Appearance Object Editor User's Guide: Foxboro Evo Process Automation System
Appearance Object Editor User's Guide: Foxboro Evo Process Automation System
*B0750AE* *F*
B0750AE
Rev F
December 15, 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this documentation shall be
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without the prior written permission of the Invensys Systems, Inc. No
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information contained herein. Although every precaution has been
taken in the preparation of this documentation, the publisher and the
author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the
information contained herein.
The information in this documentation is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Invensys
Systems, Inc. The software described in this documentation is
furnished under a license or nondisclosure agreement. This software
may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of these
agreements.
Trademarks
Invensys, ArchestrA, Foxboro, Foxboro Evo, I/A Series, InFusion,
Wonderware, Foxboro Evo logo and Invensys logo are trademarks of
Invensys plc, its subsidiaries and affiliates.
All other brand names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
iii
Contents
Before You Begin ................................................v
About This Book .................................................................................... v
Revision Information.............................................................................. v
Reference Documents ............................................................................ v
Documentation Specific to the Foxboro Evo Control Software......... v
Index ..................................................................41
Revision Information
For this release of this document (B0750AE, Rev. F), the following changes
were made:
Global
• Updated product names and references to support the release of the
Foxboro Evo Process Automation System.
Reference Documents
Since Foxboro Evo Control Software (hereinafter referred to as the Control
software) is based on the ArchestrA® architecture and incorporates several
Wonderware® products, much of the documentation written by Wonderware is
relevant. In addition, there are documents that describe features specific to the
Control software. Below is a list of documents that can provide additional
information that is beyond the scope of this document. These documents can
be accessed from the Global Customer Support Web Site:
http://support.ips.invensys.com
C H A P T E R 1
Appearance Objects
Contents
• Invensys Appearance Objects
• Modifying the Appearance Object
• Selecting an Alternate Appearance Object
Deployed State
Contained Name
Title Area
Execution Order
Block Type
Connection Point
Left Port Area
Right Port Area
Information Area
Title Area
The title area at the top of the object includes the following elements:
• Tagname at the top of the title area ($PIDA_FF in Figure 1-1) displays
the tagname in strategy instances. This is the name used in the runtime
system when the block is deployed.
• Contained name shown in square brackets on the second line of the title
area is the name of the block in strategy templates. The contained name
provides the default tagname when a strategy instance is created from the
template.
• Type is the base template from which the block was originally derived.
$PIDA on the third line in Figure 1-1 is the base template for the PIDA
block.
• Deployed state indicates whether the block instance or strategy instance
has been deployed to the run-time system: U for undeployed, D for
deployed, and M for blocks that have been modified since deployment and
need to be re-deployed to implement the changes in the run-time system.
The deployed state is not displayed in strategy templates.
• Execution order indicates when the block or strategy will execute relative
to other blocks in the strategy.
Ports Area
The left and right port areas include connectable parameters most likely to be
used in the strategy-inputs on the left and outputs on the right. The blue x
adjacent to the parameter name marks the connection point. When the block is
selected in the Strategy Editor, the connections points are displayed as yellow
diamonds (Figure 1-2). The default parameters can be moved to the other port
area, rearranged within the area, or removed from the display, and other
connectable parameters can be added to either area. You cannot change the
parameters selection or placement in the Appearance Object Editor, if the
Information Area
The information area at bottom of the object is used to display values for
selected parameters. In the Appearance Object Editor, parameters can be added
to this area if the appearance object is not locked in a defining template; in the
Strategy Editor, parameters can be added to this area at any time.
Adding Blocks
Figure 1-2 shows the method of using appearance object in the Strategy Editor
to represent a block. In the example, a PIDA block has just been added to a
strategy template. To add a block to a strategy:
• Drag the template name from the Template Toolbox and drop it in
Strategy Editor window.
Other blocks (and strategies) can now be added to the strategy, and parameters
can be connected to other block parameters or declared variables. Figure 1-3
shows a second PIDA block added to the strategy. Four declared variables have
been connected to the block inputs and outputs, and the blocks have been
connected so that the second PIDA provides back-calculation input to the first
block. The present order of block execution reflects when the blocks were
inserted into the strategy, and can be changed in the Execution Order tab.
The strategy has its own appearance object to represent it when it is inserted
into another strategy. The appearance object can be viewed and modified in the
Strategy Editor’s Appearance Object tab.
Figure 1-4 shows the appearance object for the strategy that is depicted in
Figure 1-3, which has three input declarations (Initialize, Primary, and
Secondary) and a single output declaration (Out_1). These attributes are
displayed on the appearance object in the left and right ports. If the strategy has
been saved after the addition of the declarations, they are automatically added
to the default appearance object. If the declared attributes have not been saved,
they can be added to the appearance object as described in “Adding
Parameters” on page 18.
Title Area
Information Area
2. Click the page control tab for the desired appearance object and click OK.
The Appearance Object window closes and the selected appearance object
replaces the initial object in the Strategy Editor window. Connections
made with the previous appearance object are maintained.
See “Selecting and Updating Appearance Objects in a Strategy” on page 34 for
additional information on updating appearance objects in strategies.
C H A P T E R 2
Contents
• Appearance Object Editor Tab
• Editing an Invensys Appearance Object
• Creating an Invensys-defined Appearance Object
• Creating a Custom Appearance Object
• Configuring Multiple Appearance Objects
Note Note that the image has been modified to show multiple components
that normally are not displayed simultaneously; for example, the Default and
Edit command buttons, which are mutually exclusive, are both shown as
active.
Lock/Unlock
Toolbars
Drawing
Page
Command
Buttons
Default
Appearance
Object
Stencil
Appearance Object
page controls
Page Controls
When an object is opened for the first time, the Appearance Object Editor tab
displays the default Invensys-defined appearance object on the drawing page in
the editing window. A page control tab at the bottom of the window
(AppObject_1 in Figure 2-1) identifies the object and provides a context menu
for adding other appearance objects, each on a separate page. In Figure 2-1,
PIDA_Reg and PIDA_Alarm have been added to the configuration. Refer to
“Configuring Multiple Appearance Objects” on page 33 for information about
adding, naming, deleting, and prioritizing multiple appearance objects.
Toolbars
At the top of the editor are two rows of icons and combination boxes providing
various editing tools and viewing options. The rows comprise several toolbars
that are used in the Control Editors Graphical Editor. These same tools are
available in the Strategy Editor to enable modification of individual objects in
the Strategy tab.
Refer to Common Graphical Editor Features User’s Guide (B0750AG) for a
detailed description of these tools.
Lock/Unlock Control
The padlock icon, which is on the right side below the toolbars and above the
command buttons, indicates whether or not the appearance object can be
modified in the current template and in templates objects derived from it:
The appearance object configuration is unlocked, and can be
modified in templates derived from this object. Click the icon to
lock the configuration.
The appearance object configuration is locked, and cannot be
modified in templates that are derived from this object. However,
the defining template object can be modified. Click the icon to
unlock the configuration.
The appearance object configuration has been locked in the defining
template from which this object was derived. The configuration
cannot be modified in the current object. The command buttons,
including Default, are inactive.
Locking does not apply to the modifications that can be made to an appearance
object in the Strategy Editor. For example, you can always add or remove
parameters in the Strategy Editor, even when such changes cannot be made to
object in the Appearance Object Editor.
Appearance objects can be inherited from a parent block or strategy or can be
unique to a derived block or strategy. This is illustrated in Figure 2-2 and
discussed below.
Appearance Object 1
Appearance Object 1
The appearance object of the derived blocks will have the following properties:
1. If the appearance object is locked in the parent block, derived blocks will
derive the appearance object from their parent.
2. If the appearance object is unlocked in the parent block, derived blocks
will derive the appearance object from the parent unless it is modified
locally. That means, appearance object for a block template is created for
itself only when it is modified. Until that point, it will continue to use its
parent's appearance object.
The appearance object of the derived strategies will have the following
properties:
1. If the appearance object is locked in the parent strategy, derived strategies
will derive the appearance object from their parent.
2. If the appearance object is unlocked in the parent strategy, derived
strategies will derive the appearance object from the parent unless it is
modified locally. That means, appearance object for a strategy template is
created for itself only when it is modified. Until that point, it will continue
to use its parent's appearance object.
Command Buttons
Table 2-1. Command Buttons
Shapes Window
The Shapes window is opened when Create Frame is selected (in either the
InFusion or Custom group). The window displays the PortAreas stencil. The
stencil consists of drawing elements called masters. When you drag a master
from the stencil and drop it into the editing window, a copy of the master is
pasted on the current page.
The PortAreas stencil (Figure 2-3) contains masters that are used in creating an
Invensys appearance objects; these masters can also be used to build custom
appearance objects.
By default, the Shapes window is docked on the left side of the Appearance
Object Editor tab.
• Right-click the Shapes window title bar to display a context menu with the
following options for controlling the window:
Table 2-2. Menu Selection Window
Rotate
Move Move Move
Resize Resize
• Move handles on the top and bottom edges of the object. Drag a handle in
any direction to move the object on the drawing page. The object
maintains its size and aspect ratio.
• Rotate handle initially above the object. Move the handle clockwise and
counterclockwise to rotate the object.
• Resize handles on the center of the left and right sides. Drag the handle on
either side to adjust the width of the object. The opposite side remains
anchored so as to effect changes to the aspect ratio.
Refer to Common Graphical Editor Features User’s Guide (B0750AG) for
additional information on selecting, moving, and copying appearance objects
and other drawing elements in the Control Editors Graphical Editor.
Arranging Parameters
The appearance object configuration determines how parameters or attributes
are displayed when the object is inserted into a strategy.
In Figure 2-5, for example, six input parameters are displayed in the left port
area, while two outputs are displayed in the right port area. There are no
parameters in the information area.
The features described in this section can be used in either in the Appearance
Object Editor to change the configuration or in the Strategy Editor to modify
the parameter display in appearance object.
You can do any of the following to change the parameters displayed in the
object:
• Rearrange the order of parameters within an area by dragging a parameter
up or down.
• Hide a parameter by dragging it outside the appearance object.
• Move a connectable parameter from one port area to another or to the
information area.
• Switch the left and right port areas by clicking the icon in the
toolbar, as illustrated in Figure 2-6. Flipping the object horizontally moves
the deployed state and execution order symbols to the opposite side of the
title area.
• Switch the name and information areas by clicking the icon in the
toolbar, as illustrated in Figure 2-7. Flipping the object vertically also
inverts the top-to-bottom order of the parameters in their respective areas.
Adding Parameters
To add a parameter to an appearance object:
1. Right-click the appearance object and select Add Parameter from the
context menu to display the Select Parameter dialog box (Figure 2-8).
The dialog box displays the object’s parameters that are not already shown
in the appearance object.
2. Use the check boxes in the Parameter Attributes group to filter the
parameters listed in the Parameters list box.
A parameter is included in the list if it has at least one of the selected
attributes.
3. Drag the parameter to be added to the object from the dialog box and drop
it in one of the areas in the appearance object.
Only connectable parameters can be placed in the port area. Any
parameter can be added to the information area.
The newly added parameter is automatically removed from the selected
dialog box.
If necessary, the port or information area is automatically expanded to
include the new parameter that appears below those already in the area.
Figure 2-9 shows a block appearance object before and after three
parameters were added to the information area.
4. Add other parameters to the object and arrange the order as needed.
The dialog box lists the parameters that are currently on the appearance
object with check boxes to their left, for selecting each parameters.
Initially all parameters are selected.
3. Click a parameter to clear the box and remove the attribute from the live
data display update parameters; re-click any parameter to make it
available in the live data display.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Adding Text
To add text to the appearance object:
1. Click in the toolbar to select the text tool, click a position on the
drawing page to create a text box, and enter the text in the box.
The editor adds the typed characters using the default settings for font,
size, alignment, and the other text attributes.
2. Format the text by selecting the text and using the appropriate tools in the
toolbar.
Note that you cannot modify the text attributes of any Invensys-defined
features (such as a parameter name in the port area). If an appearance
object is selected when the text tool is active, the editor displays the
following message:
Shape protection and/or layer properties prevent complete execution of
this command.
When you have finished entering and formatting the text, do the following:
1. Click in the toolbar to select the pointer tool, and select the text
object to display the move, size, and rotation handles on the object.
2. Adjust the object using the handles on the object and the graphics buttons
in the toolbar.
3. Click InFusion: Update to combine the text objects with the appearance
object.
The added text is now part of the appearance object as it will appear in the
Strategy Editor. Note the position of the size and move handles in the
updated appearance object (Figure 2-12).
Adding Graphics
To add graphics to an Invensys-defined appearance object:
1. Click InFusion: Edit if the editor is not already in edit mode.
2. Use the appropriate drawing tools in the toolbar to add lines, rectangles,
and other elements to the drawing page.
3. Use the formatting options in the toolbar to change the line weight, fill
color, and other attributes of the element.
Note that you cannot modify the color, line weight, and other attributes of
any Invensys-defined features such as the color of the port areas. If an
appearance of object is selected when the drawing tool is active, the editor
displays the following message:
Shape protection and/or layer properties prevent complete execution of
this command.
The image is pasted into the drawing, not imported by reference. After
being pasted onto the page, the image can be scaled, oriented, and
positioned using the tools in the toolbar.
Figure 2-14 shows an imported graphic that has been grouped with text and a
box and placed on the appearance object. When Update is selected, the added
graphics become part of the appearance object as it will appear in the Strategy
Editor.
Refer to Common Graphical Editor Features User’s Guide (B0750AG) for
additional information on adding and formatting drawings and pictures in the
Control Editors Graphical Editor.
Creating a Hyperlink
Configure hyperlinks in the appearance object to make instructions, planning
documents, and other files accessible from the appearance object in the
Strategy Editor.
To create a hyperlink:
1. Click in the toolbar to open the Hyperlinks dialog box (Figure 2-15).
2. Use the dialog box to browse to and select the target file, and click OK.
3. Right-click the appearance object and select the file name from the context
menu to test the link (Figure 2-16).
3. Arrange the copied masters vertically, and, if desired, adjust the height of
top and bottom port areas.
4. Click Finish Frame.
The editor stacks the elements according to their top-to-bottom order on
the page, aligns the elements vertically, and sets a uniform width.
(Figure 2-18).
For Invensys-defined appearance objects, the editor eliminates any
elements that have not been added from the stencil; for example, the red
rectangle seen in Figure 2-17 has been cleared from the drawing page.
Figure 2-18. Finish Frame Aligns and Joins the Copied Masters
You can now adjust the width of the new appearance object, select
parameters, and add text and graphics as you would for modifying a
default Invensys appearance object. When you insert an additional
element, the Update button becomes active, enabling you to add all other
items to the appearance object.
5. Click Update to join additional items to the appearance object.
In Figure 2-19, three parameters have been added to the bottom port area,
and the name and execution index areas have been dragged and dropped to
the right of the finished frame. Note the position of the resize and move
handles on the new object.
At any point in the process, you can click Default to revert to the default
Invensys appearance object, or click Create Frame (in either group) to clear the
page and start again.
4. Edit the inserted images as required, and add text and graphics using the
toolbars.
5. Click Finish Frame when all the elements are arranged as you want the
object to appear.
All elements on the page are combined into a single object, and layer
properties are set to limit the changes that can be made to this single
appearance object. The finished frame in Figure 2-21 includes a rectangle
added to the top of an imported image. The block name and execution
masters have been inserted into the rectangle from the PortAreas stencil.
You can now scale the new appearance object, add parameters, and combine
the object with text and graphics as you would for modifying an Invensys
appearance object. When you insert an additional element, the Update button
becomes active, enabling you to join all items on the page into a single
appearance object.
At any point in the process, you can click Default to revert to the default
Invensys appearance object, or click Create Frame (in either group) to clear the
page and start again.
MEAS parameter
2. Use the check boxes in the Parameter Attributes group to filter the list
displayed in the Parameters list box.
A parameter is included in the list if it has at least one of the checked
attributes.
3. Select the parameter or attribute to be added, drag it to the appearance
object, and drop it on the side of the object where you want the connection
to be made.
In Figure 2-22, the MEAS parameter has been added to the top edge of the
appearance object, as indicated by the yellow triangle. In the Strategy
Editor, connections to the parameter will be routed to the top of the object.
4. Right-click the object and select Show Parameter Names from the
context menu to mark each parameter with an information box
(Figure 2-23).
The parameter name is displayed in the tooltip when you place the cursor
on the box.
Tooltip
Deleting Parameters
To remove a parameter or attribute from a custom appearance object:
1. Right-click the object and select Delete Parameter from the context menu
to list the parameters currently on the appearance object (Figure 2-24).
2. Select the parameter in the list and click OK in the Delete Parameter
dialog box.
Adding Objects
To add an appearance object to a block or strategy:
1. Right-click the page control at the bottom of the Appearance Object Editor
and select Add Appearance Object from the context menu.
The editor adds a page to the editor window and displays the default
appearance object for the block or strategy. The editor provides a default
name for the new object (AppObject_2 in Figure 2-25) and highlights the
name in the page control to indicate that it is available for editing.
2. Press Enter to accept the default name, or type a new name and then press
Enter.
3. Click Edit or Create Frame (in either the InFusion or Custom group) to
modify or create an object.
Renaming Objects
To rename an appearance object:
1. Right-click the page control and select Rename Appearance Object from
the context menu, or double-click the page control.
The object name is highlighted indicating that it is available for editing.
2. Type a new name and press Enter.
Deleting Objects
To delete an appearance object:
• Right-click the page control for the object to be removed, and select
Delete Appearance Object from the context menu.
Note that this menu selection is not active when there is only one
appearance object configured for the block or strategy.
Reordering Objects
When there are multiple appearance objects configured for a block or strategy,
the object on the first page (left-most page control) is the preferred object, that
is, the first object to be displayed the next time the Appearance Object Editor is
opened.
The preferred object is also the one that is automatically selected to represent
the block or strategy when the object is added to a strategy. After the object is
displayed in Strategy Editor, you can select a different appearance object by
right-clicking the object and choosing Appearance Object from the context
menu.
To specify the preferred appearance object:
• Select the page control for the object and drag the control to the left until it
shows up as the first page in the page control.
2. Click the page control for the desired appearance object and click OK.
The Appearance Object window closes and the selected appearance object
replaces the initial object in the Strategy Editor window. Connections
made with the previous appearance object are maintained.
Update Button
Changes can be made to an appearance object at the template level using the
Appearance Object Editor and to an instance of the appearance object in the
Strategy Editor.
To maintain changes made at the instance level, modifications made to the
appearance object at the template level are not always applied retroactively to
existing instances of the block. Here are the rules:
• When an appearance object template is locked in the Appearance Object
Editor, changes made in the editor are propagated to instances of the
A P P E N D I X A
Adding a Left-Right-Justified
Name to Custom Appearance
Object
Contents
• Adding a Left- or Right-Justified Name to a Custom Appearance Object
2. From the PortAreas stencil, drag a Name Area stencil into the appearance
object.
d. Reposition the Name Area shape to the top-left position within the
appearance object frame.
e. Select the Name Area shape again.
f. Right-click the shape and select Format -> Text from the context
menu.
g. Select the Paragraph tab in the Text dialog box, and set the
“Horizontal alignment” field to Left, as shown in Figure A-6.
Index
A
appearance object 6
configuring multiple appearance objects for a block or strategy 33
deleting an object 33
editing options 5
renaming an object 33
selecting among multiple objects for a block or strategy 7
Appearance Object Editor
command buttons 13
components 10
configuring multiple appearance objects for a block or strategy 33
creating a custom appearance object 28
creating an Invensys appearance object 25
editing an Invensys appearance object 16
introduction 9, 37
opening an object in the editor 9
page control tabs 10
toolbars 10
Appearance Object window
in the Strategy Editor 7, 34
Appearance tab in the Strategy Editor 4
attributes in a strategy appearance object 4
C
command buttons 13
Create Frame
in the Custom group 13
in the Invensys group 13
creating a custom object 6
custom appearance object 6
adding parameters 30
creating an object 28
deleting parameters 32
example with SAMA symbols 28
showing and hiding parameter names 31
D
Default button 13
Delete Parameter dialog box 32
E
Edit button 13
execution order
Execution Order tab in the Strategy Editor 3
variable in appearance objects 2
F
Finish Frame
in the Custom group 13
in the Invensys group 13
G
graphics
adding graphics to an appearance object 22
H
hyperlinks
testing a link 24
Hyperlinks dialog box 24
I
images
adding an image to an appearance object 23
importing an image 23
information area 3
Insert Picture dialog box 23
Invensys appearance object
building a new object 5
components 1
default objects 1
editing the object 5
L
layer properties 22, 23
locking an object configuration 11
M
move handles 17
multiple appearance objects
adding objects 33
specifying the preferred object 33
P
padlock icon 11
page controls 10
parameters
adding parameters to a custom appearance object 30
adding parameters to an Invensys appearance object 18
deleting parameters from a custom appearance object 32
deleting parameters from an Invensys object 17
moving parameters in an appearance object 17
showing and hiding parameter names in a custom appearance object 31
port areas 2
PortAreas stencil 5, 14, 25, 37
automatic formatting of areas placed in an Invensys appearance object 26
R
reference documents v
resize handles 17
S
Select Parameter dialog box 18
shape protection 22, 23
Shapes window 14, 37
context menu 15
strategies
default appearance object 4
Strategy Editor
Appearance Object window 7, 34
Appearance tab 4
block connections 3
inserting blocks 3
T
text
grouping text with an appearance object 22
text tools 21
title area 2
toolbars 10
U
unlocking an object configuration 11
Update button
in the Custom group 13
in the Invensys group 13