OP03 – Implementing PanelView Plus &

VersaView CE with RSView Machine Edition

Global Objects
OP03 — Global Objects

Contents

Before you begin ........................................................................................................................... 2

About this lab ....................................................................................................................................2

Tools & prerequisites........................................................................................................................2

Global Objects and Global Objects Displays Overview ............................................................ 3

Opening the Application in RSView Studio ................................................................................ 4

Global Objects in a Global Objects Display................................................................................ 5

Reference Objects in a Normal Display ...................................................................................... 6

Changing the Properties for Base Global Objects................................................................... 11

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Before you begin

Global objects allow you to link the appearance and behavior of a graphic object to multiple
copies of that object in the same application. This feature comes in handy when developing
repetitive objects within the same application. When you make changes to the original objects,
the copies are changed as well.

About this lab

In this lab, you will understand all the basics of global objects such as creating global objects and
editing link properties between the original objects and the copies of the objects. The ACME
PAINT MFG Complete application has been developed using global objects. So you will use the
ACME PAINT MFG Complete application for this lab.

This lab takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Tools & prerequisites

ƒ RSView Machine Edition Studio 4.0
ƒ Existing RSView ME application ACME Paint Mfg Complete

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Global Objects and Global Objects Displays Overview

Global objects are created on global object displays. You create global object displays in the
Global Objects folder, the same way you create standard displays in the Displays folder. All of
the objects and groups of objects on a global object display are global objects.

When you copy a global object onto a standard display in the Displays folder, the copy is called a
reference object. The original global object in the Global Objects folder becomes its base
object. Changes to the base object will be reflected in its reference objects the next time the
displays containing the reference objects are opened, or refreshed by closing and reopening.

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Opening the Application in RSView Studio

1. Start RSView Studio.

From the Start menu, select Programs > Rockwell Software > RSView Enterprise > RSView
Studio or Programs > RSView Studio as shown below.

2. When you are prompt to log on to FactoryTalk. Follow steps a to b. If you don’t see the
following dialog box, skip to Step 3.

a. User “labuser” for User

name and “rockwell” for
Password.

b. Click OK.

3. We will open the ACME PAINT MFG Complete application since it has been developed using
global objects.

c. Select ACME PAINT MFG

Complete. Make sure English
is selected for Language.

d. Click Open.

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Global Objects in a Global Objects Display

1. Open the objects global objects display.

a. Double click on Global

Objects folder. Double click
on objects to open the global
objects display.

2. Any objects created in a global objects display become global objects. So in the objects
global objects display, both the bar graph and the maintained push button are global objects.
As mentioned before, objects in global objects display are called base objects.

Notice that the words “Global

Objects” appear on the title bar.

3. Double click on the bar graph to launch the properties editor.

a. Navigate through the General,

Common, and Connections tabs.
Notice that a global object is exactly
the same as a normal object.

b. Click OK to
close the editor.

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Reference Objects in a Normal Display

To create reference objects of the global objects, you need to copy the global objects from the
global objects display onto a graphic display. The bar graph and maintained push button global
objects have been copied on to different displays such as Blue Tank Status, Red Tank Status and
Yellow Tank Status. Let’s take a look at the reference objects’ properties.

Understanding Reference Object Properties

1. Open the Blue Tank Status.

a. Double click on Displays folder.

Double click on Blue Tank Status
to open the graphic display.

2. In the Blue Tank Status display, double click on the Fill Tank maintained push button to
launch the Property Panel.
There are fewer properties displayed than there are for its base object. Only the object’s
common properties (i.e. size and position) and a State property (if the object has states) will
appear in the property panel. You can change the settings for these properties in the reference
object, but the changes will not be reflected in the base object.

The Height and Width

values are grayed out,
indicating that they are linked
with the base object.
However, you can resize the
reference object by changing
the LinkSize property.

These are Link properties that

determine which information the
reference object will receive from
the base object. The base object
does not have link properties.

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LinkAnimation - determines whether or not separate animation or expressions can be set up for
the reference object. Default value is Link without expressions.
LinkBaseObject - specifies the name and display of the base object. This property is read-only
and cannot be changed.
LinkConnections - determines whether or not separate connections can be set up for the
reference object. Reference objects that do not support connections will not have the
LinkConnections property. Default value is Flase.
LinkSize - determines whether or not you can resize the reference object. Thus, if this property
is false, you can change the Height and Width of the reference object. Default value is
True.

Navigate to the Connections tab. Notice

that you can change the tag for this reference
object. This is because the
LinkConnections property is False. In other
words, the tag connections for this reference
object are separated from the base object.

Editing the Link Properties for the reference object

Under Properties tab, change the

LinkConnections to be true. Now
the tag connection of this reference
object is the same as the base
object’s and cannot be changed.

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 Under Connections tab, notice
that you cannot change the tag.

Click to close the Property

Panel.

Editing Default Values for Link Properties

When you create reference objects, you can specify what default values for Link Properties to be
applied to all of them.

1. Launch Global Object Defaults Editor.

Launch Global Object Defaults Editor

from Edit > Global Object Defaults.

Select Do not link for LinkAnimation default,

True for LinkConnection default, and True for
LinkSize default, these new default values will be
applied to all new reference objects as they are
created. Click OK to close the editor.

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2. Create a new reference object on the Blue Tank Status display.

On objects global objects display

a. Select Fill Tank maintained

push button and press Ctrl + C to
copy the button on the objects
global objects display.

On Blue Tank Status graphic display

b. Press Ctrl + V to paste the button on

Blue Tank Status graphic display. You
have just created a reference object.
Double click on the object to launch the
property panel.

c. Notice that the default values for the

Link properties have been changed
according to your specifications.
Close the Property Panel.

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Breaking the Links between a Reference Object and its Base Object
To edit the appearance on reference objects that have states, you can remove the Link properties
from the reference object, making it a standard graphic object.

In Red Tank Status and Yellow Tank Status displays, the links between the reference objects (Fill
Tank push button and bar graph object) have been broken from the base objects. Since these
objects have states, the only way to edit the appearance of each state is to turn them into regular
graphic objects. Let’s take a look at how you could break the link.

a. Right-click the reference object and

select Break Link from its context menu.
Double click on the button to launch the
Properties editor.

b. Notice that the Maintained Push

Button Properties editor is launched.
This button is no longer a reference object.
It has become a regular graphic object.
Close the editor.

Close the Blue Tank Status

graphic display and save the
display when prompted.

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Changing the Properties for Base Global Objects

Now on Blue Tank Status graphic display, one Fill Tank Maintained Push Button is a
reference object while another is a standard graphic object since we have broken the link. We
will change the color of the base object in the global object display. The reference object should
also change color as well. As mentioned before, changes to the base object will be reflected in
its reference objects the next time the displays containing the reference objects are opened, or
refreshed by closing and reopening. So make sure the Blue Tank Status graphic display is
closed.

1. Open objects global objects display in the Global Objects folder. Double click on the Fill
Tank Maintained Push Button to launch the properties editor.

a. Under States tab, change the

Back color to be purple. Click OK
to close the editor.

2. If you have the Blue Tank Status graphic display opened, close it and re-open it again. If
not, simply open the Blue Tank Status graphic display. Notice that the reference object
changes from blue to purple while the standard graphic object stays the same color.

You have now learned all the basics about global objects.

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Notes

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