog opens,
click the System Data Source tab. Click the ODBC_InstantFizz data source name.

Select the System

Data Source tab

Select the
ODBC_InstantFizz
Data Source Name

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4. Click the OK button.

5. Type ‘FTDiagnostics’ for the target table and click the Create Table button.

Type
‘FTDiagnostic
s’

Click the Create

table button

6. Click the OK button when you get the message that “The table FTDiagnostics was successfully
created.”

7. Change the Log message to database every setting to be 30 seconds.

8. Select the Message Routing setup and then select the ODBC Database. Check all the options in
the Developer row.

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 Notice that Audit messages cannot be routed to the ODBC destination.

9. Click the OK button.

View the ODBC Log

10. Go to the Diagnostics Viewer

11. Select the View > Options menu item. Move the Properties window so you can view the list.

12. Click the ODBC Database as the message source.

13. Click the OK button.

14. Notice the list is empty because nothing has happened since we created this destination.

15. Go to the running client; click the clear all button in the Diagnostics List.

16. If not already open, Click on the CIP button in the navigation display. Then click on

the CIP – Process Steps display.

17. Type ‘7500’ in the Step 1: Adding Water input field and select the enter key.

18. Notice a download message is logged in the Diagnostics List.

19. Go to the Diagnostics Viewer

20. Wait 30 seconds, click the refresh button.

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21. Notice that 2 messages got logged.

22. Close the Diagnostics Viewer window without saving.

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Section 10: Language Switching

About This Section

In this section, you will learn about:

Language Switching

FactoryTalk View SE Language Switching

Configuration of supported languages

Export strings for translating

Translate strings

Import strings that have been translated

Language switching command

View language switching

Language switching in alarm messages (FactoryTalk Alarms and Events)

Device-based alarm language switching

Export alarm messages

Translate alarm messages

Import alarm messages

Tag-based alarm language switching

Create a Tag Alarm and Event Server

Translate alarm messages

Import alarm messages

Verify alarm import

Export alarm messages

View language switching of alarm messages

Read About Language Switching

Language switching allows operators to view user-defined text strings in FactoryTalk View SE Client
applications in multiple languages at run time. This includes FactoryTalk device-based alarm messages
created in RSLogix 5000 and FactoryTalk tag-based alarm messages created in the Alarm Setup Editor.
FactoryTalk historical alarm and event information is only logged in one language which is specified on
the alarm server properties.

At run time in a network application, multiple FactoryTalk View SE clients can switch between any of the
languages the application supports. Multiple clients can also run in different languages at the same time.

With language switching you can:

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Develop an application in one language, export the user-defined text strings for the application, and
then import translated strings for up to 40 languages into the same application.

Deploy a distributed application across different countries, allowing operators in each location to view
the application in their own language.

Enable operators in multilingual countries to use the language of their choice.

Language Switching Enhancements

A default language for language switching can be specified.

Support for 40 languages. Previous to this release only 20 different languages were
supported.

Local message displays support language switching
String Spreadsheet Editing
String spreadsheet editing lets you export text strings for all languages supported by an
application to an Excel spreadsheet in one easy operation. You can also import text strings in
one or multiple languages from an Excel spreadsheet to an application.
The Optimize Duplicate Strings feature allows you to translate only 1 occurrence of each string
to reduce errors and translation costs.
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
Language switching is supported in FactoryTalk Alarms and Events.

FactoryTalk View SE Language Switching

In general, the user-defined strings that support language switching are those that an operator
sees in an application at run time. Specifically, these are:

text you specify for graphic objects and global objects including
o captions
o tool tip text
o time and date embedded variables
o local messages
o numeric embedded variables

FactoryTalk View text objects (Note: A text object with its SizeToFit property set to True
might change in size when displayed in different languages.)

text strings defined for FactoryTalk Alarm and Event summaries, banners, and log
viewers

graphic and global object display titles specified in the Display Settings dialog box
Among the text strings that do not support language switching are:

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text strings that are part of the graphical user interface of FactoryTalk View Studio or
View SE Client software, such as menus, which are displayed in the same language as
the operating system. These are translated when FactoryTalk View is localized

text that can be displayed at run time but is used to operate the application, such as the
names of graphic displays and command strings

tag descriptions and string constants in expressions

text in the title bar of the FactoryTalk View SE Client window, which is part of the setup
of the client, not part of the application

text associated with HMI tag alarms

Alarm Fault List messages displayed in FactoryTalk Alarm and Event Summary and
Banner objects

Configuration of supported languages

You will need to add the desired languages to the application.

1. From FactoryTalk View Studio, select the Tools > Languages… menu item.

2. Click the Add… button on the Language Configuration dialog.

The languages in the list are supported for language switching by the application at run time. Be
sure that these Windows languages are installed on the development and client computers
before trying to switch languages.
To find out which languages are installed on a computer, check the Regional Options (Windows
2000) or Regional and Language Options (Windows XP and Windows Server 2003), in the
Control Panel.

The languages you will be selecting are installed.

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3. Select the German (Germany) language and click the OK button.

4. Click the Add… button on the Language Configuration dialog.

5. Select the Spanish (Mexico) language and click the OK button.

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6. Click the Add… button on the Language Configuration dialog.

7. Select the Chinese (PRC) language and click the OK button.

8. Click the Add… button on the Language Configuration dialog.

9. Select the Japanease language and click the OK button.

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10. Click the Add… button on the Language Configuration dialog.

11. Select the French (France) language and click the OK button.

12. Notice that these languages have been added to the list and English is set as the default language
as indicated by the check mark next to English.

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13. Check the Display undefined strings using the default language option.

14. Click the Apply button.

Your application has been configured to support 6 languages. Now you will need to perform an export to
get the strings that you will need for translation.

Export strings for translating

There are a number of ways to change the text strings in a graphic display besides editing them
individually by object. The best approach is to export the strings to Excel and use the Optimize duplicate
strings feature. The Optimize duplicate strings feature allows strings that occur more than once in the
application to be written to the spreadsheet only once. After the first occurrence, a placeholder is inserted
into the spreadsheet for other occurrences.

1. Highlight the English language then click the Export button

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2. Select the Export strings for all languages to an Excel spreadsheet radio button. Check the
Optimizing duplicate strings and Open exported file options

3. Click the Next button

4. For a network application with multiple HMI Servers you are prompted to select a HMI Server at this
point.

Select /Area1:InstantFizz_HMIServer then click Next.

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5. Leave the default location and click the Finish button.

6. The String Export in Progress will start and then complete. This may take a few minutes.

7. The Excel document will be created and opened.

Observe the open Excel file. Everywhere you see the text **REF: in the language columns (i.e.,
en-US, de-DE, es-MX, and zh-CN) is referencing a duplicate string in the REF column before
the language column. That means you don’t have to translate the text for that object. You only
have to translate the first occurrence of that text indicated by the text **UNDEFINED**. You will
use a different file that has already been translated to do the import.

8. Close the Excel file without saving

Translated Strings

Let’s look at a file that has been translated for you.

1. Go to C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\. Open the Language Switching folder.

2. Double-click on the InstantFizz_Translated.xls file

3. Observe the file.

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4. Close the file.

Import strings that have been translated

Now that you have a file with translated strings, let’s import them.

1. Select the Import button from the Language Configuration dialog.

2. Select the option to Import strings from an Excel spreadsheet…. from the String Import Export
Wizard dialog and click the Next button

3. Select the Browse … button and browse to this file C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\ Language
Switching\InstantFizz_translated.xls and click the Finish button.

4. String import in Progress will start. Once it is completed, you will see the message String import
completed successfully in the Diagnostics List.
Note: You may see errors if you did not do some sections of this lab.

5. Click the OK button on the Language Configuration dialog.

Language switching command

There is a FactoryTalk View language switch command that you use to perform language switching.
Buttons that use this command have been configured on the Languages display. Let’s look at them.

1. From the Explorer, open the Languages display.

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2. Double-click on the US flag button to open the Button Properties dialog.

3. On the Button Properties dialog, click on the Action tab.

Notice the Press action - Language en-US

The Language command was added to the Press action by clicking the … button and then using the
Command Wizard. The command Language is located under the System – Languages folder.

Only the languages that have been added to your application will be displayed in the language id list.

4. Click the Cancel button.

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5. Repeat steps 2 – 4 for the other flags to observe the press action.

6. Close the Languages display.

View language switching

Language switch commands are ignored in Test Display mode. Since the client was up and running
before we added the new languages, we need to close the client and open it again for the additional
languages to appear.

1. Go to the running Client.

2. Close the running client by pressing the Exit button in the navigation display.

3. Go back to View Studio and Launch the client.

4. Click the different Language buttons in the navigation display. The Languages display will pop
open. Go ahead and navigate through different languages and the different displays.

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5. Notice on the Overview display the date and time are still displayed in English.

You can use FactoryTalk View SE system tags in an application to display text in graphic displays. For
example, the tag, system\dateandtimestring, displays the current date and time. Text in the following
system tags is always displayed in the format prescribed by the language of the Windows operating
system:

System\Time

System\Date

System\DateAndTimeString

System\MonthString

System\AlarmMostRecentDate

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System\AlarmMostRecentTime

System\AlarmStatus

If you use the “Time and Date” object instead of the above system tags then the date and time will
language switch as well.

6. Notice that alarm messages for are not translated. These will be translated in the next section.

Device-based alarm language switching

In RSLogix 5000, use the Alarm Properties dialog box to translate device-based alarm messages
individually. RSLogix 5000 configures alarm messages in the language of RSLogix 5000 software. For
example, the German version of RSLogix 5000 configures alarm messages in the German language. If
you add another language, then when RSLinx Enterprise connects to the controller, both languages are
uploaded and available to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events clients.

You can export alarms from RSLogix 5000 to a comma-separated variable (*.csv) or text (*.txt) file. For
double-byte character sets (for example, Chinese), export alarms in .txt format because in RSLogix 5000,
the .csv format does not support Unicode character sets.

Once you have exported the alarm messages, you can then manually add all the messages in the
languages you desire (limited to the languages supported by FactoryTalk View) and then import the file
when translation is complete. This simplifies sending the work out to translators.

Export alarm messages in RSLogix 5000

1. If it is not already open, Select the InstantFizz_Controller shortcut from the Start menu

2. Select the Tools > Export menu item.

3. When the Export dialog opens navigate to C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\ Language Switching and
keep the default filename.

4. Notice the Save as type options for the export file.

This lab will demonstrate how to use both formats.

5. Keep the default of RSLogix 5000 Import/Export File (*.CSV) selected.

6. Click the Export button.

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If your RSLogix 5000 project includes a large number of programs, and you want to translate alarm
messages from only one of them, you can make selections in the Export dialog box to limit the data that is
exported.

Translate alarm messages

1. Go to C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\ Language Switching folder.

2. Double-click on the InstantFizz_Controller-Tags.CSV file to open it in Microsoft Excel.

3. Expand the width of columns A, B, C, and D. Scroll down in the Excel sheet until you find ALM text
in column A, for example ALMMSG:en-US.

4. The alarm message text appears as the fourth column (D) from the left (“Water Valve Jammed.
Open Valve.”).

5. Copy the ALMMSG line for ‘Water Valve Jammed…’ and then paste it at the end of the file.

6. Change the text en-us to ‘de-DE’ (for German in Germany), and then change the alarm message
text to read, “Wasser-Ventil ist gestaut. Öffnen Sie Ventil”.

7. Save your changes. You will be prompted with several confirmation windows: Press Yes
multiple times.

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An export file C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\Language Switching\InstantFizz_Controller-
Tags_translated.TXT has been translated for you. The export file was created using the RSLogix 5000
Unicode Import/Export (*.TXT) format because it includes message strings that were translated in
Chinese. You will use that file when performing an import.

Import alarm messages

1. From RSLogix 5000, if you are online with the controller then go offline by selecting the
Communications > Go Offline menu item.

2. Select the Tools > Import menu item.

3. When the Import dialog opens navigate to C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\LanguageSwitching\

4. Select the RSLogix 5000 Unicode Import/Export Files (*.TXT) file type.

5. Select the filename InstantFizz_Controller-Tags_translated.TXT, leave the default settings for the
Tags and Logic Comments.

6. Click the Import button.

7. Select the Communications > Download menu item

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8. When the Download Dialog appears, select the Download button.

9. When prompted with the message “Done downloading. Change the controller mode back to Remote
Run?” select the Yes button.

10. Make sure the controller is in Remote Run mode.

If it is not, select the Communications > Run Mode menu item

11. The alarms should now be language translating in View Client. You will verify this at the end of this
section.

Tag-based alarm language switching

When the Alarm and Event Setup editor launches in FactoryTalk Administration Console, alarm
messages display in the default language defined for the application. If a message string does not exist in
the default language a question mark character (?) is displayed.

When the Tag Alarm and Event Editor opens in FactoryTalk View Studio, alarm messages display in the
language selected during start up of the FactoryTalk View SE application. If alarm messages are not
defined in the specified language, alarm messages display in the default language defined for the
application. If a message string does not exist in the default language a question mark character (?) is
displayed.

When editing alarm messages in multiple languages, the Microsoft Excel method offers the advantage
that you don’t have to close and then re-open the application in the appropriate language each time—you
can edit the text in any language in one step and then import the translated text for all languages into the
application at once.

Create a Tag Alarm and Event Server

If you completed the Alarming section then you do not need to do steps 1-4.
From the Explorer, right-click on Area1 and select the Add New Server > Tag Alarm and Event
Server… context menu item.

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1. On the General tab of the Tag Alarm and Event Server Properties page type ‘FTAETagServer’ for
the name.

2. Click on the Priorities and History tab, leave the settings at the defaults. Note if you did not
complete the Alarming section then you did not add an Alarm and Event History database. Please
uncheck Enable History if you did not create the database in the Alarming section.

Notice the history is being logged in English and the tag alarms will be logged in the same database
as the device-based alarms.

3. Click the OK button

4. Tag based alarms can be created and configured with the Alarm and Event Setup Editor.
Double-clicking on the Alarm and Event Setup icon under the Alarm and Event Tag Server in the
Explorer.

5. The Alarm and Event Setup Editor will open. If you did not complete the Alarming section you will
not see any alarms.

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6. Close the Alarm and Event Setup Editor
Normally, you would use the Alarm and Event Setup Editor to create your alarms, do an export, translate
the alarm messages, and then import them back into the Tag Alarm and Event Server. For this lab you
will be creating your alarms with a file that contains the alarms and the translated messages strings. You
will step through an export at the end of this section to see how it works.

Translate alarm messages

12. If you don’t have C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\\Language Switching\ folder open, do so.

1. Double-click on the InstantFizz_FTAETagServer_Alarm Export_translated.xls file to open it.

2. Notice there is a worksheet for each alarm type, one for the messages, and then one for tag update
rates.

3. Click on each of the tabs and take a look. There is one digital alarm and one level alarm. Notice that
one message can be used in multiple alarms.

4. Click on the Messages tab. There is a column for each language that has been translated.

5. Close the file.

Import alarm messages

1. From the Explorer, right-click on the FTAETagServer and select the Import and Export… context
menu item.

The Alarm Import Export Wizard will open.

2. Select the Import alarm configuration from Excel File options and click the Next button.

3. Click the browse … button.

4. The Select Alarm Import File dialog will open.

Navigate to C:\InstantFizz - LabFiles\\Language Switching\.
Select the InstantFizz_FTAETagServer_Alarm Export_translated.xls file and click the Open
button.

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5. Click the Next button on the Alarm Import Export Wizard

6. Select the Update existing alarm definitions and create new alarm definitions from the import
file option and click the Finish button.

7. A progress indicator will open. When complete, you should see this

8. Click the OK button.

Verify alarm import

1. Double-clicking on the Alarm and Event Setup icon under the Alarm and Event Tag Server in the
Explorer.

2. The Alarm and Event Setup Editor will open. Notice that there are a few alarms.

Double-click on a Digital type alarm and the Digital Alarm Properties dialog will open. Look at the
Digital Tab and notice that these properties are almost the same as the device-based digital alarm
instruction property sheet that you saw in RSLogix 5000. In fact, this tag alarm will be triggered from
the same condition as a device-based alarm that was created. This is just so you can compare them.

3. Click the forward arrow button to navigate to the next alarm

4. Click on the forward/backward arrows until a Level type alarm is displayed in the Level Alarm
Properties dialog. Look at the Level and the Messages tabs and notice that these properties are
almost the same as the device-based analog alarm instruction property sheet that you saw in
RSLogix 5000. In fact, this tag alarm will be triggered from the same condition as a device-based

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 alarm that was created. This is just so you can compare them. Notice on the Messages tab that the
same message string is used for both the High High and the High condition.

5. Click the Cancel button to close the Level Alarm Properties

6. Click the Messages tab.

Messages can be created when a new alarm is being created or they can be created from the
message tab and then they can be associated with an alarm.
You can create as many messages as you like for alarms, but each alarm can be associated
with only one message. For level alarms, you can configure one message per level condition.
Alarm messages can be shared between alarms to eliminate duplication. The Usage column on
the Message tab indicates how many alarms are referencing an alarm message.

7. To view the list of alarms that are referencing a particular alarm message, right-click the row
containing the message and then click the Usage Details context menu item. Click the OK button to
close the Message Usage Details dialog.

8. Close the Alarm and Event Setup Editor

Export alarm messages

You will step through an export to see how it is done.

1. From the Explorer, right-click on the FTAETagServer and select the Import and Export… context
menu item.

The Alarm Import Export Wizard will open.

2. Select the Export alarm configuration to Excel file and click the Next button

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3. Leave the defaults with all the selected alarms and click the Next button

4. Select the Export messages for all alarms, check all the languages, and click the Next button.

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5. Change the file name to MY_ InstantFizz_FTAETagServer_AlarmExport.xls and click the Finish
button.

6. A progress indicator will open. When complete, Click the OK button.

View translated Alarm Messages

When RSLinx Enterprise makes the connection to the controller, all alarm messages and their languages
are uploaded from the controller. When a FactoryTalk View SE Client runs, the FactoryTalk Alarm and
Event objects (Alarm and Event Summary, for example) connect to the Alarm and Event system and
request alarm messages in the current language. You can then switch among languages with the click of
a button on the client computer, and the alarm monitoring system and all of the client screens switch to
the appropriate language on that specific client.

Switching languages at run time does not switch time and date formats. The Alarm and Event objects in
FactoryTalk View always show the date/time format of the operating system.

Alarm Fault List messages that can be displayed from the Alarm and Event Banner and Summary do not
currently switch languages.

FactoryTalk historical alarm and event information is only logged in one language which is specified on
the alarm server properties. The contents of the Alarm and Event Log Viewer event list, which consists of
historical alarm and event information, is not translated. This data continues to appear in the same

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language used when the alarm and event information was written to the alarm history database. For
example, a message logged in English will be displayed only in English, even if the language is switched
to German.

1. Go to the running Client.

2. Click the different flag buttons in the Languages from the navigation display and navigate through
different displays.

3. Notice that language switching works and alarm messages are also being updated to the
appropriate language.

4. Notice both the tag and device-based alarms appear and the message strings are language
switchable. Tag-based alarms will start with CIP. Device-based alarms will have the shortcut name at
the beginning of the alarm name i.e., [Shorcut].

Section 11: Testing Displays

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Test Run Displays in the FactoryTalk View Studio Graphics Editor

Configure a FactoryTalk View Client File called InstantFizz

Observe Startup Macro

Observe Client Keys

Run the FactoryTalk View Client File called InstantFizz
o Explore Docked Displays at Runtime
o Verify Client Keys work at Runtime
o Test navigation at runtime

Test Display
Being able to test your display within View Studio without having to run it in a Client is a very powerful
feature of FactoryTalk View.
Behavior when test running a display might not always be identical to run-time behavior if
changes made during development are not saved. To make the behavior as close as possible
you should save a display before testing it.
The Microsoft VBA IDE (Visual Basic for Applications Integrated Design Environment) lets you
write, edit, test run, and debug code.
Not everything can be done by test running your display. Some FactoryTalk View commands
are ignored when run in test display mode. For example, screen navigation commands, using
parameter placeholders in a display, and using parameter values in a reference global object

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will not function in test display mode. To test these features, run the display in a FactoryTalk
View SE Client.

Testing a graphic display in FactoryTalk View Studio is not the same as running the display in the
FactoryTalk View SE Client. Before you deploy an application, it is recommended that you test it in the
FactoryTalk View SE Client, to verify that everything works as intended.

FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Objects

The existing (legacy) HMI Tag Alarm Summary object will not be animated when you run a
display in test display mode. The FactoryTalk Alarms and Events Objects will work in test
display mode.

You can test the objects in a graphic display quickly, by switching to test display mode in the
Graphics editor. Let’s try this to animate the Labeling display.
1. Open the Labeling display in FactoryTalk View Studio.

2. From the FactoryTalk View Studio toolbar click on the Test Display button.

3. Observe that the Labeling graphic begins to animate. Click on the Close button

4. What happened? Nothing. Look at the Diagnostics List. The Abort Me command on the button was
issued but the command is ignored in FactoryTalk View Studio. Certain commands cannot be
executed in test display mode. You will need to configure and run a client to be able to execute these
commands.

5. Click on the START button. You may need to select STOP first and then START.

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6. What happened? Notice that the labeler animation works. You can also choose the fruit label by
selecting the appropriate button

7. Click the Edit Display button to get back to edit mode.

Now you will need to configure a client file and run the client to finish testing the display.

Configure a Client File

Before you configure the client file, look at a few of the components that were preconfigured for you to
use with your client.

Configure a Macro

A macro is a list of commands or command symbols stored in a text file. To run a macro you
use its name just as you would a command. The commands in the macro will be executed in the
order in which they are listed.
A macro can be specified on startup or shutdown of a client or display. It can be called from a command
line in FactoryTalk View Studio or from the Factory Talk View Administration Console for system
administration.

FactoryTalk View has multi-tasking capabilities that you can take advantage of when you create macros.
Generally, the commands in a macro are executed in the order in which they are listed, with one
command finishing before the next begins execution.

Some commands (such as Print) finish quickly and the next command can start. Others, such as Set, take
longer. In the case of Set, it does not finish until the message has been sent to the controller. In cases
like that, you can set up the macro so that the next command can be executed before the previous
command is finished. Use the ampersand character (&) to do this.

To invoke the command wizard from the macro file, double-click in the macro, or select Edit –

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Commands… (Ctrl- M).

Observe the configured Macro

These commands will dock displays at the top and bottom of the client window, and set tag values in the
controller.

1. From the Explorer, expand the Macros folder.

2. Double-click on the StartUp macro. The macro will be opened.

This macro will open a header display in a docked area on the top of the client. It will open a footer
display in a docked area on the bottom of the client.

3. Close the StartUp macro. If prompted to save changes, select the No button.

Configure a Client Key

Sometimes it is useful to have a single key stroke perform a function or multiple functions in your
application. For example when you press F5 in Internet Explorer you will refresh the page. FactoryTalk
View SE has similar functionality.
Client Keys allow the operator to interact with the system at run time to do things like change
displays or set tag values. Client keys are defined for an application. They are enabled
whenever the application is running on a FactoryTalk View SE Client.
There are also object and display keys. Object and display keys are defined in the Graphics editor. They
are active only when their associated object or display is. However, object and display keys take
precedence over client keys.

The order of precedence for key animation is: object keys, display keys and client keys. This means, for
example, that if a key has object and client key definitions, when the object has focus at run time and the
key is pressed, the object key action will be carried out and the client key action will not.

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Observe Pre-Configured Client Keys

These commands will perform a refresh of your client. This is useful for testing since you may need to
make changes to displays and you don’t want to have to close and open the client each time you add or
change something on a display.

Lets import a pre-configured Client Key file.

1. From the Explorer, right-click on the Client Keys folder and select Add Component Into
Application…

2. Browse to C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files and add the ClientKeys.key file.

3. Double-click on ClientKeys. The ClientKeys dialog will open.

On the release action of function key 5, all displays including docked displays will be closed. The
header display will then be re-opened and docked at the top and the footer display will be docked at
the bottom of the client.

4. Close the ClientKeys. If prompted to save changes, select the No button.

Configure Client File

The FactoryTalk View Client can be launched from FactoryTalk View Studio. If a client is already running
close it using the Exit button from the navigation display.

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1. Configure and launch a new client. Select the SE Client button on the tool menu.

2. When the Launch FactoryTalk View SE Client dialog opens select the New… button.
The FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard will open.

Click on New.

3. Click the New… button again.

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4. Type ‘InstantFizz’ for the name of the configuration file and click the Next button. Follow steps a-b.

a. Type ‘InstantFizz’

b. Click
Next.

5. Select the Network radio button and click the Next button.

and then

6. Select the InstantFizz application and the English initial language, leave the defaults, and click the
Next button. Follow steps a-c.

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 a. Select InstantFizz

b. Select English

c. Click Next

7. Select the Plant Overview display as the initial display, select the ClientKeys key file as the Initial
client key file, select the StartUp macro as the Startup macro, and click the Next button. Note: If
you used parameters in the initial display, they would be specified in the Display parameters field. If
you use a network application, the area would need to be specified for the initial display. Follow
steps a-e.

a. Select Area1 as the

area.

b. Select Plant Overview

c. Select ClientKeys

d.Select Startup

e. Click Next

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8. Type ‘InstantFizz’ for the title bar text, check the maximize window option, and click the Next
button. Follow steps a-c,

a. Type
’InstantFizz’

b. Check
Maximize
Window Option

c. Click Next

9. Leave the defaults for auto logout and click the Next button.

and

10. Leave the default to save configuration and open FactoryTalk View SE Client now and click the
Finish button.

and

The FactoryTalk View Client will start with the specified configuration.

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Run Client

The InstantFizz application is now running in a FactoryTalk View SE Client window. The startup macro
docked displays in 2 areas. The header display contains an alarm banner and is located at the top of the
client window; the footer display contains navigation buttons and is located at the bottom of the client
window.

Docked Displays
At run time, graphic displays can be docked to an edge of the FactoryTalk View SE Client
window, allowing an operator to gain access to certain displays at all times. Docked displays
cannot be accidentally closed by the operator and cannot have other graphics placed on top.
They will, therefore, always remain visible to the operator.
For example, you might consider docking:

Navigational menus, that allow the operator to move among displays in an application.

Headers or banners, that provide specific information to the operator, such as the current
user’s name and area, or information about alarms.

Control panels, that contain standard buttons for special purposes, such as changing users,
closing open windows, or sending information to a maintenance team.

Explore Docked Displays

1. Minimize the Plant Overview display.

2. Drag the minimized title bar around to the edges of the display client:

Top edge: Bottom edge:

3. Click the restore button on the Plant Overview display.

4. Observe that it will not overlay the docked areas.

5. Drag the Plant Overview display to the lower edge or lower right corner of the client.

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6. Observe that it will not overlay the docked areas and scroll bars will appear so the display will still be
visible.

Test the Client Keys

1. Select the F5 key (using the client keys defined to close all displays and re-display the header and
footer).

2. Observe that all displays are closed. The header and footer display are re-docked.

Verify Online Edits

Changes made to the development environment that can be transferred to the application while it is
running are commonly called run-time edits. These fall into four groups:

• Changes that take effect immediately.

• Changes that require a non-disruptive action, such as reopening a graphic display, before they
take effect.

• Changes that require a disruptive action, such as restarting a server or a run-time client, before
they take effect.

• Changes that cause adverse effects immediately.

Warnings have been added to FactoryTalk to tell users if making a particular change in the development
environment will adversely affect the run-time system. If the change is made through a dialog box, a
warning icon appears next to the component where the change can be made. When the mouse cursor
hovers over the icon, the following warning is displayed:

For example, you can add a FactoryTalk alarm, add a tag or change a graphic without the need to restart
the client.

We will modify one of the displays in FactoryTalk View Studio and observe the update in the client.

1. In the client click on the Filling button from the navigation display.

Look around the display. We will modify the display in FactoryTalk View Studio.

2. Go back to FactoryTalk View Studio

3. Open the Filling display.

4. Select the grouped information object at the bottom and then select the delete key.

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 5. Save the Filling display

3. Close the Filling display

4. Go back to client.

5. Select the F5 key (using the client keys defined to close all displays and re-display the header
and footer).

6. Observe that all displays are closed. The header and footer display are re-docked. Re-open the
Filling display. Notice that the grouped information object is no longer present.

We have just completed an online change. After modifying a display in FactoryTalk View Studio
we only needed to re-open that particular display on the client to see the updates. We did not
need to restart the client.

Test commands at Runtime

1. In the Filling display select the close button

2. The Filling display will close.

Remember that the Abort command did not function when test running the display in FactoryTalk View
Studio.

This is also true for the navigation commands (i.e. Display Overview). The command will function when
executed from a client but it will not function when executed from a test display.

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Section 12: Advanced

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Learn how to import RSView32 displays

Learn how to configure and use the HMI Alarm to FactoryTalk Alarms and Events conversion tool

Importing screens from RSView32

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:

Learn how to import RSView32 project

Learn which objects and components do and which do not convert

Much like FactoryTalkView ME, screens from RSView32 can be added to FactoryTalk View SE projects.

Shown below is a screen taken from an RSView32 project.

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Note the screen has the following objects:
• Data displayed from the controller
• an RSView32 native trend
• a TrendX trend
• Date and Time display
• Current user name
Because RSView32 uses HMI tags to communicate with the controller, the easiest way to add View32
screens to your ViewSE application is to first convert the entire View32 project to a temporary ViewSE
application. That way the HMI tags will be converted to ViewSE format as well and the entire conversion
is less manual. Otherwise, you can add individual View32 screens to your ViewSE project and remap the
data points manually.

1. Start another instance of FactoryTalk View Studio from the Start.

You are going to create a NEW Site Edition (Local) application.

Type a name for your application and select Import not Create.
MyView32Conversion is good name to use.

2. Click OK on the prompt.

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3. Select the import type as RSView32 Project (*.rsv)

Click Next.

4. Select the project file located at:

C:\InstantFizz - Lab Files\RSView32\view32hmi\view32hmi.rsv

Click Finish.

The conversion will begin…

…and end with your new application open in Studio.

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5. Open the TankDetail screen by double-clicking it and observe the contents:

Notice that with the exception of the RSView32 native trend, everything else on the screen has
converted and looks in FactoryTalk View SE just as it did in RSView32.

We’ll talk more about what’s converted and what’s not a little later.

6. Before we close FactoryTalk View Studio for this application, let’s export the tags and alarms.
Select the Tools menu from FactoryTalk View Studio and select Tag Import Export Wizard.

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7. Select the operation: Export FactoryTalk View tag database to CSV files.

Click Next.

8. Choose Site Edition as the Project type and select your newly created application:
MyView32Conversion

Click Next once more and then Finish.

9. You may close FactoryTalk View Studio for this application.

Now we’re going to import the Tank Detail screen and HMI tags into our InstantFizz application.

10. From the FactoryTalk View Studio instance with the InstantFizz application, right-click on the
Displays heading and select Add Component Into Application…

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11. Select the file named TankDetail.gfx located at
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI
Projects\MyView32Conversion\Gfx\TankDetail.gfx.

Click Open

12. After a few seconds, the screen is part of your project and you will see this message:

13. Open the Tank Detail screen by double-clicking it and observe the contents.

Try testing the display:

You’ll notice that the data displays are wireframed:

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and you see an error is the Diagnostics Log:

This tag error occurs because RSView32 uses HMI tags to communicate with the controller and these
HMI tags do not exist in your SE application. Because we only added a single screen, we will also need
to add the corresponding HMI tags that we exported a few minutes ago.

14. Set the screen to edit mode by selecting the stop button.

15. Select the Tools menu from FactoryTalk View Studio and select Tag Import Export Wizard

16. From the pull-down menu, select Import FactoryTalk View tag CSV files

Click Next.

17. Select the project you’d like to import to, which is Site Edition and InstantFizz_HMIServer.sed

Click Next.

18. At this point, we only want to import the HMI tags. So select the tag file from the newly imported
project we just created. The file is located at
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI
Projects\MyView32Conversion\MyView32Conversion-Tags.CSV

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 Click Next

19. Click Next, then Finish.

20. After the tags have been imported, again Open the Tank Detail screen by double-clicking it in the

Explorer window. Again try testing the display:

You should now see data in the displays.

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21. Notice that the User Name display is still wire-framed.

In RSView32, the user name display is an HMI tag: system\User

This HMI tag does not exist in FactoryTalk View SE. The user name display is instead a system
function, CurrentUserName().

You can replace system\User with CurrentUserName() in the string display on the TankDetail
screen.

If you test the display again, the User Name will appear.

We are now done importing the screen. But as we observed previously, the RSView32 native trend did
not convert and there is no way around that. If you have an RSView32 project with many native
RSView32 trends, be sure to document the tags in the trends so that you can recreate them in
FactoryTalk View SE. If you have an RSView32 project with many TrendX trends, you don’t have to
worry; they will all convert.

What follows is a brief list of other considerations you might have to make if you have an RSView32
project you’d like to convert to FactoryTalk View SE.

• View SE implements client-side VBA, but not server-side VBA

– The VBA project from View32 will not migrate to View SE.
– VBA code can be copied and reused in View SE. Check your code, it may need to be
redesigned for use within View SE.
– Typical uses of VBA include:
• modifying HMI tags, HMI alarms, and data log models
• issuing commands
• writing messages to diagnostics
– View SE Client Object Model available in help files OR
• KB Doc ID: 30478 View SE Client Object Model
• View32 HMI users are not converted to FactoryTalk users.
– Users and security setups must be manually configured in the new SE application, but
FactoryTalk Users and Groups allows for more flexibility.
– HMI tag system/user is replaced by View SE function CurrentUserName()
• Client-side Events are executed on the server in View SE.
– View SE executes all commands generated by an event on the server.
• Tag Monitor and Command Line Object are not supported on View SE displays.
• Some RSView32 Extensions not directly supported, but some equivalents exist:
– RSView32 Messenger (equivalent solution: Win911)
– RSView32 RecipePro (future equivalent: RecipePlus available for SE)

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 – RSView32 SPC (future equivalent: FT Historian SE with MS Reporting)
– RSView32 WebServer (future equivalent: SE Web Client in development)
– Project Documenter (equivalent solution: KB Doc ID: 46928 FT View Project Documenter)
• View 32 Language String Substitution: Translated strings are not converted.

For more details about conversion issues…

Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase
Doc ID 27708: RSView32 to RSViewSE Upgrade Issues

Alarm Migration Tool

About This Section

In this section of the lab you will:
• Learn how to use a tool that will help you convert traditional HMI alarms to FactoryTalk tag-
based Alarm and Events.

If you have a project with traditional HMI alarming configured, you will need to export the tag
and alarm information to CSV files before converting. The alarm conversion tool will read the
information from the CSV files and generate an Excel file that can be imported into a Tag Alarm
Server.
In Section 5 of the lab, you created a Tag Alarm Server and imported tags. The operation here
is similar.

Using the Tool

1. Start the Alarm Migration Tool by selecting it from the Start menu.
Start  All Programs  Rockwell Automation  Alarm Migration Tool

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2. The tool will start and show Step 1. Click Next.

3. For the purposes of this lab, tag and alarm export files were created from the RSView32 conversion
project. Browse to the displayed locations to select the appropriate CSV files as shown below:

Click Next.

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4. Choose a name and file location for the import file.

Click Next.

5. Now here is where you have a lot of choices…

What do they all mean? And which ones do we care about for the lab?

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Option
Convert Alarm Identify Commands to
FactoryTalk View Commands.
Scale RSViewAlarm Severity
to FactoryTalk Alarm Severity
(Create all alarms with severity XX)
Expose A&E Alarms as tags
Use Alarm Label as Alarm Class
Alarm Messages start at ID number…
Select Default Tag Update Rate
In our case, since we already have Tag-Based alarms defined with messages, we do not want our
new messages to start at index 1 since our import would overwrite them.
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Meaning
This option will convert Alarm Identify
commands to FactoryTalk View Commands.
Note: Alarm Identify Commands are taken as-
is, so if they reference HMI tags that will no
longer exist in your new application, the
commands will need to be updated manually.
When selected, the tool will scale existing
RSView-level severities to A&E-level severities.
RSView level 1 = A&E level 100
RSView level 2 = A&E level 200
…
RSView level 9 = A&E level 900
When not selected, the tool will set all A&E-
level severities to the number in the entry field.
If your entry is invalid, the default entry is 100.
When selected, the tool will expose all newly
created A&E alarms as tags.
Not selected is the default.
When selected, the HMI tag Alarm Label will be
used as the A&E Alarm Class.
When not selected, the A&E Alarm Class will
remain blank.
Alarm messages are assigned an index
number and that number is paired with an
alarm definition. This feature allows you to
reuse the same alarm string for many alarms.
By default, the Alarm Migration Tool does not
optimize string text and every alarm message
gets its own index number.
You may select a new starting index so as not
to overwrite any messages already defined in
your application.
The default entry is 1.
Tag-Based A&E Alarms are polled. Select
your desired default poll rate here.
1.0 second is the selected default.
Change the numeric field for the Alarm message definitions to 20.

6. Click Migrate Alarms.

7. When the conversion is complete, Excel will open the conversion workbook file and the following
popup will appear:

8. Observe the conversion workbook and click through the 5 tabs:

9. Close the Excel file and open FactoryTalk View Studio (if not already open).

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Importing the migrated alarms

This part of the Migration Tool section assumes that you have already created a Tag Alarm and Event
Data Server.

10. Right-Click on the Tag-Based Alarm and Event server in the project.

11. Choose: Import Alarm Configuration from an Excel File

Click Next.

12. Select file to import, which would be the file we just created with the Migration tool.
C:\InstantFizz – Lab Files\MyImportFile.xls

Click Next.

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13. Choose how you want the import to proceed.

Click Next.

14. Click “Finish” to proceed with the importing of alarms

Hopefully you’ll see this:

The imported alarms can be found in the Alarm and Event Setup, under FTAETagServer.

Migration Notes

With the migration of the alarms from the RSView HMI system, not all configured features will convert to
the Tag-Based A&E system and some assumptions must be made.

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Digital Alarms

RSView HMI Alarm Fields Corresponding FactoryTalk A&E Fields

Tag File: Tag Name
Tag File: Address
Alarm File: Severity
Tag File: Tag Description
Alarm File: Alarm Label
Alarm File: Alarm Identify
Name tag\path converted to tag_path
Input Tag
Severity scaled
Message ID via number assigned to message
Alarm Class
FactoryTalk View Command

Analog Alarms

RSView HMI Alarm Fields Corresponding FactoryTalk A&E Fields

Tag File: Tag Name
Tag File: Address
Alarm File: Severity
Tag File: Tag Description
Alarm File: Alarm Label
Alarm File: Alarm Identify
Name tag\path converted to tag_path
Input Tag
Severity scaled
Message ID via number assigned to message
Alarm Class
FactoryTalk View Command

13. Analog Thresholds

RSView HMI alarms allow for 8 Thresholds, either increasing, decreasing, or both.
Tag-Based A&E alarms have 4 Thresholds: HH, H, L, LL

The conversion is made as following:

The 2 most extreme defined INCREASING thresholds become HH and H.

If there is only 1 INCREASING threshold, it becomes H.

The 2 most extreme defined DECREASING thresholds become LL and L.

If there is only 1 DECREASING threshold, it becomes L.

Analog Labels as Alarm Class

Analog HMI alarms contain an alarm label for each threshold.

If selected, the Alarm Migration Tool will assign the alarm label from the HH threshold, if present, to the
alarm class.
If HH is not defined, then LL will be used.
If LL is not defined, then H will be used.
If H is not defined, then L will be used.

Analog Deadbands

Analog HMI alarms allow for the configuration of a deadband value, either an absolute value or
percentage.
Tag-based A&E supports absolute values only, so all deadband values will be assumed as absolute.

HMI Tags as Threshold Limits or Acknowledge Tags

The Alarm Migration Tool will substitute the Device address for all HMI tags, if it exists.

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Default Language for Messages

As a default, “en-US” will be defined in the import file in the “Messages” tab.
You may change that to the language defined in your SE application.
You may also add additional languages as you like.

Not converted:
These items are not migrated because they do not exist in the Tag-Based A&E format:

Alarm Handshaking and Handshaking Auto Reset

Acknowledge Auto Reset
Alarm history messages: from file, printer messages, user-defined, etc.

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