Viewse Um006 - en e (225 336)

Chapter 12 Setting up language switching
2. In the Language Configuration dialog box, in the General tab, click

Add.
3. In the Add Language dialog box, select the language to be added to the
application, and then click OK.
The Add Language dialog box displays the name and RFC1766
identifier of each of the languages supported by the design-time
computer. If the selected language is not installed, a warning message
is displayed.
For details about options in the Language Configuration dialog box, click
Help.
Setting up a default The language you select when creating a new application becomes the default
language for the application.
application language
To change the default language:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, click Tools > Languages.
2. In the Language Configuration dialog box, select the language the
default is to be changed to.
3. Select Set As Default. A check mark is displayed beside the newly
selected default language.
A check mark beside the language you selected indicates that it is the default
application language. For information about using the default language to
show undefined text strings, see "Showing undefined text strings in the
default language," next.
When you open an existing FactoryTalk View SE application, if the application
supports several languages and no default is specified, the following dialog
box opens, so that you can select a default language.
Showing undefined text At runtime, if a text string is undefined for the language an application is
currently running in, it is displayed as a single question mark (?), unless you
strings in the default have specified that undefined strings are to be displayed using strings from
language the application's default language.
If you prefer undefined strings to display in a specific language, in the
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Language Configuration dialog box, set up that language as the default
application language, and then select the check box, Display undefined strings
using the default language.
For example, use this option to always view displays used for maintenance
purposes in English, regardless of the current application language.
Using this option will also ensure that local message strings show correctly,
when you switch application languages at runtime.
Exporting application text Use the Language Configuration dialog box to export text strings in an
application, in order to translate or modify them.
strings
If the application contains multiple languages, you can export text strings for
the selected language only, or for all languages in the application.
To export strings only for the currently selected (highlighted) language, and
save them to a text file in Unicode format, select the option, Export strings for
<aa-BB> to one or more Unicode text files (where aa-BB is the RFC1766 code
for the selected language).
For details about modifying Unicode text files in Microsoft Excel and in
Notepad, see the FactoryTalk View SE Help.
To export strings for all languages in the application, and save them to a
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, select the option, Export strings for all languages
to an Excel spreadsheet. This option lets you translate or modify multiple
languages at the same time.
If you export all strings in an application, you can choose to optimize
duplicate strings during the export operation. This means that any string that
occurs multiple times in the application will be shown only once in the Excel
spreadsheet. For more information, see Working with duplicate text strings
on page 230.
Tip: If the application contains only one language, you can still select the option Export strings for all
languages to an Excel spreadsheet, if you want to save strings to a spreadsheet instead of a Unicode
text file.
To export text strings in an application:

1. Make sure that the HMI project that you are going to export text from
is not being edited or modified. If components are being edited
remotely and have not been saved, the exported file will not contain
the unsaved changes.
2. In FactoryTalk View Studio, click Tools > Languages.
3. If you are exporting to Unicode text files, in the Language
Configuration dialog box select the language for which the strings are
being exported, and then click Export.
If you are exporting to an Excel spreadsheet, simply click Export.
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4. In the Export Operation dialog box, select whether to export the
strings to Unicode files or an Excel spreadsheet.
If you are exporting to an Excel spreadsheet, you can also choose to
optimize the strings being exported and to open the file in Excel as
soon as the export is complete.
5. If you are exporting strings from a network distributed application or
a network station application, the Select Servers window opens. Select
the check box for each HMI server from which you want to export text,
and then click Next.
If you are exporting text from a local station application, this step does
not apply and the wizard goes directly to the Select Destination
window.
6. For either local station, network station or network distributed
applications, in the Select Destination window, click Finish to export
text to files in the default folder.
7. To export text to files in another folder, click the browse button (...) to
navigate to a folder, and then click Finish.
Troubleshooting export If errors occur during an export operation, or if you cancel the export while it
is in progress, a message is logged to the Diagnostics List and log file.
problems
In addition, export errors are shown in a log file called ExportErrors.txt,
which is saved in the folder C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\RSView
Enterprise\Strings on the local computer.
Tip: Existing export error log files are overwritten for each subsequent export operation that
generates errors.
Export file formats During the export operation, files containing the exported text strings are
saved by default in the Strings folder on the local computer. For the location
of the Strings folder, see the previous section.
The type of file saved depends on the type of export operation. Text strings
exported:
• For all application languages, are saved in a Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet.
• For the selected application language, are saved in a Unicode text file.
For more information about exporting application text strings, see Exporting
application text strings on page 226.
Excel spreadsheet file Text strings exported for all languages in an application are saved in an Excel
spreadsheet.
format
The format for the file name is <application>_<export version>.xls, where:
• <application> is the name of the application.
• <export version> is a number indicating the export version.

The first time text strings are exported from an application, the export
version is 1. Subsequent export files for the same application are
appended with 2, 3, 4 and so on.
The Excel spreadsheet contains additional information about the exported
strings, for example, the names of the HMI servers and graphic displays that
contain the strings. For more information, see Working with text strings
exported to an Excel spreadsheet on page 228.
Unicode text file format Text strings exported for the selected application language are saved in a text
file in Unicode format.
For network distributed applications, text strings from each HMI server in the
application are exported to separate text files. The file name format is
<application>_<area>_<HMI server>_<RFC1766>.txt, where:
• <application> is the name of the application.
• <area> is the name of the area.
• <HMI server> is the name of the HMI server containing the exported
text strings.
• <RFC1766> is the RFC1766 name associated with the language selected
for the export operation.
Tip: In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Language Configuration tool, the Add Language dialog
box provides a list of Windows languages and their RFC1766 names. For details, see Adding
languages to an application on page 224.
For local applications, which contain only one HMI server, text strings are
exported to a single, Unicode text file with the format <application><HMI
server><RFC1766>.txt.
For information about the format and schema of Unicode text files, see
Working with strings exported to a Unicode text file on page 231.
Working with text strings Text strings exported for all languages in an application are saved to a
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This lets you translate or modify multiple
exported to an Excel languages at the same time.
spreadsheet To ensure that the spreadsheet can be imported successfully after it has been
modified, give the information in this section to translators.
The following illustration shows the format of the exported spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet provides the following information, for each exported text
string:

• Server identifies the name of the HMI server that contains the
exported text string.
For network distributed applications, which can contain multiple HMI
servers, the server name format is /<application>/<area>:<HMI server>.
For local station applications, which can contain only one HMI server,
the format is /<application>:<application>.
Tip: HMI server names in the Server column are case sensitive. Ensure that server names in
the spreadsheet match those in the application. If not, some strings might not be imported.
• Component Type identifies the type of component that contains the
text string. The component type can be either a standard graphic
display, or a global object display.
• Component Name indicates the name of the standard display, global
object display, or local message file that contains the text string.
• Description identifies where the text string is used in the standard
display, or global object display.
• REF displays a unique reference number beside the first instance of
each text string with duplicates in the HMI server.
A REF column is shown in the spreadsheet for each application
language, only if the check box, Optimize duplicate text strings, was
selected for the export operation.
• The <RFC1766 name> column contains the exported text strings. The
number of columns depends on the number of languages in the
application, when the strings were exported.
The column heading is the RFC1766 name for the language of the text
strings in that column. For example, en-US is the RFC1766 name of
English (United States).
In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Language Configuration tool, the
Add Language dialog box provides a list of Windows languages and
their RFC1766 names. For details, see Adding languages to an
application on page 224.
Tip: The first column, containing exported text strings, will be for the default application
language, if one is specified. Columns for all other application languages will follow in
alphabetical order.
Maintaining the format of To ensure that the spreadsheet can be imported successfully, you must
preserve parts of the spreadsheet’s format.
the spreadsheet
• Do not change the default order of the Server, Component Type,
Component Name and Description columns.
• Do not insert any blank rows or columns in the spreadsheet. The
import operation will stop at a blank row or column. Anything after
that will not be imported.
• You can change the order of the columns containing the text strings
for each language. However, if you move one of these columns,
remember to move the associated REF column with it, if one exists.

The REF column must always be to the left of the strings column.
• Do not delete a REF column, or any of the unique duplicate string
identifiers in a REF column.
• Do not delete a row that contains a unique duplicate string identifier
in the REF column.
Modifying or translating In the spreadsheet, translate only the **UNDEFINED** text strings for each
application language.
text strings
For example, in the following illustration, all the text strings for Danish
(da-DK) need to be translated.
In the da-DK column, **REF:104** indicates a duplicate instance of the

undefined string in the first row. In this case, translate only the undefined
string. The duplicate will be translated automatically, when the spreadsheet is
imported into the application.
For more information about duplicate text strings, see "Working with
duplicate text strings," next.
Tip: Undefined text strings in an application always export as **UNDEFINED**, regardless of whether
you have selected the option, Display undefined text strings in the default language. For more
information about this option, see Setting up a default application language on page 225.
Working with duplicate text If the check box, Optimize duplicate strings, was selected for the export
operation, text strings that occur multiple times in the application will be
strings shown only once in the Excel spreadsheet.

In the following illustration, the text string Primary Treatment is marked with
the unique identifier REF:15. Duplicate instances of the Primary Treatment
string are marked with the same, unique identifier.
Only the first instance of the Primary Treatment string needs to be translated
or modified. The duplicate references will be updated automatically, when the
spreadsheet is imported.
Tip: The REF column should only contain valid duplicate string identifiers. Do not delete any of these
identifiers, or type any other text in the REF column.
If a string has been translated elsewhere in the spreadsheet, the optimization

process will also translate the undefined string. In these cases, duplicate
undefined text strings do not have to be translated manually.
In the illustration, for example, you would only have to translate Primary
Treatment string once into Swedish (sv-SE). Other, undefined instances of the
same string will be translated automatically, when the spreadsheet is
imported.
Working with strings This section contains important information for translators, about the format
and schema of exported Unicode text files.
exported to a Unicode text
FactoryTalk View requires that parts of the Unicode text file remain as they
file were when exported. To ensure that the text file can be imported successfully,
after it has been modified, give the information in this section to translators.
File name and format Text strings exported for the selected application language are saved in a text
file in Unicode format.
You can rename the exported file, for example, to distinguish the translated
version from the original. However, to import the text successfully, you must
ensure that the file is saved as tab-delimited text, in Unicode Text format.
Opening a Unicode text file When you open the text file in Microsoft Excel, the Text Import Wizard
opens.
in Microsoft Excel
1. Open Excel and click File > Open.
2. In the Open dialog box, in the Files of type field, make sure that All
Files is selected, then browse to and select the file you are going to edit,
and click Open.

When the text file is opened, the Excel Text Import wizard starts up.
3. In the Text Import wizard, select these options, and then click Next.
Choose the file type that best describes your data: Delimited
Start import row at: 1
File origin: Windows (ANSI)
4. In the Text Import wizard, select these options, and then click Next.
Delimiters the data must contain: Tab (make sure the other check
boxes are cleared)
Treat consecutive delimiters as one: clear the check box
5. In the Text Import wizard, for Column data format, select General.
6. Click Finish.
Saving a Unicode text file in 1. Click File > Select Save As.
2. In the Save As dialog box, in the Save as type field, make sure that
Microsoft Excel Unicode Text (*.txt) is selected, and then click Save.
3. Click Yes, when a message appears stating that the file may contain
features that are not compatible with Unicode Text, and asking if you
want to keep the workbook in this format. This saves the file but does
not close it.
4. Click File > Close, and then click Yes when you are asked whether or
not you want to save the changes. You can then save the file using its
original name or specify a new name.
5. Click Yes, when you are prompted again with the message described in
step 3.
Differences in format for If you use Notepad to open a Unicode text file that was saved in Excel, you will
notice some differences from a file edited and saved in Notepad.
Unicode files saved in Excel
Tip: You do not have to change the format of the file before you import it into FactoryTalk View
Studio.
The differences are:

• Double quotes surrounding the string definitions are removed for
most strings.
• String definitions, containing embedded double quotes, or other
characters that Excel treats as special characters, such as commas, are
enclosed within double quotes.
• Any embedded double quotes are converted to a pair of double quotes.
Saving a Unicode text file in When saving the file, save it using the Unicode encoding option in the Save As
Notepad dialog box.
File schema
Comments
The text file uses the # symbol as a comment delimiter if it is the first
character on a line.

Header
The first seven lines of the text file contain header information that must not
be translated or modified.
Body
The body of the text file starts on line eight, and includes the following fields:
Field Component type Component name String reference "String definition"
Example Graphic Display Pump station 1 "Stop motor"
The file is sorted alphabetically by component name, and then numerically by

string reference number.
Each string reference number refers to a different object in the component. In
the preceding example, string reference 1 might refer to a push button in the
graphic display called Pump station.
In the translated text file, the only text that needs to be modified is the text
inside the quotation marks in the string definition column. For example,
translated into German, the file would look like this:
Field Component type Component name String reference "String definition"
Example Graphic Display Pump station 1 "Motor abschalten"
Do not change the entries in the component name column, unless the
component was renamed in the application after the text was exported.
Note: Do not modify the component type or string reference number. The string reference number is
unique to FactoryTalk View. Modifying the component type or string reference number prevents
FactoryTalk View from identifying the object correctly, when you import the text.
Working with pairs of If a text string contains double quotes, the whole string definition must also
be enclosed in double quotes. For example:
double quotes Call "Duty Manager"
must be entered in the string file as:

"Call "Duty Manager""
Importing text containing multiple sets of double quotes

If the string definition contains an odd number of double quotes next to each
other, they will be rounded to an even number and each pair will be imported
as one double quote.
For example, the string:
"Call """Duty Manager""

will be imported as:
Call "Duty Manager"
Working with backslashes To force text to begin on a new line, precede the text with the backslash
character \ and the new line character n. For example:
and new-line characters Motor\nabschalten
is shown in the application as:

Motor
abschalten
To include a backslash in the text, type two backslashes ( \\). For example, to
include the characters \n in the text, type \\n.
Importing text containing multiple backslashes:

If the imported text file contains an odd number of backslashes next to each
other, one of the backslashes will be ignored.
For example, the string:
Seven\\\Eight
is imported into the application as:

Seven\Eight
Importing translated or Use the Language Configuration dialog box to import text strings into an
application, after translating or modifying them.
modified text strings
To avoid import errors, ensure that text files and spreadsheets to be imported
are translated according to the prescribed formats and schema. For important
information to share with translators, see:
• Working with text strings exported to an Excel spreadsheet on page
228.
• Working with strings exported to a Unicode text file on page 231.
If you are importing text into a network distributed application, you can
import text for multiple HMI servers at the same time.
Text strings that exist in an application, but do not exist in the import file, are
not deleted or modified during the import operation. This lets you import
only the text strings that have been modified.
To import text strings into an application:

1. Make sure that the HMI project that you are going to import text to is
not being edited or modified.
• If components are being edited remotely and are saved after you
have imported text for them, the imported text will be overwritten.

• If a component is being edited locally and has not been saved, you
will be prompted to save it. If you click Yes, the edits will be saved,
the component closed, and then the import will continue. If you
click No, the edits will not be saved, but the component will be
closed and the import will continue.
• If a component is being edited remotely, you will not be prompted
to save it and the import will be made to most recently saved version
of the component.
2. Create a backup of the text currently in the application by exporting it.
This allows you to restore the original text to the application if an error
occurs while importing, or if you cancel the import before it is
complete. If you cancel the import while it is in progress, any text
strings changed prior to canceling are not restored to their original
values. To restore text strings as they were originally in the application,
import the text from the backup file.
3. Click Tools > Languages.
4. If you are importing Unicode text files, in the Language Configuration
dialog box select the language of the strings that are being imported,
and then click Import.
If you are importing an Excel spreadsheet, simply click Import.
• An import from Excel will import every row in the spreadsheet until
it reaches a blank row, and every column until it reaches a blank
column. Anything after that will not be imported.
5. In the Import Operation dialog box, select whether to import the
strings from a Unicode file or an Excel spreadsheet.
6. If you are importing Unicode strings for multiple HMI servers in a
network distributed application, in the Select Files window click
Browse (...), select the files to be imported into the application, then
click Finish.
If you are importing an Excel file, in the Select File window, click the
browse button (...), select the file to be imported into the application,
and then click Finish.
Troubleshooting import If errors occur during an import operation, or if you cancel the import while it
problems is in progress, a message is logged to the Diagnostics List and log file.
In addition, import errors are shown in a log file called ImportErrors.txt,
which is saved in the folder C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\RSView
Enterprise\Strings on the local computer.
Tip: Existing import error log files are overwritten for each subsequent import operation that
generates errors.

If it seems that some but not all of the text in an HMI server has been
modified, the import might have been canceled. If you cancel the import
before it is complete, any text strings that were changed are not restored to
their original values.
To restore the original text in the application, import the text from the backup
text file you created in step 2 on Importing translated or modified text strings
on page 234.
If it seems that text has been imported for some HMI servers but not for
others, check the ImportErrors.txt file for an error message. The causes of
common errors and their remedies are described in the following tables.
Common errors when The following table describes error messages that might be logged in the
ImportErrors.txt file, while a Unicode text file is being imported into an
importing Unicode text files application.
‘Line x’ in the error messages refers to the line number in the text file.
Error message Cause and solution
ServerName defined in FileName.txt does not exist. None of the strings The name of the HMI server is invalid. If the HMI server was renamed, open the file, and
in this file were imported. then correct the name of the HMI server.
File "FileName", Line x. ComponentType is not a valid component type for The component type has been modified in the text file. Open the text file, and then correct
the application. The string was not imported the text for the component type.
File "FileName", Line x. ComponentName is not a valid component for the The component name has been modified in the text file, or in the application. Open the
application. The string was not imported. text file, and then correct the text for the component name.
File "FileName", Line x. The string reference must be an unsigned long The string reference number has been modified in the text file, and the new string
integer value between 1 and 4294967295. The string was not imported. reference number is invalid. Open the backup text file, and then copy the correct string
reference number into the translated text file.
File "FileName", Line x. The string was not used in the application and This error occurs if:
was not imported. • the string reference number has been modified in the text file, and the new string
reference number is not used in the application. Open the backup text file, and then
copy the correct string reference number into the translated file.
• the object was deleted from the application after the text was exported. If this is
correct, ignore the error.
File "FileName", Line x. The string definition must be contained within The translated string definition includes embedded double quotes, but the string definition
double quotes. The string was not imported. itself was not enclosed in double quotes.
Open the text file, and then enclose all string definitions containing embedded double
quotes in double quotes. For example, the string definition Start "Backup motor" must be
enclosed in double quotes, like this:
"Start "Backup motor""
File "FileName", Line x. Invalid line format! A line in the import file does not contain all the component name or string reference
number fields.
The import continues with the next line in the file. Open the backup text file, and then copy
the missing fields into the translated text file.
Unable to open {FileName.txt}. None of the strings from this file were The text file could not be opened. Make sure the text file is in the folder from which you are
imported. importing files, and that you can open the text file in Notepad or Microsoft Excel.
Errors when importing The following table describes error messages that might be logged in the
ImportErrors.txt file, while a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file is being
Excel spreadsheet files imported into an application.

String import was interrupted by the user. User canceled or interrupted the string import operation.
"RFC1766 Name" does not exist in this application. No strings for Language associated with a column in the spreadsheet does not exist in the application. No
this language were imported. strings associated with this language will be imported.
The import will continue, but there will be no further attempt to import strings for this language.
"Component Type" is not valid. No strings for this component type Component type for a string in the spreadsheet is not valid. No strings associated with this
were imported. component type will be imported.
The import will continue, but there will be no further attempts to import strings and no further
error messages logged, for this component type. Valid component types are "Graphic Display"
and "Global Object Display."
"Server Name" does not exist in this application. No strings for this Server name associated with a string in the spreadsheet does not exist in the application. No
server were imported. strings associated with this server will be imported.
error messages logged, for this server.
"Server Name" is unavailable. No strings for this server were Server name associated with a string in the spreadsheet exists, but the HMI server is not
imported. available. No strings associated with this server will be imported.
error messages logged, for this server.
"Server Name_Component Type_Component Name" does not exist Component name for a string in the spreadsheet does not exist in the application. No strings
in this application. No strings for this component were imported. associated with this component name will be imported.
error messages logged, for this component name.
"Server Name_Component Type_Component Name_Description" Description for a string in the spreadsheet does not exist in the application. No strings with this
does not exist in this application. No strings for this component description will be imported.
were imported. The import will continue, but there will be no further attempts to import strings and no further
error messages logged, for this description.
"Optimized Duplicate String Reference" is pointing to a string that Optimized duplicate string reference in the spreadsheet refers to a string that does not exist.
does not exist in the spreadsheet. No strings with this optimized The import will continue, but there will be no further attempts to import strings and no further
duplicate string reference were imported. error messages logged, for this duplicate string reference.
Unable to save "Display Name." No strings for this component A graphic display or global object display cannot be saved. The import will continue.
name were imported.
Unable to open "Display Name." No strings for this component A graphic display or global object display cannot be opened. The import will continue.
name were imported.
Unable to import strings into "HMI Server Name" as the currently The currently logged on user does not have FactoryTalk Security Common Write access to the
logged in user doesn’t have write access to the area. area containing the HMI server whose strings are being imported.
Applies to FactoryTalk View SE network distributed applications. No strings associated with this
server will be imported. However, the import will continue for any other HMI servers in the
application.
Unable to import strings as the currently logged in user doesn’t The currently logged on user does not have Common Write access to the application whose
have write access to the application. strings are being imported. Applies to FactoryTalk View SE local station, network station, and
FactoryTalk View ME applications. No application strings will be imported.
Unable to import one or more strings, as one or more cells were A spreadsheet cell containing a string for a language is not formatted for text or numeric values.
not formatted as text or numeric values. The string in that cell will not be imported. The import will continue. This error will only be
reported once for a single import operation.
Unable to import one or more strings, as one or more cells were A spreadsheet cell containing a server name, component type, component name, description, or
not formatted as text or numeric values. string reference is not formatted for text or numeric values.
No strings in that row will be imported. The import will continue. This error will only be reported
once for a single import operation.
Unable to import the spreadsheet, as one or more of the header A header cell is not formatted for text or numeric values. No strings will be imported into the
cells were not formatted as text or numeric values. application. The import will stop.

Common errors when The following table describes error messages that might be logged in the
ImportErrors.txt file, while local message text is being imported into an
importing local messages application.
Unable to save "Local Message File Name." No strings for this component Imported local message file cannot be saved. The import will continue.
name were imported.
Unable to open "Local Message File Name." No strings for this component Imported local message file cannot be opened. The import will continue.
name were imported.
Switch application If an application is designed with multiple languages, you may need switch
application languages at design time to check the layout of translated text.
languages at design time
Tip: If any of the following editors is opened, these editors will be forced to be closed and will not be
opened automatically after you switch application languages:
• Communication Setup
• Alarm and Event Setup
If any of the following dialog boxes is opened and has unsaved changes, a message prompts you to
save the changes:
• Display
• Global objects
• Local Messages
To switch application languages at design time:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, on the toolbar, select Change Application
Language .
2. In the Change Application Language dialog box, select the language
you want to change to.
Tip: The language list shows the languages added to the application, first with the language
name and then with the language RFC1766 identification code.
3. Click OK.
Setting up runtime When you create a FactoryTalk View SE Client configuration file, you select
the initial runtime language from the list of application languages. Once the
language switching
client is running, the operator can switch from the initial language to any
other application language.
For information about setting up client files, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Help.
Using the Language In FactoryTalk View SE, use the Language command to switch languages at
runtime.
command to switch
The Language command uses the following syntax:
languages Language <RFC1766 name>
where <RFC1766 name> is a code name for the language you want to switch to.

To enable language switching in an application, provide operators with a way
to run the Language command, for each language the application supports.
For example, create buttons in a graphic display that use the Language
command as the press action.
To find the RFC1766 name associated with a Windows language, open the Add
Language dialog box in FactoryTalk View Studio. For details, see Adding
languages to an application on page 224.
Tip: If you create buttons for switching languages at runtime, be aware that button captions will be
translated when a language switch occurs. To avoid confusion, use graphics instead of text to
represent the different languages. For example, use an image of a country’s flag on a button.
Support for multiple By default, text strings in the graphic libraries installed with FactoryTalk
View SE never display as undefined. Instead, they always display in the
languages in the graphic language they were shipped in, regardless of the current application
libraries language.
When you save the library display, all strings that can be switched are saved in
the current application language. Only the text strings for the current
language will be displayed. Text strings in any other language will appear as
undefined strings. The strings will have to be translated before they will
display in other languages.
To set up support for multiple languages in a graphic library shipped

with FactoryTalk View SE:
1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, double-click the
Libraries icon, right-click the graphic library you want to modify, and
then select Open.
2. Right-click the library display, and then select Display Settings.
3. In the Properties tab, select the check box, Support Multiple
Languages.
4. Click OK.
Test strings in the graphic library are saved in the current application
language.
Language support in new By default, new graphic libraries that you create for an application support
graphic libraries multiple languages.
You can set up a new library to show text strings only in the current
application language. If you do this, however, text strings in the new library
that use some other language will be deleted when you save the change.

To remove support for multiple languages in a new graphic library:

1. Right-click the library display, and then select Display Settings.
2. In the Properties tab, clear the check box, Support Multiple
Languages.
3. Click OK.
Only text strings for the current application language are saved as
language-neutral strings.
Using the graphic libraries To use the contents of graphic libraries in an application, you can add an
entire library into the Displays folder, or you can copy one object or more
in a multi-language
from a library into an existing graphic display.
application
If the graphic library you want to use supports multiple languages, and you
add the entire library into the Displays folder, all text strings are copied with
the library.
If you copy an object from the library into a graphic display, only text strings
that use an application language are copied with the object. Text strings that
use a language the application does not support are deleted.

Chapter 13
Setting up FactoryTalk system availability
This chapter describes:

• What it means to maximize availability in a FactoryTalk system.
• Monitoring the status of application servers.
• Monitoring the status of the FactoryTalk Network Directory server.
• Redundancy as part of a system availability strategy.
• Setting up a redundant HMI server.
• Determining the Active HMI server in a redundant pair.
• Switching the Active and Standby HMI servers manually.
• What happens when the primary HMI server fails.
• Modifying HMI tags at runtime.
• Managing HMI data in an online redundant system.
• Monitoring network client and server connections.
FactoryTalk features that An automation and control system that uses FactoryTalk services, and
integrates FactoryTalk products and components, is known as a FactoryTalk
maximize system
system.
availability
A complete FactoryTalk system consists of all the networks, devices, and
software applications you have deployed, to monitor and control your plant or
process.
Helping to ensure that the system can provide data in a secure and predictable
fashion depends on a number of variables.
To minimize data loss and down time, and to help ensure that critical parts of
your system are always available to connected clients, FactoryTalk View Site
Edition provides these health monitoring and redundancy features:
• Server status monitoring of non-redundant and redundant
application servers. For more information, see Monitoring the status
of application servers on page 242.
• Disconnected operation. For example, connected clients can continue
to run when the FactoryTalk Directory becomes unavailable. For
information, see Monitoring the status of the Network Directory
server on page 245.
• Redundant application servers. In a network distributed application,
you can set up redundancy for the following types of application
servers:

Chapter 13 Setting up FactoryTalk system availability
• FactoryTalk View SE Servers (also called HMI servers). For
information about setting up redundant HMI servers, see Setting
up a redundant HMI server pair on page 249.
• FactoryTalk Alarms and Events servers. For information about
setting up redundant FactoryTalk Alarms and Events servers, see
the product documentation. For information about setting up
redundant RSLinx Enterprise servers, see the product
documentation.
• OPC data servers, including RSLinx Classic. For information about
setting up redundant OPC servers, see the product documentation.
• Support for online changes to HMI tag and alarm properties. For
information about this feature, see Modifying HMI tag and alarm
properties at runtime on page 257.
• Replication of HMI server changes from primary to secondary HMI
servers. For information about this feature, see Replicate changes to
the secondary HMI server on page 251.
• Network connection monitoring on each computer (clients and
servers) in the system. For information about this feature, see
Monitoring network client and server connections on page 260.
Tip: Many of the availability features built into FactoryTalk View SE support local station,
network station, and network distributed applications. However, you can only set up
redundant servers in a network distributed application. For more information about Station,
see Working with network station applications on page 131, and Working with local station
applications on page 143.
Finding more information This manual contains information about the availability features built into
FactoryTalk View SE, and how they can help protect your application against
about system availability software failures.
This manual does not describe how to protect the hardware, the control
system, the information network, the operating system, or any other
supporting software that your FactoryTalk View SE applications might use.
For information about these components, see the product documentation. For
additional information about FactoryTalk availability features, see the
FactoryTalk Help.
Monitoring the status of In FactoryTalk View Studio, or in the FactoryTalk View SE Administration
Console, you can monitor the operational status of servers in a FactoryTalk
application servers View SE application, to determine whether the servers are ready to provide
service, and to troubleshoot problems.
In the Server Status dialog box, you can:
• Check the status of non-redundant and redundant FactoryTalk View
SE Servers, Rockwell Automation Device Servers (FactoryTalk Linx),
and FactoryTalk Tag Alarm and Event Servers.

• Specify switchover options. For example, you can specify whether to
always switch back to the primary server, if it’s available.
• Switch the Active and Standby servers manually. For more
information, see Switching the Active and Standby servers manually
on page 254.
To open the Server Status dialog box:

In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the server’s
icon, and then select Server Status.
Tip: The illustration is of the Server Status dialog box for the primary HMI server in a redundant pair.
For a non-redundant server, the dialog box shows only the primary computer name and status, and
the switchover options are unavailable.
States for non-redundant The Server Status dialog box will show any of the following states for
non-redundant and redundant application servers. The following table shows
and redundant servers the characteristics for a server state.
A server with this status Has these characteristics
Loading The server is loading into memory.
You can set up an HMI server to load when the operating system starts, or on demand (when the first client connects
to the server).
An HMI server can be made redundant only if it is set up to load when the operating system starts.
Starting The server is initializing with data.
For example, the HMI server is loading its HMI project, or uploading names from a controller.
Ready to provide service The server is finished initializing data and synchronizing with its partner, and is ready to provide service to clients.
Redundant servers are either ready to be active, or ready to be standby. For more information, see "States for
redundant servers," next.
Active The Active server is ready to accept client connections and provide service to clients.
For redundant servers, if the Active server’s partner fails, the status will change to Active (Can’t reach partner). For
more information, see "States for redundant servers," next.
<Host> unreachable A client computer cannot contact the computer hosting the server.
For example, this state applies if communications fail between the client and the computer hosting the Network
Directory server or the HMI server.

Failed The server can no longer provide service.
This would occur, for example, if a supporting service is unhealthy. For information about what happens when an HMI
server fails, see What happens if a non-redundant HMI server fails on page 244 and What happens when the primary
HMI server fails on page 255.
Not loaded The server is not loaded.
For example, an HMI server set up to start on demand does not load until a client connects to it.
States for redundant The Server Status dialog box will show any of the following states for
redundant application servers only, as long as a partner is defined for the
servers only server.
A server with this status Has these characteristics
Synchronizing with standby The server becoming the Active server is synchronizing with its Standby partner.
After restarting, for example, an Active server will try to get a copy of the Standby server’s state information,
before going into service. This ensures that the latest state information is used.
If the Standby server is unavailable, or if it fails during synchronization, the Active server will go into service
without its partner’s latest state information.
Synchronized - ready to be Active The server becoming the Active server has finished synchronizing with its partner, and is ready to become
active.
Synchronizing with active The server becoming the Standby server is synchronizing with its Active partner.
After restarting, for example, a Standby server will try to get a copy of the Active server’s state information,
before becoming standby. This ensures that the latest state information is used.
If the Active server is unavailable, or if it fails during synchronization, the Standby server will become
standby without its partner’s latest state information.
Synchronized - ready to be Standby The server becoming the Standby server has finished synchronizing with its partner, and is ready to become
standby.
Active (Can’t reach partner) The server is ready to provide service to clients, but its partner is not ready or cannot be located.
This state is also shown if the Active server’s partner has not been defined.
Standby The Standby server is ready to accept client connections and provide service to clients, in the event that the
Active server fails.
If the Active server fails, the Standby server’s status will change to Active (Can’t reach partner) and the
Standby server will provide service to connected clients.
Not configured A secondary server is not configured.
What happens if a An Active, non-redundant HMI server might fail due to any of the following
conditions:
non-redundant HMI server
• The HMI server is shut down with its host computer, from the Start
fails menu.
• The HMI server is disconnected from the network. For information
about how the system monitors network connections, see Monitoring
network client and server connections on page 260.
• The HMI server is found to be unhealthy, because an essential service
has stopped functioning.
• The HMI server’s host computer has a power failure.
When an HMI server fails, if the server is not set up with redundancy, it is
taken out of service. Within 5 seconds, Diagnostic messages are logged at
connected client computers, notifying operators of the failure.

Clients that were connected when the failure occurred will continue to run,
using a local cache of directory information.
However, any data or services the failed HMI server provides, such as HMI tag
values, derived tags, command processing, or data logging, will be
unavailable.
For example, graphic objects connected to HMI tags in the server’s database
will show in outline form.
If connected clients are receiving data from other HMI or data servers, that
service will not be interrupted.
When the failed HMI server is restored, all connected clients in the system can
resume receiving data from the server, without having to be restarted.
Monitoring the status of the FactoryTalk Network Directory (also called the Network Directory) manages
FactoryTalk View SE network distributed applications, and network station
Network Directory server applications. All of the client and server computers participating in a given
network distributed application, or network station application must point at
the same Network Directory.
In the Log On to FactoryTalk dialog box, you can view the current status of the
active Network Directory server:
• (Connected) means all FactoryTalk products and components
participating in a FactoryTalk system located on the current computer,
are connected to and communicating with the Network Directory
server computer.
• (Read-only) means FactoryTalk system participants on the current
computer are disconnected from the Network Directory server and are
retrieving information from a local cache.
• (Unknown) means the connection status is temporarily unknown, for
example, because the system is starting up and waiting to determine
which server is active, or is unable to determine the current status.
To check the status of the Network Directory server:

1. In the notification area, click the FactoryTalk Directory icon.
2. The notification shows the connection state.
What happens if the The Network Directory server cannot be made redundant. Instead, if the
Network Directory becomes unavailable while client computers are connected
Network Directory server is
to an application, the clients continue to run, using a local cache of directory
unavailable information.
There is no need to restart previously connected clients; they will continue to
resolve tag addresses, read and write tag values, acknowledge alarms, and
open graphic displays, even if the tags and displays the clients require were
never used before.

While the Network Directory is unavailable, you cannot modify the structure
of any dependent application.
For example, you cannot add areas or servers to the application, create new
security accounts, or change system security policies.
When the Network Directory is available again, all dependent clients in the
system resume using the directory automatically.
Redundancy as part of a The more protection you provide, the more dependable the entire control
system will be, in the event any hardware or software component fails.
system availability strategy
The level of system availability increases with the number of redundant
system components. To protect against:
• Programmable controller failures, make programmable controllers
redundant. For example, you can set up redundancy for Studio 5000
controllers.
• Programmable controller network failures, install redundant
programmable controller networks, such as a Rockwell Automation’s
ControlNet network.
• Information network failures, install a redundant Ethernet network
with a backup domain controller, network cables, and network
interface cards.
• Host computer hardware failures, provide backup computers to host
application software such as FactoryTalk View SE.
• FactoryTalk software failures, set up redundant FactoryTalk View SE
and FactoryTalk Linx application servers.
Planning the layout of a The servers you can use in a FactoryTalk View SE network distributed
application are separate entities, which means they can be hosted on any
redundant system
computer on the network.
However, when designing a redundant control system, you should keep in
mind the system requirements that apply to different types of servers.
For example, to support FactoryTalk Network Directory availability, it is
recommended that you run the directory server on a computer that you plan
to keep running.
This could be the same computer used to host a FactoryTalk View SE Server,
or a Rockwell Automation Device Server (FactoryTalk Linx).
Note: Do not run the FactoryTalk Network Directory on the same computer as a Windows domain
controller.
Example: An application with two redundant HMI server pairs

In its simplest form, a redundant FactoryTalk View SE application might
consist of one pair of redundant FactoryTalk View SE Servers (also called HMI
servers), and one pair of redundant FactoryTalk Linx servers.

In this example, two redundant server computer pairs host primary and
secondary HMI servers, and FactoryTalk Linx data servers.
Tip: The FactoryTalk Network Directory (on the first primary computer in the following illustration)
cannot be made redundant. For information about what happens when the Network Directory fails,
see What happens if the Network Directory server is unavailable on page 74.
Only one application server of any type, whether it’s a primary or secondary
server, can run on a single host computer. When designing a control system,
observe this and the other limits described in "About FactoryTalk View SE
system limits," next.
The overall design of the control system will ultimately depend on the
application’s size and computing needs, and on the level of redundancy
required to support the entire system.
For information about setting up redundancy for devices, networks, and other
types of servers the system might use, see the documentation for the specific
hardware or software.
About FactoryTalk View SE In a network application, it is possible for a single server computer that meets
the recommended requirements to host all of the following components:
system limits
• One FactoryTalk View SE Server
• One FactoryTalk Linx data server (which can also be set up as
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events device-based alarm server, or also
includes the secondary data server)
• One FactoryTalk Alarms and Events tag-based alarm server
• The FactoryTalk Network Directory
If a network application requires multiple HMI servers, data servers, or alarm
servers, to distribute the load, it is recommended that you install the
necessary software and run the servers on multiple host computers.
For information about setting up redundant FactoryTalk View SE servers, see
FactoryTalk View Site Edition User’s Guide.

For information about installing the FactoryTalk View SE software, and about
system requirements that might affect the network design, see FactoryTalk
View Site Edition Installation Guide.
FactoryTalk View SE For best results when running redundant FactoryTalk View SE components in
a network distributed application, observe these limits:
redundant component limits
• 120 is the maximum number of FactoryTalk View SE client sessions
that can have simultaneous access to a network distributed
application.
• 10 is the maximum number of redundant FactoryTalk View SE Servers
that can be used in a network distributed application. (Each redundant
server consists of a pair of primary and secondary servers.)
• 1 is the maximum number of redundant FactoryTalk View SE Servers
that can be hosted on a single computer.
Note: You might use one computer to host multiple HMI servers while developing an
application. When deploying the application, however, ensure the primary and secondary HMI
servers in redundant pairs are hosted on separate computers.
For information about limits and requirements that apply to redundant data
servers (FactoryTalk Linx, RSLinx Classic, or other OPC data servers), see the
product documentation.
System sizing When you design and set up a FactoryTalk system, we recommend using the
following guidelines. If you find that your system needs to expand beyond
recommendations these guidelines, contact your Rockwell Automation sales or distributor
representative to discuss your application design.
Component Recommended guidelines
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events
FactoryTalk Alarms and Events servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
FactoryTalk tag-based alarms per server 20,0002
Logix device-based alarms per server 10,0003
Total alarms per FactoryTalk Directory 100,0004
FactoryTalk Linx
FactoryTalk Linx data servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
Total device tags per FactoryTalk Directory 1,000,0005
Tags per FactoryTalk Linx data server 100,0005
FactoryTalk View SE
HMI servers per FactoryTalk Directory 10 non-redundant servers or 10 redundant server pairs1
HMI tags per HMI server 40,0006
Total data logged tags per HMI server (1 second scan rate) 5,000
FactoryTalk View SE client sessions simultaneously connected to the application 1205
FactoryTalk ViewPoint SE servers per application 4
FactoryTalk ViewPoint SE concurrent clients per ViewPoint server 50

Component Recommended guidelines
1. Because multiple applications can run simultaneously within the same FactoryTalk Directory, the recommended number refers to the sum of servers across applications in one
FactoryTalk Directory.
2. The number of alarm backing tags influences the maximum number of available alarms because they increase the resource requirements of the alarm server. When using backing tags
for status and control, a good rule of thumb is to multiply the total number of backing tags by the total number of alarms, and ensure the result is less than 20,000. PlantPAx® users
should refer to the PlantPAx Reference Manual PROCES-RM001 for alarm server sizing guidance for a PlantPAx application.
3. This number is the sum of both instruction alarms and Logix tag-based alarms across all the controller shortcuts in each FactoryTalk Linx server.
4. The total number of alarms per FactoryTalk Directory includes all FactoryTalk Alarms and Events tag-based and device-based alarms in the directory.
5. Refer to Knowledgebase Document ID: IN7377 - Amounts of device tags that may have in FactoryTalk View SE application for detailed information to determine system scalability for the
total device tags per FactoryTalk Directory.
6. The maximum number of HMI tags that can be created on a single HMI server is 175,000. Extensive use of HMI tags has a significant performance impact on an HMI server, so Rockwell
Automation recommends minimizing their use, and instead using direct-reference tags as much as possible.
For information about FactoryTalk View SE requirements that might affect

the design of a redundant system, see FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation
Guide. For information about requirements that apply to redundant data
servers such as FactoryTalk Linx, see the product documentation.
Activating FactoryTalk View To further maximize the availability of HMI data in a redundant FactoryTalk
system, ensure that FactoryTalk View SE software components can obtain the
SE in a redundant system necessary activations.
The FactoryTalk View SE Server software must be installed and activated on
the primary and the secondary HMI server in a redundant pair.
To ensure that HMI servers and FactoryTalk View SE Clients can always
obtain activation, it is recommended that activation be provided locally, on
server and client host computers.
For more information about activating FactoryTalk View software, see the
FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation Guide.
For information about activating data servers such as FactoryTalk Linx, see
the product documentation.
Tip: The FactoryTalk Network Directory is part of the integrated FactoryTalk architecture.
Setting up redundant You can specify an alternate server for any FactoryTalk View SE Server (also
called the HMI server), FactoryTalk Alarms and Events server, FactoryTalk
servers in FactoryTalk View Linx server, or OPC data server (including RSLinx Classic) in a network
SE distributed application.
In FactoryTalk View SE, the alternate server in a redundant server pair is
called the secondary server. In the event that the primary HMI server cannot
provide service to application clients, the system switches to the secondary
server, and FactoryTalk View SE Clients continue to function normally.
For more instructions, see Setting up a redundant HMI server pair on page
249.
Setting up a redundant HMI These are the steps involved in setting up a redundant FactoryTalk View
SE Server (also called an HMI server), in a FactoryTalk View SE network
server pair
distributed application:
1. On the secondary server computer:
• Install and activate the FactoryTalk View SE Server software. For
details, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation Guide.
• Specify the location of the Network Directory for the application.
For details, see Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory on page 69.
2. On the primary sever computer:
• Set up redundancy options, and specify the secondary server
computer name. For details, see Set up HMI server redundancy
options on page 250.
Specify the Network After installing the FactoryTalk View SE Server software on the secondary
Directory on the secondary server computer, specify the location of the FactoryTalk Network Directory
for the application.
computer
To specify the Network Directory location:

1. Select Start > Rockwell Software > Specify FactoryTalk Directory
Location.
2. Click the Browse button beside the field, Computer hosting directory
server.
3. Select Remote computer, type the name of the Network Directory
server computer, and then click OK.
Tip: To use the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility, you must log on as a user with
administrative privileges at the Network Directory and in Windows, on the computer where
the utility is running.
Set up HMI server In the primary HMI server’s Properties dialog box, you can set up an HMI
server to fail over to a secondary server when the primary server fails. You can
redundancy options
also specify whether the system will switch back to the primary server
automatically, or continue using the secondary server, after service is
restored. Use this option to avoid unnecessary disruptions in the flow of data
from the HMI server to clients.
Settings on the Redundancy tab are saved with the application, and apply to
both the primary and the secondary server. No further setup or special
programming is required on the secondary server computer, or on computers
hosting FactoryTalk View SE Clients.

To set up redundancy options:

1. In the FactoryTalk View Studio Explorer window, right-click the HMI
server and select Properties.
2. In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, on the General tab, select
Load and run startup components when operating system initializes.
Tip: Servers set up to start On demand cannot be made redundant.
When changing the redundancy setting (from non-redundant to redundant or vice-versa), for
the changes to take effect you must restart the computers hosting the redundant pair, and
restart the computer hosting the FactoryTalk Network Directory Server.
3. On the Redundancy tab, select Provide redundancy using a secondary
server.
4. Under Computer hosting the server, type the name of the secondary
server.
5. Under Switchover options, select a switchover option.
6. When complete, click OK.
7. To automatically save the project online edits to both active and
standby servers:
a. In FactoryTalk View Studio, from the menu, select Tools > Options.
b. On the Settings tab, make sure the Save edits to both active and
standby HMI servers option is selected.
8. To keep the HMI memory tag values the same on both active and
standby servers, on the Settings tab, select the Auto synchronize HMI
memory tag values to both active and standby HMI servers option.
For details about options on the Redundancy tab, click Help.
Manually replicate changes We recommend you set up the option to automatically save the project online
edits to both active and standby servers. For more information, see Set up
to the standby HMI server HMI server redundancy options on page 250.
If you do not set up the option, manually replicate the changes from the active
server to standby server. The replicate operation copies the current active
server’s configuration files, including settings in the Components tab, to the
standby server.
For example, if an On Active and a Shutdown macro are selected for the Active
server, the settings will be replicated to the Standby server. This means that
the same macros specified for the Active server will run when the Standby
server becomes active or shuts down. Information that is not included in the
replicate operation includes datalog files generated at runtime, the current
value of HMI memory tags and retentive tags.
Note: Make sure to verify the current HMI server name and status before the replication. For
information about checking server states, see Monitoring the status of application servers on page
242.

To manually replicate the changes:

1. In the FactoryTalk View Studio Explorer window, right-click the HMI
server and select Server Status.
2. In the Server Status dialog box, verify that the current HMI server
status is Active and the other is Standby.
Tip: To show the status of the HMI servers, FactoryTalk Alarm and Event servers, and data
servers at runtime, add one of the following to the application:
• A Server Status display under the Library folder.
• A redundancy function, such as PrimaryServerStatus and SecondaryServerStatus.
3. In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, in the Redundancy tab, click
Replicate Active to Standby.
Determining the Active HMI At runtime, either the primary or the secondary HMI server in a redundant
server in a redundant pair pair can be in an active or a standby state:
• The Active server is actively providing data and services (for example,
graphic displays and event processing) to connected clients.
• The Standby server is ready to provide data and services to connected
clients, in the event that the Active server fails.
The primary and secondary servers communicate about their status, and
determine which server should be active, and which should be standby, based
on redundancy options set up in the primary server’s Properties dialog box.
If you select the option, Switch over to the primary server when it becomes
active, the redundant server pair will agree that, whenever it is ready, the
primary server will always become the Active server.
If you select the option, Continue to use the secondary server when the
primary server becomes available again, the redundant server pair will agree
that the currently Active server will always remain active.
For information about setting up redundancy for an HMI server, see Set up
HMI server redundancy options on page 250. For information about other
server states, see Monitoring the status of application servers on page 242.
When an HMI server is Application servers become active or standby only when they are ready, that
is, when they are capable of accepting and processing requests from
ready to be active or connected clients.
standby An HMI server is considered to be ready when:
• The server is able to provide project components, such as graphic
displays and macros.
• The server is able to receive and run commands.
• HMI tag services are started and completely initialized.
For information about when other application servers (FactoryTalk Linx data
servers, for example) are ready to be active or standby, see the product
documentation, or see Help.

Specifying On Active and On In the primary HMI server’s Properties dialog box, in the Components tab,
you can select to run macros when the primary server becomes active or
Standby macros standby.
For example, you might specify an On Active macro that contains commands
to run a certain event component and data log model, when the server
becomes active.
Then, you might use the On standby macro to stop those components, when
the server becomes standby.
In the Components tab, you can also start and stop components manually, on
both the primary and the secondary HMI server. For details about options in
the Components tab, click Help.
Tip: If an On Active macro contains many commands (or other macros), it might not finish running
before the HMI server is finished becoming active. This means that the macro might still be running,
when the server is ready to accept requests from clients.
Ensuring that macros finish running:

If the Active HMI server in a redundant pair fails while a command or macro
is running, the command or macro stops running, during failover to the
Standby server.
You might have to re-run the command or macro when the failover process
finishes, and the Standby server becomes active.
What happens if both If a network disconnection breaks communications between the primary and
secondary HMI server computers, it is possible for both servers to be in an
servers become active active state, when the network is restored.
In a partitioned network, for example, where a switch exists between the
primary and secondary host computers, clients on the primary server side of
the switch would remain connected to the Active primary server, when a
network break occurs.
Meanwhile, on the secondary server side of the switch, the secondary server
would detect that the primary server has failed, and become active. Clients on
that side of the switch would connect to the newly Active secondary server.
When the network is restored, if redundancy options are set up to continue
using the Active secondary server, then both the primary and the secondary
HMI servers would remain active.

If that happens, the HMI servers would use the following criteria to determine
whether the primary or the secondary server should be active:
• If one HMI server in the redundant pair has more clients connected to
it, then the server with the most clients will become the Active server.
The server with the least clients will become the Standby server, and
the clients connected to this server will reconnect to the new, Active
server.
• If the HMI servers have an equal number of clients connected them,
the primary server will become active, and the secondary server will go
on standby.
Switching the Active and When the Active HMI server in a redundant pair fails, the system fails over
automatically to the Standby server, as long as it is ready and able to provide
Standby servers manually
service.
If the system fails over to the secondary server, and the secondary server
becomes active, when service is restored to the primary server, either the
system will switch back automatically to the primary server, or the secondary
server will remain active.
This depends on the switchback option you have selected in the Redundancy
tab of the primary HMI server’s Properties dialog box. (You can also select a
switchover option in the Server Status dialog box.)
If you select the option, Continue using the secondary server even when the
primary server becomes available again, then the secondary server will
remain active, unless you manually switch the Active and Standby servers.
Tip: If you select the switchover option, Switch over to the primary server when it becomes
available, you cannot switch the Active and Standby servers manually.
To switch the Active and Standby HMI servers:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the
HMI server’s icon, and then select Server Status.
2. In the Server Status dialog box, click Switchover.
The Server Status display should reflect the switch, for both servers.
Tip: If the server currently on standby is not ready to become active, then the manual
switchover will not occur. For information about when an HMI server is ready, see When an
HMI server is ready to be active or standby on page 252.
You can also use the Switchover command to switch the Active server. For
more information about FactoryTalk View commands, see FactoryTalk View
SE Help.
About FactoryTalk Security To switch the Active and Standby servers manually, users must have
permission to perform the switch operation, under User Rights Assignments
permissions for the system.

To set up the User Rights Assignment for switching servers:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, open the System
folder.
2. In the System Policies folder, double-click User Rights Assignments.
3. Under Manage Servers, click Manual server switchover, and then click
the Browse button in that row, beside Configure Security.
4. Select the Allow check box, beside users you want to give permission to
switch servers.
For information about FactoryTalk Security, see Setting up security on page
77.
What happens when the Following are some conditions that might cause the primary, Active HMI
server in a redundant pair to fail:
primary HMI server fails
• The HMI server is shut down with its host computer, from the Start
menu.
• The HMI server is shut down using the FactoryTalk View SE Service
Manager. For information about this tool, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Installation Guide.
• The HMI server is disconnected from the network. For information
about how the system monitors network connections, see Monitoring
network client and server connections on page 260.
• The HMI server is found to be unhealthy, because an essential service
has stopped functioning.
• The HMI server’s host computer has a power failure.
Within five seconds, Diagnostic messages are logged at connected client
computers, notifying operators of the server failure.
Failing over to the Standby When the primary HMI server in a redundant pair fails, the system
automatically fails over to the secondary server.
secondary server
If the secondary server is on standby, and ready to become active, it becomes
the Active server. If the secondary server is unavailable, the HMI server is
taken out of service.
Clients that were connected at the time of the failure, start using the Active
secondary server within 30 seconds of it becoming active.
Clients will only connect to an Active server.
If for some reason the secondary server cannot finish becoming active, then
the server is taken out of service. For information about when an HMI server
becomes active, see Determining the Active HMI server in a redundant pair
on page 252.
Tip: If both primary and secondary servers become active, then the servers decide which will be the
Active server. For more information, see What happens if both servers become active on page 253.

Switching back to primary, When service is restored at the primary server, either the system will switch
back to the primary server automatically, or the secondary server will remain
or staying with the Active active.
server This depends on the switchover option you select in the Redundancy tab of
the HMI server’s Properties dialog box. For details options in the Properties
dialog box, click Help.
Tip: You can also select a switchover option in the Server Status dialog box.
Continuing to use the If you select the switchover option, Continue using the secondary server even
when the primary server becomes available again, the secondary server will
secondary server remain the Active server, even if the primary server is ready.
Use this option if want to be able to choose when to switch back to the primary
server. When you are ready, you can manually change the Active and Standby
servers. For more information, see What happens if both servers become
active on page 253.
Clients will remain connected to the healthy Active server, until you perform
the manual switchover, or until the currently Active secondary server fails.
If the Active secondary server fails, as long as the primary server is on standby
and ready to provide service, then the primary server will become the new,
Active server.
Switching back If you select the switchover option, Switch over to the primary server when it
becomes available, the system will switch back automatically, from an Active
automatically to the secondary to a restored primary server.
primary server Connected clients will switch back to the Active primary server, as soon as it is
ready.
Choosing to switch to the primary server means the primary server is always
preferred. If you select this option, you cannot manually change the Active
and Standby servers.
If you choose not to switch back automatically to the primary server, the
primary server will go on standby when service is restored, until the Active
secondary server fails.
If that happens, the failover and switch-back cycle begins again.
Notifying clients when During a switch back to the primary server, the server notifies connected
clients when it is ready to provide service, and then waits for a specified time
switching back to the period for clients to respond.
primary After the time period expires, the server becomes active even if there are
clients that have yet to respond.

The predefined amount of time the server waits before becoming active is two
minutes. You can change the time period, by modifying the system policy
setting, Maximum delay before server is active.
Tip: The policy setting, Maximum delay before server is active, applies only during a switch back to
the primary server. It does not apply when the system is failing over to the secondary server.
To change the time a server waits becomes active:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, expand the
System folder, double-click the Policies folder, and then double-click
the System Policies folder.
2. Double-click Health Monitoring Policy, and then select Maximum
delay before server is active.
3. Click the number of minutes. To select another number, click the up or
down arrow beside the number.
Modifying HMI tag You can make changes to HMI tag properties while a FactoryTalk View SE
network distributed application is running, and have those changes take
properties at runtime
effect without restarting clients.
This means that you don’t have to stop HMI servers or the application from
running, in order to make or deploy these changes. Critical application
components can remain available to connected clients, while you are updating
the HMI servers.
Modifying HMI tag In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Tags editor, you can modify the properties
of HMI tags while an application is running.
properties
Some of the changes you can make will be visible immediately, on connected
clients. Other changes require some other event to occur, before the change
takes effect.
For example, if you change the Security Code assigned to an HMI tag, the new
security check will not occur until there is an attempt to write to the tag.
When that happens, the tag write will be validated against the new Security
Code.
When HMI tag property The following table lists the HMI tag properties you can modify at runtime,
and what needs to happen before each change takes effect.
changes take effect
Use information in the table to ensure that the changes you make are
reflected as expected, at connected clients.
If you change this property For this type of HMI tag The change takes effect when
Security code Any HMI tag An attempt is made to write to the tag, from a FactoryTalk View SE Client.
The Security Code property is read using VBA code.
The Security Code property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Description Any HMI tag A graphic display using the Description property, in a tag label object or in a trend’s pen,
is test run in FactoryTalk View Studio or opened in a FactoryTalk View SE Client.
The Description property is read using VBA code.

The Description property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Data Source Type Any HMI tag Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Data Source Type as soon as
the property is modified.
The Data Source Type cannot be modified if the tag is currently active.
Address Any HMI tag Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Address as soon as the
property is modified.
Minimum or Maximum HMI analog tags An attempt is made to write to the tag, from a FactoryTalk View SE Client, FactoryTalk
View Studio, or the HMI server.
A graphic display using the Minimum or Maximum property, in a tag label object (Low EU
or High EU) or in a trend’s pen, is test run in FactoryTalk View Studio or opened in a
FactoryTalk View SE Client.
The Minimum or Maximum property is read using VBA code.
The Low EU or High EU property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Units HMI analog tags A graphic display using the Units property, in a tag label object (Engineering Units) or in
a trend’s pen, is test run in FactoryTalk View Studio or opened in a FactoryTalk View
SE Client.
The Units property is read using VBA code.
The Engineering Units property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Data Type HMI analog tags Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Read/Write Data Type, if the
modification causes the tag’s value to change.
Or when:
An attempt is made to write to the tag, from a FactoryTalk View SE Client, FactoryTalk
The Canonical Data Type of the Tag object is read using VBA code.
The Item Canonical Data Type property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Scale HMI analog tags with Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Scale value as soon as the
Device as data source property is modified.
Offset HMI analog tags with Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Offset value as soon as the
Device as data source property is modified.
Initial Value HMI analog tags with The tag’s Data Source Type is changed from Device to Memory.
Memory as data source
The Initial Value property is read using VBA code.
The Initial Value property is shown in the Tag Browser.
The HMI server is started.
Retentive Any HMI tag with Immediately, if the tag is not in use. Otherwise, the change takes effect when the HMI
Memory as data source server is started.
Off Label or On Label HMI digital tags A graphic display using the Off Label or On Label property, in a tag label object (Contact
Close Label or Contact Open Label) is opened in a FactoryTalk View SE Client.
The Off Label or On Label property is read using VBA code.
The Contact Close or Contact Open property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Length HMI string tags Immediately. The Value property is updated to use the new Length value as soon as the
property is modified.
Or when:
An attempt is made to write to the tag, from a FactoryTalk View SE Client, FactoryTalk
The Length property is read using VBA code.
The Length property is shown in the Tag Browser.
Tip: The Name and Tag Type properties of an HMI tag cannot be modified, after the tag is created.

Managing HMI data in an To help ensure that HMI data generated in an online redundant system is as
accurate and accessible as possible, keep the following considerations in
online redundant system mind.
Centralize storage of Diagnostic log files are stored on every computer where system activity is
generated.
diagnostic data
For network distributed applications, it is highly recommended that you log
diagnostic information to a central ODBC database, such as Microsoft SQL
Server, even for HMI servers that are not redundant.
A central, system-wide ODBC log can be made secure and redundant through
features of the database. Central logs also simplify troubleshooting, by letting
you search all diagnostic information in one location.
For additional protection, it is also recommended that you set up FactoryTalk
View SE local diagnostic to buffer logged data, in the event that
communications with the ODBC database are lost.
For information about setting up a central ODBC database, see Logging
system activity on page 263.
Determine which server will Events that are triggered by an event detector, are not synchronized
specifically between primary and secondary HMI servers.
run events
However, it is possible to manage which server is responsible for detecting
and running events, so that only one server is active at a time.
Use an HMI server’s On Active and On Standby macros, to run the EventOn
command (starts event detection) when the HMI server becomes active, and
to run the EventOff command (stops event detection) when the HMI server
goes on standby.
This will automatically ensure that event detection is only running on the
Active (primary or secondary) HMI server.
For information about On Active and On Standby macros, see Specifying On
Active and On Standby macros on page 253.
For information about creating macros, see Adding logic and control on page
471.
Synchronize derived tags To keep derived tags and data logs synchronized, ensure that the same
derived tags components and data log models are running on the primary
and data log files and secondary computers.
You can also keep memory tags synchronized, if their values are the result of
derived tags.
For information about replicating changes, see Replicate changes to the
secondary HMI server on page 251.

Monitoring network client The health monitoring system monitors network connections on all
computers hosting application clients and servers, in a network distributed
and server connections application.
The system does the following connection monitoring:
• The computer detection interval sets how often the system attempts to
detect whether a computer exists on the network. The default interval
is two seconds.
• The network failure detection interval sets how often the system
attempts to verify the health of the network connection to remote
computers. The default interval is 2 seconds.
• The maximum network glitch sets the amount of time used to
distinguish a temporary network disruption from an actual
communications failure. For more information, see "About network
glitches," next.
• The maximum delay before server is active sets the maximum amount
of time during a switch back to the primary server, that the server will
wait for clients to respond, before it becomes active. For more
information, see Notifying clients when switching back to the primary
on page 256.
You can change the default settings, in the Health Monitoring Policy Settings
dialog box.
To change Health Monitoring Policy Settings:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, expand the
System folder, double-click the Policies folder, and then double-click
the System Policies folder.
2. Double-click Health Monitoring Policy, and then select the policy
setting you want to change.
3. Click the amount of time for the policy setting. To select a different
time, click the up or down arrow beside the time.
Tip: Settings in the System folder, including the Health Monitoring Policy Settings, are stored
at the FactoryTalk Network Directory, and apply to all application servers the directory
manages.
About network glitches Sometimes communications across a network are temporarily disrupted, for
fractions of seconds, by noise or brief disconnections.
When this happens, it is possible for the Standby server in a redundant pair to
lose contact with its Active partner, and assume it must become the Active
server.
To prevent the Standby server from becoming active before it is necessary, the
health monitoring system distinguishes a temporary disconnection—called a
network glitch—from an actual communications failure.

If the Standby server can re-establish contact with its Active partner within a
set time period, then it remains on standby. If the time period expires before
contact is re-established, then the Standby server becomes the Active server.
The default time period that defines a network glitch is 5 seconds. You can
change the definition, by modifying the policy setting, Maximum network
glitch. For details, see Monitoring network client and server connections on
page 260.
Tip: In a partitioned network, if clients are connected to both partners in the redundant pair on either
side of a network switch, it is possible for both the primary and the secondary server to become
active. For more information, see What happens if both servers become active on page 253.

Chapter 14
Logging system activity

• What FactoryTalk Diagnostics is.
• Key FactoryTalk Diagnostics concepts.
• Setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics in FactoryTalk View.
• Tracking system events in the Diagnostics List.
• Viewing FactoryTalk Diagnostics logs.
About FactoryTalk FactoryTalk Diagnostics records information about system activity, including:
Diagnostics • Command and macro usage
• Operator comments
• System messages and errors
• Errors from the communication network
• Tag read and write activity
This information can be:
• Viewed in the Diagnostics List or the Diagnostics Viewer.
• Archived for future processing or analysis.
• Exported to ODBC format while online.
Exporting to ODBC format let you analyze the data in third-party,
ODBC-compliant tools such as Microsoft Excel, and Business Objects Crystal
Reports.
Summary of steps for These are the tasks involved in setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics for a
FactoryTalk View SE application:
setting up Diagnostics
1. Decide which computers on the network need to log system activity.
2. On each computer where system activity will be logged, use the
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool to set up destinations, and message
routing.
For more information, see Setting up message routing on page 266.
3. To log system activity to a central, ODBC-compliant database, first set
up the database, and then, in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool,
set up the ODBC Database destination.
Finding more information For additional information about FactoryTalk Diagnostics and for detailed
setup instructions, see the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Help.

Chapter 14 Logging system activity
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Help:

1. Select Start > Rockwell Software > Diagnostics Viewer.
2. In the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer window, select Help >
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer Help.
FactoryTalk View provides the Diagnostics Viewer object to view diagnostics
on HMI displays.
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Help from FactoryTalk View

Studio:
1. In the Graphic editor, select Objects > Advanced > Diagnostics Viewer.
2. Drag the mouse into position and draw a rectangle.
3. In the FTDiagnosticsViewer Class Properties dialog box, click Help.
Key concepts This section presents some of the common terms and concepts used to
describe FactoryTalk Diagnostics services.
Destinations FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages can be sent to various destinations,

including the message log on the local computer, an ODBC-compliant
database, and the Diagnostics List in FactoryTalk View Studio, or the
FactoryTalk View SE Client.
By default, system activity is logged locally on each computer.
Message routing Message routing lets you specify which destinations receive messages of a
certain severity, for a certain audience. This ensures that information is
provided to the appropriate person and place. For example, you might decide
to:
• Route messages that contain information about system activity, and
warnings about things that might go wrong, to the local log.
This would let a control systems engineer to analyze system activity
and performance, and make corrections during scheduled
maintenance times.
• Route errors that require immediate action to the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics List, and to the local log.
At runtime, if the FactoryTalk Diagnostics List is visible, an operator
can alert the plant’s control systems engineer to problems such as tag
errors, as they occur.
During scheduled maintenance time, the engineer can use the errors,
together with warning or information messages recorded in the local
log, to analyze operation of the system and make the necessary
corrections.
For more information, see Setting up message routing on page 266.

Message categories FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are categorized by severity and audience.
To route messages, you specify a destination for messages of a particular
severity and audience. For example, you can specify the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics List as the destination for Errors that have Operator as the
audience.
Tip: You cannot change the audience or the severity categories assigned to Diagnostics messages.
For example, you cannot specify that a Developer receive all messages of the Error type.
Message severity FactoryTalk View SE uses four message severities:

• Errors indicate that a process or action has failed. For example, an
error might indicate that a tag’s value could not be written, or an
ActiveX object is missing.
• Warnings indicate that a process or action might not function
correctly, or might eventually fail if preventive action is not taken.
For example, if an ActiveX object in a graphic display is a different
version than the one installed at the FactoryTalk View SE Client, a
warning is logged to indicate the mismatch. Mismatched ActiveX
controls might not behave as expected at runtime.
• Information messages indicate that a process or action has completed
successfully. For example, an information message is logged when a
user logs on to the system.
• Audit messages indicate that the system configuration has been
changed.
Tip: FactoryTalk View SE records an Audit message for all tag writes, and whenever a
component is added, removed, or deleted from a multi-component editor, such as the Data
Log Models, Graphics, or Macros editor.
Message audience FactoryTalk View SE uses three message audiences: Operator, Engineer, and
Developer.
FactoryTalk View assigns the Operator audience for all messages that it
generates, except for messages with the Audit severity. Audit messages,
including tag write confirmations, are assigned the Developer or Engineer
audience.
The Secure audience is reserved for auditing tools, such as those required for
US Government 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, to track system activity.
How tag writes are The severities assigned to tag writes that succeed Audit and Information.
Severities assigned to tag writes that fail are Audit, Information, and Error.
categorized
The audiences assigned to tag writes that succeed or fail are Developer and
Secure.

Setting up FactoryTalk Use the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool to set up message routing, logging
to a central database, and the local log, on each computer where system
Diagnostics in FactoryTalk activity is to be logged.
View Tip: You must run the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool separately, on each computer where system
activity is to be logged. FactoryTalk Diagnostics settings apply to all the FactoryTalk products
installed on a single computer.
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool:

In FactoryTalk View Studio or in the FactoryTalk View SE Administration
Console, from the Tools menu, select Diagnostics Setup.
For details about options in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool, click Help.
Setting up message routing When you set up message routing, you specify where messages associated
with a particular audience and severity will be logged.
For example, you can specify that tag write messages logged for the Developer
audience are sent to the local log, to the Diagnostics list, or to neither
destination.
All messages are logged as Error, Warning, or Information, with the audience
Operator. The exception is tag write messages, which are logged as
Information and Audit, with the audiences Developer and Secure.
Note: If messages for a particular combination of audience and severity are not routed to a
destination, they will not be logged.
For more information about audience and severity, see Message categories on
page 265.
For details about message routing options, click Help in the Diagnostics Setup
tool.
Logging to a central In addition to logging information locally on each computer, you can set up
FactoryTalk Diagnostics to log to a central, ODBC-compliant database.
database
Central logging works by exporting the contents of the local log periodically,
to an ODBC-compliant database. FactoryTalk View supports Oracle, and
Microsoft SQL Server ODBC-compliant databases.
Logging to a central database provides redundancy for Diagnostics logging. If
you lose communications with the ODBC-compliant database, you can use the
local log to buffer information.
For details about central logging options, click Help in the Diagnostics Setup
tool. For information about the ODBC tables, see the FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Help.
Tip: If you have set up FactoryTalk Diagnostics to overwrite events in the local log, make sure
messages are logged to the ODBC-compliant database, before the oldest events are deleted.

Setting up message FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are stored in the computer’s local log and
exported to an ODBC-compliant database at the interval you specify.
buffering
To buffer messages, in the ODBC Database Destination Setup window,
specify how long messages will remain in the local log after they have been
exported.
This is useful in the event that the ODBC-compliant database becomes
unavailable, for example, due to a network failure. In such cases, messages
will remain in the local log until the buffer time expires.
If the ODBC-compliant database becomes available before the buffer time
expires, the buffered messages will be exported to the database.
Tracking system events in To keep track of what is happening when an application is running, use the
Diagnostics List in FactoryTalk View Studio, the FactoryTalk View SE
the Diagnostics List Administration Console, or the FactoryTalk View SE Client.
To include system activity messages in the Diagnostics List, they must be
routed to the list. For information about routing messages, see Setting up
message routing on page 266.
Tip: For the FactoryTalk View SE Client, the option to show, hide or undock the Diagnostics List is set
up when you create a client file. For details, click Help in the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard.
Working with the When FactoryTalk View Studio first starts, the Diagnostics List is visible and
is docked above the status bar in the FactoryTalk View main window.
Diagnostics List
Showing or hiding the Diagnostics List

To show or hide the Diagnostics List in FactoryTalk View Studio (or the
FactoryTalk View SE Administration Console), from the View menu, select
Diagnostics List. When Diagnostics List has a check mark beside it, the list is
visible.
Moving the Diagnostics List

You can detach (undock) the Diagnostics List from the main window, and
then move the Diagnostics List anywhere on the screen.
To undock the Diagnostics List, drag the grab bars at the bottom left of the
Diagnostics List. If you can’t see the grab bars, drag the top edge of the
Diagnostics List to make it larger.
To prevent the Diagnostics List from docking automatically while you move it,
hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

Resizing the Diagnostics List

When the Diagnostics List is undocked, you can make it any size you want.
For example, to view more than one message at a time, make the list larger.
To resize the Diagnostics List, drag an edge or corner until the list is the
desired size.
Viewing messages in the Messages in the Diagnostics List are preceded by a blue, yellow, gray, or red
icon: blue indicates information, yellow indicates a warning, gray indicates
Diagnostics List an audit message, and red indicates an error.
The following illustration shows a warning and an information message:
The types of messages logged to the Diagnostics List depend on how message
routing is set up in the Diagnostics Setup tool.
Clearing messages in the Diagnostics List

To clear messages in the Diagnostics List, use one of these methods:
• To clear the most recent message or the selected message, click Clear.
• To clear all messages in the list, click Clear All.
Viewing FactoryTalk Use the Diagnostics Viewer object or the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer tool
to view the contents of Diagnostics logs.
Diagnostics logs
To add the Diagnostics Viewer object to a display:

1. In the Toolbox, select Advanced > Diagnostics Viewer.
2. Drag the mouse into position and draw a rectangle.
3. In the FTDiagnosticsViewer Class Properties dialog box, set up the
properties as needed.
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer tool, do one of the

following:
• Select Start > Rockwell Software > Diagnostics Viewer.
• In FactoryTalk View Studio or in FactoryTalk View SE Administration
Console, select Tools > Diagnostics Viewer.

To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer tool at runtime:

1. In the Graphic editor, create a button that an operator uses to open the
tool.
2. In the Button Properties dialog box, for the press action, type the
following command:
AppStart "C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView
Enterprise\ActivityLogViewer.exe"
Tip: At runtime, due to operating system rules, the Diagnostics viewer might open behind the
FactoryTalk View SE Client window. If you are unaware of this, and try to open the viewer
again, another instance will open. This could result in multiple viewers being open at the
same time.
To avoid this, you can bring the viewer to the front manually, and close it when it is no longer
required. For information on how to use the programmatic solution, see Knowledgebase
Document ID: BF15995 - Use Windows to Move External Application Window to Foreground.

Chapter 15
Creating graphic displays

• What graphic displays are.
• Parts of the Graphics editor.
• Techniques for working in graphic displays.
• Techniques for working with graphic objects.
• Testing graphic displays.
• Creating and working with global object displays.
• Adding PlantPAx Library of Process Objects to an application.
• Using objects from the graphic libraries.
• Importing graphic files from third-party applications.
• Using placeholders to specify tag values.
• Setting up tag placeholders for global objects.
• Setting up the appearance and behavior of graphic displays.
• Docking displays to the FactoryTalk View SE Client window.
• Printing graphic displays at runtime.
About graphic displays A graphic display represents a runtime operator’s view of plant activity.
A graphic display can show system or process data, and provide an operator
with ways to write values to external devices such as programmable
controllers. To create a visual record of tag values, the operator can print the
display at runtime.
A graphic display can contain up to a total of 3000 connections, whether they
originate from the expressions or the tags.
• Each expression associated with an object is counted as one
connection regardless of the number of tags in the expression.
• Each animation of an object (except the Touch animation) is counted
as one connection.
• Each connection in the Connections property of an object that is linked
to a tag is counted as one connection.
• Each pen configured in a Trend object is counted as one connection.
• Duplicate references of the same expression or tag connection are
counted as the additional connections. For example, one display can
contain up to 3000 numeric inputs, even if all numeric input objects
refer to the same tag.
Tip: Tags associated with embedded variables do not count towards the limit.
Graphic displays are made up of graphic objects, which can be:

Chapter 15 Creating graphic displays
• Created in the Graphics editor.
• Dragged and dropped from a graphic library.
• ActiveX objects embedded in the graphic display.
• Created by another Windows application, then copied and pasted into
a display, or inserted using OLE (Object Linking and Embedding).
Importing and exporting The information a graphic display contains is stored in a file called
displayname.gfx (where displayname is the name you give to the graphic
graphic display XML files
display).
In FactoryTalk View Studio, you can use the Graphics Import Export Wizard
to export graphic display information to an XML file, or to import a graphic
display XML file into an application.
You can edit the XML files before importing them back into an application, to
modify existing graphic objects, or to add new objects to a display.
For more information about importing and exporting graphic display files,
see Importing and exporting XML files on page 533.
Organize graphic displays You can organize graphic displays with folders in FactoryTalk View Studio.
To organize graphic displays in folders

1. In the FactoryTalk View Explorer window, expand the HMI server and
the Graphics folder, right-click Displays and select New Folder.
2. In the Save dialog box, enter a name for the folder and click OK.
3. Create displays in the folder, or drag and drop displays to the folder.
The created folders are logical ones that do not have representation in
an HMI project file structure on a hard drive or impact runtime display
navigation.
About global object displays FactoryTalk View global objects let you link the appearance and behavior of
one graphic object to multiple copies of the object in the same application.
Global objects are created on global object displays. In FactoryTalk View
Studio, you create global object displays in the Global Objects folder, the same
way you create standard graphic displays in the Displays folder.
All of the objects and groups of objects on a global object display are global
objects. Any graphic object you can create in FactoryTalk View can be a global
object, except for ActiveX controls and OLE objects.
Working with 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.
Reference objects have special properties that link them to their base objects.
Changes you make to the base object are reflected in all of the reference

objects linked to it, the next time displays containing the reference objects are
opened, or refreshed by closing and reopening them.
Tip: The runtime performance of applications that leverage a large quantity of global objects can be
impacted. To optimize the runtime performance of the FactoryTalk View SE client, click on the
toolbar to compile global objects. An asterisk shows on , indicating that there are pending
changes in the system that require compilation.
For information about creating global object displays, see Creating and
working with global object displays on page 293.
Parts of the Graphics editor Use the Graphics editor to create and modify standard graphic displays,
global object displays, and graphic libraries. Where you open the Graphics
editor determines the type of display you create.
To open the Graphics editor:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, open the
Graphics folder.
2. Right-click one of the Displays, Global Objects, or Libraries icons, and
then select New. Or double-click an existing standard display, global
object display, or graphic library.
When the new or existing display opens, you are working in the Graphics
editor. The Graphics editor consists of these parts:
• The toolbars contain buttons for commonly used menu items. The
previous illustration shows three toolbars, but the Graphics editor has
others, including toolbars for foreground and background colors,
pattern styles, and aligning objects.
You can hide or show toolbars using the View menu, and move the
toolbars around on the screen. For more information about toolbars,
see Using the toolbars on page 276.
• The display area is the graphic display itself.
To set up the runtime appearance and behavior of a display, right-click
the display, and then select Display Settings. In the Display Settings
dialog box, you can set up a title bar for the display, specify its size,
position, and background color, and determine whether it has a border
at runtime. The appearance of a display in the Graphics editor is
similar to its runtime appearance (except for the content of the title
bar, and the position of the display). Some changes made at design
time, such as resetting the zoom feature, do not affect the appearance
of the display at runtime. For more information about display settings,
see Setting up the appearance and behavior of a graphic display on
page 304.
• The Diagnostics List shows information about system activity, such as
command and macro usage, tag reads and writes, communication

errors, and system warnings for the computer where FactoryTalk View
is installed.
• The status bar describes the action associated with the selected menu
item or button. The status bar also shows the x- and y-coordinates,
width, and height of the selected graphic object.
• The Object Explorer shows a tree-list of all the objects in a graphic
display. Objects are listed in front-to-back order, with the most
recently created objects at the front. Grouped objects are listed as
expandable items in the tree, with a + icon.
• The Property Panel shows the properties of graphic objects and the
values assigned to the properties. It also shows the tags or expressions
assigned to an object’s connections.
Viewing display contents in The Object Explorer shows a tree-list of all the objects in a graphic display.
Objects are listed in front-to-back order, with the most recently created
the Object Explorer
objects at the front. Grouped objects are listed as expandable items in the
tree, with a + icon.
When you click an object in the Object Explorer, it is selected in the display,
and selection handles appear around it automatically. This means you can use
the Object Explorer to select an object hidden by others in a display, instead of
bringing the object to the front.
Tip: The Object Explorer does not show wallpaper objects, or the objects within ActiveX composite
objects.
You can keep the Object Explorer open while you work on different objects,
and in different displays.
You can use the Object Explorer to show or hide a graphic object on a graphic
display. You can also use the Object Explorer to highlight specific types of
objects, and objects that have animation, or a tag or expression assigned to
them.
To open the Object Explorer:

By default, it shows on the right side when you open the Graphics editor. If it
is not shown, in the Graphics editor, do one of the following:
• From the menu, click View > Object Explorer.
• On the toolbar, click the Show/Hide Object Explorer icon.
• On a display, right-click an object and select Object Explorer.
By default, all check boxes in the Object Explorer are selected and all objects
are shown on the graphic display. You can use the Object Explorer to hide
objects on a graphic display.
If you select or clear the check box in front of a group in the Object Explorer,
all objects in the group are shown or hidden on the graphic display. If you

select or clear the check box in front of the root node, Display in the Object
Explorer, all the objects on the graphic display are shown or hidden.
Note: At runtime, the visibility state of a graphic object depends on the expression. The Object
Explorer visibility state of a graphic object has no effect on the default visibility state of the object at
runtime.
To hide a graphic object on a display:

• In the Object Explorer, clear the check box in front of the object you
want to hide.
To highlight different types of objects on a display:

1. In the Object Explorer, click Settings.
2. In the Highlight Settings dialog box, select the objects to be
highlighted and click OK.
3. In the Object Explorer dialog box, select Highlighting on.
The objects are highlighted in red in the Object Explorer and in the graphic
display.
Viewing object properties in The Property Panel shows the properties of graphic objects and the values
assigned to the properties. It also shows the tags or expressions assigned to
the Property Panel an object’s connections.
Use the Property Panel to modify the properties of graphic objects, and to
assign tags and expressions. You can select multiple objects, and then make
changes to the common properties of all of the objects at the same time.
You can keep the Property Panel open as you work in the Graphics editor, and
you can drag the panel’s borders to make it larger or smaller.
To open the Property Panel:

By default, it shows on the right side when you open the Graphics editor. If it
is not shown, in the Graphics editor, do one of the following:
• From the menu, click View > Property Panel.
• On the toolbar, click the Show/Hide Property Panel icon.
• On a display, right-click an object and select Property Panel.
If you select more than one object in the display, the property panel displays
those properties that are common to the selected objects, and instead of an
object name, the words Multiple Selections are displayed, instead of the
object's name, below the title bar.
For details about options in the Property Panel, click Help.

Techniques for working in When working with graphic displays, you will use certain actions and
techniques frequently. Knowing how to perform these actions can save time.
graphic displays
Zooming in and out To magnify or reduce the view of a graphic display, use the Zoom In or Zoom
Out option on the View menu. Zoom In magnifies objects, while Zoom Out
reduces magnification.
In the Properties tab of the Display Settings dialog box, if the Size property for
a display is set to Specify Size in Pixels, you can use Zoom to Fit to resize the
display to fit the workspace window.
If the Size property is set to Use Current Size, Zoom to Fit behaves in the same
way as Cancel Zoom; it returns a display to its original size.
Setting up a display grid To size and position objects precisely, use the grid items on the View menu.
You can change the grid settings any time during the drawing process.
Use the grid to simplify aligning and sizing objects. When the grid is on, all
objects you draw or place are aligned to the grid automatically.
If you select Snap to Grid, the grid is activated, and the next object you draw
or position will be pulled to the closest grid point. Turning on the grid does
not affect the placement of existing objects.
If you clear Snap to Grid, the grid is passive, and does not affect the position
of objects. Turn off the grid to draw or position an element between the grid
lines.
Using the toolbars The toolbars are a convenient way to perform an action. You can:
• Hide or show the toolbars using the items on the View menu. If there is
a check mark beside the toolbar name, the toolbar is visible.
• Drag the toolbars anywhere on the screen.
• Dock the toolbars to an edge of the FactoryTalk View Studio
workspace.
Selecting a drawing tool

The Toolbox contains tools for creating, selecting, and rotating objects. The
tools are also available on the Objects menu.

To draw an object, click a tool in the toolbox or on the Objects menu. When
you do this, the pointer changes to show which tool is active.
To stop using a drawing tool, click the Select tool, or click another drawing
tool.
Selecting objects To work with an object in a graphic display, first you must select it.
To select a single object in a display, click on the object using the left mouse
button. Handles appear along the edges of a selected object.
To select several objects, click in the graphic display at one corner of the
group, and then drag the mouse diagonally, to draw a bounding box around
the objects. When you release the mouse button, all the objects within the
bounding box are selected.
You can also select a group of objects by holding down the Ctrl key while you
click each individual object.
To cancel selection of an object or a group of objects, click in a part of the
graphic display that does not contain any objects.
Using shortcut menus to When you right-click in a graphic display, or on a graphic object, a shortcut
menu opens, as shown in the following illustration.
perform actions quickly
The items on the shortcut menu depend on where you click: when you
right-click an object, the menu contains items relevant to the object; when you
right-click a display, the menu contains items relevant to the display.
Techniques for working When creating and modifying graphic objects in a display, you use certain
actions and techniques frequently. Knowing how to perform these actions
with graphic objects can save time.
For specific information about different objects, see Creating graphic objects
on page 319.
Copying objects To copy objects, you can:

• Drag and drop objects in the same display.

• Drag and drop objects between displays, or from a graphic library to a
display.
• Copy and paste objects.
When an object is copied, any animation attached to the object is also copied.
If a group is copied, the new copy of the group can be ungrouped to individual
objects, just like the original.
Copying objects with If an object has multiple language strings set up, copying the object copies all
the languages. You have two options for pasting an object with multiple
multiple languages language strings into an application:
• If you use the Paste command, the object is pasted into an application
with different languages, only the strings for languages that are used
by the application are pasted. If the new application has languages that
are not set up for the object, those language strings are undefined and
will be shown with single question marks.
• If you use the Paste without localized strings command, the object is
pasted with only the current localized language. The Paste without
localized strings command removes all other language strings from
the object and sets the language strings to Undefined.
For more information about setting up multiple languages, see Setting up
language switching on page 219.
To copy objects in the same display:

1. Select one or more objects.
2. Drag the object, and then press Ctrl.
When you press Ctrl, a plus sign is added to the cursor.
3. When the object is where you want it, release the mouse button, and
then the Ctrl key.
A new copy of the object is created.
If you selected several objects, dragging one of the objects copies all the
selected objects. The objects maintain their position relative to each
other.
To drag objects between displays:

1. Open both displays (or a graphic library and a display).
2. Position or resize the displays so both are visible.
4. Click the selected object and drag it to the new display.
If you selected several objects, dragging one of the objects copies all the
selected objects. The objects maintain their position relative to each
other.

Copying and pasting objects You can cut, copy, or paste objects using the menu items on the Edit menu or
the buttons on the toolbar.
Once you cut or copy an object, you can paste it anywhere in the drawing area
of:
• The same graphic display.
• A graphic display in the same or a different application.
• A graphic library in the same or a different application.
To cut or copy objects:

2. From the Edit menu, select Cut or Copy, or click or on the
Graphics toolbar.
• To remove the original object, click Cut.
• To retain the original object, click Copy.
To paste objects:
1. Click in the display, or library to paste to.
2. From the Edit menu, select Paste, or click on the Graphics toolbar.
Duplicating objects When you duplicate graphic objects in a display, you also duplicate actions.
For example, if you duplicate an object, move it, and then duplicate it again,
the second duplicate action copies and moves the object, in one step. This is
useful for creating a series of objects with an equal distance between them.
When an object is duplicated, any animation attached to the object is also
duplicated.
If an object group is duplicated, the new copy of the group can be ungrouped
into individual objects. For more information about grouping objects, see
Grouping objects on page 285.
You can also create multiple copies of a numeric or string object at one time.
This is useful to quickly build a table and display data as needed.
To duplicate an object:
Right-click the object in a display, and then select Duplicate, or click on
the toolbar.

Duplicate works until the object is no longer selected.
To duplicate multiple copies of a numeric or string object:

Right-click the object in a display, select Duplicate to Grid, and specify the
columns, rows and spacing.
The following illustration shows an example that duplicates multiple copies of
a numeric display object with three columns and six rows.
Resizing and reshaping When you select an object, handles appear around it.
objects When you position the pointer over a handle, the pointer changes to a
double-headed arrow. You can then click on and drag the handle, to resize
and reshape the object.

You can also press Shift and the arrow keys on the keyboard, to resize and
reshape objects in small increments.
You can reshape some objects using the object’s editing tool. To do this,
right-click the object, and then select Edit. The tool varies, depending on the
object that has been selected.
To maintain an object’s proportions while resizing:

Click on a corner handle, press Shift, and then drag the mouse.
Tip: If you attempt to resize a global reference object with its LinkSize property set to True, the
object will snap back to its original size. For more information about the LinkSize property, see
Setting up the link properties of reference objects on page 361.
Arranging objects You can arrange objects in a graphic display in a number of ways, using the
Arrange menu or buttons on the toolbar. You can:
• Stack objects by moving them in front of or behind other objects.
• Align objects with each other.
• Space objects horizontally or vertically.
• Flip objects horizontally or vertically.
• Rotate objects around an anchor point.
• Combine several objects into a group that behaves as a single object.
• Separate a grouped object into its component objects.
Stacking objects Objects in a graphic display are stacked in the order they are created, with the
most recently created object on top.
To change the order, move objects to the front or back of the stack.

Use to move the selected object to the bottom of the stack.
Use to move the selected object to the top of the stack.
To select the object at the back:

Click the top object once, pause, and then click again. Do not double-click, and
do not move the mouse.
Aligning objects To line up the tops, bottoms, or sides of objects in a display, align the objects
with each other, or with the display grid.
To do this Click this button or menu item
Align the selected object (or objects) with the left-most selected object.
Align Left
Align the selected object (or objects) with the right-most selected object. Align Right
Align the selected object (or objects) with the horizontal center of the largest selected Align Center
object.
Align the selected object (or objects) with the top-most selected object. Align Top
Align the selected object (or objects) with the bottom-most selected object. Align Bottom
Align the selected object (or objects) with the vertical center of the largest selected Align Middle
object.
Align the selected object (or objects) with the center of all selected objects. Align Center Points
Align the selected object (or objects) with the grid. Align to Grid
Aligning objects top, middle,

and bottom

Aligning objects left, right,

and center

Spacing objects To create an equal amount of space between the center points of objects in a
graphic display, space the objects vertically or horizontally.
Place the centers of the selected objects an equal distance apart vertically. Space Vertical
Place the centers of the selected objects an equal distance apart horizontally. Space Horizontal
Spacing objects vertically

and horizontally
Flipping objects To move an object in a graphic display to a position that is a mirror image of
its original position, flip the object vertically or horizontally.
Flip the selected object (or objects) top to bottom (upside-down). Flip Vertical
Flip the selected object (or objects) left to right Flip Horizontal
Flipping objects vertically

Flipping objects horizontally
Rotating objects To rotate an object or group of objects around an anchor point, use . The
anchor point is represented by a crosshair, as shown in the following
illustrations:
You can also use the Rotate tool when attaching rotation animation to a
graphic object.
For details, see Rotating objects on page 285.
Note: You cannot rotate OLE objects, ActiveX objects, bitmaps, text, or panel objects.
Grouping objects Grouping combines several objects into one so you can manipulate them as a
single object. Grouping is useful for keeping objects in the same position
relative to each other.

You can cut, copy, and paste groups, arrange the group as a single object
relative to other objects, and apply the same properties to all the members of
the group at once.
You can attach animation to a group and preserve any animation attached to
the objects that make up the group.
Group animation generally takes precedence over the animation attached to
individual objects. For more information, see Applying animation to object
groups on page 374.
Deleting a group deletes all individual objects in the group. Changing the
color or pattern style of the group changes the color or pattern style of all
individual objects in the group.
Ungrouping objects When you disconnect a group of objects, the individual objects in the group
are selected in the graphic display.
Ungrouping deletes animation attached to the group, because the group no
longer exists. However, any animation attached to the individual objects
remains active.

Modifying grouped objects You can modify a group of objects without breaking up the group. This is
particularly useful when animation is attached to the group, because
ungrouping deletes the animation.
Modify grouped objects using:
• The Property Panel, to apply shared properties to all members of the
group at the same time. For example, change the line width of all
objects in the group to 2 pixels.
• Toolbars, to apply the same pattern style, background style,
foreground colors, and background colors to all members of the group.
• The States toolbar, to cycle through the states and apply the same
properties to them, for all members of the group at the same time.
Tip: When you select a group containing objects with states, only the states shared by all
objects in the group are shown in the toolbar. For information about using the States toolbar,
see Testing the appearance of objects in different states on page 292.
To modify the objects within a group, double-click the group. A rope-like

border indicates that the group is in edit mode.
Click inside the box to select individual objects or other groups within the
group. You can also add new objects to the group.
To see which objects are selected, look in the Object Explorer or the
FactoryTalk View Studio status bar. For information about using the Object
Explorer, see Viewing display contents in the Object Explorer on page 274.
To cancel group edit mode, click outside the group border.
Applying colors The color palettes contain a range of colors that you can apply to graphic
objects. You can select colors before you draw an object, or you can apply
them to an existing object.
To show and hide the color palettes, from the View menu, select their names.
You can use the:

• Foreground Color palette to select a color for the outline of an object,
for text, or for hollow objects.
• Background Color palette to select a color for the inside of an object or
for solid objects.
For objects with patterns, you can set the color of the pattern separately.
Applying pattern styles and Use the Pattern Styles toolbar to apply patterns to graphic objects. You can
select a pattern before you draw an object, or you can apply a pattern to an
colors existing object.
An object’s pattern is visible only if the object’s background style is Solid.
Objects with a transparent background have no pattern.
Pattern styles apply to the interior of objects. Closed objects such as

rectangles, circles, polygons, text objects, and wedges are completely filled.
Open or partially open objects, such as polylines or freehand objects, can also
take a pattern style. The Graphics editor draws an imaginary line from the
start and end points, and then fills the object as a closed object.
The pattern color is not determined by the foreground or background color
selected for an object. Instead, you must apply pattern colors separately.
To open the Pattern Styles toolbar:

Select View > Toolbars > Pattern Styles.
To apply a pattern color:

1. Right-click the graphic object, and then select Properties.
2. In the Properties dialog box, select the Pattern color box, and then
select a pattern color.
Changing line properties

You can select a line object and change its width and style in the General tab of
its Properties dialog box, or in the Property Panel. The line styles are:
Line style uses both the foreground color and background color attributes.
Foreground color applies to the line, and background color applies to the
spaces in the line.
For example, to obtain the dash-dot line, choose black as the foreground color,
and choose white as the background color. Black is applied to the dots and
dashes and white is applied to the spaces between the dots and dashes.
For trend objects, you can customize line width and color in the Pens tab of
the Trend Properties dialog box. For more information, see Setting up trends
on page 445.
Naming graphic objects When you create a graphic object, it is assigned a name automatically.
In the Common tab of the object’s Properties dialog box, or in the Property
Panel, you can give the object a new name.
An object’s name is used when logging events for the object. It is also used
with commands. For example, when using the Invoke command to call a
method, you must specify the name of the object in which the method is
implemented.
The object’s name is also shown in the Object Explorer. For more information,
see Viewing display contents in the Object Explorer on page 274.
Assigning tags and To assign tags or expressions to an individual object, use the Connections tab
in the object’s Properties dialog box, or in the Property Panel.
expressions to objects

The following illustration is of the Property Panel for a maintained push
button. In the Connections tab, you can set up a Value tag and an Indicator
tag or expression
Items Description
1 Type a tag name or expression in this column.
2 Click this button to open the Tag Browser.
3 Click this button to open the Expression editor.
4 The arrows show the direction in which data flows between

the object and the tag or expression.
5 This box describes the selected connection, and the type of
data it uses.
Tip: The Connections tab is blank, if multiple objects are selected. You can only assign a tag or
expression to one object at a time.
The arrows beside the connection names indicate the direction data flows
between the tag or expression and the object:
• A right arrow indicates that data flows from the object to the tag or
expression only. In other words, the object can write to the tag or
expression.
• A left arrow indicates that data flows from the tag or expression to the
object only. In other words, the object can read from the tag or
expression.
• A double arrow indicates that data flows in both directions. In other
words, the object can write to, or read from, the tag or expression.
Adding tooltips to graphic To provide information about a graphic object to an operator, add a tooltip to
objects the object.

By default, an object has no tooltip. If you add a tooltip, it shows at runtime,
when the operator positions the pointer over the object for a few seconds.
You can create a tooltip for an object in the Property Panel, or in the Common
tab of the object’s Properties dialog box.
Tooltips can consist of a single line or multiple lines of text.
Using tag substitution to Use tag substitution to replace the text strings in graphic objects or
embedded variables in a graphic display.
replace text strings
You can find and replace text strings in tag names, expressions, and
FactoryTalk View commands.
You cannot use tag substitution to replace text created using the Text tool.
To search for and replace text strings:

1. Select the graphic object (or objects) that contain text strings you want
to replace.
Tip: To select all the graphic objects in a display, press Ctrl+A.
2. From the Edit menu, select Tag Substitution.

3. In the Tag Substitution dialog box, type the text you search for and
replace, and then click Replace.
For details about options in the Tag Substitution dialog box, click Help.
Creating a background for a You can create a background for a graphic display by converting objects to
wallpaper. For example, you can import photographs of a machine or process,
display
convert the images to wallpaper, and then overlay the wallpaper with

animated objects.
When graphic objects are converted to wallpaper, they are locked into position
and become a static background for other objects in the display. You cannot
select, modify, or animate wallpaper objects.
To reactivate converted objects, and to restore any animation attached to the
objects, unlock the wallpaper.
Tip: Objects in a global object display cannot be converted to wallpaper.
If a graphic display contains bitmaps that do not need to be selected or animated, to reduce the time
it takes to open the display, convert the bitmaps to wallpaper.
To convert objects to wallpaper:

1. In the Graphics editor, on the display, select the objects.
2. From the menu, select Edit > Wallpaper > Convert to Wallpaper.
3. To unlock the wallpaper objects, right-click any empty area of the
display and select Unlock All Wallpaper. Alternatively, select Edit >
Wallpaper > Unlock All Wallpaper.
Testing graphic displays You can test the objects in a graphic display quickly, by switching to test
display mode in the Graphics editor.
When you are finished testing, to continue working on the display, switch
back to edit display mode . To switch between test and edit modes, use the
buttons on the toolbar or the items on the View menu.
Testing a graphic display in FactoryTalk View Studio is not the same as
running the display in the FactoryTalk View SE Client.
Test display mode does not change the appearance or position of the display,
as set up in the Display Settings dialog box, and you cannot switch between
open displays.
In addition, some FactoryTalk View commands are ignored when run in test
display mode. For a complete list of these commands, see FactoryTalk View
commands on page 491.
Tip: If objects in a graphic display are connected to tags in devices, to fully test the display you must
set up communication with the devices or data servers.
Before you deploy an application, it is recommended that you test it in the FactoryTalk View SE Client,
to verify that everything works as intended.
Testing the appearance of Some objects have multiple states. You can set up each state differently, so the
objects in different states object’s appearance changes whenever the state changes.
To make sure the different states for an object are set up correctly, view each
state using the Sates toolbar or the Property Panel.

To view an object’s states using the States toolbar:

1. Select View > Toolbars > States.
3. In the States toolbar, click the state you want to view. If you selected
multiple objects, the toolbar shows the states common to all the
objects.
4. To view the next state in the list, click it, or press the Down Arrow key.
To view:
• The previous state, press the Up Arrow key.
• The first state, press the Home key.
• The last state, press the End key.
To view an object’s states using the Property Panel:

2. In the Property Panel, click the State property, and then click the state
to view.
3. To view the next state quickly, double-click the row, or press Enter on
the keyboard.
Creating and working with Use the Graphics editor to create global object displays in the Global Objects
global object displays folder, the same way you create standard displays in the Displays folder.
All of the objects and groups of objects created in a global object display are
global objects. Any graphic object you can create in FactoryTalk View can be a
global object, except for ActiveX controls and OLE 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.
Reference objects have special properties that link them to the original, base
objects. When you modify properties of a base object, the changes are copied
to all reference objects linked to the base object.
For information about setting up the properties that link base and reference
objects, see Setting up the link properties of reference objects on page 361.
You can produce an unlimited number of reference objects from a single base
object. However, reference objects can only link to a base object within the
same application or, in a network distributed application, within the same
HMI server.
Creating global object To create a global object display, create a new display in the Global Objects
folder, or add a standard display or graphic library into the Global Objects
displays folder.
When you add a standard display into the Global Objects folder, graphic
objects in the display convert to global objects, except for ActiveX controls and

OLE objects, and reference objects with broken links. These objects are
deleted.
About global object display files

Global object display files are saved with the extension .ggfx, to the following
location on the development computer:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView
Enterprise\SE\HMI Projects\<HMI Project Name>\Global Objects
where <HMI Project Name> is the name of the HMI server in the Explorer
window.
Tip: The number of global object displays in an application does not count toward the maximum
number of licensed displays the application can contain. For information about activation and
licensing, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Installation Guide.
To create a new global object display:

• In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the
Global Objects icon, and then select New.
The new global object display opens in the Graphics editor. Use tools in
the editor to create global objects, just as you would create graphic
objects in a standard display.
To create a global object display from an standard display:

1. In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the
Global Objects icon, and then select Add Component into Project.
2. Browse to and select the standard display or library to add, and then
click Open.
Adding standard displays In a network distributed application, if you add a standard display or graphic
that contain reference library containing linked reference objects into the Global Objects folder, the
linked reference objects:
objects
• Convert to global objects, if added within the same HMI server
• Are deleted, if added to a different HMI server
Tip: Existing reference objects with broken links are always deleted, whether you add them
within the same HMI server, or to a different one.
About global object displays When a graphic display, containing global reference objects is run, the global
object display (or displays) containing the linked base objects also runs, in the
at runtime background.

When you modify the base object in a global object display, all linked reference
objects are updated with the changes, the next time their host displays are
opened or refreshed.
Since global object displays run in the background, you cannot select or
specify one:
• As a parameter for the Display command.
• From the Component Browser, when creating a display list selector
object.
• As the initial display, when creating a client file in the FactoryTalk
View SE Client Wizard.
However, you can run a global object display in test display mode, when
developing an application in FactoryTalk View Studio.
The runtime performance of applications that leverage a large quantity of
global objects can be impacted. To optimize the runtime performance of the
FactoryTalk View SE client, click on the toolbar to compile global objects.
An asterisk shows on , indicating that there are pending changes in the
system that require compilation.
Adding PlantPAx Library of When you add an HMI server to a network distributed or station application,
you have the option to add the PlantPAx Library of Process Objects that are
Process Objects to an installed with FactoryTalk View SE.
application
To add the Library of Process Objects when creating an HMI server:
1. In the Select Operation window of the Add HMI Server Wizard, select
Add PlantPAx Library of Process Objects.
2. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can also add the library later after an HMI server is created.
To add the Library of Process Objects after creating an HMI server:

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the HMI server icon.
2. Click Add PlantPAx Library of Process Objects.
If you added a display previously, you can either replace the existing display or
remove it from the list of displays.
Tip: Adding the PlantPAx Library of Process Objects affects the license counts because it adds extra
displays to the application. Each added Process Library faceplate (.gfx file) counts as one display for
activation purposes. The corresponding global object display (.ggfx file) does not add to the total
license count.

Working with faceplates in The faceplate displays you selected are added to the Graphics folder, under
the Displays and Global Objects icons.
the Graphics editor
Like the graphics libraries installed with FactoryTalk View SE, you can use the
faceplate displays in an application as they are, or you can copy and then paste
the faceplates into existing standard and global objects displays.
For more information about faceplates, see their Help in
C:\Users\Public\Documents\RSView Enterprise\SE\Process Library\Help
Files -pdf. For more information about PlantPAx library, see Rockwell
Automation Library of Process Objects Reference Manual (PROCES-RM200_-EN-P).
Using objects from the FactoryTalk View comes with libraries that contain graphic objects and
displays. Many of the objects are preconfigured with animation. Use the
graphic libraries objects as they are, or change them to suit your needs. You can:
• Look at the objects and displays to get ideas for the application you are
creating.
• Drag and drop objects from the libraries into displays.
Location of library files Library files are stored in the folder C:\Users\Public\Public
Documents\RSView Enterprise\SE\Libraries on the local computer.
For information about changing the Libraries location, see the FactoryTalk
View Site Edition Help.
Importing graphic files You can import the following types of files into graphic displays from
third-party applications using Import in the Toolbox.
File extension Type of file
.wmf Windows meta files
.bmp, .gif, .tif, .pcx Bitmap files
.png Portable network graphics
.jpg JPEG files
.dxf AutoCAD files *
*FactoryTalk View does not import AutoCAD 13 or later .dxf files. To import a graphic file created in AutoCAD 13 or later, export the graphic file as a .wmf file in
AutoCAD, and then open the .wmf file in FactoryTalk View.
Before importing files, set up the computer’s display properties to display

more than 256 colors. This will ensure that imported objects are the same
colors as the original objects.
When you import objects, you can convert them to FactoryTalk View objects.
This offers the following advantages:
• Graphic display files are smaller.
• Objects are groups of objects rather than a single object. This means
you can modify the individual parts of the object, including attaching
animation to individual parts.
Symbol Factory, when used with the Image Browser, allows you to locate a
high quality graphic and not only import it into your Graphic Display, but save
it in the images folder for additional uses as a graphic object.

Using bitmaps in a Bitmaps consume Windows resources. When using bitmaps, consider the
following guidelines.
FactoryTalk View
application
Use device-dependent bitmaps
Device-dependent bitmaps (.bmp files) show faster than device-independent
bitmaps (.dib files) because the FactoryTalk View Graphics editor is optimized
for device-dependent bitmaps.
Also, you can modify device-dependent bitmaps in place, using the Microsoft
Paint program.
Avoid unnecessary color depth

Create bitmaps in the lowest color depth possible. The more colors you use,
the more memory that is consumed:
• 16-color bitmaps consume 4 bits per pixel (½ byte per pixel)
• 256-color bitmaps consume 8 bits per pixel (1 byte per pixel)
• 24-bit bitmaps consume 24 bits per pixel (3 bytes per pixel)
If possible, use 16-color bitmaps. To change a higher-resolution bitmap to 16
colors, open the bitmap in the Microsoft Paint program and save the bitmap
as a 16-color bitmap.
Match palettes in 256-color systems

In a 256-color system, if bitmaps use two different color palettes, Windows
must recalculate and redraw all bitmaps when window focus changes.
Redrawing bitmaps causes delays and can make a scanned image or
photograph sparkle or appear as a negative.
To match palettes, use a bitmap-oriented graphical tool that lets you match
palettes.
Palette matching is an issue only for 256-color video adapters. 24-bit color
systems do not match palettes and 16-color systems dither colors (that is,
alternate pixels of different colors to approximate another color).
Do not use the Scale option

The Scale option in the Display Settings dialog box causes the contents of a
graphic display to change size to suit the size of the graphic display’s window.

To speed up the display of a graphic containing bitmaps, choose Pan rather
than Scale. Bitmaps take longer to draw when they are scaled to a size
different from their original size.
An OLE object can be a bitmap or a bitmap wrapped in a metafile. These types
of OLE objects will also draw more slowly when scaled.
Avoid large bitmaps

Graphic displays that contain large bitmaps consume memory and can be very
slow to show because of the delay in loading the bitmaps from disk.
Avoid many bitmaps

Whenever possible, create graphic objects using the FactoryTalk View
drawing objects.
You can also change a bitmap to an FactoryTalk View object by converting the
bitmap to wallpaper, tracing over the bitmap with FactoryTalk View drawing
objects, and then deleting the bitmap.
When to use a bitmap Bitmaps generally make graphic displays slower. However, objects with large
amounts of detail, such as subtle shading, might draw more quickly if
converted to a bitmap because bitmaps take the same amount of time to draw
regardless of their complexity.
Using the Image Browser to Use the Image Browser to import images as needed while you set up graphic
objects.
import images
In the Image Browser you can:
• Import images into the application.
• Select the image to use on a graphic object.
• Delete images from the application.
To open the Image Browser:

Use one of these methods:
• In an object’s Properties dialog box, click the Browse button next to
the Image box.
Depending on the type of object, the Image box could be located on the
General tab, Label tab, or States tab.

• With one or more objects selected, in the Property Panel click the
Image property, and then click the Browse button.
For details about using the Image Browser to import, select, and delete
images, see Help.
You can also remove an image by clicking it in the Images folder, and then
right-clicking Remove or Delete.
To import Symbol Factory objects directly into image container:

1. From the Image Browser window, click the Launch Library… button.
This will open a Symbol Factory window.
2. Browse through the Categories and locate the graphic to be used.
Select the graphic so it is highlighted. Click the Copy button in Symbol
Factory. Symbol Factory will be minimized to the system tray.
3. From the Image Browser, click the Paste from Library button.
4. A dialog box will open and ask for a unique image name. Type the new
name over the default name of the Symbol Factory object shown.
5. Click the OK Button in Image name dialog. The dialog box will close
returning you to the Image Browser. The new image will be shown and
the new image name shown in the image browser explorer.
6. Click the OK button in the Image Browser for the graphic to be placed
in the current workspace.
Note that any Symbol Factory object, including Bitmap, DIB, PNG, SVG and
metafile can be pasted into Image Browser where it will be stored as a bitmap.
An enhanced version of the library in Symbol Factory is available to provide
the SVG format and gradients.

Using placeholders to Tag placeholders can save time spent developing and maintaining
applications, by providing a way to use a single graphic display for several
specify tag values similar operations.
For example, to create displays for a plant that uses the same machinery to
can corn and beans, instead of specifying corn-related tags in one display and
bean-related tags in another, you can create one display and use tag
placeholders where tags are required.
At runtime, the placeholders must be replaced with the actual tag names for
the different corn and bean processes. To do this, you would specify the actual
tag names in parameter files or parameter lists, and then load the appropriate
file or list with the display.
Parameter files and parameter lists are loaded using the Display command
parameters /P and /T, respectively. For details, see the examples on Replacing
tag placeholders using parameter lists on page 301.
Creating a tag placeholder A tag placeholder is the cross-hatch character (#) followed by a number from 1
to 500. A tag placeholder can also contain wildcard characters and folder
names.
You can use a tag placeholder to specify a value for a graphic object instead of
(or as part of) specifying a tag name, expression, command, or embedded
variable.
In the following illustration, the tag placeholder #1 is the value assigned to a
numeric input object. In this case, the tag placeholder stands for the tag’s full
name, which will be provided at runtime or at test display mode.
You can also use one or more tag placeholders to specify parts of a complete
tag name. In #1\PV, for example, the tag placeholder #1 stands for the name of
the folder that contains an HMI tag named PV.
To specify the full tag name at runtime, you would only have to provide the
folder name in a parameter file or parameter list.
Replacing tag placeholders One way to replace tag placeholders in a graphic display with actual names at
runtime is to load a parameter file with the display.
using parameter files
The parameter file should contain one entry for each unique tag placeholder
in the display. For example, to replace #1 with a tag named corn/weight, you
would create a parameter file that specifies #1 = corn\weight.

Loading a parameter file You can specify a parameter file to load with the graphic display that opens
initially, when the FactoryTalk View SE Client starts up.
with the initial client
To do this, in the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard, select the display in the
display Initial display list. Then, in the Display parameters box, type /P followed by
the name of the parameter file to load with the display (for example, /PBeans).
Example: Replacing tag placeholders using a parameter file

To open a graphic display named Canning and replace tag placeholders in the
display with the names specified in a parameter file named Beans, you would
issue this command:
Display Canning/PBeans
Replacing tag placeholders Instead of using a parameter file to replace tag placeholders in a graphic
display, you can load a parameter list, using the /T parameter with the Display
using parameter lists command.
Example 1: Replacing tag placeholders with a list of tag names

To run a graphic display named Canning, with the tags Pea_Weight,
Pea_Level, and Pea_Temp, type:
Display Canning/TPea_Weight, Pea_Level, Pea_Temp
Example 2: Replacing tag placeholder with a list of folder names

The tag database contains these tags:
Corn\Weight Bean\Weight
Corn\Level Bean\Level
Corn\Temp Bean\Temp
Wherever the tags are needed, the placeholder #1 is used for the folder name,
as follows:
#1\Weight, #1\Level, #1\Temp
To run the display named Canning with the tags in the Corn folder, you would
type:
Display Canning /TCorn
To run the display named Canning with the tags in the Bean folder, you would
type:
Display Canning /TBean
Setting up tag placeholders Using tag placeholders in a global object lets you assign unique values to the
different reference objects linked to the global base object.
for global objects
To set this up, first you define the tag placeholder for the global base object,
and then you assign runtime values to the linked reference objects.
When displays containing the reference objects are run, the tag placeholder is
replaced with the value specified for each reference object.
For grouped reference objects, the value specified for the top-level object is
applied to every object comprising the group, that uses the same tag
placeholder.
If you do not assign a value to a tag placeholder at design time, you can
provide the value at runtime using either a parameter file, or the /T parameter
with the Display command. For information about using these methods, see
Replacing tag placeholders using parameter files on page 300 and Replacing
tag placeholders using parameter lists on page 301.
Defining tag placeholders You can use tag placeholders instead of (or as part of) a tag name, expression,
command, or embedded variable associated with a global object or group of
for use in reference objects objects.
These are the steps involved in setting up tag placeholders for global objects:
1. Define one or more tag placeholders at the global base object.
2. Create one or more reference objects linked to the base object.
For information about creating reference objects, see Creating global
objects on page 359.
3. For each reference object, assign a value to the tag placeholder (or
placeholders) defined at the base object.
You can assign a unique value to the same tag placeholder, for each
different reference object.
To define tag placeholders for the global base object:

1. Right-click the global base object (or group), and then select Global
Object Parameter Definitions.
2. In the Global Object Parameter Definitions dialog box, specify a tag
placeholder name (#1, for example) and optional description, as shown
in this illustration:

You can define multiple tag placeholders for a single global object or
group.
For grouped objects, the placeholder defined for the top-level object
applies to all objects in the group.
For details about options in the Global Object Parameter Definitions dialog
box, click Help.
To assign a value to a tag placeholder in a reference object:

1. Right-click the global reference object (or group), and then select
Global Object Parameter Values.
Tip: If there are no tag placeholders defined for the linked base object, the Global Object
Parameter Values dialog box is not available.
The Global Object Parameter Values dialog box shows the Name and
Description of all tag placeholders defined for the global base object, as
shown in the following illustration.
2. In the Value column, specify a value for each tag placeholder, either by
typing in the box or by clicking Tag to browse for and select a tag.
For details about options in the Global Object Parameter Values dialog box,
click Help.
Example: Assigning different values to the same placeholder in two

global reference objects
To assign different values to two global reference objects that are linked to the
same base object, follow these steps:
1. In the global object display, right-click the global base object (or
group), and then select Global Object Parameter Definitions.
Tip: If you select any of the individual objects in a group object, the Global Object Parameter
Definitions dialog box is not available.
2. In the Global Object Parameter Definitions dialog box, provide a tag
placeholder name. For this example, use #1.
3. Type a description for the tag placeholder, that indicates what type of
value to assign to the placeholder.

4. Right-click the global base object, and then select Global Object
Defaults.
5. In the Global Object Defaults dialog box, ensure that these options are
selected:
• For the LinkAnimation default, select Link with expressions.
• For the LinkConnections default, select True.
Click OK.
6. Create a global reference object, by copying the base object and then
pasting it into a standard graphic display (in the Displays folder).
7. Duplicate the reference object.
8. Right-click the first reference object, and then select Global Object
Parameter Values.
The Global Object Parameter Values dialog box shows the tag
placeholder name and description you set up for the global base object.
9. In the Value column beside tag placeholder #1, type a tag name, or click
the Tag button (...) to browse for and select a tag. Click OK.
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for the second reference object. To assign a
unique value, select a different tag.
Modifying global objects Modifying a global object that uses tag placeholders has various effects,
depending on the type of modification.
that use tag placeholders
Modifying grouped base objects:

Tag placeholders defined for a grouped base object are deleted, if the grouped
object is:
• Ungrouped.
• Regrouped with another object or group, to form a new grouped
object.
• Copied and then pasted into another grouped object.
Modifying tag placeholders defined for the base object:

Changes made to tag placeholder definitions at the global base object are
copied to linked reference objects, the next time the displays containing the
reference objects are opened or refreshed.
For example, when you add, delete, or change the description of a tag
placeholder for a base global object, the same change will take effect for any
linked reference objects, the next time the reference objects are updated.
Setting up the appearance Use the Display Settings dialog box to set up the appearance and behavior of a
graphic display. You can modify display settings at any time, while you are
and behavior setting up the contents of the display.

Setting up the properties of In the Properties tab of the Display Settings dialog box, you can specify:
a graphic display • How the display interacts with other displays at runtime.
• Whether multiple copies of the display can run simultaneously on the
same client.
• How displays are cached.
• What buttons and text show in the display’s title bar.
• How often the display is updated.
• The display’s size and position, and whether it can be resized at
runtime.
• Runtime security for the display.
• The display’s background color.
• If gradient style is used.
• If the display is tracked in the navigation history.
To open the Display Settings dialog box:

From the Edit menu, select Display Settings. You can also right-click an
empty area of the display, and then select Display Settings.
Specifying the display type You can set up the following display types in a FactoryTalk View application:

Replace is the default display type. If you want the graphic display to replace
other open displays when it opens, use the Replace option. A display of
Replace type closes displays that it overlaps. You don’t need to run separate
commands to close other open displays.
Overlay graphic displays will layer with other displays, overlapping some and
being overlapped by others as the focus changes between open displays. If the
display doesn’t need to replace other displays or appear on top at all times, use
the Overlay option.
For overlay displays, if you want the display always at the back, you can select
the check box, Keep at Back. However, it is recommended that you use the On
Top display type to control the layering of displays.
Overlay displays always appear behind On Top displays, and are replaced by
Replace displays. Use the Overlay type with care; keeping multiple displays
open at runtime can affect system performance.
On Top graphic displays will stay on top at all times, even if another display
has focus. If you want the display to always appear on top, use the On Top
option.
If more than one graphic display of the On Top type is open at once, the
display that appears on top is the one that has focus, or the one that had focus
most recently.
You can use the PullForward, PushBack, and SetFocus commands to cycle
through multiple On Top and Overlay displays at runtime. For more
information about these commands, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition
Help.
Allowing multiple running Use this option with graphic displays of type Overlay or On Top, to allow
multiple copies of the display to run simultaneously.
copies
For example, you can open two copies of the same display in different parts of
a FactoryTalk View SE Client window, by issuing the following commands:
Display PID /Q1
Display PID /Q2
PID is the name of a graphic display: the /Q1 parameter positions the first
copy of the display at the top-right corner of the window; the /Q2 parameter
positions the second copy at the top-left corner of the window.
If the Display command specifies a display that does not allow multiple
copies, and the display is already running, it is brought to the foreground
only.
If multiple copies of a display (or several separate displays) are running, use
the SetFocus command to bring any hidden displays to the foreground. A
display of type On Top is always at the front, regardless of which display has
focus.

For more information about commands used to navigate between displays at
runtime, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help.
Tip: To run multiple copies of displays without using the Allow Multiple Running Copies option, use
the Display command with different parameter files, for each copy of the display you want to run.
For more information, see Replacing tag placeholders using parameter files on page 300.
Caching displays Placing a graphic display in the cache makes the display appear more quickly
at runtime, every subsequent time it is opened, because it does not have to be
read from disk.
You can have up to 40 graphic displays in the cache. Place large or complex
displays in the cache, to minimize the use of system resources.
The Always Updating option keeps a cached display up to date, even when the
display is not visible. Use this option to update trend data continuously, or to
run VBA code in the background.
The Always Updating option affects the behavior of the display’s startup and
shutdown commands. For more information, see Specifying startup and
shutdown commands on page 311.
Tip: Cached displays consume memory. Always updating a cached display can add to
communications overhead, as data is retrieved for tags whose values might not be needed.
Setting up the title bar and You can set up a graphic display to have a title bar, so that operators can grab
and move the display at runtime.
other display attributes
If you provide a title for the display, the title will appear in the title bar instead
of the component name. You can also insert variables into title bar text. For
more information, see Creating embedded variables on page 423.
The following illustration shows the window style options that are available
when you select the Title Bar check box. To add or remove an item from the
title bar, select or clear the appropriate check box.
Scaling the graphic display You can set up a graphic display to resize automatically when it starts
running, so it fits the size of the FactoryTalk View SE Client main window.
When resized, the display is panned or scaled, depending on which option you
selected.

FactoryTalk View graphics are resolution independent. This means that no
matter what resolution you use to create graphic displays, they are resized
automatically to suit the monitor on which they are shown at runtime.
Showing the last known You can set up a graphic display to show the last known value for each HMI
tag in the display, until current values arrive from the programmable
values of HMI tags controller.
In many applications, selecting this option will help to show graphics more
quickly.
At runtime, if a display is not set up to show the last known value of HMI tags,
objects with values that have not yet been updated appear in outline form. The
outline indicates that data is not current, or is in error.
Graphic objects might appear in outline form the first time a display starts, if
the HMI tags used in the display are not initialized.
Once the tags are initialized and values arrive, the objects appear in their
normal form. However, if data is unavailable or in error, the objects will
remain in outline form.
Tip: The last acquired value can be shown for HMI tags only. For other kinds of tags, the last value
cannot be retained.
Setting the update rate for The maximum tag update rate is the fastest rate at which data servers can
send tag value changes to the graphic display.
tags
Set the update rate as fast as, or faster than, the rate at which the values of
tags used in the expressions change, unless it is desirable to miss changes in
tag values.
The default update rate is one second. This means that data servers will not
send tag value updates faster than once every second.
Viewing screen statistics of In the graphic editor, you can view the statistics information of a display,
including:
a display
• Total tags referenced
This includes all tags referenced in expressions, commands and
embedded variables of the current display.
Duplicated references of the same tag in an expression are counted as
one tag.
Each global object parameter used in an object is counted as one tag.
• Unique tags referenced
This includes all unique tags used in expressions, commands and
embedded variables of the current display.
• Number of Expressions used
• Number of Alarm functions used

This includes all FactoryTalk alarm and event functions.
• Number of Global Objects referenced
• Number of ActiveX Controls used
• Number of Security functions used
This includes all references to the security functions
CurrentUserHasGroup and CurrentComputerHasGroup.
• Number of referenced images
This includes all references to images that are listed under the Images
folder of FactoryTalk View Explorer window.
• Number of imported images
This includes all references to imported bitmap or icon files for the
button appearance.
Specifying the size of the You can use the current size of the display or specific the width and height in
pixels. Click Use Current Size to specify that the size of the display in the edit
graphic display
window will be its natural size at runtime. Click Specify Size in Pixels to
specify a width and height in pixels for the display. For more information,
refer to the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help.
Preventing scroll bars on If a graphic display is larger than the FactoryTalk View SE Client main
window, scroll bars will appear on the window when the display is started.
the main window
The scroll bars will remain on the window, even if subsequent displays are
small enough that scroll bars are not needed.
To minimize the need for scroll bars, the FactoryTalk View SE Client tries to
position all graphic displays within its main window, unless this placement is
explicitly overridden by the /X and /Y parameters of the Display command.
To prevent scroll bars, create all graphic displays smaller than the working
area in the FactoryTalk View SE Client main window.
Keep in mind that the size of the working area depends on several factors: the
monitor’s display resolution, whether the display has a title bar, the size of the
client window, and whether the client shows the Diagnostics List.
To ensure that the FactoryTalk View SE Client main window never has scroll
bars, for large displays, select the option, Size to Main Window at Runtime.
Tip: For smaller graphic displays not meant to fill the client window, do not use Size to Main Window
at Runtime, to avoid scroll bars. Instead, position smaller displays so that they are completely visible
within the client window.
Specifying the display’s Instead of setting up a graphic display to use its current size and position, you
can specify an exact size and position for the display at runtime.
position
If you do this, you can override the display settings by using size and position
parameters with the Display command. For details, see the FactoryTalk View
Site Edition Help.

Securing graphic display To restrict access to a graphic display, select a security code. For more
information about securing displays, see Setting up security on page 77.
Background color Select the background color for the graphic display from the color palette.
Using gradient style If you want the background to have a gradient look, select the Use gradient
style check box. When selected, clicking the background color shows the
gradient fill effects dialog box.
Tracking screens for You can include displays in the navigation history by selecting the Track
Screen for Navigation check box. When you select this check box, a text box is
navigation enabled where you can input an operator-friendly screen name to be shown
within the navigation history. If you do not specify a name, the actual display
name is used in the navigation history.
If you do not select this check box, the display will not be added to the
navigation history.
Setting up the runtime In the Behavior tab of the Display Settings dialog box, you can specify:
behavior of a graphic • Startup and shutdown commands.

• Colors for input fields.
display • The behavior of interactive objects, such as push buttons.
• The behavior of objects with input focus.
• Whether an on-screen keyboard is available, for systems that do not
have a hardware keyboard attached to them at runtime.

• Whether any actions defined for a Button push button object will
continue to work even if the defined animation for the object is in an
error state.
Specifying startup and To run commands when the graphic display starts or stops running, specify
display startup and shutdown commands, or macros.
shutdown commands
If you use the Always Updating option with the Cache After Displaying
option, the startup command is run when the display is loaded into the cache.
The shutdown command is run only when the cache is flushed. This happens
when:
• The FlushCache command is run.
• A user logs off the FactoryTalk View SE Client.
• The FactoryTalk View SE Client is closed.
For details about the FlushCache command, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Help.
Tip: The startup command runs before the display opens, so commands such as UploadAll or
RecipeRestore will not work as startup commands or in a startup macro.
The shutdown command runs after the display closes, so commands such as DownloadAll or
RecipeSave will not work as shutdown commands or in a shutdown macro.

Specifying colors for input At runtime, an operator can use input objects to read values from or write
values to programmable controllers and other devices.
objects
You can select the color an input object will have when selected, when not
selected, and when there is an operator input error.
Text color is the color of the text in the input object. Fill color is the
background color of the input object. To select a color, click the colored box to
open a palette, and then click a color to apply.
Choose colors for input objects that will stand out from the background color
of the display. Also choose different colors for selected objects, so that an
operator can tell when an object is selected, and when it is highlighted (see the
next sections).
Specifying the behavior of Interactive objects are objects an operator can interact with at runtime, using
a mouse, keyboard, or touch screen. A button with a press action is an
interactive objects example of an interactive object.
You can specify whether interactive objects in a graphic display beep when
pressed, whether they have a highlight box when the mouse passes over them,
and what color the highlight will be.
Specifying the behavior of Objects with input focus are ready to accept keyboard or mouse input.
objects with input focus You can specify whether objects with input focus in a graphic display have a
highlight box, and what color the highlight will be.
Using both types of You can choose to highlight only interactive objects, only objects with input
focus, or both types of object.
highlight in the same
An interactive object is highlighted when the mouse passes over it. An object
display that can take input focus is highlighted when it has focus. It is possible for
one object to show both types of highlight at the same time.
The following illustration shows what the two types of highlight might look
like in a graphic display.
When selecting highlight colors, be sure to pick colors that stand out from the
background of the display.

Showing the on-screen To show a keyboard at runtime, to interact with numeric input, string input,
and recipe objects in the graphic display, select the check box, Display
keyboard On-screen Keyboard.
The on-screen keyboard is typically used with systems that do not have a
hardware keyboard, such as systems that only use touch screens.
When the operator clicks or touches the selected object, or presses Enter on a
hardware keyboard, the on-screen keyboard is presented.
The keyboard for string input and recipe fields accepts alphanumeric
characters. The keypad for numeric input fields accepts numeric characters
only. For more information, see Parts of the on-screen keyboard on page 340.
Setting up displays to open If graphic displays are stored in the display cache, they open more quickly.
You can place up to 40 graphic displays in the cache.
more quickly
To cache a display, use one of these methods:
• Use the Cache After Displaying option in the Display Settings dialog
box. For details, click Help in the dialog box.
• Use the [cache ] parameter with the Display command.
The [cache ] parameter loads a graphic display into the cache without
displaying it. The parameter has two options:
• /Z loads the graphic display into the cache without opening it. When
the display is called up subsequently, it opens quickly.
• /ZA loads the display into the cache and continually updates the
values in the display, even when the display is not visible.
For details about the Display command, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Help.
Removing displays from the To remove all graphic displays from the display cache, run the FlushCache
command, or close the FactoryTalk View SE Client.
cache
To remove a specific graphic display from the cache, run FlushCache <file>,
where <file> is the name of the display you want to remove. For details, see the
FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help.
If a graphic display uses the Always Updating option with the Cache After
Displaying option, the display’s shutdown command is run when the
FlushCache command is run, or when you close the application.
Changing the default When you begin using the Graphics editor to create graphic displays for an
application, the values already specified in the Display Settings dialog box are
display settings used as default values.
For example, the Display Type property is set to Replace, the Title Bar property
is selected (meaning the display will have a title bar), and the Background
Color property is set to white.
All the new displays you create will have these initial default settings.

To change the default settings for new graphic displays:

1. Create a new display, and change its display settings to the desired
default values.
Tip: When you make certain changes, the Set as Default button changes to Apply. This lets
you apply the changes to the current display without closing the Display Settings dialog box.
It does not affect the default display settings.
2. Click OK to save the changes and to close the Display Settings dialog
box.
3. Open the Display Settings dialog box again, and then click Set as
Default at the bottom of the dialog box.
The values selected for the previous display become default settings for
new displays.
Docking displays to the At runtime, graphic displays can be docked to an edge of the FactoryTalk View
FactoryTalk View SE Client SE Client window, so that operators can gain access to the displays at all
times.
window
For example, you might consider docking:
• Navigational menus that provide operators with ways to move among
displays in an application.
• Headers or banners that provide specific information to the operator,
such as the current user’s name and area, or information about alarms.
• Control panels, that contain standard buttons for special purposes,
such as changing users, closing open windows, or sending information
to a maintenance team.
Command parameters for To dock graphic displays, run the Display command.
docking displays The following table shows the command and its associated functions.
To dock a display in this position Use this parameter
Top edge of the client window /DT
Bottom edge of the client window /DB
Left edge of the client window /DL
Right edge of the client window /DR
To let an operator dock a graphic display, provide a button object in another

display, that uses the Display command with one of the docking parameters
as its press action.
In the FactoryTalk View SE Client Wizard, you can also specify a docking
parameter for the initial display that runs when the client starts up.
Tip: The Display command parameters /B, /Min., /Max, /X, and /Y are ignored when specified with
a docking parameter. For more information, see the FactoryTalk View Site Edition Help.

Example: Using the Display command to dock a display after the

FactoryTalk View SE Client starts up
To dock a display named Menu to the top edge of the SE Client window after
the client starts up, create a button in the initial display that uses this
command as its press action:
Display Menu /DT
When the operator presses the button, the display will attach to the top of the
window.
About the appearance and When you open a graphic display using one of the docking parameters,
certain display settings are ignored. For example, regardless of what is
behavior of docked displays specified in the Display Settings dialog box, a docked display:
• Has no borders or scroll bars.
• Has no title bar (and therefore no minimize, maximize, or close
buttons).
• Cannot be undocked or moved.
• Cannot be resized, independent of the FactoryTalk View SE Client
window.
Tip: Changing the width of the client window changes the width of displays docked at the top
or bottom of the window. Changing the height of the window changes the height of displays
docked at the left or right.
If a graphic display is set up to pan or scale, to allow multiple running copies,

or to cache after displaying, these settings will still apply when the display is
docked.
Docking multiple displays in You can also run more than one docked display in the same position, if the
additional displays are the Overlay or On Top type.
the same position
For example, if you use /DT to dock a menu to the top of the client window,
and then use /DT to open another display, as long as the second display is of
the type Overlay or On Top type, it will run directly beneath the first.
If you dock a Replace type of display, it will close any other displays running in
the same position. For more about display type, see Specifying the display type
on page 305.
Running other displays in The size and position of docked graphic displays in the FactoryTalk View
SE Client window determines where in the window other graphic displays
the available client area can run.
For example, if you dock a display named Menu at the top of the SE Client
window, and then run a display named Line1, it will run in the area not
occupied by the docked display.
If Line1 is larger than the available client area, scroll bars will be provided for
gaining access to the hidden portion of the display. If you opened Line1 first,

and then ran the Menu display with a docking parameter, Line1 would be
repositioned in the client window, to accommodate the Menu display.
In the following illustration, the FactoryTalk View SE Client window contains
three docked menus (top, left, and bottom), and a graphic display named
Primary Treatment is running in the available client area.
Closing docked displays Use the Abort command to close docked displays individually, or to close all
docked displays, and any other displays running in the FactoryTalk View
SE Client window.
Example: Closing an individual docked display

To provide the operator with a way to close a docked display named Menu,
create a button in the display that uses this command as its press action:
Abort Overview
When the operator presses the button, the Menu display will close.
Example: Closing all docked displays

To provide the operator with a way to close all docked displays, along with any
other displays running in the FactoryTalk View SE Client window, create a
client key that uses this command as its press action:
Abort * /D
When the operator presses the key, all running displays will close.
Tip: The Abort command’s /D parameter, which closes any docked displays, is valid only when used
with Abort *.

Printing displays at runtime To let an operator print graphic displays at runtime, when you create the
displays, provide a way for the operator to run the PrintDisplay command.
For example, create a button object, display key, or client key with the
PrintDisplay command as the press action.
When you use the PrintDisplay command, FactoryTalk View prints the entire
display, including parts that are covered by other displays. To print an image
of whatever shows on a specified monitor, use the ScreenPrint command.
For more information about the commands, see the FactoryTalk View Site
Edition Help.

Chapter 16
Creating graphic objects
This chapter describes how to use, create, and set up the graphic objects
available in FactoryTalk View Site Edition.
For information about using the Graphics editor, and creating and setting up
graphic displays, see Creating graphic displays on page 271.
Types of graphic objects In FactoryTalk View Studio, in the Graphics editor, you can create the
following types of graphic objects:
• Drawing objects are geometric and freehand objects, images, panels,
and text. Drawing objects are the only FactoryTalk View graphic
objects that do not use data connections. For more information, see
Creating the different types of drawing objects on page 321.
• Push button objects are typically used to start or stop processes or
actions. For more information, see Creating the different types of push
buttons on page 328.
• Numeric and string objects are used for entering or displaying
numbers or text. For more information, see Creating the different
types of data display and input objects on page 337.
• Indicator objects show the status of a process or operation by showing
colors, captions, images, or options to indicate different states. For
more information, see Creating the different types of indicators on
page 342.
• Gauge and graph objects show a range of values, and relationships
between variables. For more information, see Creating the different
types of gauges and graphs on page 343.
• Key objects represent keys on a keyboard, and are for use with touch
screens. For more information, see Using key objects to simulate
keyboard functions on page 345.
• Advanced objects provide ways for operators to monitor, analyze, and
interact with application data at runtime. For more information, see
Creating the different types of advanced objects on page 347.
• Trending objects, including Trend and TrendPro, provides operators
with a way to track plant activity as it is happening. For information
about creating trend objects, see Setting up trends on page 445.
• Alarm and Event objects such as the alarm and event summary and the
alarm status explorer, provide ways for FactoryTalk View SE users to
monitor and control FactoryTalk Alarms and Events. For information
about the Alarm and Event objects, see Setting up FactoryTalk alarms
on page 183.

Chapter 16 Creating graphic objects
• OLE objects such as spreadsheets, charts, or text, are produced by
other Windows applications. The OLE objects that are available depend
on the software installed on the system. For information, see Working
with OLE objects on page 364.
• ActiveX objects such as gauges, or sliders, can be created using a tool
like Visual Basic or purchased from a third-party vendor, and then set
up to initiate an action in FactoryTalk View. For more information, see
Working with ActiveX object on page 365 and Animating ActiveX
• Import objects such as graphics from file.
• Symbol Factory a library of graphic objects that can be imported into a
Graphic Display.
About global objects You can create a FactoryTalk View global object to link the appearance and
behavior of one graphic object to multiple copies of the object in the same
application.
Any graphic object you can create in FactoryTalk View can be a global object,
except for ActiveX controls and OLE objects. For more information, see
Creating global objects on page 359.
For information about global object displays, see Creating graphic displays on
page 271.
Setting up the properties of After creating a graphic object, you can use the Properties dialog box to set up
its appearance and behavior.
graphic objects
Opening the Properties dialog box:

To open the Properties dialog box for an object, use one of these methods:
• For some objects, the Properties dialog box opens directly, when you
create the object.
• For other objects, you open the Properties dialog box by
double-clicking the object after you create it.
• You can also right-click the object, and then select Properties.

The following illustration shows the Properties dialog box for a polygon
object.
In the Properties dialog box, the features of the object are organized in tabs.
The number of tabs and their contents depend on the type of object. For
details about options in any Properties dialog box, click Help.
Setting up properties There is a Common tab in the Properties dialog box for every FactoryTalk
View graphic object. Use the Common tab to set up these properties for the
common to all objects object:
• Height and width
• Top and left position
• Name
• Tooltip
• Visibility
For ActiveX objects, trends, and Alarm and Event objects, you can also set up
these properties:
• Focus highlight
• Pointer highlight
• Key navigation
• Tab index
Creating different types of To draw simple objects such as lines, rectangles, and ellipses, in the Graphics
editor, select drawing tools from the Objects menu or toolbar.
drawing objects
The drawing tool for an object has the name of the object. To draw a rectangle
or square, for example, select the Rectangle tool.
After selecting a drawing tool, draw the object by dragging the tool, or by
clicking end points. You can draw rectangles, ellipses, and arcs only by
dragging; you can draw polylines and polygons only by clicking end points.
Drawing a rectangle or Use to draw a rectangle or square.

square

To draw a rectangle:
• Drag diagonally, until the rectangle is the desired size.
To draw a square:
• Press Ctrl while you drag .

Drawing a rounded
Use to draw a rectangle with rounded corners.
rectangle
To draw a rounded rectangle:
• Drag diagonally, until the rounded rectangle is the desired size.
To change a rounded rectangle into a right-angle rectangle:

1. Position the pointer on the small box shown inside the rounded
rectangle.
If the box is not visible, right-click the rounded rectangle, and then
click Edit.
2. Drag the drawing tool until the rectangle is the desired shape.
Drawing a polyline or A polyline is a series of connected line segments. A polygon is a closed polyline
polygon shape.
To draw a polyline or polygon:
1. Drag or to create the first segment of the object.

To draw horizontal or vertical lines (not diagonal lines), press Ctrl
while you drag.
2. Release the mouse button.
3. Move the Polygon or Polyline tool to where the angle of the object is to
be, and then click the left mouse button.
Repeat this step until the object is completed.

4. To finish drawing, click the Select tool.
Drawing an ellipse or circle
Use to draw an ellipse or circle.
To draw an ellipse:
• Drag diagonally, until the ellipse is the desired size.
To draw a circle:
• Press Ctrl while you drag .

Drawing an arc or wedge Arcs and wedges are drawn in two steps: first you create an ellipse or circle,
and then you reshape the ellipse or circle.
You can also use the Arc and Wedge tools to reshape existing arcs, ellipses, or
wedges.
To draw the arc or wedge:
1. Drag or to draw a circle.

2. Release the mouse button.

3. Click a handle, and drag the Arc or Wedge tool to cut out part of the
circle.
To draw the arc or wedge in 45-degree increments, press Ctrl while you
draw.
Changing the properties of You can change the properties of drawing objects:
drawing objects • In the object’s Properties dialog box
• In the Property Panel. For details, see Viewing object properties in the
Property Panel on page 275.
• Using the Foreground Color and Background Color palettes, and the
Pattern Style toolbar. For details, see Applying colors on page 287.
All drawing objects, except for text, image, and panel objects, have the same
properties. Line objects do not take patterns.
For details about setting up a drawing object, click Help in its Properties
dialog box.
To open the Properties dialog box:

Double-click the object, or right-click the object, and then select Properties.
Creating text objects Use the Text tool to draw a text object. You can then create the text and
set up its appearance in the Text Properties dialog box.
Choosing text fonts You can choose a font before or after you create text, and change the font of
any object, including objects that display data or have captions.
When choosing a font, style, size, and color for text, keep the following design
principles in mind:
• Choose a font that was designed for on-screen viewing. Examples
include Arial, Arial Narrow, Trebuchet MS, and Verdana. You can
download these and other fonts free of charge, from the Microsoft
Typography web site.
• TrueType and OpenType fonts are recommended because they can be
resized easily, without losing text quality.
• Choose only one or two fonts, and use them for all the graphic displays
in an application.
• Choose a font size that can be read easily. Test the font size, and adapt
it to the screen resolution the operator will see at runtime.

• To save screen space, use a condensed font such as Arial Narrow,
which fits more characters per line, rather than reducing the font size.
• Sans-serif typefaces are easier to read at small sizes and lower
resolutions on the screen than serif typefaces. For example, for normal
text use Arial rather than Times New Roman.
• Use high-contrast color combinations, such as yellow on blue, rather
than low-contrast combinations like black on green.
• Use colors with recognizable meanings. For example, in some
countries the colors red and green mean stop and start.
Keep color meanings consistent by assigning red only to Stop buttons,
and green only to Start buttons.
• Ensure that the fonts used in graphic displays are installed on all
computers where the displays will run.
If a font is not installed, Windows substitutes one that is installed,
possibly with unsatisfactory results.
Creating a panel Use the Panel graphic object to draw rectangles and squares that have
borders.
The panel object supports visibility animation. You can also set up panel
objects to blink at runtime. For details, click Help in the Panel Properties
dialog box.
Adding images into graphic To add an image into a graphic display, you can:
displays • Place an image to be used in several displays.

• Import images into graphic displays.
• Paste an image copied from another application.
Placing images in graphic Use the Image graphic object to place a bitmap, JPEG, PNG, or SVG image in a
graphic display.
displays
If the image is monochrome (1 bit per pixel, 2 colors), you can change its color,
background color, and transparency, and you can make it blink at runtime.
For monochrome images, the background color becomes transparent when
you change the Image back style to Transparent.
For color images, any area of the image that is black becomes transparent
when you change the Image back style to Transparent.
Adding images to an Images you add to an application can be inserted in graphic displays over and
over again. If you modify the original image, all displays that use the image
application are updated automatically.
To add an image you want to use in several displays, add it to the application
using the Image tool, or add the image to the Images folder in FactoryTalk
View Studio, in the Explorer window.
When you add an image using the Image Browser, the image appears
automatically in the Explorer window, and vice versa.

You can add an image to an application when you place it in a graphic display
or before you place it in the display. For more information, click Help in the
Image Browser.
Importing images into FactoryTalk View can read BMP, PNG, and JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jif, .jfif) files
in their original format, without requiring conversion.
graphic displays
When you import an image, FactoryTalk View converts .gif, .tif, .pcx, and .jpg
images to the Windows .bmp format. Vector images in .dxf and .wmf formats
are converted to FactoryTalk View graphic objects.
For details, see Importing graphic files from third-party applications on page
296.
Pasting images into graphic You can also add an image to a graphic display by copying the image to the
Windows clipboard from another application, and then pasting it into the
displays display.
To paste an image from the clipboard, open the display in the Graphics editor,
and then, from the Edit menu, select Paste Special.
Techniques for working Graphic objects that an operator can interact with at runtime, using a mouse,
keyboard, or touch screen, are called interactive objects.
with objects that use data
Examples of interactive objects are a numeric input object, a button that has a
press action, and a rectangle object with touch animation.
Specifying tag names At runtime, interactive objects obtain data from tags. When creating
interactive objects, you specify the name of the tag (or a tag placeholder) that
will supply the object with data.
Supplying a tag name:

To supply a tag name, use one of these methods:
• Type the name of the tag. You do not have to create the tag in order to
use its name, but be sure to create the tag later, or errors will be
reported at runtime.
• Click the Browse or Tags button (whichever is available) to open the
Tag Browser, where you can select or create a tag.
For more information about working with tags and the Tag Browser, see
Working with tags on page 161.
Determining which objects At runtime, the object with focus in a graphic display is surrounded by a
highlight box, unless the check box, Disable Highlight When Object has
have input focus Focus, is selected in the Display Settings dialog box for the display.

In the Display Settings dialog box, you can also specify the highlight color. For
more information, see Specifying the behavior of objects with input focus on
page 312.
Focus highlight for ActiveX and trend objects

For ActiveX and trend objects, use the Common tab in the object’s Properties
dialog box to specify whether to display a highlight.
If the check box, Disable Highlight When Object has Focus, is selected for the
graphic display, that setting overrides what is specified for the ActiveX or
trend object, in its Properties dialog box.
Using the keyboard to If a mouse or touch screen is not connected to the computer at runtime, the
operator can use the keys on a keyboard or keypad to select (give focus to)
select objects that can take these objects:
focus • Push button objects
• Numeric and string input objects
• Control list selectors, piloted control list selectors, and display list
selectors
• Trends
• FactoryTalk Alarm and Event objects, including alarm and event
summaries, banners, status explorers, and the log viewer.
• Third-party ActiveX input objects
Use the following keys to move to and select a different object:
To do this Press
Move from the upper left to the lower right Tab
Move from the lower right to the upper left Shift + Tab
Move left, right, up, or down Ctrl + arrow key
When a graphic display opens, of the objects that can have input focus, the
object that has a tab index of 1 is selected initially.
Tip: If all of the objects in a display are continuously updating input objects, none of the objects will
receive initial focus. Instead, the operator must select an input object to give it focus. For more
information, see Updating tag values continuously on page 338.

Removing objects from the By default, you can use the Tab and arrow keys to navigate to objects that can
have input focus in a graphic display.
tab sequence
You can also turn off key navigation for objects that take input focus, except
for push buttons, recipe objects and input objects.
When an object’s key navigation is turned off, an operator can still select the
object using a mouse or touch screen, if one is available.
Turning off key navigation:

To turn off key navigation, use one of these methods:
• For display list and control list selectors, open the object’s Properties
dialog box, click the General tab, and then clear the check box, Key
navigation.
• For ActiveX objects, trends, and Alarm and Event objects, open the
object’s Properties dialog box, click the Common tab, and then clear
the check box, Key navigation.
• In the Property Panel for the object, click the Properties tab, and then
set the KeyNavigation property to False.
Creating different types of Push buttons start or stop processes or actions and change tag values. You can
create the following types of push buttons, depending on the needs of the
push buttons
application:
• Button objects can change tag values, or run FactoryTalk View
commands.
• Momentary push buttons change a tag to one value when the button is
pressed, and another value when the button is released.
Momentary push buttons work like the Pulse button on a food
processor, but with an indicator light to signal whether the motor is
running or stopped. The machine is on only while the button is held
down. When the button is released, the machine turns off.
Momentary push buttons can be set up to start and stop a machine or
process.
• Maintained push buttons switch between two values.
This type of button is useful for changing a setting within a machine or
process, but not for starting the machine or process. For example, use
the maintained push button for changing modes, such as Auto to
Manual, or Metric to Imperial.
• Latched push buttons lock in the on position, and must be unlocked by
another button or process to return to the off position. This type of
button is useful for starting a machine or process.
• Multistate push buttons let an operator cycle through multiple options
consecutively, using a single button that displays the current state of a

process or operation. Each state can be represented by a different
color, caption, or image.
• Interlocked push buttons work in groups, and share the same tag. The
buttons work together like the preset station selector buttons on a car
radio: pressing one button cancels another. Although interlocked push
buttons work as a group, you add them to the display one at a time.
• Ramp push buttons increase or decrease the value of a tag by either an
integer or floating point value. You can use two ramp buttons together
to create an increase/decrease control, for example for the speed of a
motor.
• Navigation push buttons can be configured to let the operator perform
the following actions: show previous display screen, show next display
screen, and show a list of previously shown screens.
For details about setting up a push button, click Help in the object’s Properties
dialog box.
Note: Never use push buttons for emergency stops. Always hard-wire emergency stop buttons.
Creating button push Use the Button tool to create push buttons that work like standard
Windows buttons.
buttons
You can assign FactoryTalk View commands to buttons, so they trigger
actions when pressed and released.
You can also attach different types of animation to a button, except for fill,
rotation and touch animation. For more information, see Animating graphic
Setting up button properties In the Button Properties dialog box:

• In the General tab, specify general characteristics of the button
including style, index number, runtime focus highlight, and whether
the cursor is captured when the button is pressed.
• In the Action tab, set up how the button will behave when the user
presses, holds, and releases it at runtime, and whether to show a
confirmation or electronic signature dialog box before actions are
performed.
• In the Up Appearance tab, specify what the button looks like when it is
not pressed.
• In the Down Appearance tab, specify what the button looks like when
it is pressed.

• In the Disabled Appearance tab, specify what the button looks like
when it is in the disable state.
Creating momentary push Use the Momentary Push Button tool to create a button that starts a
buttons process or action.
A momentary push button changes a tag to one value when pressed, and to
another value when released. You can specify values for the press and release
actions, or the momentary push button can have these states:
• Normally open means the released state of the button is off: when the
button is pressed, the tag’s value is set to 1; when the button is released,
the tag’s value is set to zero. Pressing the button completes the circuit.
• Normally closed means the released state of the button is on: when the
button is pressed, the tag’s value is set to 0; when the button is
released, the tag’s value is set to 1. Pressing the button breaks the
circuit.
Setting up momentary push In the Momentary Push Button Properties dialog box:
button properties • In the General tab, specify the general appearance for all states of the
momentary push button at runtime, and what type of action the

button performs.
• In the States tab, specify the appearance and behavior of the button for
each state, when it is pressed and released.
• In the Connections tab, specify the tags or the expression the button
will use for transferring data.
Creating maintained push

Use the Maintained Push Button tool to create a button that changes a
buttons setting in a machine or process.
When first pressed, the maintained push button changes a tag to one value.
When pressed and released a second time, the button changes the tag to
another value.
Maintained push buttons are not useful for starting or stopping a machine or
process.
Setting up maintained push In the Maintained Push Button Properties dialog box:
button properties • In the General tab, specify the general appearance and touch margins
of the button, how it changes states, and whether an audio signal is
produced when it is pressed.
• In the States tab, specify the appearance and behavior of the button for
each state, when it is pressed and released.

Creating latched push Use the Latched Push Button tool to create a button that latches in the
buttons on position, and must be unlatched by another button or process to return to
the off position. This type of button is useful for starting a machine or
process.
The Handshake tag must be set back to zero before the operator can press the
latched push button again.
Setting up latched push In the Latched Push Button Properties dialog box:
of the button, its latch reset type, and whether an audio signal is
• In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is latched and
unlatched.

Creating multistate push Use the Multistate Push Button tool to create a button an operator can
buttons use to view and cycle through multiple options consecutively.
The multistate push button displays the current state of a process or
operation, by showing a different color, caption, or image to reflect different
states.
Each time the operator presses the button, the tag changes to the value for the
next state. If the button is in its last state when the operator presses it, the
button returns to its first state.
Setting up multistate push In the Multistate Push Button Properties dialog box:
of the button, how it changes states, and whether an audio signal is
• In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is pressed and
released.
• In the Timing tab, set up whether the button is to repeat automatically
when the operator presses and holds it down. You can also set up
repeat rate for the button.

• In the E-Signature tab, specify whether to show a electronic signature
dialog box before actions are performed.
About the runtime error Momentary, maintained, latched, and multistate push buttons display an
error state when:
state
• The Value tag is unassigned.
• The display opens, if the Value tag does not match one of the specified
state values.
• The Indicator tag or expression does not match one of the specified
state values.
For details about push button states, click Help in the Properties dialog boxes.
Creating interlocked push

Use the Interlocked Push Button tool to create multiple buttons, one at
buttons a time, that work together in a group and share the same tag.
The buttons work together like the preset station selector buttons on a car
radio: pressing one button cancels another. When the operator presses one of
the interlocked push buttons, the button’s Value tag changes to one value.
When the operator presses a different interlocked button, the buttons’ Value
tag changes to another value. All the buttons share the same Value tag.

Setting up interlocked push In the Interlocked Push Button Properties dialog box:
of the button, its value, and whether an audio signal is produced when
it is pressed.
• In the States tab, specify what the button does when it is pressed and
released.
Creating ramp push buttons Use the Ramp Button tool to create a button that an operator can use to
increase or decrease the value of a tag.
Ramp push buttons can change a tag by either an integer or floating point
value. You can use two ramp buttons together to create an increase/decrease
control.
Each time the operator presses the button, the tag changes to the next highest
or next lowest value, depending on how you set up the button.
Some data servers do not impose a minimum or maximum limit on the value
of a tag. Set the upper and lower limits of the ramp push button to limit the
range of values the operator can send to the data server

Setting up ramp push In the Ramp Push Button Properties dialog box:
button properties • In the General tab, specify the general appearance of the button, the
action the button performs, and whether an audio signal is produced
when it is pressed.
• In the Label tab, create a caption and select an image for the button.
• In the Timing tab, set up whether the button action will repeat
automatically, when the operator holds the button down. You can also
set up the repeat rate.
Creating navigation push Use the Navigation Button tool to create a button that an operator can
use to create buttons that navigate between the opened graphic displays.
buttons
A navigation push button can perform three types of actions:
• DisplayPreviousScreen opens the previous graphic display in the
navigation history when the button is clicked.
• DisplayNextScreen opens the next graphic display in the navigation
history when the button is clicked.
• DisplayNavigationHistory shows a list of previously opened screens
when the button is clicked.

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Chapter 12 Setting up language switching

2. In the Language Configuration dialog box, in the General tab, click

To change the default language:

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To export text strings in an application:

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In the da-DK column, **REF:104** indicates a duplicate instance of the

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If a string has been translated elsewhere in the spreadsheet, the optimization

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The differences are:

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The file is sorted alphabetically by component name, and then numerically by

must be entered in the string file as:

Importing text containing multiple sets of double quotes

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is shown in the application as:

Importing text containing multiple backslashes:

is imported into the application as:

To import text strings into an application:

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To switch application languages at design time:

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To set up support for multiple languages in a graphic library shipped

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To remove support for multiple languages in a new graphic library:

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Setting up FactoryTalk system availability

This chapter describes:

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To open the Server Status dialog box:

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To check the status of the Network Directory server:

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Example: An application with two redundant HMI server pairs

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For information about FactoryTalk View SE requirements that might affect

To specify the Network Directory location:

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To set up redundancy options:

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To manually replicate the changes:

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Ensuring that macros finish running:

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To switch the Active and Standby HMI servers:

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To set up the User Rights Assignment for switching servers:

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In the da-DK column, REF:104 indicates a duplicate instance of the