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CX-Designer improvement requests

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When in test you can 'print screen' to grab the image or 'print to image' in 'print' menu does jpgs but with garbage for numbers. But I use MWSNAP a utility that allows you to select the screen area and add cursers. Edited by Mark The Spark

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yes you can but it is basically the same as I do now with mspaint. I need command from CX-Designer menu, something like export screen to jpg or bmp, something like that. that feature existed in NT-Support Tool.

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<file> <print> <image file> <image file output details> jpg or bmp, will print all screens at once or one screen only to files named: Screen0001.jpg etc, to wherever you want them stored. But you get garbage for numbers which are 'real' and still need to cut and paste these with decent values to use in manuals.

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With then latest version of CXD, you can choose almost any Windows font you wish for labels etc. However, when you go to fonts for numerical displays, you can only choose fine, standard or rough in the old chunky 1x1. 2x2, 1x2 format. Why can't you choose Windows fonts for numerical displays? It is a bit of a pain. Pim, perhaps you may choose to move this to the CXD improvements thread. I thought it was worthy of it's own topic.

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Will do Bob. Good to kick the topic again You are not alone... setting Windows fonts for numeric/string displays is still not possible. CXD2.0 also comes with System version 6.6, with which I discovered you can use the global password level system, like a true login/lougout system. Once logged in on level1, all objects configured with level1 password can be operated, instead having to enter the password every time you operate a level 1 object. Auto logout and sen to screen when logged out function included. I am probably going to discover much more features the coming days. System version 6.6 is located C:\Program Files\OMRON\CX-One\CX-Designer\RecoverUpdate_6_6 Copy the entire contents of this folder to an empty flash card, insert card in terminal and reset. Follow instructions. To put your CXD project on 6.6, select Tools > Convert > Version.

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A decent library of buttons and lamps would be great. Buttons that actually look like they are raised/depressed. More than 5 colour lamps. Or the ability to select a lamp style and then choose which colour I want it to be. A selector switch that can actually be in more than 2 positions without having to hide buttons behind a word lamp. The font choices has been mentioned before, but it is SOOOO annoying that it deserves a mention again! I can't imagine many people mixing font styles, as it looks terrible (especially at the sizes used on HMI's) so I end up sticking with the CX-Designer ones. And even then trying to get a size that will fit (let alone look good) is a nightmare. On the keypad tab on the numeral display, have 2 more selectable positions: top centre and bottom centre. I actually use these quite a bit, but every time keep forgetting to write down the x co-ord for future reference!

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I agree multi state switches would be welcome. As an alternative you can create a command button to increase a value, set the min/max value from say 0 to 4 and select "return to the minimum value when the maximum value is exceeded ? Just an idea. And on the fonts of numeric & string display objects, I agree Windows fonts would be nice, but it doesn't look so bad if you put some work in it !? Even SAPs can be customised:

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Yeah, you're right, but I spend enough time sizing and reshaping objects to fit on screens sometimes that I don't to be worrying about what font goes where and looks good next to this other one. Ease of use and all that! (This just happens the thing that REALLY annoys me about CXD so please excuse the sarcasm!)

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No worries; everyone is entitled to that every once in a while

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I've mentioned before, and I'll do it again. please, put the option Screen to jpg (like in NT Support Tool) or export all screens to jpg (or bmp). I am now writing a documentation for a finished project and I need to put there pics of all screens in NS. there are 25 of them, but in a four languages, and documentation is in four languages, so it is a pain. for every screen I have to print screen, paste it to e.g. paint then crop, then copy then paste again to paint and then save to the disk. If there is a export screen to jpg or bmp feature life of a documentation writer (my persona) would be much easier. one more thing, CX-Programmer has compare program function so you can compare program on your PC and in PLC. this is good feature I think, so it should be put in CX-Designer also. when there is a lot of program versions this is helpful. will check later for more. Regards to all Edited by tashinz

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Tashinz, this feature is already there. File>>>Print Print Setting - Select output to image file Image File Output Details - Select .bmp or .jpg, then select which screens and/or sheets to print Good Luck

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Dear ECSI, which beer do you drink? I owe you big time.

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Moosehead Lager....a great Canadian beer...but don't worry about it, I have lots in the refrigerator now LOL. Glad to help.

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pdl..regarding the screen images you posted... did you do these on the NS10 ? Great job if you did... also whats with the GE mulstibus on the top of the pages ? Would,nt it be good for a section dedicated to people showing of their HMI designs... this would guve others some real nifty ideas...

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I also noticed these screens, it would be great if we open some section on this site to share NS art. It can be helpfull. regards to all

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http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?showtopic=10486 In relation to the above thread, can Cx-Designer remember comm settings per project, the same as CX-Programmer please.

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Perhaps this should be part of the Gallery where any one can submit their Art Works... I'll see what i can do..

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Kool. I built tons of library objects during this five years of SCADA, NT, NS experience. looking forward.

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Yes the project is designed for NS10 but what I find great is I can put it in an NS8 without any adjustments as well. I think it even looks better on an NS8. I developed a similar looking application in CX-Supervisor and the challenge now was to create the same in an NS terminal. People think it still runs under Windows LOL. I support the idea for an HMI gallery. You can even introduce a design award for instance. Mods included of course [Offtopic] GE-MultiBus is an in house network we developed based on the Finnish Linet light network system. It's a 2 wire network for both data and power. We developed custom slave nodes for this network for our applications. It's topology free, polarity independant network connection, the ideal network for us as we are not dependant anymore how the network is created. For the network controller we have had Intellicom develop a custom Linet UDP-Modbus TCP converter, to be able to interface with e.g. OPC servers or any other Modbus client. [/Offtopic]

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Improvements: 1. increment and decrement buttons on keypads 2. current value visible above new (temporary input) inputted value on keypads 3. all font styles available in numerical input 4. incrementing addresses of grouped entities by a fixed offset when copying 5. Datablocks: when using them as recipes you cannot use PLC memory. It would be great to have all values in the datablock in the PLC including the name. (Screens break PLC's not) You cannot show the selected datablock in another screen. 6. about the same remark with List selections. You cannot point to $HW or to PLC memory without using macro's. 7. A SAP to backup Inverters and other products in the network... 8. better information. Lately I found (together with some help from Omron Japan) how to use a NS with ethernet as gateway over internet to a PLC connected through NT-Link. This should be in the manuals. I still think it is good product, But let me think somewhat longer and I'll find you more changes. (it's still a young product) Beegee

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Agree with everything beegee said. regarding last remark, can you share with us this instruction? regards

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It is not an instruction just connect with CX-Programmer with following settings: Source address: source network = network number of ethernet on NS source node number = node number on ethernet of your PC Destination: destination network 111 node number 1 for PLC connected on port A destination network 112 node number 1 for PLC connected on port A IP address = Address from your NS screen, you could have to reduce the framelength in order to be able to upload and download the complete program You have to be connected by NT-link and it only works for CS/CJ/CP1H, not for older PLC's since they don't support different message handling on one port. CIAO

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I'd like to be able to enter a variable in the unit/scale setting.

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In relation to my earlier suggestion about remembering the comm settings per project, I just opened a project, went to save as, and the path was from another project at the beginning of the week.

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Concerning Alarms I'd like to have an internal bit (or one I can assign) telling me there is still an alarm /event active from a certain group. That way I can show it on a sheet so people can see if an alarm is still active. Also I would like an alarm view where you can see all occuring alarms and all alarms that have occurred but were not checked yet (untill they are checked). Right now you can choose to have all occuring alarms or the complete history. If you don't delete them when they stop occuring if they were not checked they keep on showing and you cannot check them afterwards to make them disappear.

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