Extended Graphic Objects
Original instructions
About us
Overview
The extended graphic objects provided in the Graphic Editor are used to build graphic displays that mimic advanced graphic panels. All of the data monitoring and control objects have built-in communication capabilities and are designed as standalone graphic objects.
Be aware, however, that if communication to the device linked to the extended graphic object is lost, the object becomes inoperative without the end device's knowledge.
WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
  • Do not use graphic objects in situations where loss of communication to the FactoryCast module can affect human or material integrity.
  • Do not use graphic objects in safety critical machine functions.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.
For example, say you have programmed a pushbutton object to jog a motor when the button is depressed and to stop jogging when the button is released. If communications are lost while the button is depressed, the motor will continue to jog even when the button is released. Graphic objects should not be used to control situations such as this unless other interlock methods are installed in the system.
Additionally, to support customers that want to put several simple applets on a single HTML page, each object in the Graphic Editor set is provided in an applet version. When used in conjunction with the LiveBeanApplet, Graphic Editor graphic objects can be used in the same way as the LiveLabelApplet.
ASCII Text Writer
The ASCII text writer is based on the message display widget. It allows you to input new text.
The properties of the ASCII text writer are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Max. Text Length
The maximum length of the text
Text Color
The color of the text
Text Font
The font of the text
Swap Bytes
False if target order of bytes is same as PC one.
Value
The text itself
Bar Graph
A bar graph provides an analog representation of the value of a symbol (variable) or direct address in a PLC. It draws a vertical bar whose length is proportional to the value as a percentage of its range in engineering units.
The properties of the bar graph are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used on the label
Maximum EU Value
The maximum value, in engineering units, of the direct address or symbol (variable)
Minimum EU Value
The minimum value, in engineering units, of the direct address or symbol (variable)
Maximum PLC Value
The maximum raw (unscaled) value of the direct address or symbol (variable) in the PLC
See Note 3, Notes
Minimum PLC Value
The minimum raw (unscaled) value of the direct address or symbol (variable) in the PLC
See Note 3, Notes
Bar Background
The background color of the bar indicator area
Bar Color
The color of the indicator bar (when scaled value within High/Low limits)
High High Limit Value
The value of the High High limit in engineering units
High High Limit Color
The color of the indicator bar when the scaled value is greater than the High High limit
High Limit Value
The value of the High limit in engineering units
High Limit Color
The color of the indicator bar when scaled value is greater than the High limit
Low Limit Value
The value of the Low limit in engineering units
Low Limit Color
The color of the indicator bar when the scaled value is less than the Low limit
Low Low Limit Value
The value of the Low Low limit in engineering units
Low Low Limit Color
The color of the indicator bar when the scaled value is less than the Low Low limit
Limit Deadband
The deadband (as percentage of EU range) to apply to High/Low limit checking
0 to 10
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated, raw (unscaled) input value for testing the graphic object
See Note 3, Notes
Bitmap
The bitmap widget displays a static bitmap on the screen.
The properties of the bitmap widget are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Background
The background color of the graphic object
See Note 1, Notes
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
Bitmap Choices
Represents the filenames of the custom bitmaps to display.
The default root path of the file location directory is /FLASH1/wwwroot;; ":images/ thus refers to /FLASH1/wwwroot/images/ .
Generic Bitmap
The generic bitmap widget lets you display one static bitmap for each distinct value of a PLC variable. It can be used to display dynamic animations, for instance the changing level in a tank.
The properties of the Generic Bitmap widget are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
See Note 1, Notes
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
Bitmap Choices
Represents the filenames of the custom bitmaps to display.
Clicking on this property opens a text editor that makes it possible to type the PLC value conditions and related bitmaps to display, such as "0:key.gif:images/" where 0 is the PLC value, "key.gif" the bitmap file related to the value, "images" the directory in which the file is located.
The default root path of the file location directory is /FLASH1/wwwroot; images/ thus refers to /FLASH1/wwwroot/images/.
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated input value for testing the graphic object behavior.
Graphic Link
A graphic link is a special graphic object that lets you switch to another graphic display by clicking on it. Graphic links can also be recognized by their underlined labels, and the mouse cursor changes to a hand icon when the mouse moves over them. This object is especially useful when the Graphic Editor is used in view mode, where no drop-down list of graphic displays is available.
A graphic link can also be used as a hyperlink to an HTML file. If a URL is entered as the Link Display Name, the URL can be opened in a new browser window by simultaneously pressing the SHIFT key and clicking the link. Otherwise, the URL opens in the existing browser window when the link is clicked.
If the Link Display Name is blank, then the label is not underlined, and the displayed object becomes a simple text label.
The properties of the display link are:
Property
Description
Limits
Label
The link label
Link Display Name
The name of the graphic display to be loaded when the link is clicked, or the URL of a Web page
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used on the label
Bitmap Choices
The filename of the bitmap on which to click
Indicator Light
The indicator light displays the value of a symbol (variable) or direct address in a PLC with two possible states. An input value of 0 is considered off and a non-zero value is considered on. If the Flash Interval property is set to a value greater than 0, the light flashes while the input value is on. There is a bitmap for the on-state and a different one for the off-state.
The properties of the indicator light are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
OFF Word
The text to display when the input value is off
OFF Bitmap Choice
The light bitmap when the OFF word is displayed
OFF Word Color
The color of the OFF word text
OFF Word Font
The font used for the OFF word text
ON Word
The text to display when the input value is on
ON Bitmap Choice
The light bitmap when the ON word is displayed
ON Word Color
The color of the ON word font
ON Word Font
The font used for the ON word text
Flash Interval
The flashing time period (in ms) of the light when the input value is on. Set to 0 for no flashing.
200 to 2000
Input Inverted
If true, inverts the input value. (Light will show the off-word when input value is on.)
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated input value for testing the graphic object
See Note 3, Notes
Motor
The motor widget displays the value of a symbol (variable) or direct address in a PLC with three possible states. An input value of 0 is considered off, a value of 1 is considered on and other values are considered default. The three states are represented by different bitmaps.
The properties of the motor widget are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
OFF Word
The text to display when the input value is off
OFF Bitmap Choice
The motor bitmap when the OFF word is displayed
OFFWord Color
The color of the OFF word text
OFF Word Font
The font used for the OFF word text
ON Word
The text to display when the input value is ON
ON Bitmap Choice
The motor bitmap when the ON word is displayed
ON Word Color
The color of the ON word font
ON Word Font
The font used for the ON word text
DEFAULTWord
The text to display when the input value is ON
DEFAULT Bitmap Choice
The motor bitmap when the DEFAULT word is displayed
DEFAULT Word Color
The color of the DEFAULT word font
DEFAULT Word Font
The font used for the DEFAULT word text
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated input value for testing the graphic object
See Note 3, Notes
Pipe
The pipe displays the value of a symbol (variable) or direct address in a PLC with two possible states. An input value of 0 is considered off and a non-zero value is considered on. There is a bitmap for the on-state and a different one for the off-state.
The properties of the pipe are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
OFF Word
The text to display when the input value is off
OFF Bitmap Choice
The pipe bitmap when the OFF word is displayed
OFF Word Color
The color for the OFF word text
OFF Word Font
The font used for the OFF word text
ON Word
The text to display when the input value is on
ON Bitmap Choice
The pipe bitmap when the ON word is displayed
ON Word Color
The color of the ON word font
ON Word Font
The font used for the ON word text
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated input value for testing the graphic object
See Note 3, Notes
Push Button
A push button sends preset value(s) to a PLC when the user clicks it with the mouse.
These are the properties of the Push Button.
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Values
The value(s) to send to the PLC
See Note 4, Notes
Reset Values
The value(s) to send to the PLC after the reset delay time has expired. If no reset values are provided, no reset action will occur.
Reset Delay
The delay time (in milliseconds) that the Push Button should use after sending the value(s) to the PLC before sending the reset value(s).
0-2000
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
Button Label
The text label for the button
Button Label Color
The color of the button label
Button Label Font
The font used for the button label
OFF Bitmap Choice
The button bitmap when the OFF state is displayed
ON Bitmap Choice
The button bitmap when the ON state is displayed
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
Valve
The valve displays the value of a symbol (variable) or direct address in a PLC with two possible states. An input value of 0 is considered off and a non-zero value is considered on. There is a bitmap for the on-state and a different one for the off-state.
The properties of the valve are:
Property
Description
Limits
Name
The name of the graphic object
Address
The direct address or the name of a symbol (variable) to monitor
See Note 1, Notes
Data Type
The data type of the direct address or symbol (variable)
See Note 2, Notes
Background
The background color of the graphic object
Label
The label to be displayed as part of the graphic object
Label Color
The color of the label
Label Font
The font used for the label
OFF Word
The text to display when the input value is off
OFF Bitmap Choice
The valve bitmap when the OFF word is displayed
OFF Word Color
The color of the OFF word text
OFF Word Font
The font used for the OFF word text
ON Word
The text to display when the input value is ON
ON Bitmap Choice
The valve bitmap when the ON word is displayed
ON Word Color
The color of the ON word font
ON Word Font
The font used for the ON word text
Flash Interval
The flashing time period (in ms) of the light when the input value is on. Set to 0 for no flashing.
200 to 2000
Border Width
The width (in pixels) of the graphic object’s border
0 to 32
Border Color
The color of the graphic object’s border
PLC Value
A simulated input value for testing the graphic object
See Note 3, Notes
Notes
These are the notes for the chapter.
1.
If the address property of a graphic object is a direct address, the data type property is set to UNDEFINED, a default data type (BOOL, INT, DINT, or REAL based on the implied size of the data value) is used. If the address property is a symbol (variable) name, the data type property does not have to be specified and can be set to UNDEFINED. If, however, the data type property is specified for a symbol, it is valid only if it exactly matches the symbol’s actual data type.
If the address property is a direct address for a Quantum 0x/1x reference, the data type property must be set to BOOL. The data type property may be a BOOL only for a discrete PLC reference.
2.
The meaning of the possible values of the Data Type property are:
Data Type
Meaning
UNDEFINED
no data type specified
BOOL
1-bit discreet (Boolean)
SHORT
8-bit signed integer
USHORT
8-bit unsigned integer
INT
16-bit signed integer
UINT
16-bit unsigned integer
DINT
32-bit signed integer
UDINT
32-bit unsigned integer
REAL
32-bit IEEE floating point
TIME
32-bit unsigned integer (in milliseconds)
DATE
Date (32-bit BCD)
TOD
Time of Day (32-bit BCD)
DT
Date and Time (64-bit BCD)
3.
The limits for the Maximum PLC Value and Minimum PLC Value properties are the natural limits of the Data Type property that is set. A Data Type setting of UNDEFINED is treated as REAL with respect to its limit values.
4
For a Push Button, enter at least one value. If the Address property is a symbol name, only one value is sent to the PLC, and any additional values are ignored. If the Address property is a direct address, all of the values are sent to the PLC as an array, starting at the specified direct address.