softgoodsint

factorytalk FactoryTalk View ME - where does Parameter file link to faceplate

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Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but my search hasn't revealed anything yet.  I have a number of PanelView graphics created with FactoryTalk View ME and some use a lot of Parameter Files, which link to popup faceplates. So a large number tags are represented with parameter files, which, when clicked on screen, then pop-up an appropriate faceplate, based on tag type or category etc.  I am still digging into the very elaborate FT View ME manual, but at 500 pages, that's quite a deep study.  But I don't see the linkage between the tag's parameter file and how it specifies which faceplate to pop up, and I've not yet found a good article other than keep digging into that FT manual.

There does not appear to be a linkage entry in the parameter file itself, where I would have expected it.  Nor do I see any "hot spot" click type event code in the display itself, which would also make sense.  Is it in the PLC code itself?  I would not have expected that, since they seem to be keeping the FT environment self-contained. But there must be some sort of table or linkage somewhere that I'm over looking. Thanks in advance for anyone's thoughts & guidance on this.  Other parts of FT HMI screen development does seem intuitive, just not this dynamic linking.

Edited by softgoodsint

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Hi,

I suppose the differents options are selected in the "Goto Display button"s.
Double click or right click--> Properties. 
In the main tab "General" , on the center there are the  "Display settings" : I think that your "Goto Display buttons" are calling a "Display" plus a "Parameter file:", and both are configured in this config tab.
Usually, the display faceplate it's a mere container of a faceplate global object, and usually, this global object uses the parameters contained on the "Parameter file:" attribute. 
Right click the global object--> "Global object Parameter definitions" to view the definitions. Inside the global object those definitions are used to control the global object.
I hope have explained reasonably well.
Cheers

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Hello "Empanada", THANK YOU! I am ever so grateful for your answer and implicit encouragement.  I would describe what I was experiencing was what writers call a "writers block".  Your suggestion shined a light on what seemed that I couldn't see, but that was because I was looking in the wrong place, and I dare say my preconceived notions led me astray.  But when I read your suggestions and looked again at the problem, it was the "ah-ha" moment.  It was your suggestion to look for "GotoButtonxxx", there they were, even labeled, like "GotoButtonFIC001" for that tag FIC001. Plain as day.  Of course, they are like overlay zones surrounding the valve or pump graphic shapes, so I was clicking, in the development mode, and it would select the graphic, not the GotoButton zone. I learned to click off the graphic, but still close enough to hit the GotoButton zone to select. It's due to my being a newbe to FT, and learned my way with DeltaV and Step7 TIA which do this differently.

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screen shot of dialog that had been so elusive until now, thanks again!

Goto Display Button Property.png

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6 hours ago, softgoodsint said:

Hello "Empanada", THANK YOU! I am ever so grateful for your answer and implicit encouragement.

I'm glad it were useful. It's all about sharing knowledge. We are in the earh only a few years. Let's share all the knowledge we learned from OTHER people for continuing to grow up and improve this planet.

6 hours ago, softgoodsint said:

they are like overlay zones surrounding the valve or pump graphic shapes, so I was clicking, in the development mode, and it would select the graphic, not the GotoButton zone. I learned to click off the graphic, but still close enough to hit the GotoButton zone to select. 

The object explorer it's very useful, and also to play with the object's order inside the display ("Send to back" and "Bring to front").

 

6 hours ago, softgoodsint said:

 It's due to my being a newbe to FT, and learned my way with DeltaV and Step7 TIA which do this differently.

It's normal, those systems have thousands of options, and when you learn one of them , your mind get's used to this way to work and change to a completely way of work it's , sometimes, harder than start from zero.

I have experience with Allen Bradley / Rockwell, and a lot of work made on Honeywell Experion from releases R230 (S9000...) until today (R4xx), but zero experience with Emerson and nearly zero with siemens (a bit with old S5 and S7's, but it's almost forgotten).

Cheers!

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Yes, agree completely about sharing knowledge. I like the metaphor of a "tree of knowledge" - we keep it growing by sharing the bits we know and reap the harvest as it grows.

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