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1702 PAC Display Users Guide

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1702 PAC Display Users Guide

Opto 22

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Form 1702

PAC DISPLAY
USERS GUIDE

Form 1702-140822August 2014

43044 Business Park Drive Temecula CA 92590-3614

Phone: 800-321-OPTO (6786) or 951-695-3000
Fax: 800-832-OPTO (6786) or 951-695-2712
www.opto22.com
Product Support Services
800-TEK-OPTO (835-6786) or 951-695-3080
Fax: 951-695-3017
Email: [email protected]
Web: support.opto22.com

PAC Display Users Guide

Form 1702-140822August 2014
Copyright 2014 Opto 22.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
The information in this manual has been checked carefully and is believed to be accurate; however, Opto 22 assumes no
responsibility for possible inaccuracies or omissions. Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Opto 22 warrants all of its products to be free from defects in material or workmanship for 30 months from the
manufacturing date code. This warranty is limited to the original cost of the unit only and does not cover installation, labor,
or any other contingent costs. Opto 22 I/O modules and solid-state relays with date codes of 1/96 or newer are guaranteed
for life. This lifetime warranty excludes reed relay, SNAP serial communication modules, SNAP PID modules, and modules
that contain mechanical contacts or switches. Opto 22 does not warrant any product, components, or parts not
manufactured by Opto 22; for these items, the warranty from the original manufacturer applies. These products include,
but are not limited to, OptoTerminal-G70, OptoTerminal-G75, and Sony Ericsson GT-48; see the product data sheet for
specific warranty information. Refer to Opto 22 form number 1042 for complete warranty information.

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
In This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Using Draw Windows and URL Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Creating and Deleting Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Making a New Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Copying an Existing Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Deleting Existing Draw Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Adding a groov URL Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Modifying Draw or URL Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Window Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Opening and Closing Draw and URL Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Working with Multiple Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Importing, Exporting, and Saving Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Exporting Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Importing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Drawing Graphic Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Using the Graphic Tools and Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Selecting Graphic Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Selecting One Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

PAC Display Users Guide

Selecting More Than One Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Selecting All Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Deselecting One or More Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Grouping and Locking Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Applying or Changing Line Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Applying or Changing Fill Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Importing Graphics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Importing a Bitmap Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Importing a Metafile, JPEG, or PNG Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Importing a GIF Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Importing a Graphic from the Symbol Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Bitmap Graphics in Symbol Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Saving Objects as Bitmaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Copying, Duplicating, and Pasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Copying and Pasting an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Duplicating an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Moving and Resizing Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Moving Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Resizing a Graphic Using Its Graphic Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Resizing Multiple Graphics to Equal Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Resizing a Window and the Graphics Inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Reshaping Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Changing Stacking Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Deleting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Aligning Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Rotating Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Flipping Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Working with Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adding Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Editing Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Formatting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Assigning Operator-Driven Dynamic Attributes to a Windows Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Assigning a Control-Driven Dynamic Attribute to Windows Button Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Configuring a PID Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Adding a Windows Combo Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Creating a Combo Box List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Adding a List Item to a Combo Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Assigning One or More Dynamic Attributes to a Combo Box List Item . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Changing the Font or Spacing of Combo Box Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Adding Security to a Combo Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Adding a URL Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Adding a groov URL Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Working with Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Creating a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Configuring a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Printing Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
vi

PAC Display Users Guide

Chapter 7: Using Animated Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
In This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
About Animated Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Editing Tag Names Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Assigning a Chart State Value to a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Adding Hint Text to a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Assigning Multiple Dynamic Attributes to a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Assigning Operator-Driven Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Reordering Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Clearing Dynamic Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Security Settings for Graphics and Dynamic Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Important Considerations for User- and Group-Level Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Configuring Security Permissions for a Graphic Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Define Security Permissions Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Copying Security Permissions from one Graphic to Another . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Available Dynamic Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Alarm Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Control Engine Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Dynamic Attributes Control Engine Status Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Download Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Execute Menu Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Fill Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Horizontal Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Horizontal Size (Width) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160
Horizontal Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
Launch Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Line Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Read and Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
Send Discrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Send String . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
Send Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Text Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Text In from Control Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
Upload Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Vertical Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Vertical Size (Height) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Vertical Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Visibility/Blink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Copying and Deleting Dynamic Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Copying Dynamic Attributes from a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181
Pasting Dynamic Attributes to a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Deleting Dynamic Attributes from a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Viewing Tags and Dynamic Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Dynamic Attributes for Individual Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

PAC Display Users Guide

vii
vii

Viewing Tags for One or More Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

Dynamic Attributes for All Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Using the TagInfoView Utility Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Scanning to Update Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Refresh Time Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Configuring Scan Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Refresh Times Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Chapter 8: Working with Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
In This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
About Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Types of Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Working With Basic Trends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Creating a Basic Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Modifying a Basic Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Trend Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Configuring Basic Trend Pens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Trend Pen Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Optimizing Pen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Working with SuperTrends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Memory Requirements for SuperTrend Pens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Creating a SuperTrend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Configuring the SuperTrend Setup Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Setup Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Configuring X-Axis Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, X-axis Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Configuring Y-Axis Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Y-axis Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Configuring Zoom Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Zoom Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Configuring Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Hot Keys Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Configuring SuperTrend Pens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Pens 18Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Setting an Individual Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Using SuperTrend Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Choosing a Computer to Save SuperTrend Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Remote SuperTrend Logging Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Saving a SuperTrend to a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Changing the Database Table Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Saving a Log in Text or Binary Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Converting SuperTrend Log Files to Text Format for Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Important Guidelines for Using This Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Converting a SuperTrend Log File for Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Using XY Plots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

viii

PAC Display Users Guide

Creating an XY Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

Modifying an XY Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
XY Plot Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Configuring Individual Plots in an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216
Configure XY Plot Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216

Chapter 9: Configuring Trigger-Based Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
In This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
What is a Trigger-Based Event? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Historic Data Logs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Tag Types You Can Save to an Historic Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
Configuring an Historic Data Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Historic Log Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
Logging Historic Data to a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
Changing the Database Table Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Defining the Historic Data Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Exporting Historic Logs to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Importing Historic Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
Structure of Historic Log Comma-Delimited File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Using the Rollover Trigger Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Configuring an Historic Log Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Configuring a Start or Stop Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234
Notification When a Trigger Has Stopped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
Setting Log File Line Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Naming Historic Log Files and SuperTrend Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Naming Files Using Rollover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Data Log Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
Launching Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Configuring an Application Launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
Application Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Selecting a Working Directory for a Launched Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Selecting the Application File to Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Selecting a Trigger to Launch an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Notification When an Application Has Been Launched . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242
Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Configuring a Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243
Configuring Start and Stop Triggers for Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .244
Configuring Trigger-Based Window States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Creating a Recipe Download File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Creating a Recipe Upload Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Editing a Recipe Download File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Validating the Format of a Recipe File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Basic Recipe File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252
Recipe Download File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253
Recipe Upload File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Re-using a Destination File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256

PAC Display Users Guide

ixix

Activating Recipe Downloads and Uploads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Configuring a Recipe Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Download Recipe Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Configuring a Recipe Upload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Upload Recipe Manager Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Selecting a Download/Upload Recipe File Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Selecting a Trigger to Start the Recipe Upload/Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Notification When Recipe Has Been Downloaded/Uploaded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Configuring Alarm Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Alarm Point Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Exporting Alarm Points to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Importing Alarm Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Structure of Alarm Point Comma-Delimited File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Alarm, Acknowledge, and Alarm Clear Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Setting Conditional Alarm Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Entering Discrete Alarm Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Entering Alarm Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Setting Control Engine Status Alarm Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Adding Alarm Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Alarm Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Setting the Alarm Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Assigning Alarm Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Configuring Project Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Alarm Runtime and User Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
EMail Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Alert Window Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Alarm Logging Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Alarm Sound Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

Chapter 10: Using PAC Display Runtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
In This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Runtime Regular and Monitor-Only Versions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Using Monitor-Only Runtime and Configurator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Using the Runtime Setup Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Runtime Setup: General Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Setting Up Sound Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Using Allow Runtime Tooltips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Runtime Setup: Security Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Restricting the Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Configuring Runtime User Logins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Configuring Password for Modifying List of Users in Runtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Modifying List of Users in Runtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Saving User Configuration Information to an External File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Loading User Configuration Information from an External File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Adding Global Operator Driven Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Have a PAC Display project connect to an Opto 22 controller that is running an OptoControl
strategy.

This users guide covers both PAC Display Basic and PAC Display Professional.
The Basic icon indicates features or functions that apply only to PAC Display Basic.
The Professional icon indicates features or functions that apply only to PAC Display Professional.

About This Guide

This users guide teaches you how to use PAC Display, including designing a PAC Display project,
configuring and connecting an Opto 22 control engine, and monitoring information in your
operator interface.

PAC Display Users Guide

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide assumes that you are already familiar with Microsoft Windows on your personal
computer, including how to use a mouse, standard menus and commands, and how to open, save,
and close files. If you are not familiar with Windows or your PC, see the documentation from
Microsoft and your computer manufacturer.
Heres what is in this users guide:
1: Welcome to PAC DisplayThis introductory chapter.
2: PAC Display TutorialA short lesson to get you up and running with a PAC Display project as
quickly as possible. Youll use a sample project to learn how to work with graphics, assign dynamic
attributes, and run a project.
3: What Is PAC Display?An introduction to PAC Display, basic design and programming
concepts, and PAC Display controls and windows.
4: Working with ProjectsAn explanation of what PAC Display projects are, the files theyre made
of, and how theyre organized.
5: Configuring Control Engines and TagsDetailed procedures on configuring control engines
and I/O from a PAC Control strategy for use in a PAC Display project.
6: Working with GraphicsDetailed steps for working with graphicsincluding assigning
animation attributesand the windows in which graphics appear.
7: Using Animated GraphicsCovers how to assign dynamic attributes to on-screen objects to
create an animated, real-time display of I/O information.
8: Working with TrendsExplains how to create and configure graphs to track data from I/O
points over time.
9: Configuring Trigger-Based EventsExplains how to use historical logging, application
launching, sounds, recipes, and how to change window states based on events.
10: Using PAC Display RuntimeDescribes how to customize configurable Runtime features and
what youll see during a Runtime project session.
A: PAC Display TroubleshootingGives tips for solving problems you may encounter while
building and using your PAC Display project.
B: PAC Display ErrorsExplains warnings and error messages you may see while running a
program in PAC Display Runtime.
C: PAC Display FilesLists all PAC Display files located in the PAC Display directory.
D: MenusLists commands and other menu bar options.
PAC Display IndexProvides an alphabetical list of key words and their page locations.

Document Conventions
The following conventions are used in this document:

Italic typeface indicates emphasis and is used for book titles. (Example: See the PAC Control
Users Guide for details.)

Names of menus, commands, dialog boxes, fields, and buttons are capitalized as they appear in
the product. (Example: From the File menu, select Print.)

File names appear either in all capital letters or in mixed case, depending on the file name itself.
(Example: Open the file TEST1.txt.)

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CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO PAC DISPLAY

Key names appear in small capital letters. (Example: Press SHIFT.)

Key press combinations are indicated by hyphens between two or more key names. For
example, SHIFT+F1 is the result of holding down the shift key, then pressing and releasing the
F1 key. Similarly, CTRL+ALT+DELETE is the result of pressing and holding the CTRL and ALT keys,
then pressing and releasing the DELETE key.

Click means press and release the left mouse button on the referenced item. Right-click
means press and release the right mouse button on the item.

Menu commands are referred to with the Menu > Command convention. For example,
File > Open Project means to select the Open Project command from the File menu.

Numbered lists indicate procedures to be followed sequentially. Bulleted lists (such as this one)
provide general information.

Other PAC Display Resources

Documents and Online Help
To help learn and use PAC Display, the following resources are provided:

Online Help is available in PAC Display, PAC Control, and in most of the utility applications. To
open online Help, choose Help > Contents and Index in any screen.

PAC Display Users Guide (this document)

Online versions (Adobe pdf format) of PAC Display documentation are provided on the PAC Display
CD and are also available from the Help menu in PAC Display. To view a document, select Help >
Manuals, and then choose a document from the submenu.
PAC Display and PAC Project resources are also available on the Opto 22 website at
www.opto22.com. You can conveniently access this and other sections of the Opto 22 website from
PAC Displays Help menu. Select Help > Opto 22 on the Web, and then select an online resource
from the submenu.

Product Support
If you have any questions about PAC Display, you can call, fax, or e-mail Opto 22 Product Support.
Phone:

800-TEK-OPTO (800-835-6786)
951-695-3080
(Hours are Monday through Friday,
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time)

Fax:

951-695-3017

Email:

[email protected]

Opto 22 website:

www.opto22.com

NOTE: Email messages and phone

calls to Opto 22 Product Support
are grouped together and
answered in the order received.

PAC Display Users Guide

INSTALLING PAC DISPLAY

When calling for technical support, be prepared to provide the following information about your
system to the Product Support engineer:

Software and version being used

Control engine firmware version

PC configuration (type of processor, speed, memory, operating system)

A complete description of your hardware and operating systems, including:

types of I/O units installed
type of power supply
third-party devices installed (e.g., barcode readers)

Specific error messages seen.

Installing PAC Display

PAC Display installation is easy and quick. Insert the PAC Display CD in your CD-ROM drive, and the
installation wizard should appear. If the wizard does not appear, start Windows Explorer and
navigate to your CD-ROM drive. Double-click Setup.exe to begin installation.
NOTE: If you run PAC Project applications in Microsoft Windows XP, make sure to use the Windows Classic
theme. Otherwise, a Microsoft bug with how themes are handled may cause the system to crash.
If you have trouble installing PAC Display or need 3.5-inch disks rather than a CD, contact Opto 22
Product Support at 800-835-6786 or 951-695-3080.

System Requirements
Installation Requirements
Heres what you need to install and run PAC Display:

A computer with at least the minimum processor and memory required for your version of
Microsoft Windows, and Ethernet capability. Additional memory may be required for some
configurations.

VGA or higher resolution monitor (Super VGA recommended). Minimum size: 800x600 with
small fonts.

Mouse or other pointing device

Installed Windows printer (optional)

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows 7 Professional (32-bit or 64-bit),
Windows Vista Business (32-bit), or Windows XP Professional (32-bit, with Service Pack 2 or
higher), Windows Server 2008 R2 (OptoOPCServer and OptoDataLink only).
NOTE: Only Windows Server 2008 is supported by OptoOPCServer and OptoDataLink. Other versions
of Microsoft Windows server and embedded Windows operating systems are not supported.

If your PAC Display project uses many basic trends, SuperTrends, or XY Plots, we
strongly recommend adding RAM beyond the amount suggested here. See Memory

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CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO PAC DISPLAY

Requirements for SuperTrend Pens on page 194 for more information on memory
requirements.

If your PAC Display Pro project accesses an M4-series controller (such as a SNAP-LCM4 or
M4RTU) via an Ethernet connection, controller firmware version R4.1a or newer is required. In
addition, in order to access strings or string tables, controller firmware R4.1d or newer is
required.

At least 50 MB available space on hard drive.

NOTE: If your are using an operating system such as Windows XP that supports multiple monitors, you can
display the operator interface you create in PAC Display on more than one monitor as long as all monitors
have identical video cards.

PAC Display Users Guide

INSTALLING PAC DISPLAY

PAC Display Users Guide

2: 2: PAC Display TutorialChapter 2

2: PAC Display Tutorial

Introduction
The quickest way to become familiar with PAC Display is by working through a simple example. Our
example will use a cookie factory to show you how easy it is to use PAC Display. Youll learn how to
start PAC Display, open and save a project, and assign a PAC Control strategy to the project. Then
youll bring in a bitmap, add some animation attributes, and watch your project in action. Well
repeat this process to fine-tune the visuals and well end up with a final working cookie factory.
NOTE: If you cant access an Opto 22 control engine at the moment, you can still do everything in the Quick
Start up to the point of running your project. Or, you can simulate the control engine of an Opto 22
programmable automation controller (PAC) using the Opto 22 SNAP PAC Sim software utility. For more
information, visit the Opto 22 website, www.opto22.com.

In This Chapter
Opening the Project..................................................... 7
Examining the Project ................................................. 9
Configuring a Control Engine ................................10
Adding a Dynamic Attribute ..................................17

Adding a Graphic............................................................19
Downloading to the Control Engine......................26
Running the Project.......................................................28
Whats Next? .....................................................................30

Opening the Project

Lets start by opening our sample project. PAC Display projects contain windows, graphics, and other
information needed to produce an animated operator interface.
1. To start PAC Display, click the Windows Start button and select Programs > Opto 22 >
PAC Project > PAC Display Configurator Basic.

PAC Display Users Guide

OPENING THE PROJECT

The PAC Display main window opens.

2. Select File > Open Project (or CTRL+O), and then navigate to C:\Users\Public\Public
Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.1\Display Basic Examples\Display\ioCookies.
NOTE: For Windows XP, go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project
9.1\Display Basic Examples.

3. Double-click the project file cfactory.uui to open it.

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CHAPTER 2: PAC DISPLAY TUTORIAL

The main window should look like the example shown below.

Examining the Project

This particular PAC Display project models a simple cookie factory that uses the following
components:

A tank of pre-mixed cookie dough

A tank of chocolate chips

An oven

A visual inspection station

Some plant air to blow out bad cookies

A conveyor belt to move material between the different components.

At the start of the process, a measured amount of dough is dropped onto the conveyor belt. The
dough moves first under the chip tank to receive some chips, and then into the oven to be baked.
The next stop is an inspection station, where rejected cookies are blown off the belt. The good
cookies go to shipping. Should anything go wrong, we also have some alarms built in to stop the
process if necessary.

PAC Display Users Guide

CONFIGURING A CONTROL ENGINE

The window for the cookie factory project is shown below.

This window is called a draw window, because in PAC Display Configurator this is where you can
create and position graphic objects and other elements for your operator interface. This is also
where you assign animation characteristics, or dynamic attributes, to graphic objects. Floating on top
of the window is a toolbox with all the tools you need to draw graphic objects.

Configuring a Control Engine

Well start out by configuring a control engine so that our graphics are tied to actual values in a PAC
Control strategy. The strategy will be downloaded to your control engine later so we can actually see
things running. Well briefly go through the configuration process, which is covered in greater detail
in Chapter 5: Configuring Control Engines and Tags.

If the Control Engine Already Exists

If you already completed the Tutorial chapter in the PAC Control Users Guide, a control engine named
Cookie Controller should be available. Follow the instructions below to check if this control engine
already exists.
1. Choose the Configure > Control Engine(s) menu item.
The Control Engines dialog box opens.

2. Do the following:
If the control engine Cookie Controller is listed in this dialog box, continue with step 3
below.

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CHAPTER 2: PAC DISPLAY TUTORIAL

If the control engine Cookie Controller is not listed in this dialog box, follow the steps in
Adding a Control Engine on page 12.
3. Select Cookie Controller in the Control Engines dialog box and click Replace.

4. In the Control Engine Properties dialog box that appears, click Browse in the Strategy section.
NOTE: This dialog box is slightly different in PAC Display Professional, but the Strategy section and
corresponding Browse button are the same.

The Strategy File Name Selection dialog box appears. This dialog box is much like the Open
Project dialog box we used to find our cookie factory project.

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CONFIGURING A CONTROL ENGINE

5. Change directories to C:\Users\Public\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.2\Display Basic

Examples\Control\ioCookies strategy strategy directory.
6. Select the Cookies.idb file, and then click Open.
The Control Engine Properties dialog box should now show both the name of the control
engine and the PAC Control strategy that will be used.

The PAC Display project is now configured to use your control engine for this Quick Start exercise.
Skip the next section, Adding a Control Engine, and continue with the steps in Adding a Dynamic
Attribute on page 17.

Adding a Control Engine

1. Choose the Configure > Control Engine(s) menu item.

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CHAPTER 2: PAC DISPLAY TUTORIAL

The Control Engines dialog box appears.

2. Click the Add button.

The Strategy File Name Selection dialog box appears. This dialog box is much like the Open
Project dialog box we used to find our cookie factory project.

3. Change directories to Program C:\Users\Public\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.2\Display

Basic Examples\Control\ioCookies strategy directory.
4. Select the Cookies.idb file, and then click Open.
The Control Engine Properties dialog box appears. Notice that the PAC Control strategy you just
picked is shown in the Strategy field.
NOTE: This dialog box is slightly different in PAC Display Professional, but the Strategy section and
corresponding Browse button are the same.

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13

CONFIGURING A CONTROL ENGINE

5. To define your control engine in the Primary Control Engine field, click the Browse button in the
Primary Control Engine group.
The Select Control Engine dialog box opens.

6. Click Add to add a control engine.

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The Control Engine Configuration dialog box appears.

7. Enter Cookie Controller as the control engine name.

The name can contain letters, numbers, spaces, and most other characters except colons and
square brackets. Spaces cannot be used as first or last characters.
8. Enter the control engines IP address.
On hardware such as a SNAP PAC R-series controller, IP address assigned to the device is usually
written on a sticker on the side of the unit. If an IP address has not been assigned to the control
engine, see the users guide for that device for configuration instructions.
On a SoftPAC controller, if PAC Control and SoftPAC are on the same PC, use the loopback IP
address, 127.0.0.1. However, if SoftPAC is on a different PC, use the address for that PCs network
interface card (NIC). In this case, the SoftPAC PCs NIC must be configured with a static IP
address.
You can also configure a secondary IP address if you your system has been designed to have
link redundancy. If a SNAP PAC control engine is used, the second IP address can be the
controllers second Ethernet interface.
9. Make sure that you have not changed the values in the Port, Retries, and Timeout, and then
click OK.
The newly configured control engine appears in the Select Control Engine dialog box.

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CONFIGURING A CONTROL ENGINE

10. Click the new Cookie Controller control engine to select it, and then click OK.
The Control Engine Properties dialog box appears with the new control engine listed in the
Primary Control Engine group.

11. Click OK.

The Control Engines dialog box appears with the new control engine Cookie Controller.

12. Click OK to finish configuring the control engine.

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CHAPTER 2: PAC DISPLAY TUTORIAL

Adding a Dynamic Attribute

Lets assign an attribute to the Start button that will start the cookie factory display.
1. Click the Select tool in the PAC Display Configurator toolbox as shown below.

2. Double-click the Start button in the Cookie Factory window.

Some small black boxes called sizing handles appear around the button. They indicate that the
button is currently selected. The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box also opens.

Notice that the dialog box has two separate groups of attributes: Controller Driven Attributes
and Operator Driven Attributes. Control Engine-driven attributes are attributes that are driven by
tag values from the PAC Control strategy assigned to the project. Operator-driven attributes are
driven by an operators interaction with a graphic object in PAC Display.
Were going to choose the operator-driven attribute Send Discrete to send a discrete value to
the control engine. The PAC Control strategy interprets the value as a signal to start the cookie
factory.

3. In the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box under Operator Driven Attribute, select Send
Discrete, and then click Edit.
The Dynamic Attribute - Send Discrete dialog box opens.

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ADDING A DYNAMIC ATTRIBUTE

4. Click the Tag Selection button

to configure the tag we want to connect to in the PAC
Control strategy.
The Tag Selection dialog box appears. Notice that the Cookie Control Engine is highlighted in
the Control Engine list.

5. Select Integer in the Item Type group and bStartFlag in the Item Name group.
6. Enter 1 in the Bit field, and then click OK.
The Dynamic Attribute - Send Discrete dialog box appears with the new tag name listed in the
Tag group.

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7. Click OK.
The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box appears with a check mark next to Send Discrete in
the Operator Driven Attributes list.

8. Click OK to complete adding the dynamic attribute and close the dialog box.

Adding a Graphic
Now lets add a portion of cookie dough underneath the first tank. Rather than drawing our cookie,
were going to use a drawing of a cookie saved as a bitmap graphics file (or bmp). This file is located
in the Display directory.

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19

ADDING A GRAPHIC

1. Select File > Choose Bitmap.

The Choose a Bitmap dialog box appears.

2. Navigate to C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.1\Display Basic

Examples\Display\ioCookies, and then double-click the Dough.bmp file.
NOTE: For Windows XP, go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project
9.1\Display Basic Examples.

3. Now choose the Bitmap tool in the PAC Display Configurator toolbox as shown below.

4. Click the cursor right above the conveyor belt and underneath the first vessel.
If the graphic is a little out of place, it can easily be moved to the correct position using the
Select tool.
5. Choose the Select tool in the toolbox, and then click the bitmap graphic to select it.
Nine square sizing handles appear around the graphic.
6. Put your cursor within the sizing handles, click your mouse, and drag the cookie to the correct
position above the conveyor belt and underneath the first vessel.
Besides visually placing the graphic, you can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard or use the
X: and Y: coordinates displayed in the toolbox to help you place the cookie. We suggest
coordinate locations X:151 and Y:257, but your coordinates may differ.

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Now lets give the bitmap graphic some attributes to animate it. To make the cookie look like its
moving across the conveyor belt, well configure an attribute to affect its horizontal position.
7. Double-click the cookie bitmap graphic.
The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box opens.

8. In the Control Engine Driven Attributes list, double-click Horizontal Position.

The Dynamic Attribute - Horizontal Position dialog box appears. We need to configure a tag to
which we will connect the cookie bitmap graphic. This time well connect it to a value PAC
Display reads from the control engine.

9. Click the Tag Selection button

The Tag Selection dialog box appears.

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ADDING A GRAPHIC

10. Select the following:

Cookie Controller from the Control Engine group
Down Timer from the Item Type group
dtCookieMotionTimer from the Item Name group
11. In the Refresh Time drop-down list, select Group 1 (250 ms).
12. Click OK.
13. In the Dynamic Attribute - Horizontal Position dialog box, enter the following values, using the
TAB key to move from field to field:
Value At Left: 7
Value At Right: 0
Movement Left: 0
Movement Right: 360
Reference: Left
Deadband: 0
When complete, the dialog box should look like the example below.

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14. Click OK to close the dialog box.

The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box appears.

Now we need to configure an attribute that will make the cookie dough appear to drop out of the
first vessel.
15. Double-click Visibility/Blink in the Control Engine Driven Attribute list.
The Dynamic Attribute - Visibility/Blink dialog box opens.

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ADDING A GRAPHIC

16. In the group Setup by, select Current Value.

17. Click the Tag Selection button

The Tag Selection dialog box appears.

18. Select Down Timer as the Item Type and dtCookieMotionTimer as the Item Name.
19. In the Refresh Time drop-down list, select Group 1 (250 ms).

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20. Click OK.

21. Fill in the remaining fields in the Dynamic Attribute - Visibility/Blink dialog box so that it looks
like the example below:

22. Click OK.

In the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box, notice that the Visibility/Blink control
engine-driven attribute is checked. In the Operator-Driven Attributes list, a Not Available
button
appears next to the Horizontal Slider attribute. This means that this attribute cannot
be configured because other dynamic attributes that have already been configured will conflict
with the attribute.

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DOWNLOADING TO THE CONTROL ENGINE

23. Click OK to close the dialog box.

24. Save the project by selecting File > Save Project (or CTRL+S).
25. Close PAC Display Configurator by clicking the Close Window button

Downloading to the Control Engine

Lets try running our project and see if theres anything we need to change.
In order to see our animated display, we have to run the PAC Display Runtime program. But before
we do that, we need to download our PAC Control strategy to the control engine.
NOTE: PAC Control strategies are usually downloaded to a control engine for convenience using the PAC
Control application. However, well download our PAC Control strategy using a PAC Display utility called
PAC Terminal. To learn more about downloading strategies to a control engine, see the PAC Control Users
Guide.

1. Click the Windows Start button and select Programs > Opto 22 > PAC Project > Tools > PAC
Terminal.
The PAC Terminal window appears, displaying the name of our control engine.

2. Select Cookie Controller, and then choose File > Download Control Engine Forth File to
download the run file for our PAC Control strategy.
The Download File dialog box opens.

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3. Click Browse and change directories to C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project

9.1\Display Basic Examples\Control\ioCookies strategy.
NOTE: For Windows XP, go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project
9.1\Display Basic Examples.

4. Select Cookies.crn and click Open.

The file should be listed in the Download File dialog box.
5. Click OK to continue the download.
The download progress is shown.

After the strategy has downloaded to the control engine, well start the strategy running on the
control engine. For convenience, well start the strategy using PAC Terminals Inspecting dialog box.
A more common method is to start the strategy while running PAC Control.
6. When the download is finished, double-click the control Engine, Cookie Controller.
The Inspecting dialog box opens showing data relating to the control engine.

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RUNNING THE PROJECT

In addition providing information about the control engine, this dialog box allows you to start
or stop the active strategy.

7. Under Strategy information, click Run.

The strategy in our control engine is now running.
8. Close the Inspecting dialog box by clicking the Close.
9. Close PAC Terminal by clicking the button

Running the Project

Its time to run the project and see what our display can do.
1. Click the Windows Start button and choose Programs > Opto 22 > PAC Project > PAC Display
Runtime Basic.
The main window for PAC Display Runtime appears. The window is empty since we havent
loaded our project yet.
NOTE: You can also start Runtime from within the Configurator. See Using Runtime on page 322.

2. In the Runtime window, choose File > Open Project.

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3. In the Open Project dialog box that opens, navigate to the C:\Users\Public\Public
Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.1\Display Basic Examples\Display\ioCookies directory, and
then double-click the cfactory.uui project.
NOTE: For Windows XP, go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project
9.1\Display Basic Examples.
The Event Log Viewer window should appear, displaying messages about the PAC Display
Runtime session. You might see a message showing that the control engine is connecting to
PAC Displays scanner.

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WHATS NEXT?

At the bottom of the window, youll see the Auto Restore on New Message option selected.
This means anytime PAC Display Runtime issues a message (that is, an error or status message),
the Event Log Viewer will become the active, or topmost, window on the Windows desktop.
Youll also see the Enable Awaiting Connection Messages option, which lets you choose
whether to display some startup messages.

4. Click the Close button to close the Event Log Viewer window.
5. Start the cookie factory by clicking the on-screen Start button.
Watch the cookie dough drop out of the first tank and move down the conveyor. Notice that
the cookie appears to move outside of the oven and inspection stations.
6. Close PAC Display Runtime by clicking the Close Window button

Fine-Tuning the Visuals

Remember how the cookie looked traveling outside the oven and inspection stations? Well quickly
fix that by making the cookie bitmap graphic the rearmost graphic on the screen. This way, when it
travels by the stations, it will appear to go through them.
1. Open PAC Display Configurator.
The Cookie Factory project should open automatically. If it doesnt, open the project file using
the File menu.

2. With the Select tool, click the portion of dough on the conveyor belt.
3. Right-click the mouse, and from the pop-up menu that appears choose Z-Order > Send to
Back.
The graphic will now appear to travel through the oven and inspection stations, not in front of
them.
4. To save the project and start PAC Display Runtime to see the display working properly, select
File > Save Project and Load Runtime.
There are a few more things you can explore on your own. Notice that when you pass your cursor
over the setpoint boxes (SP), a black outline appears. Click on one of the boxes and an attribute
dialog box appears. You can go back to the Configurator and see how this attribute was set up. You
might also want to look at the tank flap attributes.

Whats Next?
After stepping through this chapter, you should have a handle on how simple it is to use PAC
Display. By taking the time up front to step through our short demo, youre now ready to explore the
many possibilities available.
Proceed to Chapter 3: What Is PAC Display?, to learn more about planning and designing an
operator interface. Youll also find out more about the windows and menus that make up PAC
Display Configurator and PAC Display Runtime.
At some point you may also want to take a look at the sample projects in the Examples folder
under C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Opto 22\PAC Project 9.1. Youll get ideas for how to use
different PAC Display onscreen objects and learn about various graphics you can use within your
own PAC Display projects.

PAC Display Users Guide

3: 3: What Is PAC Display?Chapter 3

3: What Is PAC Display?

Introduction
This chapter provides a general overview of using PAC Display, including information on what its
used for, project structure and design, and general terms youll encounter.
PAC Display is a software package used to create human-machine interfaces (HMIs), or operator
interfaces, for monitoring control systems. You can use PAC Display to create an HMI that will
monitor a PAC Control strategy running on an Opto 22 control engine, providing real-time and
historical information to the operator about the performance of different parts of a control system.
PAC Display works with PAC Control, a flowchart-based control language for writing control
applications. See the PAC Control Users Guide for more information on using PAC Control to create
strategies.

In This Chapter
Configurator and Runtime Applications ..........31
PAC Display Terminology ........................................32
Planning a Project ......................................................33
Configurator and Runtime Environments .......35

Configurator and Runtime Applications

Two primary software applications make up PAC Display: PAC Display Configurator and PAC Display
Runtime.
PAC Display Configurator Use PAC Display Configurator to define and configure the draw
windows, graphics, dynamic attributes, logs, alarms, and sounds that make up your project, and
then to connect these objects to the variables, I/O points, PID loops, and other items defined in your
PAC Control strategy. The project also defines how the graphics attributes change as this data
changes.

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PAC DISPLAY TERMINOLOGY

PAC Display Runtime Use PAC Display Runtime to run the project created in PAC Display
Configurator. PAC Display Runtime communicates with the control engine running the PAC Control
strategy, and animates the operator interface by changing the attributes (color, size, position, etc.) of
onscreen graphics based on how the values or states of linked items in the PAC Control strategy
change. If controls such as buttons and sliders are part of the PAC Display project, the operator can
use on-screen controls to change values that appear. This is how PAC Display is used to control
processes as well as monitor them.
PAC Display Runtime communicates with the control engine running the PAC Control strategy, and
animates the operator interface by changing the attributes (color, size, position, etc.) of onscreen
graphics based on how the values or states of linked items in the PAC Control strategy change.
PAC Display also includes a separate monitor-only version of the PAC Display Runtime application.
This version of PAC Display Runtime is functionally identical to the regular Runtime application,
except that it cannot be used to send values to a control engine. This can be useful for industrial
projects where no operator intervention is required.
The Event Log Viewer, which is part of PAC Display Runtime, starts automatically when PAC Display
Runtime is started. The Event Log Viewer displays a window that posts messages about PAC Display
communication activity. Typically, it pops up above all other windows when a message is posted,
but this feature can be disabled.

PAC Display Terminology

Project A collection of draw windows, historic logs, sounds, recipes, graphics, and all their
attributes that has been developed with the PAC Display Configurator. When the project is saved,
several files are created.

The main project file, which has a .uui extension.

Draw window files are created automatically for each draw window used to display graphics in a
project. These files have sequentially numbered file extensions starting with an uppercase .W
(for example, .W01, .W02, and so on).

These project files, together with PAC Display Runtime, present an animated graphics interface for a
control system. See Appendix C: PAC Display Files, for a complete list of the files that make up a PAC
Display project.
Windows PAC Display projects have one or more draw windows inside the PAC Display main
window. A draw window is essentially a blank page on which you place, draw, or edit graphics and
other elements that will make up your operator interface. A draw window has static attributes of
position, size, and color. It also has visual states of open, closed, or iconified. Your project design
determines the number of draw windows and their contents.
A main window is the area of the display where you can view your application. Following the
conventions used in most Microsoft Windows applications, a main window contains a menu bar that
allows you to select various command options, and a title bar that displays the full project path.

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Objects Objects include draw windows, graphics, alarm triggers, and trends (or graphs). There are
two types of objects: static and dynamic. Static objects do not change while PAC Display Runtime is
running. Dynamic objects change appearance, or cause the appearance of other PAC Display
objects to change while the project is running.
Tags A tag refers to data items, such as variables, I/O points, or PID loops, from a PAC Control
strategy. To access tags in a project, select the PAC Control strategies for the project. All tags in the
selected strategies are then available to PAC Display. Tags are used to animate your operator
interface through connections to graphic objects and their dynamic attributes. As the values of tags
change through control engine- or operator-driven attributes, the appearance of the graphics
change. Tags are also used as triggers to initiate system events such as sounds, historic logging, and
window configurations.
Connections A connection is made in PAC Display when a PAC Control tag is selected as either
the source that will change a graphic, or as the tag destination for any data changes entered by the
operator.

Planning a Project
A PAC Display project is made up of a collection of windows and other elements you create and
configure in PAC Display Configurator. You add graphics to the windows to create an operator
interface, and then connect to I/O data and variables in the tag name database of the associated
PAC Control strategy (the control program running on a Opto 22 control engine).
Once the windows, associated PAC Control strategy and Opto 22 control engine, and other
attributes of the PAC Display project have been set up using PAC Display Configurator, you can run
the project in PAC Display Runtime. When PAC Display Runtime is started, the project communicates
with one or more control engines. As the strategy runs on the control engine, values and states of
tag names in the PAC Control strategy database are continuously updated. This changing data in
turn modifies the attributes (such as size and position) of the graphics that are connected to the tag
names. The end result is an animated, continually updated display that shows the status of a control
process.

Project Design
The usefulness of your PAC Display project ultimately depends on how effective the display, or
operator interface, is. To create an effective operator interface, you may want to consider these tips
when youre designing your project:

Know your control process, including both the theoretical operation of the process and the
hands-on tasks required of the operator.

Identify the information the end user of your project, the operator, needs to know at different
points in time. Use this information to determine what will appear on the display.

Consider the following ways to use and organize windows in a display:

A single window can display an overall picture of the control process, and is helpful in
quickly assessing the general state of all operations.

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Individual windows can display a closer look at the operations associated with different
stations. The individual windows can contain detailed information and provide controls
that would be difficult to present in a single window.

Project and Operator Interface Security

PAC Display supports several important security features, including operator authentication,
encrypted logging of operator actions, and password protection for the project files. You can
configure your PAC Display project to do the following:

Allow or deny operator access to the HMI, as well as the use of individual on-screen controls,
based on users and groups defined in a Microsoft Windows network. (See Security Settings for
Graphics and Dynamic Attributes on page 148.)

Log all HMI use and operator actions to an encrypted archive, and allow selected users to log in
to PAC Display Runtime. (See Runtime Setup: Security Tab on page 301.)

Assign a password to the PAC Display project to prevent unauthorized users from opening it in
the PAC Display Configurator authoring application. (See Protecting a Project with a Password
on page 48.)

Assign a password to individual windows in a PAC Display project to prevent unauthorized

users from opening them. (See Modifying Draw or URL Windows on page 95.)

Window Design
When you create a new project, a project window and one or more draw windows will be available
in the PAC Display main window. After deciding which windows you will use for your project,
consider the design of individual windows and how they interact with other windows. This is where
the organization of your windows comes into play. For example, you could have the operator use
the Runtime menu commands to view different windows, or you could design buttons to let an
operator jump directly to related windows.
Keep in mind that the visual state of a window can affect the performance of PAC Display and the
control engine. As more windows are opened or iconified, PAC Display will gradually start to update
graphics more slowly. Window states, listed below, also affect how the PAC Display Runtime
software application scans the control engine and updates graphics.

An open window causes Runtime to update graphics with data from the built-in scanner.

An iconified window causes Runtime to continue requesting data from the scanner, but
graphics in the iconified window are not updated.

A closed window removes the associated tags from the scanner.

SuperTrends within a window can be configured to have Runtime request data from the
scanner or not.

Other choices you will have to make are whether a window should be pop-up or full-screen, and
whether a windows visual state is affected by another window. These and other aspects of
configuring windows are covered in 6: Working with Graphics on page 93 and 10: Using PAC
Display Runtime on page 293.

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Using Multiple Monitors

If your operator interface will run on Windows 2000, WIndows XP, or another version of Microsoft
Windows that supports multiple monitors connected to one computer, an additional project
planning decision is whether to design your PAC Display project to use more than one monitor. The
additional display space gained from using multiple monitors offers advantages such as being able
to keep numerous windows open permanently. However, you should consider the additional
hardware cost and extra desktop space a multiple monitor setup requires.
An important factor to also consider is that each window in a PAC Display project requires computer
memory (RAM). If you plan to display several windows on multiple monitors, the computer running
the PAC Display project may need to have additional memory installed.
Hardware and software requirements for using multiple monitors are described in System
Requirements on page 4. For steps to set up a PAC Display project to use multiple monitors, see
Extending a Project Across Multiple Monitors on page 48.

Resetting Dialog Positions

If multiple monitors are used to develop a project and then the project is re-opened using just one
monitor, a dialog might open out of view off the edge of the screen. If you cant find a dialog that
you think should be open, select View > Reset Dialog Positions. This resets the following dialogs to
appear in the middle of the active display window: Alarm Points, Application Managers, Control
Engines, Historic Logs, Event Log Viewer, Sounds, and Window Managers.

Configurator and Runtime Environments

As mentioned previously, PAC Display is composed of two software applications, Configurator and
Runtime. This means there are two environments in which you will use PAC Display. In learning
about the windows that make up PAC Display, we will first discuss the main components of the
Configurator environment, and then explore the Runtime environment.
PAC Display uses standard Microsoft Windows conventions, so as you use Configurator and Runtime,
youll recognize familiar window elements such as title bars and the menu bar, as well as controls
such as the minimize, maximize, and close buttons.
NOTE: If you need more information on working with Microsoft Windows, refer to the documentation from
Microsoft and your computer manufacturer.

Configurator Main Window

When you first start PAC Display Configurator and create a new project and select a control engine,
your screen should look similar to this:

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The Configurator main window consists of a title bar and a menu bar, along with other standard
Windows elements, and contains the toolbox and one or more draw windows.
Title Bar
Menu Bar
Toolbox

Draw
Window

Hiding the Menu Bar

If you need additional space to position draw windows, you can hide the menu bar to use the space
it occupies. If you do this, note that you wont be able to access commands on the menu bar.
To hide the menu bar, do one of the following:

Select View > Hide Menu Bar

Press ESC on the keyboard.

To view the menu bar again, press ESC on the keyboard.

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Configurator Toolbox
The toolbox contains a set of graphical icons that represent tools you can use in the Configurator.
Click any tool to select it, and then use it in the draw window. Also, below the graphical icons, the
toolbox displays coordinates and object dimensions to aid you in your drawing tasks.
For descriptions of the tools and how to use shortcut keys, see Using the Graphic Tools and
Shortcut Keys on page 102. For more details about any tools available in the toolbox, see 6:
Working with Graphics on page 93.

Toolbox Coordinates
Object Dimensions

If you want to use the space the toolbox occupies, you can hide the toolbox by selecting View >
Hide Toolbox. To open the toolbox again, select View > Show Toolbox.

Toolbox Coordinates and Object Dimensions

Just underneath the tools, you can see the toolbox coordinates and object dimensions. The
coordinates show the cursors position (in pixels) when it is over a draw window. The X: and Y:
coordinates are read with the axis zero-points at the top-left corner of the draw window. If you
create an object, the objects dimensions (width and height) are shown next to W: and H:,
respectively.

Configurator Draw Windows

Configurator draw windows are where all graphics for your PAC Display project are drawn and
edited. They contain the graphics and other elements you work with to create your display.

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Title Bar

Draw Window
Workspace

Redrawing an Active Draw Window

You can redraw an active draw window in PAC Display Configurator by selecting View > Redraw.
Incomplete graphics (such as an incomplete polygon) in the draw window are removed when you
select this command.

Runtime Main Window

When you start PAC Display Runtime, what appears on screen should look similar to this:

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Title Bar
Menu Bar
Runtime
Main
Window
Open
Project
Windows

Event
Log
Viewer

The Runtime main window consists of a title bar, a menu bar, other standard Windows elements,
project windows, and the Event Log Viewer. Much like a frame, Runtimes main window contains all
the elements and actions that occur during Runtime use.
If you need additional space to position project windows and other windows in Runtime, you can
hide the menu bar to use the space it occupies. If you do this, note that you wont be able to access
commands on the menu bar.

Changing How the Main Window Appears in Runtime

You can configure the main window so that it appears without a title bar or menu bar, and also
change several other settings. See Using the Runtime Setup Dialog Box on page 294 to learn how
to configure elements of the main window.

Hiding the Menu Bar

While working with a PAC Display project in Runtime, you can gain additional space on your screen
by hiding the menu bar. To hide the menu bar, do one of the following:

Select View > Hide Menu Bar.

Press ESC on the keyboard.

To view the menu bar again, press ESC on the keyboard.

Runtime Project Windows

After youve opened a project in Runtime, you see the project windows.

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Title Bar

Draw
Window
Workspace

Project windows are the Configurator draw windows that you created for the project. Notice that
when you launch your project in Runtime, these windows are the same size and in the same relative
position as when you closed the Configurator project. (Depending on certain configuration options,
the relative positions of the windows may differ slightly from those in the Configurator project.)
Project windows are composed of a title bar and a workspace. The title bar displays the name of the
window, and the workspace contains all of the graphics work you did in the Configurator.

Configuring How Draw Windows Appear in Runtime

You can define how a draw window appears in PAC Display Runtime, including its visual state
(closed, iconified, or open), relative position, and other settings. See Using Draw Windows and URL
Windows on page 93 for instructions and more information.

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Creating a Project
To create a new project in PAC Display Configurator, follow these steps:
1. Select File > New Project (or CTRL+N).
The New Project dialog box appears.

Dialog boxes in PAC Display follow common Microsoft Windows conventions, so youll
recognize familiar items such as the file list, the Up One Level button, and the File name field.
NOTE: If you need more information on how to use dialog boxes or other common parts of Microsoft
Windows, refer to the documentation from Microsoft and your computer manufacturer.

2. Type a project name in the File name field.

When youre done creating the new project file, this name is automatically appended with the
suffix .uui, indicating a PAC Display project file.
3. If you want to save your project in a new directory, follow the sub-steps below, and then
continue with the next step.
a. Click the Create New Folder button.
The new folder you created appears in the list of files and folders. The name of the new
folder should be highlighted, meaning you can enter a new name for the folder.
b. Type a new name for the folder, preferably one that includes the project name.
c. Double-click the new folder to open it.
4. Click Open to create the project.
Normally, the Control Engines dialog box opens next. However, if you have selected a directory
that already includes a project, a warning message appears, and youll be allowed to try again.

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5. In the Control Engines dialog box, click Add to locate a PAC Control strategy running on the
control engine you want to connect to.

6. In the Strategy File Name Selection dialog box that opens, navigate to the PAC Control strategy
that is running on the control engine you plan to select.
(Pro only) To locate a legacy OptoControl strategy, click the drop-down menu in the Files of
Type dialog box and select OptoControl Strategy *.cdb.
NOTE: The next few steps are for PAC Display Basic. To configure the control engine using PAC Display
Professional, see Final Controller Configuration with PAC Display Professional on page 65.

7. Select the strategy file and click Open.

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The strategy you selected appears in the Strategy field of the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

Now you need to select the primary control engine from which PAC Display will receive I/O
point information. Remember that this control engine must be running the strategy you selected.

8. Click the Browse button in the Primary Control Engine group.

The Select Control Engine dialog box appears.

All control engines that have been configured to connect to your PC are listed, whether or not
they are associated with your strategy. If you previously configured a control engine for use
with PAC Control, for example, it would appear here, even if it didnt appear earlier when you
opened the Control Engines dialog box.
NOTE: If the control engine you want to use doesnt appear in the Select Control Engine dialog box,
you must connect and configure this control engine to make it available. Instructions for adding,
modifying, and deleting control engines appear in Chapter 4, Working with Control Engines, in the
PAC Control Users Guide.

9. To choose a control engine that connects with PAC Display, select its name and click OK.
The primary control engine you have added appears in the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

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10. To designate a backup control engine, click Browse in the Backup Control Engine group, choose
a control engine from the list and click OK.
The backup control engine you have added appears in the dialog box.

A backup control engine is used automatically in case the primary control engine fails or
becomes unavailable. Control remains on the backup controller until the backup controller
goes offline; control is not automatically returned to the primary control engine when it
becomes available again.

11. To change the path of the strategy to be relative to the current PAC Display project, select Make
Path Relative to Project.
This allows the project to be more easily transferred to other PCs that don't have the exact
same file structure.
12. When all the parameters in the Control Engine Properties dialog box are correct, click OK to
save your settings and close the dialog box.
The control engine appears in the Control Engines dialog box.
NOTE: To complete setting up the control engine, you need to select primary and secondary scanners.
For more information, see Configuring the Scanner on page 68

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13. Click OK.

When you click OK in the Control Engines dialog box, the project is created, and a draw
window and toolbox appear within the Configurators main window.

The untitled draw window is where you will begin drawing your operator interface. The
toolbox contains several icons representing graphic drawing tools. For more information, see
Chapter 6: Working with Graphics.

Extending a Project Across Multiple Monitors

If you are designing your PAC Display project to use multiple monitors connected to the same
computer, after creating the project simply extend PAC Display Configurators main window across
the monitors you want to use. For hardware and software requirements for using multiple monitors,
see System Requirements on page 4.

Protecting a Project with a Password

You can protect your PAC Display project with a password to prevent others from opening and
modifying the project using PAC Display Configurator. The project can still be opened and run in PAC
Display Runtime.
CAUTION: Make sure to keep your password in a safe place. If you forget your password, you will not be able
to open your project in PAC Display Configurator.
To protect your project with a password, do the following:
1. Select File > Password Protect Project.
The Enter Project Password dialog box opens.

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2. Type a password in the Enter Password field.

3. Type the same password a second time in the Confirm Password field.
4. Click OK.
Your PAC Display project now cannot be opened in PAC Display Configurator without entering the
password.

Opening a Project
To open an existing project in PAC Display Configurator or PAC Display Runtime, follow these steps:
1. Select File > Open Project.
(Configurator only) If you already have an open project, you will be asked if you want to save it.
Click Yes or No, or click Cancel to close the Save Project dialog box.
The Open Project dialog box appears.

2. Navigate to the folder where your project is located.

3. Double-click the file in the list to open the project. (You can also select the file, and then click
Open.)
The project opens with any windows positioned just as you last left them.
NOTE: If the project has been protected with a password, the Enter Password dialog box appears. Type
the password for this project and click OK to open the project.

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Converting an Older Project to PAC Display

A project created in Opto 22s earlier OptoDisplay software can be converted into a PAC Display
project using conversion utility software included with PAC Display. Converting an OptoDisplay into
PAC Display can save much time and effort that would otherwise be needed to recreate your older
project in PAC Display. See the FactoryFloor to PAC Project Migration Guide (Opto 22 form 1596) for
instructions and other information on converting an OptoDisplay project to PAC Display.

Saving a Project
There are three options for saving a project in PAC Display Configurator: Save Project, Save Project As,
and Save Project and Load Runtime.

Save Project
To save your project to the same file name you opened or created, Select File > Save Project (or
CTRL+S). If there have been no changes to the project since you last saved it, no messages appear
when this save occurs.

Save Project As
1. To save the project with a new name, select File > Save Project As (or SHIFT+CTRL+S).
2. In the Save As dialog box, type a project name in the File name field.
When youre done saving the project file with a new name, this name is automatically
appended with the suffix .uui, indicating a PAC Display project file.
3. If you want to save your project in a new directory, follow the sub-steps below, and then
continue with the next step.
a. Click the Create New Folder button.
The new folder you created appears in the list of files and folders. The name of the new
folder should be highlighted, meaning you can enter a new name for the folder.
b. Type a new name for the folder, preferably one that includes the project name.
c. Double-click the new folder to open it.
4. Click Save to save the project with a new file name.

Save Project and Load Runtime

To save your project to the same file name you opened or created, and then start the project in PAC
Display Runtime, select File > Save Project and Load Runtime. This option is particularly useful when
you are testing a project and switch often between the Configurator and Runtime components.

Saving Versions of a Project

When developing a PAC Display project, you can save progressively numbered versions of the
project files (for example, MyProject_01, MyProject_02, etc.). Having these saved versions of your
project as you develop it can be valuable if you need to return to an earlier version, or need to trace
the steps you took while building the PAC Display project.

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To automatically create a numbered version of modified PAC Display project files each time you save
the project, select File > Configurator Options. Then, in the Configurator Options dialog, select Auto
Increment Version on Save. Project (.UUI) and window (.WXX) files will be copied, renamed with a
version number, and placed in the same directory as the current project. Other project files such as
background bitmap images and similar graphics are not copied.

Archiving a Project
To archive the current project:
1. Select either File > Archive Project or File > Archive Project and Email to Opto 22.
The project is archived to the current project directory with all the files necessary to transfer the
project to another computer.
If you choose Archive Project and Email to Opto 22, the project is attached automatically to an
email addressed to Opto 22 Product Support. In order for Product Support to better assist you,
a message will advise you to use PAC Control to archive the strategy files to submit along with
the PAC Display archive.
When the archiving is finished the following dialog box appears.

2. Click Yes to open the archives directory.

NOTE: PAC Control strategy files referenced by the project are NOT automatically archived. Use PAC Control
to archive the strategy files.
A project archive file uses the following naming convention:
XXX_Archive_Year-Month-Day_Hour-Minute-Second.zip
where XXX = name of the PAC Display project.
Example: SuperTrendDemo1.UUI_Archive_2008-03-31_15-00-02.zip. This represents a project
named SuperTrendDemo1 archived on March 31, 2008 at 3:00:26 pm.

Exporting a Project
If you want to compare one project to anotherperhaps to see what has changedyou can
export each project to a text file and then use a file comparison utility (such as WinMerge) to
compare the files.

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Each exported text file is formatted for easy reading and includes all the information about the
project, including windows, graphics, dynamic atributes, alarm points, historic logs, recipes, and so
on.
1. Select File > Export Project.
2. In the Export Project As dialog box, navigate to the destination folder and enter a name for the
file.
3. Click Save.
4. Repeat the steps for the next project, then open the text files in your file comparison utility.

Closing a Project
To close the current project you have open, select File > Close Project. If youve modified the project
since it was last saved, you will be asked if you want to save those changes before closing the
project.
Only one project can be open at any one time in PAC Display. Creating or opening a project
automatically closes any currently open project first. When this happens, you will be asked if you
want to save changes if they havent been already saved.

Customizing Project Properties

NOTE: This procedures are not required to run PAC Display Configurator or Runtime, or to open projects.
After youve loaded a project for the first time, youll notice that every time you start PAC Display
Configurator, the application knows which project to load, what sizes the windows are, and several
other startup conditions. At some point, you may want to change these initial PAC Display
conditions. To do so, you can run the Windows system Registry Editor utility to modify these
conditions.
CAUTION: Use the Windows Registry Editor carefully. It is strongly recommended that you make a backup
copy of your Windows Registry before continuing with this procedure. Without a backup copy, if you delete
the wrong properties and cannot return the Registry to its original state, application and system files can
become unusable and will have to be reinstalled.

1. From the Windows Start menu, select Run.

The Run dialog box appears.
2. In the Open field, type regedit and then and press ENTER.
The Registry Editor window appears. You should see several folders listed under My Computer.
3. Open the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder, and then continue to open each of the following
sub-folders as they appear:
Software
Opto22
PAC Display
Configurator or Runtime

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Start up
In the Start up folder youll see several properties defined, as shown below.

Delete these
properties to reset
PAC Displays startup
configuration.

4. Select the following properties:

Height
Maximized
Project Name
Width
X
Y
Do not select the (Default) property.
5. Select Edit > Delete, or press DEL on the keyboard.
6. Select Registry > Exit to close the Registry Editor.
PAC Display has now been initialized to its original startup conditions, and will open as if no project
had ever been loaded.

Creating a Batch File To Open and Run a Project

You can use a batch file to have PAC Display Runtime open and run a project. The batch file you
create can be associated with an icon on the Windows desktop. This is a convenient way for an
operator to quickly start a PAC Display project without having to search for the project file in a dialog
box.
To create a batch file to open a project in PAC Display Runtime, do the following:

Click the Tag Selection button

to select a PAC Control tag name. See Configuring
Tags on page 75 for more about the Tag Selection dialog box.
Select Discrete or Current Value in the Setup By group.
Discrete sets, clears, or toggles the tags on or off state. Current Value sets the tag value. To
set a Current Value, select Set or Offset in the Current Values group and then enter a tag
value.

7.
8.

Click OK to close the dialog box.

If you want a stop trigger, click Stop Trigger, and then configure the stop trigger in the same
manner as for the Start Trigger.
On the Snapshots Configuration dialog box, click Add.
The Snapshot configuration appears in the list.

9. Repeat the previous steps for each snapshot configuration you want to create.
10. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Modifying a Snapshot
To modify an existing snapshot, click on its name in the list, and make your changes. When finished,
click the Modify link to accept the changes, or click Cancel to cancel any changes

Snapshot Files in Runtime

In Runtime, the snapshot files are saved with the following format:
[Snapshot Name]_YYYY_MM_DD_HH_MM_SS.bmp,
where:
YYYY = year
MM = month
DD = day
HH = hour
MM = minute
SS = second.
If the name of the snapshot contains an illegal characters (such as &), the illegal character is
replaced with an underscore. For example, Tank & Level 10 seconds becomes Tank_Level 10
seconds.

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Combining PAC Display Projects

If you want to combine PAC Display projects, first archive each of the PAC Control strategies and PAC
Display projects to your hard drive as described below. This allows you to recover the original
versions if there are problems at some point. Then use the import and export features in PAC Display
to combine projects. If you are integrating multiple PAC controllers into a single system, make sure
that each control engine and each strategy has a unique name.
The best way to share data between multiple PAC controllers is with the scratch pad using the I/O
UnitScratch Pad Commands. For information, see chapter 10, Programming with Commands, in
the PAC Control Users Guide, form 1700.

Archiving and Renaming Multiple PAC Control Strategies

NOTE: See also, Archiving Strategies, in Chapter 7 of the PAC Control Users Guide, form 1700.

1. Select File > Archive Strategy to archive each strategy.

2. Make sure each strategy has a unique name.
To re-name a strategy, open it in PAC Control and select File > Save Strategy As.
3. Make sure each control engine has a unique name to distinguish it from other controllers.
To rename a control engine, open a strategy in PAC Control and select Configure > Control
Engines.

4. If you change the name of a strategy or control engine, youll need to point the PAC Display
project to the new strategy name or control engine name as follows:
a. Open PAC Display in Configure mode and select Configure > Control Engine(s).
b. Select the control engine, click the Replace button, and then click OK.
c. Select Tools > AutoCorrect Tags.
d. When you download the updated PAC Control strategy, you will need to run the updated
PAC Display project. It is important to keep your PAC Display project in sync with the
strategies that are running on the control engines.
NOTE: For more information, see Configuring Control Engines on page 62.

5. Select File > Archive Strategy to manually archive the strategy.

NOTE: In PAC Control you can automatically archive a strategy to your hard drive or to the controller.
This helps you track changes during development and provides a backup in case of a failure on the
control engine or computer. For more information, see the PAC Control Users Guide, form 1700.

Archiving and Combining PAC Display Projects

1. Open your project in PAC Display Configurator and select File > Archive Project.
2. Select Tools > AutoCorrect Tags to identify any existing problems.
3. Fix any problems in your project before proceeding. If you make changes in the project, save it
and then make another archive.
4. Open the main project (the one you are adding other projects to), and then add each of the
other control engines and strategies.
In order to do this, each strategy and control engine must have a different name as described in
the previous section.

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5. Save the main project.

6. To combine your projects, see Using Draw Windows and URL Windows on page 93and
Importing, Exporting, and Saving Windows on page 98.
Make sure to run Auto Correct tags and the save the project with each window you import.
7. When you have finished combining projects, run AutoCorrect Tags again to check for any
problems.

Configuring an ODBC Data Source

(Pro only) The Select ODBC Data Source dialog box (Configure > ODBC Data Source) allows you to
configure an ODBC database for logging SuperTrend, Historic Log, and Runtime Operator Logging
data files.

Supported databases include MySQL, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft SQL Server. In order to use
this feature, the database must already have been created, and the ODBC connector must be
configured. See the instructions below to configure the ODBC connector in Windows, and then
configure the database in PAC Display.
Also see the following sections:
Saving a SuperTrend to a Database on page 208
Logging Historic Data to a Database on page 224
Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log Database on page 316
In Windows, do the following:
1. Click the Windows Start button and the Run... option and enter (or copy and paste) one of the
following to open the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator.
For a 32-bit version of Windows, use:
%systemdrive%\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe
For a 64-bit version of Windows, use:
%systemdrive%\Windows\System32\odbcad32.exe

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Configuring Control Engines

Follow these steps to select and configure a control engine:
1. Start PAC Display Configurator and open a project that will be associated with the control
engine.
2. Select Configure > Control Engine.
The Control Engines dialog box opens.

If you have not previously configured a control engine for the PAC Display project you opened,
the Name list is empty and only the Add button is available.

3. To locate a PAC Control strategy running on the control engine you want to connect to, click
Add.

4. In the Strategy File Name Selection dialog box that opens, navigate to the PAC Control strategy
that is running on the control engine you plan to select.

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To locate an OptoControl strategy, click the drop-down menu in the Files of Type dialog box
and select OptoControl Strategy *.cdb.

5. If you have PAC Display Basic, see Final Controller Configuration with PAC Display Basic on
page 63 to complete controller configuration. If you have PAC Display Professional, see Final
Controller Configuration with PAC Display Professional on page 65.

Final Controller Configuration with PAC Display Basic

NOTE: The next few steps differ between PAC Display Basic and PAC Display Professional. Follow the set of
instructions for your version of PAC Display.

1. Select the strategy file and click Open.

The strategy you selected appears in the Strategy field of the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

Now you need to select the primary control engine from which PAC Display will receive I/O
point information. Remember that this control engine must be running the strategy you selected.

2. Click the Browse button in the Primary Control Engine group.

The Select Control Engine dialog box appears.

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3. To choose a control engine that connects with PAC Display, select its name and click OK.
The primary control engine you have added appears in the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

4. To designate a backup control engine, click Browse in the Backup Control Engine group, choose
a control engine from the list and click OK.
The backup control engine you have added appears in the dialog box.

A backup control engine is used automatically in case the primary control engine fails or
becomes unavailable. Control remains on the backup controller until the backup controller

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goes offline; control is not automatically returned to the primary control engine when it
becomes available again.

5. To change the path of the strategy to be relative to the current PAC Display project, select Make
Path Relative to Project.
This allows the project to be more easily transferred to other PCs that don't have the exact
same file structure.
6. When all the parameters in the Control Engine Properties dialog box are correct, click OK to
save your settings and close the dialog box.
NOTE: When you configure the control engine in PAC Display, you should also designate a local or remote
scanner. In PAC Display, a scanner is a software component that manages all communications with one
or more control engines. By default, the scanner runs on the same PC running the PAC Display project, but
your application may benefit from configuring a remote scanner. See Configuring the Scanner on
page 68 for more information.

Final Controller Configuration with PAC Display Professional

In PAC Display Pro, final configuration includes selecting the control engine and the primary scanner.
If you also want to set up a secondary scanner, see Configuring a Remote Scanner in PAC Display
Pro on page 70.
1. Select the strategy file and click Open.
The strategy you selected appears in the Strategy field of the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

Now you need to select the primary control engine from which PAC Display will receive I/O
point information. Remember that this control engine must be running the strategy you selected.

2. Click the Browse button in the Primary Control Engine group.

The Select Control Engine dialog box appears.

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3. To choose a control engine that connects with PAC Display, select its name and click OK.
The primary control engine you have added appears in the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.
4. To select a primary scanner, click the Choose... button.

5. If you want to use the local computer as the primary scanner, select This Computer and then
click OK to exit the dialog box and finish the configuration. However, to designate a different
computer as the primary scanner, click the Remote OptoOPCServer button.

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6. In the list of computers that appears, navigate to the PC that has OptoOPCServer software
installed and configured. Select the computer and click OK.

IMPORTANT: To successfully use OptoOPCServer on a remote computer with PAC Display, Windows
user and application permission settings on both local and remote computers must be correctly
configured. See the OptoOPCServer Users Guide (Opto 22 form 1439) for detailed instructions for
configuring OptoOPCServer and OPC clients for network operation.

7. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

To set up a secondary scanner, see Configuring the Scanner on page 68.

Ethernet Link Redundancy

NOTE: If you have configured redundant controllers for your control system, the Ethernet link redundancy
feature described in this section cannot be used. For more information on using redundant controllers, see
from 1831, the SNAP PAC Redundancy Option Users Guide.
The two Ethernet interfaces on a SNAP PAC controller allow you to have redundant Ethernet
network links for your control system. Using PAC Manager, you assign a different IP address for each

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interfacethe primary and secondary addresses. Then, using PAC Control, you assign the two
addresses to the control engine.
Once this has been set up, you can use the primary and secondary IP addresses in a PAC Display
project to access data from the PAC Control strategy running on the control engine.
In a system with link redundancy, one address is always active. If the primary address is unavailable,
then the secondary address becomes the active address and PAC Display will automatically shift to
the secondary address. If the secondary address fails, then the primary address becomes the active
address and it will automatically try the primary address again. If communication to the active
address fails and the control engine is not able to switch to the other address, then communication
to the I/O unit becomes disabled. Communication is tested on each valid address that is enabled
(any address other than 0.0.0.0) when a strategy is started or when communication to an I/O unit is
changed from disabled to enabled.
On a SoftPAC controller, the PC running SoftPAC must have two network interface cards (NICs)
configured with static primary and secondary IP addresses on different subnets.
To set up Ethernet link redundancy:
1. Using PAC Manager, assign the primary and secondary IP addresses to the control engine.
See Chapter 2, Configuring Devices in the PAC Manager Users Guide, form 1704. To obtain this
form, go to the Opto 22 website, www.opto22.com, and search on the form number, 1704.

2. Using PAC Control, configure link redundancy for the control engine.
See Using Ethernet Link Redundancy in PAC Control in Chapter 5 of the PAC Control Users Guide,
form 1700.
Once you have set up link redundancy for the control engine you are using in your PAC Control
strategy, it works automatically in PAC Display.
To view which control engine is currently running, click View > Configuration in Runtime.

Configuring the Scanner

PAC Display exchanges information with one or more Opto 22 controllers using a software
component called a scanner. This scanner is automatically installed on the same computer as PAC
Display software, but can also run on a different computer. See Using OptoOPCServer as a Remote
Scanner below.
NOTE: No configuration is needed to run the scanner on the same computer as PAC Display.
When a PAC Display project is running, PAC Display periodically checks to see if the scanner is
operating. If the scanner is not operating, an error message is displayed in the Runtime Error Log.
Configuring how often the scanner is checked is described in Setting Scanner Heartbeat Interval
on page 73.

Using OptoOPCServer as a Remote Scanner

Different PAC Display projectsor copies of the same projectcan run on multiple computers
which are connected on a network. For example, for supervisory reasons you may need to run

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several monitor-only versions of PAC Display projects on office computers in addition to using
regular monitor-and-control versions of PAC Display at operator workstations.
If you need to run multiple instances of PAC Display on separate computers, use Opto 22s
OptoOPCServer software as a centralized scanner. Running on a PC or network server,
OptoOPCServer centralizes communications with Opto 22 control engines. This greatly increases
the efficiency with which computers running PAC Display can exchange information with control
engines. OptoOPCServer software is sold separately from PAC Display, and is available from Opto 22
and local Opto 22 distributors.

Computers running
PAC Display projects

Computer running
OptoOPCServer

Opto 22 industrial
controllers
running PAC
Control strategies

OptoOPCServer provides a
remote scanner for PAC
Display. This centralizes the
exchange of I/O data
between computers
running PAC Display and
controllers.

NOTE: PAC Display software can communicate only with its built-in scanner or with OptoOPCServer
software. PAC Display is not a generic OPC client, and cannot be used with third-party OPC servers.
In addition to serving as a remote scanner for PAC Display, OptoOPCServer supports third-party
SCADA, HMI, data collection, and other OPC-client software. For these third-party OPC clients,
OptoOPCServer can supply I/O point data from SNAP PAC systems that is not supported by PAC
Display.
IMPORTANT: OptoOPCServer must be correctly installed and configured on a network server or
workstation before a PAC Display project can use it as a scanner. See the OptoOPCServer Users Guide
(Opto 22 form 1439) for detailed information on installing OptoOPCServer and configuring it for network
operation, including DCOM. (This form is provided with the purchase of OptoOPCServer.)
For Basic, see Configuring a Remote Scanner Location in PAC Display Basic below.
For Pro, see Configuring a Remote Scanner in PAC Display Pro on page 70.

Configuring a Remote Scanner Location in PAC Display Basic

To use a remote computer running OptoOPCServer as a scanner, do the following:
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select Configure > Scanner Location.

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2. In the Select Scanner Location dialog box that opens, click Remote OptoOPCServer.

3. In the list of computers that appears, navigate to the PC that has OptoOPCServer software
installed and configured. Select the computer and click OK.
IMPORTANT: To successfully use OptoOPCServer on a remote computer with PAC Display, Windows
user and application permission settings on both local and remote computers must be correctly
configured. See the OptoOPCServer Users Guide (Opto 22 form 1439) for detailed instructions for
configuring OptoOPCServer and OPC clients for network operation.

4. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

Configuring a Remote Scanner in PAC Display Pro

1. Select Configure > Control Engine(s).
2. In the Control Engines dialog box, double-click the control engine you want to configure.

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Double-click
the control
engine

3. In the Control Engine Properties dialog box, click the Choose... button.

4. Click the Remote OptoOPCServer button.

5. In the list of computers that appears, navigate to the PC that has OptoOPCServer software
installed and configured. Select the computer and click OK.

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6. Click OK in each open dialog to save your changes.

To set up a secondary scanner, see the next section, Configuring a Secondary Remote Scanner in
PAC Display Pro.

Configuring a Secondary Remote Scanner in PAC Display Pro

For each local or remote scanner the PAC Display project uses, you can set up a secondary scanner
that will be used when the primary scanner is not available.
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select Configure > Secondary Scanner Location.
The Configure Secondary Scanner dialog box appears.

2. Make sure the correct computer is selected for Primary Scanner Location and then click Select
Secondary.

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3. In the Select Secondary Scanner Location dialog box, click Remote OptoOPCServer and select a
computer from the list tree that you want to use for the remote secondary scanner. Click OK
when done.

4. Click OK to save your changes and close the Select Secondary Scanner Location dialog box.
5. In the Configure Secondary Scanner dialog box, click OK to save your changes.

Setting Scanner Heartbeat Interval

When a PAC Display project is running, PAC Display periodically checks to see if the scanner is
operating. If the scanner is not operating, an error message is displayed in the Runtime Error Log.
The Scanner Heartbeat Check Interval is the interval in seconds at which PAC Display will check to
see if the scanner is operating.

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To set how often PAC Display checks the operation of the scanner:
1. In PAC Display Configurator Basic, select Configure > Scanner Location.
In Pro, select Configure > Scanner Defaults.
For Basic, the Select Scanner Location dialog box appears.

For Pro, the Configure Scanner Defaults dialog box appears.

2. In Scanner Heartbeat Check Interval, enter the interval in seconds at which PAC Display will
check to see if the scanner is operating.
You can enter a value between 1 and 3600 seconds (integer values only). The default value of
10 seconds is suitable for most applications. If there is a slow communications link between the
computer running the PAC Display project and the computer running the scanner, use a longer
heartbeat interval to reduce network traffic.
3. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

Hiding or Displaying Runtime Startup Messages

When a PAC Display project starts in Runtime, multiple Bad Quality or Not Connected messages
often appear in the Event Log Viewer. These startup messages appear when the PAC Display scanner
has not yet connected to a control engine specified in the project. To hide or display these Runtime
startup messages, do the following:
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select Configure > Scanner Location.

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In Pro, select Configure > Scanner Defaults.

The Select Scanner Location dialog box appears.

Select the Enable Awaiting

Connection Messages checkbox
to display all startup messages.
Deselect this checkbox to hide
Bad Quality and Not Connected
startup messages.

2. Select or deselect the Enable Awaiting Connection Messages checkbox to display or hide any
Bad Quality or Not Connected messages that may occur when the PAC Display project
starts.
3. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

Configuring Tags
Graphics in PAC Display can be linked directly to the values of PAC Control tags, so you will configure
tags quite often as you develop PAC Display projects. Tags are configured using the Tag Selection
dialog box, which you can access from many dialog boxes in PAC Display Configurator by clicking
the Tag Selection button
.
The tags that appear in the Tag Selection dialog box are actively filtered; rather than display all
possible item types and item names, only the item types available for the selected control engine
appear in the Item Type list, and only the item names available for a selected item type appear in the
Item Name list. For detailed information on item types and names in PAC Control strategies, see the
PAC Control Users Guide.
To configure a tag, complete the fields as described in Tag Selection Dialog Box below.

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Tag Selection Dialog Box

B
A

D
E
F
G

H
I
J

(A) Controller. Select the control engine that contains the tag you wish to use. If only one control
engine is available, it is automatically selected. Choosing a control engine updates the Item Type list
(B) so that it displays only the PAC Control data types available in that control engines PAC Control
strategy.

(B) Item Type. Select the type of data you wish to use. The list contains the data types available in
the selected control engines PAC Control strategy. (The data types that appear depend on which
data type was selected in the Setup by field in the preceding dialog box.) When you select a
specific item type, a list of all the tags of that selection type appears in the Item Name list box (C).
Your Item Type selection also determines the options available in the Selected Fields group (D).
PAC Display can access tags for most types of variables and other information in a PAC Control or
OptoControl strategy. See the PAC Control Users Guide or OptoControl Users Guide for information on
a specific type of variable.
NOTE: In order to get the value referenced by a pointer, use the variables actual type, such Integer, Float,
and so on. You cannot use a variable from a Pointer Table.
PAC Display can also access memory-map-based Scratch Pad variables in SNAP Ultimate
controller/brains, the SNAP-LCE controller, and SNAP PAC controllers; see Selecting Tags for I/O Unit
Scratch Pad Variables on page 80 for information on configuring Scratch Pad variables in the Tag
Selection dialog box.
See also, Tag Types You Can Save to an Historic Log on page 220.

(C) Item Name. This is an alphabetical list of the available PAC Control tags of the type specified
in the Item Type list. Select the tag you want to use from this list.

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(D) Selected Fields. The item type of the tag you select determines which of these fields, if any,
need to have contents specified. If an entry is not needed, then the option is not available.
IMPORTANT: There are differences in how some tags are configured in this dialog box.
If SNAP high-density digital modules are used in your I/O system, see Tag Selection Dialog (High Density
Digital Tag Type) on page 79 for more information.
If the Scratch Pad feature available in some SNAP brains is used to store bit, integer, floating point, or string
values, see Selecting Tags for I/O Unit Scratch Pad Variables on page 80 for more information.

(E) Field. Specifies the data that is associated with the selected tag. For example, if the selected tag
is of Item Type Digital Input Point, the available field is State. If the tag Item Type is Float, the Field list
box is disabled.
For the Send String tag type:

Time returns the control engines current time.

Date returns the control engines current date.

Strategy Date return the date stamp of the stategy file in the control engine.

Strategy Time returns the time stamp of the stategy file in the control engine.

For the PID Loop tag type:

Auto/Manual Flag This option is not recommended; it is available only for backward
compatibility. It is not available for not-Ethernet PID tags. If PAC Display is configured to scan
I/O tags from the I/O unit (the default), this option determines if the PID loop is in manual
mode (Manual = True (1) = Discrete ON; Auto = False (0) = Discrete OFF). However, if PAC
Display is configured to scan I/O tags through the controller, it will determine whether the PID
loop is in Auto (Auto = True (1); Manual = False (0)). For all new development, use the Is
Manual? option instead.

Is Manual? This is the recommended option and should be used for all new development. It is
not available for non-Ethernet PID tags. It determines if the PID loop is in manual mode. When
in manual mode, the value will be True (1); when in Auto mode, the value will be False (0). It is
consistent whether PAC Display is configured to scan the I/O tags through the controller or
directly from the I/O unit.

If the PID loop is in manual, it will return a discrete ON. If the PID loop is in Auto, it will return a
discrete OFF.

To put the loop in Auto, set the Is Manual? option to discrete OFF. To put the loop into manual,
set it to discrete ON .
NOTE: To set whether tags are retrieved directly from the I/O unit or through the controller, go to
Configure > Runtime and choose the IO Unit Tags tab. If an I/O unit is checked, the tags are retrieved
directly though the I/O unit. If unchecked, the tags are retrieved through the controller. For more
information, see Runtime Setup: I/O Unit Tag Tab on page 320

Configuration Flags PID 0: Configuration flags:

1 = Enable square root of Input.
2 = Force output when Input is out of range.
4 = Switch to manual mode when input goes out of range."

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(F) Element. If the selected Item Type is one of the Table types and only a single element of the
table is desired, enter the index of that element in this field.

(G) Bit. If the base type is Integer, a specific bit in the range specified may be selected from the
integer.
For configuring a Discrete control engine-driven dynamic attribute, if you are configuring an integer
tag type and do not specify a bit index and the integer value is 0, the tag will evaluate to FALSE. Any
non-zero value will be considered TRUE. However, if you do specify a bit and the bit is OFF, the tag
will evaluate to FALSE; if the bit is ON, the tag will evaluate to TRUE.
For configuring the Send Discrete operator-driven dynamic attribute, if you specify a bit, the
following message will appear: No bit index is specified. All bits will be set. OK to continue?
However, if you select a bit index, then only that bit will be modified.
For more information, see Available Dynamic Attributes on page 151.

(H) Start Index. To select multiple elements from Item Type Table, use the Start Index to specify
the first element and Num Elements to specify how many.

(I) Refresh Time. If a control engine-driven attribute is being edited, select the refresh time
group to be used for scanning. All tags that are defined as part of the same refresh time group are
scanned at the same time. A time group with a refresh time of 0 seconds is scanned as quickly as the
speed of the communications link permits.
(J) OK. Click OK to save your settings. (Click Cancel to close the dialog box without making any
changes.)

Selecting Tags for SNAP High-Density Digital Modules

For high-density digital points configured in PAC Control with a name, you can select tags in the
same manner as for standard density digital modules, or you can use the High Density Digital tag
type in the Tag Selection dialog box. For high-density digital points without a name, use the High
Density Digital tag type in the Tag Selection dialog box. See Tag Selection Dialog (High Density
Digital Tag Type).
NOTE: Points configured in PAC Control 7.1 or earlier are not named. To select tags for these points, you
must use the High Density Digital tag type.
Using the High Density Digital tag type, it is possible to configure a tag that refers to either a named
high-density digital point or to one that is not named. For example, if a high-density digital point
named HDDI_A has been configured at module 0, channel 15, you can configure a tag for this point
using one of the following methods in the Tag Selection dialog box:

Select Digital Input Points as the Item Type. Under Item Name, select HDDI_A.

Select High Density Digital as the Item Type. Then under Selected Fields, enter 0 in the Module
field and 15 in the Point field.

High-Density digital modules provide 32 digital input or output points in one SNAP module. See the
PAC Control Users Guide for information on using these modules in a PAC Control strategy. For
additional information, see Opto 22 form 1547, the SNAP High-Density Digital Module Users Guide.

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Tag Selection Dialog (High Density Digital Tag Type)

C
D
E

(A) Item Type. Select the item type High Density Digital to see all I/O units configured in the
PAC Control strategy for your PAC Display project.
If the PAC Control strategy has at least one configured I/O unit, High Density Digital always appears
in the Item Type list, even if a SNAP high-density digital module is not used in your I/O system.

(B) Item Name. Select the name of the I/O unit where the SNAP high-density digital module you
want to use is installed.

(C) Field. Choose a field based on the type of dynamic attribute (controller-driven or
operator-driven), and whether you want to work with a single point on the high-density module or
all 32 points. One or more of the following fields will be available:
Must specify:
Field

Dynamic Attribute

Tag

Description
Module

Point

Discrete

Returns on/off status of specified

point.

Value

Returns a 32-bit integer indicating

status of all 32 points.

n/a

Discrete

Sends a true/set to set state and a

false/clear to clear state.

Value

Sends a 32-bit integer to set states

of all 32 points.

n/a

Controller-driven

State

Operator-driven

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Must specify:
Field

Dynamic Attribute

Tag

Description
Module

Discrete
Controller-driven
Value
Counts

Point

n/a

Returns a 32-bit integer for a single

point.

Discrete
Operator-driven

See Read and Clear on page 165.

Value
Discrete

Returns Latch (ON) status of specified point.

Value

Returns a 32-bit integer indicating

status of all 32 points.

n/a

Discrete

Clears ON latch. Choose Set to

clear latch if prompt for value dialog box is used.

Value

Sends a 32-bit integer to clear ON

latches of all 32 points.

n/a

Discrete

Returns Latch (OFF) status of specified point.

Value

Returns a 32-bit integer indicating

status of all 32 points.

n/a

Discrete

Clears OFF latch. Choose Set to

clear latch if prompt for value dialog box is used.

Value

Sends a 32-bit integer to clear OFF

latches of all 32 points.

n/a

Controller-driven

Latch (ON)

Operator-driven

Controller-driven

Latch (OFF)

Operator-driven

(D) Module. Enter the position (016) where the high-density digital module is installed on the
mounting rack.

(E) Point. Enter the number (031) of the modules digital input or output point.

Selecting Tags for I/O Unit Scratch Pad Variables

Opto 22 SNAP PAC controllers have a section of memory called the Scratch Pad where bit, integer,
floating point, and string values can be stored and accessed. The Scratch Pad is convenient for
making information available to other Ethernet-enabled Opto 22 brains and controllers, as well as
Opto 22 software and custom software applications written using Opto 22s OptoMMP
Communication Toolkit. See the PAC Manager Users Guide (Opto 22 form 1704) and the PAC Control
Users Guide (Opto 22 form 1700) for information on using bit, integer, floating point, and string
Scratch Pads.
NOTE: The SNAP controller or brain using the Scratch Pad must be defined as an I/O unit in the PAC Control
strategy that the PAC Display project is using.
In PAC Display, tags for Scratch Pad integer and floating point values are configured the same way as
tags for a PAC Control numeric table variable. Like a table variable, for these Scratch Pads you must

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specify an index number and the number of elements to be read. Scratch Pads for integer and
floating point values can have up to 10,240 elements, but unlike PAC Control table variables, the
elements in these Scratch Pads are non-contiguous. This means that when you specify a range that
exceeds 1024 elements (indices 01023), the range must be divided between two tags as shown
below.
Item Name in Tag Selection Dialog Box

Description

First
Element

Last
Element

IO_Unit_Name:SP_INT

Scratch Pad integer value

1023

IO_Unit_Name:SP_INT_EXT

Scratch Pad integer value, extended

1024

10239

IO_Unit_Name:SP_FLOAT

Scratch Pad floating point value

1023

IO_Unit_Name:SP_FLOAT_EXT

Scratch Pad floating point value,

extended

1024

10239

Example: The I/O unit labeled Station_01 has floating point values stored in elements 0 to 2047.
To display all these values using, for instance, PAC Displays Table object you would need to do the
following:
1. Create one table control, which can display up to four separate Table objects.
2. In the Tag Selection dialog box for the first table object, select the Item Name
Station_01:SP_FLOAT.
3. For the Start Index value, enter 0, and for Number of Elements, enter 1024.
4. In the Tag Selection dialog box for the second table object, select the Item Name
Station_01:SP_FLOAT_EXT.
5. For the Start Index value, enter 1024, and for Number of Elements, enter 1024.
When the project is run in PAC Display Runtime, the first table will show floating point values in
indices 0 through 1023, while the second table will show values in indices 1024 through 2047.

Searching for Tags in a PAC Display Project

You can search a PAC Display project to find where a PAC Control tag has been used.
1. Select View > Find Tag. The Find Tag dialog box appears.
2. Select the tag you want to find.
3. Under Find Tag In, choose the where to search for the tag.
4. Under Options, select how to display the results.
5. Click Find Next to find the tag.
6. Click Done to close the dialog.
See also, Finding and Replacing Tags in a PAC Display Project below.

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Finding and Replacing Tags in a PAC Display Project

You can find and replace tags in an entire PAC Display project, or just in one or more selected
graphics. This find and replace feature works with tags for a control engine, item name, table index,
or bit index.
1. In a draw window in PAC Display Configurator, select the graphics you want to search and
replace tags in. To search graphics in the entire PAC Display project, select at least one graphic
on the screen.
2. Select Edit > Replace. (You can also right-click on a graphic and select Replace from the
pop-up menu.)
The Find and Replace dialog box appears. See Find and Replace Dialog Box below.

Find and Replace Dialog Box

A
B

C
D

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(A) Search Scope. Select one:

All windows to search and replace in all windows in the PAC Display project.

Chosen graphics to search and replace tags in just the graphics youve selected.

Entire Project to search and replace tags in all parts of the PAC Display project.

(B) Search For. Select the type of tag to search and replace.
Refresh Group: A refresh time group determines how often the tag is scanned. To change all tags in
the search scope from one refresh group to another, in Find What (C), enter the number of the
refresh group to change from. In Replace With (D), enter the number of the refresh group to change
to. The numbers must be in the range 013. For more information, see Scanning to Update
Graphics on page 183.
Offset By: If you select Table Index or Bit Index, the Offset By option appears. To offset a bit or table
index either enter the value or use the up and down arrows.

This feature allows you to select one or several graphics and change the index easily. For example, if
you want to copy a set of graphics so that the second set of graphics looks at a different table or bit
index than the first set, rather than manually changing all the tags, you can just select all the
graphics in the new set and use Offset By to change all the table or bit indices at once.
NOTE: If you enter a value in either the Find what or the Replace with field, the Offset By controls are
disabled.
Exact Text: Search and replace text in tag names, button text, labels, trend pens, refresh group text,
combo box entries, and so on. Choose from the following options to further define the scope of the
search.

Tags: Searches tags, triggers, and notifications.

Text on Window Objects: Searches labels, button text, combo box text, and so on. It does not
search/replace the names of the windows themselves.

Everywhere: Searches for both Tags and Text on Window Objects. It does not search recipe files.

(C) Find What. Enter the name of the tag to find. If either Control Engine or Item Name is selected
in Search For (B), you can choose the item from a drop-down menu. For Item Name, you can also
enter the exact name of the item directly in the text field. For all other tag types, enter in the text
field the name of the tag exactly as it appears in the PAC Control strategy.

(D) Replace With. Enter the name of the tag to replace the tag found in Find What (C). The
replacement item must be the same kind of item as the item being searched for. If either Control
Engine or Item Name is selected in Search For (B), you can choose the item from a drop-down
menu. For Item Name, you can also enter the exact name of the item directly in the text field. For all
other tag types, enter in the text field the name of the tag exactly as it appears in the PAC Control
strategy.

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(E) OK. Click OK to start the search, or click Cancel to close the dialog box without any changes.

Correcting Tags from a Strategy

When you select a PAC Control strategy to use with your PAC Display project, PAC Display
automatically imports that strategys tag name database. This is unlike most other HMI software
applications, which require you to create a separate SCADA database in addition to the strategy or
control program itself.
This tight connection with the strategys tag name database, however, can sometimes cause
problems when the current PAC Control strategy used by a PAC Display project is modified. PAC
Display may incorrectly read the tags associated with the resulting strategy. PAC Display
Configurator includes a feature called AutoCorrect Tags that fixes most tag errors that may occur this
way.
The AutoCorrect Tags feature works by comparing all tag names, IDs, and table index references that
are used with dynamic attributes in the PAC Display project. If discrepancies are found between the
items in the tag name database and the PAC Display project, the errors that can be corrected are
fixed. Both corrected tags as well as those that could not be corrected are listed in the results report
AutoCorrect Tags generates.

When To Use AutoCorrect Tags

Its generally advisable to use the AutoCorrect Tags option after making any changes to the PAC
Control strategy associated with your PAC Display project. Specifically, you should run AutoCorrect
Tags in the following situations:

If you use a PAC Display project that contains objects you imported or copied from an
OptoDisplay project. (OptoDisplay is the HMI authoring tool for Opto 22s FactoryFloor Software
Suite.)

If you import a window created in a different PAC Display project. (Window files can be
exported from a PAC Display project, saved as files, and imported into another project. See
Importing, Exporting, and Saving Windows on page 98 for information.)

There are some tag errors in a PAC Display project that AutoCorrect Tags cannot fix. These errors
include if you do either of the following:

Delete a tag from a strategy

Shorten the length of a table in a strategy

You may also get unreliable results if you delete a tag from a strategy, and then create a new tag
with the same name.

Using AutoCorrect Tags

IMPORTANT: Always save changes to your PAC Display project before using the AutoCorrect Tags option.
If you dont want to use the corrections made by AutoCorrect Tags, simply close the project without
saving. Remember that not saving the project means you will lose any other changes you have
made to the project.

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Follow these steps to correct tags in your PAC Display project:

1. Select Tools > AutoCorrect Tags.
The following warning appears.

2. Click Yes.
The Select Window dialog box appears.

3. Select one or more windows to run AutoCorrect Tags on.

This is useful for large PAC Display projects that may contain hundreds of windows, but only
have a few windows that have been modified or imported.
4. If PAC Display finds any problems with the tags and can fix them, it will do so. The changes,
however, wont become a permanent part of your project until you actually save the project.
5. To correct tags, click Yes. (Click No to close the window and not make any changes.)
The Windows application WordPad launches, displaying a results file that describes any
problems AutoCorrect Tags may have found with the tags from the strategy. The results file has
a name of the form Opton.$$$, where n is an arbitrary number.
The following sample file shows the results created by AutoCorrect Tags:

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Title:PAC Display AutoCorrect Tags Results File

Project:C:\Opto22\PAC Display\Examples\Factory.uui
A File:C:\Temp\Opto2.$$$
B Date:2001/10/03
Time:13:05:58
Comment:This file is not deleted automatically.
Summary information is provided at the end of this file.
C Table length changed in strategy (tag corrected):
Tag name: Marvin138:Float Table.RecipeFloatTbl(1)
Old Length: 5
New Length: 3
Location: Window - master, Ellipse at 38,159, DynAttrColor
D Tag not found in strategy (cannot correct):
Tag name: Marvin138:Integer.HistoricLogTrigger2
Location: Historic Log - Mass Storage, Start Trigger
E Name changed in strategy (tag corrected):
Old Tag Name: Marvin138:Integer.DOWNLOAD_TRIGGER
New Tag Name: Marvin138:Integer.ACTIVATE_DOWNLOAD
Location: Recipes - Peanut Butter Cookies, Trigger
F
Name changed in strategy (tag corrected):
Table length changed in strategy (tag corrected):
Index into table out of bounds (cannot correct):
Old Tag Name: Marvin138:Integer Table.RecipeIntegerTbl(4)
New Tag Name: Marvin138:Integer Table.RecipeIndex(4)
Old Length: 5
New Length: 3
Location: Recipes - Peanut Butter Cookies, Notification
---------------------------------------------------Number of tags changed: 4
G
Number of tags not found: 1
Number of tags index into tables out of bounds: 1

Heres an explanation of what the results file contains:

(A). Name and location of the results file created by AutoCorrect Tags.
(B). Date and time the file was created.
(C). Warning message that reports that the table length of RecipeFloatTbl changed from an old
length of five elements to a new length of three elements. Location shows where the tag was used
in the PAC Display project. In this example, it was found in a window called master, attached to an
ellipse at x: and y: coordinates of 38 and 159, with the color dynamic attribute.

(D). Error message that the tag HistoricLogTrigger2 is no longer part of the PAC Control strategy,
and this could not be corrected by the AutoCorrect Tags tool. The tag was used as the start trigger
for an historic log called Mass Storage.
To fix this error, youll have to assign another tag in your PAC Display project to use as the start
trigger for this historic log. (Note that PAC Display wont recreate the connection to the tag if you
open your PAC Control strategy and add the old tag name again. Internally, PAC Display cant
correlate the old tag name and the new, similarly named tag.)

(E). Warning message that the tag name DOWNLOAD_TRIGGER changed to

ACTIVATE_DOWNLOAD in the strategy. The old and new tag names are reported, and the PAC

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Display project is corrected to use the new tag name. The tag was used in a recipe called Peanut
Butter Cookies as its trigger.

(F). Warning message that multiple errors have been found for one tag name:

The table name RecipeIntegerTbl changed to RecipeIndex, and its length changed from five
elements to three elements. The PAC Display project is updated with this change.

An index into table out of bounds error was detected and couldnt be corrected. Specifically,
the project tried to use the fifth element of the table (RecipeIntegerTbl[4]), but the fifth
element no longer exists. To correct this problem you must specify a valid index. The tag was
used in a recipe called Peanut Butter Cookies. When the recipe is successfully downloaded,
PAC Display writes a value to this notification tag.

(G). The final tally of all the warnings and errors found by AutoCorrect Tags is reported here.
Note that if you run AutoCorrect Tags again, you will see only those errors that were reported as
cannot correct. The other reported errors have been corrected.
When you no longer need the Opton.$$$ file, you can delete the file from your hard drive.

Configuring a Project with No Control Engine

If you have a system with Ethernet I/O but no control engine, you can configure your PAC Display
project to access your Ethernet I/O units. This requires creating a PAC Control strategy and
configuring your I/O units and points as well as a control engine with an IP address that does not
exist on the network.
Before you begin, make sure that you have created a PAC Control strategy that has properly
configured I/O units and points, which PAC Display will use for its tag database. The strategy does
not need to have any logic. For information on creating a PAC Control strategy, see the PAC Control
Users Guide.
1. Start PAC Display Configurator and open a project that will be associated with the control
engine.
2. Select Configure > Control Engines.
The Control Engines dialog box opens.

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If you have not previously configured a control engine for the PAC Display project you opened,
the Name list is empty and only the Add button is available.

3. To locate a PAC Control strategy, click Add.

The Strategy File Name Selection dialog box appears.

NOTE: PAC Display gets its tag database from a PAC Control strategy that you provide with properly
configured I/O units and points. The strategy does not need to have any logic. For information on
creating a PAC Control strategy, see the PAC Control Users Guide.

4. Navigate to the PAC Control strategy, select the strategy file and click Open.
The strategy you selected appears in the Strategy field of the Control Engine Properties dialog
box.

NOTE: This dialog box is slightly different in PAC Display Professional, but the Strategy section and
corresponding Browse button are the same.

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5. Click the Browse button in the Primary Control Engine group. You do not need to define a
Backup Control Engine.
The Select Control Engine dialog box opens.

6. Click Add to add a control engine.

The Control Engine Configuration dialog box appears.

7. Enter a Control Engine Name.

The name can contain letters, numbers, spaces, and most other characters except colons and
square brackets. Spaces cannot be used as first or last characters.
8. Enter a valid IP address that does not exist on the network. For assistance, ask your system
administrator.

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9. Make sure that you have not changed the values in the Port, Retries, and Timeout, and then
click OK.
The non-existent control engine appears in the Select Control Engine dialog box.

10. Click the new control engine to select it, and then click OK.
The Control Engine Properties dialog box appears with the new control engine listed in the
Primary Control Engine group.

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13. Click OK to finish configuring the control engine.

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6: 6: Working with GraphicsChapter 6

6: Working with Graphics

Introduction
This chapter describes how to use PAC Display Configurator to create and edit graphic objects, and
how to import images. It also describes how to configure the windows in which these items appear.

In This Chapter
Using Draw Windows and URL Windows.........93
Drawing Graphic Objects...................................... 100
Selecting Graphic Objects .................................... 104
Grouping and Locking Graphics........................ 106
Importing Graphics.................................................. 108
Saving Objects as Bitmaps ................................... 111
Copying, Duplicating, and Pasting.................... 111
Moving and Resizing Graphics ........................... 112
Changing Stacking Order...................................... 115

Deleting Objects .......................................................... 116

Aligning Graphics ........................................................ 116
Rotating Objects .......................................................... 117
Working with Text ....................................................... 119
Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button ..... 120
Adding a Windows Combo Box............................ 124
Adding a URL Control ................................................ 132
Working with Tables................................................... 135
Printing Graphics.......................................................... 138

Using Draw Windows and URL Windows

Draw windows in PAC Display Configurator are blank pages where you place, create or edit all the
graphics for your PAC Display project. These windows also contain trend, SuperTrend, and alarm
objects. When you create a draw window, you can define its size, position, and color, as well as its
behavior (child or popup) in which it appears when the project opens in PAC Display Runtime.
(Pro Only) A URL window in PAC Display Configurator is a simplified browser window that opens a
specific URL. For example, you can use a URL window to display information at a particular website,
or perhaps display a web-based interface such as Opto 22s groov (see Adding a groov URL
Window on page 95). When you create a URL window, you can define its size and position, as well
as its behavior (child or popup) in which it appears when the project opens in PAC Display Runtime.
Forward and back buttons are provided for navigation. There is no keyboard support for static web
pages in a URL window. See also, Adding a URL Control on page 132.
Draw windows and URL windows can be protected with a password, and be set up to open when
an alarm is triggered. You can also configure whether menus, borders, and other standard window
elements appear.

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Creating and Deleting Windows

When you create a new PAC Display project, one draw window appears in the main project window.
To create additional draw windows, you can create a new window, or copy an existing window and
its attributes.

Making a New Window

1. In Basic, select Window > New.
In Pro, select Window > New > Graphic Window (or URL Window).
The New Window dialog box opens.
2. Enter a name for the window, and configure other settings as necessary.
See Modifying Draw or URL Windows below for instructions on configuring windows.
3. Click OK when done.
The new window appears in the project window.

Copying an Existing Window

1. Select Window > Copy.
The Copy Window dialog box opens.

2. Enter a new name for the window, and configure the existing settings if necessary.
See Modifying Draw or URL Windows below for instructions on configuring windows.

3. Click OK when done.

The new draw or URL window (in Pro only) appears in the project window.

Deleting Existing Draw Windows

1. Select Window > Delete.
The Delete Window(s) dialog box appears.

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2. Select a single window, or select multiple windows by clicking Select All or by holding down
the CTRL key while selecting windows.
3. Click OK.
If you selected more than one window, a message warns that deleting the windows cannot be
undone.
4. Click Yes in the message box that appears to confirm the deletion.

Adding a groov URL Window

If you have Opto 22s groov on your network, you can access your groov project in Runtime by
creating a URL window that points to groov. When you create the window, make sure to enter the
exact same URL for groov as you would in a regular browser including https://.
Because groov is a web application rather than a static web page, you can use all of groov features
from within a PAC Display URL window. For more information about groov, see form 2027, the groov
Users Guide. Also see, Adding a groov URL Control on page 134.

Modifying Draw or URL Windows

You can change many properties of a new or existing window, such as the windows position and
behavior, among other properties. These properties are set in the Window Properties dialog box. To
open this dialog box, do one of the following:

Create a new window or copy an existing one.

Click on a window to select it, and then choose Window > Properties.

The Window Properties dialog box appears. (See Window Properties Dialog Box below.)

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Window Properties Dialog Box

A
B
C
D
E

I
J

(A) Name. Enter the name of the window. This name appears in the windows title bar unless the
title bar is hidden by deselecting the Caption option in the Control group (D).

(B) X and Y Position. Enter the X and Y coordinates where the window appears in the project
window. The X and Y coordinates indicate the location, in pixels, of the draw windows upper-left
corner; the upper-left corner of the project window has X and Y coordinates of 0.

(D) Rescale on Resize. Check this box to rescale the window graphics when the window size is
changed in this dialog box. In order for window graphics to be correctly scaled, make sure to disable
Show window contents while dragging in Windows as described below. You can undo a rescaled
graphic using this method. However, undo is not exact due to rounding when the graphic is
rescaled. Combo Box graphics will only rescale their width, not height.
To disable Show window contents while dragging:
1. In the Windows Control Panel, click System.
2. On the left sidebar, click Advanced system settings.
3. In the Performance section, click Settings.
4. Uncheck Show window contents while dragging, and click OK.

(E) URL. (URL window only) Enter the URL that you want this window to link to.
(F) Control. Use the options in the Control group to configure the appearance of the window.
Select or deselect the following options:
BorderHides or displays the narrow edge of the window. This option must be selected for
the other options in the Control group to be available.

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CaptionHides or displays the bar at the top of the window where the window name
appears. This option must be selected to move the window within the larger project window.
Size handlesIf selected, lets you resize the window by clicking and dragging an edge or
corner of the window.
System menuHides or displays the small system menu icon and the Close Window button
located at the top of the window. This option is unavailable if the Caption option has not been
selected.
Minimize boxHides or displays the standard Windows close box in the upper-right corner
of the window. This option is unavailable if the System menu option has not been selected.

(G) Runtime Options. (Graphic window only) Use the items in the Runtime Options group to
configure how the window opens when the project is run in PAC Display Runtime. Select or deselect
the following options:
Always in memory (fastest access)If selected, the windows information is loaded and
saved in the computers memory when the project runs. Use this option for a window that you
know will be opened and closed often. This option is selected automatically if you place an
alarm graphic in a window.
Normally, only windows that have been opened or iconified are saved in memory. If you use
this option with many windows, more computer memory is required, and your PAC Display
project will require more time to start up. Using this option with fewer windows uses less
memory, and your project will start up more quickly.
Open when there are new alarmsIf selected, a closed or iconified window that contains
an alarm graphic will open when the alarm is triggered. This option is only available if a
window contains an alarm graphic that is set to summary or detailed view. For more
information on configuring alarms, see Adding Alarm Graphics on page 279.
Disable close if there are active alarmsIf selected, prevents an open window that
contains one or more active alarms from being closed. All active alarms in a window must be
acknowledged before the window can be closed. For more information on working with
alarms, see Viewing Alarm Graphics on page 330, Modifying Alarm Points on page 331, and
Disabling Alarm Points in Runtime on page 333.
Allow control engine switchingIf selected, all graphics in the window can use data from
the same PAC Control strategy running on a different control engine. The operator switches
between control engines in Runtime. For more information on using data from multiple control
engines, see Switching a Window between Control Engines on page 329.

(H) Password Protect. To assign a password to a window, click here and then enter a password
in the dialog box that appears. When a password is assigned to a draw window, a closed window
cannot be opened without first entering the password. (Open windows that are iconified or hidden
are not affected.)
You cannot assign a password to a window that both contains an alarm and has the Runtime option
Open when there are new alarms selected.

(I) Behavior. Use the options in the Behavior group to set how the window appears on-screen
when the project is run in PAC Display Runtime. Select one of the following options:
Childprevents the window from being moved or minimized outside the boundaries of the
main project window.

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Popuplets the window be moved or minimized outside of the main project window.

(J) Background Color. (Graphic window only) To set the background color of a window, click
the color square and then select a color in the dialog box that appears.
(K) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Opening and Closing Draw and URL Windows

To open or close a draw or URL window in your PAC Display project, do the following:
1. From the Windows menu, select Open or Close.
The Open Windows or Close Windows dialog box appears.

2. Click the name of the window you want to open or close, and then click OK.
See the next section to learn how to select or deselect multiple window names.
Other ways of opening and closing windows include the following:

To open a window that has been opened previously, select its name from the bottom of the
Windows menu.

To close a window in which the system menu appears, click the Close Window button
in
the upper-right corner.

Working with Multiple Windows

There are several ways to select or deselect multiple window names in the Open Windows or Close
Windows dialog box.

To select individual window names, hold down the SHIFT key and click each window name.

To highlight all names in the list, click Select All.

To not select any name in the list, click Deselect All.

To easily close or open all but one window, click on a single name and then click Inverse.

Importing, Exporting, and Saving Windows

A PAC Display window can be exported from one project, saved as a file, and then imported into
another PAC Display project. The exported window file contains all the objects and tags that were in
the original window. Exporting and importing draw windows is a convenient way to reuse the same
window in different PAC Display projects.

Exporting Windows
To export a window in a PAC Display project, do the following:
1. Select the window in your PAC Display project that you want to export.
The window must be open within the Configurator window.

2. Select Window > Export Window.

The Export Window As dialog box opens.

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3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the exported window file, name the file, and
then click Save.

Importing Windows
To import a window in a PAC Display project, do the following:
1. Select Window > Import Window.
The Import Window dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to the location where the exported window file is saved, select the file, and then click
Open.
The Choose Imported Window Control Engines dialog box opens.

The left pane lists control engines configured in the imported window. The right pane lists
control engines configured for the current project.

3. To map a control engine to the imported window:

a. Select a control engine in the left pane, and then select a current control engine in the
right pane.
The name of the mapped control engine appears in the Use this column of the Imported
Window panel (left panel).
Use this column

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b. Click OK.
The Window Properties dialog box appears.

4. In the Name field, change the default name Imported Window to a suitable name for your
project.
5. Change other properties of the window if needed, and then click OK. See Modifying Draw or
URL Windows on page 95 for more information on changing window properties.
The window is added to the PAC Display project.
6. If the new window is not visible in the project window, select Window > Open, choose the
window in the list that appears, and then click OK.
NOTE: When a window is imported into a PAC Display project, the tags used by objects in that window are
not verified for accuracy. Run AutoCorrect tags on the window after importing it. See When To Use
AutoCorrect Tags on page 84 for instructions.

Drawing Graphic Objects

Once youve opened a project in PAC Display Configurator, you can use the drawing tools in the PAC
Display toolbox to create graphic objects in your active window. For descriptions of the tools and
shortcut keys, see Using the Graphic Tools and Shortcut Keys on page 102.
Follow these general steps to draw a graphic object:
1. If your toolbox is not visible, select View > Toolbox to see the toolbox as it appears below. (You
can close the toolbox by selecting View > Hide Toolbox.)

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2. Select a drawing tool from the toolbox by clicking on it.

The cursor will turn into a crosshair.
3. Click the crosshair in a window, then drag it in any direction to create a graphic.

In the example above, the Round Rectangle tool

was selected.

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Using the Graphic Tools and Shortcut Keys

Select a tool either by clicking it in the toolbox or by using a shortcut key shown in the table below.
For some tools, you can use additional keys to change what the tool does.
To use the additional keys:
1. Select the tool using either a button or shortcut key.
2. If you used a shortcut key, release it.
3. Hold down the additional keys as you draw the graphic object.
Tool
Select

Shortcut Key

Additional Keys

ENTER OR

Use

Select, move, and resize graphic objects.

SPACEBAR

Draw straight lines.

Line
\
CTRL

Draw constrained straight lines at angles of 90

degrees.
Draw squares and rectangles.

Rectangle

CTRL

Draw squares with the reference point in the top left

corner.

SHIFT

Draw rectangles with the reference point in the center.

SHIFT+CTRL

Draw squares with the reference point in the center.

Draw squares and rectangles with rounded corners.

Round
Rectangle

CTRL

Draw squares with rounded corners with the reference point in the top left corner.

SHIFT

Draw rectangles with rounded corners with the reference point in the center.

SHIFT+CTRL

Draw squares with rounded corners with the reference point in the center.

Draw circles and ellipses.

Ellipse

CTRL

Draw circles with the reference point in the top left

corner.

SHIFT

Draw ellipses with the reference point in the center.

SHIFT+CTRL

Draws circles with the reference point in the center.

Polygon
P

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Draw polygons as follows:

Drag and click to form vertex points.
Double-click the last vertex to close the polygon.
Sizing handles appear around the object. If you
cant select the polygon later with the Select tool,
the polygon is not complete. Refresh the window
(View > Redraw) to remove incomplete graphics.

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Tool

Shortcut Key

Additional Keys

Use

Draw connected lines as follows:

Drag and click to draw connected lines.
Double-click on the last line drawn to finish the polyline.
Sizing handles appear around the object. If you
cant select the polyline later with the Select tool,
the polyline is not complete. Refresh the window
(View > Redraw) to remove incomplete graphics.

Draw curves as follows:

Click at least four points in the draw window to draw
a curve.
Thereafter, click points one at a time in groups of
three to continue drawing the curve.
Double-click the last point to finish the curve.
Sizing handles appear around the object. If you
cant select the curve later with the Select tool, the
curve is not complete. Refresh the window (View >
Redraw) to remove incomplete graphics.

Place bitmap graphic files selected with File >

Choose Bitmap. Once the bitmap has been chosen,
just click to place the bitmap in the window.

Write text for labels and titles. Put your cursor

where you want the text to start. Type your text.
When finished, click the mouse away from the text
you just typed or press ENTER. Modify text by
selecting it with the Select tool and by using Edit >
Edit Text.
The text tool is also used to create text objects
which, when configured with the Text-In (from Control Engine) dynamic attribute, are used for viewing
strings and other values from the control engine.
See Text In from Control Engine on page 172 for
more information.

Used to draw graphs that display real-time data

against time.
See Chapter 8: Working with Trends, for more
information.

Draw graphs that display both real-time and historical data against time.
See Chapter 8: Working with Trends, for more
information.

Draw objects that display alarms and other status

information.
See Chapter 9: Configuring Trigger-Based
Events, for more information.

Draw graphs that display data plotted on x and y

axes.
See Chapter 8: Working with Trends, for more
information.

Display data from up to four tables.

See Working with Tables on page 135 for more
information.

Polyline

Bezier Curve

Bitmap

Text

Trend

SuperTrend

Alarm

XY Plot

Table

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Tool

Shortcut Key

Additional Keys

Use

Resize a window and the graphics inside at the

same time.
See Resizing a Window and the Graphics Inside
on page 113 for more information.

Add a Windows button. See also, Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button on page 120.

Add a combo box. See also, Adding a Windows

Combo Box on page 124.

(Pro only) Add a PID button. See also, Adding a

Windows Button or a PID Button on page 120

Scale Window

Windows Button

Combo Box

PID

URL
W

(Pro only) Create a URL control. See also, Adding

a URL Control on page 132.

Selecting Graphic Objects

You can use the Select tool to choose one or more graphic objects in a draw window.
When a graphic object is selected, several solid black sizing handles appear, along with one
transparent selection mark. The selection mark shows you whether youve selected a single graphic
object or several objects in a group. Each graphic object in a group has a selection mark. Sizing
handles can be used to resize the graphic, which well talk about a little later in this chapter.

Selecting One Object

The simplest way to select a graphic object in a window is to just click on it with the Select tool. You
can also select a graphic by clicking and dragging.

1. Choose the Select tool

from the toolbox.
2. Click the cursor just outside the graphic object you want to select and drag the cursor
completely over the object.
A selection box should appear as shown below:

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NOTE: If you drag the cursor from left to right, you must completely enclose the object in the selection
box to select it. However, you can also select an object by dragging the cursor from right to left over
only part of the object.

3. After you release the mouse button, several sizing handles and one selection mark appear
around the selected object.

Selection Mark
Sizing Handle

Selecting More Than One Object

There are a few ways to select multiple graphic objects. The simplest way is to click and drag.

1. Choose the Select tool

from the toolbox.
2. Click the pointer just outside the objects you want to select and drag the pointer across the
group of objects you want to select.
Make sure that you include all the objects within the selection box that appears.
After you release the mouse button, several sizing handles and one selection mark will appear
around the selected objects.

Another way to select several objects is to choose the first graphic using the Select tool, then hold
down the SHIFT key and click on each additional object you want included in the selection group.
Notice that a selection handle appears on each object you add to your group of objects.

Selecting All Objects

To select all the graphic objects that appear in your active window, choose Edit > Select All
(ALT+E+S). You can also right-click and choose Select All from the pop-up menu.

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Deselecting One or More Objects

The easiest way to deselect one or all graphics is to click anywhere outside the sizing handles. All of
the handles disappear and no graphics are selected.
From a selected group of objects, you may need to pick some graphics you actually want as part of a
final selection group. You can do this using key combinations.

To deselect an object within a group of selected objects, hold down the SHIFT key and click on
the object you dont want to include.

To select only one object within a group of selected objects, hold down the CTRL key and click
on the object. This deselects all other objects.

Grouping and Locking Graphics

You can combine two or more graphic objects into a group so that they are handled as one object.
You can then manipulate the graphic as one unit. As a unit, the grouped graphics can be selected,
moved, resized, and have dynamic attributes assigned. You can also lock the position of a graphic in
a draw window so it cant be moved.
CAUTION: If you group objects, PAC Display Runtime processes only the dynamic attributes assigned to the
group. Dynamic attributes assigned to individual members of a group are ignored. If a group is later
ungrouped, any previously configured dynamic attributes of the individual graphics will be recognized
and processed in Runtime.
To group objects:
1. Select two or more graphics.
2. Choose Edit > Group. (You can also right-click and choose Group from the pop-up menu.)
There will be no visible change, but the objects are collected into one group.
NOTE: URL controls, PID buttons, and combo boxes cannot be grouped with other PAC Display graphics.
To ungroup objects:
1. Select a set of graphics that were previously grouped.
2. Choose Edit > Ungroup, or right-click and choose Ungroup from the pop-up menu.
You will see the sizing handles still appear around the former group. Click off the graphics and
then click on an individual graphic. You will see its not part of the group anymore.
To lock objects in position:
After youve arranged several objects in a draw window, sometimes it can be useful to lock the
position of one or more items so they arent accidentally moved. To lock one or more objects, select
the item(s) and choose Edit > Lock Position. To unlock objects, select the item(s) and choose Edit >
Unlock Position.

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Applying or Changing Line Attributes

NOTE: If you select more than one object and the graphics have different line or fill attributes, no attributes
will appear in the menus and dialog boxes for each attribute. However, you can still select new attributes
for all selected lines.

1. Do one of the following:

To change attributes for one or more existing objects, select the object(s) using the Select
tool.
To set attributes for subsequent graphics that you create, do not select any object.
2. Choose the line attributes you want to apply to the selected object(s):
To change the line color, select Style > Line Color, then choose a color from the Color
dialog box and click OK. (You can also right-click the object, then choose Line > Color from
the pop-up menu.)
To change the line width, select Style > Line Width, then enter a pen width in the Pen
Width dialog box and click OK. Pen widths are measured in pixels. (You can also right-click
the object, then choose Line > Width from the pop-up menu.)
To change the line style, select Style > Line Style, then choose a line style from the list that
appears (shown below). (You can also right-click the object, choose Line > Style from the
pop-up menu, then select a line style from the list that appears.)

To change the opaque or transparent attributes of a line, select the appropriate attribute
from the Style menu. Note that these attributes can be applied only to non-solid lines with
a line width of one pixel.

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The transparent attribute lets an objects color show between the dashes in a line, and the
opaque attribute lets the background color of the window show between the dashes in a
line. Samples of opaque and transparent line attributes are shown in the example below.

Opaque
Transparent

Applying or Changing Fill Attributes

1. Do one of the following:

To change attributes for one or more existing objects, select the object(s) using the Select
tool.
To set attributes for subsequent graphics that you create, do not select any object.
2. Choose the fill attributes you want to apply to the selected object(s):
To change the fill color, select Style > Fill Color, then choose a color from the Color dialog
box and click OK. (You can also right-click, choose Fill > Color from the pop-up menu,
choose a color from the Color dialog box, and click OK.)
To change the fill pattern, select Style > Fill Pattern and choose a fill attribute. A fill color
other than white needs to be in effect in order to see the new fill pattern. (You can also
right-click, choose Fill > Pattern from the pop-up menu, and choose a pattern.)
To change the background color used behind a fill pattern, select Style > Background
Color, then choose a color from the Color dialog box and click OK. (You can also right-click,
choose Background > Color from the pop-up menu, choose a color from the Color dialog
box, and click OK.)

Importing Graphics
You can easily import bitmap graphics, Windows Metafile graphics, or JPEG and PNG images into a
PAC Display window to enhance or add detail to your operator interface. For your convenience, PAC
Display also includes the Symbol Factory, a large library of graphics designed especially for industrial
applications.

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In this section:
Importing a Bitmap Graphic (below)
Importing a Metafile, JPEG, or PNG Graphic on page 109
Importing a GIF Graphic on page 110
Importing a Graphic from the Symbol Factory on page 110

Importing a Bitmap Graphic

A bitmap graphic is a picture, drawing, or other image saved in Microsoft Windows BMP file format.
Bitmap graphic files have the file extension .bmp. If youd like to use bitmap graphics in your project
which have been saved in another graphic file format, such as TIFF (file extension .tif ), you must first
convert the file to BMP format. Commercial and shareware applications that can do this are widely
available; two popular commercial image editing and conversion applications for Microsoft
Windows are Paint Shop Pro from Jasc Software, and Photoshop from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
To import a bitmap graphic into your PAC Display project, first choose the bitmap image you want to
use, and then use the Bitmap tool to place the bitmap in the window.
1. Select File > Choose Bitmap.
2. In the Choose A Bitmap dialog box that appears, navigate to the folder that contains the
bitmap graphic you want to use, and then select the file name and click Open.

3. Select the Bitmap tool

in the toolbox and click the pointer in the desired location in the
window.
The bitmap is centered at the location you have clicked.

Importing a Metafile, JPEG, or PNG Graphic

The Microsoft Windows Metafile (WMF) format was first introduced by Microsoft in 1988. Like GIF
and PNG, the WMF format supports transparency. However, PNG and GIF images usually look better
than WMF images in PAC Display.
The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) file format is a highly compressed format commonly
used for photographs. This format is often used for displaying images in a Web browser.
The Portable Network Graphics (PNG) file format provides transparency, and it supports lossless data
compression so that the image is perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data. PNG images
are a good choice for use in your PAC Display project.
To import a Windows Metafile, JPEG, or PNG graphic into your PAC Display project, do the following.
1. Select Edit > Paste from File > Import (Metafile, JPEG, or PNG). (You can also right-click and
select Import Metafile, Import JPEG, or Import PNG from the pop-up menu.)
2. In the Import dialog box that appears, navigate to the folder that contains the graphic you
want to use, and then select the file name and click Open.
The selected file is placed in the active draw window.
You can also import a Metafile, JPEG, or PNG graphic used in another program by copying or cutting
the graphic to the Windows clipboard, and then pasting it in the project draw window.

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Importing a GIF Graphic

You can import either static or animated GIF images into a PAC Display project. When using GIF
images in PAC Display, keep the following things in mind:

Once imported, GIF images cannot be resized or rotated.

Animated GIFs appear as static GIFs in Configurator, displaying only the first frame of the
animation. Animation occurs in Runtime.

The GIF image's transparent color may not be set or changed in PAC Display. Use another
image editing program to change the transparent color before importing the image into PAC
Display.

The only Control Engine Driven attribute that may be applied to GIF images is Visibility/Blink.
The only options are Visible and Invisible. Blink options are not available for GIF images.

To import a GIF graphic:

1. Select Edit > Paste from File > Import GIF. (You can also right-click and select Import GIF from
the pop-up menu.)
2. In the Import dialog box that appears, navigate to the folder that contains the graphic you
want to use, and then select the file name and click Open.
The selected file is placed in the active draw window.

Importing a Graphic from the Symbol Factory

To import a graphic as a Windows Metafilegraphic from the Symbol Factory into your PAC Display
project, do the following:
1. Select Edit > Paste from File > Symbol Factory. (You can also right-click and select Symbol
Factory from the pop-up menu.)
The Symbol Factory window opens.

2. Browse through the categories and thumbnails of graphics until you find the graphic that you
want to use.
3. Click the graphic and drag it into the PAC Display draw window.
You can also select Edit > Paste as Picture (.wmf ) Only.
The selected graphic is now available as a Metafile graphic in the active draw window. The Symbol
Factory window will remain open until you close it, or until you exit PAC Display Configurator.

Bitmap Graphics in Symbol Factory

Although Symbol Factory graphics are provided as Metafiles, you can also import these graphics as
bitmaps. To import a graphic as a bitmap graphic from the Symbol Factory into your PAC Display
project, do the following:
1. Select Edit > Paste from File > Symbol Factory. (You can also right-click and select Symbol
Factory from the pop-up menu.)
The Symbol Factory window opens.

2. Browse through the categories and thumbnails of graphics until you find the graphic that you
want to use.
3. Click the graphic and then select Edit > Copy.

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4. Switch to the PAC Display draw window and select Edit > Paste.
The selected graphic is now available as a bitmap graphic in the active draw window. The Symbol
Factory window will remain open until you close it, or until you exit PAC Display Configurator.

Saving Objects as Bitmaps

After creating one or more objects in a draw window, you may want to save the object as a bitmap
graphic file. This is useful, for example, if you want to document your operator interface.
NOTE: Saving a graphic object as a bitmap graphic file is not the same as copying an object, then pasting
it into another window. When an object is saved as a bitmap, it loses all dynamic attributes and other
properties it has been configured with.

1. Use the Select tool to select the graphic you want to save as a bitmap.
If you dont select a graphic, the entire active window will be saved as a bitmap file.
2. Select File > Save as Bitmap.
3. In the Save As Bitmap dialog box that appears, navigate to the desired folder and enter a file
name. (You can enter a three-letter extension other than .bmp, but the file will still be saved as
a bitmap image.)
4. Click Save to save the image.

Copying, Duplicating, and Pasting

There are two ways that you can make copies of graphics youve created or added to a window. You
can copy one or more graphics to the Windows clipboard, or duplicate the selected graphic(s) in the
same window without affecting the contents of the clipboard.
You can also copy graphics into your PAC Display project from another project, but both projects
must be created with the same version of PAC Display. Graphics created in an OptoDisplay project
cannot be used in a PAC Display project. (OptoDisplay is an HMI application similar to PAC Display
that is part of Opto 22s FactoryFloor software suite.)
In this section:
Copying and Pasting an Object
Duplicating an Object

Copying and Pasting an Object

1. Select one or more graphic objects.
2. Choose Edit > Copy. (The keyboard shortcut for this command is CTRL+C or CTRL+INS. You can
also right-click and choose Copy from the pop-up menu.)
The selected objects are copied to the Windows clipboard.
3. Click on the window where you want to paste the object(s).

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4. Choose Edit > Paste. (The keyboard shortcut for this command is CTRL+V. You can also
right-click and choose Paste from the pop-up menu.)
The clipboard contents are pasted in the center of the active window.

Duplicating an Object
1. Select one or more objects.
2. Choose Edit > Duplicate. (The keyboard shortcut for this command is CTRL+D. You can also
right-click and choose Duplicate from the pop-up menu.)
A copy of the graphic is placed immediately below the selected graphic. Note that the contents
of the Windows clipboard are not affected by duplicating an object.

Moving and Resizing Graphics

To build your operator interface, you will need to be able to position, resize, and reshape graphic
objects. This is done using the Select tool with different options. (Objects can also be positioned and
resized by entering values in the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box; see 6: Working with
Graphics on page 93 for more information.)
In this section:
Moving Graphics (below)
Reshaping Graphics on page 115

Moving Graphics
1. Choose one or more objects to move using the Select tool
.
2. To move an object, click the object (but not on a sizing handle) and drag it to the new position.
You cant drag objects from one window to another. You must copy or cut objects to move
them between windows.

Moving object
from here...
...to here.

Resizing a Graphic Using Its Graphic Handles

1. Select one or more objects to resize using the Select tool

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2. To resize an object, position the pointer over a square handle, click, and drag.
As illustrated below, the pointer turns into an arrow, and the size of the object changes relative
to the sizing handle youre dragging.

3. When the object(s) are the size you want, release the mouse button.

Resizing Multiple Graphics to Equal Dimensions

When multiple graphics are selected, they can be resized equally so that all the graphics have the
same height and width.

1. Using the Select tool

, choose two or more objects to resize.
2. Select Edit > Size, then one of the following options:
Grow to Largest HeightAll selected objects are resized to the height of the tallest
object selected.
Grow to Largest WidthAll selected objects are resized to the width of the widest
object selected.
Shrink to Smallest HeightAll selected objects are resized to the height of the smallest
object selected.
Shrink to Smallest WidthAll selected objects are resized to the width of the least wide
object selected.
You can also select these options by right-clicking on the selected objects, selecting Size from
the pop-up menu, then choosing a Grow or Shrink option.

Resizing a Window and the Graphics Inside

The Scale Window tool allows you to resize a window and the graphics inside at the same time.
NOTE: Resizing graphics in this manner is not exact. Graphics are resized in units of whole-number
percentages, not fractional percentages, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions are resized
independently. So if a window is returned to its original size after it has been modified, it may not look
exactly the same as it did before it was resized. Also, resizing a window using this method cannot be
undone.

1. In the Windows Control Panel, click System.

2. On the left sidebar, click Advanced system settings.

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3.
4.
5.
6.

In the Performance section, click Settings.

Check Show window contents while dragging, and click OK.
(Recommended) Make a copy of the window to test the results.
Click in the window you want to resize to activate that window.

7. Choose the Scale Window tool

from the toolbox.

The Scale Window Tool Selected dialog appears.

8. Click Yes to continue.

NOTE: If you click in a window other than the active one, the dialog will close and the Scale Window
tool will revert to the Select tool, just as though you had clicked the No button.

9. Grab the border of the active window to resize both the window and the graphics inside. The
new size is shown in the Toolbox.
NOTE: If you click in or try resize a different window, or if you move the cursor back inside the drawing
area of the active window, the Scale Window reverts to the Select tool.

Choose the Scale Window tool and

then grab the border of the window
to resize both the window and the
graphics inside.

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Reshaping Graphics
You can adjust the individual points that make up a polyline, polygon, or Bezier curve object.

1. Using the Select tool

, select a polyline, polygon, or Bezier curve object.
2. Select Edit > Edit Points, or right-click and choose Edit Points from the pop-up menu.
3. Move the cursor over a point on the selected object.
When the cursor is over a point on the object, the point is highlighted with a small black
square.
4. Click the highlighted point, drag it to the desired location, and then release the mouse button.
The highlighted point will appear in the new location.
5. When you are done adjusting points on the object, click outside of the object to deselect it.

Changing Stacking Order

As objects are placed in draw windows, theyre assigned a stacking order (or Z-order) to define
which object appears in front of or in back of another object.
The position of objects in this stacking order can be modified as follows:
1. Select one object, or multiple objects that have been grouped together.
NOTE: Buttons and combo boxes cannot be grouped or have their Z-order changed.

2. Choose Edit > Z-Order and select one of the following menu items:
Bring to Front
Move Forward
Send to Back
Move Backward
You can also right-click on an object, choose Z-Order from the pop-up menu, and select a
command.
As shown below, if you select Bring to Front, the graphic is moved to the front of other
graphics. Likewise, if you select Send to Back, the graphic is moved behind other graphics. The
commands Move Forward and Move Backward work similarly, except that the object you select
is moved ahead or behind one graphic, not all graphics in the window.

Before Bring to Front

After Bring to Front

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DELETING OBJECTS

Deleting Objects
There are several ways to delete an object in a window. Depending on the commands you use, the
method you choose may affect the contents of the Windows clipboard.
1. Select one or more objects. (Use Edit > Select All to select all objects.)
2. Delete the graphics using one of the following methods:
To cut an object and save it in the Windows clipboard so you can use it elsewhere, choose
Edit > Cut, or press SHIFT+DEL, or press CTRL+X, or right-click and choose Cut from the
pop-up menu.
You can paste the object into another window or elsewhere in the same window.
To permanently delete an object, choose Edit > Delete, or press the DEL key, or right-click
and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.
The objects are not copied to the clipboard and cannot be retrieved.

Aligning Graphics
You can align selected objects based on common edges, or based on common centers through
objects. You can also adjust the space between objects.
1. Select the objects you want to align.
You have to select at least two objects to enable this command.

2. Select the Edit > Align command and choose an option to base the alignment on. (You can
also right-click and choose Align from the pop-up menu.)
The following illustration shows the results of applying the different alignment options:

Before Alignment

After Left Align

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After Top Align

After Middle Align

After Space Evenly Vertically

After Bottom Align

After Space Evenly Horizontally

Rotating Objects
You can rotate the following objects: Bitmaps, Metafiles, Curves, Polygons, Ellipses, Polylines, JPEGs,
PNGs, Rectangles, Lines, and Text.
To rotate an object or a group of objects:
1. Select one or more objects.
2. Choose Edit > Flip/Rotate > Rotate to open the Rotate Object dialog box.
3. For one object:
Enter the degrees of rotation, then click OK.

For more than one object:

Enter the degrees of rotation, select one of the Rotation Options, and then click OK.

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FLIPPING OBJECTS

Rotate each object individually rotates each object the specified number of degrees around
its own center.
Rotate all objects around center of group rotates each object around the center point of all
the selected objects

Each object rotated individually

Unrotated objects

All objects rotated around center of the group

Flipping Objects
You can flip the following objects: Curves, Polygons, Ellipses, Polylines, Rectangles, and Lines.
To flip an object around a central horizontal or vertical axis:
1. Select one or more objects.
2. Choose Edit > Flip/Rotate and select an option, or right-click and choose Flip/Rotate from the
pop-up menu.
To flip a graphic from right to left (or vice versa), choose Flip Horizontal.
To flip a graphic from top to bottom (or vice versa), choose Flip Vertical.

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Working with Text

The Text tool is a convenient way to label, title, and add impact to your graphics. Text that you add to
a graphic can be changed at any time, and formatted using different fonts, font sizes, and colors.
IMPORTANT: The text tool is also used to create objects that display values and string data from a control
engine. Configure the text object you create using the Text In (from control engine) dynamic attribute; see
Text In from Control Engine on page 172 for specific instructions.
In this section:
Adding Text (below)
Editing Text on page 119
Formatting Text on page 119

Adding Text
1. Choose the Text tool from the toolbox, or right-click and select Text from the pop-up menu.
2. Click the cursor where you want to place your text.
You can also choose to place the text somewhere other than its final location, work on the text
until its ready to use, and then move it to the desired location.
3. Type the text.
4. When youre done with the text you want to type, click outside the text area.
The text youve just typed is now an object, and you can select it and manipulate it like other
objects.

Editing Text
1. With the Select tool, choose the text object you want to modify.
2. Choose Edit > Edit Text, or right-click and choose Edit Text from the pop-up menu.
3. Enter the new text in the Edit Text dialog box that appears, then click OK.
The text object is now modified with the new text.

Formatting Text
1. With the Select tool, choose the text object you want to modify.
2. Choose a formatting option from the Text menu, or right-click the text object and select an
option from the pop-up menu. The following formatting options are available:
FontChanges the font family used for the text in a text object. You can use any fixed or
TrueType font family installed on the computer.
SizeChanges the size of the characters in a text object.
ColorDefines the color in which the text appears.
BackgroundDefines the color of the area directly behind a text object. This formatting
option is only visible when the Opaque attribute is selected.

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StyleChanges the weight, italicization, and other characteristics of the characters in a

text object. Styles available are Normal, Bold, Italic, Underline, and Strikeout.
OpaqueDetermines how text appears when overlapping other objects. Opaque style is
applied to text just like any other style. If the text is set to Opaque, objects under the text
will be overwritten by the text background color.

Example of Opaque Text

TransparentDetermines how text appears when overlapping other objects. The

opposite of opaque, if the text is set to transparent, objects under the text will remain
visible and unaffected by the text background color.

Example of Transparent Text

The text object is now modified with the format changes.

See Text Menu on page 368 of Appendix D: Menus, for additional information on creating and
formatting a text object.

Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button

The Button tool
adds an unlabeled Windows button to the active display window. The PID
Button
tool (Pro only) adds PID button.
1. If your toolbox is not visible, select View > Toolbox to open the toolbox.

2. Select either the Button tool or the PID Button tool.

The cursor turns into a crosshair.
3. Click the crosshair in a window, then drag it in any direction to create a frame for the button.

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4. To add a label to the button, right-click and select Edit Text from the pop-up menu.
The Set Button Text dialog opens.
5. Enter the text, and then click OK.

If you want to add controller-driven dynamic text, see Assigning a Control-Driven Dynamic
Attribute to Windows Button Text on page 122.
The new label appears on the button.

6. To change the font on the label, right-click on the button and select Change Font from the
pop-up menu.
NOTE: Buttons cannot be grouped or have their Z-order changed.
In this section:
Assigning Operator-Driven Dynamic Attributes to a Windows Button
Configuring a PID Button

Assigning Operator-Driven Dynamic Attributes to a Windows

Button
Assign to it any of the operator-driven dynamic attributes except the Read and Clear attribute. For
more information on adding dynamic attributes, see Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic
on page 140. As described in step 5 of Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button , you can also
assign a dynamic attribute to the buttons text.

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ADDING A WINDOWS BUTTON OR A PID BUTTON

NOTE: The focus-frame enabled option is disabled for Windows buttons, since Windows automatically
highlights the button when the mouse is moved over it. For more information on the Focus-frame
enabled option, see Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140.

Assigning a Control-Driven Dynamic Attribute to Windows

Button Text
Using this feature, a Windows button can display varying dynamic text depending on the buttons
current function. For example, a Windows button could be configured with the text, Begin # batch,
where the # is tied to a string variable in the strategy that indicates what kind of cookie is supposed
to be made. The # would be replaced by either Peanut Butter or Chocolate Chip, and the button
would display Begin Peanut Butter batch or Begin Chocolate Chip batch.
To add a control engine-driven dynamic attribute to text on a Windows button:
1. Create a Windows button as described in Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button on
page 120.
2. Insert a pound sign (#) sign in the buttons text to indicate where to place a string that reads a
tag from a control engine and displays a string based on a received numeric value, string, or
discrete value. You can use one or more pound signs, or you can combine text and pound signs
as shown here.

Pound sign only

Text and pound sign

3. Double-click on the button to open the Configure Dynamic Attributes dialog.

The Text in From Controller option appears on the left side of the dialog along with
Visibility/Blink.

Text In from
Control Engine

NOTE: You must have entered a pound sign on the Windows button in the previous step. Otherwise,
the "Text In from Control Engine" option is not displayed.

4. Double-click Text In from Control Engine to configure this control engine-driven dynamic
attribute. See Text In from Control Engine on page 172 for specific instructions.

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Configuring a PID Button

Double-clicking a PID button opens the PID Configuration dialog box.
To configure a PID button:
1. Select an IO Unit from the Select IO Units pane, and then select a configured PID that appears
in the right pane.

I/O unit

PID

Part of the PAC Display Runtime PID Window is a SuperTrend that plots the Input, Output and
Setpoint values.

2. Enter the minimum and maximum values to display on the SuperTrend that appears the PAC
Display Runtime PID Window.
The PID SuperTrend plots the Input, Output, and Setpoint values. In general, you should obtain
the initial values from the control strategy, but you can modify them to suit your needs.
NOTE: these values are for the SuperTrend display only. The values configured in the PAC Control
strategy are not changed.

3. You can configure the Options as follows:

Enable Auto / Manual: Select this checkbox to allow a user to switch between Auto and
Manual mode from within the PID window in Runtime. Also, you can configure a password
to allow changing the mode in Runtime.
Enable Tune: Select this checkbox to allow a user to adjust PID tuning parameters in
Runtime. The available parameters include Gain, Integral, Derivative, and Scan Rate. You
can configure a password to allow tuning in Runtime.
Trend Time Span (min): This is the time span (in minutes) of the SuperTrend in the Runtime
PID Window. The default is 5 minutes. Enter a new time span if desired.
4. If desired, click Security to configure security attributes for the PID Button itself. This is
configured the same way as for any other graphic dynamic attribute (see Security Settings for

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Graphics and Dynamic Attributes on page 148). PID button security allows only certain users
to be able to launch the Runtime PID Window.
NOTE: PID Buttons may not be grouped with other PAC Display graphics or have their Z-order
changed.
For information on using a PID button in Runtime, see Using a PID Button on page 338.

Adding a Windows Combo Box

See also, How a Combo Box Behaves in Runtime on page 338
The Combo Box tool
adds a Windows combo box to the active display window.
1. If your toolbox is not visible, select View > Toolbox to open the toolbox.

2. Select the Combo Box tool.

The cursor turns into a crosshair.
3. Click the crosshair in a window, then drag it in any direction to create a frame for the button.

A combo box appears in the display window.

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NOTE: The height of the combo is fixed and cannot be changed. Using the Select tool, you can only
change the width.

Creating a Combo Box List

Each list item that you add to the new combo box can be assigned one or more of the following
dynamic attributes.
Control Engine Driven: Text-in from Control Engine
Operator Driven:

Send Value

Send Discrete

Send String

Window

Download Recipe

Upload Recipe

Launch Application

Execute Menu Item

NOTE: The operator-driven dynamic attribute Read and Clear cannot be used with a combo box.
See the following two sections to add a list item to a combo box, and then assign one or more
dynamic attributes to the item.
Adding a List Item to a Combo Box (below)
Assigning One or More Dynamic Attributes to a Combo Box List Item on page 127

Adding a List Item to a Combo Box

1. Using the Select tool, double click on the combo box.

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This opens the Combo Box Dynamic Attributes dialog box:

Youll add individual list items for the combo box to the Items text box.

2. Click the Add button to open the Add Entry dialog box.

3. Enter text for the list item, then click OK.

List item text

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The new list item appears in the Items list:

To modify the text of an item, click the Modify button, make changes to the text, and then click
OK.
If there is more than one item in the list and you want to re-arrange the order of the items,
select the item you want to move and click the Move Up or Move Down button.
Follow the instructions in the next section to assign one or more dynamic attributes to an item.

Assigning One or More Dynamic Attributes to a Combo Box List Item

1. In the Combo Box Dynamic Attributes dialog box, highlight an item to activate the Dynamic
Attributes controls:

Dynamic
Attributes
controls

NOTE: If no Text-in from control engine placeholder character (#) is embedded in the text, the Text In
fields are disabled. See Text In from Control Engine on page 172 for more information.

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As mentioned previously, you can assign one or more dynamic attributes to each entry in the
list. For example, Download peanut butter cookie recipe item may have a Send Value, a Send
Discrete, and a Download Recipe assigned to it.

2. To configure a dynamic attribute, click the link for the desired attribute.

Click the link

This opens a Dynamic Attribute dialog box for that specific attribute.

3. Configure the dynamic attribute, and then click OK.

Once an attribute has been configured, the Enabled checkbox is selected. To disable the
attribute, uncheck this checkbox. Also, the Security button becomes enabled.

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Dynamic
attribute
selected

Security button

Changing the Font or Spacing of Combo Box Items

Using the Change Font and Multiply Runtime Height By... commands you can change the font or
spacing of text items listed in a combo box.
To access these commands in Configurator, right-click on a combo box with the Select tool.

Change Font opens the standard font dialog box. If you change the size of the text, the height
of the combo box is changed to accomodate the new size.

Multiply Runtime Height By... increases the space beneath each item in the list by a factor of
1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. This does not change the text height, nor does it change the size of the closed
comb box. Note that there is no visible change in Configurator because there are no items in
the list in Configurator. They only get added in Runtime.

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Example 1: The combo box has the default font, but has a Runtime Height Multiplier of 2. This
results in additional space between each item, but the combo box size stays the same.

Example 2: The font has changed to Myriad Pro 16, but the Height Multiplier has the default value
of 1. The result is that the text is larger and so is the size of the combo box. The spacing between
items remains unchanged.

Example 3: As in example 2, the font has changed to Myriad Pro 16. However, the Height
Mulitplier is now 3. The combo box will be the same size as in example 2, but the spacing between
each item increases by a factor of 3.

Adding Security to a Combo Box

To add security to a combo box, click on Security button. This is configured in the manner as for
other graphics in PAC Display. For more information, see Security Settings for Graphics and
Dynamic Attributes on page 148.
The following characteristics apply to combo box security:

130

Security is applied to all configured dynamic attributes of the item. However, in Runtime, the
Security dialog will appear only once per selected list item. For example, if a single entry has
Send Value, Send String and Menu Item, rather than the security dialog appearing three times
(once per dynamic attribute) it appears only once for the list item.

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Security attributes may be copied and pasted from one item to another

It is not possible to configure security for the combo box as a whole

Once security has been configured for a dynamic attribute, the security may be copied and pasted
to other entries in the Items list as described below.
To copy and paste security attributes from one item to another:
1. Open the Dynamic Attributes dialog box for the Combo Box.
2. Select an item that has one or more dynamic attributes assigned to it.
3. Right-click on the item and choose Security > Copy Security Attributes from the pop-up menu.

4. Right-click on a different item and choose Security > Paste Security Attributes from the pop-up
menu.

NOTE: The Focus-frame enabled option is disabled for combo boxes, since Windows automatically
highlights the combo box when the mouse is moved over it. For more information on the Focus-frame
enabled option, see Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140.

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NOTE: Combo boxes may not be grouped with other PAC Display graphics or have their Z-order
changed.

Adding a URL Control

(Pro only) The URL Control tool
adds a simplified browser to the active display window. Like a
URL window (see Using Draw Windows and URL Windows on page 93), this allows you to display a
specific website within your project, or perhaps a web application such as Opto 22s groov (see
Adding a groov URL Control on page 134). However, unlike a URL window, a URL control browser is
placed within a draw window. While this allows you to add other graphics within the same draw
window, in Runtime the user cannot resize a URL control browser. But the browser does provide
scrollbars to allow you to see the entire page, and forward and back buttons are provided for
navigation. There is no keyboard support for static web pages in a URL control.
NOTE: A window cannot contain both an alarm control and a URL control.
NOTE: If a window in Configurator contains a URL control, the Always in Memory option in the
Window > Properties dialog box is disabled and cannot be used for that window.

1. If your toolbox is not visible, select View > Toolbox to open the toolbox.

URL Control tool

2. Select the URL Control tool.

The cursor turns into a crosshair.
3. Click the crosshair in a window, then drag it in any direction to create a frame for the browser.
NOTE: Remember that the browser cannot be resized in Runtime, so make sure that the frame is big
enough to display the information in the target website.

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Configuring a Table
After creating a table object in a draw window, you must specify which table(s) will be displayed. For
each table, you can optionally specify which table elements will be displayed.
1. Double-click the table object with the Select tool.
The Configure Table dialog box appears.

2. In the Appearance section, choose the background color and font used in the table object.
To select background color, click the white square next to Background Color, select a color
in the Windows color selector that appears, and then click OK.
To select the font used, click Font, select a font in the Windows font selector that appears,
and then click OK. If you want the header of each table column to use the font you
selected, select Use same font for header.
When Use Relative Offsets is selected, all table data will begin at the top row of the table
control, regardless of which actual data table index is being displayed.
For example, if Table 1 is configured to show elements 0 50 of a table, and Table 2 is
configured to show elements 200-250 of different table, then the top row of the table
control for Table 1 corresponds to the data at element 0, but the top row of the table
control for Table 2 corresponds to the data at element 200.

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NOTE: If the Use Relative Offsets option is selected, in Runtime, no Index column is
displayed in the table control, only the table data itself.
3. In the Configure Tables section, click the Table button for each table you want to configure. The
Configure Tables dialog box appears.

4. Configure each table as follows:

If desired, edit the default description. If no description is entered, the table will be deleted.
Click the Tag Selection button
and in the Tag Selection dialog box that appears, select a
table to display.
To display a range of elements in the table, enter a start index (usually 0) and the number
of elements (10240 maximum) to be displayed. Click OK to exit the Tag Selection dialog
box and return to the Configure Tables dialog box.
Enter a starting index (usually
0) and the number of table
elements to use.

To align a table, select the appropriate option for left, center, or right-justified data.
To view discrete bits or digital point states stored in an Integer 64 value, select Hexidecimal
to see four bits at a time, or select Binary to see each bit or point state.

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To configure the number of floating point decimal places to be displayed in the table,
select a value from 0 to 6.

Floating Point Decimal Places

To learn more about configuring tags in your project, see Configuring Tags on page 75.

5. Click OK to exit the Configure Tables dialog box and return to the Configure Table dialog box.
6. The Allow Edit option is selected by default and allows the operator to click on a cell in the
table in Runtime and enter a new value. To prevent an operator from doing this, deselect this
option.
7. To require a password to edit a table, select the tables Allow Edit option, then click Password. In
the dialog that appears, enter the password, confirm it, then click OK.
8. If you want to display another table in the table object, click another Table button, otherwise
click OK to complete the configuration.
9. If you want to delete a table, click the button with an X on it next to the appropriate Table
button. You can delete either a configured table or one that you are currently configuring or
modifying.

Printing Graphics
To print the displayed windows, select File > Print to display the Print dialog box. If the settings are
correct for your printer, click OK.
If you need to change printer settings, click the Properties button in the Print dialog box. You can
also change the printer settings without printing the Configurator screens by selecting the File >
Printer Setup command.

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7: 7: Using Animated GraphicsChapter 7

7: Using Animated Graphics

Introduction
This chapter describes how to animate graphics to show how I/O data and other values change in
real time. It also describes how PAC Display scans data from control engines to update its graphics,
and how you can adjust this scanning to optimize your PAC Display project for best performance.

In This Chapter
Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic............................. 140
Assigning Operator-Driven Sub-Attributes................................ 146
Security Settings for Graphics and Dynamic Attributes....... 148
Available Dynamic Attributes .......................................................... 151
Copying and Deleting Dynamic Attributes ............................... 181
Viewing Tags and Dynamic Attributes......................................... 182
Scanning to Update Graphics.......................................................... 183

About Animated Graphics

As your PAC Control strategy runs on the control engine, values and states of tags in the PAC Control
strategy database are continuously updated. PAC Display uses this changing data to modify
attributes (such as size, position, and color) of the graphics that you have connected to the tags. The
end result is an animated, continually updated display that shows status information about a control
process.
To animate graphics, you must assign dynamic attributes to objects youve drawn. These are
attributes that make the graphic object change based on the values read from or sent to control
engines, based on events that happened, or based on how the operator interacts with the interface.
Two types of dynamic attributes can be assigned to a graphic object: control engine-driven
attributes and operator-driven attributes.
Control engine-driven attributes are always assigned to a particular tag (I/O point, value, etc.) in
a PAC Control strategy running on an attached control engine. This type of attribute changes a
graphic as tags are read from a control engine. For example, if a tag reflects a lower-level alarm
condition for a process, the attached graphic can change color to red to alert the operator.

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Operator-driven attributes are assigned to a graphic object. These attributes change the graphic
as an operator interacts with the interface. As a result, events may be triggered, or new tag values
may be sent to an attached control engine. For example, if an operator clicks a graphic that looks like
a button, a valve is closed.

Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic

As you finish drawing your operator interface, you can start assigning dynamic attributes to some of
the on-screen graphics.

1. Choose the Select tool from the toolbox and double-click the graphic to which you want to
assign a dynamic attribute. (You can also click the graphic once and Edit > Edit Dynamic
Attributes.)
NOTE: Dynamic attributes can only be assigned to one object at a time. If you want several objects to
have the same attributes, select the objects, and then choose Edit > Group to make them one object.
(You can also right-click on the selected graphics and choose Group from the pop-up menu.)
Remember that if you ungroup the objects, the attributes you configured when they were a group
arent retained.
The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box appears.

At the top of the dialog box is a brief description of the item selected, including its location (x
and y coordinates) and dimensions (width and height) in the draw window. You can change
the location and dimensions of the graphic by entering new values in place of the current ones.
(You cant change the dimensions of a text graphic.)

2. To include hint text that is displayed when the mouse is hovered over the graphic in Runtime,
click the Hint button to open the Hint Text dialog box. For more information, see Adding Hint
Text to a Graphic on page 145. Note that hint text only works with basic graphics such as lines,
rectangles, ellipses, and text.

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3. Choose an attribute you want to configure in either the Control Engine-Driven Attributes or
Operator-Driven Attributes list, and then click the Edit button for that list.
The dialog box that appears will differ depending on the attribute you selected. The options
and features of each attribute are covered in detail in Available Dynamic Attributes on
page 151.
NOTE: For the Operator Driven Attributes Send Value, Send Discrete, and Send String you can assign
mutiple sub-attributes. For more information, see Assigning Multiple Dynamic Attributes to a
Graphic on page 146.

4. Configure the attribute as required, and then click OK to return to the Graphic Dynamic
Attributes dialog box.
5. If you made any changes to operator-driven attributes, complete these options:
Focus-frame enabledIf this option is checked, a light border will appear around the
graphic in Runtime when the operator moves the cursor over it. This border can be used as
a visual aid to let the operator know that an event will occur when the graphic is clicked.
(You must still configure additional dynamic attributes for the graphic so these events can
occur.)
Beep enabledIf this option is checked, the operator will hear a beep when the graphic
is clicked. Use this as an audio confirmation.
Hot KeyThis feature associates a keystroke sequence with a graphic that has a dynamic
attribute assigned and configured. A hot key is a key on the keyboard that, when pressed
(sometimes in combination with an optional CTRL or SHIFT key), will activate the associated
graphics operator-driver attributes. This lets the operator use a keystroke sequence instead
of using the mouse to click on the graphic, allowing PAC Display Runtime to be operated
without a mouse or similar device.
NOTE: The hot key will work only for graphics that are in an opened or minimized window;
closed windows will not be affected.
6. To configure operator security for this graphic object, click Security. See Security Settings for
Graphics and Dynamic Attributes on page 148 for configuration information.
7. To clear an attribute youve configured, simply highlight the attribute and click Clear.
You should see an empty checkbox beside the attribute. Sometimes after you configure an
attribute and return to the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box, the Not Available indicator
appears in the checkbox for another attribute. This symbol means that you cannot
configure that type of dynamic attribute for this object as a result of the attribute you just
configured.

8. When youre done configuring dynamic attributes for this object, click OK to save your settings
and close the dialog box.

Editing Tag Names Manually

When editing tags for dynamic attributes, notifications and triggers, you can manually type in a valid
tag name for a control engine, item name, table index, or bit index.
CAUTION: Use caution with this feature, as unexpected results may occur if you enter an invalid tag. For
best results when configuring and editing tags, click the Tag Selection button
and use the Tag
Selection dialog box.

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Use the following guidelines for tag names:

Make sure the new tag name is the same item type. For example, if a strategy contains two
Integer32 variables called MyInt_1 and MyInt_2, as well as a float variable called MyFloat, you
are allowed to change MyInt_1 to MyInt_2 because they are both Integer32 variables.
However, changing MyInt_1 to MyFloat will result in an error because MyFloat is a different
item type.

Only modify pre-existing tags. You cannot create a new tag by entering the name. If no tag has
been configured, double-clicking on the tag name field will sound a beep, and the field will
remain read-only.

If the existing tag has a field attribute (such as Pid.Setpoint or ControlEngine.Date), you can
only change the field attribute.
For example, ControlEngine.Date is a string tag and has a field attribute ( .Date ). You cannot
change ControlEngine.Date to My_String_Variable, even though both are string types. You can
only change the .Date field attribute to .Time, .StrategyName, etc. This applies to Pids and
other tags that have field attributes.

To edit a tag:
1. On a Dynamic Attribute dialog box, double-click in the Name field.

Double-click in
the Name field

A message box warns that Opto 22 does not recommend manually changing the tag name.

2. Click OK, and then edit the name using the guidelines detailed above.
3. Click OK.
If the name is not valid, a message appears.

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4. Click OK to exit the message dialog, and then enter a valid tag name, or select a valid tag name
in the usual manner.

Assigning a Chart State Value to a Graphic

You can assign chart states (such as stop and start) to a graphic object either as control
engine-driven attributes or as operator-driven attributes.

Control Engine-Driven. To assign chart states as control engine-driven attributes, do the

following:
1. Double-click the graphic object to which you will assign a chart state attribute.
2. Under Control Engine Driven Attributes, double-click one of the color attributes you want to
use (such as Fill Color). See also, Fill Color on page 157.

3. Under Cutoff values, enter the values as shown above. Each value (except 0, which is a
placeholder) correlates to one of the following chart states.
Value

Chart State

Stopped

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Value

Chart State

Suspended

Running

4. Select a color for each value.

5. Configure a tag for this dynamic attritute, then click OK. (See also, Configuring Tags on
page 75.)
6. Click OK again to close the dialog box.

Operator-Driven. To assign a chart state as an operator-driven attribute, do the following:

1. Double-click the graphic object to which you will assign a chart state attribute.
2. Under Operator Driven Attributes, double-click Send Value. See also, Send Value on page 169
.

3. Under Source, select either Fixed data or Prompt for data. For Fixed Data, enter one of the
following values:
Value

Chart State

Stop

Suspend

Start

Continue

Or, for Prompted Data, do the following:

a. Create a User Message.

b. Enter a Min Value of 1.
c. Enter a Max Value of 4.
In Runtime, the user enters 1, 2, 3, or 4 to stop, suspend, start, or continue the chart as indicated
in the table above.

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4. Configure a tag for this dynamic attritute, then click OK. (See also, Configuring Tags on
page 75.)
5. Click OK again to close the dialog box.

Adding Hint Text to a Graphic

Follow the steps below to add hint text to the Tooltips box of a basic graphic such as a line, rectangle,
ellipse, or text. The Tooltips box is displayed when the mouse is hovered over the graphic in Runtime.
NOTE: Only one instance of hint text can be applied to a graphic. Hint text is not attribute specific.

1. Double-click the graphic object to which you will provide hint text. This opens the Graphic
Dynamic Attributes dialog box.
2. On the right side of the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box, click the Hint... button to open
the Hint Text dialog box.

3. Enter the hint text.

For example, you might enter, To start the process, click the Start button. Hint text is limited to
80 characters.
To wrap text to the next line, add \r to the text. For example, if you enter the following text,
Boiler Door Open?\rYellow = Yes\rRed = No

the portions of text beginning with Yellow and Red will each wrap to the next line. In
Runtime, the Tooltips box in Runtime will appear like this:

4. Click OK
5. Choose Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box.

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6. On the Control Engine tab, select Allow Runtime Tooltips, then click OK.

Assigning Multiple Dynamic Attributes to a Graphic

If you assign more than one dynamic attribute to a graphic object, the attributes will execute in the
order they appear in the Operator Driven Attributes list. For example, if you assign a button the Send
Discrete dynamic attribute, and then assign the same button the Send Value dynamic attribute, that
is the order in which the attributes will execute when the operator clicks the button.

Assigning Operator-Driven Sub-Attributes

You can assign multiple sub-attributes for three Operator Driven attributes: Send Value, Send
Discrete, and Send String.
1. Choose the Select tool from the toolbox and double-click the graphic to which you want to
assign a dynamic attribute.
2. Configure an initial attribute for either Send Value, Send Discrete, or Send String. For more
information, see Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140.
3. In the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box, click on the + icon next to attribute you just
configured. In this example, Send Value is used.
A Send Value sub-attribute is now available.

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Available
sub-attribute

4. Select the item marked <available>, and then click Edit to configure a new Send Value
sub-attribute for this graphic.
A second Send Value sub-attribute is now available.

Second
available
sub-attribute

The Send Value item is now displayed in a bold italic font. This indicates that the dynamic
attribute has at least one sub-attribute configured. As more sub-attributes are added,
additional <available> items appear in the attribute tree. If you collapse the Send Value item,
you can still see the sub-attributes by hovering over Send Value.

Tooltip shows
sub-attributes

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Reordering Sub-Attributes
Dynamic sub-attributes are sent to the device in the order displayed in the list. To change the order
of the sends, select a sub-attribute, and then drag it to a new position in the list.
NOTE: Only sub-attributes can be reordered. A parent attribute (such as Send Value) cannot be moved.

Clearing Dynamic Sub-Attributes

To clear a single dynamic sub-attribute:
1. Expand the attribute tree and select the sub-attribute.
2. Click Clear.
Any sub-attributes below the cleared sub-attribute will move up in the list.
To clear more than one sub-attribute:
1. Select the top-most dynamic attribute, such as Send Value, and then click Clear.
The Clear Operator Driven Attribute dialog box opens.

2. Choose one of the options:

Clear Selected Attribute Only clears the top-most attribute, such as Send Value. The first
sub-attribute moves up to replace the top-most attribute. All all other sub-attributes move
up in the list.

Top-most attribute
to be cleared

First sub-attribute
becomes the new
top Send Value
attribute

Clear All Attributes clears the top-most attribute and all sub-attributes below it.

Security Settings for Graphics and Dynamic Attributes

Your application requirements and the environment in which it is used may require strict control
over accessing and using the operator interface you create in PAC Display. You can configure your
PAC Display project to provide this level of security by defining user authentication permissions for

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individual onscreen graphic objects. This authentication is based on the users and groups defined in
a Microsoft Windows domain or a standalone workgroup.
When the PAC Display project is run in PAC Display Runtime, an operator who clicks on an object
with security permissions is prompted to enter a Windows network username and password, or the
logon password for the standalone PC. If the login information is incorrect, or if the operator is not
permitted to use that object, an alert message is displayed. If runtime operator logging is active for
the project, the login attemptsuccessful or notwill be added to the runtime operator log.
In this section:
Important Considerations for User- and Group-Level Security Settings (below)
Define Security Permissions Dialog Box on page 150
Copying Security Permissions from one Graphic to Another on page 151

Important Considerations for User- and Group-Level Security

Settings
There are several important considerations to keep in mind when configuring user- and group-level
authentication for a graphic object.

By default, all operators have permission to use an object. It isnt necessary to configure
security if all operators will have permission to change the tag value for the object.

Security permissions cannot be configured for the Send Discrete dynamic attribute when it is
configured as Direct or Reverse. See Send Discrete on page 167 for descriptions of these
options.

When the project is running in PAC Display Runtime and an object is clicked, Deny Access
security permissions have priority over Grant Access permissions. This means that if a user has
been granted access, but is a member of a group that has been denied access, the user will not
be able to use the onscreen object.

Configuring Security Permissions for a Graphic Object

To assign user- and group-based security permissions to a graphic object, do the following:
1. Double-click the graphic object to which you will assign one or more operator-driven dynamic
attributes.
The Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box opens. Note that the Security button on the right
side is not active.

2. Double-click an operator-driven attribute that you want to use, configure it as needed, and
then click OK.
NOTE: Security permissions are not applied to individual dynamic attributes, but are applied to all
dynamic attributes selected before you click the Security button. If a graphic object needs to have
multiple dynamic attributes, make sure to select and configure all attributes before configuring
security settings.
In the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box that is again visible, the Security button is now
active.

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After configuring one or

more operator-driven
dynamic attributes, click
Security to configure
user- and group-level
authentication for the
graphic object.

3. Click Security to configure user- and group-level authentication for the graphic object.
The Define Security Permissions dialog box opens.

Define Security Permissions Dialog Box

A
B
C
D

(A) Domain. Select the Windows network domain that contains the users and/or groups to
whom you want to grant or deny access to the graphic object.

(B) User/Groups. Select the Windows user or group to whom you want to grant or deny access
to the object.

(C) Permissions. For the selected user or group, select Grant Access or Deny Access.
(D) Show Configured Users. Click Show Configured Users to view all permissions currently
assigned for the graphic object.

(E) Clear All. Click Clear All to erase all configured permissions for the graphic object.
(F) OK. Click OK to save changes, or keep Cancel to close the dialog box without any changes
being made.

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Dynamic Attribute

operator-driven

Alarm Point
Use this attribute to change the color of a graphic object based on the state of an alarm point. You
can use this attribute with circles, rectangles, and polygons. By default, the color of the graphic
corresponds to the Normal, or unalarmed, state. See also, Configuring Alarm Points on page 261
and Configuring Project Alarms on page 283
Double-click Alarm Point in the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the Dynamic
Attributes-Control Alarm Point dialog box.

(A) Alarm Points. The names of the alarm points configured for the project appear here. Click an
alarm point in the list, and then set the colors that will be used for the graphic object in the Discrete
group or the Value group.
Alarm points that monitor digital points are configured as discrete alarm points, and have four
states: On, Off, Acked, and Silenced. Alarm points that monitor analog points are configured as value
alarm points, and have six states: HiHi, Hi, Normal, Lo LoLo, Acked, and Silenced. See Configuring
Alarm Points on page 261 for more information about setting up alarm points.

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(B) Discrete. To select colors for a discrete alarm points On and Off states, click the color box for
each state and then choose a color in the dialog box that appears. If you have selected an alarm
point for a digital I/O point, only the Discrete group will appear in the Dynamic Attribute - Alarm
Point dialog box.

(C) Value. To select colors for a value alarm points HiHi, Hi, Normal, Lo LoLo, Acked, and Silenced
states, click the color box for each state and then choose a color in the dialog box that appears. If
you have selected an alarm point for an analog I/O point, only the Value group will appear in the
Dynamic Attribute - Alarm Point dialog box.

(D) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Control Engine Status

Use this attribute to change the color of a graphic object based on the status of one or more control
engines. You can use this attribute with circles, rectangles, and polygons.
NOTE: When the Control Engine Status dynamic attribute is selected, all other input dynamic attributes are
disabled.
If the Control Engine Status attribute is used to monitor multiple control engines, the graphic object
will display the status color for the control engine that is in the most critical condition. Least critical
to most critical status is shown below:
Least Critical

Most Critical
Attached

Last Known
Value

Comm
Failure

Double-click Control Engine Status in the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
Dynamic Attributes-Control Engine Status dialog box.

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Dynamic Attributes Control Engine Status Dialog Box

B
C

(A) Select Controller. The names of the control engines configured for the project appear here.
Select a control engine. To select multiple control engines, hold down the CTRL key and click each
one you want to select.

(B) Select All. To select all control engines in the list, click Select All.
(C) Colors. To select colors for a control engines state, click the color box for the state and then
choose a color in the dialog box that appears.

(D) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Download Recipe
Use this attribute to download a recipe file to a control engine when a graphic is clicked. This is an
operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons,
bitmaps, and text. For more information about recipes, see Recipes on page 246.
Double-click Download Recipe in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
Dynamic Attribute - Download Recipe dialog box.

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B
C

D
E
G

Name (Trigger-based recipe download). Enter a name for this recipe. This name is used to
refer to this trigger-based recipe in the Recipe Managers list dialog box. The name can be up to 40
characters long.

(A) Directory. Enter the directory location of the recipe file. Use the Browse button B to quickly
enter a directory name.
(B) Browse. Click to quickly find the recipe file directory for A. Use the Select Download File
Directory dialog box that appears to navigate to the desired directory, and then click OK.

(C) Make Path Relative to Project. When selected, if you copy the project and recipe files to a
different computer, PAC Display will look in the same relative location to find the recipe files in
Configurator and Runtime.

(D) File Name. Choose the source of the recipe file name:
Fixed Name
Check this if the recipe file is a file name you want to configure at this time. If this option is
selected, the File Name edit box appears, prompting you for a file name. Make sure the file
exists in the Directory entry, otherwise an error is posted. The file name may not be changed at
Runtime.
The Extension parameter also appears and prompts for a one to three character long extension
that's appended to the Fixed Name. The extension must not contain a period or a DOS wild
card character. The default extension is "rcp".
Prompt For Name
Check this if the recipe file name is to be prompted at Runtime when the trigger occurs. If this
option is selected, the Extension parameter also appears. Enter a one to three character long
extension which does not contain a period or a DOS wild card. This extension is used as a filter
to select which files are displayed when prompting a user for the recipe name at Runtime,
however files with different extensions may be selected.
From Strategy
Check this option if you want to use a string tag name from the control engine strategy to
specify the recipe file name. If this option is selected, the String Name edit box appears,

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prompting for the name of the PAC Control tag name you want to use. Use the "?" button to
enter the tag name from the Tag Selection dialog box.

(E) Fixed Name. If Fixed Name was selected in File Name (D), enter the name of the recipe file
located in Directory (A). Notice the file extension is .rcp.

(F) Extension. Specify the file extension for the recipe files available to this dynamic attribute by
entering the extension in the File Extension field. The extension must be one to three characters
long and must not contain a period or DOS wild card characters.
If Fixed Name is checked, this extension will be appended to the File Name entry to create the name
for the recipe file. If Prompt For Name is checked, this extension will be used as a filter to select the
files for display in a file selection dialog box when PAC Display Runtime executes this dynamic
attribute; however, you may override this filtering if you wish to select a file with a different
extension.

(G) String Name. If From strategy was selected in Fixed Name (D), use the Tag Selection button
to enter a tagname of type string that contains the recipe file name. The Tag Selection dialog
box is displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information
about this dialog box.
See Recipes on page 246 for details on recipe files and downloading and uploading recipes.

(H) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Execute Menu Item

Use this attribute to run a single Runtime command when an object is clicked. This is useful if you
want to hide the menu bar and only allow limited access to certain items. This is an operator-driven
attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Execute Menu Item in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
Runtime Menu Commands.

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Select a command from the Menu Item list and click OK. (Click Cancel to close the dialog box
without making any changes.) For more information on the Runtime commands, see Runtime
Menus on page 373.

Fill Color
Use this attribute to change a graphics fill color based on a tag value from the control engine. This is
a control engine-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, and
polygons.
Double-click Fill Color in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the Dynamic
Attribute - Fill Color dialog box.

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C
D
E
F
G
H

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection Button, B. As this tag
value changes in the PAC Control strategy, its value will determine the color you want.

(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box.
(C) Setup By. Choose whether the tag youre configuring is a Discrete value (with a value of ON or
OFF), or whether its a Current Value youre looking for. For example, an integer will return a value of
either ON or OFF, so you would choose Discrete. However, a chart will return the following three
values: 1 = stopped, 2 = suspended, or 3 = running, so you would choose Current Value. To change
chart states, use the following parameters: If you choose Discrete, the Discrete group (D) is
highlighted; if you choose Current value, the Cutoff Values group (E) is highlighted.
(D) Discrete. Select the color you want for the ON state by clicking on the color field below ON.
The Color dialog box appears; choose a color and click OK. Repeat this step for the OFF state.

(E) Cutoff Values. Enter a value in each Cutoff Value box to specify the range of values for each
color group configured in the color fields. Values entered must be in increasing order. Each Cutoff
value box must have a numeric value entered or you will get a warning to enter one. After the
warning, the cursor blinks in the first Cutoff Value box requiring a value.

(F) Color Fields. To configure a color for the range set up in Cutoff Values (E), click on a color field.
The Color dialog box appears from which you can choose a color and then click OK to accept.
Repeat this step for each color field you want to change.

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(G) Hysteresis. Enter a value to be applied to each cutoff value as it moves toward lesser values to
determine the actual value at which the color will change to the next color field.
For example, lets say the cutoff values are 1, 10, 20, and 30, and the color fields are red, yellow,
green, blue, and black. The hysteresis is 3. A tag with a value of 11 is read, corresponding to the color
green. The next tag value read is 9. The graphics color remains green because the value read is
within the hysteresis value of 3, even though a value of 9 is in the yellow range.

(H) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Horizontal Position
Use this attribute to adjust the horizontal position of a graphic based on a tag value from the control
engine. This is a control engine-driven attribute and is available for lines, rectangles, round
rectangles, ellipses, and polygons, polylines, curves, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Horizontal Position in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
following.

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. As the tag
value changes, the graphics horizontal position is changed.

(B) Tag Selection button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about
configuring this dialog box.

(C) Value at Left/Right. Enter the leftmost and rightmost value for the tagname in A. For
example, if you know your tag values will be from 0 to 100, you may wish to enter a range of 0 to 100
or a subset of this range, such as 0 to 50.

(D) Movement Left/Right. Enter the leftmost and rightmost movement the object can
change. The movement units are in pixels. Suppose your left and right values are 0 and 100, and

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your left and right movements are 0 and 200. When the tag value is 50, the object will be moved
100 pixels to the right.

(E) Reference. Select the reference point for the object. The choices are left, center, and right. The
Horizontal Size (Width) dynamic attribute must also be configured in order for this option to affect
the graphic.

(F) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine if the graphics movement will actually change. Using our previous example in D, lets say
the deadband is 5. A tag is read and has a value of 50. The next tag reading must be greater than 55
in order for the graphic to move.
(G) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Horizontal Size (Width)

Use this attribute to adjust the width of a graphic based on a tag value from the control engine. This
is a control engine-driven attribute and is available for lines, rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses,
polygons, polylines, and curves.
Double-click Horizontal Size (Width) in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
Dynamic Attribute - Width dialog box.

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. As the tag
value changes in the PAC Control strategy, the graphics width is changed.

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(C) Maximum/Minimum Value. Enter the maximum and minimum value for the tagname in
A. For example, if you know your tag values will be from 0 to 100, you may wish to enter a range of 0
to 100 or a subset of this range, such as 0 to 50.

(D) Max/Min Percent Width. Enter the maximum and minimum percentage the object can
change. The percentage range is from 0 to 1,000 percent. Suppose your minimum value is 0 and
your maximum value is 10, and the minimum and maximum percentages range is 0 to 200. When
the tag value is 10, the object will be twice as big as youve originally drawn it. When the tag value is
5, the object will be the same size youve drawn it, which is 100 percent.

(E) Anchor. Enter the anchor point for the object. This is the reference point on the object from
which the graphic changes. The choices are left, center, and right.
(F) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine if the graphics width will actually change. For example, lets say the values are 0 to 100,
the percentages are 0 to 100, and the deadband is 5. A tag is read and has a value of 10. The next tag
reading must be greater than 15 in order for the graphic to change.
(G) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Horizontal Slider
Use this attribute to configure a horizontal slider when a graphic is clicked. This is an operator-driven
attribute and is available for lines, rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and bitmaps.
Double-click Horizontal Slider in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
following.

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. The distance
the horizontal slider is moved affects the value sent to the tag in the control engine.

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(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box.
(C) Value at Left/Right. Enter the leftmost and rightmost value for the tagname in A. For
example, if you know your tag values can be from 0 to 100, you may wish to enter a range of 0 to
100 or a subset of this range, such as 0 to 50.

(D) Movement Left/Right. Enter the leftmost and rightmost movement the object can
change. The movement units are in pixels. Suppose your left and right values are 0 and 100, and
your left and right movements are 0 and 200. If you move the tag 100 pixels to the right, the tag
value sent will be 50.
(E) Reference. Select the reference point for the object. The choices are left, center, and right.
Note that you must also separately configure the Horizontal Size (Width) dynamic attribute to use
this option.

(F) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine whether the tag value should be changed.
Using our previous example in D, lets say the deadband is 5. A tag is read and has a value of 50. The
next graphic movement must be greater than 55 in order for the tag value to change.

(G) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Launch Application
Use this attribute to start an application when a graphic is clicked. This is an operator-driven
attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Launch Application in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display display
the following.

A
C
E
F

B
D

G
H

(A) Working Directory. (Optional) Enter the working directory you want to be in when you start
the application. Use the Browse button B to quickly enter a directory name. If a working directory is

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not specified, the current PAC Display Runtime directory is used when launching the application.
You can change the working directory at any time.

(B) Browse. Click to find the directory for A. The Working Directory Selection dialog box appears.
Use it to navigate to the desired directory and click OK when youre done.

(C) Command Line. Enter the complete path and file name of the application you want to
launch. Use the Browse button (D) to quickly enter the path.

(D) Browse. Click to find the path and application name for C. The Application Manager
Executable File Selection dialog box appears. Use it to select an application and click Open when
youre done.
(E) Append String. (Optional) Enter the name of a string tag to use to append to the path
entered in Command Line (C). The string appended may be a file name the launched application
should open. Use the Tag Selection button
to choose the tagname. The Tag Selection dialog
box is displayed so you can select a tag. Use the Delete button
to clear an entry you may have
made in this field. Only tag names may be entered. Literal strings are not accepted. If the appended
string is a parameter, a space must be included in the Command Line string to separate it from the
main command line.

(F) Launch Options. Select Single instance to have PAC Display Runtime check whether the
graphic has previously launched an application that is currently running. If the graphic has not
previously started a currently running application, the application will be launched.
Select Multiple instances to allow the graphic to start more than one instance of an application.
Some applications only allow one session of an application to run, while others allow multiple
sessions.
Note that the Single Instance option doesnt limit the number of active sessions of an application
that is launched by other graphics and triggers. For example, if the graphic launches a Microsoft
Word session, that graphic cant launch any other application until the Word session ends. However,
a trigger-based event can launch a second, separate session of Word, so two Microsoft Word
sessions will be running concurrently.

(G) Show Options. Click here to configure how the application window will appear. Your choices
are Normal, Minimized, and Maximized.

(H) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Line Color
Use this attribute to change a line color or the line color around a graphic based on a tag value from
the control engine. This is a control engine-driven attribute and is available for lines, rectangles,
round rectangles, ellipses, polygons, polylines, and Bezier curves.
Double-click Line Color in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

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C
D
E
F
G
H

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection Button, B. As this tag
value changes in the PAC Control strategy, its value will determine the color you want.

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(H) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Read and Clear

Use this attribute to read a tag value and then clear (reset) it. This is an operator-driven attribute and
is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Read and Clear in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

A
C
D
E

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the tag selection button B.
(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here.
The Tag Selection dialog box is displayed so you can select a tag. Only tags that are supported by
the item selected in Action (C) will be available. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more
information about this dialog box.

Counts (returns an integer value and then clears counts)

On time total

Off time total

Latch (ON)

Latch (OFF)

On pulse measure

Off pulse measure

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Period

Minimum

Maximum

(D) Options. Formatting options for how values appear when read appear here. Depending on
the item you selected in Action (C), one of the following option groups will be available:

Numerical formatsDecimal, binary, hexadecimal, and exponential formats are available for
values returned as numbers (for example, the state of all 32 points on a high-density module).

Text formatsCustom text that corresponds to a discrete values on and off states can be
entered here.

(E) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

When using this dynamic attribute, please note the following:

If the Read and Clear dynamic attribute has been assigned to an object, a Text In from Control
Engine dynamic attribute cannot also be assigned to that same object.

If a text placeholder ( ## ) is used to view return values, these placeholder characters will
appear that way in Runtime until the operator triggers the read and clear. Once this has
happened, the graphic will not change until the read and clear is triggered again.

If more than one graphic in a PAC Display window is configured with the same Read and Clear
dynamic attribute, each graphic is treated independently. The graphics are not linked to each
other, so when one graphic is read and cleared, the other graphic will not reflect this.

Rotate
Use this control engine-driven to rotate any of the following objects based on a tag value from the
control engine: Bitmap, Metafile, Curve, Polygon, Ellipse, Polyline, JPEG, PNG, Rectangle, Line, or Text.
NOTE: Dynamic rotation can be a CPU intensive. Use dynamic rotation judiciously.
Double-click Rotate in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

E
G

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(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. As this tag
value changes in the PAC Control strategy, the graphics line rotates.

(C) Value at Max. These fields are used to specify the return data from the tag that will produce
the maximum counterclockwise (CCW) and maximum clockwise (CW) rotation. The Value at Max
CCW may be either less than or greater than the Value at Max CW, so that rotation may proceed in
either direction as the data from the tag increases or decreases. Therefore, the term exceeds is used
below to indicate a value that may be either greater than or less than the CCW or CW Max value.
When the tag returns data that is equal to or exceeds the Value at Max CCW to PAC Display, the
graphic will rotate counterclockwise as far as possible, as specified by the Max CCW Rotation value
explained below. When the tag returns data that is equal to or exceeds the Value at Max CW
Rotation to PAC Display, the graphic will rotate clockwise as far as possible, as specified by the Max
CW Rotation value explained below.

(D) Max Rotation. These fields are used to specify the maximum counterclockwise and
clockwise rotation angle that the graphic may undergo (in degrees from its configured location).
The entered values must be non-negative numbers. The Max CCW Rotation angle is achieved when
the tag returns data that is equal to or exceeds the Value at Max CCW, as explained above. The Max
CW Rotation angle is achieved when the tag returns data that is equal to or exceeds the Value at
Max CW, as explained earlier in this section.

(E) Rotation Anchor Point. The rotation anchor point is used to specify the fixed location that
the graphic rotates around. This location is specified in terms of an offset (in units of pixels) from the
centerpoint of the graphic at its configured location.
In the Horizontal field, enter a negative value to specify a position that is to the left of the configured
location or enter a positive value to specify a position that is to the right of the configured location.
In the Vertical field, enter a negative value to specify a position that is above the configured location
or enter a positive value to specify a position that is below the configured location. If a value of zero
is specified for both fields, then the graphic will rotate about its centerpoint.

(F) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine if the lines rotation angle should change.
For example, lets say the deadband is 2. A tag with a value of 50 is read. The next tag value read is
51. The line does not rotate because the value read is within the deadband range.

(G) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Send Discrete
Use this attribute to send a discrete value to a tag in the control engine when a graphic is clicked.
This is an operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses,
polygons, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Send Discrete in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

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C
D

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. This tag will
receive the tag value entered by the operator or configured in this dialog box.

(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box.
(C) Source. Select the source of the value to be sent to the tag. If you select Fixed data, the setting
selected in the Fixed Data field (D) is sent to the tag. If you select Prompt for data, the Prompted
Data field (E) is activated and you can enter a message that will prompt the operator to select a
discrete state for the tag.

(D) Fixed Data. If Fixed Data was selected in Source (C), enter the setting to be sent to the tag.
The Set option turns the tag on; Clear turns the tag off; Toggle changes the tag to the opposite of
its current state (from on to off, or from off to on); Reverse changes the tags state to off when the
mouse is clicked on the graphic, and on when the mouse button is released; Direct changes the tag
state to on when the mouse is clicked on the graphic, and off when the mouse is released.
(E) Prompted Data. If Prompt for Data was selected Source (C), enter a message here that will
prompt the operator to select a tag state. Two buttons will be displayed to the operator. Enter the
labels for the Set Button and the Clear Button. The Set Button sends a discrete value to set the tag to
the on state, and the Clear Button sends a discrete value to set the tag to the off state.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Send String
Use this attribute to send a string to the control engine when a graphic is clicked. This is an
operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons,

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bitmaps, and text.Double-click Send String in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display
the following.

C
D

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. This tag will
receive the string tag entered by the operator or configured in this dialog box.

(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box.
(C) Source. Select the source of the value to be sent to the tag. If you select Fixed data, the setting
selected in Fixed Data (D) is sent to the tag. If you select Prompt for data, the field in Prompted Data
(E) is activated and you can enter a message that will prompt the operator to enter a string to send
to the tag.

(D) Fixed Data. If Fixed Data was selected in Source (C), enter the string to send to the tag.
(E) Prompted Data. If Prompt for Data was selected in Source (C), enter a message to prompt
the operator to enter a string. Choose the Hide characters option if you dont want the text entered
by the operator to be displayed.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Send Value
Use this attribute to send a value to a tag name in the control engine when a graphic is clicked. This
is an operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons,
bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Send Value in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

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(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. This tag will
receive the tag value entered by the operator or configured in this dialog box.

(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box.
(C) Source. Select the source of the value to be sent to the tag. If you select Fixed data, the value
entered in the Fixed Data field (E) is sent to the tag. If you select Prompt for data, the Prompted Data
field (F) is activated and you can enter a message that will prompt the operator to input a value to
send to the tag.

(D) Destination. Choose Set to assign the sent value to the tag equal, or choose Offset to add
the value to the tag.

(C) Setup By. Choose whether the tag youre reading is a numeric value, a discrete value (with ON
and OFF values), or a string. If you choose Value, the Deadband and Text Justification fields (D and E)
are activated. If you choose Discrete, the Numerical Format group (F) is activated. The choice you
make in this selection must match the choice you made in Name (A).
If you choose Value, the value read will be converted into a string based on the rules mentioned at
the beginning of this Text In section.
If you choose Discrete, use Numerical Format group (F) to enter the strings that will be displayed for
the ON and OFF states. If you choose String, the text string from the control engine is displayed.

(D) Deadband. If you selected Value in Setup By (C), enter the value to be added and subtracted
from the previously read tag value to determine whether the new value is displayed.

(E) Text Justification. Select the format in which numeric values will be displayed: decimal,
hexadecimal, binary, or exponential. Hexadecimal numbers are prefixed with 0X and appear in
uppercase letters. Float values may not be displayed as hexadecimal or binary.
(F) Numerical Format. Select the text justification for the string from the control engine.
(G) Discrete. This section is highlighted if Discrete was chosen in Setup By (C). Enter the string to
be displayed if the tags discrete value is ON, and enter the string to be displayed if the tags discrete
value is OFF.

(H) OK. Click here to save your settings. (Click Cancel to close the dialog box without making
changes.)

Upload Recipe
Use this attribute to upload a recipe file from a control engine when graphic is clicked. This is an
operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons,
bitmaps, and text. For more information about recipes, see Recipes on page 246.
Double-click Upload Recipe in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the following.

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E
F
G

I
J

L
M

(A) Name. Enter the directory location of the recipe format file. Use the Browse button B to
quickly select a directory name. The recipe format file is used to tell the control engine what data to
read. Often, its the original downloaded recipe. For example, the number of lines with data values
represents how many values should be read from the control engine.
(B) Browse. Click to quickly find the recipe format file directory for A. The Select Format File
Directory dialog box appears. Use it to navigate to the desired directory and click OK when youre
done.

(D) File Name. Choose the source of the recipe format file name:

If you choose Fixed name, the Fixed Name field (E) is highlighted.

If Prompt for name is selected, the operator is prompted for the recipe format file name.

If From strategy is selected, the String Name field (F) is highlighted.

(E) Fixed Name. If Fixed Name was selected in D, enter the name of the recipe format file located
in directory A. Notice the file extension is .rcp.

(F) String Name. If From strategy was selected in D, use the Tag Selection button

to enter a
tagname of type string that contains the recipe format file name. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about this
dialog box. Configuring Tags on page 75

(G) Directory. Enter the directory location of the recipe file that will receive the information. Use
the Browse button (H) to quickly enter a directory name.

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(H) Browse. Click to quickly find the recipe file directory for G. The Select Destination File
Directory dialog box appears. Use it to navigate to the desired directory and click OK when youre
done.

(I) File Name. Choose the file name for the recipe data that will be read from the control engine.

Fixed NameCheck this if the template file is a file name you want to configure at this time. If
this option is selected, the File Name edit box appears, prompting you for a file name. Make
sure the file exists in the Directory entry, otherwise an error is posted. The file name may not be
changed at Runtime.
The "Extension" parameter also appears and prompts for a one to three character long
extension that's appended to the "Fixed Name". The extension must not contain a period or a
DOS wild card character. The default extension is "rcp".

Prompt For NameCheck this if the template file name is to be prompted at Runtime when
the trigger occurs. If this option is selected, the Extension parameter also appears. Enter a one
to three character long extension which does not contain a period or a DOS wild card. This
extension is used as a filter to select which files are displayed when prompting a user for the
recipe name at Runtime, however files with different extensions may be selected.

From StrategyCheck this option if you want to use a string tag name from the control
engine strategy to specify the template file name. If this option is selected, the String Name
dialog box appears, prompting for the tag name you want to use. Use the "?" button to enter
the tag name from the Tag Selection dialog box.

(J) Fixed Name. If Fixed Name was selected in I, enter the name of the file to receive the
information. This file will be located in the Directory field (G).
(K) Extension. Specify the file extension for the recipe files available to this dynamic attribute by
entering the extension in the File Extension field. The extension must be one to three characters
long and must not contain a period or DOS wild card characters.
If Fixed Name is checked, this extension will append to the File Name entry to create the name for
the recipe file. If Prompt For Name is checked, this extension will be used as a filter to select the files
for display in a file selection dialog box when Runtime executes this dynamic attribute. However,
you may override this filter if you wish to select a file with a different extension.

(L) Mistic String. If From strategy was selected in I, use the Tag Selection button
to enter a
tagname of type string that contains the file name. The Tag Selection dialog box is displayed so you
can select a tag.
(M) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Vertical Position
Use this attribute to adjust the vertical position of a graphic based on a tag value from the control
engine. This is a control engine-driven attribute and is available for lines, rectangles, round
rectangles, ellipses, and polygons, polylines, curves, bitmaps, and text.
Double-click Vertical Position in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes dialog box to display the
following.

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(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button B. As the tag
value changes, the graphics horizontal position is changed.

(C) Value at Top/Bottom. Enter the top and bottom values for the graphic. For example, if you
know your tag values will be from 0 to 100, you may wish to enter a range of 0 to 100 or a subset of
this range such as 0 to 50.

(D) Movement Up/Down. Enter the maximum top and bottom movement the object can
change. The movement units are in pixels. For example, if your bottom and top values are 0 and 100,
your bottom and top movements are 0 and 200, and your point of reference (E) is from the bottom
when the tag value is 50, the object will be moved 100 pixels from the bottom.

(E) Reference. Enter the reference point for the object. This is the reference point from which the
object will move. The choices are top, center, and bottom. The Vertical Size (Height) dynamic
attribute must also be configured in order for this option to affect the graphic.

(F) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine whether the graphics position will actually change. Using our previous example in D,
lets say the deadband is 5. A tag is read and has a value of 50. The next tag reading must be greater
than 55 in order for the graphic to move.
(G) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Vertical Size (Height)

Use this attribute to change the height of a graphic based on a tag value from the control engine.
This is a control engine-driven attribute and is available for lines, rectangles, round rectangles,
ellipses, and polygons.

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(F) Visibility. To configure a visibility state for the ranges set up in Cutoff Values (E), click a visibility
fields drop-down button. Your choices are Invisible, Visible, Slow Blink, Med. Blink, and Fast Blink. In
the same manner, choose the visibility state for each range of values.
(G) Deadband. Enter a value to be added and subtracted from the previously read tag value to
determine whether the graphics visibility will actually change.
For example, lets say the Cutoff values are 1, 10, 20, and 30, and the visibility fields are Invisible,
Visible, Slow Blink, Med. Blink, and Fast Blink. The Deadband is 2. A tag is read with a value of 10. The
next value read must be greater than 12 in order for the graphic to change.

(H) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Windows
Use the Windows attribute to change window states when a graphic is clicked. This is an
operator-driven attribute and is available for rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, polygons,
bitmaps, and text.
To display the Pop Window dialog box, double-click Windows in the Graphics Dynamic Attributes
dialog box.

A
B
C

D
F

E
G

(A) Windows. Initially, this list shows all the windows available for the project. Select the window
that has the window state you want to change. You can also select more than one window by using
a couple of key combinations. One way is to select a window, press SHIFT, and click on another
window name in the list. This selects all the windows in between the two window names. Another
way is to select a window name, press the CTRL key, and click on each window name you want
selected.

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(B) Insert. Use to insert the selected window(s) in Action/Affected Windows (D). The window
name will be inserted above the highlighted window(s) in (A).

(C) Append. Use to add the selected window(s) to the bottom of the window list in
Action/Affected Windows (D). The window name will be inserted after the last window in
Action/Affected Windows (D).

(D) Action/Affected Windows. Lists the windows and what window state they will go to
when the graphic is clicked.

(E) Default. Use this group as a handy window state assignment key for the windows youve
highlighted in (A). When the windows are copied over to Action/Affected Windows (D), you will see
they all have the default window state youve assigned. The window state choices are Open, Close,
and Iconify.

(F) New Action. Use this group to change any window states listed in Action/Affected Windows
(D). Highlight one or more windows and select the new window state action. Your choices are
Open, Close, and Iconify.

(G) Remove/Deselect. Use this group to modify the window name list in Action/Affected
Windows (D). The Remove Selected option removes only those windows youve highlighted; the
Remove All option removes all windows from the list; and the Deselect All option deselects and
quickly unhighlights all window names.

(H) All Others. For all windows left in (A), use this grouping to affect their window states. For
example, if a window state is open and the graphic is clicked, the window state can stay the same,
be iconified, or be closed. Likewise, you can alter the window states of closed and iconified
windows.

(I) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Copying and Deleting Dynamic Attributes

Once a dynamic attribute has been added to an on-screen graphic object, you can easily assign
those attributes to other graphics using copy and paste. You can also quickly delete all dynamic
attributes from a graphic.

Copying Dynamic Attributes from a Graphic

To copy a set of dynamic attributes from one object to another, do the following:

1. With the Select tool

, click the graphic whose dynamic attributes you want to copy.
2. Choose Edit > Copy Dynamic Attributes (or use SHIFT+CTRL+C) to copy the attributes to the
Windows clipboard.
Another way you can do this is to right-click on the object and select Dynamic Attributes >
Copy.
You can now assign these dynamic attributes to another graphic using Edit > Paste Dynamic
Attributes.

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Pasting Dynamic Attributes to a Graphic

To paste a set of dynamic attributes that were copied to the Windows clipboard, do the following:

1. With the Select tool

, choose one or more graphics to which you want to paste the dynamic
attributes.
2. Choose Edit > Paste Dynamic Attributes, and then do one of the following:
To delete any existing dynamic attributes the object may already have, choose Delete
Existing.
To add the copied attributes to existing attributes and replace any that might be of the
same type, select Replace Duplicates.
To add the attribute to existing attributes and not change any attributes that might be of
the same type, select Ignore Duplicates.
You can also perform these tasks by right-clicking on the object and selecting the paste option
from Dynamic Attributes > Paste.

Deleting Dynamic Attributes from a Graphic

To delete all dynamic attributes from a graphic, do the following:

1. With the Select tool

, choose one or more graphics that have dynamic attributes you want
to delete.
2. Choose Edit > Delete Dynamic Attributes.
Another way you can do this is to right-click on the object and select Dynamic Attributes >
Delete Existing from the pop-up menu.

Viewing Tags and Dynamic Attributes

As you develop or document a PAC Display project, it can be useful to know about the dynamic
attributes and tags used by the objects in the projects windows.

Dynamic Attributes for Individual Objects

To view the dynamic attributes configured for an individual graphic object or a group of objects,
select one or more objects in a window, right-click the mouse, and select Dynamic Attributes >
View from the pop-up menu. The dynamic attributes assigned to that object or objects will be
shown in the Dynamic Attributes window.

Viewing Tags for One or More Objects

To view the tags that a particular object or objects is connected to, click the object (or group of
objects), and move the cursor over it. The tags used will be shown next to the cursor.

Dynamic Attributes for All Objects

To generate a report that lists the dynamic attributes for all objects in all project windows, as well as
all the alarm points configured for a project, do the following:
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select View > Dynamic Attributes.

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2. In the dialog box that opens, select one or more windows whose dynamic attributes you want
to view and click OK.
The Microsoft Windows Notepad application opens and displays a report similar to the
following example:
Project Name: C:\Opto22\PAC
Display\Examples\ioCookies\Display\cfactory.uui
---------------------------------------------------------------------Window: Cookie Factory
**********************
GroupX = 530Y = 332W = 86H = 28
Operator-Driven Dynamic Attribute Tags
Send Value:
Cookie Control Engine:Conveyor_Speed_Control.Value
Refresh Group: Group 0
Source
: Prompt for Data
Destination: Set
Message
: Enter Conveyor Speed
Min. Value : 0.00
Max. Value : 100.00
GroupX = 133Y = 213W =

21H =

Using the TagInfoView Utility Program

After you have selected View > Dynamic Attributes, you can use a small utility program called
TagInfoView to sort and view the tag information in greater detail.
1. Select View > Launch TagInfoView Utility.
2. In the Tag Information Viewer dialog box that opens, verify that the TagInfo.txt file appears in
the file field at the top.
3. In the Sort By sections, select how you want the tag information sorted.
4. Click Display Results.

Scanning to Update Graphics

As you configure your project and connect PAC Control tags to PAC Display objects, you are setting
up the connections that will animate your graphics in PAC Display Runtime as the tag data changes.
PAC Display acquires this tag data using an internal scanner that monitors one or more control
engines. Understanding how the scanner works and how it gets its data will help you optimize your
systems performance.

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SCANNING TO UPDATE GRAPHICS

Scanning is PAC Displays process of requesting data about I/O points and variables from the
Opto 22 control engine. When the control engine receives this request, it must first determine if its
data for the requested tags is current. If the data is not current, the control engine will access the I/O
units connected to it and request the latest readings. This tag information is then sent back to PAC
Display. Depending on the data and how it is connected to objects in your PAC Display project,
graphic objects then change their attributes.
In this section:
Refresh Time Groups on page 184
Configuring Scan Rates on page 184

Refresh Time Groups

Each tag connected to a PAC Display graphic belongs to a refresh time group that determines how
often the tag is scanned. You define the characteristics of refresh time groups by setting a scan rate.
See Configuring Scan Rates (below) to learn how to set these values.
System performance is affected by how a refresh time group is set up, so its important to define
refresh time groups carefully. Follow these guidelines when configuring refresh time groups for your
project:

Select scan rates that reflect the rate at which the process variables change. For example, the
outside air temperature changes slowly, and could be scanned every 15 minutes or so.

As a good engineering practice, select the slowest possible scan rate that is acceptable for your
application. This will help prevent the system from being overloaded by needlessly scanning
too much information too quickly.

If the amount of data being scanned is too much for the selected scan rate, decrease the scan
rate to better match what the actual throughput will allow.
If you have tried the preceding guidelines and scanning speed does not improve, then there
may be too much data being requested from one control engine, or there may be too much
data being scanned by one computer, or both. To eliminate the bottlenecks, you may need to
add more control engines, divide the PAC Display projects over multiple computers, or both.

Configuring Scan Rates

In This Chapter
About Trends .............................................................. 187
Types of Trends .......................................................... 188
Working With Basic Trends................................... 188

Working with SuperTrends...................................... 193

Using SuperTrend Log Files ..................................... 204
Using XY Plots ............................................................... 213

About Trends
PAC Display trends are graphical objects that visually plot control engine values, including I/O points
and results of a calculation. Using a trend, you can show how real-time and historical data changes
over time, or how one set of data relates to another one. In PAC Display Runtime, trends are created
when active I/O point values, or tags, are read from a PAC Control strategy running on a control
engine and visually plotted.
Tag values are graphed on a two-dimensional x-axis and y-axis coordinate system. Depending on
the type of trend used, the x-axis can represent time or a set of tag values. The y-axis can represent
either the range of values for a tag or a set of tag values. You can set features for each trend line
used, and there is no limit to the number of trends that can be displayed in a window. For trends
that graph data over time, the maximum time span supported is 14 days.
You can easily set or modify the following elements in a trend:

X- and y-axis ranges and the major and minor divisions that appear on the chart

Graph backgrounds and border colors

Pen colors for trend lines

Tag value scanning, which can be turned on or off for a specific trend.

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Types of Trends
There are three types of trends that you can use in a PAC Display project: basic trends, SuperTrends,
and XY plots. Basic trends and SuperTrends graph control engine values over time, but support
different numbers of trend lines and have other differences. XY plots graph data from two tables,
using one set of data for x-axis values and the other for y-axis values.

Basic TrendsUsing a basic trend, up to four trend lines can be displayed on any one trend
chart. Unlike a SuperTrend (described below), which can graph historical data, basic trends can
only graph real-time data. See Working With Basic Trends below for more information.

SuperTrendsUsing a SuperTrend, up to 16 trend lines can be displayed on any one trend

chart. SuperTrends can graph both real-time and historical data. See Working with
SuperTrends on page 193 for more information.

XY PlotsUsing an XY plot, up to six individual trend lines can be displayed on any one XY
plot. XY plots can only graph data in numeric tables. See Using XY Plots on page 213 for more
information.

Working With Basic Trends

You can use basic trends to graph real-time tag information using up to four pens.
In this section:
Creating a Basic Trend on page 188
Modifying a Basic Trend on page 189
Configuring Basic Trend Pens on page 192
Optimizing Pen Settings on page 193

Creating a Basic Trend

1. Select the basic trend tool
from the toolbox and position the cursor where you want the
trend to begin in the window.
2. Click the mouse button, drag the mouse to the desired size, and then release the mouse
button.
The trend that appears should resemble the example below:

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Y-axis Layout
Label Position = Left
Label Range:
- Max Val = 100
- Min Val = 0
Minor Divisions = 4
Major Divisions = 5
Label Intervals = 1
X-axis Layout
Minor Divisions = 2
Major Divisions = 4
Label Intervals = 2

Label Position = Bottom

Label Format = Hours, Minutes, and Seconds

Modifying a Basic Trend

Choose the Select tool and double-click the trend.
The Trend Configuration dialog box appears.

Trend Configuration Dialog Box

A
B

E
F
G

C
D
H

M
N
O

I
J
K
L

P
Q

(A) Name. Enter the name of the trend here.

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(B) Pen Configuration Buttons. Use these pen configuration buttons to associate each pen
with one PAC Control tag, to define its pen color and width, and to specify a range of values for the
tag. You can configure up to four pens per trend. See Optimizing Pen Settings on page 193 for
more information.

(C) Chart Color. Click here to enter the charts background color. In the Color dialog box that
appears, choose a color and click OK.
(D) Border Color. Click here to enter the charts border color. In the Color dialog box that
appears, choose a color and click OK.

(E) Time Span. Enter the time span the trend represents. (Remember that the time span is
indicated on the x-axis). Choose the time units from the drop-down list. Your choices are seconds,
minutes, or hours. The maximum time span is 14 days, or 336 hours.

(F) Refresh Time. Select the refresh time here. Choose from one of seven refresh time groups.
The scan rate appears in parentheses alongside the refresh group number. All tags associated with
the pens in B are scanned at the same rate.
You can find out more about refresh times in Scanning to Update Graphics on page 183. Also see
Optimizing Pen Settings on page 193 to learn how pen settings affect how PAC Display
communicates with a control engine.

(G) Disable Trend. Choose whether to disable a trend based on the state of its window. If you
disable the trend, the tags associated with the pens in B wont be updated with new data from the
PAC Control strategy until the trend is enabled again. Disabling a trend saves the control engine
processing time, since it doesnt have to respond to regular requests from PAC Display for tag
updates.
NOTE: Trends that are enabled are always updated, regardless of the windows visual state (normal,
iconified, etc.). This means PAC Display continually requests data from the control engine to update its
trends. Keep this in mind when youre considering the number of enabled trends you are including in the
project. The more enabled trends you have, the more the control engine has to spend time reading its I/O
to update the data.

(H) Number of Major Divisions (X Axis). Enter the number of major x-axis divisions for the
trend. This is the number of main sections the trend is divided into. You can also choose a color for
the major divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a color
and click OK.
NOTE: For both x- and y-axis divisions, the lines dividing the major divisions appear thicker than the minor
divisions.

(I) Number of Minor Divisions (X Axis). Enter the number of minor x-axis divisions for the
trend. This will be the number of sections the major divisions are divided into. The minimum
number of divisions is one.
You can also choose a color for the minor x-axis divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color
dialog box that appears, choose a color and click OK.

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(J) Label Interval in Major Divisions (X Axis). Enter how often you want the major x-axis
labeled.
NOTE: For both x- and y-axis labels, if you enter 1, every major division is labeled; if you enter 2, every other
major division is labeled.

(K) Label Position (X Axis). Choose the label position for the x-axis. By default, the x-axis is
labeled at the bottom, but you can choose to label the top, top and bottom, or have no labeling at
all.

(L) Label Format (X Axis). Enter the label format by checking off any combination of hours,
minutes, and seconds. The label appears in the following format: HH:MM:SS, where HH is hours, MM
is minutes, and SS is seconds.
(M) Number of Major Divisions (Y Axis). Enter the number of major y-axis divisions for the
trend. This is the number of main sections the trend is divided into. You can also choose a color for
the major divisions by clicking the Color field. In the dialog box that appears, choose a color and
click OK.

(N) Number of Minor Divisions (Y Axis). Enter the number of minor y-axis divisions for the
trend. This will be the number of sections the major divisions are divided into. The minimum
number of divisions is one.
You can also choose a color for the minor y-axis divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color
dialog box that appears, choose a color and click OK.

(O) Label Interval in Major Divisions (Y Axis). Enter how often you want the major y-axis
labeled.

(P) Label Position (Y Axis). Choose the label position for the y-axis. If you choose Left, Right, or
Left and Right, only pens that fall within the minimum and maximum values of the Label Range are
displayed; pen data outside the range is not displayed.
However, if you choose None, no labels are shown on the y-axis, multiple ranges appear to overlap,
and all pens are displayed. As shown in the following example, if pen A has a range of 0-100 and pen
B has a range of 300-400, the y-axis has a range of 0-100 and 300-400 simultaneously and both pens
are displayed.

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62
Pen 1

Pen 2
305

(Q) Label Range (Y Axis). Enter the minimum and maximum values for the y-axis.
(R) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring Basic Trend Pens

Click a pen configuration button in the Trend Configuration dialog box.
The Trend Pen Configuration dialog box appears.

Trend Pen Configuration Dialog Box

B
D
E

(A) Name. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection Button (B).
(B) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag Selection dialog box is
displayed so you can select a tag. See Configuring Tags on page 75 to learn more about
configuring tags in your project.
(C) Maximum/Minimum Value. Enter the maximum and minimum value the tag selected in
A can be.

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(D) Pen Color. Click here to choose a pen color. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a
color and click OK.

E) Pen Width. Enter the width of the line you want created by the pen. The width is specified in
pixels.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Optimizing Pen Settings

The scan rates you select when configuring a pen can impact the speed and performance of your
PAC Display project and the control engine. When selecting scan rates for long trends, you should
choose optimal scan times for the pens as follows:
1. Determine the trend width in pixels by using the X: value in the Coordinates window.
First, subtract the X: value of the left trend border from the X: value of the right trend border.
Then divide the trend width in seconds by the trend width in pixels.
For example, an eight-hour trend that is 500 pixels wide yields a number of 57.6 seconds
(8 x 3600/500).

2. Round this to the nearest increment of 10.

In the example, the value would be rounded up to 60 seconds. This means that for optimum
PAC Display performance, the trend should not be updated more frequently than every 60
seconds.
NOTE: A small compromise to increase the accuracy of the trend is to divide the result by four. In our
example, this would result in a scan time of every 15 seconds. Using a 15-second scan time allows a
maximum of four readings per pixel on the trend. Updating any faster than that is counterproductive;
the excess data is discarded, and the extra requests for data from the control engine add overhead to
the control system.

Working with SuperTrends

SuperTrends are trends that can track both real-time and historical data. You can also use up to 16
pens with a SuperTrend; basic trends support only four pens. SuperTrends are drawn and configured
in PAC Display Configurator, like any other on-screen object, but the charts can also be manipulated
by the operator in PAC Display Runtime. See Using Runtime on page 322 to learn how to use
SuperTrend options in Runtime.
In this section:
Memory Requirements for SuperTrend Pens on page 194
Creating a SuperTrend on page 194
Configuring the SuperTrend Setup Parameters on page 195
on page 196
Configuring Y-Axis Parameters on page 197
Configuring Zoom Parameters on page 199
Configuring Hot Keys on page 200

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Configuring SuperTrend Pens on page 201

Setting an Individual Pen on page 202

Memory Requirements for SuperTrend Pens

When several SuperTrends, each using several pens, are used in a PAC Display project, the
memory requirements for the PC running the project can become very high. Keep this in
mind when developing your PAC Display project. Use the following formula to determine the
amount of RAM required for each pen in a SuperTrend:
RAM required per pen (bytes) = 19.2 SuperTrends x-axis time span (sec.)
SuperTrends scan rate (sec.)

For example, the memory required for each pen in a SuperTrend having a six-hour scan time (21,600
sec.) and a 500 ms scan rate (0.5 sec.) would be calculated as follows:
19.2 21600 sec. = 829,400 bytes
0.5 sec.

This is approximately 800 KB for each pen. If this SuperTrend contained five pens, for example, it
would use 4,000 KB of RAM, or just under 4 MB.
Each time you configure a SuperTrend, the approximate amount of RAM required for that object will
be shown.

Creating a SuperTrend
1. Select the SuperTrend tool
from the toolbox and position the cursor where you want the
trend to begin in the window.
2. Click the mouse button, drag the mouse to the desired size, and then release the mouse
button.
The SuperTrend appears.

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If you do not draw the SuperTrend wide enough, some of the command buttons will be placed
in a second row.

Configuring the SuperTrend Setup Parameters

Choose the Select tool and double-click the trend.
The SuperTrend Setup dialog box appears.

SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Setup Tab

A
C
D

E
G
H
I

(A) Trend Type. Choose the trend type here. If you select Combined, you can switch between
real-time and historical trending when the project is running. In the Color dialog box that appears,
choose a color and click OK.

(B) Size - Position. Enter the X and Y coordinates to position the super trend. Enter the width in
pixels (W) or height (H) to change the size.

(C) Computer Saving Data to File. This field shows which computer will collect SuperTrend
data. If Local Computer appears, SuperTrend data is collected by the computer running PAC
Display Runtime. If the name of another computer appears, it is a remote computer that has been
previously selected. See Using SuperTrend Log Files on page 204 to learn how to choose this
remote computer.

(D) Log To. Allows you to log to a file or to a database.

Log File
Displays the Historic Log File Configuration Dialog Box. In this dialog box, you can specify file
parameters such as the rollover period and the amount of data to buffer in memory. See
Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File on page 206.

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Log to Database
Displays the Database Table dialog box that allows you to configure a table for logging
SuperTrend data. See Saving a SuperTrend to a Database on page 208.

(E) Color. Click here to enter the charts background color. In the Color dialog box that appears,
choose a color and click OK.

(F) Text File/Binary File. Select whether the historical log will be saved to a file in text or binary
format. When the SuperTrend data is saved in ASCII text format, the file includes a header that
contains information about tags assigned to the SuperTrend pens. When the data is saved in binary
format, the file does not include this header. Historical trend information saved in a binary file is
usually graphed more quickly than trend information that is saved in a text file.
If there are existing data files for a SuperTrend and the file format is switched between text and
binary, the Select Log File To Convert To dialog box will appear. In this dialog box, you can select a
log file to convert to the appropriate format. See on page 208 to learn more about switching
between text and binary file formats.
NOTE: When historical trending information from a text file is graphed, the chart will be drawn more slowly
than when using the same information from a binary file.

(G) Refresh Time. Select the refresh time here. You can choose from one of seven refresh time
groups. The scan rate appears in parentheses alongside the refresh group number. You can find out
more about refresh times in Scanning to Update Graphics on page 183. All tags associated with
the pens in this trend will be scanned at the same rate.

(H) Disable Scanning. Choose whether to disable a trend based on its windows state. If you
disable the trend, the tags associated with the pens wont be updated with new data from the PAC
Control strategy until the trend is enabled again. Disabling a trend saves the control engine
processing time by not having to respond to regular requests from PAC Display for tag updates.
The trend retains its recorded data at the time the trend was disabled.

Never: The trend is never disabled. It always collects data.

When Window Closed: The trend stops scanning when its window is closed. It starts
scanning again when the window is restored.
When Window Minimized: The trend stops scanning when its window is minimized. It starts
scanning again when the window is restored.

(I) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring X-Axis Parameters

Click the X-axis tab to configure x-axis parameters for the SuperTrend.

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SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, X-axis Tab

A
B
C
D

(A) Time Span. Enter the time span (x-axis) the trend represents. Choose the time units from the
drop-down list. Your choices are seconds, minutes, hours, and days. The maximum time span is 49
days, or 1,176 hours.

(B) Major Divisions. Enter the number of major x-axis divisions for the trend. The trend will be
divided into this number of main sections. You can choose a color for the main section dividers in
Colors (D). The lines dividing the main sections will appear thicker than the lines dividing the minor
sections.

(C) Minor Divisions. Enter the number of minor x-axis divisions for the trend. The major sections
will be divided into this number of minor sections. The minimum number of divisions is one. You
can choose a color for the minor section dividers in Colors (D).
(D) Colors. Click on the boxes to set the colors for the major divisions, minor divisions, and labels.
In the Color dialog box that appears for each item, choose a color and click OK.

(E) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring Y-Axis Parameters

Click the Y-axis tab to configure y-axis parameters for the SuperTrend.

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SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Y-axis Tab

A
B

D
E

(A) Major Divisions (Grid). Enter the number of major y-axis divisions for the trend.
(B) Minor Divisions (Grid). Enter the number of minor y-axis divisions for the trend.
(C) Scale. Click here to select the scaling.

If you choose Default, the trend will always have the same fixed scale. You must enter values for
the Default Max. Value and Default Min. Value. These values specify the range of pen tag values.
This scaling is static and cannot be changed in Runtime.

If you choose Pen, the trend will have the scale of the active pen.
NOTE: To see all pens scaled the same in Runtime when using Pen scaling, see Using SuperTrends in
Runtime on page 334.

198

If you select the Logarithmic checkbox, the trend will have a logarithmic y-axis based on the
scale of the active pen. The logarithmic y-axis is determined by rounding down the minimum
pen value to the next lowest factor of ten, and rounding up the maximum pen value to the
next greatest factor of ten. For example, if a pens range has a minimum value of 500 and a
maximum value of 8500, the y-axis will have a minimum value of 100 and a maximum value of
10,000.

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(D) Label Numeric Format. Click this button to open the Y-Axis Numeric Format dialog.

Fill in the options as you like for displaying the Y-axis labels. Y-axis values can be shown in decimal or
exponent form, or a mixture of both.

(E) Colors. Click on the boxes to set the colors for the major divisions, minor divisions, and labels in
the trend. If you want the y-axis to use the color of the pen thats currently active, select Active Pen
Color.
In the Color dialog box that appears for each item, choose a color and click OK.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring Zoom Parameters

When a SuperTrend is in historical mode, the operator can zoom in to view a more detailed section
of the trend, or zoom out to view a less detailed section of the trend. Click the Zoom tab to set
magnification levels. The Zoom page, shown below, configures the zoom levels by defining scales
for the x-axis.

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SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Zoom Tab

A
B
C

(A) Time. Enter the amount of time to display on the trend while in zoom in/zoom out mode. Unit
choices, selected from the dropdown box, are seconds, minutes, hours, or days.
(B) Major Divisions. Enter the amount of time that constitutes one major division while in zoom
in/zoom out mode. Unit choices, selected from the dropdown box, are seconds, minutes, hours, or
days.

(C) Minor Divisions. Enter the number of minor divisions per major division while in zoom
in/zoom out mode. This number must be 1 or greater.

(D) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring Hot Keys

All of the buttons that appear at the bottom of a SuperTrend can be associated with a combination
of keystrokes called a hot key. If a button has a hot key configured, the operator can either click on
the button or press the hot key combination. This way the operator can use the SuperTrend without
needing a mouse.
NOTE: If a command is only available in historical mode, its associated hot key will also work only in
historical mode.
To configure hot keys, click the Hot Keys tab.

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SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Hot Keys Tab

B
C

(A) Commands. This field displays the Runtime commands that may be associated with a hot
key. Highlight a command to configure a hot key for it, or to view the existing hot key settings.

(B) Modifiers. Check the box labeled Ctrl if you want the CTRL key to be part of the hot key. Check
the box labeled Shift if you wish the SHIFT key to be part of the hot key. You may select none, one, or
both.

(C) Key. This drop-down box lists all available keys that can be hot keys. Make sure that you do not
assign a hot key to more than one SuperTrend command.

(D) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring SuperTrend Pens

Unlike a basic trend, a SuperTrend can plot trend lines for up to 16 tag values (pens). Pens 1 through
8 are configured under the Pens 1-8 window shown below. Pens 9 through 16 are configured
identically under the tab Pens 9-16. There is one row for each pen.

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SuperTrend Setup Dialog Box, Pens 18Tab

A
B

C
D
E

(A) Pen #. Check this box to enable the pen in this row (uncheck the box to disable the pen). The
pen is enabled automatically when it is first created.
(B) Name. Once a pen is configured, its name appears here.
(C) Color. Click here to select the pen color. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a color
and click OK.
(D) Modify. Click here to configure a pen or to modify its configuration. The SuperTrend Pen #
configuration dialog box appears. Configure the pen and click OK. The pen name will be listed in B.

(E) Clear. Click here to clear the pen configuration.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Setting an Individual Pen

Click the Modify button for a pen in the SuperTrend Setup dialog box.
The SuperTrend Pen dialog box appears. (The number of the pen to be configured is shown in the
title bar.)

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A
B
D
E

C
F
G
H

I
J
K

(A) Name. Enter a SuperTrend pen name, if desired. By default, when a tag is selected in B, the
name will be the same as the tagname. In Runtime, this name is displayed in the SuperTrends Active
Pen drop-down list.

(B) Tag. Enter a PAC Control tagname here by clicking the Tag Selection button in C.
(C) Tag Selection Button. To enter a tagname in B, click here and select a tag in the Tag
Selection dialog box that appears. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about
selecting and configuring tags.
(D) Range. These fields configure the range of displayed data points:

The Max Value, or maximum value, is the tag value that will position the pen at the top of the
trend. If a scanned value of the tag is greater than the Max Value, the point will be plotted but
will not be visible on the trend.
When graphing integers, the Max Value must be a multiple of the y-axis major divisions,
otherwise there will be rounding errors. For example, if the y-axis major divisions is 7, the Max
Value might be 21 (3x7), 49 (7x7), or 84 (12x7). The y-axis major divisions is set on the Y-axis tab.
See Configuring Y-Axis Parameters on page 197.

The Min Value, or minimum value, is the tag value that will position the pen at the bottom of
the trend. If a scanned value of the tag is less than the Min Value, the point will be plotted but
will not be visible on the trend.

(E) Line. Click in the box next to Color to choose a pen color. In the Color dialog box that appears,
choose a color and click OK. Enter the width of the line you want created by the pen. The width is
specified in pixels.

(F) Point Marker Enabled. Click here to have point markers displayed for every scanned point.
Point markers make it easy to identify scanned data. In historical mode, you can click on a scanned
point to display its data (value, time scanned, etc.).
(G) Point Marker Size. Choose a point marker width, which is measured in pixels.

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(H) Runtime Options. Select Cannot Disable to prevent the pen from being manually disabled
in Runtime.

(I) Deadband. If a SuperTrends Trend Type is set to Combined on the Setup tab of the
SuperTrend Setup dialog box, use Deadband to produce smaller, more manageable log files.
Without deadbanding, a combined SuperTrend writes point data to a log file even when the data
does not change. The resulting log file might contain many hundreds or even thousands of identical
entries.
No Deadband: Choose this option if you do not want deadbanding.
Enable Discrete Deadband: Logging only occurs when the specified discrete value toggles either a
tags on or off state, or the bit in an integer.
NOTE: Use Enable Discrete Deadband only for discrete values. PAC Display actually uses a value of 0.5 for
the deadband amount. If a floating point value is being trended, and Enable Discrete Deadband is
selected, unexpected results may occur.
Enable Value Deadband: Logging only occurs if the newly plotted point value exceeds the previous
point by greater than the value you have entered here. Only positive values are accepted.

(J) Force Logging. When deadbanding is enabled, use this option to force a log file entry to be
generated even if the value for the pen has not exceeded the specified deadband amount. This is
useful for logging values that rarely change more than the deadband amount, but you need
verification that logging occurred over a set time span.
Enter a positive whole number, and select either Minutes or Hours.

(K) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Using SuperTrend Log Files

Tag value data that is graphed in the SuperTrend chart can be saved to historic log files for later
viewing. Using the buttons and other controls on a SuperTrend chart, the operator can open and
view these log files while the project is running in PAC Display Runtime. This section shows how to
configure SuperTrend settings in your project to define how and where SuperTrend log files are
saved. To learn how to use SuperTrend controls, see Using SuperTrends in Runtime on page 334.
NOTE: SuperTrend historic log files are similar to historic data logs, but are created and saved as separate
files due to the additional pen information that a SuperTrend can collect.
In this section:
Choosing a Computer to Save SuperTrend Log Files on page 205
Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File on page 206
Saving a SuperTrend to a Database on page 208
Saving a Log in Text or Binary Format on page 210
Converting SuperTrend Log Files to Text Format for Viewing on page 211

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Choosing a Computer to Save SuperTrend Log Files

Follow the steps below to choose a local or remote computer that will save the SuperTrend log files.
If you select a remote computer, it must be running the same PAC Display project as the local
computer.
NOTE: Choosing a computer to save SuperTrend log files does not select the location where these files are
saved; it only designates the computer that will do the work of saving the file.
If you plan to run the same PAC Display project on multiple computers and these computers will
save SuperTrend data to the same location, it is recommended that you select a remote
computeralso running the projectto improve the performance of SuperTrend graphing and file
access.
1. Select Configure > SuperTrend Remote Logging.
The Remote SuperTrend Logging dialog box appears.

2. Do one of the following:

To have the local computer save SuperTrend data to a file, select Local Computer and click
OK.
The Local Computer setting will apply to each computer that is running this PAC Display
project, which means that each computer will save a SuperTrend log file.
To have a remote computer running the PAC Display project save SuperTrend data to a file,
do the following:
i. Select Remote Computer and click Browse.
ii. Navigate in the file tree that appears (similar to Windows Explorer) until you
find the computer that will save SuperTrend data.
iii. Select that computer in the list and click OK.
When your project is running, only that remote computer will save SuperTrend data to the
log file. The Remote Computer setting will apply to each computer that is running this PAC
Display project. With this setting selected, each computer will display the data, but will not
save it to a file.

Remote SuperTrend Logging Example

The following example shows one way that remote SuperTrend logging might be configured for
multiple computers running the same PAC Display project.

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The illustration below shows the required settings to have the computer PC 1 save SuperTrend log
files. With these settings, computers PC 2 and PC 3all running the same PAC Display
projectwould display SuperTrend data on-screen, but would not save SuperTrend log files.

PC 1

PC 2

PC 3

Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File

Also see, Saving a SuperTrend to a Database on page 208.
SuperTrend log files can be saved in the project directory of the computer running the PAC Display
project, or in a remote directory (for example, on a network server).
As data is received, a time-stamp is recorded and the data and time-stamp are buffered in the host's
memory until they reach the buffer size limit configured in the SuperTrend Historic Log File
Configuration dialog box. Reaching this limit, the buffer contents are written to this historic trend
log file.
File names are dependent on the rollover period specified in the SuperTrend Historic Log File
Configuration dialog box and follow this format:
Months:Rmyymm
Days:Rdyymmdd
Hours:RHmmddhh
None:STREND
where YY = year, mm = month, dd = day, and hh = hour.
File name extensions are in the Tnn format, where nn represents the two-character identifier
assigned to the historic trend log by PAC Display Configurator. The number of files retained on disk
for a historic trend log is also set within the File Access dialog box. Upon reaching this limit during
runtime, PAC Display deletes the file with the oldest DOS time-stamp.
To save a SuperTrend Log to a file, do the following:
1. Choose the Select tool and double-click the SuperTrend.
The SuperTrend Setup dialog box appears.

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2. Click Log To, and then select Log File from the pop-up menu.
The Historic Log File Configuration dialog box appears.

NOTE: Under File Name, only the Automatic option is available as the source, and no user-defined
names are allowed. PAC Display creates the log file name because when you view the log file in
Historical view mode, the log files are filtered based on their extension.

3. Do one of the following:

To save the log files for this SuperTrend locally in the PAC Display project directory, select
Use Project Directory and click OK.
SuperTrend log files will now be saved locally in the same directory as your PAC Display
project. The Use Project Directory setting will apply to each computer that is running this

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PAC Display project, which means that each computer will save SuperTrend log files in its
local project directory.

NOTE: If you have selected a remote computer to save SuperTrend log files, the Use Project
Directory option will not be available. You must click Browse and select a directory from
the list of network directories that appears, even if the directory you select is the same as
the project directory.
To save the log files for this SuperTrend in a location other than the PAC Display project
directory, do the steps below. If there are a lot of historic log files, saving each SuperTrends
log files to a different folder can speed up the display time.

Select Name and click Browse.

If you have selected remote SuperTrend logging, the Choose Remote Logging
Location dialog appears. Otherwise, the Select Directory dialog box appears.
ii. Navigate in the file dialog box that appears until you find a computer and
directory (Choose Remote Logging dialog box) or mapped local or network
drive and directory (Select Directory dialog box) where you want to save the
log files for this SuperTrend.
iii. Select the directory where the files will be saved and click OK.
i.

When your project is running, SuperTrend log files will be saved in the remote directory
you specified. This setting will apply to each computer that is running this PAC Display
project; each computer will save SuperTrend log files in the remote directory you selected.

Saving a SuperTrend to a Database

(Pro only) Follow the instructions below to configure a table for logging SuperTrend data.
Also see, Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File on page 206.
To log to a database, do the following:
1. Make sure you have configured the ODBC data source to be used with PAC Display. See
Configuring an ODBC Data Source on page 58.
2. Fom the SuperTrend Setup dialog, click the Log To button and choose Log to Database from
the popup menu.

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If there is a database configured, a dialog shows the default settings for the table that will be
created and logged to.

3. If desired, modify the table name or the column names.

Modify a column name as follows:

a. Click the name to highlight the row.

b. Click the name once again to make it editable.

c. Type in a new name, then push Enter.

NOTE: Table and column names may not contain the following characters: (space) [ ] :
NOTE: Column names must not conflict with the SQL reserved words for that database type. Some
examples are "value", "integer", etc.

4. Click OK to confirm your changes and exit the dialog boxes.

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Here is a sample of a table created using a Microsoft Access database:

Changing the Database Table Name

When you create or modify a table for logging SuperTrend data in a database, you can change the
database table name. However, when some data has been logged in Runtime, if you then change
the database table name in Configurator, a message will appear saying that the table already exists.
When the message appears, do one of the following:

Press Yes to create a new table and start logging to that table.

Press No to rename the existing table and continue logging to that table.

Saving a Log in Text or Binary Format

When you configure the SuperTrend object, you can choose to save a SuperTrend historic log file in
either text or binary format.
TextWhen saved as an ASCII text file, a SuperTrend historic log file includes a header with
information about tags assigned to the SuperTrend pens. One advantage of saving a log file in text
format is accessibilitythe file can be opened and viewed using any text editor, such as Windows
Notepad. The disadvantage to this file format is that when a large amount of historical trend
information is opened and graphed in a SuperTrend chart, the chart may be drawn slowly.
BinaryWhen a SuperTrend historic log file is saved in binary format, the file does not include a
header containing information about tags assigned to the SuperTrend pens. A major advantage to
saving a log file in binary format is speedhistorical trend information from a binary file is usually
graphed much more quickly than when using the same information from a text file. A disadvantage
to binary file format is that the data cannot be opened and read using a text editor.
To change the file format of an existing SuperTrend historic log file between text and binary in
PAC Display Configurator, perform the steps listed below. (You will need to have previously run your
PAC Display project and collected historical data for log files to be present.)
1. Double-click a previously configured SuperTrend object that has generated one or more
historic log files.
The SuperTrend Setup dialog box appears with either Text File or Binary File selected,
depending on how you originally configured the SuperTrend.

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Options to
choose the file
format of a
SuperTrend
historic log file

2. If Text File is selected, choose Binary File; if Binary File is selected, choose Text File.
The Select Log File to Convert to dialog appears. In the example below, text files that can be
converted to binary format appear in the list:

3. Highlight a log file to convert and then click OK.

4. Now click OK to close the SuperTrend Setup dialog.

Converting SuperTrend Log Files to Text Format for Viewing

While you cant view the contents of a SuperTrend historic log file saved in binary format, a simple
software utility (including source code) is included with PAC Display that lets you convert binary log
files to text format in order to view their contents. (The utility can also convert text files to binary
format.) Once you have converted a binary SuperTrend historic log file to text format, you can easily
view its contents using a text editor or other application.

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NOTE: This utility creates a separate, new file in text (or binary) format that is not used by PAC Display. The
format of the original SuperTrend historic log file is not changed. If you want to change the format in which
this original log file is saved, see Saving a Log in Text or Binary Format on page 210.

Important Guidelines for Using This Utility

Do not rename or modify any original SuperTrend historic log files. These are files with
the file extension .Tnn (for example, .T00, .T02, etc.; the number depends on how many
SuperTrends are saving historic data).

If you rename the new files that are created by the utility, do not use the name or file
extension of the original SuperTrend historic log file.

If you convert a text file to binary format, the header information in the text file will be
removed. This information cannot be recovered, even if you convert the binary file back to
text format.

Converting a SuperTrend Log File for Viewing

The utility for converting SuperTrend log files is available in PAC Display and also in a command line
version.
To use the PAC Display version:
This utility is available in both PAC Display Configurator and Runtime.
1. Select Tools > Convert SuperTrend Files to open the Convert SuperTrend Files application.

The current project folder is selected by default. To browse to a different folder, click the Browse
for Folder link. All SuperTrend files located in that folder are listed with either Text or Binary
shown as the type.

2. Check the box next to one or more file names, and then click Convert.
The files are converted to the correct format even if files of both types are selected.
Files are converted as follows:

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Text to Binary: Each new binary file has has the same name as the original with .bin
appended to the end. For example, RD090319.T00 becomes RD090319.T00.bin.
Binary to Text: Each new text file has has the same name as the original with .txt appended
to the end. For example, RD090319.T00 becomes RD090319.T00.txt.
To use the command line version of the conversion utility:
Open a command prompt window, and at the command prompt enter:
STRNDCVT.EXE [log file]

where [log file] is the name of the SuperTrend historic log file to be converted. For example, to
convert a log file named RH021615.T00, you would enter:
STRNDCVT.EXE RH021615.T00

The format change occurs automatically: If the log file is in binary format, it will be converted to text;
the new text file has the extension .txt. If the file is in text format, it will be converted to binary; the
new binary file has the file extension .bin.

Using XY Plots
You can use XY plots to graph real-time tag information. XY plots do not graph data over time, but
instead plot points on a two-dimensional graph using data from two float or integer tables in the
PAC Control strategy. (See Opto 22 form 1700, the PAC Control Users Guide, for information on using
numeric tables in a strategy.)
The value in each element of the numeric tables defines the coordinates for a single point on the
x-axis and y-axis coordinate system. The example below shows how two numeric tables, each
having three elements, would be used to draw three consecutive points on an XY plot.
Table Element

Numeric_Table_1

Numeric_Table_2

XY Coordinates

(3,8)

5.25

(5.25,10)

3.3

(2,3.3)

An XY plot is useful in applications where one value must be graphed against another value.
Common examples in industrial settings include graphing temperature versus pressure,
displacement versus input, or voltage versus current.
In this section:
Creating an XY Plot on page 213
Modifying an XY Plot on page 214
Configuring Individual Plots in an Object on page 216

Creating an XY Plot
1. Select the XY Plot tool
from the toolbox and position the cursor where you want the XY
plot object to begin in the window.
2. Click the mouse button, drag the mouse to the desired size, and then release the mouse
button.

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The XY plot that appears should resemble the example below:

Y-Axis Layout
Label Position =
Bottom
Max. Val = 100
Min. Val = 0
Major Divisions = 5
Minor Divisions = 2

X-Axis Layout
Label Position = Left Major Divisions = 5
Min. Val = 0 Minor Divisions = 2
Max. Val = 100

Modifying an XY Plot
Choose the Select tool and double-click the XY plot.
The XY Plot Configuration dialog box appears.

XY Plot Configuration Dialog Box

A
B

D
E

C
F
G

J
K

H
I

L
M

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The XY Plot Configuration dialog box is used to set the parameters of an XY plot graphic, including
the number of plotted lines that are displayed and the scaling used for the x-axis and y-axis.

(A) Title. Enter the title of the XY plot here.

(B) Border and Chart Color. Click a color button to enter the color for the chart, the charts
background, and the charts border. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a color and click
OK.

(C) Allow Range Change in Runtime. Select the Allow Range Change in Runtime checkbox
to allow the user to change the x-axis and y-axis range values in PAC Display Runtime.

(D) Pens. Use the plot configuration buttons to define up to six individual plotted points in the XY
plot. Each individual plot uses x-axis and y-axis coordinates from two PAC Control tags. You can also
define the plotted points color and width, and specify line style and whether a legend should
appear. See Configuring Individual Plots in an Object on page 216 for more information.

(E) Pen Checkbox. Check this box to display a configured individual plot (uncheck the box to
hide the plot).

(F) X-Axis Number of Major Divisions. Enter the number of major x-axis divisions for the XY
plot. This is the number of main sections the graph is divided into. You can also choose a color for
the major divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a color
and click OK.
NOTE: For both x- and y-axis divisions, the lines dividing the major divisions appear thicker than the minor
divisions.

(G) X-Axis Number of Minor Divisions. Enter the number of minor x-axis divisions for the XY
plot. This will be the number of sections the major divisions are divided into. The minimum number
of divisions is one.
You can also choose a color for the minor x-axis divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color
dialog box that appears, choose a color and click OK.

(H) X-Axis Min/Max Value. Enter the minimum and maximum values for the x-axis. In addition
to whole numbers and decimals, you can also use negative exponents for numbers less than 1. For
example, for the number .0000001, you would enter 1.00e-07.

(I) X-Axis Labels on Left/Right. Enter the label position for the x-axis. By default, the x-axis is
labeled on the left, but you can also choose to have the label on the right or on both sides.
(J) Y-Axis Number of Major Divisions. Enter the number of major y-axis divisions for the XY
plot. This is the number of main sections the graph is divided into. You can also choose a color for
the major divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a color
and click OK.
NOTE: For both x- and y-axis divisions, the lines dividing the major divisions appear thicker than the minor
divisions.

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(K) Y-Axis Number of Minor Divisions. Enter the number of minor y-axis divisions for the XY
plot. This will be the number of sections the major divisions are divided into. The minimum number
of divisions is one.
You can also choose a color for the minor y-axis divisions by clicking the Color field. In the Color
dialog box that appears, choose a color and click OK.

(L) Y-Axis Min/Max Value. Enter the minimum and maximum values for the y-axis. In addition
to whole numbers and decimals, you can also use negative exponents for numbers less than 1. For
example, for the number .0000002, you would enter 2.00e-07.

(M) Y-Axis Labels on Top/Bottom. Enter the label position for the y-axis. By default, the y-axis
is labeled at the bottom, but you can also choose to have the label at the top, or at both top and
bottom.
(N) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

Configuring Individual Plots in an Object

Click the configuration button for an individual plot in the XY Plot Configuration dialog box. For
example, Pen 1.
The Configure XY Plot dialog box appears.

Configure XY Plot Dialog Box

(A) X-Axis Table. Enter a PAC Control tagname here that will provide the x-axis values. Click the
Tag Selection Button (B) to open the Tag Selection dialog box.
(B) Tag Selection Dialog Button (X-Axis). To enter a tagname in A, click here. The Tag
Selection dialog box is displayed so you can select a tag for a numeric table. For the table you select,
also enter the starting index (usually 0) and the number of table elements to be used in the plot. The

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fields for these values are shown in the illustration below. To learn more about configuring tags in
your project, see Configuring Tags on page 75.
For a selected numeric
table, enter a starting
index (usually 0) and the
number of table elements
to use (50 maximum).

(C) Y-Axis Table. (Same as the X-Axis Table setting (A) above, but sets the tag used for the y-axis.)
(D) Tag Selection Dialog Button (X-Axis). Same as the x-axis tag selection (B) above, but
selects the tag used for the y-axis.)

(E) Pen Color. Click here to choose a pen color. In the Color dialog box that appears, choose a
color and click OK.
(F) Pen Width. Enter the width of the line you want created by the pen. The width is specified in
pixels.

(G) Show Legend in Runtime. Select the Show Legend in Runtime checkbox to have the
names of the tags used appear under the graphs x-axis.

(H) Draw Connecting Lines. Select Draw Connecting lines to have lines connect each x-y
coordinate.

(I) OK. Click OK to save your settings.

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9: 9: Configuring Trigger-Based EventsChapter 9

9: Configuring Trigger-Based
Events
Introduction
In this chapter, you will learn how to make different types of events occur based on the value of a
tag in a PAC Control strategy. These events include saving an historic data log, launching an
application, playing a sound, changing a windows state, downloading and uploading a recipe to
the control engine, and starting an alarm.

In This Chapter
What is a Trigger-Based Event? .......................... 219
Historic Data Logs..................................................... 220
Launching Applications......................................... 238
Sounds........................................................................... 243
Configuring Trigger-Based Window States... 244

Recipes ............................................................................. 246

Configuring Alarm Points......................................... 261
Adding Alarm Graphics............................................. 279
Configuring Project Alarms ..................................... 283

What is a Trigger-Based Event?

In PAC Display, you can make things happen based on the value of a tag in a PAC Control strategy.
When the tag equals a specific value or falls within a defined range of values, it starts, or triggers, an
event that you have specified.
You can use trigger-based events in many different ways. Here are a few examples:

Monitoring temperaturePlay a recorded warning sound to indicate an alarm condition if a

tag exceeds a value.

Changing control system parameters for different productsDownload a new recipe

(series of values) to a control engine when a tag reaches a set value.

Logging non-standard conditions or errorsPrint a log whenever monitored tags fall

outside a previously defined range of values.

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Historic Data Logs

An historic data log lets you collect and store data from your control process to a file on your
computer, or on a remote computer on a network. Once it is saved in a file, historic data about your
control process can be used by applications such as Microsoft Excel to generate reports, or the data
can be archived for later reference.
NOTE: To ensure that the correct time and date information appear in an historic data log, make sure to
set the time and date on your PC prior to starting PAC Display.
By default, historic data logging begins when PAC Display starts scanning the control engine for
data, and ends when PAC Display stops scanning the control engine for data. (Scanning starts when
the PAC Display project is opened in Runtime, and stops when the project is closed.) You can use a
start or stop trigger, however, to start or stop historic data logging only when a tag, for example, is
within a range of preset values, or a preconfigured number of samples have been taken. Start and
stop triggers may be attached to any control engine variable.
In this section:
Tag Types You Can Save to an Historic Log (below)
Configuring an Historic Data Log on page 221
Logging Historic Data to a Database
Defining the Historic Data Log File on page 226
Using the Rollover Trigger Option on page 233
Configuring an Historic Log Point on page 233
Configuring a Start or Stop Trigger on page 234
Notification When a Trigger Has Stopped on page 235
Setting Log File Line Format on page 236
Naming Historic Log Files and SuperTrend Files on page 236
Data Log Elements on page 237

Tag Types You Can Save to an Historic Log

You can record the following types of tags in an historic data log:

Integers and integer tables

Floats and float tables

Strings and string tables

NOTE: If an historic log is logging string tables, make sure that only string tables are used in that log.
You cannot log string tables and integers in the same log file.

Discretes

With integer tables and float tables, you can select individual elements, groups of elements, or all
elements in the table. See the PAC Control Users Guide for more information on working with tables
in a PAC Control strategy.
NOTE: To save data from more than one control engine, you must create a separate historic log file for each
control engine that will be monitored. Data from multiple control engines cannot be saved in the same
historic log file.

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Configuring an Historic Data Log

To configure an historic data log in your PAC Display project, choose Configure > Historic Data Log.
The Historic Logs dialog box that appears allows you to add new historic logs to the project or
modify or delete previously configured historic logs. You can add up to 1000 historic logs per
project.

A
B
C
D
E
F
IMPORTANT: To save data from more than one control engine in a historic log file, you must create a
separate historic log file for each control engine that will be monitored. If data from multiple control
engines is saved in the same historic log file, it is difficult to extract and use the log data from each control
engine.
If there are no historic logs in the project, the Modify and Delete buttons cannot be selected.
Selecting a configured historic log enables the Modify, Delete, and Duplicate buttons.

(A) Add. Click Add to create a new historic data log in the Historic Log Configuration dialog box
that appears.
(B) Modify. Highlight an existing log and click Modify to change it in the Historic Log
Configuration dialog box that appears.

(C) Delete. Highlight an existing log and click Delete to remove it.
(D) Duplicate. Highlight an existing log and click Duplicate to create a copy of the log.
(E) Import. Click this button to display the following import options.
Import from Subfolder: Select one or more binary (.hle) files import into the current project.
Import from Comma Delimited File: Select one or more comma-delimited (.csv) files to
import into the current project.

(F) Export. Highlight one or more files you want to export, then click this button to display the
following options.
Export to Subfolder: Exports the selected historic logs in binary format to the current
projects Exported Historic Logs subfolder. Each file has the name of the historic log with the
.hle extension. For example: Pressures Log.hle

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Export to Comma Delimited File: Exports the selected historic logs in binary format to the
current projects Exported Historic Logs subfolder. Each file has the name of the historic log
with the .csv extension (so it automatically opens in Excel).
For example: Water Log.csv

Historic Log Configuration Dialog Box

To open the Historic Log Configuration dialog box, choose Configure > Historic Data Log, then click
the Add button.

E
G
H
I
J
K

L
M

N
O

(A) Name. Enter the name of the historic log here. Use this name to refer to the historic log group
youre configuring. (This name does not affect the name of the historic log file that is saved to disk.)
NOTE: The name in this field must be different from all historic logs within the project or you will get an error
message when you exit the dialog box.

(B) ID. This field shows a unique numeric identifier for the historic log. This identifier, which starts
out at 00 and increases sequentially, is used as the last two characters of the three-character file
name extension for a historic log file. The first character of this file name extension is an uppercase
H, so with the identifier, a typical file name extension for a historic data log would be .H00

(C) Refresh Time. Select a previously configured refresh time group to scan the historic log point
tags. This scan rate applies to every log point configured within this historic log. For more
information on setting up refresh time groups, see Refresh Time Groups on page 184.
(D) Samples per Refresh Time. Enter the number of times per each Refresh Time unit that a
tag value is scanned. This does not change how often the historic data log is written to (the Refresh
Time), it only changes how often a tag value is scanned.

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To calculate the actual time interval between each scan, divide the Refresh Time by the Samples per
Refresh Time. For example, if the Refresh Time scan rate is 1 second, a Samples per Refresh Time
value of 3 will sample the tag value every .333 seconds. If the Refresh Time scan rate is 2 seconds, a
value of 3 will sample the tag value every .666 seconds. To ensure that the freshest data is added to
the historic data log, enter an odd number greater than 1 and less than 10.

(E) Log To. Allows you to log to a file or to a database.

Log File
Click to specify the directory where the historic log file should be saved, the file name and
format, and, if applicable, the rollover parameters for the file. See Defining the Historic Data
Log File on page 226 for more information.
Log to Database
Click to configure a table for logging Supertrend data. See Saving a SuperTrend to a Database
on page 208.

(F) Historic Log Points. This list shows all configured historic log points for this log file. The
order of the points in the list (top to bottom) is the order in which the points will be logged. To
change the order of the list, select a point, and then choose one of the Move buttons in J.

(G) Append. Click to add a historic log point to the end of the historic log point list (E). See
Configuring an Historic Log Point on page 233 for more information.
(H) Insert. Click to insert a historic log point above a highlighted historic log point.
(I) Modify. Lets you modify the highlighted historic log point.
(J) Delete. Deletes the highlighted historic log point from the list (E).
(K) Move Up/Down. Highlight the log point you want to move, and then click Move Up or Move
Down to change the position of the point in the historic log point list.

(L) Start Trigger. Using a start trigger is optional. Click to configure the PAC Control tag that will
start scanning the listed historic log points. Check the Enabled box to make the start trigger active.
See Configuring a Start or Stop Trigger on page 234 for more information.
Since the start trigger can be activated only from a non-triggered state, you must also configure a
stop trigger at L or a number of scan times at M.

(M) Stop Trigger. Click to configure the PAC Control tag that will stop scanning the listed historic
log points. Check the Enabled box to make the stop trigger active. A stop trigger is required only
when you have configured a start trigger. Additionally, a stop trigger is edge-sensitive and only
activates on a false-to-true state transition. See Configuring a Start or Stop Trigger on page 234 for
more information on setting up a stop trigger.

(N) Number of Samples. Another way to stop scanning the historic log points is to set the
number of samples, or times the points are scanned. Select Number of Samples, and then enter a
discrete number of samples to take once the start trigger occurs.

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(O) Notification. Click this button to assign a value to a tag when historic log sampling has
stopped. Check the Enabled box to make notification active. See Notification When a Trigger Has
Stopped on page 235 for more information.

(P) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.
Now well look at the additional steps needed to complete the settings in the Historic Log
Configuration dialog box.

Logging Historic Data to a Database

(Pro only) Follow the instructions below to configure a table for logging Historic data.
Also see, Defining the Historic Data Log File on page 226.
To log to a database, do the following:
1. Make sure you have configured the ODBC data source to be used with PAC Display. See
Configuring an ODBC Data Source on page 58.
2. Choose Configure > Historic Data Log.
3. Click the Add button to display the Historic Log Configuration dialog box.
4. Click the Log To button and then choose Log to Database from the popup menu.

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If there is a database configured, a dialog shows the default settings for the table that will be
created and logged to.

No matter what the point names are, they appear under the Point_Name column, and the
values appear under the Point_Value column. The Point_Value column is always a string
representation of the value. So if the point is a FLOAT (for example, temperature) the
Point_Value might show 78.4, but this is not a FLOAT. It is the literal string 78.4. Any queries
performed against this table will need to convert the string to a float (if needed).

5. If desired, modify the table name or the column names.

Modify a column name as follows:

a. Click the name to highlight the row.

b. Click the name once again to make it editable.

c. Type in a new name, then push Enter.

NOTE: Table and column names may not contain the following characters: (space) [ ] :

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NOTE: Column names must not conflict with the SQL reserved words for that database type. Some
examples are "value", "integer", etc.

6. Click OK to confirm your changes and exit the dialog boxes.

Changing the Database Table Name

When you create or modify a table for logging Historic data in a database, you can change the
database table name. However, when some data has been logged in Runtime, if you then change
the database table name in Configurator, a message will appear saying that the table already exists.
When the message appears, do one of the following:

Press Yes to create a new table and start logging to that table.

Press No to rename the existing table and continue logging to that table.

Defining the Historic Data Log File

You can name the historic data log file, determine where it will be located, configure how the data
lines will appear, and define its rollover parameters in the Historic Log File Configuration dialog box.
NOTE: The historic data log file is not the same log file used to record data from a SuperTrend. A SuperTrend
historic log file contains different data about log points, and is configured separately from an historic data
log file. See Using SuperTrend Log Files on page 204 for more information. Alarm log files, which contain
data about alarms that have been triggered, are also different from historic data log files. See Alarm
Logging Options on page 288 for more information.
If you want to save data from more than one control engine, you should create a separate historic
log file for each control engine that will be monitored. If data from multiple control engines is saved
in the same historic log file, it is difficult to identify data that corresponds to a specific control engine.
To define an historic data log file, click the Log File button in the Historic Log Configuration dialog
box and enter information in the Historic Log File Configuration dialog box that appears.

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B
C
D
E
F
G
L

H
I

J
K

(A) Name. Choose the directory where the historic log file will be saved. Click Name and enter the
directory path in the field next to it, or click Browse to find a directory path. Click Use Project
Directory to save the historic log file to the PAC Display project directory. (This occurs by default if
you dont specify a location.)

(B) Source. Select Automatic, Fixed, or From strategy to determine how the historic log file name
will be created, and then fill in additional information as needed for that option.
If the Automatic option is used, historic log files are named based on the rules described in Naming
Historic Log Files and SuperTrend Files on page 236. If you select this option, files are named using
the rollover convention if required; this is described on page 237. If rollover is not used, the file is
named histlog.Hnn, where nn is the two-digit historic log ID number. The Automatic option is used
by default if you do not select another option.

(C) Fixed Name. If you selected the Fixed option in B, enter a file name here. The file name can
be any valid, eight-character DOS file name and doesnt require a three-character file extension.
Note that if you dont specify an extension, one is not added automatically.
You must configure and enable a Start Trigger for this type of file (see page 234). When the trigger
starts the historic data log, the new data is appended to the file if the file already exists. If the file
doesnt already exist, it is created. The rollover naming convention doesnt apply to this type of file
name.

(D) String Name. If you selected the From strategy string option, enter a PAC Control string
tagname here. Use the Tag Selection button
to quickly enter the tag containing the name of the
historic log file. You must configure and enable a Start Trigger for this type of file (see page 234).

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When the trigger starts the historic log, the string containing the file name is read, and the new data
is appended to the log file if the file already exists. If the file doesnt already exist, it is created. The
rollover naming convention doesnt apply to this type of file name.
If the string name in D is an invalid file name, the default name of the log file is created using the
following rules:

If the string is empty, the project directory is added to the Default Name (E) and the extension
is an uppercase H followed by the historic log ID number.

If the string is not empty and a project directory is not specified as the directory path, the Name
in A is added to the Default Name (E).

If the project directory is specified as the path, or the previous step failed, the project directory
is added to the Default Name (E) and the extension is an uppercase H followed by the historic
log ID number. If the project directory is read-only or there is not enough room left on the drive
containing the project directory, an error message indicates the file could not be created.

(E) Default Name. Enter a default file name in E in case the file name in String Name (D) is
invalid. The file name can be any valid, eight-character DOS file name. The three-character file
extension is assigned by PAC Display, and will start with an uppercase H followed by the historic
logs ID (for example: .H00 if the ID is 00).
(F) Line Format. Click to configure the character, or delimiter, used to separate the data in the log
file, to choose the type of quotes used for each data line, and where to insert carriage returns. You
configure these parameters in the Line Format dialog box that appears. See page 236 for more
information.

(G) Lines Buffered. Enter the number of lines of data your PC will save to a memory buffer
before writing the information to the historic log file. When choosing a number, keep in mind that
the lower the number of buffered data lines, the more frequently the computer has to write to the
file. Alternately, the higher the number of data lines buffered in memory, the more data that will be
lost if your PC loses power or has a system failure. A valid entry is any number between 0 and 999;
the default is 20 lines.

(H) Number of Files to Retain. Enter the maximum number of historic log files that can be
created using rollover before the oldest file is overwritten. For example, if you enter 10 and your
rollover time period is set to hours, you will have 10 historic log files created for 10 hours of data
before the oldest file is overwritten with new data. See page 237 for more information on rollover
settings.

(I) Rollover. Choose the rollover time period here. Select None to have all logged data placed in a
single data file named HISTLOG.Hnn, where nn is the two-character identifier assigned to the
historic log. If you select Weeks, also select the day of the week to have the files rollover. Otherwise
the files will rollover on Thursday, the default. Logging begins when the PAC Display project is
loaded, and data collected will be appended to the existing data file. The size of the file is limited
only by available disk space.
To use the Trigger option, see Using the Rollover Trigger Option on page 233. Logging begins
when the Start Trigger is activated, and data collected will be appended to the existing data file. The
size of the file is limited only by available disk space. See Naming Files Using Rollover on page 237.

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(J) Use 0.01 Sec Resolution. Select this option to log the time in hundredths of a second.
(K) Keep File Open. Select Keep file open to leave the log file open to allow data to be
appended to the historic log file more quickly. If you leave this box unchecked (the default setting),
the file is closed after each time data is written to it. This provides greater data integrity than leaving
the file open.

(L) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Exporting Historic Logs to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File

Historic logs may be exported from a project to either a binary file or a comma-delimited file, and
then imported from the file into another project. Both projects must refer to the same tag
database(s) for the historic logs that are to be imported. The database may be a PAC Control,
ioControl (Pro only), or OptoControl tag database file.
If you want to export and import historic logs quickly, use a binary file (the Export to Subfolder
command) to export and import historic logs. However, if you want to use a spreadsheet program
(such as Excel) to view, edit, or create the attributes of the historic logs before importing them into
another project, use a comma-delimited file.
To export one or more historic logs to a file:
1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Historic Data Log to display the Historic Logs dialog.
2. Select one or more historic logs from the list.
3. Click Export, and then choose from the pop-up menu either Export to Subfolder (for a binary
file) or Export to Comma-Delimited File.

A message confirms success.

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Each historic log is automatically exported in a separate file to the Exported Historic Logs
subfolder of the current project.
Comma-delimited files have the format:
<Name of Historic Log>.csv
Binary files have the format:
<Name of Historic Log>.hle
To import the alarm points into another project, see the next section, Importing Historic Logs.

Importing Historic Logs

Historic logs may be imported from one project into another project that both refer to the same tag
database. Before importing, you must export the historic logs to a file as described in Exporting
Historic Logs to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File on page 229.
1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Historic Data Log to open the Historic Logs dialog.
2. Click the Import button.
3. Select either Import from Subfolder (for a binary file) or Import from Comma-Delimited File
from the pop-up menu.

An Import Historic Log dialog opens for you to navigate to the folder containing the file.

4. Select the file (either .hle or .csv) to import.

5. Click Open. The files are imported and added to the list.
6. Click OK to confirm.

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NOTE: If there are errors during the import, PAC Display displays a message indicating the error. The
import fails at the first error. PAC Display makes no attempt to guess what the intended field should
contain nor does it try to correct the error or present possible solutions. If an error is encountered, check
the contents of each field with the table below. The table details the possible values for the fields.

Structure of Historic Log Comma-Delimited File

The structure of the comma-delimited file for historic logs is described below. The length of the data
will be a minimum of 58 fields, plus an additional 14 fields for each historic log point configured.

Tag Definition Format. The following table describes a single Tag definition in the
comma-delimited file. There are ten fields, all of which are required for tags that are configured.
If tags are not configured, only the first three fields may be blank. The remaining fields (4-10) must
have the default values indicated. See Tag Definition Format on page 267.

Notification Definition Format. This table describes the definition for the notifications.
There are a total of 13 fields per notification. See Notification Definition Format on page 268.
NOTE: If notifications are not configured for an alarm point, the seven required tag fields (fields 4-10 in the
previous table) are still required.

Exported CSV File Format. This table shows the format of an exported comma-delimited
(.csv) historic log file.
Field

Description

Values

Historic Log Name

Name of the historic log

Refresh Time Group

Refresh group for the historic log

Entries 3-28 are the Log File Settings:

Log Path

Path to file location if not project directory;

otherwise blank

Rollover

Index of rollover dropdown menu

Lines Buffered

# lines buffered

Keep File Open

0=unchecked; 1=checked

Max Files

Maximum # of files to keep

Delimiter

ASCII value of delimiter character

QuoteType

Index of Quotes around strings dropdown menu

UseCREvery

1 = checked;
0 = not checked

Nth Element

Value of the carriage return every [value]

elements entry

Add Space

Value of Include space after delimiter;

0=not checked;
1=checked

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Field

Description

Values

Use Project Dir

0=false;
1=true

File Source

0=Automatic;
1=Fixed;
2=From Strategy

Fixed Name

User defined fixed name of file (if File

Source = 1)

Default if Bad

Default Name if Name from Strategy

String is invalid (i.e., File Source = 2)

Weekday

0=Sunday;6=Saturday

Use .01

Value of Use .01 sec resolution option;

0=false;1=true

19-28

Strategy tag for file name

See Tag Definition Format table

The following fields follow for each Historic Log Point configured:
1-10

Tag to be logged

See Tag Definition Format table

Name

User defined name

FloatResolution

Floating point resolution

reserved

Do not edit this value

LogFormat

Integer64 display format

0=decimal;
1=hexadecimal;
2=binary

Following the Historic Log Point information is the following Trigger

information:
1-10

Start Trigger Tag

See Tag Definition Format table

Value

The value that the start trigger is tested

against (if not using a Discrete test)

Condition

0: >
1: =
2: <
3: >=
4: <=
5: not=

SetupType

0=Discrete; 1=Value

DiscreteCond

0=On;1=Off

Enabled

0=no;1=yes

StopT

Stop trigger type

0=from tag;
1= number of samples

NumSamples

Number of samples collected if no stop

trigger

After the Trigger information is the Notification information:

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Field

Description

Values

1-13

Notification

See Notification Definition Format table

Using the Rollover Trigger Option

When configuring a data historic log or SuperTrend historic log, in addition to the time frame
rollovers (such as Hours, Days, Weeks, etc.), you can configure the files to rollover based on a
user-defined trigger.
To use a tag to trigger a rollover:
1. Open the Historic Log File Configuration dialog box (see Defining the Historic Data Log File on
page 226).
2. In the Files group, select Trigger from the combo box next to Rollover

3. Click the question mark

to open the File Trigger dialog box.

4. Use the Tag Selection button

to quickly choose a tag from the Value Tag Selection dialog
box.
5. Select Discrete or Current value in the Setup by group.
Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the rollover. Current Value sets the tag value that
will trigger the rollover. To enter a value in the Current Value field, select an operator in the
drop-down menu, and then enter a value to compare the tag to.

Configuring an Historic Log Point

This dialog box allows you to select tags whose values are recorded to the historic log file during
runtime.
IMPORTANT: Although you can select tags from different control engines that have been configured for
your PAC Display project, it is not recommended to do so. To save data from more than one control engine
in a historic log file, create a separate historic log file for each control engine that will be monitored.

1. To add or change an historic log point in the Historic Log Configuration dialog box, click
Append or Insert to add a point, or click Modify to change a point.

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The Historic Log Point Configuration dialog box appears.

2. (Optional) Enter a user-defined name for the historic log point.

3. Click the Tag Selection button
and select a PAC Control tag to be an historic log point. See
Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about selecting tags.
NOTE: When creating log tables using table variables, the number of elements can be modified in the
Tag Selection dialog box. The maximum number of elements in a log table is 1 million.

4. (Optional) If you picked a float tag type, enter a number in the Floating Point Resolution box to
specify how many places to the right of the decimal point are recorded for floating point
numbers.
5. (Optional) If you picked an Integer 64 tag type, select the format: Decimal, Hexadecimal, or
Binary.
6. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Configuring a Start or Stop Trigger

1. To configure which tag and value will start or stop historic logging, click Start Trigger or Stop
Trigger in the Historic Log Configuration dialog box.
The Historic Log Configuration dialog box for either Start Triggers or Stop Triggers appears.
These dialog boxes are identical. (The Historic Log Start Trigger Configuration dialog box is
shown below.)

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2. Click the Tag Selection button

and select a PAC Control tag to be a Start or Stop Trigger.

See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information about selecting tags.

3. Select Discrete or Current Value in the Setup By group.

Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the historic log. Current Value sets the tag value
that will trigger the historic log. To set a Current Value, select an operator in the drop-down
menu, and then enter a value to compare the tag to.

Notification When a Trigger Has Stopped

When historic logging has stopped, you can set a tag to a given state or value. This tag setting will
act as a flag to indicate data isnt being added to the log file anymore.
1. Click Notification in the Historic Log Configuration dialog box.
The Historic Log Stop Trigger Notification dialog box appears.

2. Click the Tag Selection button

to select a PAC Control tag name. See Configuring Tags on
page 75 for more about the Tag Selection dialog box.
3. In the Setup By group, Select Discrete or Current Value..

Discrete. Select the Discrete option to specify an on/off trigger state for tags which have a discrete
basetype. Once Discrete is selected, choose one of the following options to define the desired
trigger state.

Set: Switches the trigger state to On.

Clear: Switches the trigger state to Off.
Toggle: Switches the trigger state from its current condition to the opposite (for example, an
On setting is switched to Off ).

Current Value. Select the Value option to define the floating point or integer value written to the
specified tag. The specific value is defined using the Set/Offset options and the Value Out field.

Set: Select Set if you want the value used as a replacement for the tag's current value.

Offset: Select Offset if you want the value added to the tag's current value.

Value Out: Enter the floating point or integer value to be written to the specified tag.

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Setting Log File Line Format

1. To define how lines of data are stored in the historic and log file, click Line Format in the Historic
Log File Configuration dialog box. The Line Format dialog box appears.

2. In the Line Format dialog box, select from the choices in the Delimiter group a character
(delimiter) that will separate data in the log file. To use a delimiter thats not listed, choose
Other and enter the character you want to use. Select Include space after delimiter to put a
space after each delimiter.
3. From the choices in the drop-down list Quotes Around Strings, select the quotes that will
appear around each string in the log file.
4. To insert a carriage return after a certain number of data elements, select the check box
Carriage return every and enter the number of data elements.
The maximum number of elements that can be entered is 99,999. This option is intended for
historic logs with very long data lines which are read by programs that cannot handle long
data lines. The date and time information at the beginning of a data line are not counted as
data elements. See Data Log Elements below for more information about data elements in
log files.

Naming Historic Log Files and SuperTrend Files

For an historic log file, there are three ways you can name a file: by using a fixed name, by building
the name using a string tag, or by letting the file name be created automatically. If you let PAC
Display create the file name automatically, the file name will be histlog.H##, where ## is the
two-character identifier assigned to the historic log by the Configurator. The .H## is the common
extension that identifies all historic log files.
For a SuperTrend log file, only the Automatic option is available as the source, and no user-defined
names are allowed.The extension that identifies SuperTrend log files is .T##

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Naming Files Using Rollover

File rollover is used to divide historic log information among several data files. You can configure
how often a new data file is created; after the time limit has expired, another historic log file is
created and data is rolled into the new file.
Historic log files with names determined automatically by PAC Display use the rollover format (see
Naming Historic Log Files and SuperTrend Files on page 236). The rollover format does not apply to
files with fixed names or file names constructed from PAC Control strategy string tag names.
Historic log files using file rollover follow this naming pattern:

Months: RMyymm.H## (.T## for SuperTrend log files)

Weeks: RWyymmpp.H## (.T## for SuperTrend log files)

Days: Dyymmdd.H## (.T## for SuperTrend log files)

Hours: RHmmddhh.H## (.T## for SuperTrend log files)

where yy= year, mm= month, dd= day, hh= hour, pp= previous date*, and ## represents the
two-character historic log ID number.
*The previous date for a weekly rollover is the date of the most recent day the rollover is set for. For
example if the rollover is set to Monday, and the date of the previous Monday was May 14, 2010,
then pp= 14 and the file would be named RW060514.H##.
The rollover time period for historic log files can be based on months, weeks, days, or hours.

Hours. If hours are selected as the rollover period, a new data file is created at the top of every
hour. For example, if data logging were triggered at 8:30 a.m., the first data file would contain data
from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Thereafter, data files will contain one hours worth of data for every hour
thereafter, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., etc.
Days. If days are selected as the rollover period, a new data file is created every day at midnight. For
example, if data logging were triggered at 7:00 p.m. on the 5th, the first data file would contain data
from 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. on the 5th. Thereafter, data files will contain data from midnight the 5th
to midnight the 6th, midnight the 6th to midnight the 7th, etc.
Weeks. If weeks are selected as the rollover period, a new data file is created every week on the
selected day at midnight. For example, if data logging were started on a Wednesday, and the
rollover period is set for Monday, the first data file would contain data from Wednesday to the
following Sunday. Thereafter, the weekly data files will contain data from Monday to Sunday.
Months. If months are selected as the rollover period, a new data file is created on the first day of
every month at midnight. For example, if data logging started on January 27th, the first data file
would contain data from the 27th of January to the 31st of January. Thereafter, data files will contain
data from the 1st of February to the end of February, the 1st of March to the 31st of March, etc.

Data Log Elements

Historic data logs consist of header lines and data lines.

Header Line. The first line of the file, a header line shows the name of each data field. Lines of
data samples then follow the header line.

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Heres an example:
Date,Time,CNTR1:Float.TEMP208,CNTR1:Float.PRES209,CNTR1:Float.LEVEL218
Date and Time show where timestamp information will appear in the data lines.
CNTR1:TEMP208, CNTR1:PRES209, and CNTR1:LEVEL218 show that information will be
recorded for three PAC Control tags: TEMP208, PRES209, and LEVEL218. These tags are all on the
control engine named CNTR1.

Data Lines . Data lines follow a header line, and have the following format:
Date<delimiter>Time<delimiter>TAG1<delimiter>TAG2. . .TAG1000<crlf>
Date is the current system date with the format: YYYY/MM/DD, where YYYY=year, MM=month,
DD=day.
Time is the current system time with the format: hh:mm:ss, where hh=hour, mm=minute,
ss=seconds.
TAG1...TAG1000 are valid PAC Control tags with the format: control engine_Name:Item_Type.Tag.
<delimiter> is any printable ASCII character.
<crlf> is a carriage return, line feed.
Heres an example of what the file may look like:
Date,Time,Cookie:Float.TEMP208,Cookie:Float.PRES209,Cookie:Float.LEVEL218
2010/03/01,17:00:00,120.02,14.96,12.09
2010/03/01,18:00:00,120.06,14.98,12.03
2010/03/01,19:00:00,120.03,14.99,12.02
2010/03/01, 20:00:00,120.04,15.01,12.05
In this sample file, data is being sampled every hour from a control engine named Cookie, and a
temperature (TEMP208), pressure (PRES209), and tank level (LEVEL218) are being recorded.

Launching Applications
You can use PAC Display to start, or launch, other applications in two ways:

By configuring a dynamic attribute for a graphic, and then selecting the graphic during
Runtime. See 7: Using Animated Graphics on page 139 to learn how to do this in PAC Display
Configurator.

By configuring an application manager to associate a tag with an application, and then

launching the application using triggers. See Configuring an Application Launch below.

Configuring an Application Launch

To use PAC Display Configurator to configure an application launch using a trigger, choose Configure

> Applications, and in the Application Managers dialog box that appears do the following:

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To create a new application manager, click Add. You can configure up to 1,000 application
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To change an existing application manager, highlight it and click Modify.

To remove an existing application manager, highlight it and click Delete.

If you are creating or changing an application manager, the Application Manager Dialog Box will
open (see below).
In this section:
Application Manager Dialog Box (below)
Selecting a Working Directory for a Launched Application on page 240
Selecting the Application File to Run on page 241
Selecting a Trigger to Launch an Application on page 241

Application Manager Dialog Box

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

(A) Name. Enter the name of the application manager here. This name refers to this application
launch setup, and must be different from all application managers within the project.

(B) Working Directory. Enter the path name of the working directory to use after launching the
application. If a working directory isnt specified, the current project directory is used. Click Browse to
quickly choose a directory path in the Working Directory Selection dialog box (see page 240).

(C) Command Line. Enter the path and file name of the program you want to run when the
trigger condition occurs. Click Browse to quickly choose the path and file name in the standard
Windows file selection dialog box.

(D) Append String. (Optional) Select a string tag from the PAC Control strategy to be appended
to the Command Line string in C. If the appended string is a command line option, a space must be
included in the Command Line string to separate it from the main command line.
Use the Tag Selection button
to select the string tag name. See Configuring Tags on page 75
for more information on tags. Click the Clear button
to quickly remove an entry from D.

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(E) Launch Options. Select Single instance to have PAC Display Runtime check whether the
trigger has already launched a session, or instance, of an application. If the trigger hasnt already
launched the application, it will be started. Select Multiple instances to let the trigger start any
number of sessions of the same application.
The Single Instance option doesnt prevent an application from being launched by other graphics
and triggers, so multiple instances of an application can still occur. For example, if a trigger launches
a Microsoft Word session, it cant launch any other application until this Word session ends. A
toggled graphic or another trigger, however, could launch another session of Word, so two
instances of the same application would be running concurrently.
CAUTION: Running multiple instances of the same application on your PC is not recommended. Just like
running several different applications at the same time, running multiple instances of the same
application requires additional memory and other system resources. This may slow your PCs performance,
as well as that of PAC Display Runtime.

(F) Show Options. Select how the applications window will appear on-screen: Normal,
Minimized, or Maximized.

(G) Trigger. Click Trigger to select the PAC Control tag used to trigger the application launch. The
trigger is edge-sensitive and only activates from a non-triggered state. See Selecting a Trigger to
Launch an Application on page 241 for more information.

(H) Notification. Click Notification to assign a value to a tag when an application is successfully
launched. See Notification When an Application Has Been Launched on page 242 for more
information. A check mark in the Notification enabled box indicates a notification tag is configured.
(I) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.
Now well look at the additional steps needed to complete the settings in the Application Manager
dialog box.

Selecting a Working Directory for a Launched Application

1. To set up the working directory the launched application should use, click Browse in the
Application Manager dialog box.
2. In the Working Directory Selection dialog box that appears, navigate to the working directory
path and click OK. (Click Network to select a network drive.)

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Selecting the Application File to Run

1. To choose the application you want to run, in the Application Manager dialog box click the
Browse button next to the Command Line field.
2. In the Application Manager Executable File Selection dialog box that appears, navigate to the
application youd like to run, highlight it, and click OK.

Selecting a Trigger to Launch an Application

1. To select the trigger that will launch an application, click Trigger in the Application Manager
dialog box.
The Application Manager Trigger Selection dialog box appears.

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2. Enter the name of the trigger in the Name field. Use the Tag Selection button
to quickly
choose a tag from the Tag Selection dialog box.
3. Select Discrete or Current value in the Setup by group.
Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the application. Current Value sets the tag value
that will trigger the application. To enter a value in the Current Value field, select an operator in
the drop-down menu, and then enter a value to compare the tag to.

Notification When an Application Has Been Launched

You can set a tag to a given state or value when an application has been successfully launched by a
trigger.
1. Click Notification in the Application Manager dialog box.
The Launch Application Trigger Notification dialog box appears.

2. Click the Tag Selection button

to quickly select a PAC Control tag as the flag to indicate the
application was launched successfully. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more information
about configuring tags.
3. Select Set or Offset, and then enter the value that will be sent to the tag in the Value Out field.
Choose Set to replace the tags current value with the number in the Value Out field. Choose
Offset to add that number to the tags current value.

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Sounds
Sounds can provide important feedback, such as alerts or warnings, for the operator using your PAC
Display project. You can add sounds to your PAC Display project by configuring triggers to start and
stop standard Windows sound files. To use this capability, the PC running the project must have a
properly configured sound card and corresponding system software, as well as a set of speakers. You
can use both digitized sound (.WAV) and MIDI music (.MID) files in your project.
Sounds can also be used with project alarms. See page 291 for more information.
In this section:
Configuring a Sound (below)
Configuring Start and Stop Triggers for Sounds on page 244

Configuring a Sound
To configure a sound, choose Configure > Sounds. The Sounds dialog box that appears lists all of
the sound events that are configured for the current PAC Display project.

Click Add to add a new sound event. You can configure up to 1,000 sound events per project.

Highlight an existing sound event and click Modify to change it.

Highlight an existing sound event and click Delete to remove it.

NOTE: If there are no sound events in the project, the Modify and Delete buttons cannot be selected.
If you are creating or changing a sound event, the Sound Configuration dialog box will appear.

A
B
C
D
E
F

(A) Name. Enter a name for the sound event. No two sound events in a project may have the
same name.

(B) Sound File. Click Browse and select the sound file you want to play in the standard Windows
file selection dialog box that appears. If the Use project directory option is checked, you can only
choose sound files located in your project directory.

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(C) Start Trigger. Click Start Trigger to configure a trigger to start playing the sound. See
Configuring Start and Stop Triggers for Sounds below to learn how to configure this trigger.
(D) Play Sound. Select the Play sound option if you want the sound to play a specific number of
times before stopping. Enter the number of times the sound will play in the field next to the option.
The default value is one.

(E) Stop Trigger. Click Stop Trigger to configure a trigger to stop the sound that is playing. See
Configuring Start and Stop Triggers for Sounds below to learn how to configure this trigger.

(F) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Configuring Start and Stop Triggers for Sounds

1. To configure the tag and value that will start or stop a sound, click Start Trigger or Stop Trigger
in the Sound Configuration dialog box.
The Sound Trigger Configuration dialog box for either Start Triggers or Stop Triggers appears.
These dialog boxes are identical. (The Sound Start Trigger Configuration dialog box is shown
below.)

2. Use the Tag Selection button

to quickly choose a tag from the Tag Selection dialog box.
3. Select Discrete or Current Value in the Setup by group. Current value sets the tag value that will
trigger the sound. Select an operator in the drop-down menu, and then enter a value to
compare the tag to. Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the sound.

Configuring Trigger-Based Window States

You can use a trigger to modify the appearance of windows that appear in Runtime. Changing the
appearance of windows can be effective when you want to immediately attract an operators
attention, or to prompt operators to take the next action.
To configure a window state, choose Configure > Window State, and in the Window Managers
dialog box that appears.

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Click Add to add a new window manager. You can configure up to 1,000 window managers
per project.

Highlight an existing window manager and click Modify to change it.

Highlight an existing window manager and click Delete to remove it.

If you are creating or changing a window manager, the Window Manager Configuration dialog box
will appear.
NOTE: If there are no window manager events in the project, the Modify and Delete buttons cannot be
selected.

To set up a window manager, do the following:

1. Enter the name of the window manager in the Name field.
2. Click Pop Window to configure window states for one or more windows. See Windows on
page 180 for more information about changing window states.
3. Click Trigger to configure the trigger that will change the window state.
The Window Manager Start Trigger Configuration dialog box appears.

4. Use the Tag Selection button

to quickly choose a tag from the Tag Selection dialog box.
5. Select Discrete or Current Value in the Setup By group. Current Value sets the tag value that will
trigger the change in window state. Select an operator in the drop-down menu, and then enter

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a value to compare the tag to. Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the change in
window state.

Recipes
Recipes are ASCII text files used to download data to a control engine and to upload data back to a
PC running PAC Display. Recipes are very useful for batch processes where system variables are
pre-determined and vary between runs or product types. You can also use recipes to save critical
process settings and then create more recipes, or to restore a system after a failure.
Recipe download files are used to send process data and chart control instructions to a control
engine. Recipe upload files record values currently being used in table elements on a particular
table.
In this section:
Creating a Recipe Download File
Creating a Recipe Upload Template on page 248
Validating the Format of a Recipe File on page 251
Basic Recipe File Format on page 252
Recipe Download File Format on page 253
Recipe Upload File Format on page 255
Activating Recipe Downloads and Uploads on page 256
Configuring a Recipe Download on page 256
Configuring a Recipe Upload on page 257

Creating a Recipe Download File

To create a recipe download file:
1. Choose Tools > Create Recipe File to open the Create Recipe File dialog box.

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2. Select Download as the file type.

3. Select the PAC Control strategy and control engine for this recipe file.
4. In the Table area, select a table, and then click the Add button
.
This opens the Recipe Table Data dialog box.

The Index column lists all the available indices for the currently selected table.
NOTE: Using the Create Recipe Dialog you can only enter one set of indices for each table in a recipe
file. If you want to enter another set of indices for the table later in the recipe you must use a text editor.

5. Enter values using the following guidelines. PAC Display automatically limits the index value to
the maximum configurable index for the selected table.
Float Table: Use numeric data only. Spaces, commas or other non-numeric characters are
not accepted. A decimal point is not required.

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Integer Table: Decimal points are not accepted. Spaces, commas or other non-numeric
characters are not accepted.
String Table: You may use any character except square brackets ([ and ]) which are reserved
for marking table indexes and cannot be included in strings. To enter a single string for one
index, click in the Value field next to the index number and enter the string.
Float, Integer, and Float Tables: To enter the same value for more than one index, select
multiple items using the either the SHIFT key or the CTRL key, then click Configure Multiple.
In the dialog box that opens, enter the value and a comment (if any), and click OK.
NOTE: If you enter invalid data, the data is cleared.

6. In the Charts area, select a chart, and then click the Add button
7. In the dialog that opens, select a chart action and then click OK.

The action is added to the recipe file and the dialog box closes.

8. To add an individual integer, float, or string tag, click Choose Variable Type, and then select a
type from the pop-up menu.
9. Click the down-arrow below Choose Variable Type and select a variable.
10. Click the Add button
box.

next to the variable you just selected to open a configuration dialog

11. Enter a value and a comment (if desired), and then click OK.
12. If you need to remove the last entry, click Undo. Clicking Undo again removes the next to last
entries, and so on. The Redo button restores entries in the same order they were removed.
13. Click OK to close the Create Recipe File dialog box and confirm the configuration.
The Save As dialog box opens.
14. Select the filename and extension for the file.
If you want to use an extension other than .RCP or .TXT, place quotation marks around the
filename (e.g., My Recipe File.myExt).
15. Click OK, and then click OK again.

Creating a Recipe Upload Template

To create a recipe upload template:
1. Choose Tools > Create Recipe File to open the Create Recipe File dialog box.

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2. Select Upload as the file type.

3. Select the PAC Control strategy and control engine for this recipe file.
4. In the Table area, select a table, and then click the Add button
The Recipe Upload Table Elements dialog box opens.

Are the available types correctly spelled (e.g., Integer Table, Integer 64 Table, Float Table,
String Table or Chart)?

Are the table and/or chart names valid?

If a table is referenced, is an index out of range?

Are carriage return / line feed pairs properly placed?

Are there blank lines between table / chart entries?

NOTE: This utility does not test whether the values entered for a table in a download file actually match the
table type specified.
To validate a recipe file:
1. Choose Tools > Validate Recipe File.
The validation dialog box opens.

2. Select the type of file to be validated, either Upload or Download.

3. Click Browse.
The Open Recipe File dialog box opens.

4. Locate the recipe file and then click Open.

The utility validates the file and displays the results.

5. If there are any errors, click Edit Recipe File to open a text editor and make the corrections. Save
the file, and then use the Re-test button to check the file again.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Basic Recipe File Format

Download and upload recipe files both use the basic recipe format described here. After reading this
section, also see, Recipe Download File Format on page 253 or Recipe Upload File Format on

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page 255. To create a new recipe file, see Creating a Recipe Download File on page 246 or
Creating a Recipe Upload Template on page 248.
A recipe text file contains one or more PAC Control integer, float, or string table tags and values. You
can create or modify a recipe file using any text editor or word processor that can save files in ASCII
format.
As shown in the example, each recipe file contains at least one PAC Control table tag followed by
data values and blank lines. Recipes may also contain comments, and a download recipe might
include chart control instructions as well.

Comment
PAC Control
table tag
Table element
values
Blank lines
(two carriage
returns)

/Recipe file for Peanut Butter Cookies

/
Cookie_Controller:Float Table.Temps
1:300.0
2:350.0
4:200.0
7:150.0
/End of recipe file

Comment LineAny line that starts with a / (forward slash) is a comment, and is ignored by PAC
Display. Use comments to explain the recipe and to make notes.
PAC Control TagIdentifies the table tag in the PAC Control strategy that the recipe uses. Only
integer, float, and string tags are valid tag types. The tag is in the following format:
<Control Engine Name>:<Type>.<Name>

<Control Engine Name> is the Opto 22 control engine name.

<Type> includes one of the following keywords: Integer Table, Integer 64 Table, Integer, Float
Table,Float, String, or String Table. They identify the variable type and are separated from
<Control Engine Name> by a colon (:).

<Name> is the PAC Control table tag name. It must be of the type specified by <Type>. A
period (.) separates it from <Table Type>.

Element valuesThese are the values downloaded to the control engine or uploaded to the PC.
Blank lineThis is a required element of a recipe file. Make sure to create a blank line at the end of
a data list and at the end of the file by entering two carriage returns.

Recipe Download File Format

This section describes how to structure a recipe download file. See also, Basic Recipe File Format
on page 252.
To create a new recipe download file, see Creating a Recipe Download File on page 246.
For a description of how to configure PAC Display for a recipe download, see Configuring a Recipe
Download on page 256.

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A download file provides an efficient method for making changes to program variables without
having to manually enter the data. For example, lets say you have a cookie factory that makes
chocolate chip cookies in the morning and peanut butter cookies in the afternoon. After making the
chocolate chip cookies you can download a recipe to the control engine that contains new values
for the peanut butter cookies.
This example has four table elements, one chart control instruction, and one single variable:

Table
elements

Single variable
Chart control
instruction

A
B
C
D

/Recipe file for Chocolate Chip Cookies

/
/My_table is a table with 10 elements
/This recipe will download values to 4 elements
/
Cookie_Controller:Float Table.My_table
34.0
3:98.6
35
9:2.5
Cookie_Controller:INTEGER.My_counter
4
Cookie_Controller:Chart.My_Chart
RUN
/End of recipe file

The table elements in the example are used as follows:

ANo index reference is indicated for the first data value, 34.0. Therefore, by default it is assigned to
zero or My_table[0].
BThe next line, 3:98.6, has an index reference of 3. This means the value 98.6 would be sent to
My_table[3], the fourth element of the table.
CThe next value, 35, would be sent to My_table[4].
DThe last data line, 9:2.5, would send 2.5 to the tenth element, My_table[9]. Make sure to leave
the next line blank by entering two carriage returns after the last data line. The blank line indicates
that all the data for that particular table has been specified. Do not put blank lines between lines
that contain data for the table.
Single variable The example, Cookie_Controller:INTEGER.My_counter, would set the value of the
integer tag "My_counter" to 4.
Chart control instructions such as STOP, SUSPEND, START, and CONTINUE control the execution
state of one or more PAC Control charts when a recipe file is downloaded. You can use a chart
control instruction to start a chart that can then move downloaded table values to other program
variables.
Chart control instructions have the following format:
<Control Engine Name>:Chart.<Chart Name>
<Chart State>

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<Control Engine Name> is the name of the Opto 22 control engine.

Chart identifies the keyword identifying this line as a chart instruction. Chart is separated
from <Control Engine Name> by a colon (:).

<Chart Name> is the PAC Control strategy chart name, and is separated from Chart by a
period (.).

<Chart State> is the chart instruction, and must include one of the following keywords: STOP,
SUSPEND, START, and CONTINUE. This instruction must be on the line following the <Chart
Name>. The last line in a chart control instruction must be a blank line and contain only a
carriage return.

Recipe Upload File Format

This section describes how to structure a format file for a recipe upload. See also, Basic Recipe File
Format on page 252. To create a new upload file, see Creating a Recipe Upload Template on
page 248. For a description of how to configure PAC Display for a recipe upload, see Configuring a
Recipe Upload on page 257
A recipe upload records the values currently being used in table elements on a particular table. You
can use these values to improve the production process. For example, using the cookie factory
analogy, if after downloading the peanut butter cookie recipe and starting the cooking process, you
then decide to add more sugar or cook the cookies longer, you can modify one or more of the table
values (either by a PAC Display SendValue, or from PAC Control debugger) and then upload the new
recipe. The next time you make peanut butter cookies, you can re-download the new recipe.
An upload format file tells PAC Display which table elements to upload to a destination file (or results
file) on the PC. The format file has the basic recipe file format, but does not usually contain data.
For a format file to be valid, there must be at least one table element index (e.g., 2:), and there must
be an index for every table element to be uploaded, even if starting at element zero.

Table element
indexes

/Recipe file for macadamia Nut Cookies

/
Cookie_Controller:Float Table.Temps
0:
1:
2:
34:
40:
41:
Cookie_Controller:Float Table.My_table
0:
2:
5:
/End of upload format file

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As shown in the example, you can include table element indexes for multiple tables. Remember to
put a blank line before each new section of data and at the end of the file by entering two carriage
returns at the end of the line.

Re-using a Destination File

After an upload, the destination file (or results file) contains data, and it may contain chart control
instructions. If you re-use a destination file as a format file, the data and any control instructions are
ignored by the control engine. Therefore, you can also use the destination (or results) file as a recipe
download file.

/Recipe file for macadamia Nut Cookies

/
My_Controller:Integer Table.My_Int_Table
0: 1
1: 100
Data

Chart control
instructions

My_Controller:Float Table.My_Float_Table
0: 1.234
1: 100.567
Cookie_Controller:Chart.My_Chart
RUN
/End of download recipe file

Activating Recipe Downloads and Uploads

You can configure a recipe to download or upload to a control engine in two ways:

Animated GraphicBy configuring a dynamic attribute for a graphicwhen the operator

selects the graphic, the recipe action will occur. See 7: Using Animated Graphics on page 139
to learn how to do this.

TriggerBy configuring a trigger that associates a tag with a recipe actionwhen the tag
value meets a defined value, the recipe action will be triggered. We will cover this method of
starting a recipe action in the next two sections, Configuring a Recipe Download and
Configuring a Recipe Upload on page 257.

Configuring a Recipe Download

To configure a recipe to download using a trigger (or download recipe manager), choose
Configure > Recipes, and in the Download Recipes section of the Recipe Managers dialog box that
appears, do the following:

256

To create a new download recipe manager, click Add.

To change an existing download recipe manager, highlight it and click Modify.

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To remove an existing download recipe manager, highlight it and click Delete.

If you are creating or changing a download recipe manager, the Download Recipe Manager dialog
box appears.

Download Recipe Manager Dialog Box

A
B
C
E

F
L
M
N
For descriptions of the items on this dialog box, please see Upload Recipe Manager Dialog Box on
page 258.

Configuring a Recipe Upload

To configure a recipe to upload using a trigger (or upload recipe manager), choose Configure >
Recipes, and in the Upload Recipes section of the Recipe Managers dialog box that appears, do the
following:

To create a new upload recipe manager, click Add.

To change an existing upload recipe manager, highlight it and click Modify.

To remove an existing upload recipe manager, highlight it and click Delete.

If you are creating or changing an upload recipe manager, the Upload Recipe Manager dialog box
appears.

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Upload Recipe Manager Dialog Box

A
B
C
E

F
G
I
J

K
L
M
N

(A) Name. Enter the name of the upload recipe manager. This name is used to refer to the recipe
group youre configuring in the Configurator. The name in this field must be different from all recipe
managers in this project.

(B) Format File Directory. Choose the directory the recipe file resides in. You can type the
directory in the edit box or click Browse to quickly find and enter the path.

(D) File Name. Choose the source of the recipe file name.

If you choose Fixed name, E is highlighted.

If you choose Prompt for name, the operator will be asked for the name of the recipe file to be
uploaded.

If From strategy is selected, F is highlighted.

(E) Fixed Name. If Fixed name was selected in C, enter the name of the recipe file located in
directory B. Notice the file extension is .rcp.

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(F) String Name. If From strategy was selected in C, click the Tag Selection button

to enter a
tagname of type string that contains the recipe file name. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for
more information about using tags.

(G) Destination File Directory. Click Browse and choose the directory location of the recipe
file that will receive the information.

(H) File Name. Choose the source of the recipe file name.

If you choose Fixed name, I is highlighted.

If you choose Prompt for name, the operator will be asked for the name of the recipe file to be
uploaded to.

If From strategy string is selected, K is highlighted.

(I) Fixed Name. If Fixed name was selected in D, enter the name of the recipe file located in
directory B.

(J) Extension. Specify the file extension for the recipe files available to this dynamic attribute by
entering the extension in the File Extension field. The extension must be one to three characters
long and must not contain a period or DOS wild card characters.
If Fixed Name is checked, this extension will append to the File Name entry to create the name for
the recipe file. If Prompt For Name is checked, this extension will be used as a filter to select the files
for display in a file selection dialog box when Runtime executes this dynamic attribute. However,
you may override this filter if you wish to select a file with a different extension.

(K) String Name. If From strategy was selected in C, click the Tag Selection button

to enter a
tagname of type string that contains the recipe file name. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for
more information about using tags.

(L) Trigger (Trigger-based recipe upload ). Click Trigger to select a PAC Control tagname
that will trigger the upload recipe action. The trigger can be activated only from a non-triggered
state. See Selecting a Trigger to Start the Recipe Upload/Download on page 260 to learn how to
configure this trigger. Pressing the Trigger button displays the Recipe Trigger Configuration dialog
box.

(M) Notification (Trigger-based recipe upload). Click Notification to assign a value to a

tag when a recipe has successfully uploaded. Pressing this button displays the Recipe Upload
Completed Notification dialog box. Check the Enabled box to make notification active. See
Notification When Recipe Has Been Downloaded/Uploaded on page 261 for more information.

(N) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.
Now well look at the additional steps needed to complete the settings in the Download/Upload
Recipe Manager dialog boxes.

Selecting a Download/Upload Recipe File Directory

1. To set up the directory that the recipe will be uploaded to or downloaded from, click Browse in
the Download/Upload Recipe Manager dialog box.

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You will need to do this when you choose the directory for the download recipe file, the upload
format file, or the destination upload file. Since all three options show very similar dialog boxes,
we will only discuss one of them.

2. In the Upload Recipe Manager dialog box, click Browse.

3. In the Select Format File Directory dialog box that opens, navigate to the working directory
path and click OK. (Click Network to select a network drive.)

Selecting a Trigger to Start the Recipe Upload/Download

1. To select the trigger that will start a recipe upload or download, click Trigger in the
Download/Upload Recipe Manager dialog box.
The Recipe Trigger Configuration dialog box appears.

2. Enter the name of the trigger in the Name field. Use the Tag Selection button
to quickly
choose a tag from the Tag Selection dialog box. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more
information about tags.
3. Select Discrete or Current value in the Setup by group. Current value sets the tag value that will
trigger the recipe download/upload. Select an operator in the drop-down menu, and then
enter a value to compare the tag to. Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the
application.

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Notification When Recipe Has Been Downloaded/Uploaded

1. Click Notification in the Download/Upload Recipe Manager dialog box.
The Recipe Download Completed Notification dialog box opens.

2. Click the Tag Selection button

to quickly select a PAC Control tag as the flag to indicate the
recipe upload or download was successful. See Configuring Tags on page 75 for more
information about configuring tags.
3. Select Discrete or Current Value in the Setup By group.
Discrete sets, clears, or toggles the tags on or off state. Current Value sets the tag value. To set a
Current Value, select Set or Offset in the Current Values group and then enter a tag value.

Configuring Alarm Points

You can incorporate alarm features into your operator interface by adding a PAC Display alarm
graphic (see also, Adding Alarm Graphics on page 279). In a project, alarm graphics monitor alarm
points associated with PAC Control tags, and alert the operator when pre-defined alarm conditions
are reached. Alarm information can be logged to a file or sent to a printer.
In this section:
Exporting Alarm Points to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File on page 265
Importing Alarm Points on page 267
Structure of Alarm Point Comma-Delimited File on page 267
Alarm, Acknowledge, and Alarm Clear Notifications on page 272
Setting Conditional Alarm Points on page 273
Entering Discrete Alarm Conditions on page 274
Entering Alarm Values on page 276
Setting Control Engine Status Alarm Points on page 278
Like an historic log point, an alarm point is linked to a PAC Control tag. When an alarm point
matches a defined alarm state, it is displayed on all alarm graphics that include that alarm point. If
configured to do so, an alarm point can also be sent to any configured file or printer log.
Once it is set up, an alarm point can be included in any number of alarm graphics in a PAC Display
project. (Data for an alarm point can still be collected if the alarm point has not been included in a

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graphic.) You can easily generate a report that lists all the alarm points for a project; see Viewing
Tags and Dynamic Attributes on page 182 for more information.

1. To configure an alarm point, choose Configure > Alarm Points.

The Alarm Points dialog box lists configured alarm points. The Ref Count column shows the
number of alarm windows in which each alarm point is used.

2. Do one of the following:

Click Add to create a new alarm point.
Highlight an existing alarm point and click Modify to change it.
Highlight one or more alarm points and click Delete to remove them. To select multiple
alarm points, hold down either the SHIFT key (for selecting contiguous items) or the CTRL
key (for selecting non-contiguous items) and click an alarm point name.
Highlight one or more alarm points and click Duplicate. In the dialog box that appears for
each alarm point, enter a new name, and then click OK to add each duplicate to the list.

Click Import to import alarm points from a comma-delimited file. Or, click Export to export
alarm points to a comma-delimited file. See, Importing Alarm Points on page 267.
If you are creating or changing an alarm point, the Alarm Point dialog box appears.

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Alarm Point Dialog Box

A
B
D

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CONFIGURING ALARM POINTS

To export one or more alarm points to a file:

1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Alarm Points to display the Alarm Points dialog.
2. Select one or more alarm points from the list.
3. Click Export, and then choose from the pop-up menu either Export to Subfolder (for a binary
file) or Export to Comma-Delimited File.

If you select Export to Subfolder (for a binary file), a message confirms success.

Each alarm point is automatically exported in a separate file to the Exported AlarmPoints
subfolder of the current project. These binary files have the format:
<Name of Alarm Point>.ape
Readable text files are also created that provide details for each exported alarm point.
If you select Export to Comma-Delimited File, the Export Alarm Points dialog box opens.
Select the target directory, name the file, and click Save. These files have the format:
<Name you assign>.adl
NOTE: If you select the same file again later, you will have the option of overwriting the existing file. If
you select No, the alarm points are appended to the selected file.
If there are errors, the message displays up to 10 alarm points in an error list.
To import the alarm points into another project, see the next section, Importing Alarm Points.

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Importing Alarm Points

Alarm Points may be imported from one project into another project that both refer to the same tag
database. Before importing, you must export the alarm points to a file as described in Exporting
Alarm Points to a Binary or Comma-Delimited File on page 265.
1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Alarm Points to open the Alarm Points dialog.
2. Click the Import button.
3. Select either Import from Subfolder (for a binary file) or Import from Comma-Delimited File
from the pop-up menu.

For a binary file, an Import Alarm Point dialog opens showing exported alarm point files in the
Exported Alarm Points subfolder under the current project.
For a comma-delimited file, navigate to the folder containing the file.

4. For a binary file, select one or more alarm point files (.ape) to import. Or, for a comma-delimited
file, select the single file (.adl) to import.
5. Click Open. The alarm points are imported and added to the list.
6. Click OK to confirm.
NOTE: If there are errors during the import, PAC Display displays a message indicating the error. The
import fails at the first error. PAC Display makes no attempt to guess what the intended field should
contain nor does it try to correct the error or present possible solutions. If an error is encountered, check
the contents of each field with the table below. The table details the possible values for the 160 fields
of each alarm point.

Structure of Alarm Point Comma-Delimited File

The structure of the comma-delimited file for alarm points is described below. There are a total of
165 fields.

Tag Definition Format. The following table describes a single Tag definition in the
comma-delimited file. There are ten fields, all of which are required for tags that are configured.
If tags are not configured (i.e., no alarm point notifications, conditional tag, HiHi tag, etc.), only the
first three fields may be blank. The remaining fields (4-10) must have the default values indicated.

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Field

Description

Values

Control Engine Name

The case-sensitive name of the control engine

Item Name

The case-sensitive name of the item.

Note: If Configuring a Controller Status alarm point, this value
must be the same as the Control Engine Name

Field Type

The case-sensitive name of field (Value, Gain, Counts, etc.)

NOTE: If Configuring a Controller Status alarm point, this value
must be # Of Errors

Element Index

Element index or 1 if not used

Bit Index

Bit index or 255 if not used

Start Index

Start Index or 1 if not used

Number of Elements

Number of elements or 1 if not used

Refresh Group

0-based index of refresh group (0 13) or 0 if not used

Reserved1

If file has been exported, do not modify this value.

For a new alarm point, must be 1

Reserved2

If file has been exported, do not modify this value.

For a new alarm point, must be 0

Notification Definition Format. This table describes the definition for the notifications
(Alarm, Acknowledge, and Clear) used in describing an alarm point. There are a total of 13 fields per
notification.
NOTE: If notifications are not configured for an alarm point, the seven required tag fields (fields 4-10 in the
previous table) are still required.
Field
1-10

Description

Values

Tag Description

(See Tag Definition Format on page 267)

Send Type

Must be one of the following:

Set (the default if not configured)
Discrete Set
Clear
Toggle
Offset

Send Value

The value or offset if configured, blank if

not needed

Enabled Flag

Must be ENABLED or NOT_ENABLED

(the default if not configured)

Alarm Point Definition Format. The entire alarm point definition file is described below.
Field
1
2-11

268

Description

Values

Required

Alarm Point Name

The name of the alarm point

Yes

Alarm Point Tag

(See Tag Definition Format on

page 267)

Yes

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Field

Description

Values

Required

Deadband

Deadband Value or 0 if not used

Yes

Setup Type

Must be one of the following:

Current Value
Discrete
Controller

Yes

14-26

Acknowledge Notification

(See Notification Definition Format on

page 268)

No*

27-39

Alarm Notification

(See Notification Definition Format on

page 268)

No*

40-52

Clear Notification

(See Notification Definition Format on

page 268)

No*

Display Dialog When Alarmed?

0 if No, 1 if Yes

Yes

Include Warning State

0 if No, 1 if Yes

Yes

Always Enabled?

0 if No, 1 if Yes

Yes

Conditional Tag

(See Tag Definition Format on

page 267)

No**

Conditional Tag Comparison

Condition

Must be one of the following (numbers):

0 - Not Used or Greater Than (>)
1 Equal To (=)
2 Less Than (<)
3 Greater or Equal (>=)
4 Less or Equal (<=)
5 ON (Discrete)
6 OFF (Discrete)

Yes

Conditional Value Compare

0 or value used

Alarm Point Specific Sound File

Full path to sound file or blank if not used

Play Sound when Alarmed?

0 = No (or N/A) ; 1 = Yes

Yes

Discrete Alarm When:

0 = Off/False (or Not Used);

1 = On/True

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

Discrete Alarm Priority

Priority or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

Discrete Alarm Comment

Comment or blank if Not Used

Discrete Normal Enabled

0 = False (or Not Used)

1 = True

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

Discrete Normal Priority

Priority or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

Discrete Normal Comment

Comment or blank if Not Used

Discrete Persistence Time

(msec)

Persistence time, in milliseconds, or 0 if

not used

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

Discrete Re-Alarm time (msec)

Re-alarm time, in milliseconds, or 0 if not

used

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

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Field

Values

Required

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a discrete alarm point

HiHi Enabled?

0 = No (default); 1 = Yes

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

HiHi Value

HiHi value or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

HiHi Priority

Priority or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

HiHi - Use Tag?

0 if FALSE 1 if TRUE

Yes

HiHi Tag

(See Tag Definition Format on

page 267)

No**

HiHi Comment

Comment or Blank if Not Used

HiHi Runtime Adjustable?

0 = No or if Not Used;
1 = True

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

HiHi Persistence Time (msec)

Persistence time, in milliseconds, or 0 if

not used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

HiHi Re-Alarm Time (msec)

Re-alarm time, in milliseconds, or 0 if Not

Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

100

Hi Enabled?

0 = No (default); 1 = Yes

Yes

Hi Tag

(See Tag Definition Format on

page 267)

No**

114

Hi Comment

Comment or Blank if Not Used

115

Hi Runtime Adjustable?

0 = No or if Not Used;
1 = True

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

116

Hi Persistence Time (msec)

Persistence time, in milliseconds, or 0 if

not used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

117

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

118

Hi Re-Alarm Time (msec)

Re-alarm time, in milliseconds, or 0 if Not

Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

119

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

84-93

104-113

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Description

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Field

Description

Values

Required

120

Normal Enabled?

0 = No or if Not Used;
1 = Yes

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

121

Normal Priority

Priority or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

122

Normal Comment

Comment or Blank if Not Used

123

Lo Enabled?

0 = No (default); 1 = Yes

Yes

Lo Tag

(See Tag Description)

No**

137

Lo Comment

Comment or Blank if Not Used

138

Lo Runtime Adjustable?

0 = No or if Not Used;
1 = True

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

139

Lo Persistence Time (msec)

Persistence time, in milliseconds, or 0 if

not used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

140

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

141

Lo Re-Alarm Time (msec)

LoLo Value

LoLo value or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

145

LoLo Priority

Priority or 0 if Not Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

146

LoLo - Use Tag

0 if FALSE 1 if TRUE

Yes

LoLo Tag

(See Tag Definition Format on

page 267)

No**

157

LoLo Comment

Comment or Blank if Not Used

158

LoLo Runtime Adjustable?

0 = No or if Not Used;
1 = True

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

159

LoLo Persistence Time (msec)

Persistence time, in milliseconds, or 0 if

not used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

160

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

161

LoLo Re-Alarm Time (msec)

Re-alarm time, in milliseconds, or 0 if Not

Used

Yes, even if not a

Value alarm point

127-136

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Field

Description

Values

Required
Yes, even if not a
Value alarm point

162

RESERVED

MUST BE 0

163

Control Engine Name for Controller Status Alarm Point

Control Engine Name or blank if Not Used

164

Last Known Value Priority

Priority or 99998 if Not Used

Yes

165

Comm Failure Priority

Priority or 99999 if Not Used

Yes

* Even if no notifications are configured there are required fields. See Notification Definition Format on page 268.
** Even if the tag is not configured, there are required fields. See Tag Definition Format on page 267.

Sample alarm point entries:

Controller Status,10.192.54.68,10.192.54.68,# Of
Errors,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,37,0.000000,Controller,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,NOT_ENABLED,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,N
OT_ENABLED,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,NOT_ENABLED,0,0,1,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,0,0.000000,C:\Projects\GLASS.W
AV,0,0,0,,1,0,,0,0,0,22,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,31588528,0,0,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,
0,0,0,17,1,0,,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,22,0,31588528,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,43321
2520,0,0,10.192.54.68,99998,99999
10.192.54.68:MyTable[1].BIT01,10.192.54.68,MyTable,,1,1,-1,-1,0,0,5,0.000000,Discrete,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,
NOT_ENABLED,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,NOT_ENABLED,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,Set,,NOT_ENABLED,0,0,1,,,,-1,255,-1,
-1,0,-1,0,0,0.000000,C:\Projects\DRUMROLL.WAV,1,1,0,,1,0,,0,0,0,0,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,0,0,0,1
,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,255,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,0,0,0,1,0.000000,0,0,,,,-1,2
55,-1,-1,0,-1,0,,0,0,0,0,0,,99998,99999

Alarm, Acknowledge, and Alarm Clear Notifications

You can have a value sent to a tag when any of the following alarm events occur:

An alarm occurs

An active alarm is acknowledged

An active alarm returns to Normal from an alarmed state.

To configure an alarm point for these events, click Alarm, Alarm Clear, or Acknowledge in the Alarm
Point dialog box.
The Alarm Notification, Alarm Clear, or Acknowledge Notification dialog box appears. These dialog
boxes are identical. (The Alarm Notification dialog box is shown below.)

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1. Click the Tag Selection button

to select a PAC Control tag name. See Configuring Tags on
page 75 for more about selecting tags.
2. In the Setup By group, select Discrete or Value.
Discrete specifies an on/off trigger state for the selected tag. (The tag must have a discrete
basetype.) After you select Discrete, define the trigger value by choosing one of the following
options:
SetSwitches the trigger state to On.
ClearSwitches the trigger state to Off.
ToggleSwitches the trigger state from its current condition to the opposite (for example,
On is switched to Off ).
Value defines the floating point or integer value that is written to the tag. After you select
Value, define the value by choosing one of the following options, then entering a value in the
Value Out field:
SetReplaces the tags current value with the value you enter in the Value Out field.
OffsetAdds the value you enter in the Value Out field to the tags current value.
3. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Setting Conditional Alarm Points

1. To make the alarm point dependent on the value of another tag, select Condition in the Alarm
Point Setup page, then click Modify.
The Alarm Point Conditional Enabling Setup dialog box opens.

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2. Configure the tag and conditions.

3. Click the Tag Selection button
and select a PAC Control tag. This tags value will be
compared to a value you define.
4. Select Discrete or Current value in the Setup by group. Current Value sets the tag value that will
trigger the alarm point. Select an operator in the drop-down menu, and then enter a value to
compare the tag to. Discrete makes the tags on or off state trigger the alarm point.
NOTE: Triggers are edge sensitive, and only activate on a positive transition from a non-triggered state.

5. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Entering Discrete Alarm Conditions

If you selected Discrete in the Setup by field on the Alarm Point Setup page, complete the alarm
point setup by configuring the alarms state in the Discrete page.

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1. To select the state of the alarm condition tag, select True/On to have the alarm point be in the
alarm state when the associated tag is on for discretes, or true for integer bits. Select
False/Off to have the alarm point be in the alarm state when the associated tag is off for
discretes or false for integer bits.
2. Select the check box next to Normal to have the normal state displayed in history windows and
logs. The normal state is the opposite of the alarm state.
3. When an alarm point state occurs, you can define how long it must be in that state (the
persistence time) before the alarm point is triggered. Click More and enter the Persistence Time
in milliseconds or seconds.

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5. Enter an integer value between 0 and 999 in the Priority fields to define an alarm value for each
alarm level. The highest priority is represented by 999, and 0 represents the lowest. Priority
values can be useful in Runtime for displaying the relative importance of alarm points, and for
filtering out alarms with lower priorities.
6. (Optional) In the Comment fields, enter text that will be displayed in alarm graphics for each
alarm level. The comment can have a maximum of 256 characters. This comment can display
information about the alarm point, for example, or provide instructions to the operator.
7. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

Entering Alarm Values

If you selected Current Value in the Setup by field on the Alarm Point Setup page, complete the
alarm point setup by configuring the alarms state in the Value page.

You must define values for each alarm level that will be used with the alarm point. The following
alarm levels are available:

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HiHi alarms occur when the tag value is greater than or equal to the HiHi value.

Hi alarms occur when the tag value is greater than or equal to the Hi value and less than the
HiHi value.

Normal is between the Hi and Lo values.

Lo alarms occur when the tag value is less than or equal to the Lo value and greater than the
LoLo value.

LoLo alarms occur when the tag value is less than or equal to the LoLo level.

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For each alarm level you want to use with the alarm point, do the following:
You must define values for each alarm level that will be used with the alarm point. The following
alarm levels are available:

HiHi alarms occur when the tag value is greater than or equal to the HiHi value.

Hi alarms occur when the tag value is greater than or equal to the Hi value and less than the
HiHi value.

Normal is between the Hi and Lo values.

Lo alarms occur when the tag value is less than or equal to the Lo value and greater than the
LoLo value.

LoLo alarms occur when the tag value is less than or equal to the LoLo level.

For each alarm level you want to use with the alarm point, do the following:
1. To select the state of the alarm condition tag, select True/On to have the alarm point be in the
alarm state when the associated tag is on for discretes, or true for integer bits. Select
False/Off to have the alarm point be in the alarm state when the associated tag is off for
discretes or false for integer bits.
2. Select the check box next to Normal to have the normal state displayed in history windows and
logs. The normal state is the opposite of the alarm state.
3. When an alarm point state occurs, you can define how long it must be in that state (the
persistence time) before the alarm point is triggered. Click More and enter the Persistence Time
in milliseconds or seconds.

4. When an alarm point state remains after the alarm has been triggered and acknowledged, you
can define how much time must elapse before the alarm point is re-triggered. Click More and
enter the Re-Alarm Time in milliseconds or seconds.
5. Enter an integer value between 0 and 999 in the Priority fields to define an alarm value for each
alarm level. The highest priority is represented by 999, and 0 represents the lowest. Priority
values can be useful in Runtime for displaying the relative importance of alarm points, and for
filtering out alarms with lower priorities.
6. (Optional) In the Comment fields, enter text that will be displayed in alarm graphics for each
alarm level. The comment can have a maximum of 256 characters. This comment can display
information about the alarm point, for example, or provide instructions to the operator.
7. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

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Setting Control Engine Status Alarm Points

If you selected Controller Status in the Setup by field on the Alarm Point Setup page, complete the
alarm point setup by selecting a control engine from the list on the control engines page. Only
control engines that have been added to the PAC Display project are available. See Configuring
Control Engines on page 62 for more information on adding primary and backup control engines to
a PAC Display project.
NOTE: When the Control Engine Status option is selected, no other feature in the Alarm Point dialog box is
available.

To configure an alarm point based on control engine status, do the following:

1. Click the Control Engines tab in the Alarm Point dialog box.
2. In the list of available control engines, select the control engine that will be linked to the alarm
point.
3. If you want to change the Last Known Value Priority or Comm Failure Priority levels, enter a new
value in the corresponding field.
Using the default settings, these priority levels cannot be filtered out by the user since they are
higher than 999. If you want the user to be able to filter out control engine status alarms, set
eitheror bothvalues to 999 or less.

4. Click the Setup tab and enter a name for the alarm point in the Name field.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

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Adding Alarm Graphics

Alarm graphics monitor alarm points associated with PAC Control tags, and alert the operator when
pre-defined alarm conditions are reached.
Alarm graphics can be placed and resized just like a trend or any other graphic object. You can place
multiple alarm graphics in any window. See also, Configuring Alarm Points on page 261.
In this section:
Setting the Alarm Format on page 281
Assigning Alarm Hot Keys on page 282
To create an alarm graphic:

1. Select the Alarm tool

from the Toolbox.
2. Click and drag a large rectangle, and release the mouse.
An alarm graphic similar to the example below appears.

3. To configure alarms for this graphic, choose the Select tool

graphic.
The Alarm Configuration dialog box opens.

and double-click on the

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Alarm Configuration Dialog Box

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(A) Alarm Points. The Alarm Points list shows configured alarm points that are associated with
the alarm graphic. To add an alarm point to the list, click Add (B). To remove an alarm point from the
list, click Delete (C).

(B) Add. Click Add to add an alarm point to the PAC Display project. In the Alarm Points dialog box
that appears, you can select previously configured alarm points or configure new points as needed.
To select more than one alarm point at a time, press and hold the CTRL key and then click each point
you want to add. See Configuring Alarm Points on page 261 for information on adding and
configuring alarm points.

(C) Delete. Select an alarm point in the list and click Delete to remove it from the alarm graphic.
The alarm point is not deleted from the PAC Display project or from any other alarm graphic.

(D) Alarm Type. Choose the type of the alarm graphic by selecting Detailed, Summary, or
History.

Detailed alarms treat each alarm point state as a separate alarm condition. The operator must
acknowledge each alarm point before its name is cleared from the alarm graphic.
For example, if an alarm is in the Lo state and changes to the LoLo state, alarms for both states
are listed in the graphic. Alarm points can be selected and acknowledged from a detailed
alarm.

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Summary alarms display only the state of the current alarm.

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For example, if an alarm is in the Lo state and changes to the LoLo state, only the LoLo state
alarm is listed in the graphic. Alarm points can be selected and acknowledged from a summary
alarm.

History alarms list each change of state for each alarm point. Alarm points cannot be
acknowledged from a history alarm.

(E) Color. For each of the following items, click a color square and select a color in the Color dialog
box that appears.

Alarm: Alarm points in an alarm condition

Normal: Alarm points that have returned to their normal state

Warning: Warning state text

Ackd: Alarm points that have been acknowledged

Silenced: Alarm points that have been silenced

Background: Background color of an alarm graphic

(F) Alarm Font. Click Alarm Font to select the font used in the alarm graphic.
(G) Use for Header. Select Use for Header to have the alarm font you selected appear in the
alarm graphics column headers.

(H) Column Format. Click Column Format to set the information that appears on the alarm
graphic. In the Alarm Format dialog box that appears, select the information the alarm graphic will
display, and the width alarm graphic columns will appear on screen. See Setting the Alarm Format
below for configuration information.

(I) Hot Keys. Click Hot Keys to configure keys on the keyboard that the operator can use to
acknowledge alarms. In the Alarm Hot Keys dialog box that appears, select keys or key combinations
the operator can use to acknowledge one or more alarms. Only detailed and summary alarm
graphics can have hot keys. See Assigning Alarm Hot Keys on page 282 for more information.

(J) Max Lines. Enter a number to set the maximum number of alarm point lines a history alarm
graphic can contain. When this number is exceeded, the oldest alarm point is removed to make
room for the new point. The History alarm type must be selected for this option to be available.

(K) Lock Ascending/Descending. You can lock the history alarm display in either ascending
or descending order. By default, the display order is not locked. If locked, no sort arrow appears in
the column header and clicking on a column header does not sort by the column.

(L) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.
Now well look at the additional steps needed to complete the settings in the Alarm Configuration
dialog box.

Setting the Alarm Format

You can customize the alarm information that appears when an alarm graphic is displayed on
screen, or when an alarm log file is sent to a printer.

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1. Click the Column Format button on the Alarm Configuration dialog box.
The Alarm Format dialog box appears.

2. Select the check box next to the name of each column that you want to appear in the alarm
graphic or printed alarm log.
3. For each column name that you want to use, enter the desired column width (in pixels) in the
Width field.
For alarm graphics, the widths are an approximate guideline for how wide the columns will
appear on screen. For printed alarm logs, the widths are absolute values. If a number or text
cannot fit into a printer column, it will be truncated.

Assigning Alarm Hot Keys

Alarm hot keys are keystrokes or keystroke combinations that the operator can quickly use to
respond to alarms. When a hot key is defined for an alarm, pressing a key on the keyboard (along
with an optional CTRL or SHIFT key) performs the same action as clicking the mouse on an object.
NOTE: Hot keys can also be defined for dynamic objects in a PAC Display project, but these hot keys are
defined separately from alarm hot keys. See Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140 to
learn how to set up hot keys for a dynamic graphic.
To configure hot keys for an alarm,
1. Click the Hot Keys button on the Alarm Configuration dialog box.

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2. Select a key in the drop-down list for the function you want to use:
Acknowledge. This hot key will have the same effect as pushing the alarms
"Acknowledge" button
Acknowledge All. This hot key will have the same effect as pushing the alarms
"Acknowledge All" button
Select List. This highlights the alarm point list on the display. Once the alarm point list is
highlighted, cursor keys can be used to select alarm points for acknowledgment.
3. If you want to use the CTRL and/or SHIFT keys in combination with the key youve chosen, select
Ctrl, Shift, or both.

Configuring Project Alarms

To configure alarm features for the whole project, select Configure > Alarming Setup and configure
the following settings as needed in the Alarming Setup dialog box described in the following
sections:
Alarm Runtime and User Options on page 283
EMail Options on page 285
Alert Window Options on page 287
Alarm Logging Options on page 288
Alarm Sound Options on page 291

Alarm Runtime and User Options

The Options tab allows you to configure how an alarm appears in PAC Display Runtime, and it
provides options for how a user can work with alarms in a PAC Display project.

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To set how an alarm appears in PAC Display Runtime, select one or more of the following options in
the Runtime Options group:

All alarms enabled at startupEnables all alarms when the project starts in Runtime.

Alarms Enabled menu itemMakes the Alarms Enabled menu available for the user to enable
and disable all alarms.

Priority Filter menu itemMakes the Priority Filter menu available for the user to control
whether to view all alarms, or only alarms exceeding a specified priority value.

Display message box for new alarm pointsMakes a dialog box appear containing
information about the alarm point. The user can acknowledge the alarm in this dialog box, or
close it and acknowledge the alarm at a later time. See also, Configuring Alarm Points on
page 261 to adjust this setting on a per-alarm basis.
NOTE: Setting or clearing this setting in the Alarming Setup dialog will set or clear this option for all
alarm points. Therefore, you should set this global default first, and then adjust the setting on a
per-alarm point basis.

Show Warning StateAn alarm point is considered to be in a warning state when in one or
both of the following conditions:
a. A persistence time has been configured for the alarm point (see Entering Discrete Alarm
Conditions on page 274 and Entering Alarm Values on page 276) and the alarm has been
triggered, but is waiting for the persistence time to expire.
b. An alarm point has the Re-Alarm Time option configured and is still in the triggered state
after being acknowledged. (To see the Re-Alarm option, select Configure > Alarm Points. Then
click the Add or Modify button, click the Discrete or Value tab (depending on the alarm type),
and click one of the More buttons.)
When selected, the Show Warning State option enables all alarm points to be displayed in the
alarm graphic when these points enter the warning state. If alarm points have already been
configured, you can select specific alarm points only to be displayed in the warning state. To do
this, first select this option, then click Choose... to open the Choose Warning State dialog box.
Select the alarm points you to display in the alarm state, then click OK. Select All to select all of
the alarm points. Select Clear All to de-select them.
See also, Configuring Alarm Points on page 261.

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NOTE: To override this behavior when configuring new alarm points or modifying existing alarm
points, use the Show Warning State option in the Notification Options section of the Alarm Point
dialog. See Configuring Alarm Points on page 261.
To define the changes a user can make to an alarm in PAC Display Runtime, select one or more of the
following options in the User Adjustable group:

Enable/Disable Alarm LevelsAllows the user to enable or disable alarm points

Alarm Level ValuesAllows the user to change alarm point values

Alarm Level PriorityAllows the user to change alarm point priorities

Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

EMail Options
Use the EMail tab to configure email to be sent for alarm points:
1. Select Configure > Alarming Setup, and then click the EMail tab.

2. Select Enable Alarm Point EMail, and choose one of the following options:
Send Email for all alarm pointsCreates and sends an email to the recipients you enter.
Send Email only for alarm points I chooseClick Choose to open a dialog box listing all
alarm points currently configured. Check the alarm points for which an email is to be sent.

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Choose Select All to select all alarm points. Choose Clear All to clear all selected alarm
points. Click OK to confirm your selection.

4.
5.

Send Email for alarm points with prioritiesSends email only for alarm points with a
priority greater than or equal to that specified. This is useful for alarm points where only a
specific state (such as HiHi or LoLo) warrant an email, or for other critical alarm points.
Under Email Details, select the level of information that will be sent in the email. By default, all
emails will include the name of the alarm point. You can also select State, Value, Comment and
Priority to be included.
Select Include Warning State if you want to send an email when the alarm point enters the
Warning state.
Click Send To to launch the Email Recipients dialog:

6. Click To, Cc, or Bcc to open a dialog to enter the email addresses of the recipients. When you
have entered an email address, you can do any of the following things:
To modify an entry, double-click the entry in the list to open a dialog box

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Enter the change, and then click OK.

To delete an entry from any list, click on the entry and push the <Delete> key. A
confirmation dialog will appear. Click Yes to delete the entry.
7. If you want, select Allow Email to be edited before sent.
When enabled, this option will bring up the email in the default email window, so the user can
edit the email before sending it. If this option is not selected, Runtime will send the email with
no user interaction (see note below).
NOTE: When an email is sent with no user interaction, a prompt may appear asking whether you
want to send the email. Click Yes to send the email. For information on how to set up your email client
to handle this kind of message, see the documentation for your mail client.

Alert Window Options

Use the Alert Window tab to enable alarm points that have entered a Warning state to appear in the
Alert Window in Runtime

1. Select Enable Alarm Point Alert Window to enable alarm points that have entered a Warning
state to appear in the Alert Window in Runtime.
2. Under When No Alarm Points in Alert Window select one of the following options:
Hide the WindowRemoves the Alert Window from the screen when the last alarm point
has been removed from the window.

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Minimize Window but Leave Visible on ScreenCollapses the contents of the window to
just the caption bar when the last alarm point has been removed from the window, and
leaves the collapsed window on screen.
Leave Window Open and Visible on ScreenLeaves the window open and visible when
the last alarm point has been removed from the window.

Alarm Logging Options

Use the Logging tab to configure how alarm data is sent to a printer or saved in a file.

1. To choose a printer to send alarm data to, select Printing Enabled and then choose a printer
from the Selected Printers list. If you want to use a printer that does not appear on the list, you
will need to install the printer so that it can be accessed from your PC. Refer to the
documentation from Microsoft and your computer manufacturer if you are not sure how to do
this.
Note that if you move the PAC Display project from one Windows operating system to another,
you must reselect the printers.
2. To choose the alarm information that appears on the printed alarm log, click the Column
Format button. In the Alarm Format dialog box that appears, set the format in which the alarm
graphic will appear on screen and the information it will contain. See Setting the Alarm
Format on page 281 for configuration information.
3. If you want History Alarm windows to be refreshed (have their contents updated) each time
they open, select Reload History Alarms. This option is only available when file logging has also
been enabled.
4. To save a log file of alarm data to disk, select File Logging Enabled and click File Setup.
In the Alarm Logging File Access dialog box that opens, you can configure the name, location,
line format, and other settings for the log file where the alarm data will be saved.

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(A) Directory Path. Choose the directory where the alarm log file will be saved. Click Name and
enter the directory path in the field next to it, or click Browse to find a directory path. Click Use
Project Directory to save the alarm log file to the PAC Display project directory. (This occurs by
default if you dont specify another location.)

(B) File Name. Select Automatic, Fixed, or From strategy to determine how the alarm log file
name will be created, and then fill in additional information as needed for that option.
If the Automatic option is used, log files are named based on the rules described in Naming Historic
Log Files and SuperTrend Files on page 236. If you select this option, files are named using the
rollover convention if required; this is described in more detail on page 237. If rollover is not used,
the file is named alarmlog.alm. The Automatic option is used by default if you do not select
another option.

(D) String Name. If you selected the From strategy option in B, enter a PAC Control string
tagname here. Use the Tag Selection button
to quickly enter the tag containing the name of the
alarm log file. When the trigger starts the alarm log, the string containing the file name is read, and
the new data is appended to the log file if the file already exists. If the file doesnt already exist, it is
created. The rollover naming convention doesnt apply to this type of file name.
If the string in D is an invalid file name, the default name of the log file is created using the following
rules:

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If the string is empty, the project directory is added to Default Name (E) and the extension .alm
is used.

If the string is not empty and a project directory is not specified as the directory path, the Name
in A is added to Default Name (E) .

If the project directory is specified as the path, or the previous step failed, the project directory
is added to Default Name (E) and the extension .alm is used. If the project directory is read-only
or there is not enough room left on the drive containing the project directory, an error message
indicates that the file could not be created.

(E) Default Name. Enter a default file name here in case the file name used in String Name (D) is
invalid. The file name can be any valid, eight-character DOS file name. The three-character file
extension .alm is assigned by PAC Display.

(F) Line Format. Click to configure the character, or delimiter, used to separate the data in the log
file, to choose the type of quotes used for each data line, and where to insert carriage returns. You
configure these parameters in the Line Format dialog box that appears. See page 236 for more
information.

(G) Lines Buffered. Enter the number of lines of data your PC will save to a memory buffer
before writing the information to the alarm log file. When choosing a number, keep in mind that the
lower the number of buffered data lines, the more frequently the computer has to write to the file.
Alternately, the higher the number of data lines buffered in memory, the more data that will be lost
if your PC loses power or has a system failure. A valid entry is any number between 0 and 999; the
default is 20 files.
(H) Number of Files to Retain. Enter the maximum number of alarm log files that can be
created using rollover before the oldest file is overwritten. For example, if you enter 10 and your
rollover time period is set to hours, you will have 10 alarm log files created for 10 hours of data
before the oldest file is overwritten with new data. See page 237 for more information on rollover
settings.

(I) Rollover. Choose the rollover time period here. Select None to have all logged data placed in a
single data file named alarmlog.alm. If you select Weeks, also select the day of the week to have the
files rollover. Otherwise the files will rollover on Thursday, the default. Logging begins when the PAC
Display project is loaded, and data collected will be appended to the existing data file. The size of
the file is limited only by available disk space.
To use the Trigger option, see Using the Rollover Trigger Option on page 233. Logging begins
when the Start Trigger is activated, and data collected will be appended to the existing data file. The
size of the file is limited only by available disk space.

(J) Use 0.01 Sec Resolution. Select this option to log the time in hundredths of a second.
(K) Keep File Open. Select Keep file open to leave the log file open to allow data to be
appended to the alarm log file more quickly. If you leave this box unchecked (the default setting),
the file is closed after each time data is written to it. This provides greater data integrity than leaving
the file open.

(L) OK. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.

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Alarm Sound Options

NOTE: To play sound files, the PC running the project must have a properly configured sound card and
corresponding system software, as well as a set of speakers. You can use both digitized sound (.wav) and
MIDI music (.mid) files in your project.
The Sound tab allows you to define an alarm sound and the conditions when it is played

1. To enter the name of the sound you want played, click Browse and locate the sound file.
If you select Use Project Directory, the sound file must reside in the project directory. This
option is useful if the project directory might be moved to a different location.
NOTE: Only one sound file can be selected in the Alarming Setup dialog box, but PAC Display has other
ways of playing sounds. See Configuring a Sound on page 243 and Configuring Alarm Points on
page 261 for more information.

2. Select an option to determine how many times the sound will play when a new alarm occurs:
Play sound once when any alarm is activeThe sound plays once, then stops.
Play sound continuously when any alarm is activeThe sound continues to play until the
operator acknowledges all active alarms.
Play sound continuously until any alarm is acknowledgedThe sound continues to play
until the operator acknowledges at least one active alarm.
3. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog box.
See also Configuring Alarm Points on page 261 to assign a sound to a specific alarm point.
NOTE: If an alarm point has been configured to play the global sound file, but then the global sound file is
cleared in this dialog box, a message will ask you to configure a default sound or proceed with this choice
for the alarm point.

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10: 10: Using PAC Display RuntimeChapter 10

10: Using PAC Display Runtime

Introduction
This chapter describes the versions of PAC Display Runtime that can be used, and explains how to
customize features that are available when your project runs in PAC Display Runtime. It also explains
how to use features that an operator sees and works with when using Runtime.

In This Chapter
Runtime Regular and Monitor-Only Versions ...................... 293
Using Monitor-Only Runtime and Configurator................. 294
Using the Runtime Setup Dialog Box...................................... 293
Runtime Setup: General Tab........................................................ 295
Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab ......................................... 299
Runtime Setup: Security Tab ....................................................... 301
Runtime Setup: I/O Unit Tag Tab ............................................... 320
Using Runtime ................................................................................... 322
Launching Runtime in the Windows Startup Menu......... 340

Runtime Regular and Monitor-Only Versions

Two versions of PAC Displays Runtime application are provided with PAC Display: the regular version
and a monitor-only version. The primary difference between these two versions is that the
monitor-only version of PAC Display Runtime does not allow values to be sent to a control engine.
This can be a useful feature for PAC Display projects where operator intervention is not required or
must be prohibited.
The monitor-only version of PAC Display Runtime has the following features:

The File and Help menus are the only menu items displayed. If the PAC Display project has been
configured to hide the menu bar, however, even these menus are not visible. See Restricting
the Operator on page 303 for information on configuring the menu bar in Runtime.

The only operator-driven dynamic attribute that can be used in the Runtime monitor-only
version is opening or closing windows. Keep this in mind when developing the PAC Display

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project; if there is a window that you do not want the operator to see, for example, do not use
the open/close dynamic attribute with a graphic object.
See the next section, Using Monitor-Only Runtime and Configurator.
Using Monitor-Only Runtime and Configurator
Using the Runtime Setup Dialog Box
Runtime Setup: General Tab
Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab
Runtime Setup: Security Tab
Runtime Setup: I/O Unit Tag Tab
Using Runtime
Launching Runtime in the Windows Startup Menu

Using Monitor-Only Runtime and Configurator

To use the monitor-only version of Runtime with this feature, you must change the file name of the
application.
1. In Windows Explorer, change the file name of the regular version of PAC Display to a temporary
name.
For example, change DisplayR.basic.exe to orig_DisplayR.basic.exe or something similar.

2. Now change the file name of the monitor-only Runtime application to the original name of the
regular version. This is done by changing DisplayX.basic.exe to DisplayR.basic.exe.
After making these changes, the monitor-only version of Runtime will start when you select Save
Project and Load Runtime in PAC Display Configurator.
To use the regular version of Runtime again, reverse the steps above.

Using the Runtime Setup Dialog Box

You can configure some of the ways that a PAC Display project appears in Runtime. Using PAC
Display Configurator, you can specify which windows are open or closed, whether the menu is
displayed, and whether or not the operator can exit the program. You can also customize options for
the Event Log Viewer, a window that displays messages about the status and other characteristics of
a PAC Display project. And you can control whether a PAC Display project gathers I/O unit
information, such as I/O point states and values, from tags on a control engine or directly from an
I/O unit itself.
NOTE: If you want to run your PAC Display project on a computer with multiple monitors, in PAC Display
Configurator simply extend the projects main window across the monitors you want to use. When you
open the project in Runtime, the main window will appear the way you positioned it over the monitors. For
more information on using multiple computer monitors, see the System Requirements on page 4 and
Using Multiple Monitors on page 35.
To set up a project for Runtime, select Configure > Runtime from the PAC Display Configurator, then
configure the settings in the Runtime Setup dialog box.

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See the following sections:

Runtime Setup: General Tab (below)
Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab on page 299
Runtime Setup: Security Tab on page 301
Runtime Setup: I/O Unit Tag Tab on page 320

Runtime Setup: General Tab

(A) Draw Window Initial State. Use these options to onfigure how the projects windows will
look when the project is first opened in Runtime. To set the default options, check the Use Default
check box, and then click Define Default to set the default options. In the Pop Window dialog box
that opens, select windows and configure whether the window is opened, closed, or iconified. See
Using Draw Windows and URL Windows on page 93 for additional options for configuring window
states in Runtime.

(B) Main Window Style Options. Use these options to customize the PAC Display Runtime
application window.

Always Maximized keeps the main window completely open, covering the entire screen.
When this option is selected, the minimize and maximize button options are not available;
deselect Always Maximize if you want to choose the minimize or maximize options.

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Use Custom Caption lets you enter a title that will appear in the title bar of the main window.
Enter the title in the Custom Caption field.
If a customized caption ends with a hyphen (-), the project file name is added to the caption.

Title Bar displays the Windows title bar for the main window. If space is limited on your
operator interface, deselect this option to slightly increase the viewable area thats available.
If you deselect the Title Bar option, note that all options within the group except for Always
Maximized are unavailable.

Use On-Screen Keyboard for Touchscreens. Check this option to enable the use of an
on-screen keyboard with the Send String and Send Value Dynamic Attributes. Use this option
when PAC Display Runtime is running on a computer without a physical keyboard and has a
touchscreen. Selecting this option enables all Send String and Send Value Dynamic Attributes
in a project.
Include 'Insert ASCII' in Screen-Keyboard. Select this option to include the 'Insert ASCII'
parameter in the On-Screen Send String dialog box. The 'Insert ASCII' feature allows a user to
enter any character value between 0-255. This option is only available for the Send String
Dynamic Attribute. The Use On-Screen Keyboard for Touch Screens option must be checked in
order for this option to be available.

(D) Runtime Options.

Use these options to configure the following:

Format Value Data With Commas. Displays large numbers using commas. For example, one
million displays as 1,000,000. However, if a data field in an existing project is too small to display
large numbers with commas, you can de-select this option. Without commas, one million
displays as 1000000.

Trend Backward Compatibility. Displays Trend data in the same manner as it is displayed in
OptoDisplay. This is the same effect as selecting None as the y-axis Label Position on the Trend
Configuration dialog box, except that the labels are displayed. Multiple ranges appear to
overlap, and all pens are displayed. As shown in the following example, if pen 1 has a range of
0-100 and pen 2 has a range of 300-400, the y-axis has a range of 0-100 and 300-400
simultaneously and both pens are displayed. By default, this option is disabled.

Disable Exit Confirmation. Keeps PAC Display Runtime from displaying a confirmation
message when you close the program.

Send +1 for Discrete Integer Writes. Allows PAC Display Runtime to mimic OptoDisplay
Runtime when sending Discrete Writes to integer variables that have no bit index specified (the
bit index field is left blank). This is helpful when upgrading projects from FactoryFloor or
OptoDisplay, or when there is incorrect logic in strategies that tests against true rather than not
false.
If the bit index field is left blank when configuring a discrete write to an integer, a message says,
No Bit Index specified. All bits will be modified. By using this option, Runtime sets only the first
bit of the integer to a 1, resulting in an actual integer value of +1 (the same as OptoDisplay).
This option affects all the discrete write options: Set, Toggle, Direct, and Reverse.

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(E) Sound Options. If you want all sounds to play as they occur, select Play sounds
simultaneously. This allows each sound that occurs to play at the same time other sounds are
playing. If this option is not selected, each sound that occurs will play one at a time in a round-robin
fashion.

(F) Date Format. Use the Date Format options to change how the date appears in Alarm
windows, SuperTrend objects, and historic log files. When you switch from one date format to
another, any SuperTrends placed in a window are immediately updated to reflect the selected date
format.
You can select one of two date formats:

MM-DD-YYYY displays the date as month, day, and year.

For example, October 31, 1999 would be displayed as 10-31-1999.

DD-MM-YYYY displays the date as day, month, and year.

For example, October 31, 1999 would be displayed as 31-10-1999.

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Pen 1

Pen 2
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If the Play sounds simultaneously is checked, sounds start playing immediately, regardless if other
sounds are still playing, and will overlap any currently playing sounds.
For examples, see Setting Up Sound Options on page 298

(G) Allow Multiple Runtimes. Select this option to allow multiple runtimes to run at the same
time. However, before proceeding, make sure to read the following note:
CAUTION: Before using this option, consider the following things:

If each project is logging to files (SuperTrend, Historic, Operator Logging, etc.), are the projects saving
data to the same file(s)? If so, system instability or a crash may occur.

Performance will be reduced for each Runtime project.

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Setting Up Sound Options

If you want all sounds to play as they occur, select Play sounds simultaneously. This allows each
sound that occurs to play at the same time other sounds are playing. If this option is not selected,
each sound that occurs will play one at a time in a round-robin fashion.
If the Play sounds simultaneously is checked, sounds start playing immediately, regardless if other
sounds are still playing, and will overlap any currently playing sounds
In the following examples, sounds A and B may be configured for alarms, triggers, etc. Sound A is
configured to repeat five times. Sound B is configured to repeat three times.

Scenario 1. Sound A and sound B are both triggered at the same time.

If the Play sounds simultaneously is not checked, sound A will play five times, and then sound
B will play three times.
AAAAABBB
(time > )

If the Play sounds simultaneously is checked, sounds A and B will play at the same time with
sound A playing five times, and sound B playing three times.
AAAAA
BBB
(time >)

Scenario 2. Sound A is triggered. While it is playing, sound A is triggered again.

If the Play sounds simultaneously is not checked, the initial five instances of sound A will
continue to play until all five have played. Then the next five instances of sound A will play.
AAAAAAAAAA
(time > )

If the Play sounds simultaneously is checked, when sound A is triggered the second time, it
will start immediately, and it may overlap the initial five sounds from the first trigger.
AAAAA
AAAAA
(time >)

Scenario 3. Both sounds are triggered at the same time. Sound A is one second long, and sound B
is three seconds long.

If the Play sounds simultaneously is not checked, the sounds will play one after the other.
AAAAAB--B--B-(time > )

If the Play sounds simultaneously is checked, the sounds will play at the same time. Sound A
will end before sound B.
AAAAA
B--B--B-(time > )

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If you deselect the Title Bar option, note that all options within the group except for Always
Maximized are unavailable.

Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab

(A) Off-line Control Engine Color Options. If one or more control engines stops
communicating, you can have all graphics with dynamic attributes tied to the control engine(s)
change color to indicate the control engines state. To do this, select a Last Known Value color and a
Comm Failure color, and then click the Enable Graphic Color Change checkbox.
If any graphic in the project uses the View Control Engine Status dynamic attribute, the graphic will
still change color based on control engine status. If the color used for this dynamic attribute is
different from the Offline control engine color, you must confirm which color setting to use.

(B) Synchronize Control Engine Clocks to PC Clock. Enable control engine clocks to be
synchronized with the PC clock on the PC that is running OptoOPCServer.

Enable Auto Synchronization: When enabled, set the the day and time that the control
engine clock is automatically synchronized with the PC clock.

Synchronize at Runtime startup: When enabled, the control engines are synchonized with
the PC clock every time Runtime is started.

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Synchronize Control Engine With: When enabled, choose which PC to use to sync the
control engine's clock. If you choose Remote Computer, a dialog box appears to browse to the
remote computer. This option is useful if there are several PCs running the same PAC Display
project gathering data from the same control engine because clocks may vary considerably
from one PC to the next.

(C) Controller Driven Dynamic Attributes. If Allow Runtime Tooltips is enabled, when a
user places the cursor over a graphic that has controller driven dynamic attributes in Runtime, the
current values are displayed in a pop-up tooltip. See also, Using Allow Runtime Tooltips.

Using Allow Runtime Tooltips

If Allow Runtime Tooltips is selected on the Control Engine tab of the Runtime Setup dialog box,
when a user places the cursor over a graphic that has controller driven dynamic attributes in
Runtime, the current values are displayed in a pop-up tooltip.
NOTE: The tooltip will NOT display for Trends, SuperTrends, XY-Plots or Alarm Graphics.
Examples
This example shows a graphic with two different dynamic attributes: a line and fill color from two
different tags.

If a graphic is configured with the Control Engine Status dynamic attribute, the tooltip will display
the status of each control engine that is currently being monitored. The next example shows the
status of two control engines. The color is always the color of the worst-case control enginein this
case, the one that has a COMM FAILURE.

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If a graphic is displaying controller driven dynamic attribute for an alarm point status, the tooltip
shows the state of the alarm point as well as the value of the point as shown here.

Runtime Setup: Security Tab

(A) Security Options.

Prevent User Exit. Check this to prevent the user from changing the project currently open in
PAC Display Runtime or from exiting PAC Display Runtime. Once the project starts in Runtime,
an operator wont be able to exit the PAC Display Runtime application.

Hide Menu Bar Permanently. Check this to prevent display of the menu bar in PAC Display
Runtime. This restricts operator interaction with Runtime menu commands to only what youve

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defined in the project itself. The ESC key will not activate the menu bar, and pressing the F1 key
wont invoke the Runtime online help system.
When the menu bar is not visible due to this feature, pressing the F1 function key does not
invoke PAC Display Runtime online help system. To offer access to the online help system,
configure a graphic with an Execute Menu Item and specify the Help menu item.

Global Operator Driven Permissions. Click the Configure button to add a higher-level tier
of security. It allows the globally configured users to access any security-configured operator
driven dynamic attribute, without having to be specifically configured for that attribute. See
also, Adding Global Operator Driven Permissions on page 311 and Configuring Runtime User
Logins on page 303.
You can also configure a graphic so that Runtime commands execute when the graphic is
clicked. This is done by assigning Runtime menu commands to the graphic using the Execute
Menu Item dynamic attribute; see Execute Menu Item on page 156 for instructions.
Disable Security if Currently Logged in. Check this if you want a logged in user who has
global operator driven permissions not to have to log in to modify an operator-driven attribute.
If this option is selected, such a user does not have to enter a Windows user name and
password in order to perform an operator driven command on a graphic in Runtime.

(B) Runtime Logging.

Enable Runtime Operator Action Logging. Choose this option to record all use of the PAC
Display project to a log file.

Header Line. Enter text that will appear at the top of the Runtime Operator Action log file.

Log File/Encrypt Log File. Click Log File to specify the name and contents of the Runtime
Operator Action log file. Configure the file name and other parameters in the Event Log
Configuration dialog box that appears. To have the file optionally encrypted, select Encrypt Log
File.

(C) Event Log Options.

Prevent Disabling. Select this option to prevent a user from disabling the Event Log Viewer
during Runtime. You must first select Start enabled to get this option.

Start Enabled. Select this option to enable the Event Log Viewer at startup.

Start Hidden. Select this option to prevent the Event Log Viewer from displaying when
Runtime launches; it runs in the background instead-. In this mode you can see the Event Log
Viewer by choosing View > Event Log in Runtime.
See also, Enabling the Event Log Viewer on page 313.

(D) Login Options.

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Allowed Users. Choose this option to allow selected users to log in to PAC Display Runtime
after another user has logged off. The sole purpose of this option is to inform PAC Display
Runtime of the user who will be performing operator driven actions for the Runtime Operator
Action Log File feature. See also, Configuring Runtime User Logins on page 303.

Add / Modify User Password. Choose this option to require a user to log in every time
Runtime is started. See also, Configuring Password for Modifying List of Users in Runtime on
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See also, Logging Operator Actions on page 314 and Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log
File on page 315.

Restricting the Operator

There are a few ways to limit how the operator can use PAC Display Runtime:

To prevent the operator from exiting PAC Display Runtime, select Prevent User Exit in the
Security Option group. Once the project starts in Runtime, an operator wont be able to exit the
PAC Display Runtime application.

To hide the menu bar from the operator, select Hide Menu Bar Permanently. This restricts
operator interaction with Runtime menu commands to only what youve defined in the project
itself. The ESC key will not activate the menu bar, and pressing the F1 key wont invoke the
Runtime online help system.

To allow selected users to log in to PAC Display Runtime or to set up Global Operator Driven
Permissions, see Configuring Runtime User Logins below.

You can also configure a graphic so that Runtime commands execute when the graphic is clicked.
This is done by assigning Runtime menu commands to the graphic using the Execute Menu Item
dynamic attribute; see Execute Menu Item on page 156 for instructions.

Configuring Runtime User Logins

Use the Allowed Users button on the Runtime Setup dialog box to define who may use PAC Display
Runtime. Only these users can use Runtime. If no users are configured, anyone can use Runtime. See
also, Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log File on page 315.
NOTE: This is not the same as a Windows login, which is the login that is used by the Security features of
Operator Driven Dynamic Attributes.
Please keep the following important points in mind:

Logging in and out of Runtime does not change the user currently logged on to the PC in
Windows. The user that initially logged into Windows remains the Windows user.

If no names are configured as Allowed Users, the option to log out of Runtime is disabled in
Runtime.

See also, Adding Global Operator Driven Permissions on page 311 to add a higher-level tier of
security.
1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box, then click
the Security tab.

5. To map a users Runtime login user name to his or her global operator driven user name, select
Has Global Operator Driven Access, and then enter the global operator driven user name. This
option must be configured in order for the user logged in to PAC Display Runtime to modify
operator driven attributes without having to log in for each attribute. See also, Adding Global
Operator Driven Permissions on page 311.
6. Click OK. The new user name is added to the list of Allowed Users.

Modifying an Existing User Name.

1. Select the name, and click the Modify button to open the Enter Password dialog box.

2. Enter the users password in both fields, and click OK.

3. Make changes to the user name or password, then click OK.

Deleting an Existing User Name.

1. Highlight the name, and click the Delete button.
2. Click OK to confirm and open the Enter Password dialog box.
3. Enter the password in both fields, then click OK.
The user name is deleted from the list.

Configuring Password for Modifying List of Users in Runtime

You can require that a user in Runtime must enter a password in order to add or modifythe list of
users who may log in.
1. In Configurator, choose Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box, then click
the Security tab.

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2. In the Login Options section, click Add / Modify User Password to open the Enter Password
dialog box.

3. Enter the new password in both fields, then click OK.

Modifying List of Users in Runtime

1. In Runtime, select Security > Add/Modify User.

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2. Add, Modify, or Delete a user name as described in the following sections.

Adding a New User.

NOTE: The Runtime User Name is case-sensitive.

1. Click the Add button, and enter the user name and password (two times) for the user who will
be allowed to log in to Runtime.

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For each additional login period, select Enable additional scheduled time, then select the login
time. To disable a schedule, deselect Enable additional scheduled time for that time period.

3. To configure a user to be logged out automatically when Runtime has been no activity for a
specified amount of time, under Automatic Log Out After, enter the amount of time that the
PAC Display project may remain idle. The units can be set in Minutes, Hours, Days, and Weeks.
To disable the automatic log out feature, enter a 0 in the text entry field.
A PAC Display Runtime project is considered to be idle if:
The mouse is not moved
A menu command is not invoked
An Operator Driven attribute is not clicked
NOTE: Trigger-based commands are not included in the above list. For example, if a window opens or
closes, a recipe uploads or downloads, or an alarm point state changes, these are not considered to
be operator interactions with PAC Display.

4. To require a user to change his or her password after a specified amount of time, under Require
Password Change Every, enter the amount of time. The units can be set in Days, Weeks, and
Months.
Beginning 14 days prior to the expiration of a password, the user will be notified when logging
in that the password will expire, and be given the option to change it.
To disable this feature, enter a 0 in the text entry field.
5. To map a users Runtime login user name to his or her global operator driven user name, select
Has Global Operator Driven Access, and then enter the global operator driven user name. This
option must be configured in order for the user logged in to PAC Display Runtime to modify
operator driven attributes without having to log in for each attribute. See also, Adding Global
Operator Driven Permissions on page 311.
6. Click OK. The new user name is added to the list of Allowed Users.

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2. Under Global Operator Driven Permissions, click the Configure button to open the Runtime
Log-In Allowed Users dialog box.

3. Select the Domain and Users/Groups from the drop-down menus, select Grant Access, then
click OK.
4. If you want a logged in user who has global operator driven permissions not to have to log in
to modify an operator-driven attribute, select Disable Security Dialog if Currently Logged in. If
this option selected, such a user does not have to enter a Windows user name and password in
order to perform an operator driven command on a graphic in Runtime. See also, Adding a
New User on page 304.

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5. Normally, Runtime enters the last sent value into the Send Value and Send String dialogs.
However, if the last sent value was a password, or other numeric code that should not be
available the next time the dialog is displayed, check Clear Send Dialog Input Fields.
With one or more users configured in Runtime, the Security > Operator Driven Attribute Access >
Log In option is available for users to log in.

Logging In to and Out of Operator Driven Attribute Access in Runtime. If global

users are configured (see Adding Global Operator Driven Permissions on page 311), a configured
user can log in and access any security-configured operator driven dynamic attribute.
See also, Logging Out of and In to Runtime on page 322.
NOTE: The Operator Driven Attribute Access submenu is not available in the Read Only version of Runtime.

1. In Runtime, choose Security > Operator Driven Attribute Access > Log In (or Log Out).

2. In the Enter User Credentials dialog box, enter your Windows user name and Password, then
click OK.
CAUTION: As long as a globally configured user is logged in, anyone can access the security-configured
operator driven dynamic attributes. To prevent unauthorized access, it is the responsibility of the
configured user to log out when finished.

Enabling the Event Log Viewer

Use the Event Log Options on the Security tab of the Runtime Setup dialog box to configure the
Event Log Viewer. The Event Log Viewer displays messages in PAC Display Runtime about system
events and a projects communication transactions. By default, the Event Log Viewer is enabled
when Runtime starts.

Prevent disabling. Select this opt ion to prevent a user from disabling the Event Log Viewer
during Runtime. You must first select Start enabled to get this option.

Start enabled. Select this option to enable the Event Log Viewer at startup. Uncheck this option
to keep the Event Log Viewer running in the background rather than on top.

Start hidden . Select this option to prevent the Event Log Viewer from displaying when Runtime
launches. In this mode you can see the Event Log Viewer by choosing View > Event Log in Runtime.
See Using the Event Log Viewer on page 326 for information on using the Event Log Viewer in
Runtime, and Configuring the Event Log File on page 318 to learn about enabling saving the Event

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Log to a file and setting the format in which Event Log files are saved. By default the Event Log is not
saved to a file.

Logging Operator Actions

When an operator uses a PAC Display project in Runtime, general information about how and when
the project is used can be recorded in the Runtime Operator Log File. Detailed information such as
which onscreen controls were used and which values or states were changed can also be recorded
in this log file. For security, the log file can be optionally encrypted.
NOTE: You can also configure security settings for an object to restrict its use to authenticated users and
groups. See Security Settings for Graphics and Dynamic Attributes on page 148 to learn how to configure
user and group authentication for a graphic object.

Data Recorded in the Runtime Logging File

When the PAC Display project runs in PAC Display Runtime, the following information about
operator actions is recorded:

DateDate of action (month/day/year)

TimeTime of action (24-hour)

Action TakenDescription of action and PAC Display project file used

Control EngineControl engine running the PAC Control strategy that the PAC Display project
is accessing

TagComplete name of tag being modified

Old Valuetag value before being modified

New Valuetag value after being modified

UserName of user logged into computer running PAC Display project

ComputerComputer running the PAC Display project

Discrete controller variables display Off values as 0, and On/Set values as 1. Discrete I/O points are
logged as 0 (Off ) and -1 (minus 1) - for On/Set.
In this example, the log shows that the operator edgar opened and closed the PAC Display project
cfactory.UUI using the computer MFG-00.

PAC Display Runtime Operator Log File

Line Formats:
Date

Time

Action Taken

User

Computer

12/11/2010

10:22:28.230

Open project: cfactory.UUI executed

edgar

MFG-00

12/11/2010

10:59:57.442

Close project: cfactory.UUI executed

edgar

MFG-00

The next example shows that the same operator edgar changed the setpoint value of
fTemperatureSetpoint from 200 to 150 on the same project.

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PAC Display Runtime Operator Log File

Line Formats:
Date

Time

Control Engine

Tag

12/11/2010 10:56:06.852 Cookie Controller Cookie Controller:fTemperatureSetpoint

Old Value New Value

User

200.0000

edgar MFG-00

150.0000

Computer

Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log File

Also see Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log Database on page 316.
To record operator actions in a log file:
1. In Configurator, select Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box.
2. Click the Security tab, and select Enable Runtime Operator Action Logging.
3. If necessary, change the header line to meet your applications requirements.
4. Click Log To, and then choose Log File from the popup menu.

The Runtime Logging File Setup dialog box appears. Configuring a Runtime logging file is
identical to configuring a Runtime event log; follow the instructions in Configuring the Event
Log File on page 318 and then go to the next step below.
NOTE: To create a single networked file that logs the operator actions of all the networked PCs running
PAC Display, make sure each PC writes to the same networked file. This allows you to view all the
operator actions of the networked PCs from a central location. In order for the date and time stamps
to be useful, make sure that the time on each PC is synchronized with the standard network server
time.

5. Select Encrypt Log File if you want the log file saved as an encrypted document. See
Encrypting and Decrypting the Operator Action Log File on page 317 for information on
using encrypted files.

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Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log Database

(Pro only) Also see Configuring a Runtime Operator Action Log File on page 315.
To record operator actions in a database:
1. Make sure you have configured the ODBC data source to be used with PAC Display. See
Configuring an ODBC Data Source on page 58.
2. In Configurator, select Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box.
3. Click the Security tab, and select Enable Runtime Operator Action Logging.
4. If necessary, change the header line to meet your applications requirements.
5. Click Log To, and choose Database from the popup menu.

If there is a database configured, a dialog shows the default settings for the table that will be
created and logged to.

6. If desired, modify the table name or the column names.

Modify a column name as follows:
a. Click the name to highlight the row.

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b. Click the name once again to make it editable.

c. Type in a new name, then push Enter.

7. Click OK to confirm your changes and exit the dialog boxes.

Changing the Database Table Name

When you create or modify a table for logging operator actions in a database, you can change the
database table name. However, when some data has been logged in Runtime, if you then change
the database table name in Configurator, a message will appear saying that the table already exists.
When the message appears, do one of the following:

Press Yes to create a new table and start logging to that table.

Press No to rename the existing table and continue logging to that table.

Encrypting and Decrypting the Operator Action Log File

To save a Runtime Operator Action log file in an encrypted format, select Encrypt Log File in the
Security tab of the Runtime Setup dialog box.
To decrypt the log file, do the following:
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select View > Decrypt Operator Log File.
The log file decryption window opens.

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2. Click Browse next to the Log file to decrypt field and locate the encrypted operator action log
file.
3. Click Browse next to the Destination log file name field and select a filename and location
where the decrypted file will be saved.
Skip this step if the default name and destination for the decrypted file is acceptable.
4. Select View decrypted file in Notepad to automatically open the file in Windows Notepad
after it is decrypted.
When this option is selected, you can also select Delete decrypted file after viewing to have
the file deleted automatically when Notepad closes.
5. Select Delete encrypted log file to have the encrypted log file deleted automatically after it is
decrypted.
6. Click Decrypt to decrypt the file.
7. Click OK to close the log file decryption window.

Configuring the Event Log File

As events occur in a project in Runtime, messages with a date and time stamp are posted to the
Event Log Viewer. These messages can be saved to an event log file so that the data can be used in
other applications, such as Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access. Event log files can also be archived to
provide an operations record for a PAC Display project. A project can only have one event log file
active (open) at a time.
You can determine where the event log file will be located, configure how the data lines will appear,
and define its rollover parameters in the Event Log File Configuration dialog box.
1. To configure an event log file, select Configure > Event Log.

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2. Select Enabled in the Event Log Configuration dialog box to automatically create an event log
file when you start the PAC Display project in Runtime.
3. Click File Setup to customize the event log file.
The Event Log File Configuration dialog box appears.

Event Log File Configuration Dialog Box

C
D

E
F

G
H

(A) Name. Choose the directory where the event log file will be saved. Click Name and enter the
directory path in the field next to it, or click Browse to find a directory path. Click Use Project
Directory to save the event log file to the PAC Display project directory. (This occurs by default if you
dont specify a location.)
NOTE: To create a single networked file that logs the events of all the networked PCs running PAC Display,
make sure each PC writes to the same networked file. This allows you to view all the events of the
networked PCs from a central location. In order for the date and time stamps to be useful, make sure that
the time on each PC is synchronized with the standard network server time.

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(B) Source. Automatic is the only choice for creating the event log file name, and is selected by
default.

(C) Line Format. Click to configure the character, or delimiter, used to separate the data in the
log file, to choose the type of quotes used for each data line, and where to insert carriage returns.
You configure these parameters in the Line Format dialog box that appears. See Setting Log File
Line Format on page 236 for more information.

(D) Lines Buffered. Enter the number of lines of data your PC will save to a memory buffer
before writing the information to the event log file. When choosing a number, keep in mind that the
lower the number of buffered data lines, the more frequently the computer has to write to the file.
Alternately, the higher the number of data lines buffered in memory, the more data that will be lost
if your PC loses power or has a system failure. A valid entry is any number between 0 and 999; the
default is 20 files.

(E) Number of Files to Retain. Enter the maximum number of event log files that can be
created using rollover before the oldest file is overwritten. For example, if you enter 10 and your
rollover time period is set to hours, you will have 10 event log files created for 10 hours of data
before the oldest file is overwritten with new data. See Naming Files Using Rollover on page 237
for more information on rollover settings.

2. Click Yes.
If Enable Runtime Operator Action Logging is enabled on the Runtime setup dialog box, an
entry is made in the log and the Log In dialog box opens for the next user.

3. If you want to log in, select your name from the drop-down list, enter the password, and then
click OK. Or, you can click Exit Runtime to shut down PAC Display Runtime.
IMPORTANT: During the time this dialog is displayed, there can be no interaction between a user and
PAC Display Runtime. The current Windows user cannot log off, nor can Windows be shut down.
If the Runtime Operator Action Log is enabled, an entry in the log is made indicating whether the
log in was successful or not and the operator who attempted or succeeded at the log in.
Also, the newly logged on user is set as the user whose actions will be logged in the Runtime
Operator Action Log file.

Running Multiple Runtimes

You can run more than one Runtime on the same PC either for the same project or for multiple
projects.
CAUTION: Before using this option, consider the following things:

If each project is logging to files (SuperTrend, Historic, Operator Logging, etc.), are the projects saving
data to the same file(s)? If so, system instability or a crash may occur.

Performance will be reduced for each Runtime project.

To configure Runtime to allow more than one Runtime:

1. Select Configure > Runtime to open the Runtime Setup dialog box.
2. At the bottom of the General tab under Allow Multiple Runtimes, select Allow Multiple
Instances to Run.
3. Click OK.

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Running the Same Project in a New, Separate Runtime

1. Launch the first Runtime in Configurator by selecting File > Save Project and Load Runtime.
2. Launch the second Runtime directly using the Windows Start menu. Select Start > All
Programs > Opto 22 > PAC Project 9.1 > PAC Display Runtime (Basic or Pro).

Running a Different Project in a New, Separate Runtime

To run a different project in a new, separate Runtime, you can use a Launch Application dynamic
attribute tied to a graphic in a currently running Runtime. Or you can use a command line or a batch
file.

Using a Launch Application Dynamic Attribute.

1. Using the Select tool, double-click the graphic to which you want to assign the dynamic
attribute.
For more information, see Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140.

2. In the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box, under Operator Driven Attributes, double-click
Launch Application.
The Dynamic Attribute Launch Application dialog box appears.

3. For the Working Directory, enter the full path to Runtime.

For example, C:\Program Files (x86)\Opto22\PAC Project 9.1
4. For the Command Line, enter DisplayR.basic.exe <Full Path To .UUI Project File>
For example,
DisplayR.basic.exe "C:\My Projects\My PAC Display Project.UUI"

NOTES:
You can substitute DisplayR.pro.exe.
Make sure to include the surrounding quotes.
There is a space between DisplayR.pro.exe and "<Full ...>"

5. Next to Launch Options, select Multiple intances.

6. Click OK, then click OK again.

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Using a Command Line or Batch File.

To start one or more Runtimes using a command line or batch file, use the following format:
cd <Full Path To Runtime>
DisplayR.basic.exe "<Full Path To .UUI Project File>"
For example:
cd "C:\Program Files\Opto22\PAC Project 9.1"
DisplayR.basic.exe "C:\My Projects\ProjectA\ProjectA.UUI"

Example: Using Batch Files To Run Multiple Projects

The following example shows one way to use batch files to run multiple Runtimes on the same PC.
A master batch file launches two project batch files, each of which launches a different project.
NOTE: The following procedure is known to work on a computer equipped with Windows 7 Professional,
64-bit.

1. Create a batch file for each project. In this example there are two different projects, Project A
and Project B.
Each project batch file has the following format:
cd <Full Path To Runtime>
DisplayR.basic.exe "<Full Path To .UUI Project File>"
exit
The Project A batch file is named LaunchProjectA.bat:
cd "C:\Program Files\Opto22\PAC Project 9.1"
DisplayR.basic.exe "C:\My Projects\ProjectA\ProjectA.UUI"
exit

The Project B batch file is named LaunchProjectB.bat:

cd "C:\Program Files\Opto22\PAC Project 9.1"
DisplayR.basic.exe "C:\My Projects\ProjectB\ProjectB.UUI"
exit

NOTE: You can substitute DisplayR.pro.exe. Make sure to include the surrounding quotes.

2. Create a master batch file that will run both of the project batch files. This is the batch file that is
actually invoked.
The master batch file has the following format.
cd <Full Path To The Directory Containing Project Batch Files>
START <Name of Project A Batch File>
START <Name of Project B Batch File>
exit
Both LaunchProjectA.bat and LaunchProjectB.bat are in the same directory, C:\batch:
cd "C:\batch"
START LaunchProjectA.bat
START LaunchProjectB.bat

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exit

Using the Event Log Viewer

The Event Log Viewer is started at Runtime by default. This window displays a list of communication
transactions and error messages for a project. If the event log viewer is not open, choose View >
Event Log to open it.
The window that appears will be similar to the following example.

B
C
D
E

(A) List Area. The list area posts event messages as they occur. Messages will have a date and
time stamp, and a brief message describing the communications event that occurred.
See also, "Appendix A: PAC Display Troubleshooting.
Messages posted to the Event Log can also be saved to a disk file. Refer to Configuring the Event
Log File on page 318 for more information about doing this.

(B) Auto Restore on New Message. To make the Event Log Viewer appear in the foreground
whenever a new message is posted, select Auto Restore on New Message. This option wont be
available if Prevent disabling was selected when the project was set up in PAC Display Configurator.

(C) Enable Awaiting Connection Messages. To display or hide common error messages
that occur when a PAC Display project starts, select or deselect the Enable Awaiting Connection
Messages option.

(D) Clear. Click Clear to erase the list of event messages.

(E) Close. After reviewing an event message, you can keep the Event Log Viewer window open, or
close it using the Close button (E).

Viewing and Changing Control Engines

To view and change the control engines and I/O units configured for the PAC Display project, choose
View > Configuration Status to open the Current Device Configuration window and then click the

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Devices tab. The information in this window updates automatically as control engines and I/O
unitsor devicesare enabled or disabled, or change states between active and inactive. The
Current Device Configuration window can be left open or minimized while the PAC Display project
is running.

(A) IP Addresses. IP addresses for both primary and secondary control engines, as well as any
Ethernet-based I/O units used with those control engines, are listed here. For each device the
following information is displayed:
Device IP Address Assigned IP address for the device. If a secondary control engine or an
I/O unit has been configured for that device, a plus sign + appears in front of the IP address.
Click the plus sign + to see the IP address and status information for that device. Primary
control engine IP addresses are displayed in red, and other devices are displayed in blue.
Enabled/Disabled State Device availability status; if the device is enabled, it is available for
use with a PAC Display project and can be made active. If the device is disabled, it cannot be
made active.
Active/Inactive State Device activity status; an active device is a control engine or I/O unit
that the PAC Display project is currently trying to communicate with. An inactive device is one
that is not being used for communication.
Timeout When a connection has been established with a device, this is the length of time
(in ms) that the PAC Display project will attempt to communicate with the control engine after
no communications are received.
Retries When sending and receiving information to and from the primary control engine,
this is the number of times that the PAC Display project will attempt to communicate with the
control engine after no communications are received.
Connect Timeout When trying to connect to the primary control engine, this is the length
of time (in ms) that the PAC Display project will try to communicate before switching to
another control engine.

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(B) Enable/Disable. Select a device and do one of the following:

Click Enable to make that device available for use by the PAC Display project.

Click Disable to make the selected device unavailable to the PAC Display project.

Click Set Active to de-activate any currently active device and make the selected device active.

Timeouts and RetriesFor any control engine thats selected, you can also change Timeout,
Retries, and Connect Timeout values.

(C) Expand/Collapse All. Click Expand All to show primary and secondary control engines plus
any Ethernet-based I/O units. Click Collapse All to show only the primary control engines and I/O
units.

(D) View Log. Click View Log to open the file ConfigInfo.txt in Windows Notepad. This text file is
created and updated whenever any of the listed device parameters are modified.

(E) Close. Click Close to close the window and save any changes you made.

Viewing and Changing Scanner Status

To view and change the status of scanners used in the PAC Display project, choose View >
Configuration Status to open the Configuration Status window, and then click the Scanners tab. This
window updates automatically as the scanners are enabled or disable, or change states between
active and inactive, and can be left open or minimized while the PAC Display project is running. (For
information on what a scanner is, see Configuring the Scanner on page 68.)

(A) List Area. Scanners used by the PAC Display project are listed here by the Windows Network
name of the computer the scanner is running on. For each scanner the following information is
displayed:
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Scanner Location Name of the PC running the scanner. Primary scanners are displayed in
red, and secondary scanners are displayed in blue.
Active/Inactive State Scanner activity status; an active scanner is checking control engine
tags and I/O unit values, while an inactive one is not.
Enabled/Disabled State Scanner availability status; if the scanner is enabled, it can be used
with a PAC Display project and can be made active. If the scanner is disabled, it cannot be made
active.
Backup Node If a secondary scanner has been configured, that scanner is listed here. (See
Configuring a Remote Scanner in PAC Display Pro on page 70 for instructions on doing this.)

(B) Disable/Activate. For an inactive scanner, select the scanner and do the following:

Click Disable to prevent the PAC Display project from using this scanner.

Click Activate to force the PAC Display project to switch to this scanner from the scanner listed
under Backup Node.

For a currently active scanner, select the scanner and do the following:
Click Disable to stop this scanner and force the PAC Display project to switch to the secondary
scanner (if one has been defined).

(C) View Log. Click View Log to open the file ConfigStatus.txt in Windows Notepad. This text file is
created and updated whenever any of the device parameters listed in B are modified.

(D) Close. Click Close to close the window and save any changes you made.

Switching a Window between Control Engines

If a draw windows properties have been set to allow switching between control engines, you can
access different control engines that are running the same PAC Control strategy. When you switch
control engines in Runtime, graphics that display control engine data will be updated to show data
from the newly selected control engine. If five control engines are all running the identical strategy,
for example, you only have to create one draw window instead of making a separate window for
each control engine. For instructions on setting up a draw window, see Modifying Draw or URL
Windows on page 95.
There are some important considerations to note when using this feature:

Additional control engines that you want to switch between must be associated with the PAC
Display project using the Configure > Control Engines menu item.

If you switch to a different control engine and then exit PAC Display Runtime, when the project
is restarted the default control engine for the projectnot the one you switched to
earlierwill be selected.

Trends and SuperTrends must have the Disable Scanning option set to either When Closed or
When Minimized and Closed.

All tags for the graphics in the window must reference the same control engine.

Tag names should not include the name of a control engine. For example, in PAC Control you
shouldnt name a variable Control Engine1_flowrate if the strategy uses a control engine
named Control Engine1.

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Control engine names must be at least three characters in length.

The Always in memory windows property should not be selected.

Alarms and graphics using the Alarm Point control engine-driven attribute may not be used.

Recipes cannot be used.

To switch between control engines, start the PAC Display project and do the following:
1. Select Window > Switch Control Engines.
The Select Window(s) for Control Engine Switching dialog box appears.

2. Select the name of the window you want to view.

3. Select the name of the control engine you want to view.
4. Click OK.
Graphics with dynamic attributes now use values from the control engine you selected. The
name of the currently connected control engine appears in the windows title bar.

Viewing Alarm Graphics

You may see detailed, summary, and history alarms in a PAC Display project if it has been configured
to let the operator do so. See Adding Alarm Graphics on page 279 to learn more about these types
of alarms.
The sample alarm window below contains detailed, summary, and history alarm graphics.

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A
Detailed

C
Summary

History

(A) List Area. To sort the information that is displayed, click the column name of the item youd
like to sort by. All the alarm data that appears will be sorted based on the values in that column.
Click the column name again to reverse the sort order. To change the location where columns
appear in an alarm graphic, click the name of a column and drag it to a new location.

(B) Acknowedge. To acknowledge and turn off a single active alarm, select an alarm and click
Acknowledge. When an alarm has been acknowledged, it changes color so it can be easily
identified.

(C) Acknowledge All. To acknowledge and turn off all active alarms, click Acknowledge All.
(D) Silence. (Detailed alarms only) To silence a single active alarm, select an alarm and click
Silence. Silencing an alarm is similar to acknowledging an alarm, and the alarm will not re-alarm
until it has been unsilenced. When an alarm has been silenced, it changes color so it can be easily
identified.

(E) Unsilence. (Detailed alarms only) To unsilence an alarm that has been silenced, select an
alarm and click UnSilence.

Modifying Alarm Points

You may be able to modify alarm points in the PAC Display project if it has been configured to let the
operator do so. See Configuring Alarm Points on page 261 to learn more about configuring alarm
points. Also see Configuring Project Alarms on page 283 for information about setting alarm
options in Runtime.

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Alarm point settings can be changed in each one of the four alarm ranges available: HiHi, Hi,
Normal, Lo, and LoLo. Each alarm point state has a value that defines its range:

HiHi alarms are greater than or equal to the HiHi Value.

Hi alarms are greater than or equal to the Hi value and less than the HiHi value.

Lo alarms are less than or equal to the Lo value and greater than the LoLo value.

LoLo alarm are less than or equal to the LoLo level.

The normal state is between the Hi and Lo values. Each level can enabled or disabled, but at least
one alarm state (HiHi, Hi, Lo, or LoLo) must be enabled.
To view the alarm point settings:
1. Select Alarm > Modify Alarm Points to open the Alarm Points dialog box.

2. Select the alarm point name and then click Modify.

B
C
D

(A) Enable. Select this check box to enable the alarm level for an alarm range.

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(B) More. Click the More button to change the Persistence Time or the Automatic Re-Alarming
Time in milliseconds or seconds. The persistence time is the time that elapses before the alarm point
is triggered. The re-alarming time is the time that elapses before the alarm point is re-triggered.

(B) Value. Enter the value for an alarm level in the Value field.
(C) Priority. To set a priority for an alarm point, enter an integer value between 0 and 999.
Priority fields define an integer value for each alarm level, and can be useful for displaying the
relative importance of different alarm points. Additionally, you can filter out alarms with lower
priorities.

Disabling Alarm Points in Runtime

You can disable individual alarm points in Runtime for the current Runtime session only. This is not a
persistent option. Disabling an alarm point takes effect after any current processing is being
performed on the selected alarm point.
To disable one or more alarm points:
1. Select Alarm > Disable Alarm Points.

If a SuperTrend is both an historical and a real-time trend (that is, historical data is being collected),
you can easily change views to see real-time or collected historical data.

1. To switch between historical and real-time modes, click the Historical mode button
Real-time mode button

or the

When you switch from Real-time mode to Historical mode, the SuperTrend Historic Log Files
dialog box opens, listing the names of SuperTrend historic log files and the time each log
started and stopped recording.
NOTE: If there are a lot of historic log files, it can take a long time to display the files. To view the files
more quickly, hold down the SHIFT key when you click the Historical mode button. This lists the log files
by name only without the start and end times. You can also speed up the display time by having each
SuperTrend log its files to a different folder. See Saving a SuperTrend Log to a File on page 206.

2. To view SuperTrend historic log files, select one or more files and click OK.
To select multiple log files, hold down either the SHIFT key (for selecting contiguous items) or
the CTRL key (for selecting non-contiguous items) and click a file name.
To open a different SuperTrend log file, click the Browse button and browse to the folder
containing the file.
The information in the log file will be shown in the SuperTrend chart. Use the controls at the
bottom of the chart to view the information. (See Using SuperTrends in Runtime on
page 334.)

3. When you are finished viewing the SuperTrend historic log file, click the Real-time Mode button
to return to the real-time view of SuperTrend information.
Note that you will need to reselect log files each time you switch to historical mode.

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Enabling and Disabling SuperTrend Pens

Individual SuperTrend pens can be displayed (enabled) or hidden (disabled) in Runtime.
1. Right-click on a SuperTrend.
The Enable Supertrend Pen dialog box appears.

2. Click a pen name to toggle it between these states:

Enabledpen data is being scanned and logged to a file (if configured).
Hiddenpen data is being scanned and logged to a file (if configured), but the pen data
is not graphed on the SuperTrend.
Not Scanningpen data is not scanned or logged to a file (if configured).
When enabling and disabling SuperTrend pens, note that the active pen in the SuperTrend object
cannot be toggled between enabled, hidden, and not scanning.

Converting SuperTrend Log Files

A software utility is included with PAC Display that converts binary log files to text format in order to
view their contents. This utility is also available in PAC Display Configurator. For guidelines and
instructions, see Converting SuperTrend Log Files to Text Format for Viewing on page 211.

Using XY Plots in Runtime

You can change the range of values used for the x-axis and y-axis of an XY plot object if this option
has been set in PAC Display Configurator. To change range values, right-click on the XY plot and in
the dialog box that appears enter new minimum and maximum values for each axis.

Writing Directly to Individual Elements

If you use tables in PAC Control to organize variables used for similar tasks, you can modify individual
integer, float, and string table elements in PAC Display Runtime. For example, you can change things

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such as the setpoint of a PID controlling the AC, an oven temperature or cook time, or the speed of a
conveyer belt. To learn how to modify multiple variables all at once, see Recipes on page 246.
NOTE: You can only use this feature if the table has the Allow Edit feature turned on in PAC Display
Configurator. See Creating a Table on page 135.
To modify an individual table element:
1. Click the table element.
The element is selected and a border appears around the table element.

2. Enter the new value and then press Enter to confirm, or press ESC to cancel.

How a Combo Box Behaves in Runtime

In Runtime, a combo box you created in Configurator behaves as follows:

A combo box appears initially with no items selected.

Once you select an item from the dropdown list, its Operator Driven Dynamic Attributes will be
executed (after verifying Security, if configured).

Any items that have the Text-in attribute are updated in real time when when you click the
drop-down arrow to display the list, and when the item is the item you have selected in the list.

Using a PID Button

Click on a configured PID Button in Runtime (see Adding a Windows Button or a PID Button on
page 120) to display a SuperTrend in the PIDViewer for the configured PID loop. If Security has been
configured for the PID button, then security restrictions may apply for a given user or group.

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B
C
D
E

F
G

(A) Plots. The SuperTrend plots the SetPoint in red, the Input in green, and the Output in blue.
(B) Pen Scale. Click the icon to change the scale of an active pen. In the dialog box that appears,
enter new minimum and maximum values.
(C) Pen Value. Shows the numerical value for the Input, Output, and Setpoint pens. To change a
value, see Changing the PID Values in Runtime below.
(D) Source/Destination. Indicates the source/destination of the field: Host, I / O, or PID.
(E) PID Tuning. Use Gain, Tune I, Tune D, and Scan Rate to tune the PID.
For more information on PID tuning, see form 1700, the PAC Control Users Guide. See also, Opto 22
form 1641, OptoTutorial: SNAP PAC PID, which we highly recommend for detailed information on PIDs
on Ethernet-based I/O units. Both forms are available for download from our website at
www.opto22.com.

(F) Manual/Auto. The PIDViewer starts in its current mode, either auto or manual. Switch to
manual mode by clicking the Man button, or switch to auto mode by clicking the Auto button. A
password will need to be entered if one has been assigned.

(G) Tune/Hide. Click Tune to display the four PID tuning fields (Gain, Tune I, Tune D, and Scan
Rate). Click Hide to hide them. A password will need to be entered if one has been assigned.

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Changing the PID Values in Runtime

The following chart shows whether the fields may be changed in Auto and Manual mode,
depending on the Source or Destination of the fields:
Mode

Source/Destination

Input

Output

Setpoint

I/O (PID)

Yes

Host

Yes

I/O (PID)

Host

Yes

Manual:

Auto:

The fields update in real-time as the values of the PID change. To manually send a value to the field,
click in the field and enter a new value.
For touchscreen terminals, if Use on-screen keyboard for touchscreens is set in the Configure >
Runtime preferences dialog, an on-screen keyboard will appear for a writable edit field when the
user clicks inside the field. For more information, see the description for Keyboard Setup in Runtime
Setup: General Tab on page 295.

Launching Runtime in the Windows Startup Menu

If you want Runtime to launch automatically when the computer starts, you can add Runtime to the
Windows Startup menu. However, in order for Runtime to launch properly, you need to make sure
that the OptoDispLS.exe service starts first. When the computer boots up, OptoDispLS.exe will start
automatically, but it might not finish by the time Windows starts Runtime.
In order to make sure that the OptoDispLS.exe process starts first, you may have to delay Runtime
from executing in the Startup menu for a few seconds until OptoDispLS.exe loads. One way to delay
Runtime is with a third-party utility such as SnapFiles. You can download SnapFiles from their
website: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/startdelay.html

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Appendix A: A: PAC Display TroubleshootingAppendix A

A: PAC Display
Troubleshooting
This appendix provides tips and procedures for resolving problems you may encounter while
creating or running your PAC Display project.
If you are having problems with creating a PAC Control strategy, see Appendix A, PAC Control
Troubleshooting, in the PAC Control Users Guide. For information about types of errors and lists of
error messages that may appear in PAC Display Runtime, see "Appendix B: PAC Display Errors.

How to Begin Troubleshooting

Most errors that you encounter in PAC Display occur when you run your project in the Runtime
component. Runtime errors can be the result of several factors: problems communicating with the
control engine, problems in communication between the control engine and I/O, or problems in
how an on-screen object is configured. Errors occurring in PAC Display Configurator, on the other
hand, are usually due to incorrect values being entered in dialog boxes.
The following steps may help you track down the cause of a PAC Display error:

1. Read any Error or Event Messages

Error messages in PAC Display Configurator appear in standard message windows. These messages
usually indicate how to correct the reported problem, as shown in the examples below:

Error or event messages in PAC Display Runtime appear in the Event Log Viewer as the project runs.
To open the Event Log Viewer window, select View > Event Log. The messages appear along with
other diagnostic information related to your project, as shown in the example below:

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Diagnostic
information from
the control engine.
The time and date of
the event message
appears here.

The error or
event message
appears here.

See "Appendix B: PAC Display Errors for information about error messages that may appear in PAC
Display Runtime.

2. Check Communication with the Control Engine

If no error message appears, or the error indicates that there may be a communication problem, first
check whether the PC running PAC Display is communicating with the control engine. Next, check
that communication settings specific to PAC Display are configured correctly.
1. Follow the communication troubleshooting procedure in Appendix A, PAC Control
Troubleshooting, in the PAC Control Users Guide. If this does not resolve the communication
problem, return to this page and continue with the step below.
2. Check the refresh time settings used in the PAC Display project. These settings determine how
frequently a tag on a control engine is scanned by PAC Display.
See Chapter 5: Configuring Control Engines and Tags, and Scanning to Update Graphics on
page 183 to learn how these settings are configured and optimized.

3. Review Other Sections in this Appendix

Check the other sections in this appendix for the following items:

342

If multiple Bad Quality or Not Connected messages appear when PAC Display Runtime
starts, see Hiding or Displaying Runtime Startup Messages on page 343.

If you are having problems saving project files to your hard drive or other storage location, see
Problems Saving a Project on page 343.

If an on-screen text string object disappears when you run the project, see Making an Empty
String Visible on page 344.

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APPENDIX A: PAC DISPLAY TROUBLESHOOTING

4. Call Product Support

If you cannot find the help you need in this book or the PAC Control Users Guide, call Opto 22 Product
Support. See Product Support on page 3 for contact information.

Hiding or Displaying Runtime Startup Messages

When a PAC Display project starts in Runtime, multiple Bad Quality or Not Connected messages
may appear in the Event Log Viewer. These startup messages appear when the PAC Display project
requests values from the scanner before the scanner communicates with the control engine.

PAC Display Configurator

You can use PAC Display Configurator to prevent these messages from appearing. To hide or display
these Runtime startup messages, do the following:
1. In PAC Display Configurator, select Configure > Scanner Location.
The Select Scanner Location dialog box appears.

PAC Display Runtime

When running the project in PAC Display Runtime, the operator can also prevent these error
messages from appearing in the Event Log viewer. To hide or display these Runtime startup errors,
do the following:
1. In PAC Display Runtime, select View > Event Log.
2. In the Event Log viewer window that appears, select or deselect the Enable Awaiting
Connection Messages checkbox to display or hide any messages that may appear when the
PAC Display project starts.
3. Click OK to close the Event Log viewer.

Problems Saving a Project

When trying to save a project in PAC Display Configurator, you may see an error message stating that
no storage space is available on the computers hard drive. If this message appears, yet you know
that there is enough storage space for the PAC Display project files, check to see if one or more files
are marked Read Only.
To do this, open the PAC Display project folder in Windows Explorer, right-click on a project file, and
select Properties from the pop-up menu that appears. If the file is marked Read Only, the check box
Read Only at the bottom of the Properties window is checked. Clear this check box, click OK to
close the Properties window, and try saving the project again in PAC Display Configurator.

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MAKING AN EMPTY STRING VISIBLE

For additional information on viewing file properties in Windows, see the documentation from
Microsoft and your computer manufacturer.

Making an Empty String Visible

In a PAC Display project, if a text string object in a display sends an empty string to a control engine,
the text string object becomes invisible and cant be selected again. This might happen, for
example, if an operator accidentally cleared a field while entering values in a display.
This problem occurs because the control engines string variable is empty, so when the text string
object linked to this variable checks the control engine, it has nothing to display.
To correct this condition, do the following:
1. Open the PAC Display project.
2. Draw or import a graphic object to be used as a push button.
The graphic should be approximately the same size as the text string object.

3. Double-click on the new graphic object and, in the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box that
opens, double-click Send String from the Operator Driven Attributes list.
4. In the Dynamic Attributes - Send String dialog box that appears, select Prompt for Data in the
Source group and click OK.
5. Click OK to close the Graphic Dynamic Attributes dialog box and save your changes.
6. Now place the new graphic object behind the text string object as follows:
a. Using the Select tool, select the graphic object and move it until its directly over the text
string object.
b. With the graphic object still selected, choose Edit > Z-Order > Send to Back.
7. Save your project and run it in PAC Display Runtime.
If you click in the area of the text string object and new push button graphic object, the Enter
String dialog box should appear, even if an empty string has been sent to the control engine.

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APPENDIX A: PAC DISPLAY TROUBLESHOOTING

Problems with Windows User Permissions

When you set up controllers on a computer running the Microsoft Windows operating system,
typically you are using the computer with top-level administrator privileges. If someone later uses
this same computer to run PAC Control or PAC Display, but logs in to the computer with lower-level,
non-administrator privileges, the application may not recognize control engines that have been
previously configured.
If this problem occurs, you can modify the permissions to let specific users access previously
configured control engines without having administrator access. This is done using the Registry
Editor utility. Follow the steps below.

CAUTION: Use the Windows Registry Editor carefully. It is strongly recommended that you make a
backup copy of your Windows Registry before continuing with this procedure. Without a backup copy, if
you delete the wrong properties and cannot return the Registry to its original state, application and system
files can become unusable and will have to be reinstalled.

1. Make sure you are logged on as an administrator.

2. From the Windows Start menu, select Run.
The Run dialog box appears.
3. Enter the following command in the Open field and press ENTER:
regedt32

NOTE: This is NOT regedit.exe, which is a similar tool.

The Registry Editor main window appears with several open windows inside it.

4. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE window to make it active.

5. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software.
6. Do one of the following:
For a 32-bit operating system, select the Opto22 folder.
For a 64-bit operating system, navigate to \Wow6432Node\Opto22.
7. Do one of the following:
For a 32-bit operating system, select Security > Permissions.
For a 64-bit operating system, select Edit > Permissions.
The Registry Key Permissions dialog box opens. Make sure that Opto22 appears next to
Registry Key at the top of the window.
8. Click Add.
9. In the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, select the name of the appropriate group
or domain from the Look In drop-down list.
10. In the Name list, select the name of the user or group that should have control engine access
and then click Add.
11. If it is not already selected, check Full Control in the Permission area. Make sure Allow
inheritable permissions from parent to propagate to this object is checked.
12. Click OK.
13. Select Registry > Exit to close the Registry Editor.
14. Restart the computer.
The user or group you added can now use control engines without having administrator access.
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OTHER TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS

Other Troubleshooting Tools

Checking PAC Project File Versions
Sometimes problems may be caused by older or misplaced files. Product Support may ask you to
run OptoVersion to check the versions and paths of your Opto 22 .DLL and .EXE files. Heres how:
1. From the Start menu, choose Programs > Opto 22 > PAC Project > Tools > OptoVersion.
2. In the OptoVersion window, click Find.
The utility searches your hard drive and prints a list of Opto-related files found.

3. To see more information on any file, double-click its name. To sort the list in a different order,
click any column heading.
4. To e-mail the information to Opto 22 Product Support, click E-mail.
The utility saves the list to a file named Version.bd in the same directory that contains
OptoVersion.exe. If you use Microsoft Outlook as your e-mail program, a new message
automatically appears addressed to Product Support, with the version file attached.
5. If you use Microsoft Outlook, add comments to the new message and click Send.
6. If you use another e-mail program, attach the Version.bd file to an e-mail message and address
the message to [email protected], along with an explanation of the problem youre
experiencing.

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Appendix B: B: PAC Display ErrorsAppendix B

B: PAC Display Errors

This appendix lists error messages you may see while running a project in PAC Display Runtime. The
cause of each error message is described, and, if possible, corrective action you can take to resolve
the problem.
Types of Errors
Error Messages in PAC Display Runtime

Types of Errors
While using the Configurator and Runtime components of PAC Display, several types of errors may
occur due to incorrect equipment setup, out-of-date files, or equipment failure. These errors
generally fall into three categories:

Runtime ErrorsThese may occur while running a project in PAC Display Runtime. Most of
these errors can be traced to control engine configuration problems or configuration problems
with the I/O unit(s) connected to the control engine. Runtime errors can be further grouped
into several subcategories based on the type of error that occurs; see Error Messages in PAC
Display Runtime on page 348 for lists of error messages in each subcategory.

Configurator ErrorsThese may occur as you use PAC Display Configurator to create a
project (for instance, adding a dynamic attribute to a graphic object). Errors most commonly
occur when entering data into a dialog box; if an error occurs while doing this, simply re-enter
an appropriate value and continue.

Windows ErrorsThese may occur while using either the Runtime or Configurator
components of PAC Display. The most common Windows errors occur when too many
applications are running at the same time, reducing the amount of memory available for the
operating system. These errors are issued by the Microsoft Windows operating system running
on your computer; see the documentation from Microsoft and your computer manufacturer
for more information about Windows errors.

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ERROR MESSAGES IN PAC DISPLAY RUNTIME

Error Messages in PAC Display Runtime

Error messages that may appear in PAC Display Runtime can be grouped into several categories,
which appear in the table below. Messages for each category, as well as possible causes for the error
and corrective actions to resolve it, are listed for each category.
NOTE: Many of these error messages also appear when running PAC Control. For additional
troubleshooting information, see Appendix A, PAC Control Troubleshooting, and Appendix B, PAC
Control Errors, in the PAC Control Users Guide.
Runtime Error Category

See

File Access Errors

page 348

Launch Application Errors

page 349

Port Errors

page 349

Recipe Upload/Download Errors

page 349

Scanner Errors (Quality Errors)

page 351

System Errors

page 352

File Access Errors

The File Access errors listed below are generated by PAC Display if an error occurred while PAC
Display is working with files or with historic logs.
File access errors usually occur because PAC Display is attempting to modify a file that is marked as
Read Only. If a file access error occurs, first check the Windows file settings for the file being modified
(or written to). Make sure that Read Only is not selected, and verify that the file has the correct access
permissions for the operators who need to use the PAC Display project.

348

Error Message

Possible Causes

Bad string, using default file name.

The tag name used as a source for a file name could not be used.
The default file name will be used instead. The default file name was
set up in the Configurator.

Cant make directory

A directory could not be created. Check if the directory is being created in a read-only directory. Change the protection to allow you to
create it.

Directory now created.

Status message indicating that the directory was created.

Drive is full. Writing has been suspended.

A file was being written to a drive, but not enough free space was
available to complete the transaction. Free up some space on the
drive to continue.

Drive is no longer full. Writing has

been resumed.

Status message indicating that the destination drive has enough

space available to complete the file writing transaction.

Initial Writing of file: File name

Status message indicating that a file name is going to be created.

Invalid directory bad directory name.

Using default.

The specified directory could not be used. The default directory will
be used instead. The default directory was set up in the Configurator.

PAC Display Users Guide

APPENDIX B: PAC DISPLAY ERRORS

Launch Application Errors

The following error messages may appear if an error occurred while working with the Launch
Applications feature of PAC Display:
Error Message

Possible Causes

File not found

The executable file specified for a launch application setup could not
be found. Verify the directory where the file actually resides.

Path not found

The drive/directory path specified for the executable in a launch

application setup does not exist. Verify the actual path of the executable file.

WinExec error #

A Windows executable error occurred. Check Microsoft help sources

for clarification about the error number.

Working directory invalid

The working directory specified for a launch application setup is

incorrect. Verify the drive and path.

Port Errors
The following errors are generated by PAC Display if a port-related error occurred:
Error Message

Possible Causes

Could not read value(s) from Registry

The registry could be corrupt. Contact Opto 22 Product Support.

Could not write new entry to Registry.

Make sure you have administrative
rights for the computer.

There was a problem writing information to the registry. Contact your

network administrator.

Please reboot for changes in the Registry to take effect

Reboot your computer so that changes to the registry are activated.

Recipe Upload/Download Errors

The following error messages are displayed if an error occurs while downloading or uploading a
recipe:
Error Message

Possible Causes

Could not find the selected directory

for the recipe destination file. Please
check to ensure the path is correct.
(Recipe Upload)

The path configured for the destination file of the uploaded recipe is
invalid. Make sure the drive/directory path is correct.

Could not find the selected directory

for the recipe format file. Please check
to ensure the path is correct. (Recipe
Upload)

The path configured for the format file of the uploaded recipe is
invalid. Make sure the drive/directory path is correct.

Could not find the selected recipe format file. Please check to ensure the
file name is correct.

The file name configured for the format file of the uploaded recipe
was not found. Make sure you configured the correct tag name.

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350

Error Message

Possible Causes

Could not make directory for Destination File: (Recipe Upload)

The path configured in the destination path could not be created.

Check the drive specified in the path. Also check the read/write protection of the directory.

Invalid type specified. Valid types are:

Integer Table, Integer 64 Table, Float
Table, String Table, and Chart

An invalid type was specified in the recipe. Only tags of types integer
table, float table, string table, and chart are allowed in a recipe.

String for destination file was empty:

(Recipe Upload)

A PAC Control tag name was configured to contain the name of the
destination file, but its contents were empty. Make sure you configure
the correct tag name.

String for format file was empty

A PAC Control tag name was configured to contain the name of the
format file, but its contents were empty. Make sure you configured
the correct tag name.

The recipe file does not exist! (Recipe

Upload)

The recipe upload file does not exist. Verify the spelling of the file.

The specified chart state is invalid.

Valid states are Stop, Suspend, Start,
or Continue.

Make sure the chart state sent in a chart control instruction was Stop,
Suspend, Start, or Continue.

The specified control engine does not

exist in this project.

The control engine specified in the recipes PAC Control tag is not
recognized by this project. Verify the control engine name for the tag
name requested. Check the control engines spelling.

The tag info is formatted incorrectly.

Should be: Control Engine:Tag
Type.Tag Name

The syntax for the PAC Control tag is incorrect. Make sure it follows
this pattern: Control Engine Name:Tag Type.Tagname, where Control Engine Name is the name of the control engine; Tag Type is
Integer Table, Integer 64 Table, Float Table, String Table, or
Chart; and Tagname is the name of a PAC Control tag or chart
name of the type specified in Tag Type.

The tag value is formatted incorrectly.

Should be: Index (optional): Value

Check the syntax of the tag value(s) specified for the indices. Make
sure a colon separates the index from the actual value, and also verify that the index is within the tables range.

Uploaded/Downloaded to File: file

name

Status message indicating file name was uploaded or downloaded.

PAC Display Users Guide

APPENDIX B: PAC DISPLAY ERRORS

Scanner Errors (Quality Errors)

The PAC Display Runtime error messages listed below are displayed if an error occurs with the
scanner.
Error Message

Possible Causes

Non-specific

The value is bad but no specific reason is known.

There is some server-specific problem with the configuration. For example, the
item in question has been deleted from the configuration.
Reading a tag that is a type that should contain a floating point value (analog
input, Float variable, or Float table element) that does not contain a valid floating
point number (it contains an invalid floating point number); in other words, the
value is "not a number", which is sometimes represented as "NAN", "nan",
"-1.#QNAN", or "1.#QNAN".

Configuration Error

A "NAN can occur in the following situations:

A floating point variable that is the result of a division by zero
An analog input point where the analog module is not installed
An analog input point where the brain cannot read the analog module (the brain
thinks the module is not installed).
To troubleshoot the root cause:
1. Use the PAC Control Debugger to inspect the variable or analog input point
to find out what the current value is.
2. Inspect the controller's message queue, which may contain related errors or
warning messages.
3. Inspect the I/O unit using PAC Manager to check the I/O point configuration
and view the Status Read page to check the "Smart Modules Present" mask and
the "Module <module number> Times Discovered" fields.
4. Measure the voltage downstream of the fuse on the rack where the analog
appropriate input module is installed. The voltage should be 5.00 to 5.20 VDC.

Awaiting Connection

The input is required to be logically connected to something but is not. This may
reflect that no value is currently available, for reasons such as the value not having been provided by the data source.

Device Failure

The control engine has returned an Undefined Command error (-1).

This error usually occurs because the requested tag is not defined in the downloaded strategy.

Sensor Failure

A sensor failure had been detected (the Limits field can provide additional diagnostic information in some situations).

Last Known Value

Communications have failed, but the last known value is available. Note that the
age of the value may be determined from the TIMESTAMP in the OPCITEMSTATE.

Comm Failure

Communications have failed and no last known value is available.

Out of Service

The block is off scan or otherwise locked. This quality is also used when the
active state of the item or the group containing the item is InActive.

Last Usable Value

Whatever was writing this value has stopped doing so. The returned value
should be regarded as stale. Note that this differs from a bad value with Substatus 5 (Last Known Value). That status is associated specifically with a detectable communications error on a fetched value. This error is associated with the
failure of some external source to put something into the value within an
acceptable period of time. Note that the age of the value can be determined
from the TIMESTAMP in OPCITEMSTATE.

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Error Message

Possible Causes

Sensor Not Accurate

Either the value has reached a sensors minimum or maximum limit (in which
case the limit field should be set to 1 or 2), or the sensor is otherwise known to
be out of calibration via some form of internal diagnostics (in which case the limit
field should be 0).

Engineering Units
Exceeded

The returned value is outside the limits defined for this parameter. Note that in
this case (per the Fieldbus Specification) the Limits field indicates which limit
has been exceeded but does not necessarily imply that the value cannot move
farther out of range.

Sub-Normal

The value is derived from multiple sources and has less than the required number of Good sources.

Local Override

The value has been Overridden. Typically this is means the input has been disconnected and a manually entered value has been 'forced'.

0xC004008

Invalid item ID. An invalid item ID was generated by PAC Display for this tag. Do
the following in PAC Display:
1. Choose Tools > Regenerate IO Scanner Tag Names.
2. Choose Tools > AutoCorrect Tags.
This invalid class string is usually caused by an improperly-installed
OptoOPCServer.
To test this, go to
Start

0x800401F3

> All Programs > Opto22 > OptoOPCServer > Registry Checker.

If any entries in the Value column read "Key not found" or something similar,
then OptoOPCServer is installed improperly.
To correct this problem:
Re-install PAC Project. This is likely to fix it. If it doesnt, open a command
prompt, navigate to the Windows\system32\OptoCom\ folder, and try the next
solution.
If the error is for the first entry (OptoOPC.exe), run this command:
OptoOPC.exe -regserver
For any of the other dlls, if they are located in the OptoCom folder, run this
command:
regsvr32.exe -<dllname>
If it is succesful, a dialog will appear saying "DllRegisterServer succeeded for
<Dll name>"
NOTE: Some of the dlls are located in the Program Files\...\PAC Project X.X
folder. If that is the case, navigate to that folder in the command window and
run the same command.

System Errors
The following error is displayed if a system error occurred:

352

Error Message

Possible Causes

System: Floating point error N caught

by signal handler

The data returned from the control engine was detected to have a
floating point error. This error could have occurred during data
manipulations at the control engine. Verify that the data has been
handled or cast properly according to its type.

PAC Display Users Guide

Appendix C: C: PAC Display FilesAppendix C

C: PAC Display Files

This appendix lists the files used in a PAC Display project, including those created automatically
when a project is saved. Use this information as a reference when you are looking through your PAC
Display files or working directory.
DisplayC.basic.exe

PAC Display Configurator Basic executable program file.

DisplayC.pro.exe

PAC Display Configurator Professional executable program file.

DisplayR.basic.exe

PAC Display Runtime Basic Runtime executable program file.

DisplayR.pro.exe

PAC Display Runtime Professional executable program file.

DisplayX.basic.exe

PAC Display Runtime Basic monitor-only version executable program file.

DisplayX.pro.exe

PAC Display Runtime Pro monitor-only version executable program file.

*.$$$

ASCII text file created by PAC Display Configurator using the AutoCorrect Tags
option. The file displays any changes made by the AutoCorrect Tags tools to
tag names in strategies that were incompatible with PAC Display. The file also
lists tag name errors that could not be corrected.

*.alm

Alarm log file.

*.bin

SuperTrend log file saved in binary format.

*.bmp

Bitmap file, created by other programs or by PAC Display. Graphics saved as

bitmaps from PAC Display are not saved with any dynamic attributes that may
have been configured.

*.H##

Historic log file, created by PAC Display Runtime.

*.idb

Main strategy file from a PAC Control program. Lists all objects and other
global information used in a program, as well as control engine configuration
information.

*.ini

The PAC Display initialization file created by PAC Display Configurator.

Microsoft Windows typically names the file type as a Configuration Settings
file.

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*.ixw

Exported window file created using PAC Display Configurator. Contains all
objects and tags in a specified window in a PAC Display project.

*.uui

Main project file for a PAC Display project.

*.msg

Event log file, created by PAC Display Runtime.

*.rcp

Recipe file, created by a text editor. Used to send a set of parameters or to read
a set of parameters from a control engine.

*.smb

Symbol file, created by PAC Display Configurator. Symbol files contain graphic
objects and their configured attributes for use in PAC Display projects.

*.T##

SuperTrend historic log file, created by PAC Display Runtime.

*.txt

Dynamic attribute (or tag info) report file, created by PAC Display
Configurator.

*.W####

Draw window file, generated by the PAC Display Configurator.

*.adl

Comma-delimited file containing exported alarm points.

*mpdlin

Internal use only.

*pdlinh

Internal use only.

*pdlin

Saved user login file.

PAC Display Users Guide

Appendix D: D: MenusAppendix D

D: Menus

This section lists in detail the contents of PAC Display menus for both Configurator and Runtime
components:

Configurator Menus (below).

Runtime Menus on page 373

Note that if a keyboard shortcut is available for a menu command, the shortcut is listed next to the
command in the menu as shown in the example below:

Keyboard
shortcut

Command

Many menu commands can also be accessed by right-clicking on an object or in a window, and
then choosing the command from the pop-up menu that appears.

Configurator Menus
File Menu
New Project. (CTRL+N) Creates a new project. After selecting this menu option, choose a location
and provide a name for the project in the dialog box that appears. See Creating a Project on
page 44.

Open Project. (CTRL+O) Opens an existing project. After selecting this menu option, navigate to
and select the project you want to open in the dialog box that appears. Only one PAC Display
project may be open at a time. See Opening a Project on page 49.

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Close Project. Closes the project that is currently open. If the project has been modified, you are
prompted to save changes. See Closing a Project on page 52.
Save Project. (CTRL+S) Saves any modifications to the files for the current project. See Saving a
Project on page 50.

Save Project As. (SHIFT+CTRL+S) Saves any modifications to the current project to a name and
project directory. This menu option is similar to Save Project, except that you can specify a new
name and location for the saved project in the dialog box that appears. This is a good way to make a
copy or a backup version of a project. See Saving a Project on page 50.
You can also copy a PAC Display project to a different computer or drive without using the Save
Project As menu option. To do this, use Archive Project listed below.

Save Project and Load Runtime. Saves the current project and then opens it in PAC Display
Runtime. This is a quick way of switching between Configurator and Runtime when you are
developing a project. See Saving a Project on page 50.

Archive Project. The project is archived to the current project directory with all the files
necessary to transfer the project to another computer. See Archiving a Project on page 51.
Archive Project and Email to Opto 22. The project is archived to the current project
directory with all the files necessary to transfer the project to another computer. The project is
attached automatically to an email addressed to Opto 22 Product Support. In order for Product
Support to better assist you, a message will advise you to use PAC Control to archive the strategy
files to submit along with the PAC Display archive. See Archiving a Project on page 51.

Export Project. Exports the project to a text file, which can be used to compare to another
projects exported text file using a file comparison utility. See Exporting a Project on page 51
Each exported text file is formatted for easy reading and includes all the information about the
project, including windows, graphics, dynamic atributes, alarm points, historic logs, recipes, and so
on.

Project Path. Displays the full directory path to the projects saved location. The projects path is
also displayed in the title bar, but if it is too long to fit there, you can use this command to see the
directory path.
Password Protect Project. Lets you protect your PAC Display project with a password to
prevent others from opening and modifying the project using PAC Display Configurator. The project
can still be opened and run in PAC Display Runtime. See Protecting a Project with a Password on
page 48.
CAUTION: Make sure to keep your password in a safe place. If you forget your password, you will not be able
to open your project in PAC Display Configurator.

Configurator Options. Opens the Configurator Options dialog box.

Load Previous Project At StartupSelect this option to have last project that was opened in
Configurator open automatically the next time the application is run.

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APPENDIX D: MENUS

Auto Increment Version on SaveSelect this option to have a numbered version of the PAC Display
project file created each time the project is saved.
Search Grouped TagsSelect this option if you want AutoCorrect Tags to search grouped graphics.
You should be aware, however, that when AutoCorrectTags searches groups, the search is more
thorough and errors may be generated that you were not expecting.
See also, Saving Versions of a Project on page 50.

Choose Bitmap. Selects a bitmap file for use in the project. After selecting this menu option, in
the dialog box that appears, navigate to and select the bitmap you want to include in the project.
Use the Bitmap tool to place the selected bitmap in the projects draw window. See Adding a
Graphic on page 19.

Save As Bitmap. Saves the selected graphic(s) as a bitmap. After selecting this menu option, in
the dialog box that appears, specify a file name and location for the new bitmap. If no graphics are
selected, then everything in the draw window is saved to the bitmap file name. Any dynamic
attributes you have configured are not saved with the bitmap. See Saving Objects as Bitmaps on
page 111.

Printer Setup. Selects an available printer and sets its attributes. See Printing Graphics on
page 138.

Print. Prints the contents of any displayed main and draw windows. You can specify the number of
copies to be printed and other options in the Printer Setup command. See Printing Graphics on
page 138.
(Previous File List). The names and directory paths of projects that had been previously opened
in Configurator are listed near the bottom of the File menu.

Exit. Closes the current Configurator windows and exits the application. If you modified the current
project, you will be prompted to save it.

Edit Menu
Undo/Redo. (Available only when you have performed an action that can be undone or redone.)
Reverses an earlier action you have performed, or repeats an action performed earlier. For example,
if you have deleted a graphic object from a window, select Undo to restore the graphic. If, after
restoring the graphic, you decide again to delete it, select Redo to repeat the earlier deletion. You
can undo up to 50 actions.
Cut. (CTRL+X) (Available only when you have selected something.) Copies selected graphics onto
the clipboard and removes them from the draw window. Cutting something replaces anything
stored there previously. See Deleting Objects on page 116.
Copy. (CTRL+C) (Available only when you have selected something.) Copies selected graphics onto
the clipboard without removing them from the draw window. Copying something to the clipboard
replaces anything stored there previously. See Copying, Duplicating, and Pasting on page 111.

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Paste. (CTRL+P) (Available only when something has been copied or cut into the clipboard.) Inserts
a copy of the clipboard contents into the middle of the active draw window. See Copying,
Duplicating, and Pasting on page 111.
Delete. (DEL) (Available only when you have selected something.) Removes selected graphic(s)
from a draw window. Unlike the Cut command, Delete removes the selection without placing it in
the clipboard; once you delete something, you cannot retrieve it. See Deleting Objects on
page 116.
Duplicate. (CTRL+D) (Available only when you have selected something.) Creates a duplicate of
the selected graphic(s). The duplicate is placed directly below the selected graphics. Duplicating a
selected graphic does not use the clipboard. See Copying, Duplicating, and Pasting on page 111.

Select All. Selects all the completed graphics in the active draw window. Anything that is not
selected within the active draw window when you use this command may be incomplete.
Incomplete graphics can be erased by using the Redraw command under the View menu. See
Selecting All Objects on page 105.

Replace. Modifies tag names attached to a graphic or graphics. Allows you to link graphics to a
different control engine, item name, table index, or bit index. You can find and replace tags in the
entire project, or just in the selected graphic(s). See Finding and Replacing Tags in a PAC Display
Project on page 82.

Z-Order. (Available only when you have selected something.) As objects are placed in draw
windows, theyre assigned a stacking order (or Z-order) to define which object appears in front of
or in back of another object. See Changing Stacking Order on page 115.
The position of objects in this stacking order can be modified as follows:

Bring to Front(Available only when you have selected something.) Positions the selected
graphics in front of any other objects in the window.

Before Bring to Front

Move Forward(Available only when you have selected something.) Moves the selected
graphics one position forward in the stack.

Send to Back(Available only when you have selected something.) Positions the selected
graphics in back of any other objects in the window.

Before Send to Back

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After Bring to Front

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After Send to Back

APPENDIX D: MENUS

Move Backward(Available only when you have selected something.) Moves the selected
graphics one position backward in the stack.

Align. (Available only when you have selected more than one object.) Aligns selected objects in a
variety of ways. See Aligning Graphics on page 116.
The following choices are available:

LeftAligns the left edges of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are moved left to
align with the left-most graphic in the group.

Before Left-Align

CenterAligns the vertical centers of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are moved
left or right to align their centers with an imaginary vertical line down the center of the
selected graphics.

Before Center-Align

After Center-Align

RightAligns the right edges of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are moved right
to align with the right-most graphic in the group.

Before Right-Align

After Left-Align

After Right-Align

TopAligns the top edges of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are moved up to
align with the top-most graphic in the group.

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Before Top-Align

MiddleAligns the horizontal centers of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are
moved up or down to align their centers with an imaginary horizontal line running across the
center of the selected graphics.

Before Middle-Align

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After

Space Evenly VerticallyDistributes the selected graphics so there is an equal amount of

vertical space between each object.

Before Space Evenly Vertically

After Middle-Align

BottomAligns the bottom edges of the selected graphics. All selected graphics are moved
down to align with the bottom-most graphic in the group.

Before Bottom-Align

After Top-Align

After Space Evenly Vertically

Space Evenly HorizontallyDistributes the selected graphics so there is an equal amount of

horizontal space between each object.

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Before Space Evenly Horizontally

After Space Evenly Horizontally

Size. When multiple graphics are selected, they can be resized equally so that all the graphics have
the same height and width. See Resizing Multiple Graphics to Equal Dimensions on page 113.
The following choices are available:

Grow to Largest HeightAll selected objects are resized to the height of the tallest object
selected.

Grow to Largest WidthAll selected objects are resized to the width of the widest object
selected.

Shrink to Smallest HeightAll selected objects are resized to the height of the smallest
object selected.

Shrink to Smallest WidthAll selected objects are resized to the width of the least wide
object selected.

Flip/Rotate. (Available only when you have selected one or more objects.) Changes the
orientation and rotation of objects. See Rotating Objects on page 117.

Flip HorizontalRemoves selected graphics and replaces them with mirror images of the
graphics flipped over a vertical center point. Text, trends, bitmaps, and metafiles have their
positions changed but are not mirrored.

Horizontal Flip of a Single Graphic

Horizontal Flip of Multiple Selected Graphics

Flip VerticalRemoves selected graphics and replaces them with mirror images of the
graphics flipped over a horizontal center point. Text, trends, bitmaps, and metafiles have their
positions changed but are not mirrored.

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Vertical Flip of a Single Graphic

Vertical Flip of Multiple Selected Graphics

RotateRotates the selected graphic clockwise.

You can rotate the following objects: Bitmaps, Metafiles, Curves, Polygons, Ellipses, Polylines,
JPEGs, PNGs, Rectangles, Lines, and Text
For one object:
Enter the degrees of rotation, then click OK.

For more than one object:

Enter the degrees of rotation, select one of the Rotation Options, and then click OK.

Rotate each object individually rotates each object the specified number of degrees
aroundits own center.

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Rotate all objects around center of group rotates each object around the center point of all
the selected objects.

Each object rotated individually

Unrotated objects

All objects rotated around center of

Group. (Available only when you have selected more than one object.) Gathers any combination
of two or more graphics into a single graphic object. You can then select the object, move it, size it,
or assign dynamic attributes to it as a single entity. In Runtime, only the dynamic attributes assigned
to the grouped object are processed; any dynamic attributes assigned to individual objects that
make up the group are ignored, including trends. See Grouping and Locking Graphics on
page 106.
Ungroup. (Available only when you have selected a grouped object.) Splits a graphics object on
which the Group command has been used into its original individual components. This allows each
graphic object to be individually selected. If any of the graphics had individual dynamic attributes
prior to grouping, those dynamic attributes will be restored, and then configured and processed at
Runtime. See Grouping and Locking Graphics on page 106.
Copy to File. (Available only when you have something selected.) Saves the selected object(s) to
a file and saves any dynamic attributes youve assigned to the object(s). Specify the file name,
location, and file format when prompted. The default file name extension is .smb.
Save Metafile As. (Available only when you have a metafile graphic selected.) Saves a selected
Windows metafile graphic to a file. Specify the file name, location, and file format when prompted.
You can save the selected metafile graphic to the Windows Metafile (WMF) format or to the
Enhanced Metafile (EMF) format. Windows metafiles have the file name extensions .wmf and .emf.

Paste from File. Retrieves graphics from a file or from an included library of industrial graphics.
See Importing a Metafile, JPEG, or PNG Graphic on page 109.
You can select a graphic using the following menu commands:
Built-in symbolsSelect this to choose a graphic that has been saved as a PAC Display
symbol file. A dialog box prompts you for the file name, location, and file format of the file

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youd like to open. (Symbol files have the file extension .smb.) Click the Open button to
import the selected graphic.
Symbol FactorySelect this to choose a graphic from a large library of graphics
designed for industrial applications. These graphics are in Windows metafile (WMF) and
other file formats. When the Symbol Factory window opens, browse through the
categories and thumbnails provided to find an appropriate graphic, and then double-click
the graphic to copy it to the Windows clipboard. (Another way to copy a graphic in the
Symbol Factory is to select it and click the Copy button.)
Now click on the PAC Display project draw window to make it active, and then select Paste
from the Edit menu to add the copied graphic to the window. (You can also paste the
graphic by pressing CTRL+V on the keyboard, or by right-clicking and selecting Paste from
the pop-up menu.)
Import metafileSelect this to choose a graphic that has been saved in either WMF or
EMF (Enhanced Metafile) format. A dialog box prompts you for the file name, location, and
file format of the file youd like to open. (Metafiles have the file extensions .wmf and .emf.)
Click the Open button to import the selected graphic.You are asked to navigate to and
select an appropriate file.
Import JPEGSelect this to choose a graphic that has been saved in either JPEG format.
A dialog box prompts you for the file name, location, and file format of the file youd like to
open. (JPEG files have the file extensions .jpg.) Click the Open button to import the
selected graphic. You are asked to navigate to and select an appropriate file.
Import GIFSelect this to choose a graphic that has been saved in either GIF format. A
dialog box prompts you for the file name, location, and file format of the file youd like to
open. (GIF files have the file extensions .gif.) Click the Open button to import the selected
graphic. You are asked to navigate to and select an appropriate file. GIF graphics behave
differently than JPEG graphics in PAC Display. For more information, see Importing a GIF
Graphic on page 110.
Import PNGSelect this to choose a graphic that has been saved in either PNG format. A
dialog box prompts you for the file name, location, and file format of the file youd like to
open. (PNG files have the file extensions .png.) Click the Open button to import the
selected graphic. You are asked to navigate to and select an appropriate file.

Edit Dynamic Attributes. (Available only when you have something selected.) Connects a
graphic to a PAC Control data item. See Assigning a Dynamic Attribute to a Graphic on page 140.
After selecting this menu option, all applicable dynamic attributes are shown in the dialog box that
opens. Select input dynamic attributes or output dynamic attributes when prompted. For example,
you can set up connections so the value of a PAC Control tag changes the color and fill size of a
graphic. With output dynamic attributes, you can change the value of a tag as you slide the
graphic on the screen.
Many different combinations of dynamic attributes are possible, and different dialog boxes are used
to assign dynamic attributes to a graphic. For example, when a trend is selected, the Trend
Configuration dialog box is displayed.

Copy Dynamic Attributes. (SHIFT+CTRL+C) (Available only when you have a single graphic
selected and a control engine is configured.) Creates and stores in the clipboard a copy of the
selected graphics dynamic attributes. See Copying and Deleting Dynamic Attributes on page 181.

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Paste Dynamic Attributes. (Available only when you have something selected and have
previously copied dynamic attributes to the clipboard.) Assigns copied dynamic attributes to a
graphic. You can paste dynamic attributes to one or more selected graphics. You can delete existing
attributes, or replace or ignore any duplicate attributes. See Copying and Deleting Dynamic
Attributes on page 181.

Delete Dynamic Attributes. (Available only when you have something selected.) Removes
dynamic attributes of a selected graphic. You can delete the dynamic attributes of more than one
selected graphic. See Copying and Deleting Dynamic Attributes on page 181.

Edit Text. (Available only when you have a text object selected.) Changes text in a text object.
Select the text with the Select tool, choose this menu item, and then edit the text in the dialog box
that appears. See Working with Text on page 119.
Edit Points. (Available only when you have a polygon, polyline, or Bezier curve selected.) Changes
individual points in a polygon, polyline, or Bezier curve. Select the object with the Select tool,
choose this menu item, and then click and move individual points on the object. See Reshaping
Graphics on page 115.

Lock/Unlock Position. (Available only when you have something selected.) Locks the position
of one or more items in a draw window. See Grouping and Locking Graphics on page 106.

View Menu
Hide Menu Bar. Hides the menu bar. The ESC key toggles the menu bar on and off. See Hiding
the Menu Bar on page 39.
Hide/Show Toolbox. (CTRL+T) Hides or displays the Toolbox. The Toolbox shows the tools you
need to create a project in PAC Display Configurator. If the Toolbox is hidden, the Show Toolbox
command is displayed in this menu. See Configurator Toolbox on page 37.

Configure Grid. Displays a Grid dialog box that prompts you to toggle on or off both the Grid
and the Snap On feature. Grids can aid your work in the draw window. You can also enter a Grid size
in the Grains/Units area of the dialog box. The Grid size refers to the spacing of Grid points,
measured in pixels. For example, a Grid size of 10 means a grid point will appear every 10 pixels.
Sometimes grids do not appear because the grid size is too big for the draw window. You cannot
display the Grid without specifying a Grid size first.
Hide/Show Grid. (The Grid must first be displayed using the Grids menu item.) Hides or shows
the Grid. If the Grid is hidden, the Show Grid command is displayed.
Turn Snap On/Off. (The Grid must first be displayed using the Grids menu item. Also activate
the Snap On feature in the same dialog box.) Toggles the Snap On feature on or off. Snap On cannot
work without an active Grid. If Snap On is enabled, the Turn Snap Off command is shown.

Redraw. Redraws the contents of the active draw window. Incomplete graphics (such as an
incomplete polygon) in the draw window are removed when you select this command. See
Redrawing an Active Draw Window on page 38.

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Reset Dialog Positions. Resets the following dialogs to appear in the middle of the active
display window: Alarm Points, Application Managers, Control Engines, Historic Logs, Event Log
Viewer, Sounds, and Window Managers. This can help you find a dialog that you think should be
open.

Dynamic Attributes. Generates a text file listing the dynamic attributes of objects in one or
more draw windows. This report also lists the configured alarm points in the PAC Display project.
The text file can be analyzed with the next command, Launch TagInfo View Utility. See Viewing
Tags for One or More Objects on page 182.

Launch TagInfoView Utility. Starts a small utility program that lets you sort the order in which
tags in the PAC Display project are displayed. See Using the TagInfoView Utility Program on
page 183.
Find Tag. Used to locate specific tags used in a PAC Display project. See Searching for Tags in a
PAC Display Project on page 81.

Decrypt Runtime Operator Log File. Starts a small utility program that decrypts encrypted
Runtime Operator Log files.

Style Menu
Use the Style Menu to control the drawing attributes of the graphic tools. Whenever a graphic such
as a line or rectangle is drawn, the selected style attributes are applied. Combining different style
settings allows you to draw an almost infinite variety of graphics. Text attributes, including font style,
color, and size, are assigned in the Text menu.
NOTE: Trends and bitmaps are not affected by style settings.

Line Color. Presents a color palette you can use to assign or change the line color of the selected
graphic. If no graphic is selected, the color you choose is set as the default and is then applied as the
line color to all graphics you subsequently draw. See Applying or Changing Line Attributes on
page 107.

Line Width. Assigns or changes the line width of the selected graphic. Line widths are shown in
pixels. If no graphic is selected, the line width you choose is set as the default and is then applied to
all graphics you subsequently draw. See Applying or Changing Line Attributes on page 107.

Sample Line Widths

Line Style. Assigns or changes the line style of the selected graphic. If no graphic is selected, the
line style you choose is applied to all graphics you subsequently draw. Line styles other than solid
apply only to objects with a line width of 1. Line widths greater than 1 are always solid. The Invisible
line style is used with rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. If these objects are drawn

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with the invisible line style, the border line around the object is not displayed; in order to see them,
you must apply a fill. See Applying or Changing Line Attributes on page 107.

Sample Line Styles

Example of Invisible Line Style

Fill Color. Assigns or changes the fill color of the selected graphic. If no graphic is selected, the fill
color you choose is applied to all graphics you subsequently draw. Fill colors only affect rectangles,
round rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. See Applying or Changing Fill Attributes on page 108.
Background Color. Assigns or changes the color used behind the fill pattern of the selected
graphic. If no graphic is selected, the background color you choose is applied to the fill pattern of all
graphics you subsequently draw. Background colors for fill patterns only affect rectangles, round
rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. See Applying or Changing Fill Attributes on page 108.

Fill Pattern. Assigns or changes the fill pattern of the selected graphic. If no graphic is selected,
the fill pattern you choose is applied to all graphics you subsequently draw. See Applying or
Changing Fill Attributes on page 108.
Fill patterns only affect rectangles, round rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. If you select a Fill Pattern
and your selected objects still remain unfilled, it may be that the Fill Color is set to white (or a color
equal to its background), or that the Fill Pattern is set to Invisible. Also, you cannot apply more than
one Fill Pattern to any graphic. This includes using a Percent fill, which fills an object with a
percentage of black, creating levels of gray.

Example of Solid and Invisible Fill

Example of Percent Fills

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Example Fill Patterns

Opaque. Determines how non-solid primary graphics, such as dotted and dashed lines, interact
with overlapping graphics and background colors. When the opaque style is set, overlapped
graphics and background colors are overwritten. See Applying or Changing Line Attributes on
page 107.
Transparent. The opposite of Opaque, Transparent also determines how non-solid primary
graphics, such as dotted and dashed lines, interact with overlapping graphics and background
colors. When the transparent style is set, overlapped graphics and background colors are
overwritten only by the solid portion of the line. See Applying or Changing Line Attributes on
page 107.

Text Menu
The Text menu items allow you to control text attributes. Text attributes may be set before the text is
placed in the draw window, or changed after it is placed. Style attributes selected from the Style
menu do not affect text. See Formatting Text on page 119.

Font. Assigns or changes the font of the selected text. If no text is selected, the font you choose is
set as the default and is then used for all text you subsequently place.
PAC Display supports all TrueType fonts, as well as the ones shown below:

Examples of Supported Fonts

Size. Assigns or changes the size of the selected text. If no text is selected, the size you choose is set
as the default and is then used for all text you subsequently place. Specify the size of the text in
points; any value between 5 and 500 may be used.

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Examples of Prop Serif Font at Different Point

Color. Assigns or changes the color of the selected text. If no text is selected, the color you choose
is applied to all text you subsequently place. PAC Display also supports custom color creation.

Background. Assigns or changes the background color of the selected text. If no text is selected,
the background color you choose is applied to all text you subsequently place. Background colors
only apply to opaque text; transparent text is not affected by this setting.

Text Style. Assigns or changes the style of the selected text. If no text is selected, the style you
choose is applied to all text you subsequently place. PAC Display supports normal, bold, italics,
underline, and strikeout text styles. You can apply multiple styles to text. For instance, you can apply
both bold and italics to any text.

Examples of Text Style

Opaque. Determines how text appears when overlapping other objects. Opaque style is applied
to text just like any other style. If the text is set to Opaque, objects under the text will be overwritten
by the text background color.

Example of Opaque Text

Transparent. Determines how text appears when overlapping other objects. The opposite of
opaque, if the text is set to transparent, objects under the text will remain visible and unaffected by
the text background color.

Example of Transparent Text

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Configure Menu
Control Engine(s). Selects which PAC Control strategy (or strategies) are used for this project.
The PAC Display Configurator uses the tag database from the strategy to connect the appropriate
PAC Control data item to the dynamic attribute of a dynamic object. The control engine Properties
dialog box prompts for the PAC Control strategy. If a PAC Control strategy is not configured for this
project, dynamic attributes cannot be assigned to any dynamic objects. See Configuring Control
Engines on page 62.

Refresh Times. Changes the scan time for a refresh time group. The Refresh Time dialog box
prompts you for the new times. See Configuring Scan Rates on page 184 for more information
about configuring refresh times.

Alarm Points. Displays all configured alarm points by user-specified names. This dialog box also
allows you to add, modify, or delete alarm points. See Configuring Alarm Points on page 261.
Alarming Setup. Configures alarming features. The Options page sets up various Runtime
options, the Logging page sets up file and printer logging, and the Sound page sets up sound
functions. See Configuring Project Alarms on page 283 for more information.

Historic Data Log. Creates historic logs. An Historic Log List dialog box is displayed and lists the
historic log files that have been created. This command allows you to modify which points are
recorded and how frequently data is logged to the files. See Configuring an Historic Data Log on
page 221 for more information about historic data logs.

Event Log. Records a message caused by an event which can be configured to log to a disk file.
You can change parameters such as the number of messages saved, the delimiter used between
messages, and the file rollover period. File name extensions are .msg. The number of files retained
on disk for an event log is also set within the dialog box. When the limit is reached during Runtime,
the file with the oldest time stamp is deleted. See Using the Event Log Viewer on page 326.

SuperTrend Remote Logging. If the same PAC Display project is running on more than one
computer, this menu item selects the local or networked computer that will save SuperTrend data.
See Choosing a Computer to Save SuperTrend Log Files on page 205.

Applications. Adds or modifies application managers for use in the project. The Application
Manager List dialog box displays available application managers for the project. The Application
Manager Configuration dialog box lets you select the program file, working directory, launch
options, initial display view, and trigger for the application manager. See Launching Applications
on page 238 for more information about launching applications based on a trigger.
Recipes. Configures download or upload of recipes to a control engine by a trigger. This method of
recipe management does not require a graphic to be selected during Runtime for the recipe action
to occur. See Configuring a Recipe Download on page 256 and Configuring a Recipe Upload on
page 257 for more information about trigger-based recipe uploads and downloads.

Snapshots. Captures the whole screen and saves it as a bitmap file. You can use snapshots to
review what occurred in Runtime over a period of time, or to capture a triggered event. Snapshots

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are taken according to a time interval that you configure. You can use triggers to start and stop the
process. See Configuring Screen Snapshots on page 54.

Sounds. Selects sounds and assigns their trigger for use in the project. The Sounds dialog box lists
the available sounds for the project. The Sound Configuration dialog box lets you configure start and
stop triggers with the Trigger dialog box. The Sound Configuration dialog box also prompts you for
the sound file. See Configuring a Sound on page 243 for more information about triggering
sounds.
Window State. Adds or makes changes to existing window managers. The Window Manager List
dialog box displays all currently configured window managers and allows access to the Window
Manager Configuration dialog box. The Window Manager Configuration dialog box allows you to
change triggers with the Window Manager Start Trigger dialog box and control the draw window
visual state with the Pop Window dialog box. See Configuring Trigger-Based Window States on
page 244 for more information about trigger-based window states.

Scanner Location. (Basic only) Allows you to use a remote computer running OptoOPCServer as
a scanner. And, you can set the Scanner Heartbeat Check Interval, the interval in seconds at which
PAC Display will check to see if the scanner is operating. Select the Enable Awaiting Connection
Messages checkbox to display all startup messages. See Configuring the Scanner on page 68.

Scanner Defaults. (Pro only) Opens a dialog to allow you to set the Scanner Heartbeat Check
Interval, the interval in seconds at which PAC Display will check to see if the scanner is operating.
Select the Enable Awaiting Connection Messages checkbox to display all startup messages. See
Configuring the Scanner on page 68.

Secondary Scanner Location. (Pro only) Opens a dialog to allow you set up a secondary
scanner that will be used when the primary scanner is not available. See Configuring a Remote
Scanner in PAC Display Pro on page 70.
ODBC Data Source. (Pro only) Opens a dialog that allows you to select an ODBC database that
you can use to log SuperTrend, Historic Log, and Runtime Operator Logging data files. Currently
supported dabases are MySQL, MS Access, MS SQLServer. In order to use this feature, the database
must already have been created, and the ODBC connector must be configured. See Configuring an
ODBC Data Source on page 58.

Runtime. Opens a configuration dialog for setting up the PAC Display Runtime session, including
appearance, security configuration, and much more. Using PAC Display Configurator, you can
specify which windows are open or closed, whether the menu is displayed, and whether or not the
operator can exit the program. You can also customize options for the Event Log Viewer, a window
that displays messages about the status and other characteristics of a PAC Display project. And you
can control whether a PAC Display project gathers I/O unit information, such as I/O point states and
values, from tags on a control engine or directly from an I/O unit itself. For more information, Using
the Runtime Setup Dialog Box on page 294.

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Tools Menu
AutoCorrect Tags. Run this tool when you first configure a strategy for your project and after
making changes to your project. The tool verifies tag names from a strategy for compatibility with
PAC Display and changes the tag names where necessary. The tool creates a text file with the file
extension .$$$ that summarizes the changes that were made by the tool to any tag names. Refer to
Correcting Tags from a Strategy on page 84 for more information about this command.

Regenerate IO Scanner Tag Names. Use this option when an invalid item ID was generated
by PAC Display for a tag (error 0xC004008). Then choose Tools > AutoCorrect Tags. See Scanner
Errors (Quality Errors) on page 351 (error 0xC004008).

Create Recipe File. Opens the Create Recipe File dialog box for creating either recipe download
file or a recipe upload template. For more information, see Creating a Recipe Download File on
page 246 and Creating a Recipe Upload Template on page 248.
Edit Recipe File. Allows you to edit an existing recipe file. See Editing a Recipe Download File
on page 251.

Validate Recipe File. Validates the format of a recipe file, including the structure, tags, and index
values. See Validating the Format of a Recipe File on page 251.

Convert SuperTrend Files. Converts a supertrend either from text to binary format, or from
binary to text format. See Converting a SuperTrend Log File for Viewing on page 212.

Window Menu
PAC Display Configurator allows you to configure several draw windows per project. The Window
menu items control the number and properties of each draw window in a project. You can create
draw windows, delete draw windows, copy draw windows, and change properties of existing draw
windows.
New
Creates a new draw or URL (Pro only) window and adds it to your project. You can specify the new
windows name, size, behavior, and other attributes. You must provide a unique name for each draw
window. See Creating and Deleting Windows on page 94.
Open
Opens draw and URL (Pro only) windows that are configured but are currently closed. Select which
window to open from a list of all draw that are closed. Windows that are open when a project is
saved are open when the project is started at Runtime. This can be modified using the Configure >
Runtime menu command. See Creating and Deleting Windows on page 94.

Close. Closes draw and URL (Pro only) windows that are currently open. Select which window to
close from a list of all windows that are open. Windows that are closed when a project is saved are
closed when the project is started at Runtime. This can be modified by using the Configure >
Runtime menu command.

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Copy. Duplicates the active draw window. You must enter a unique name for the duplicate and
specify any properties you wish to change. All graphics and their connections in the copied window
remain the same in the new copy. See Creating and Deleting Windows on page 94.

Delete. Removes the active draw window from the project. All graphics and their connections in
the active draw window are also deleted. Use caution since deleted draw windows cannot be
recovered. See Creating and Deleting Windows on page 94.

Properties. Modifies the properties of the active draw window. You can change the windows
name, size, behavior, position, color, and other attributes. See Modifying Draw or URL Windows on
page 95.
Export/Import Window. A PAC Display window can be exported from one project, saved as a
file, and then imported into another PAC Display project. The exported window file contains all the
objects and tags that were in the original window. Exporting and importing draw windows is a
convenient way to reuse the same window in different PAC Display projects. See Importing,
Exporting, and Saving Windows on page 98.

(Open Window List). Displays at the bottom of the Window menu the names of up to nine
currently open or iconified windows. Select a draw windows name from this list to display that draw
window and bring it to the front. If more than nine windows are open, a menu item named More
Windows is added, which you can use to select a windows name from a list to display it. A window
must be open or iconified to be listed.

Help Menu
Contents and Index. Starts Help and displays help topics for PAC Display Configurator.
Manuals. Opens the online version of the PAC Display Users Guide. This document is in Adobe pdf
format, and the Adobe Reader application is required to view it.

Opto 22 on the Web. Lists useful links to information on the Opto 22 website. Your PC must
have an installed Web browser and be connected to the Internet to access these links.

About PAC Display Configurator. Displays version information about PAC Display
Configurator.

Runtime Menus
Runtime menus provide access to the Runtime commands. These commands allow you to open
and close projects, view the event log, and view the control engine configurations.

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File Menu
Open Project. Loads an existing project created in PAC Display Configurator. You must navigate
to and select the project you want to open. Scanning and animation begin immediately once the
project is loaded. See Opening a Project in Runtime on page 322.

Project Path. Displays the projects full directory path. You can also see the projects path
displayed in the title bar, but if its too long to fit there, you can use this command.

Printer Setup. Selects an available printer and sets its attributes.

Print. Prints the PAC Display Runtime window. You can specify the number of copies to be printed
and also set up the options available in the Printer Setup command.
Exit PAC Display Runtime. Stops the scanner, closes all Runtime windows, and exits the PAC
Display Runtime.

View Menu
Hide Menu Bar. Hides the menu bar. The ESC key toggles the menu bar on and off.
Event Log. Displays the Runtime system event log. This log contains system errors and messages
received during Runtime. The list box contains the most recent system event messages generated
by PAC Display. Each message consists of a date and time stamp, and message text. The message
text describes events such as communications and I/O errors. Use the scroll bar to view prior
messages. If the text of the message is too wide to completely fit in the list box area, you can
double-click the message to display it all. See Using the Event Log Viewer on page 326.

Configuration Status. (Pro only) Opens a dialog that allows you to view and change the
control engines and I/O units configured for the PAC Display project, or to view and change the
status of scanners used in the PAC Display project. See Viewing and Changing Control Engines on
page 326 and Viewing and Changing Scanner Status on page 328.
Sync Control Engine Time to PC. Synchronizes the control engine clocks with the clock on
the PC used to sync the control engines clock. To choose which PC to use to sync the control
engines clock, see Runtime Setup: Control Engine Tab on page 299. See also,Using the Event Log
Viewer on page 326.

Alarm Menu
Modify Alarm Points. Allows the operator to change parameters for alarm points in the PAC
Display project if it has been configured to let the operator do so. See Modifying Alarm Points on
page 331. Also see Configuring Alarm Points on page 261 to learn more about configuring alarm
points.
Alarm point settings can be changed in each one of the five alarm ranges available: HiHi, Hi, Normal,
Lo, and LoLo. Each alarm point state has a value that defines its range.

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Alarms Enabled. Disables alarming, including all alarm graphics, sound, and logging. This can be
useful when starting or stopping a process during which alarm conditions may be expected to
happen. This menu item can be initially enabled or disabled through the Alarming Setup dialog box
in the Configurator. See Configuring Project Alarms on page 283. It can also be permanently
grayed out and made inaccessible by unchecking the Alarms Enabled menu item option in the
Alarming Setup dialog box. This option toggles alarms between enabled and disabled. A check
mark next to Alarms Enabled indicates that alarms are enabled. No check mark indicates that alarms
are not enabled.

Disable Alarm Points. Opens a dialog box that allows you to select individual alarm points to
disable for the current Runtime session only. This is not a persistent option. Disabling an alarm point
takes effect after any current processing is being performed on the selected alarm point. See
Disabling Alarm Points in Runtime on page 333.
NOTE: Re-enabling an alarm point will not take effect until the current value of the alarm point changes.
If the alarm point is re-enabled while in an alarmed state, this could mean that an alarm point will not
appear in an alarm graphic, and its configured sound may not play.

Priority Filter. The priority filter level menu items can be used to accept only those alarm points
with a certain priority level. For example, during a startup or shutdown procedure, you may wish to
receive only the most serious alarms. The priority for each alarm point is configured in the Alarm
Point dialog box in the Configurator. See Configuring Project Alarms on page 283.
View Alarm Point Details. Lists the configured alarm points and their details.

Security
Log Out of PAC Display Runtime. If multiple users have been configured in Configurator, you
can log out of Runtime to allow another user to log in. See Logging Out of and In to Runtime on
page 322.
Change Login Password. Opens a dialog box for the currently logged-in user to change his or
her password.

Operator Driven Attribute Access. If global users are configured , a configured user can log
in and access any security-configured operator driven dynamic attribute. See Adding Global
Operator Driven Permissions on page 311).

PAC Display Users Guide

375
375

RUNTIME MENUS

Add/Modify User. Add, modify, or delete a user name in the list of users allowed to log in to
Runtime. See Modifying List of Users in Runtime on page 307.

Tools
Convert SuperTrend Files. Converts a supertrend either from text to binary format, or from
binary to text format. See Converting SuperTrend Log Files to Text Format for Viewing on page 211.

Window Menu
Open. Opens any Runtime window that is currently closed. An Open Window dialog box displays a
list of closed windows from which you can select the window to open.

Close. Opens the Close Window dialog box. Use this dialog box to close windows. All currently
open and iconified windows are listed and any number of them may be selected for closing. If
windows are closed in PAC Display Runtime, any scanning of tag values associated with the
windows ceases until the window is opened again.

Switch Control Engines. Use to connect to different control engines running the same PAC
Control strategy. Select one or more project windows and then select a control engine. All objects
with dynamic attributes will now use tag values from that control engine. See Switching a Window
between Control Engines on page 329 for more information.

(Open Window List). Displays currently open or iconified windows. Up to nine window names
are displayed. Select a windows name from this list to display that draw window and bring it to the
front. If more than nine windows are open, a menu item named More Windows is added; use More
Windows to select a windows name from a list to display it. A window must be open or iconified for
it to be listed.

Help Menu
Contents and Index
Starts Help and displays help topics for PAC Display Runtime.

Manuals. Opens the online version of the PAC Display Users Guide. This document is in Adobe pdf
format, and the Adobe Reader application is required to view it.

Opto 22 on the Web. Lists useful links to information on the Opto 22 website. Your PC must
have an installed Web browser and be connected to the Internet to access these links.

About PAC Display Runtime. Displays version information about PAC Display Runtime.

376

PAC Display Users Guide

Appendix E: E: International CharactersAppendix E

E: International Characters

PAC Display and the Tag Information Viewer both support international characters. International
characters can be used in the following PAC Display items:

Text tool objects

Alarm point names and comments

SuperTrend pen names

Window names

Historic log names and point names

Table control

Refresh group names

Recipe managers

Window managers

Application managers

XY plot titles

Button and PID button text

Combo box control items

View > Dynamic Attributes file

Project export file

Alarm point comma delimited file

Operator Runtime logging file

Alarm History file

PAC Display Users Guide

377
377

EXAMPLES

Examples
Text tool
objects
Table description

Window names

Alarm point names

378

PAC Display Users Guide

Appendix FPAC Control

PAC Display Index

A
acknowledging alarms, 272
activating recipe files, 256
active address, 68
Add/Modify User menu item, 307, 376
adding
alarm, 261
control engine, 62
graphic object, 100
historic data log, 221
sounds, 243
alarm point
disabling in Runtime, 333
dynamic attritutes, 152
send email, 285
Alarm Points menu item, 262, 370
Alarming Setup menu item, 283, 370
alarms
acknowledging, 272
adding, 261
configuring alarm points, 261
configuring for entire project, 370
configuring individually, 370, 375
deleting alarm points, 261
disabling, 375
displaying comments for operator, 276, 277
graphic objects, 279, 281
hot keys, 282
logging options, 288
modifying in PAC DisplayRuntime, 331
notification, 272
printing log, 288
silencing, 331
sounds, 291
viewing in PAC Display Runtime, 330
Alarms Enabled menu item, 375
alert window, 287

Align menu item, 116, 359

allow multiple runtimes, 297
allow table edits in Runtime, 138
animated graphics
and PAC Control tags, 33, 75
configuring, 139
dynamic attributes, 139
Applications menu item, 238, 370
applications, launching, 238, 370
Archive Project and Email to Opto 22 menu item,

51, 356
Archive Project menu item, 356
Archive Project or File menu item, 51
AutoCorrect Tags, 84, 372
results file, 86
AutoCorrect Tags menu item, 85, 372

B
Background Color menu item, 108, 367
Background menu item, 119, 369
batch (.BAT) file
starting project from, 53
batch (.BAT) file, using for startup, 53
bitmap graphic
importing, 108
saving graphic object as, 111

C
change appearance of combo box, 129
Change Font menu item, 129
Change Login Password menu item, 375
changing
control engine properties, 62
PID values in Runtime, 340
size of graphic objects, 112

PAC Display Users Guide

379
379

tagnames, 358
window state, 244
chart states
assigning to a graphic, 143
recipe download file, 254
Choose Bitmap menu item, 20, 357
Close menu item (Configurator), 372
Close menu item (Runtime), 376
Close Project menu item, 52, 356
closing
project, 52
Color menu item, 119, 369
combining projects, 57
combo box, 124
changing the appearance, 129
using in Runtime, 338
communication
Ethernet link redundancy, 67
with I/O unit or control engine, 320
comparing projects, 51
Configuration Status menu item, 326, 328, 374
Configurator, 124
Configurator Options menu item, 51, 356
Configure Grid menu item, 365
configuring
basic trends, 192
control engine, 62
date format, 297
historic data log, 370
hot keys, 141
no control engine, 87
on-screen keyboard, 296
scanner, 68
security settings, 148
snapshots, 54
sounds, 243
SuperTrends, 195, 201
tags, 75, 78
tags for high-density digital modules, 77
window states, 244
XY plots, 214
control engine
adding to project, 62
checking communications with, 342
communicating with, 320
configuring, 62
configuring without, 87
optimizing communications with, 183
retrieving text from, 172
switching between, 97, 329
Control Engine menu item, 62, 370

380

PAC Display Users Guide

control engine status dynamic attributes, 153

control engine-driven attributes, 139
definition, 139
controllers, legacy, 61
Convert SuperTrend Files menu item, 212, 372,

376
converting SuperTrend log files, 211, 337
Copy Dynamic Attributes menu item, 181, 364
Copy menu item, 94, 111, 357, 373
Copy to File menu item, 363
copying
dynamic attributes, 181
graphic objects, 111
project files, 356
security attributes, 151
correcting tags from a strategy, 84
Create Recipe File menu item, 246, 248, 372
creating
basic trend, 188
project, 44
SuperTrend, 193
Cut menu item, 116, 357

D
data logs, 236
date, setting format of, 297
Decrypt Runtime Operator Log File menu item,

366
Delete Dynamic Attributes menu item, 182, 365
Delete menu item, 94, 116, 358, 373
deleting
alarm points, 261
dynamic attributes, 182
graphic objects, 116
designing a PAC Display project, 33
direct communication with I/O unit, 320
Disable Alarm Points menu item, 333, 375
displaying alarm comments to operator, 276, 277
download recipe file, 246, 251, 253
chart states, 254
dynamic attritutes, 154
to a control engine, 154
downloading
OptoControl strategy, 26
PAC Control strategy using PAC Term, 26
downloading recipe file
to a control engine, 256
draw window
closing, 98
creating, 94

definition, 32
deleting, 94
modifying, 95
opening, 98
using in project, 93
drawing tools, 37, 100, 365
Duplicate menu item, 112, 358
dynamic attributes, 151
alarm point, 152
assigning a chart state, 143
assigning to graphic object, 139, 364
control engine status, 153
controller-driven, 139
copying, 181
deleting, 182
download recipe, 154
Execute menu item, 156
fill color, 157
granting or denying operator use of, 148
horizontal position, 159
horizontal size, 160
horizontal slider, 161
launch application, 162
line color, 163
multiple, 146
operator-driven, 140
operator-driven sub-attributes, 146
pasting, 182
read and clear, 165
rotate, 166
send discrete, 167
send string, 168
send value, 169
text color, 170
text in, 172
upload recipe, 173
vertical position, 175
vertical size, 176
vertical slider, 178
viewing, 182, 366
visibility/blink, 179
windows, 180
Dynamic Attributes menu item, 182, 366

E
Edit Dynamic Attributes menu item, 140, 364
Edit Points menu item, 115, 365
Edit Recipe File menu item, 251, 372
Edit Text menu item, 119, 365
email for alarm points, 285

errors
error messages, 341, 347
Event Log, 318, 370, 374
Event Log Viewer, 40, 313, 326
Ethernet link redundancy, 67
Event Log, 318, 370, 374
menu item

Configurator, 370
Runtime, 326, 374
Viewer, 40, 313, 326
definition, 32
Execute menu item
dynamic attritutes, 156
Exit PAC Display Runtime menu item, 374
export
alarm points, 265
graphic objects, 111
historic logs, 229
Export Project menu item, 52, 356
Export Window menu item, 98, 373

F
fill color
dynamic attritutes, 157
Fill Color menu item, 108, 367
Fill Pattern menu item, 108, 367
Find Tag menu item, 81, 366
finding and replacing tags, 82
finding tags, 81
Flip menu item, 361
Flip/Rotate menu item, 117
Font menu item, 119, 368

G
GIF graphic
importing, 110
global operator driven access, 306, 309
Global Operator Driven Permissions, 311
graphic objects
alarms, 279, 281
aligning, 116, 359
and Symbol Factory, 108, 110
assigning dynamic attributes to, 364
changing size, 37, 112
copying, 111
deleting, 116
drawing, 100
exporting, 111

PAC Display Users Guide

381
381

fill color and pattern, 108, 367

flipping, 118, 361, 362
grouping, 106, 363
handles, 104
importing bitmap graphic, 108
importing GIF graphic, 110
importing JPEG graphic, 109
importing Windows metafiles, 108
locking position of, 106
moving, 112, 115
rotating, 117, 361, 362
selecting, 104, 105
stacking order of, 115
ungrouping, 106, 363
updating, 183
XY plot, 188
Graphic Window menu item, 94
groov, 95, 134
Group menu item, 106, 363

H
hardware requirements, 4
heartbeat interval
setting, 73
help
error messages, list of, 348
online, 3
Opto 22 Product Support, 3
Product Support, 3
See also troubleshooting, 341
Hide Grid menu item, 365
Hide Menu Bar menu item, 39, 365
Hide Toolbox menu item, 37, 365
Hint button, 140
hint text, 145
historic data log
configuring a database, 224
Historic Data Log menu item, 221, 370
historic data logs
adding, 221
configuring log files, 370
configuring points, 233
definition, 220
exporting, 229
file formats, 237
filenames, 236
importing, 230
notification when logging stops, 235
saving, 237
tag types recorded, 220

382

PAC Display Users Guide

historical trending
switching to in PAC Display Runtime, 336
horizontal position
dynamic attritutes, 159
horizontal size
dynamic attritutes, 160
horizontal slider
dynamic attritutes, 161
hot keys
in alarms, 282
in SuperTrends, 200

I
I/O unit, communicating with, 320
Import Window menu item, 99, 373
importing
alarm points, 267
bitmap graphic, 108
GIF graphic, 110
historic logs, 230
JPEG graphic, 108, 109
PNG graphic, 108
installing PAC Display, 4
international characters, 377

J
JNG graphic
importing, 108
JPEG graphic
defined, 109
importing, 108, 109

K
keyboard
configuring

hot keys, 141

on-screen keyboard, 296
hot keys in SuperTrends, 200

L
launch application dynamic attritute, 162
Launch TagInfoView Utility menu item, 183, 366
launching applications, 238, 370
notification, 242
trigger, 241
working directory, 240

legacy controllers, 61
line color
dynamic attritutes, 163
Line Color menu item, 107, 366
Line Style menu item, 107, 366
Line Width menu item, 107, 366
link redundancy
SoftPAC controller, 68
Lock Position menu item, 106, 365
log files
converting a SuperTrend log file, 212
decrypting, 317
discrete controller variables, 314
discrete I/O points, 314
encrypting, 317
Log Out of PAC Display Runtime menu item, 322,

375
logging operator actions, 314
login
expire password, 309
for Runtime, 306
log out user when idle, 305, 309
login schedule, 305, 308
requiring new password, 305

M
main window
options, 295
menu bar
hiding from operator, 301, 303
hiding in PAC Display Configurator, 36
menus
PAC Display Configurator, 355
PAC Display Runtime, 373
messages
Event Log, 318, 374
Event Log Viewer, 40, 326
Modify Alarm Points menu item, 332, 374
monitor-only version of PAC Display Runtime
features, 293
monitors, multiple
requirements, 5
using, 35, 48, 294
mouse
hot keys in alarms, 282
multiple dynamic attributes, 146
multiple instances of PAC Display Runtime, 69,

297

multiple Runtimes, 323

multiple runtimes, 297
Multiply Runtime Height By menu item, 129

N
network redundancy, 67
New menu item, 94, 372
New Project menu item, 44, 355
notification
alarms, 272
application launched, 242
historic log files, 235
recipe download/upload, 261

O
objects
definition, 33
ODBC
configuring data source, 58
historic log database, 224
Runtime Operator Action Log database, 316
SuperTrend log database, 208
Opaque menu item
graphic, 368
line, 107
text, 120, 369
Open menu item
Configurator, 372
Runtime, 376
Open Project menu item
Configurator, 49, 355
Runtime, 49, 322, 374
operator
restricting activity, 301, 303
Operator Driven Attribute Access menu item, 313,

375
operator-driven attributes, 139
definition, 140
sub-attributes, 146
optimizing communications with control engine,

183
Opto 22 Product Support
contacting, 3
OptoOPCServer
using as remote scanner, 68
OptoTerm, using to download strategy, 26
OptoVersion, 346

PAC Display Users Guide

383
383

P
PAC Display
Basic, 1
built-in graphics library, 110
Configurator

draw window, 37
hiding menu bar, 36
main window, 35
menus, 355
files, list of, 353
firmware requirements, 4
hardware requirements, 4
Professional, 1
differences from PAC Display Basic, 1
Runtime

definition, 31, 32
Event Log Viewer, 40
interacting with SuperTrends, 334
interacting with XY plots, 337
main window, 38
menus, 373
monitor-only version, 293
project options, 294
project window, 39
restricting the operator, 301, 303
running project, 33
setting date format, 297
system requirements, 4
PAC Term, 26
Password Protect Project menu item, 48, 356
passwords
protecting a project with, 48
Paste Dynamic Attributes menu item, 181, 365
Paste from File menu item, 109, 110, 363
Paste menu item, 112, 358
pasting
dynamic attributes, 182
graphic objects, 111
pens
configuring basic trend pens, 190, 192
configuring SuperTrend pens, 201
optimizing settings, 193
performance
and visual state of windows, 34
PID button, 120, 338
PID values, changing in Runtime, 340
planning a PAC Display project, 33
PNG graphic
defined, 109

384

PAC Display Users Guide

pointer table, 76
pointer variable, using, 76
Print menu item (Configurator), 357
Print menu item (Runtime), 374
Printer Setup menu item, 357
printing, 374
displayed windows, 138
Priority Filter menu item, 375
project
closing, 52
combining projects, 57
components of, 33
copying, 356
creating, 44
customizing, 53
customizing startup

by modifying default startup properties, 52

definition, 32, 43
designing, 33, 43
opening, 49
options in PAC Display Runtime, 294
organizing files, 43
protecting with a password, 48
running, 28
saving, 50
windows, 39
project comparison, 51
Project Path menu item (Configurator), 356
Project Path menu item (Runtime), 374
Properties menu item, 95, 373

R
read and clear
dynamic attritutes, 165
real-time mode
switching to in PAC Display Runtime, 336
recipes
activating, 256
chart states, 254
download file, 246, 251, 253
downloading to a control engine, 154, 256
file formats, 252
format, 252
notification, 261
selecting a trigger, 260
upload file, 248
uploading from a control engine, 257
validating, 248, 251
Recipes menu item, 256, 257, 370

Redo menu item, 357

Redraw menu item, 38, 365
redundant communication links, 67
refresh time groups, 184
Refresh Times menu item, 184, 370
Regenerate IO Scanner Tag Names menu item,

352, 372
relative offsets, 136
Replace menu item, 82, 358
Reset Dialog Positions menu item, 35, 366
rollover trigger option, 233
rotate
dynamic attritutes, 166
Rotate menu item, 361
rotating objects, 362
running a project, 28
Runtime, 338
login, 306
multiple Runtimes, 323
tooltips, 300
Runtime menu item, 294, 371
Runtime Operator Action Log database, 316
Runtime Operator Action Log File
configuring, 315, 316
decrypting, 317
encrypting, 314, 317

S
Save as Bitmap menu item, 111, 357
Save Metafile As menu item, 363
Save Project and Load Runtime menu item, 50,

356
Save Project As menu item, 50, 356
Save Project menu item, 50, 356
saving
graphic object as bitmap graphic, 111, 357
project, 50
scan rates
configuring, 184
scanner
configuring, 68
setting heartbeat interval, 73
using OptoOPCServer, 68
Scanner Defaults menu item, 74, 75, 371
Scanner Location menu item, 69, 74, 371
scanning, 183
optimizing, 183
refresh times, 370
Secondary Scanner Location menu item, 371
security

and the Event Log Viewer, 313

configuring, 148
described, 34
logging operator actions, 314
restricting the operator, 301, 303
setting in Runtime, 301
setting Windows user- and group-based authentication, 148
security atttibutes, copying, 151
Select All menu item, 105, 358
selecting
graphic objects, 104, 105
send discrete
dynamic attritutes, 167
send string
dynamic attritutes, 168
Send String tags, 77
send value
dynamic attritutes, 169
setting data format in project, 297
Show Grid menu item, 365
Show Toolbox menu item, 37, 365
silencing alarms, 331
Size menu item, 113, 119, 361
Size menu item (text), 368
SNAP 32-channel digital modules, 77
SNAP high-density digital modules, 78
Snapshots menu item, 54, 370
SoftPAC
adding a control engine, 15
link redundancy, 68
sounds, 243, 371
adding to alarms, 291
configuring, 243
digitized sound files (.WAV), 243
MIDI music files (.MID), 243
options, 297, 298
play sounds simultaneously, 297, 298
start and stop triggers, 244
Sounds menu item, 243, 371
static objects, 33
strategy
date, 77
downloading, 26
time, 77
Style menu item, 120
supertrend data logs
filenames, 236
SuperTrend log database, 208
SuperTrend Remote Logging menu item, 205,

370

PAC Display Users Guide

385
385

SuperTrends
configuring

pens, 201
settings, 195
x-axis, 196
y-axis, 197
converting log files, 211, 337
creating, 193
definition, 188
hot keys, 200
log files, 204
using in PAC Display Runtime, 334
zoom parameters, 199
Switch Control Engines menu item, 330, 376
Symbol Factory, 110
Sync Control Engine Time to PC menu item, 374
Synchronize Control Engine Clocks, 299
system requirements, 4

formatting, 119
in dynamic attritutes, 172
transparency with other objects, 120, 369
Text Style menu item, 369
title bar custom caption, 295
toolbox, 37, 100
hiding or showing, 365
tooltips, 300
graphic hint text, 145
Transparent menu item, 107, 368
Transparent menu item (text), 120, 369
trends
and system performance, 190
configuring

basic trend pens, 192

SuperTrend axes, 196
SuperTrend pens, 201
configuring SuperTrend axes, 197
creating

a basic trend, 188

a SuperTrend, 194
definition, 187

T
tables
creating, configuring, and displaying, 135
relative offsets, 136
writing to elements, 138, 337
tags
configuring, 75
correcting, 84
definition, 33
finding, 81
finding and replacing, 82
Replace menu item, 358
SNAP 32-channel digital modules, 77
SNAP high-density digital modules, 78
verifying, 372
viewing, 182
tags for Send String, 77
Technical Support. See Opto 22 Product Support,

3
text
adding, 119
changing

color, 369
font, 368
style, 368
color

dynamic attritutes, 170

display value or string from control engine,

172
editing, 119

386

PAC Display Users Guide

hot keys in SuperTrends, 200

interacting

with SuperTrends, 334

with XY plots, 337
types of trends, 188
trigger option, rollover, 233
trigger-based events
alarms, 261
definition, 219
historic data logs, 220
launching applications, 238
recipes, 256
sounds, 243
window states, 244
troubleshooting
errors and messages, 347
Opto 22 Product Support, 3
problems saving project files, 343
problems using Windows NT, 345
steps to diagnose problems, 341
text string object disappears, 344
Turn Snap On/Off menu item, 365

U
Undo menu item, 357
Ungroup menu item, 106, 363
Unlock Position menu item, 106, 365

updating graphics, 183

upload recipe
configuring, 257
creating template, 248
dynamic attritutes, 173
URL control, 132
URL window
closing, 98
creating, 94
deleting, 94
modifying, 95
opening, 98
using in project, 93
URL Window menu item, 94
user login
expire password, 309
log out when idle, 305, 309
login schedule, 305, 308
requiring new password, 305

V
Validate Recipe File menu item, 252, 372
validating recipe files, 248, 251
verifying tags, 372
vertical position
dynamic attritutes, 175
vertical size
dynamic attritutes, 176
vertical slider
dynamic attritutes, 178
View Alarm Point Details menu item, 375
viewing alarms in PAC Display Runtime, 330
visibility/blink
dynamic attritutes, 179

W
Window State menu item, 244, 371
windows
and control system performance, 34
definition, 32
designing, 34
draw, 93, 372
dynamic attritutes, 180
main window options, 295
project, 39
states, 244
ways to use in a display, 33
Windows button, 120
Windows combo box, 124
Windows metafiles
importing, 109
Windows NT
modifying permissions in, 345
writing to table elements, 138, 337

X
XY plots, 188
and numeric tables, 213
configuring individual trend lines, 216
creating, 213
modifying, 214
using in PAC Display Runtime, 337

Z
Z-Order menu item, 115, 358

PAC Display Users Guide

387
387

388

PAC Display Users Guide

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