IFIX With FIX Desktop

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Proficy* HMI/SCADA - iFIX
I F I X W I T H F I X D E S K T O P
V e r s i o n 5 . 5
J a n u a r y 2 0 1 2
8/9/2019 IFIX With FIX Desktop
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Use with iFIX Supported Operating Systems ............................................................................... 4
Enhanced Failover and Redundancy Features ............................................................................ 4
Local Node Alias Support for HTD ............................................................................................... 5
Proficy Historian Support in the HTD Application ......................................................................... 5
Configuring Proficy Historian as Your Historian ....................................................................... 6
Browsing for Tags on the Proficy Historian Server ................................................................... 7
iFIX Picture Management from View ............................................................................................ 7
Commands for Managing iFIX Pictures from View ................................................................... 9
Pop-up Window of the iFIX WorkSpace ................................................................................. 19
FIX Desktop Display Management from iFIX ............................................................................. 20
Examples of Opening FIX Desktop Pictures from iFIX ........................................................... 21
Subroutines for Managing FIX Pictures from iFIX .................................................................. 22
iFIX Automation Interfaces for View, HTD, and Draw ............................................................ 28
Differences Between FIX v7 and iFIX with FIX Desktop ................................................................ 49
FIX32 Items Not Supported in FIX Desktop ............................................................................... 49
Failover Configuration Changes ................................................................................................. 50
Environment Protection Set in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace Instead of Draw ............................ 50
Important Notes About Using Environment Protection ........................................................... 51
Security Configuration Changes ................................................................................................. 51
Quick Database Tools Not Supported ........................................................................................ 53
FIX Desktop Menu Commands That Appear Differently ............................................................ 55
Differences for Working with Tags in Scripts .............................................................................. 55
FIX32 Script Example ............................................................................................................. 55
Documentation Differences Between FIX Desktop and FIX v7 .................................................. 56
Draw Manual ................................................................................................................................... 59
Draw........................................................................................................................................ 59
Where to Find Files................................................................................................................. 62
Using Templates ..................................................................................................................... 64
Using Dynamos ...................................................................................................................... 65
Developing Large Pictures ..................................................................................................... 65
Developing a Layout ............................................................................................................... 66
Understanding Picture Types ................................................................................................. 66
Understanding Tag Groups .................................................................................................... 72
Using 256 Colors .................................................................................................................... 74
Learning the Basics .................................................................................................................... 75
Creating New Pictures ............................................................................................................ 77
Creating Picture Templates .................................................................................................... 77
Modifying Picture Templates .................................................................................................. 78
Creating Picture Reports ........................................................................................................ 86
Using Draw Cursors................................................................................................................ 89
Using the Toolbox ................................................................................................................... 93
Customizing the Toolbox ........................................................................................................ 94
Creating a Custom Color Palette .......................................................................................... 100
Using the Right Mouse Button .............................................................................................. 102
Working with Graphic Objects .................................................................................................. 102
Creating Objects ................................................................................................................... 103
Selecting Objects .................................................................................................................. 108
Entering Undefined Tagnames ............................................................................................. 125
Using Dynamic Properties ........................................................................................................ 125
Dynamic Property Assignments for Links in Groups ............................................................ 129
Using Dynamic Properties .................................................................................................... 130
Naming an Object ................................................................................................................. 131
Making an Object Controllable ............................................................................................. 132
Dynamically Changing Object Colors ................................................................................... 133
Dynamic Movement Properties ............................................................................................ 140
Dynamically Scaling Objects ................................................................................................ 144
Dynamically Rotating Objects ............................................................................................... 146
Understanding Links ................................................................................................................. 154
Using Tag Groups with Links ................................................................................................ 155
Using Variables with Links .................................................................................................... 156
Creating Links ....................................................................................................................... 156
Grouping Links ...................................................................................................................... 158
Adding an Alarm Summary Link ........................................................................................... 171
Adding a System Information Link ........................................................................................ 173
Adding a Push Button Link ................................................................................................... 175
Creating Trend Chart Links ...................................................................................................... 177
Chart Features ...................................................................................................................... 177
Adding X-Bar, R-Bar, and S-Bar Charts ............................................................................... 184
Configuring Statistical Pens .................................................................................................. 186
Creating XY Plot Charts ........................................................................................................... 191
Chart Features ...................................................................................................................... 191
Working with Dynamos ............................................................................................................. 195
Importing Dynamos............................................................................................................... 204
Manipulating Bitmap Graphics .............................................................................................. 211
Implementing Environment Protection .................................................................................. 213
Configuring the View Initialization File .................................................................................. 217
Optimizing Picture Performance ........................................................................................... 224
Creating View Layouts .......................................................................................................... 229
Understanding Toolbox Link Buttons........................................................................................ 232
Command Language Procedures ......................................................................................... 237
Draw Menu Commands ............................................................................................................ 327
The File Menu ....................................................................................................................... 327
The Edit Menu ...................................................................................................................... 330
The Tools Menu .................................................................................................................... 333
The View Menu ..................................................................................................................... 336
The Arrange Menu ................................................................................................................ 338
The Dynamos Menu ............................................................................................................. 343
The Window Menu ................................................................................................................ 345
The Apps Menu .................................................................................................................... 345
S............................................................................................................................................ 416
T-Z ........................................................................................................................................ 431
Manipulating Objects ............................................................................................................ 449
Coloring Objects ................................................................................................................... 450
Changing Default Settings .................................................................................................... 450
Using the Right Mouse Button Menu .................................................................................... 452
Using the Draw Tools ............................................................................................................... 452
Using the Tool Box ............................................................................................................... 452
Adding and Removing Tool Box Buttons .............................................................................. 453
Creating a Custom Color Palette .......................................................................................... 454
Working with Pictures ............................................................................................................... 455
Creating New Pictures .......................................................................................................... 455
Creating Picture Reports ...................................................................................................... 456
Previewing Pictures in View ................................................................................................. 457
Printing Pictures .................................................................................................................... 457
Resolving Pictures ................................................................................................................ 458
Using Variables in Data Links ............................................................................................... 459
Using Variables as a Tagname Substitution ........................................................................ 460
Searching and Replacing Tagnames in Multiple Pictures .................................................... 460
Specifying the Numeric Data Format .................................................................................... 461
Specifying the Text Format ................................................................................................... 461
Working with Text ..................................................................................................................... 462
Changing Fonts .................................................................................................................... 462
Working with Bitmaps and Graphic Files .................................................................................. 463
Adding Dynamic Properties to Bitmap Objects .................................................................... 463
Importing DXF Files .............................................................................................................. 465
Working with Dynamo Sets ...................................................................................................... 467
Creating Dynamos ................................................................................................................ 467
Modifying Dynamo Sets ........................................................................................................ 468
Creating ADF Files ............................................................................................................... 469
Importing ADF Files .............................................................................................................. 473
Using Dynamic Properties ........................................................................................................ 473
Adding or Modifying a Color by Alarm Threshold ................................................................. 474
Adding or Modifying a Color by Value Threshold ................................................................. 475
Filling Objects Dynamically ................................................................................................... 476
Moving Endpoints Dynamically ............................................................................................. 478
Moving Objects Dynamically ................................................................................................ 479
Rotating Objects Dynamically ............................................................................................... 480
Scaling Objects Dynamically ................................................................................................ 481
Editing Links ............................................................................................................................. 482
Example ................................................................................................................................ 483
Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 485
A-B ........................................................................................................................................ 485
C ........................................................................................................................................... 485
D-E ........................................................................................................................................ 485
Understanding Macro Types ................................................................................................ 503
Saving Macros ...................................................................................................................... 508
Exiting the Macro Editor ....................................................................................................... 509
Associating Macros with Pictures ............................................................................................. 509
Managing Macros ..................................................................................................................... 510
Deleting a Macro File ............................................................................................................ 511
Default Macro Files ................................................................................................................... 511
DRAW.KMX Keystroke Macros ............................................................................................ 511
VIEW.KMX Keystroke Macros .............................................................................................. 513
Command Language Editor .................................................................................................. 514
# ............................................................................................................................................ 516
Alarming Commands ............................................................................................................ 558
AUTO/MANL Commands ..................................................................................................... 559
The File Menu ....................................................................................................................... 605
The Edit Menu ...................................................................................................................... 606
The Font! Menu .................................................................................................................... 607
The Help Menu ..................................................................................................................... 607
Description Dialog Box ......................................................................................................... 610
Search and Replace Dialog Box ........................................................................................... 611
SQL Command Configurator Dialog Box.............................................................................. 612
Associating Macro Files with Pictures .................................................................................. 618
Creating and Editing a Macro ............................................................................................... 618
Deleting a Macro File ............................................................................................................ 619
Deleting a Macro from a Macro File ..................................................................................... 619
Saving a New Macro File ...................................................................................................... 619
Using the SQL Command Configurator ................................................................................ 619
Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 623
A-C ........................................................................................................................................ 623
D ........................................................................................................................................... 623
E-F ........................................................................................................................................ 623
H-L ........................................................................................................................................ 623
M ........................................................................................................................................... 623
N-O ....................................................................................................................................... 624
P-R ........................................................................................................................................ 624
Keystroke Macro Scripts ....................................................................................................... 640
Using Relative Commands ................................................................................................... 646
Using SQL Commands ......................................................................................................... 661
Using the Command Buttons ................................................................................................ 663
Right Mouse Button Menu .................................................................................................... 667
Creating a Command Language Script ................................................................................ 668
Editing a Command Language Script ................................................................................... 668
Importing Existing Command Language Scripts .................................................................. 669
Building SQL Commands ..................................................................................................... 670
Displaying Relational Database Data ................................................................................... 675
Understanding Command Syntax............................................................................................. 677
Working with Variables ............................................................................................................. 687
Debugging Commands ......................................................................................................... 707
Introducing the Tag Group Editor ............................................................................................. 793
How the Tag Group Editor Works ......................................................................................... 793
Before You Use Tag Groups ................................................................................................ 795
Using the Tag Group Editor ...................................................................................................... 796
Creating a New Tag Group File ............................................................................................ 796
Tag Group Editor Layout ...................................................................................................... 797
Exiting the Tag Group Editor ................................................................................................ 798
Opening and Closing Existing Tag Group Files ................................................................... 798
Defining a Tag Group ........................................................................................................... 799
Editing a Tag Group File ....................................................................................................... 801
Searching and Replacing Substitutions ................................................................................ 802
Saving a Tag Group File ....................................................................................................... 802
Deleting a Tag Group File .................................................................................................... 803
Tag Group Reports ............................................................................................................... 803
Purpose ................................................................................................................................ 806
Using Tag Groups in the Command Language .................................................................... 810
Using Tag Groups in Recipes ................................................................................................... 812
Learning About Recipes ....................................................................................................... 812
FIX Tag Group Editor Menu Commands .................................................................................. 816
The File Menu ....................................................................................................................... 816
The Edit Menu ...................................................................................................................... 818
The Font! Menu .................................................................................................................... 818
The Help Menu ..................................................................................................................... 818
Search For ............................................................................................................................ 820
Replace With ........................................................................................................................ 820
To define a tag group: ......................................................................................................... 823
Editing a Cell ......................................................................................................................... 823
To edit a specific cell of a tag group: .................................................................................. 823
Deleting Rows ....................................................................................................................... 823
To delete an entire row of a tag group: ............................................................................... 823
Searching and Replacing Substitutions ................................................................................ 824
To search for and replace a tagname in the substitution column: ...................................... 824
Reporting a Tag Group ......................................................................................................... 824
To report a tag group to a comma separated file (CSV file): .............................................. 824
Entering Tag Group Symbols in Draw and Recipe ............................................................... 824
Assigning Tag Groups to a Picture ....................................................................................... 824
Assigning a Tag Group to a Recipe...................................................................................... 825
Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 825
Command Language Script .................................................................................................. 826
Example of Historical Trending in Use ................................................................................. 830
Understanding Historical Trending Security ......................................................................... 833
Assigning Blocks for Trending .................................................................................................. 834
Using Historical Assign (Classic Historian) .......................................................................... 834
Determine Which Blocks To Trend ....................................................................................... 834
Application Example ............................................................................................................. 835
Defining a Collection Group .................................................................................................. 838
Exiting the Historical Assign Program .................................................................................. 846
Starting and Stopping Collection .............................................................................................. 846
Historical Data File Storage (Classic Historian) ................................................................... 847
Historical Collect File Location (Classic Historian) ............................................................... 847
Starting Historical Collect ..................................................................................................... 847
Example ................................................................................................................................ 849
What Follows ........................................................................................................................ 851
Defining Chart Details ........................................................................................................... 855
Defining a Time Group.......................................................................................................... 869
Displaying Historical Data ......................................................................................................... 874
Displaying Charts Using Command Line Parameters .......................................................... 877
Examining Data in the Display .............................................................................................. 883
Modifying a Chart Display ..................................................................................................... 893
Printing a Chart ..................................................................................................................... 898
Lab Data Flow ....................................................................................................................... 900
Importing Lab Data ............................................................................................................... 904
Retrieving and Displaying SQL Data ........................................................................................ 909
Tasks .................................................................................................................................... 909
Editing the SQL Queries in the HTD.INI ............................................................................... 915
Configuring an SQL Login Account in the SCU .................................................................... 917
Displaying SQL Data in a Chart ............................................................................................ 918
Historical Trending System Messages ..................................................................................... 920
Historical Assign Messages .................................................................................................. 920
Historical Collect Messages ................................................................................................. 921
Historical Display Messages ................................................................................................. 922
Using File Servers .................................................................................................................... 925
Add/Modify Chart Group Dialog Box .................................................................................... 939
Add/Modify Pen Group Dialog Box ....................................................................................... 940
Add/Modify SQL Query Dialog Box ...................................................................................... 943
Add/Modify Time Group Dialog Box ..................................................................................... 946
Chart Details Dialog Box ...................................................................................................... 948
Configure Chart Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 949
Define Chart Groups Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 950
Define Group/SQL Queries Dialog Box ................................................................................ 950
Define Legend Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 951
Define Pen Groups Dialog Box ............................................................................................. 953
Define Pens Dialog Box ........................................................................................................ 953
Define Remote Historical Data Paths Dialog Box ................................................................ 955
Define SQL Queries Dialog Box ........................................................................................... 956
Define Time - X Axis Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 956
Define Time Defaults Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 957
Define Time Groups Dialog Box ........................................................................................... 958
Header Item Configuration Dialog Box ................................................................................. 958
Line Style and Lab Data Marker Dialog Boxes ..................................................................... 959
Pen Color Selection Box ....................................................................................................... 959
Save As Dialog Box .............................................................................................................. 960
Toolbox Dialog Box............................................................................................................... 960
How Do I... ................................................................................................................................ 963
Examining Data in a Display Chart ....................................................................................... 973
Working with Lab Data.......................................................................................................... 976
Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 983
Using the Right Mouse Button .............................................................................................. 995
Where to Find Files............................................................................................................... 996
Switching to Other iFIX or FIX Desktop Software Programs ................................................ 996
Previewing Pictures in View ................................................................................................. 997
Creating a Secure Environment ........................................................................................... 997
Working with Picture Files ........................................................................................................ 998
Opening and Closing Pictures .............................................................................................. 998
Working with Large Pictures ................................................................................................. 999
Zooming Pictures .................................................................................................................. 999
Using Push Buttons ............................................................................................................ 1008
Using Data Links ................................................................................................................. 1009
Working with Tagnames ..................................................................................................... 1016
Changing Statistical Charts ................................................................................................ 1019
Using Alarm Summary Links .............................................................................................. 1021
Taking a Chain On and Off Scan ........................................................................................ 1023
Using Tag Status Pictures in View ..................................................................................... 1024
Copying Link Information in Windows ................................................................................ 1025
Sound Support ........................................................................................................................ 1025
View Menu Commands .......................................................................................................... 1028
The File Menu ..................................................................................................................... 1028
The View Menu ................................................................................................................... 1030
The Alarms Menu ............................................................................................................... 1031
The Commands Menu ........................................................................................................ 1032
The Applications Menu ....................................................................................................... 1034
The Options Menu .............................................................................................................. 1034
The Window Menu .............................................................................................................. 1034
The Help Menu ................................................................................................................... 1035
Change Statistical Chart Dialog Box .................................................................................. 1038
Change X vs Y Plot Dialog Box .......................................................................................... 1038
Column Format Dialog Box ................................................................................................ 1039
How Do I... .............................................................................................................................. 1047
Managing Alarms ................................................................................................................ 1053
Modifying Links ................................................................................................................... 1057
• FIX32 Items Not Supported in FIX Desktop
• Features Available After Upgrading from FIX v7
• Differences Between FIX v7 and iFIX with FIX Desktop
Additionally, if you have the FIX Desktop option installed, you can access the following manuals:
• Draw Manual
• View Manual
IMPORTANT: If you do not have the FIX Desktop option installed, the links in the above list will not
work. You must have FIX Desktop installed to view the full suite of FIX Desktop manuals.
Features Available After Upgrading from FIX v7
After migrating from FIX 7.x to iFIX with FIX Desktop, you obtain the capability to:
• Simultaneously Run iFIX, Draw, View, and HTD Applications
• Use iFIX Supported Operating Systems with Draw, View, and HTD
• Use Enhanced Failover and Redundancy Features
• Support Local Node Alias in the HTD Application
• Support Proficy Historian in the HTD Application
• Manage iFIX Pictures from View
•
Manage FIX Desktop Displays from iFIX
IMPORTANT: FIX Desktop does not support the higher precision math features available in the
Database Manager. To take advantage of the higher precision math features, create your picture in the
iFIX WorkSpace rather than in FIX Desktop Draw.
NOTES:
• For a list of commands for managing iFIX pictures in View, refer to the Commands for
Managing iFIX Pictures from View section.
• For a list of subroutines for managing FIX Desktop displays from the iFIX WorkSpace, refer
to the Subroutines for Managing FIX Pictures from iFIX section. For a list of automation
interfaces, refer to the iFIX Automation Interfaces for View, HTD, and Draw section.
Simultaneously Run iFIX and FIX Desktop Applications
For the iFIX with FIX Desktop product, you can run the View, Draw, and Historical Trend Displays (HTD) applications while also running iFIX applications, such as the WorkSpace. The FIX Desktop applications (View, Draw, and HTD), are available directly from the Proficy HMI SCADA - iFIX
program group off the Start menu as well.
You can also access the View, Draw, and HTD applications from within the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace. Open the FIX Desktop folder in the system tree, as shown in the following figure, and double-click an
icon to launch the associated application.
Use with iFIX Supported Operating Systems
The FIX Desktop Draw, View, and HTD applications can run (along with iFIX) on any operating system supported by iFIX. For example, with FIX Desktop, you can run View, Draw, and HTD applications in Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.
For a complete list of supported operating systems, refer to the Software Requirements section of the Getting Started guide.
Enhanced Failover and Redundancy Features
iFIX with FIX Desktop includes support for both Enhanced Failover for SCADAs and LAN Redundancy features. By upgrading to iFIX with FIX Desktop, you can leverage the LAN Redundancy and Enhanced Failover capabilities offered in iFIX.
For detailed instructions on configuring Enhanced Failover in iFIX, refer to the Enhanced Failover e- book in the iFIX Electronic Books.
5
For detailed instructions on configuring LAN Redundancy in iFIX, refer to the LAN Redundancy e- book in the iFIX Electronic Books.
Local Node Alias Support for HTD
The iFIX local node alias feature is supported in the FIX Desktop HTD application when using Classic Historian.
With the local node alias feature in HTD, you can share historical collection groups across nodes without changing the node name. To do this, you substitute a placeholder, THISNODE, for the node
portion of a tagname.
For information on enabling the local node alias in the Local Startup Definition dialog box in the SCU, refer to the Mastering iFIX manual.
When adding a historical collection group in the Historical Assign application, the Node Select dialog box includes the local node name, as well as THISNODE. Select THISNODE to add a tag with this functionality.
After you add the tags in Historical Assign, start HTC in the Mission Control dialog box. When adding a pen in HTD in the Define Pens dialog box, you can enter a tagname with the THISNODE
placeholder. For instance, this is a tag that uses the THISNODE placeholder:
THI SNODE: AI _LEVEL. F_CV
You can also browse for a tag with the THISNODE placeholder from Define Pens dialog box. To browse for a tag enter the following text and click the Browse (...) button:
THI SNODE:
You must include the colon (:) after the THISNODE placeholder when browsing. If you leave the
Tagname field empty, or enter *, the browse does not return tags with the THISNODE placeholder.
Proficy Historian Support in the HTD Application
After you upgrade to iFIX with FIX Desktop, you can use Proficy Historian tags in your HTD applications. However, there are some limitations:
• HTD can only obtain data from the default Proficy Historian server.
• HTD cannot accept Proficy Historian server names in remote historical data paths. A remote historian can only be used with Classic Historian.
• HTD does not fetch the EGU limits and description information from the Proficy Historian database. This information is read from the process database.
• Proficy Historian data is not supported by the Report Generator. The Report Generator was designed for the Classic Historian data.
• Lab data cannot be retrieved from Proficy Historian.
Note on Lab Data and Proficy Histo rian
When you use Proficy Historian as your historian, be aware that the Import Lab Data command from the File menu of HTD is not available. This is true for Proficy Historian whether you use iFIX alone or iFIX with FIX Desktop.
For example, if you use Classic Historian as your historian and you open and save a historical displaythat includes a chart with pens that point to lab data, the data displays as expected in HTD. However, once you switch your historian to Proficy Historian, when you open that display again, the lab data
pens appear in the legend, but not in the chart. This behavior is expected, since lab data cannot be retrieved from Proficy Historian.
Configuring Proficy Historian as Your Histor ian
If you want to use Proficy Historian with the HTD application, you need to configure Proficy Historian as your historian. Use the Change Historian command from the Proficy Historian toolbar in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace to do this. This command appears as the first button in the Proficy Historian toolbar.
To view the Proficy Historian toolbar from the WorkSpace, you first need to import it. This toolbar is
available for import once you install the Proficy Historian software on your computer, after installing iFIX with FIX Desktop. The Proficy Historian toolbar also provides commands for configuring the Proficy Historian Server and migrating historical data.
To view the Proficy Histo rian too lbar in the iFIX WorkSpace:
NOTE: In Ribbon view, it is not necessary to display the Historian toolbar, as all functions are
available on the Ribbon.
2. Open the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace.
3. In the WorkSpace system tree, double-click the Project Toolbar Files folder, and then the Toolbars folder.
4. Double-click the iHistorian item to display the toolbar. The Proficy Historian toolbar should now display in the WorkSpace.
To configure Proficy Historian as your historian:
1. Start iFIX.
3. In Classic view, locate the Proficy Historian toolbar.
4. In Classic view, click the Change Historian button, which is the first of the three buttons. -Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Administration tab, in the Proficy Historian group, in the Configure Historian list, click Change Historian.
5. Select the Proficy Historian option.
6. Click OK.
Browsing for Tags on the Proficy Historian Server
You can browse for tags on the Proficy Historian Server from the Define Pens dialog box of the HTD application. To do this, you click the browse (...) button to the right of the Tagname field in the Pen Definitions area, as shown in the following figure.
Define Pens dialog box
To browse for tags on the Proficy Historian Server, you can enter the following items in the Tagname field:
• Enter the * wildcard or leave the Tagname field empty. When you click the browse (...)
button, this selection returns a list of all iFIX or FIX32 tags on the Proficy Historian server.
• Enter the node name. When you click the browse (...) button, this selection returns a list of only the iFIX or FIX32 tags from the specified node on the Proficy Historian server.
iFIX Picture Management from View
For iFIX with FIX Desktop, you can use command language scripts in FIX Desktop View to manage iFIX pictures in the Workspace runtime environment. To accomplish this, use the RUNTASK command to run the OLE client application, WSPROXY.
Use the RUNTASK WSPROXY command with the existing FIX picture commands syntax to manage pictures in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace. For example, from the Draw Command Language Editor, you can enter this command to open a picture in the WorkSpace:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C Pi ct ure"
NOTE: Quotes are required in this command.
You can run the WSPROXY application not only by writing commands in the Draw Command Language Editor, but also by specifying it as a configured task in the SCU, or by using the Windows'
Command Prompt (command line).
NOTE: For more detailed information on the syntax of the WSPROXY commands refer to the
Commands for Managing iFIX Pictures from View section. These commands closely resemble the FIX
commands regarding syntax and functionality.
The previous example of the command for the Draw Command Language Editor is shown in thefollowing figure as script behind a push button mouse On Down event.
When you select the push button in run mode, View opens an iFIX picture in the Workspace runtime environment. If the WorkSpace is not already running, WSPROXY starts it and switches to run mode first. If the WorkSpace is running in configure mode, WSPROXY forces it to display in run mode first. The WorkSpace appears as the desktop foreground window. If the WorkSpace is minimized before
WSPROXY runs, the WorkSpace window maximizes when WSPROXY brings it to the foreground.
The following figure displays the two completed pictures from the following example.
Commands for Managing iFIX Pictures from View
For iFIX with FIX Desktop, there are three FIX commands that you can use from the FIX Desktop
View application to manage iFIX pictures in WorkSpace run mode. These picture management commands are as follows:
• WSPROXY OPENPIC Command
• WSPROXY CLOSEPIC Command
• WSPROXY REPLACEPIC Command
Use these commands to open, close, and replace iFIX WorkSpace runtime pictures from the FIX Desktop View application. In order to use these commands in this manner, iFIX and FIX Desktop both need to be installed on your computer.
NOTE: You can only use WSPROXY commands within the context of the local machine installation.
Guidelines on Using WSPROXY
This section describes guidelines you should follow when using WSPROXY with FIX Desktop.
Accessing WSPROXY
10
• From the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment. This is where you use the RUNTASK command with WSPROXY.
• As configured tasks in the SCU. You do not need the RUNTASK command with WSPROXY here.
• From a command line. You do not need the RUNTASK command with WSPROXY here.
NOTE: If you use the RUNTASK command with WSPROXY, you must use brackets to surround any
file paths that include spaces. However, if you run WSPROXY from a command line or as a configured
task in the SCU, you do not need to enclose a path with spaces within brackets.
Variables in Command Language Not Supported
When using WSPROXY commands, be aware that variables written in command language are not supported. For instance, WSPROXY does not support variables, such as picture name represented as the variable #PICNAME, in the following command language example:
DECLARE #PI CNAME STRI NG
#PI CNAME = "Pi ct ur e. grf "
RUNTASK WSPROXY " OPENPI C #PI CNAME"
Using an Al ias Instead of a FIX Nickname
The WSPROXY commands do not support FIX nicknames. With WSPROXY, an alias is used instead of a nickname. An alias is like a nickname, but does not appear in the picture title bar. The alias is a hidden name, accessed in iFIX as the WindowName property. You can assign the alias to numerous
pictures in order to group them together. Any alias that you assign to a picture remains active as long as you remain in the Workspace runtime environment, or the picture remains open in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace – regardless of mode.
The following iFIX VBA code example shows you how to access and display the alias as the
WindowName property in the WorkSpace, if the picture is active:
Di m MyDocFr ame As Obj ect
Di m St r As St ri ng
Set MyDocFrame = Appl i cat i on. Act i veWi ndow
St r = MyDocFr ame. Wi ndowName
Msgbox ( Str )
NOTE: In FIX Desktop you can have multiple pictures with the same name open at the same time. The
Proficy iFIX WorkSpace only allows you to open pictures with unique names. In the WorkSpace,
however, you can assign the same window name (alias) to multiple pictures instead.
WSPROXY OPENPIC Command
Use the WSPROXY OPENPIC command to open a specified iFIX picture in the Workspace runtime environment from the FIX Desktop View application. You can optionally specify the upper-left corner X and Y coordinates and the height and width of the picture as it displays in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, an alias, or a tag group file associated with the picture. This syntax closely resembles the existing FIX OPENPIC command.
NOTE: Be aware you cannot use the WSPROXY command to open a tag status or quick trend picture.
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C [Picture] [Y,X,W,H] [Alias] [TagGroupFile]"
Part Description
Picture String. (Optional) The name of the iFIX picture that you want to open.
The picture name is not case sensitive.
Include the full path of the picture if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and picture name in brackets {} like this:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C {E: \ Pr ogr am Fi l es \ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My Fol der \ Pi ct ur eName}"
If running WSPROXY from a command line or as a configured task in the SCU,
you do not need to use brackets around the path with spaces. By leaving the Picture parameter unspecified, when you run the command, the Open dialog box appears in the WorkSpace so you can locate the picture.
You can include a .grf file extension, but it is not required. If you include the wrong file extension, WSPROXY changes it to a .grf file extension.
Y Integer. (Optional) Specifies the Y coordinate of the upper left corner of the picture, as a percentage of the vertical screen. This value is a whole number. It represents the WindowTopPercentage value in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace.
If you do not want to specify any picture positions, use -1 to represent the Y, X, H, W fields. When you enter -1 all of the default picture positions (Y,X,H,W) are
used.
The default Y value is 0.
X Integer. (Optional) Specifies the X coordinate of the upper left corner of the picture, as a percentage of the horizontal screen. This value is a whole number. It represents the WindowLeftPercentage value in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace.
The default X value is 0.
Part Description
W Integer. (Optional) Specifies the percentage, rounded to the nearest whole value, of the horizontal screen that the window occupies. This value represents the WindowWidthPercentage value in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace.
The default W value is the full iFIX WorkSpace horizontal window size.
For more information, see the Sizing Pictures with WSPROXY OPENPIC and Determining Y, X, W, and H Values for WSPROXY OPENPIC sections.
NOTE: The iFIX picture is not scaled to fit this value. If the picture contents
exceed the height and width dimensions you specify, the part of the picture that
exceeds these values appears out of view. In this case, you need to resize the
window again manually to view the whole picture.
H Integer. (Optional) Specifies the percentage, rounded to the nearest whole value, of the vertical screen that the window occupies. This value represents the WindowHeightPercentage value in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace.
The default H value is the full iFIX WorkSpace vertical window size.
For more information, see the Sizing Pictures with WSPROXY OPENPIC and Determining Y, X, W, and H Values for WSPROXY OPENPIC sections.
NOTE: The iFIX picture is not scaled to fit this value. If the picture contents
exceed the height and width dimensions you specify, the part of the picture that
exceeds these values appears out of view. In this case, you need to resize the
window again manually to view the whole picture.
Be aware that if you need to enter a value for any one X, Y, W, or H value, you must enter a value for the rest of them as well.
Alias String. (Optional) Specifies the alias that you want to assign to the picture. The alias does not appear in the title bar of the picture you open, unlike the nickname
behavior in FIX OPENPIC command. An alias is hidden; you can access the alias as the window name only.
The same alias can be assigned to multiple pictures so that you can later close a group of pictures together, or replace a group of pictures with a single instance of a picture.
The asterisk (*) is a special case. If you want to specify a tag group file, but not an alias, use an asterisk (*) as a placeholder for the alias.
Part Description
TagGroupFile String. (Optional) Specifies the name of the tag group file that contains all the tag group symbols required by the picture. You can include the .tgd file extension, but it is not required. If you include the wrong file extension,
WSPROXY changes it to a .tgd file extension. If the tag group file does not exist, a user error message appears in the WorkSpace.
Include the full path of the tag group file if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and file name within brackets {}.
If running WSPROXY from a command line or as a configured task in the SCU, you do not need to use brackets around the path with spaces.
Examples
This example appears in the Command Language Editor for an On Down Command, specified in the Dynamic Properties dialog box:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C Pi ct ure 5, 10, 50, 74 Al i as"
Here is another example showing the middle two parameters (X,Y,W,H and alias) with placeholders:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C Pi ct ure - 1 * TagGr oupFi l e"
Here is an example of running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor that includes a path with spaces:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C {C: \ Program Fi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My Fol der\ Pi ctureName} - 1 * {C: \ Program Fi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ TagGr oupFi l e}"
Here is an example of running WSPROXY from a command line, with a path that includes spaces:
WSPROXY "OPENPI C C: \ Progr amFi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My Fol der\ Pi ct ur eName - 1 * C: \ ProgramFi l es\ Profi cy\ Profi cy i FI X\ PI C\ TagGroupFi l e"
Sizing Pictures with WSPROXY OPENPIC
The picture positioning values used with the WSPROXY OPENPIC command are represented
differently from the values used by the existing FIX OPENPIC command. This is because the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and FIX Desktop View logical coordinate systems are different.
If you open an iFIX picture in the WorkSpace with the WSPROXY OPENPIC command from FIX Desktop View, the X, Y, width, and height values represent percentages of the entire screen area. Comparatively, if you open a FIX picture with the existing FIX OPENPIC command in FIX Desktop View, these values represent the number of pixels (a linear value) of the screen area. The number of
pixels depends on the size and resolution of the monitor.
Guidelines for Estimating WorkSpace Window Percentages to Correspond With FIX Desktop View's Linear Values
As a general guideline, you can use these equations to estimate the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace screen percentage by using the corresponding FIX Desktop View linear value, if the WorkSpace and View client screen areas are the same:
Be aware that these equations only provide estimations since the View and Workspace runtime client areas can be different. If you want more accurate values, refer to the Determining Y, X, W, and H Values for WSPROXY OPENPIC section.
Example
On the Edit menu in FIX Desktop Draw, click Picture to open the following dialog box to get the
existing values for the Height and Width. In this example the values are 10.18 units for the Width and6.77 units for the Height, as shown in the following figure.
A unit is 100 pixels. If you want a picture that is 600 pixels wide, by 300 pixels high in FIX Desktop View, the equation you would use to determine the width and height percentages for the same picture size viewing area in iFIX Workspace is as follows:
In this example, the width and height values that you want to use with the WSPROXY OPENPIC command are 59 and 44. The FIX Desktop View OPENPIC command for this example is as follows:
OPENPI C Pi ct ure 0, 0, 600, 300
The corresponding WSPROXY OPENPIC command for iFIX Workspace for this example is as
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In this example, the following datalinks are included in the picture:
Local AsPr i mary. Wi ndowWi dthPer centage
Local AsPr i mary. Wi ndowHei ght Percent age
Local AsPr i mary. Wi ndowLef t Per cent age
Local AsPr i mary. Wi ndowTopPer centage
NOTE: The picture name in this example is LocalAsPrimary.
The WindowWidthPercentage, WindowHeightPercentage, WindowLeftPercentage, and WindowTopPercentage properties put the X, Y, W, and H values at: 6,6,56,58. Use 6,6,56,58 with the WSPROXY OPENPIC command to place the window in the same location, and with the same size.
WSPROXY CLOSEPIC Command
Use the WSPROXY CLOSEPIC command from FIX Desktop to close an iFIX picture currently open in the WorkSpace runtime environment. Optionally, you can specify a picture alias instead of the
picture file name. This closes all pictures that are open with the specified alias. The alias does not display in the title bar of the open pictures, unlike the behavior in FIX. An alias is hidden and can be
accessed as the window name only. You can assign the same alias to multiple pictures so that you canlater close a group of pictures together, or replace a group of pictures with a single instance of a picture. This WSPROXY CLOSEPIC syntax closely resembles the existing FIX CLOSEPIC command.
If you do not include a file name or alias when you use the WSPROXY CLOSEPIC command, the active picture closes when you run the command.
Be aware, that if you specify a file name or alias for a picture that is not open in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, no action takes place when you run the command. A user error message does not display in this case.
Syntax for the WSPROXY CLOSEPIC Command
RUNTASK WSPROXY " CLOSEPI C [Picture|Alias]"
Part Description
Picture|Alias String. (Optional) The file name or alias of an iFIX picture currently open in the WorkSpace.
The picture name is case-sensitive.
You can include the .grf file extension, but it is not required. If you include the wrong file extension, WSPROXY changes it to a .grf file extension.
Include the full path of the picture if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and file name within brackets {}.
If you do not specify a picture file name or alias, the active window is closed by default.
Examples
This example appears in the Command Language Editor for an On Down Command, specified in the Dynamic Properties dialog box:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "CLOSEPI C Pi ct ur e"
Another example of the WSPROXY CLOSEPIC command using a picture alias is as follows:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "CLOSEPI C Al i as"
Here is an example showing a picture path with spaces in the Command Language Editor:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "CLOSEPI C {C: \ Progr amFi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My Fol der \ Pi ct ureName}"
Here is an example showing a picture path with spaces from the command line:
RUNTASK WSPROXY " CLOSEPI C C: \ Progr amFi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My Fol der\ Pi ct ur eName"
WSPROXY REPLACEPIC Command
Use the WSPROXY REPLACEPIC command from the FIX Desktop View application when you want to replace a specified iFIX picture with another one in the Workspace runtime environment. You can optionally include the tag group file name associated with the new picture when you open it. The command opens the second picture and then closes the first one. The syntax closely resembles the existing FIX REPLACEPIC command.
The WSPROXY REPLACEPIC command additionally allows you to specify an alias to identify the picture to close. You can assign the same alias to multiple pictures so that you can later close a group of pictures together, or replace a group of pictures with a single instance of a picture. So for instance, if
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you have three pictures open with the same alias, "floor1," you can replace all three pictures with a new floor2.grf picture.
Be aware that if the picture to close is not currently open in the WorkSpace, no action is made. A user error message does not display. If the picture to open does not exist, a user error message appears in the WorkSpace and no action is made.
NOTE: Be aware you cannot use the WSPROXY command to replace a picture with a tag status or
quick trend picture.
RUNTASK WSPROXY "REPLACEPI C OldPicture|Alias NewPicture [TagGroupFile]"
Part Description
OldPicture |
Alias String. The file name or alias of a picture currently open in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace that you want replaced. An asterisk (*) is a special case that
represents the currently active picture.
This file name is case-sensitive.
Include the full path of the picture if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and picture name in brackets {}.
NewPicture String. The name of the picture that you want to open as a replacement.
This file name is not case-sensitive.
Include the full path of the picture if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and picture name in brackets {}.
Part Description
TagGroupFile String. (Optional) Specifies the name of the tag group file that contains all the tag group symbols required by the newly opened picture. You can include the .tgd file extension, but it is not required. If you include the wrong file extension,
WSPROXY changes it to a .tgd file extension. If the tag group file does not exist, a user error message appears in the WorkSpace.
Include the full path of the tag group file if it is outside of the default PIC folder. If the path contains spaces, and you are running WSPROXY from the Command Language Editor in the FIX Desktop environment, enclose the path and tag group file name in brackets {}.
Examples
This example appears in the Command Language Editor for an On Down Command, specified in the Dynamic Properties dialog box and replaces the currently active picture:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "REPLACEPI C * NewPicture TagGroupFile"
This example replaces a picture with itself in order to load a new tag group file:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "REPLACEPI C OldPicture OldPicture TagGr oupFi l e"
Here is another example in the Command Language Editor, showing the currently active picture being replaced with a picture with a path containing spaces:
RUNTASK WSPROXY "REPLACEPI C * {C: \ Progr amFi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My
Fol der\ NewPi cName}"
Here is an example from the command line, showing the currently active picture being replaced with a picture with a path containing spaces:
RUNTASK WSPROXY " REPLACEPI C * C: \ Progr amFi l es\ Prof i cy\ Prof i cy i FI X\ PI C\ My
Fol der\ NewPi cName"
Pop-up Window of the iFIX WorkSpace
A pop-up window is a temporary WorkSpace window that appears in run mode only. You can specify
the dimensions of the pop-up window and whether the menu and title bar display by using theWorkSpace command line parameters. For information on command line parameters available for starting the WorkSpace in run mode, refer to the Command Line Parameters for Starting the iFIX WorkSpace section.
If you want to display a pop-up window of the iFIX WorkSpace from View, use the command line parameters to open the iFIX WorkSpace first, before running the WSPROXY OPENPIC command. For example:
RUNTASK WORKSPACE "/ WL 50 / WT 100 / WB 700 / WR 800 / MT n"
RUNTASK WSPROXY "OPENPI C FI LENAME"
The above example defines the size of the WorkSpace pop-up window that opens in run mode. It also specifies that the menu and title bars are hidden. The WSPROXY command specifies the name of the
picture to open.
TIPS: To close an open pop-up window of the iFIX WorkSpace, you can use the A
LT +F4 keyboardshortcut. You can also use a VBA script to shut down the WorkSpace. Refer to the Shut Down the iFIX
WorkSpace with a VBA Script section for details on how to do this. Be aware that if security is
enabled, and you want to provide the ability to close the WorkSpace in run mode, the user profile
should not restrict the "WorkSpace Runtime Exit" feature.
FIX Desktop Display Management from iFIX
For iFIX with FIX Desktop, you can use VBA scripting in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace to specify FIX displays (pictures or charts) to open, close, or replace from the WorkSpace runtime environment. To accomplish this, use the picture management subroutines within your iFIX scripts.
For example, you could write a VBA script for a push button in your iFIX picture that includes a link to a FIX Desktop picture using the subroutines and methods, as shown in the following example.
NOTE: The VBA scripts in the Examples of Opening FIX Desktop Pictures from iFIX section provide
more details on the exact syntax of this script.
When you select the push button in run mode, iFIX launches a FIX Desktop display in another
window. An example of a completed iFIX WorkSpace picture with a push button that opens a FIX Desktop View picture is shown in the following figure.
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Just as you can create a push button in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace to open a FIX32 picture, you can also create a push button in a Draw display that opens an iFIX picture when View is running. For more details on this procedure, refer to the iFIX Picture Management from View section.
Examples of Opening FIX Desktop Pictures from iFIX
There are a couple of ways that you can open a FIX Desktop picture from the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace
with VBA scripting. One way is by using the ViewOPENPIC subroutine. The other way is with the ChildOpen method from the FixViewApp OLE interface.
The ViewOPENPIC subroutine allows you to open a picture with a single command in your VBA script.
With the FIXViewApp OLE Interface you can create your own subroutine to open a picture; this allows you to customize parameters such as the title bar of the active window, and the window size for the main View application, and so on.
NOTE: For detailed information on how to create VBA Scripts in iFIX, refer to the Writing Scripts
manual.
Example 1: Using ViewOPENPIC to Open a Picture
This example adds a push button to an iFIX picture. When the user clicks the button, the ViewOPENPIC command opens a picture named Picture1.odf. The SetViewToFront command brings the View application to the foreground.
Pr i vate Sub CommandBut t on1_Cl i ck( )
ViewOPENPIC "Pi cture1", , , 500, 500, "MyPi c", ""
End Sub
Example 2: Using ChildOpen to Open a Picture
This example adds a push button to an iFIX picture. When the user clicks the button, the ChildOpen method opens a picture named Picture1.odf. The ChildSetTitle method sets the title of the active window to: "This is the window title." The SetSize method makes the View application window appear at 500 pixels wide by 500 pixels long. The Restore method restores the View window. And finally, the
SetViewToFront command brings the View application to the foreground.
Pr i vate Sub CommandBut t on1_Cl i ck( )
Di m Vi ew As New Fi xVi ewApp. Fi xVi ewApp
Vi ew. ChildOpen "Pi cture1"
Vi ew. Chi l dSet Ti t l e "*", "Thi s i s t he wi ndow t i t l e. "
Vi ew. Set Si ze 500, 500
Vi ew. Rest ore
End Sub
For More Information...
For more information on the picture management subroutines available for iFIX with FIX Desktop,refer to the Subroutines for Managing FIX Pictures from iFIX section.
For more information on other OLE interfaces available for iFIX with FIX Desktop, refer to the iFIX Automation Interfaces for View, HTD, and Draw section.
NOTE: To include the OLE interfaces in your iFIX picture, you must add references to the picture
manually from the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor. See the iFIX Automation Interfaces for View, HTD,
and Draw section for more details.
Subroutines for Managing FIX Pictures from iFIX
For iFIX with FIX Desktop, there are picture management subroutines available from the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace for the View, Draw, and HTD applications. The names of the subroutines are as follows:
• ViewOPENPIC Subroutine
• ViewREPLACEPIC Subroutine
• ViewCLOSEPIC Subroutine
• SetViewToFront Subroutine
• SetDrawToFront Subroutine
• SetHtdToFront Subroutine
With these subroutines you can open, replace, and close FIX Desktop pictures from the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace in run mode. You can also use these subroutines to control whether the View, Draw, or HTD application window opens in the foreground.
ViewOPENPIC Subroutine
Use the ViewOPENPIC subroutine in a VBA script to open a FIX Desktop picture in the View application from the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace. You can optionally specify the X and Y coordinates, the height and width of the picture as it displays in View, a nickname, and a tag group name associated with the picture. When the picture displays, the View application appears in the foreground.
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If View is not already open, the View window is maximized. If View is already open, the current window's settings are used.
NOTE: The maximum number of pictures that you can have open at any one time in View is 15. If you
exceed that limit by attempting to open a 16th picture, an error message appears.
Syntax
Part Description
PictureName String. The name of the FIX Desktop picture that you want to open. Include the full path of the picture if it is outside of the default PIC folder.
You can include the .odf file extension, but it is not required.
Y Long. (Optional) Specifies the Y coordinate of the upper left corner of the
picture. This value is a positive number. The units are in pixels.
For instance, if you enter 100, the picture begins 100 pixels below the View title bar, as shown in the following figure.
If you do not enter the Y and X coordinates, the picture opens in the top left corner of the View window, by default.
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