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Users Guide
Volume 1
Publication VIEWSE-UM004D-EN-E - July 2005
Supersedes Publication VIEWSE-UM004C-EN-E
Contacting
Rockwell Software
Technical Support Telephone440-646-5800

Technical Support Fax440-646-5801
World Wide Webhttp://www.software.rockwell.com or
http://support.rockwellautomation.com
Copyright Notice
2005 Rockwell Software Inc., a Rockwell Automation company. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Portions copyrighted by the Allen-Bradley Company, LLC, a Rockwell Automation
Company.
This manual and any accompanying Rockwell Software products are copyrighted by
Rockwell Software Inc. Any reproduction and/or distribution without prior written consent
from Rockwell Software Inc. is strictly prohibited. Please refer to the license agreement
for details.
VBA and DCOM, Copyright 1996, 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
Trademark Notices
Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, RSLinx, RSView, and VersaView are registered trademarks,

and the Rockwell Software logo, RSLogix, RSTools, RSView Machine Edition, RSView
ME Station, RSView Studio, RSView Supervisory Edition, RSView32, A.I. Series,
Advanced Interface (A.I.) Series, ControlNet, Data Highway Plus, DH+, FactoryTalk,
MobileView, Object Smart Path, PanelBuilder, PanelView, SLC, and WINtelligent are
trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Adobe, Acrobat, and Reader are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
TrueType is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of
Autodesk, Inc. Ethernet is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation, Intel
Corporation, and Xerox Corporation. Modicon is a registered trademark of Groupe
Schneider. Zip is a trademark of Iomega Corporation. KEPServerEnterprise is a trademark
of Kepware Technologies. ActiveX, Microsoft, OpenType, Visual Basic, Windows, and
Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. OPC is a registered trademark of the OPC Foundation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders and are hereby
acknowledged.
Warranty
This Rockwell Software product is warranted in accord with the product license. The
products performance will be affected by system configuration, the application being
performed, operator control, and other related factors.
The products implementation may vary among users.
This manual is as up-to-date as possible at the time of printing; however, the
accompanying software may have changed since that time. Rockwell Software reserves
the right to change any information contained in this manual or the software at any time
without prior notice.
The instructions in this manual do not claim to cover all the details or variations in the
equipment, procedure, or process described, nor to provide directions for meeting every
possible contingency during installation, operation, or maintenance.
Doc ID VIEWSE-UM004D-EN-E
September 2005
Contents
Preface
About the documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding the information you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Try the Users Guide and Help first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Information on the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contacting Rockwell Software Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
P-1
P-1
P-1
P-2
P-2
1 Getting started
The RSView Supervisory Edition software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
The RSView tools and utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
RSView Enterprise tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Rockwell Software utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
FactoryTalk tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Features in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Setting up the software you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Planning the layout of the network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Installing the FactoryTalk Automation Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Installing RSView Supervisory Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Installing the communications software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Installing the necessary activation keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
About security in FactoryTalk-enabled system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Logging on to FactoryTalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Running in RSView demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Exploring the Water Samples application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Running Water Samples in the RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Creating and testing a new application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Create the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Create a graphic display in the Graphics editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Test run the application in RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
2 Exploring RSView Studio

Starting RSView Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Logging on to FactoryTalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Opening an application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Opening the Samples Water application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE
Exploring the RSView Studio main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

The menu bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
The toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
The Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
The workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
The Application tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
The Communications tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
The Diagnostics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
The status bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Workbook mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Showing and hiding items in the main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Working in the Explorer window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Undocking the Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
The parts of the Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Working with application components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Adding components to an application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Deleting, removing, and renaming components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Naming components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Techniques for working in editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Using the context menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Using the Browse button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Using tag names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Using RSView commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Using expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Selecting a printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Setting up the printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Selecting a network printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Printing at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
3 Planning an application
Understanding the process you are automating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Planning the layout of the network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
The Windows domain or workgroup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
The computers youll need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
System requirements and installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Planning a redundant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Planning communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
ii
Plan how to access data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Plan how to collect data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
When to use HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Designing an HMI tag database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Collect information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Organize HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Planning alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Designing graphic displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Develop a hierarchy of displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Create templates to ensure consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Apply visual design principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Planning run-time language switching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Planning how to use trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Designing a secure system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Designing a system for multiple users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Designing a system that is easy to deploy and maintain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Integrating with other applications, and customizing the system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
4 Setting up FactoryTalk Directory

About FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Using FactoryTalk Directory in a networked system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Specifying the location of FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Local Directory setup for stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Network Directory setup for distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Restoring FactoryTalk Directory when deploying an application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
What happens if FactoryTalk Directory is unavailable at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
5 Working with distributed applications

About distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
RSAssetSecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
HMI server, HMI project, HMI client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Using absolute and relative references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Creating distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Adding and deleting areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Adding an HMI server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Adding a data server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
iii
CONTENTS
When to use additional HMI or data servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

HMI server restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Setting up HMI server properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Specifying how the server starts up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Setting up HMI server redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Selecting the HMI servers startup and shutdown components . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Changing the name of the host computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Starting and stopping HMI servers and components manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Starting and stopping an HMI servers components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Starting and stopping HMI services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Deleting HMI servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Deleting HMI server project files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Renaming and deleting distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Backing up and restoring distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
6 Working with stand-alone applications

About stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
RSAssetSecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
HMI server, HMI project, HMI client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Using references in stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Creating stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Importing a project into a new application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding a data server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Setting up HMI server properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Specifying HMI server startup components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Starting and stopping an HMI servers components manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Renaming and deleting stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Copying, backing up, and restoring stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
7 Setting up communications
About data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Types of data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Overview of data server communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Using multiple data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Setting up communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Adding RSLinx Enterprise data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Setting up general properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Setting up RSLinx Enterprise data server redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
iv
Setting up communications in RSLinx Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

Primary and Secondary tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Adding OPC data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Setting up general properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Setting up OPC data server redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Setting up advanced properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Deleting data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
8 Working with tags

Tags and the HMI tag database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Data server tags, HMI tags, and their attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
When to use HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Basic steps for using tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Using data server tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Eliminating duplication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Providing access to complex data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Setting up data server tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Using HMI tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Triggering alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Securing tag or device values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Manipulating data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Storing values in RSViews memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Setting up HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Browsing for tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Opening the Tag Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Using the Tag Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Browsing for off-line tags from RSLinx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Browsing for off-line tags in RSLinx Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Browsing for off-line tags from other OPC servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Working with tags in the Tag Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Displaying tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Showing or hiding tag descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
About the Selected Tag box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Displaying tag properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Filtering tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Creating, editing, and importing HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Using tag references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Absolute references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11
Relative references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
The home area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Logging tag values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
CONTENTS
9 Creating HMI tags
About HMI tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

HMI tag types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
Data sources for HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Organizing HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Naming HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Using folders to group HMI tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Viewing tag statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Using the Tags editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Using the Accept and Discard buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Using the form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Using the query box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Using the folder hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Creating, editing, duplicating, and deleting tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Specifying a data source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Specifying Device as the data source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Specifying Memory as the data source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Creating HMI tags without using the Tags editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Creating tags in a third-party application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Creating tags as needed in other RSView editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Importing tags from a PLC database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Using the Tag Import and Export Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Adding alarms to HMI tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
10 Creating derived tags

About derived tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
How to use derived tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Setting up derived tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Using the Derived Tags editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Using the Check Syntax button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Using the Accept and Discard buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Creating a derived tags component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Using multiple derived tag components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
About the maximum update rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Starting and stopping derived tag processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Ways to start derived tag processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Ways to stop derived tag processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
11 Creating alarms
About RSView Supervisory Edition alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
vi
Summary of features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

Setting up alarms for an application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Alarms for analog HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Alarms for digital HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Alarm severity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Alarm messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Alarm log file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-7
Alarm displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Alarm acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Alarm suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Alarm functions in expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11
Acknowledge bit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Handshake bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13
Alarm events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13
Setting up general alarm behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15
Setting up alarm monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-16
Setting up alarm severities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-17
Setting up alarm messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-18
Setting up alarm conditions for HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-20
Setting up alarms for analog tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-21
Setting up alarms for digital tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-21
Setting up alarm logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-21
Specifying where log files are stored or printed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-23
Specifying when log files are created. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-23
Specifying when log files are deleted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-23
Setting up periodic logging to a central ODBC database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-23
Exporting alarm log files manually to ODBC format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-24
Adding remarks to the alarm log file at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-24
Suppressing alarm printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-25
Suppressing alarm logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-26
Using the Suppressed List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-26
Viewing alarm log files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-27
About alarm log files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-28
Setting up security to log alarms to a remote computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-28
Creating an alarm summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-30
Creating an alarm summary object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-30
The parts of an alarm summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-30
Inserting headings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-31
Choosing fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-31
Choosing colors and blink styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-31
Selecting buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-32
vii
CONTENTS
Choosing the data to display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-33

Sorting data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-36
Running commands, macros, or custom programs in response to alarms . . . . 11-36
Using alarm data with commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-37
Starting and stopping alarm monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-39
Ways to start alarm monitoring at the HMI server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-39
Ways to stop alarm monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-40
12 Logging system activity

About FactoryTalk Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Summary of steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Key concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Message routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Message categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics in RSView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Logging to a central database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5
Setting up message routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Using the Diagnostics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7
Working with the Diagnostics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7
Messages in the Diagnostics List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Viewing FactoryTalk Diagnostics logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9
Setting up security to log system activity to a remote computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10
13 Using data logging

About data logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
About data log models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
Using multiple data log models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2
Displaying historical data in a trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2
Data log storage formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2
Log file sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2
ODBC database storage format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-3
Creating data log models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Specifying the storage format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Setting up log paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Setting up and managing data log files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Specifying when to log data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Choosing the data to be logged. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Editing a data log model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Changing log paths using the RSView Administration Console . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Working with ODBC data sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
viii
Using an existing ODBC data source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7

Creating a new ODBC data source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Switching log paths at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-8
Using the DataLogSwitchBack command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-9
Using the DataLogMergeToPrimary command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-9
Using the DataLogNewFile command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-10
Using the DataLogSnapshot command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11
Combining logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11
Providing a way to log on demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
Setting up security to log data to a remote computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
Making runtime changes without editing the data log model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Starting and stopping data logging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Ways to start data logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Ways to stop data logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
14 Using events
About events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Setting up events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
Using the Events editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Using the Accept and Discard buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3
Creating an events component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-3
Using multiple events components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Editing events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
About the maximum update rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Starting and stopping event processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Ways to start event processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-4
Ways to stop event processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
15 Setting up security
How security works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-1
System resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2
HMI project components secured in RSView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2
About FactoryTalk Local and Network Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-2
Summary of steps for setting up security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-4
Planning security for an application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-4
Setting up basic elements of the security system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5
Logging on to FactoryTalk Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-5
About single sign-on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-6
Logging on and off RSView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7
Specifying which users can set up security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7
ix
CONTENTS
Setting up system-wide policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7

Setting up RSAssetSecurity user accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-8
Using accounts that originate at FactoryTalk Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-9
Using Windows-linked accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-9
Using both types of user account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-9
Setting up accounts for groups of users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-10
Creating user accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-10
Setting up computer accounts for a distributed application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-11
Creating computer accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-12
Setting up access to resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-12
Using the Security Settings dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-13
Specifying actions that users can perform on a resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-14
Understanding inherited permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-19
Breaking the chain of inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-20
Using explicit permissions to override inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-20
Setting up access to HMI project components in RSView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-22
Adding users to RSView and assigning security codes to them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-23
Specifying login and logout macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-25
Removing users or groups from RSView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-26
Assigning security codes to RSView commands and macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-26
About the Unspecified_Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-27
Assigning security codes to graphic displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-28
Assigning security codes to OLE objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-28
Assigning security codes to HMI tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-29
Using the signature button to secure HMI project components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-30
Logging on and off the RSView SE client. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-30
Logging on a different user at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-31
Logging off the current user at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-32
Changing the current users password at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-32
Locking users into the RSView SE client environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-33
16 Creating graphic displays

About graphic displays and graphic objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-1
Importing and exporting graphic display XML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2
About global object displays and global objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2
Working with global objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-2
Using the Graphics editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-3
Using the Object Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-4
Using the Property Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Basic editing techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Zooming in and out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-6
Using the grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7

Using the toolbars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7
Selecting a drawing tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7
Selecting and deselecting objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-8
Using the context menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-8
Working with graphic objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Duplicating objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Reshaping objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-9
Resizing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-10
Arranging objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-10
Flipping objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-14
Rotating objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-15
Grouping objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-16
Ungrouping objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-16
Editing grouped objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
Applying colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-18
Applying pattern styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-18
Changing line properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-19
Assigning tags and expressions to objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-19
Using tag substitution to replace text associated with objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-20
Testing graphic displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-21
Testing the appearance of objects in different states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-21
Naming graphic objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-22
Adding tooltips to objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-22
Creating a background for a display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-23
Working with global object displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-23
Creating global object displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-24
Adding existing displays containing reference objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-24
Global object displays at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-25
Using objects from the graphic libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-25
Location of library files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-25
Importing graphic files from third-party applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26
Converting imported objects to RSView objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26
Using bitmaps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-26
When to use a bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-27
Using tag placeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-28
Replacing tag placeholders using a parameter file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-29
Assigning parameter files to graphic displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-29
Replacing tag placeholders using parameters with the Display command . . . 16-29
Setting up the run-time appearance and behavior of a display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-30
Using the Display Settings dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-31
Changing the default display settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-31
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CONTENTS
Setting up display properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-32

Setting up display behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-37
Displaying graphics more quickly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-39
Printing displays at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-40
17 Setting up graphic objects

Types of graphic objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-1
About global objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-3
Setting up the properties of graphic objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-3
Setting up properties common to all objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-4
Creating drawing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-4
Tips for creating drawing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-4
Changing the properties of drawing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-7
Adding an image to a graphic display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-7
Creating a panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-8
Working with text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-8
Creating a text object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-8
Choosing text fonts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-8
Setting up objects that use data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-9
Using tag names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-10
Using the keyboard to navigate to and select objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-10
What input focus looks like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-10
Using the keys on the keyboard or keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-11
Removing objects from the tab sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-11
How to use push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-11
Creating push buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-12
Creating button push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-12
Creating momentary push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-13
Creating maintained push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-15
Creating latched push buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-16
Creating multistate push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18
Creating interlocked push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19
Creating ramp push buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-21
How to use display and input objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-22
Creating numeric or string inputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-23
Using input fields at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-24
Using Keys to retrieve data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-25
Using RSView commands to retrieve data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-26
Using the on-screen keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-26
How to use indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-27
How to use the States tab for indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-27
xii
How to use Least Significant Bits to trigger states. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28

How to use the Connections tab for indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28
Creating indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28
Creating multistate indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28
Creating symbol indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28
Creating list indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-29
How to use gauges and graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-29
Using gauges to show limits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-29
Using graphs to compare values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-30
Creating gauges and graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
Creating gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
Creating bar graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
Creating scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
How to use keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-31
Using the Key objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-32
Using keys with the object that has focus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-32
Setting up keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-33
Creating keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-33
Setting up whether the key repeats when held down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-33
How to use advanced objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-33
Objects described in other chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-34
Creating advanced objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-34
Creating arrows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-34
Creating tag labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-35
Creating time and date displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-35
Creating display list selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-35
How to use local message displays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-36
Creating local message displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-37
Creating a recipe object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-38
Using a recipe at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-40
Choosing between piloted control list selectors and control list selectors. . . . . . . . 17-42
How to use control list selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-42
How to use piloted control list selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-43
Creating control list and piloted control selectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-48
Working with global objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-48
Creating global objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-48
Creating reference objects from global objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-49
About reference objects and graphic libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-49
Setting up the Link properties of reference objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-49
LinkAnimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-50
LinkConnections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-51
LinkSize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-51
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LinkBaseObject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-51
Link properties of grouped reference objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-52
Breaking links between reference and base objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-52
Using OLE objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-52
Creating OLE objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-53
Converting OLE objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-53
Using ActiveX objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-54
When exchanging data with tags, use the same data type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-54
ActiveX properties, methods, and events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-54
Creating ActiveX objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-55
Making ActiveX objects interact with RSView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-55
Using VBA code to make ActiveX objects interact with RSView . . . . . . . . . 17-55
Using the ActiveX toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-55
Deploying ActiveX components automatically at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-56
Recording and authorizing run-time changes using electronic signatures. . . . . . . . 17-56
Securing tag writes, commands, and downloads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-57
Creating signature buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-58
Securing objects in displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-58
Tracking changes with FactoryTalk Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-58
Using the signature button for compliance with regulated manufacturing
applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-59
18 Animating graphic objects

Using animation in RSView. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-1
All graphic objects can have animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-2
About global objects and animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-2
Using the Animation dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-2
Using tag names and tag placeholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-4
Using commands and macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-4
Using expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-4
Setting the range of tag values for animating an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-5
Defining a range of motion for an object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-5
Testing animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-6
Animating graphic objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-6
Using visibility animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-7
Using color animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-7
Using fill animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-9
Using horizontal position animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-9
Using vertical position animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-9
Using width animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-10
Using height animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-10
xiv
Using rotation animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-10

Using touch animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-11
Using horizontal slider animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-12
Using vertical slider animation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-12
Using OLE verb animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-12
Animating ActiveX controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-13
Naming ActiveX objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-13
Connecting tags to an ActiveX objects properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-14
Connecting tags to an objects methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-15
Connecting tags to an ActiveX objects events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-16
Using index numbers to navigate to objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-17
How tab index numbers work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-17
Checking an objects index number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-17
Changing index numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-18
Creating a tab sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
Associating objects and displays with keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19
About client keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20
Using object keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20
Using the Current [tag] parameter with object keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21
Using display keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-23
Viewing the key list at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-24
Disabling the key list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25
Applying animation to object groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25
Checking the animation on objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25
Copying or duplicating objects with animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25
Copying animation without copying objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-25
19 Setting up trends
About trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-1
Current versus historical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-2
Creating trend objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-3
The parts of a trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-4
Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-4
Chart title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5
X-axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5
X-axis legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5
Y-axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5
Y-axis legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-5
Pens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-6
Legends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-6
Pen icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-6
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Pen markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-7

Value Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-8
Trend chart styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-8
The Standard chart style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-9
The XY Plot chart style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-9
Isolated graphing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-10
Plotting a value across the full width of the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-11
Choosing trend colors, fonts, lines, and markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-12
Changing the trend highlight color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-12
Changing the trend object background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-12
Displaying current value and line legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-13
Displaying a current value legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-13
Displaying a line legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-14
Using shading to compare pens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-14
Comparing real-time and historical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-18
Setting up snapshots and overlays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-18
Using trend templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-19
Applying a consistent appearance to trend charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-19
Creating a set of different views for the same data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-19
Returning to a standard display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-19
Saving pen attribute data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20
Loading templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20
Using the Trend graphic library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-21
Testing trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-21
Working with trends at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-21
Collecting data in the background at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-21
Selecting pens at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23
Changing trend properties at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-23
Using scrolling options at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-24
Using the value bar at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-25
Using the delta value bar at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-26
Using zoom at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-27
Using pan at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-27
Using the arrow keys at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-28
Printing the trend chart at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-28
Using overlays at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-28
Fixing run-time errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-29
20 Creating expressions
About expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-1
Where you can use expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-1
xvi
Using expressions in a command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-2

Expression components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-2
Creating expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-2
Expression buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-3
Cutting, copying, and pasting expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-4
Formatting expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-4
Using tag names and tag placeholders in expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-5
Using area names with tag names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-5
Using tag placeholders instead of tag names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-5
Using constants in expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-5
Using operators in expressions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-6
Arithmetic operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-6
Relational operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-6
Logical operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-7
Bitwise operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-8
Evaluation order of operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-9
Using built-in functions in expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-11
Tag functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-11
Time functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-14
File functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-16
Math functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-17
Security functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-18
Language function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-18
Using if-then-else logic in expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-18
Nested if-then-else. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-19
21 Creating embedded variables

About embedded variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-1
Where you can insert embedded variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-1
Creating embedded variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-2
Embedded variable syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-2
Numeric embedded variable syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-3
String embedded variable syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-3
Time and date embedded variable syntax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-4
How embedded variables are updated at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-5
How embedded variables are displayed at run time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-5
Numeric embedded variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-5
String embedded variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-5
Time and date embedded variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-6
xvii
CONTENTS
22 Creating macros
About macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-1
Macro syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-1
Using parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-3
Typing macro names that contain spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-3
Nesting macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-4
Running macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-4
Creating a macro that runs when an HMI server starts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-4
Specifying user login and logout macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-5
23 Setting up navigation
About navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-1
Developing a hierarchy of displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-1
Ways of moving among displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-2
Choosing display types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-2
Reducing display call-up time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-3
Commands for moving among displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-3
Where to use RSView commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-4
Examples of navigation methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-5
Using keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-7
General rules about precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-7
Precedence and the F1 key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-8
Precedence and embedded ActiveX objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-8
Precedence and embedded OLE objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-8
Reserved keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-9
Creating client keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-10
Running client key components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-11
24 Using the RSView SE Client object model and display code

Using VBA with RSView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-1
Summary of basic steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-2
About procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-2
How VBA code runs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-2
The VBA integrated development environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-3
Parts of the VBA IDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-3
The RSView SE Client object model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-4
Viewing the objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-7
Getting Help on RSView SE Client objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-8
Using VBA Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-8
VBA documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-8
xviii
25 Setting up language switching

About language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-1
Summary of steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-2
Setting up Windows to support language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-2
Installing languages for single-font support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-2
Viewing regional and language options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-3
Creating the application in a base language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-3
Support for multiple languages in the graphic libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-4
Using graphic libraries that support multiple languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-5
Adding languages to the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-5
Exporting application text strings for translation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-6
Exported text file format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-7
Troubleshooting export problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-7
Text strings that allow language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-8
Text strings that do not allow language switching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-8
Importing translated text files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-10
Troubleshooting import problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-11
Setting up language switching at run time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-13
Important information for translators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-13
File name and format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-13
Opening the text file in Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-13
Saving the text file in Microsoft Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-14
Differences in file format for files saved in Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-14
Saving the Unicode text file in Notepad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-15
File schema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-15
Working with pairs of double quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-16
Working with backslashes and new-line characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-16
26 Setting up a redundant system

About redundancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-1
Setting up a redundant RSView SE system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-1

Summary of steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-1
HMI redundancy as part of a complete strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-2

Protecting against software failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-3
Considering redundancy options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-4
About failure of FactoryTalk Network Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-5
Redundant HMI servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-6
Redundant data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-8
Planning the layout of a redundant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-8
An application with a single redundant pair of HMI servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-9
An application with two redundant pairs of HMI servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-10
xix
CONTENTS
Licensing in a redundant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-10

FactoryTalk Directory computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-10
RSView SE Server software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-11
Data servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-11
RSView SE clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-11
27 Deploying distributed applications

About deploying distributed applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-1
Summary of steps to deploy a distributed application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-1
Backing up the application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-3
Backing up FactoryTalk System information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-4
Setting up the FactoryTalk Network Directory server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-4
Specifying the location of FactoryTalk Network Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-5
Moving HMI project files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-6
Copying an HMI server that is not running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-6
Copying an HMI server while it is running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-7
Restoring the application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-7
Restoring FactoryTalk System information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-8
Changing HMI server properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-8
Updating the name of the HMI servers host computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-9
Starting and stopping HMI server components manually. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-9
Stopping and starting HMI services manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-10
Synchronizing redundant HMI servers and projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-11
Moving data server files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-12
Files for RSLinx Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-12
Files for RSLinx Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-12
Changing data server properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-13
Setting up the RSView SE clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-13
Copying client setup files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-14
Opening the RSView SE clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-14
Logging users on to the RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-15
Opening multiple RSView SE clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-16
How HMI server components start and stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-16
Administering deployed applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-16
Using the RSView Administration Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-16
Monitoring disk space on HMI servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27-18
28 Deploying stand-alone applications

About deploying stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-1
Summary of steps to deploy a stand-alone application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-1
Moving stand-alone applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-3
xx
Backing up and restoring FactoryTalk System information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-4

Changing HMI server properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-4
Starting and stopping HMI server components manually. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-4
Moving data server files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-5
Changing data server properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-5
Setting up the RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-5
Opening the RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-6
Logging users on to the RSView SE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-7
How server components start and stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-8
Administering deployed applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-8
Using the RSView Administration Console. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-8
APPENDICES
A RSView commands
Using RSView commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where to use commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to use commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using placeholders in commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where commands run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using absolute and relative references. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How relative references are resolved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Important guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the command line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Command Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A-1
A-1
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-5
A-6
A-7
A-8
A-8
B Setting up DDE communications for HMI tags

About DDE communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overview of DDE communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting up an HMI server as a DDE client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Summary of steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an HMI tag that uses DDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifying Device as the data source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Syntax for DDE addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scanning for new tag values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B-1
B-2
B-2
B-2
B-3
B-3
B-3
B-4
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CONTENTS
C ODBC database schemas

FactoryTalk Diagnostics log table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1
Alarm log table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2
Data log tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4
D RFC1766 names for Windows languages

E Importing and exporting XML files
About XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating XML files by exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing XML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving XML files in Notepad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Testing XML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing XML files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Error log file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing graphic display XML files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Graphic display XML file structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Index
xxii
E-1
E-1
E-2
E-2
E-2
E-3
E-3
E-3
E-3
Preface
RSView Supervisory Edition is a member of the RSView Enterprise Series family of
products. It is an integrated package for developing and running multi-user, distributedserver human-machine interface applications. RSView Supervisory Edition is designed
for automated process or machine monitoring, and supervisory control.
Designed for use with Microsoft Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP, RSView
Supervisory Edition gives you all the tools you need to create effective monitoring and
supervisory control applications.
About the documentation

The RSView Supervisory Edition documentation set includes:
Release Notes: Information to read before you begin installing or working with the
software.
RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide: A guide to installing and activating the
various components of RSView Supervisory Edition.
RSView Supervisory Edition Users Guide, Part 1 and RSView Supervisory Edition Users
Guide, Part 2: Comprehensive information about RSView Supervisory Edition,
procedures for creating and running an automation application, and reference information.
For ease of printing, the Users Guide is divided into two parts, available from the Help
menu in RSView Studio. For detailed information about the contents of each guide, see
the Bookmarks tab in the online guides.
Help: Online procedures and reference information.
The Release Notes are available on the RSView Supervisory Edition CD-ROM, as well as
from the Help menu in RSView Studio. The Users Guide, Installation Guide, and Help
are available from the Help menu in RSView Studio.
Finding the information you need

You have many options for finding information about how to use RSView, or how to solve
problems with RSView.
Try the Users Guide and Help first

The Users Guide and Help provide comprehensive information about typical uses of
RSView. Probably, your question is answered in the documentation.
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To find the answer, use the table of contents and the index in the Users Guide and Help.
You can also perform a full-text search on both the Help and the Users Guide. For
information about using Help and the Users Guide, see Chapter 3, Getting the
information you need in the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
For information about searching the Users Guide, see Adobe Reader Help.
Information on the Internet

If you cant find the answer to your question or problem in the Users Guide or Help, you
can also find information on the World Wide Web.
You can connect to the Rockwell Software and Rockwell Automation web sites from
within RSView Studio. To do so, you must have a web browser installed on your
computer, and you must have an active Internet connection.
To connect to web sites from RSView Studio
1. On the Help menu, select Rockwell Software on the Web, and then click the name of
the web page you want to view.
The Rockwell Automation KnowledgeBase
The KnowledgeBase web page contains a comprehensive searchable database of support
information for all Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software products.
Rockwell Software Discussion Forums
The Rockwell Software Discussion Forums are web pages for users of Rockwell Software
products. The forums offer discussion groups, for exchanging tips and questions with
other RSView users.
Contacting Rockwell Software Technical Support

If you cant find the answer to your question using any of the resources suggested above,
contact Rockwell Software Technical Support at:
Telephone:440-646-5800
Fax:440-646-5801
World Wide Web Support web sites:
http://www.software.rockwell.com,
http://support.rockwellautomation.com
Support staff are available Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM local time (North
America only), except on statutory holidays.
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When you call

When you call, be at your computer and ready to give the following information:
the product serial number

Youll find this number on the Activation disk label and in the About RSView Studio
dialog box available from the Help menu in RSView Studio.
the product version number
the type of hardware you are using
the exact wording of any messages that appeared on your screen
a description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred
a description of how you tried to solve the problem
You might also be required to provide information about the RSView add-ons and updates
that are installed on your computer.
To view the list of installed add-ons and updates
1. In RSView Studio, click Help, and then click About RSView Studio.
2. To view the list of installed add-ons, click Add-ons.
3. To view the list of installed updates, click Updates.
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PREFACE
Getting started
1 Placeholder
This chapter describes:
the RSView Supervisory Edition software.
the RSView tools and utilities.
features in brief.
setting up the software you need.
what it means to secure a FactoryTalk-enabled system.
running in RSView demo mode.
exploring the Water Samples application.
creating and testing a new application.
The RSView Supervisory Edition software

RSView Supervisory Edition is a member of the RSView Enterprise Series family of
products. It is an integrated package for developing and running multi-user, distributedserver, human-machine interface (HMI) applications.
RSView Supervisory Edition (also called RSView SE) consists of several pieces of
software you can use to build HMI applications, customized to your needs. Depending on
the software packages you purchased, you will have one or more of the following pieces
of software installed:
RSView Studio is configuration software for developing and testing RSView SE
stand-alone and distributed applications.

RSView Studio contains editors for creating complete applications, and contains software
for testing the applications you create. Use the editors to create applications that are as
simple or as complex as you need.
Use RSView Studio to develop both RSView Machine Edition and RSView Supervisory
Edition applications. For information about developing machine-level applications, see
the RSView Machine Edition Users Guide.
Your can also use RSView Studio to set up RSAssetSecurity services for the
applications you develop. For information about security services, see Chapter 15, Setting
up security.
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RSView Administration Console is software for administering RSView SE
applications after they are deployed. RSView Administration Console contains a sub-set
of the RSView Studio editors, which you can use to make minor changes to an
application.
RSView SE Client is software for viewing and interacting with supervisory-level
applications developed using RSView Studio.

RSView SE Server, also called the HMI server, stores HMI project components (for
example, graphic displays) and serves them to clients. The server also contains a database
of tags, and performs alarm detection and historical data management (logging).
The RSView SE Server has no user interface. Once installed, it runs as a set of headless
Windows services that supply information to clients when they request it.
FactoryTalk Directory is software that supplies a directory of services (for example,
RSView SE Servers, or OPC servers) and names (for example, areas, tags, graphic
displays, log models, and so on) to any computer on the network that participates in
RSView SE applications.
FactoryTalk Administration Console is configuration software for setting up
FactoryTalk Directory services.

Use RSView Studio to develop RSView SE applications. For distributed applications, use the
FactoryTalk Administration Console to restore application archives and to set up computer
accounts after upgrading the FactoryTalk Automation Platform.
For information about restoring distributed applications, see Chapter 27, Deploying
distributed applications. For information about upgrading FactoryTalk, see the RSView
Supervisory Edition Release Notes.
The RSView tools and utilities

Depending on the particular software packages you installed, you also will have installed
one or more of the following tools and utilities.
RSView Enterprise tools

To use the tools described below, on the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell
Software, RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click the tool.
Application Manager is software for moving, copying, renaming, backing up, and
restoring applications.
DeskLock is software that locks users into the RSView SE client and prevents them from
gaining access to the Windows desktop and system keys.
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1 GETTING STARTED
ME Firmware Upgrade Wizard and Transfer Utility are RSView Machine Edition
RSView SE Service Manager is a tool for starting and stopping an HMI server, for
example, when copying its configuration files to a redundant server.

SE Alarm Log Setup is software for setting up RSView alarm logging.
SE Alarm Log Viewer is software for viewing the contents of alarm log file sets.
Tag Import and Export Wizard is software for importing or exporting the RSView
SE Servers tag database.
Rockwell Software utilities

To use the utilities described below, on the Windows Start menu, select Programs,
Rockwell Software, Utilities, and then click utility.
Activation Help is information about how to use Rockwell Software activation keys.
Diagnostics Setup is software for setting up activity logging for RSView Supervisory
Edition.
Move Activation is software for moving activation keys to and from an activation disk.
Reset Activation is software for resetting activation keys on the Activation floppy disk
when there is a problem with activation.

Support Services Help is information about how to obtain technical support for
Rockwell Software products.
FactoryTalk tools
To use the tools and utilities described below, on the Windows Start menu, select
Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk Tools, and then click the tool or utility.
Diagnostics Viewer is software for viewing the contents of FactoryTalk Diagnostics
logs.
FactoryTalk Directory Configuration Wizard is software for setting up the
FactoryTalk Directory service.

FactoryTalk Help provides information about using FactoryTalk services.
Log On to FactoryTalk is software for logging users on and off the FactoryTalk
Directory.
Rockwell Software Data Client is diagnostic software for use with the assistance of
Rockwell Software technical support staff.
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1 Placeholder
programs for upgrading firmware and transferring files.
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location is software for specifying which computer

on the network contains the FactoryTalk Network Directory service.
Windows Firewall Configuration Utility is software for setting up RSView
Enterprise to run in Windows XP with Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003 with
Service Pack 1.
Features in brief
RSView Supervisory Edition provides the flexibility you need to create powerful
automation systems for any plant or process. With RSView SE you can:
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create applications that mirror the layout of a plant or process. A distributed

application can contain several servers, running on multiple computers on a network,
with multiple client users connecting to the application simultaneously, from
anywhere on the network.
open and edit distributed applications remotely, in RSView Studio.
create stand-alone applications for parts of the plant or process that are self-contained,
and are not related to other parts of the process.
create applications that support up to 20 different languages, and switch between those
languages at run time.
take advantage of RSAssetSecurity services to centralize user authentication and
authorization on the FactoryTalk Directory.
take advantage of RSViews ability to directly reference data server tags that reside in
controllers or devices.
import an Allen-Bradley PLC or SLC database with the PLC database browser.
develop an application quickly using RSView productivity tools such as the
Command Wizard, Tag Browser, and Graphics Import Export wizard, and features
such as Object Smart Path.
create and edit graphic displays with sophisticated object-oriented graphics and
animation. Use convenient drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste techniques to simplify
application development.
create global objects, in global object displays, and use copies of these objects
throughout an application. By modifying the original object, you can change selected
properties of all its copies.
create displays that use graphics from the graphic libraries, or import files from other
drawing packages such as CorelDRAW , and Adobe Photoshop.
import graphic information using the Graphics Import Export Wizard.

use the ActiveX container capabilities of RSView to take advantage of advanced
technology. For example, embed Visual Basic ActiveX Controls, or other ActiveX
components in graphic displays to extend the capabilities of RSView.
use RSViews alarm notification capability to monitor process incidents with multiple
levels of severity. Create multiple alarm summaries to provide specific alarm data
rather than viewing the alarms for the entire system.
create trends that show process variables plotted against time. RSView trends can
display real-time or historical data, with up to 100 pens (tags) in each trend.
log data simultaneously to a FactoryTalk Diagnostics log and to remote ODBC
databases, to provide various records of production data. You can view and
manipulate the ODBC-format logged data directly, using third-party programs such
as Microsoft Access and Business Objects Crystal Reports.
use the RSView SE Client Object Model and VBA to share data with other
Windows programs such as Microsoft SQL Server, interoperate with other Windows
programs such as Microsoft Excel, and customize and extend RSView to fit the
individual applications needs.
lock operators into the RSView SE client by disabling Windows keys.
Setting up the software you need

The final design of the application (or applications) you intend to deploy will determine
which software to install and set up on computers on the network.
For a distributed application, you might install different combinations of software on each
participating computer. For a stand-alone application, you must install all the necessary
software, except for OPC data servers, on a single computer.
The following steps are common to setting up the environment for most RSView SE
applications.
Summary of steps
These are the basic tasks involved in getting started with RSView Supervisory Edition:
1. Set up the layout of the network (for distributed applications).
2. Install the FactoryTalk Automation Platform.
3. Install the RSView Supervisory Edition software.
4. Install RSLinx, or other communications software.
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1 Placeholder
1 GETTING STARTED
5. Install the necessary activation keys.

6. Set up the FactoryTalk Network Directory (for distributed applications).
These steps are described in brief, below.
The RSView Supervisory Edition installation CD contains the FactoryTalk Automation
Platform, RSView SE, RSLinx Enterprise, and RSLinx Classic software, and includes
instructions to guide you through the installation process.
For more information about installing and setting up the RSView SE software, see the
RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
For more information about setting up the application run-time environment, see Chapter
27, Deploying distributed applications and Chapter 28, Deploying
stand-alone applications.
Planning the layout of the network

The layout of the network is extremely important to the design of a distributed
application. The type and structure of the network can determine which roles participating
host computers will play, including whether any of the servers will run as redundant pairs.
If you are planning to deploy an application that consists of more than 10 computers, you
must run with a network domain controller.
Do not run FactoryTalk Directory, or any other application software, on the same computer as a
Windows domain controller.
Applications that consist of 10 computers or fewer can be run in a Windows workgroup.

In that case, all computers participating in a single application must be members of the
same Windows workgroup, and all must have administrative rights.
Installing the FactoryTalk Automation Platform

RSView Supervisory Edition applications depend on FactoryTalk software, such as the
FactoryTalk Directory, to run. You must install the FactoryTalk Automation Platform
first, on any computer where you plan to install and run RSView SE software.
If you plan to run only the FactoryTalk Directory on a computer, without any dependent software,
install only the FactoryTalk Automation Platform on that computer.
Following the FactoryTalk Automation Platform installation, the FactoryTalk Directory

Configuration Wizard runs, allowing you to set up FactoryTalk Local Directory,
FactoryTalk Network Directory, or both directories.
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Installing RSView Supervisory Edition

If you plan to create and run a stand-alone application, you must install the FactoryTalk
Automation Platform and the RSView SE software on the same computer. For a standalone application, only data servers can be run on a separate computer.
For a distributed application, you can choose to install all the RSView SE software, or just
selected components, on participating computers. For example, you might install only the
RSView SE client software on computers run by operators. Similarly, if you plan to
distribute server loads across the application, you might choose to install only the RSView
SE Server software on selected, server computers.
For more information about installing RSView, and about the system requirements for
running the software, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
Installing the communications software

How you plan to obtain data for an application will determine the type of communications
software you install. You can use the RSLinx software shipped with RSView SE, or
other software and devices that support OPC (OLE for Process Control) communications.
Some of the benefits of these different options are described below.
For more information about setting up communications for an RSView SE application,
Chapter 7, Setting up communications.
For information about installing RSLinx, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation
Guide, and the RSLinx documentation.
When to use RSLinx Enterprise
For communications with Allen-Bradley local and remote devices, and particularly with
ControlLogix processors, RSView SE provides built-in support via RSLinx Enterprise.
Use RSLinx Enterprise:
for best performance when communicating with large numbers of clients.
when information is being provided by a ControlLogix controller.
when alias topic shortcuts are not required.
RSLinx Enterprise cannot perform online tasks such as uploading and downloading RSLogix
5000 files to a controller. If you need to provide this capability, use RSLinx Classic.
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1 Placeholder
For information about options in the FactoryTalk Directory Configuration Wizard, see the
RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide or the Installation Assistant on the
RSView Supervisory Edition installation CD.
1 GETTING STARTED
When to use RSLinx Classic

For communications with Allen-Bradley local and remote devices, or with a small number
of clients, RSView SE also provides built-in support via RSLinx Classic and RSLinx
Gateway.
Use RSLinx Classic when:
the information being served to RSView SE Servers or RSView SE clients is local.
the RSLinx data server is installed on the same computer as the RSView SE Server..
You do not need to install an activation key to make RSLinx Classic work, provided you run
RSLinx Classic on the same computer as the RSView SE Server.
When to use RSLinx Gateway
You must install an RSLinx activation key to enable RSLinx Gateway if:
the information is being served to a third-party OPC client, for example, an RSView
SE client.
the RSLinx data server is installed on a computer separate from the RSView
SE Server. You might want to do this for performance reasons, or to locate the OPC
server physically close to the process.
Communications with third-party local and remote devices

For communications with non-Allen-Bradley local and remote devices, RSView SE
supports OPC (OLE for process control), a protocol used to connect RSView SE to
communication devices via vendor-specific OPC servers. RSView supports the OPC-DA
2.0 specification.
OPC allows RSView SE to act as a client to other OPC servers, providing a way for
RSView to retrieve tag values from third-party controller devices, such as Siemens or
Modicon, using third-party OPC servers.
Installing the necessary activation keys

The types of product licenses you require depends on the software you have installed, and
how you intend to use it. For information about the types of activation you might need,
and how to install activation, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
Setting up the FactoryTalk Directory

FactoryTalk Directory is software that allows the parts of an application to find each other
on a computer, or on the network. There are two types of FactoryTalk Directory:
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FactoryTalk Local Directory manages applications that are confined to a single

FactoryTalk Network Directory manages applications that can consist of multiple
clients and servers on separate computers connected over a network, for example,
RSView Supervisory Edition distributed applications.
For stand-alone applications, the Local Directory is set up automatically. For distributed
applications, all computers participating in the application must be set up to point at the
same Network Directory computer.
You can use the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility to set up the FactoryTalk
Network Directory when you install RSView SE, or after the installation. For details, see
Chapter 4, Setting up FactoryTalk Directory.
About security in FactoryTalk-enabled system

For RSView and other FactoryTalk-enabled applications, FactoryTalk Directory stores
information about which users are allowed to access the parts of a control system, from
which computers.
To secure resources the FactoryTalk Directory manages, and to secure HMI project
components at run time, you must create accounts for application users, and then allow or
deny them permission to access those resources.
There are several steps involved in setting up security for the RSView application you
plan to develop. For details, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
To run the Water Samples application, or create a simple application in RSView Studio, in
order to explore some of the features of RSView, you can log on to the FactoryTalk
Directory can use the administrative accounted created during installation. For details, see
Logging on to FactoryTalk, below.
Logging on to FactoryTalk
You are prompted to log on to the FactoryTalk Directory server, the first time you run a
FactoryTalk-enabled product after installing, or after restarting the computer. For
example, if you restart the computer and then start RSView Studio, you are prompted to
log on after selecting a product type.
Log on as a user with the necessary security privileges, at the FactoryTalk Directory that
manages the application. For example, if you want to create or open a distributed
application in RSView Studio, you must be authorized to do so at the FactoryTalk
Network Directory.
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1 Placeholder
computer, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition stand-alone applications.
1 GETTING STARTED
If you are logging on directly after installing, use the administrative account you created
at the FactoryTalk Local or Network Directory, after installing the FactoryTalk
Automation Platform. For more information, see the RSView Supervisory Edition
Installation Guide.
If single sign-on is turned on, the user that logs on initially becomes the current
FactoryTalk Directory user for that Windows session. You will not have to log on again, to
start any other FactoryTalk-enabled product in the same session, as long as
RSAssetSecurity services authorize the current user.
If the RSView SE client is the first FactoryTalk-enabled product you run after restarting the
computer, and you are prompted to log on using the RSView SE Client Login dialog box, you will
not be logged on to FactoryTalk Directory, nor set as the single-sign-on user.
Running in RSView demo mode

The RSView SE and RSLinx software you install must be licensed for full use. However,
you can run without activation keys, in demo mode, to get familiar with RSView SE
before you start developing an application for production.
When running RSView SE in demo mode, you can:
create up to 5 HMI servers in a distributed application.
create up to five graphic displays per HMI server.
run a local RSView SE client for up to 2 hours.
For information about activating the RSView and RSLinx software, see the RSView
Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
Exploring the Water Samples application

The Water Samples application is a fully functional example of a distributed application,
which is shipped with RSView SE.
After installing the software, you can explore the RSView development and run-time
environments by opening the Water Samples application in RSView Studio, or running the
Samples Water client.
To open the application in RSView Studio
1. On the Windows Start menu, select Start, Programs, and then click RSView Studio.
2. In the Product Type Selection dialog box, click SE Distributed, and then click
Continue.
1-10
3. In the New/Open SE Distributed Application dialog box, click Samples Water, select
an application language, and then click Open.
In RSView Studio,
use the Graphics
editor to view and
test displays in the
Water Samples
application.
For information about working with RSView Studio and the editors, see Chapter 2,
Exploring RSView Studio.
To test a display in RSView Studio
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the display to view, and then click Open.
2. On the View menu, click Test Display.
3. To stop testing, on the View menu, click Edit Display.
You can test only one display at a time in RSView Studio. If you want to navigate between
displays in the application, run it in the RSView SE client.
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1 Placeholder
If RSView Studio is the first FactoryTalk-enabled software you are running, after
installing RSView or restarting the computer, you will be prompted to log on. For
more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk on page 1-9.
1 GETTING STARTED
Running Water Samples in the RSView SE client

To start the Samples Water client
1. On the Windows Start menu, select Start, Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView
Enterprise, and then click Samples Water.
If the RSView SE client is the first FactoryTalk-enabled software you are running,
after installing RSView or restarting the computer, you might be prompted to log on.
For more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk on page 1-9.
After the client starts, navigate through the Water Samples application using the buttons
and touch zones provided on the screens.
Creating and testing a new application

You can also create a simple, new application, to exercise some of the design- and runtime features of RSView SE. Following are some steps to get you started.
Create the application

First, create the application itself, and then add one HMI server or more.
The HMI server stores project components (for example, graphic displays), and serves
these components to clients. The server also contains a database of tags, and performs
alarm detection, and historical data management (logging).
To create a new distributed application
1. On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, and then click RSView Studio.
2. In the Product Type Selection dialog box, click SE Distributed, and then click
Continue.
more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk on page 1-9.
3. In the New/Open SE Distributed Application dialog box, click the New tab
4. Type a name and description for the application, select an application language, and
then click Create.
The default language displayed in the New tab is the operating system language. You can
accept the default, or select any language that Windows supports, from the Language list.
For more information, see Chapter 25, Setting up language switching.
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To add an area to the application

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application icon, and then click New Area.
2. Type a name and description for the area, and then click OK.
To add an HMI server
1. Right-click the folder representing the area you just added, and then click Add HMI
Server.
2. In the Add HMI Server Wizard, in the Select Operation window, click Create a new
HMI server, and then click Next.
3. Type a name and description for the HMI server, and then click Finish.
To add an HMI server to an application, you can also choose one of these options:
Copy an HMI server
Import a project
Attach to an existing HMI server
For more information, see Adding an HMI server on page 5-9.

For details about using the Add HMI Server Wizard, click Help in the wizard.
Create a graphic display in the Graphics editor

Adding an HMI server to an application also creates the HMI project, which contains all
of the editors and productivity tools you need to create and edit the components for that
application.
For a list of editors and their functions, see Editors on page 2-9. For instructions about
using the editors, click Help in editor dialog boxes.
For this example, use the Graphics editor to create a graphic display, and then add a
graphic object to that display.
To create a new display
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the Displays icon, and then click New.
The Displays icon is located in the Graphics folder. If necessary, expand the folder by clicking
the + symbol beside the folders icon, or by double-clicking the folder itself.
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1 Placeholder
After creating the application, add an HMI server to the root of the application, or to
another area in the application. For this example, add an area to contain the new HMI
server.
1 GETTING STARTED
An untitled display opens in the RSView Studio workspace, to the right of the
Explorer window.
To add a graphic object to the display
1. On the Objects menu, select Drawing, and then click Rectangle.
You can also click the button on the Objects toolbar that represents the object you
want to add. For details about using the Graphics editor, see Chapter 16, Creating
graphic displays, and Chapter 17, Setting up graphic objects.
2. Position the pointer where you want the rectangle, and then click and hold the left
mouse button, and drag the mouse down and to the right.
3. Release the mouse button to place the rectangle on the display.
To save the new display
1. On the File menu, click Close.
2. Click Yes to save changes and close the display.
3. In the Save dialog box, type a name for the display, and then click OK.
Test run the application in RSView SE client

You can test a single display in RSView Studio, or test run an application by creating and
running an RSView SE client that connects to it. At various stages in the development
process, it is advisable to give the application a trial run in the RSView SE client. That
way, you can resolve issues that might appear only at run time.
To run the new application you just created, create a simple configuration file that
specifies:
the type and name of the application to which the client will connect.
the display to run initially, when the client starts. This can be the new display you just
created.
To create an RSView SE client configuration file

1. On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView
Enterprise, and then click RSView SE Client.
2. In the RSView SE Client Wizard, click New, and then follow the instructions on the
screen.
For details about using the RSView SE Client Wizard, click Help in the wizard.
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1 GETTING STARTED
To run the RSView SE client
2. Click Finish.
When you are finished testing, use the close button on the clients title bar to close the
client window.
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1 Placeholder
1. In the Completion Options window of the RSView SE Client Wizard, select Save
configuration and open RSView SE Client now.
Exploring RSView Studio
2 Placeholder
how to start RSView Studio.
how to open an application.
the parts of the RSView Studio main window.
working in the Explorer window.
the parts of the Explorer.
working with application components.
techniques for working in editors.
printing from RSView.
Starting RSView Studio

When you start RSView Studio, the Product Type Selection dialog box opens, where you
select the type of application you plan to work with. The options are:
SE Distributed to create or open an RSView Supervisory Edition distributed
application.
SE Stand-alone to create or open an RSView Supervisory Edition stand-alone
application.
Machine Edition to create or open an RSView Machine Edition application. For
information about developing machine-level applications, see the RSView Machine

Edition Users Guide.
To start RSView Studio and select a product type
Enterprise, and then click RSView Studio.
2. In the Product Type Selection dialog box, click the icon for the type of application you
want to create, and then click Continue.
more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk, below.
2-1
In the New/Open Application dialog box, the title bar shows the type of application you
selected. You can create a new application of that type, or open an existing one.
Logging on to FactoryTalk
You are prompted to log on to the FactoryTalk Directory server, the first time you run a
FactoryTalk-enabled product after installing, or after restarting the computer. For
example, if you restart the computer and then start RSView Studio, you are prompted to
log on after selecting a product type.
Log on as a user with the necessary security privileges, at the FactoryTalk Directory that
manages the application. For example, if you want to create or open a distributed
application in RSView Studio, you must be authorized to do so at the FactoryTalk
Network Directory.
If you are logging on directly after installing, use the administrative account you created
at the FactoryTalk Local or Network Directory, after installing the FactoryTalk
Automation Platform. For more information, see the RSView Supervisory Edition
Installation Guide.
If single sign-on is turned on, the user that logs on initially becomes the current
FactoryTalk Directory user for that Windows session. You will not have to log on again, to
start any other FactoryTalk-enabled product in the same session, as long as
RSAssetSecurity services authorize the current user.
If the RSView SE Client is the first FactoryTalk-enabled product you run after restarting the
For more information about security services, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
Opening an application
To open an existing application
1. Start RSView Studio, select the product type for the application, and then click
Continue.
more information about logging on to FactoryTalk, see page 2-2.
2. In the New/Open ... Application dialog box, click the Existing tab.
3. In the Existing tab, click the name of the application you want to open, select an
application language, and then click Open.
2-2
To open an application you used recently

1. On the File menu in the Explorer, select Recent Applications and then click the name
of the application you want to open.
To open an application in RSView Studio, the user must have read/write access in Windows to
the sub folder that holds the HMI projects. If the security designation for RSView Studio users is
Power Users, they might not have write access.
To set up write access for Power Users, right-click the HMI project sub folder, and then click
Properties. (The default location for the HMI projects sub folder is C:\Documents and Settings\
All Users\Documents\RSView Enterprise\SE.)
In the Security tab of the Properties dialog box, select Power Users from the list of groups and
user names. In the Permissions box below the list, select Full Control, and the select the Allow
check box.
Opening the Samples Water application

To familiarize yourself with the RSView Studio development environment, you can open
the sample application that is installed with RSView Supervisory Edition.
To open the Samples application
1. Start RSView Studio, select the SE Distributed product type, and then click Continue.
more information about logging on to FactoryTalk, see page 2-2.
2. In the New/Open SE Distributed Application dialog box, click the Existing tab.
3. In the Existing tab, click Samples Water, select a language, and then click Open.
2-3
2 Placeholder
If the application is not set up to support multiple languages, the Language list
displays <Select a language>. You must select a language before you can open the
application. For more information, see Chapter 25, Setting up language switching.
2 EXPLORING RSVIEW STUDIO
Exploring the RSView Studio main window

When you create or open an application, its contents appear in the RSView Studio main
window.
Menu bar
Toolbar
Explorer
Workspace
Browse devices
on the network.
View the
application.
Diagnostics List
Status bar
The menu bar

The menu bar contains the menu items for the active window. Each editor has its own set
of menus.
The toolbar
The toolbar contains buttons that provide quick access to commonly-used menu items.
When you point to a button on the toolbar, the name of the button is displayed in a tooltip.
2-4
Standard toolbar
2 Placeholder
Graphics toolbar
Objects toolbar
All of the editors use the Standard toolbar. The Graphics editor has additional toolbars that
are displayed when you open a graphic display, global object display, or library.
The Explorer
The Explorer is the main tool for working in RSView Studio. It provides access to the
editors you use to set up the application and create its components. For more information
about the Explorer, see page 2-8.
The workspace
The workspace is the blank area of the RSView Studio window. You can drag icons to the
workspace from the Explorer, to launch editors and open graphic displays. For details, see
Working in the Explorer window on page 2-8.
The Application tab

The Application tab shows the Explorer window.
The Communications tab

The Communications tab shows the devices on the network available to the computer
hosting RSLinx Enterprise. Use this tab for setting up network types and browsing
devices on the configured networks.
For details, see Chapter 7, Setting up communications, or the RSLinx Enterprise Help.
The Diagnostics List

The Diagnostics List shows information about system activities. Its located above the
status bar at the bottom of the RSView Studio main window and can be hidden, moved,
resized, and cleared of messages.
Use the Diagnostics Setup tool to select the types of messages that appear in the
Diagnostics List. For details, see Message routing on page 12-2 or the Help for the
Diagnostics Setup tool.
Diagnostic messages are preceded by a blue, yellow, or red icon. Blue indicates
information, yellow indicates a warning, and red indicates an error.
2-5
To show or hide the Diagnostics List

1. On the View menu, click Diagnostics List.
When Diagnostics List has a check mark beside it, the list is visible.
To move the Diagnostics List
1.
With the left mouse button, click and hold the grab bars at the bottom left of the
Diagnostics List.
To detach the
Diagnostics List,
drag the grab bars.
If you cant see the grab bars, drag the top edge of the Diagnostics List to make it a bit
larger.
2. Drag the list to its new location.
To prevent the Diagnostics List from docking automatically, press and hold the Ctrl
key as you drag it.
When the Diagnostics List is undocked, you can make it any size you want, for example
to view more than one message at a time.
To resize the Diagnostics List
1. Click and hold an edge or corner and drag until the Diagnostics List is the desired size.
Clearing messages from the Diagnostics List
To clear messages from the list, use one of these methods:
Click Clear, to clear the most recent message, at the top of the list, or to clear the
message that is selected (highlighted).
Click Clear All, to clear all the messages in the list.
Clearing a message in the Diagnostics List does not delete the message from the
Diagnostics log.
2-6
The status bar
the active window or selected tool.

For example, if you position the pointer over the Open button on the Standard toolbar,
the following message appears in the status bar:
a selected graphic object.

For example, if you select an object in the Graphics editor, information about the
object (such as its position on the display, size, and name) appears in the status bar:
Workbook mode
Workbook mode provides a way to switch among open windows in the RSView Studio
workspace. Use the Workbook mode option on the View menu to toggle between
workbook and normal modes.
Showing and hiding items in the main window

You can display or hide all the items in the main window (except the menu bar) by
clicking items on the View menu. If there is a check mark beside an item, it is visible. If
there is no check mark, the item is hidden.
The status bar is visible.

Workbook Mode is off.
The Explorer Window
and Diagnostics List
are hidden.
The Standard
toolbar is visible.
2-7
2 Placeholder
The information that appears in the status bar depends on where the pointer is and what
RSView Studio is doing. The status bar can provide information about:
Working in the Explorer window

The Explorer is the main tool for working in RSView Studio. It provides access to the
editors you use to set up an application, and to create and edit its components.
Application name
Workspace
Click the symbol
to close a folder.
Components are
listed below the
editors icon.
Click the + symbol
to open a folder.
Undocking the Explorer

Undocking the Explorer and moving it
To undock the Explorer, use one of these methods:
Click the title bar and then drag the window.

To prevent the Explorer from docking automatically, press and hold the Ctrl key as
you drag it.
2-8
Double-click the Explorers title bar to float the explorer in the middle of the main
window, and then drag it to a new position.
Right-click the Explorers title bar, and then click a new docking location: Floating, or
MDI (Multiple Document Interface) Child.
2 Placeholder
If you click MDI Child, the Explorer becomes a window that you can move,
minimize, maximize, or restore, within the main window. You cannot move it outside
the main window.
To resize the Explorer window, grab and drag one of its edges.
The parts of the Explorer

Folders
The Explorer uses folders to organize editors. To open or close a folder, do one of the
following:
Click the + or symbol beside the folders icon.
Double-click the folder.
Click the folder, and then press Enter to either open or close the folder depending on
its current state.
Editors
Editors are for creating or setting up application components. Editors are represented in
RSView Studio by icons in the Explorer window, or by items in menus.
To open an editor, do one of the following:
Drag the editors icon from the Explorer to the workspace.

Right-click the editors icon to open the context menu, and then click New or Open. If
you can use the editor to create multiple components, the context menu contains New.
If the editor can open only a single component, the context menu contains Open.
Click the Tools or Settings menu, and then click the editor to select it.
2-9
Following is a list of RSView editors and their functions.

Use this editor
To
RSView User Accounts

(Settings menu)
Add users or groups to RSView, assign security codes to

them, and assign login and logout macros.
RSView Secured Commands

(Settings menu)
Assign security codes to RSView commands and macros.
Diagnostics Setup
(Tools menu)
Specify the type of system activity to be logged and

where, when, and how it will be logged.
The settings you specify using this editor apply only to the
computer you are using.
Alarm Log Setup

(Tools menu)
Specify the type of alarm activity to be logged, and where,

when, and how it will be logged.
The settings you specify using this editor apply only to the
computer you are using, and only if it contains an HMI
server.
2-10
Languages
(Tools menu)
Add languages to an application, and export and import

text strings.
Command Line
Open a command line for issuing RSView commands.
Tags
Create HMI tags, and set up alarms.
Graphics
(Displays, Global Objects, or
Libraries icon)
Create graphic displays and global object displays, or open

graphic libraries and drag the objects they contain into
graphic displays.
Images
Add images to an application that are to be used repeatedly

in graphic displays.
Parameters
Create parameter files for use with graphic displays

containing tag placeholders, so you can use the same
graphic displays with different tags.
Recipes
Create recipe files for use with graphic displays containing

a recipe object, so you can restore or save recipes.
Local Messages
Create local message files containing trigger values, and

the corresponding messages.
Trend Templates
Rename, remove, and copy existing trend templates. Use

trend templates to create preconfigured trend objects for
graphic displays.
Trend Snapshots
Rename, remove, and copy existing trend snapshots. Save

trend snapshots for use as overlays with real-time trends.
Alarm Setup
Set up the general features for all alarms for the HMI
server, including alarm severities and user messages.
To
Suppressed List
Display a list of tags for which alarm notification is

suppressed.
Derived Tags
Create tags whose values are derived from other tags, or

from functions.
Events
Create events, which are expressions that trigger

commands or macros.
Macros
Create macros to run series of RSView commands.
Client Keys
Re-map the RSView SE Client keyboard to run RSView

commands.
Data Log Models
Create data log models, specifying where, when, and how

the selected tag values will be logged.
2 Placeholder
Use this editor
Components
The Explorer manages components that represent physical files located in folders under
the application directory.
These components
were created using the
Graphics editor.
Displaying components
To display components associated with a particular editor, do one of the following:
Click the + sign beside the editors icon.
Double-click the editor.
2-11
Click the editor, and then press Enter.
Any components created with the editor appear below the editor in the tree.
Opening components
To open a component, use one of these methods:
Double-click the component.
Drag the components icon into the workspace.
Right-click the component to open the context menu, and then click Open.
Working with application components

Adding components to an application
To add a component to an application, use one of these methods:
Drag the physical file from the Windows Explorer to the Explorer window in RSView
Studio.
Use the Add Component into Application option on the Explorers context menu.
When you use this option, you create a copy of the file in the application.
To add a component using drag and drop

1. In the Windows Explorer, locate the file you want to add to the application.
2. Drag the file to the Explorer window in RSView Studio.
The component automatically appears below the editor that can be used to edit it.
To add a component using the context menu
1. Right-click the editor used to create the component you want to copy. For example, to
add a graphic display component, right-click Displays.
2. On the context menu, click Add Component into Application.
3. In the dialog box, find the component you want to add, and then click it.
To select consecutive components, click the first component, and then Shift-click the last
component you want to select. To select multiple, individual components, Ctrl-click each one.
4. Click Open. The components appear under the editor in the Explorer window.
2-12
Deleting, removing, and renaming components

2 Placeholder
Use the items on the context menu to rename, remove, and delete components. The
Remove item removes the selected component from the Explorer. The Delete item
removes the component and deletes the file it represents from disk.
To delete a component and file
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the component to be deleted.
2. Click Delete.
Deleting a component deletes the physical file from disk, as well as the component.
To remove a component
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the component to be removed.
2. Click Remove.
Removing a component removes the component from the Explorer. It does not delete the
physical file that the component references.
To rename a component
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the component, and then click Rename.
2. In the To box, type the new name.
3. Click OK.
Renaming a component changes both the component and the physical file name.
Restoring a component after renaming only the physical file
If you rename a physical file in Windows Explorer, you will no longer be able to open the
associated component in RSView Studio. You must remove the component, and then add
the renamed file back into the HMI project.
To restore a component after changing the physical file name
1. Right-click the component and then click Remove.

2. Right-click the editor used to create the component. To restore a graphic display, for
example, right-click Displays.
3. On the context menu, click Add Component Into Application.
4. Select the renamed file, and then click Open.
2-13
Naming components
When you name a component in RSView Studio, the file name for the component is
created automatically on disk. The component name becomes part of the file name.
The maximum number of characters for a component name varies depending on where the
components file is saved on disk. RSView supports long file names. File names,
including the path, can be up to 200 characters long.
For example, the following path and file name contains 111 characters. The component
name, Bakery Overview, (the name of the graphic display) is only 15 characters long, but
could be as long as 104 characters.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\
RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI Projects\Bakery1\
Gfx\Bakery Overview.gfx
Component names can contain spaces, like the graphic display name in the above
example. When using component names with spaces in commands, you might need to
enclose the component names in double quotes ( ). For example, parameter file names
containing spaces must be enclosed in double quotes, when specified using the /P
parameter with the Display command.
For information about RSView command syntax, see Appendix A, RSView commands.
For information about specific RSView commands, see Help.
Names that conflict with commands or macros
To avoid problems when issuing commands and macros, do not give macros the same
names as commands. For example, assume you want to name a macro Display. To avoid
confusion with the Display command, name the macro DisplayScreen instead.
For details about how to use commands, see Appendix A, RSView commands.
Techniques for working in editors

When developing an application, you will use many different editors, but they have many
similar features and often require similar information. Knowing how to use these features
saves time.
Using the context menus

The Explorer and the Graphics editor use context menus. In the Explorer, everything in
the tree hierarchy, except the folders, have context menus. In the Graphics editor, the
graphic display and the objects on a display have context menus.
2-14
To open a context menu
Using the Browse button
Browse button
The Browse button appears beside text boxes. You can type information into the box, or
you can click the Browse button to open a list containing valid entries for the box, or a
search window in which you can search for and select a valid entry.
Using tag names

Tags are stored in devices, data servers, and in the HMI tag database. Their names are
used in other parts of RSView. You do not have to create tags in the RSView HMI Tags
editor before you work in other RSView editors.
Supplying a tag name
To supply a tag name when creating a component, use one of these methods:
Type the name of a tag. You do not have to create the tag to use the tag name, but be
sure to create the tag later or errors will be reported at run time.
Click the Browse button or Tags button, whichever is available, to open the Tag
Browser, where you can select or create a tag.
For detailed information about tags, see Chapter 8, Working with tags.
Using RSView commands

RSView commands allow you interact with and control application components. Most
commands accept parameters for added precision and control.
You can set up keys and graphic objects to issue commands at run time. You can also issue
commands from the HMI servers command line, or create a list of commands in a macro,
and run the macro in places where those commands are required.
Using the Command Wizard
The Command Wizard helps you select and build commands.
Opening the Command Wizard
To open the Command Wizard, use one of these methods:
Click the Browse button beside a text box where a command is expected, for example,
in the Press action box for a button object, or in the command line.
Double-click in a box where a command is expected or in the Macros editor.
2-15
2 Placeholder
1. Position the mouse pointer over the icon, display, or object, and then right-click the
mouse.
On the Edit menu, click Commands.
When you click a

category on the left,
commands in that
category are shown
on the right.
To resize the list
boxes, drag this bar
left or right.
When you click a
command, its syntax
is displayed here.
For information about specific RSView commands, see Help.
Using expressions
Many editors use expressions to compute values based on tags and functions. Expressions
can be complex logical expressions, or they can be tag names.
For information about expressions, see Chapter 20, Creating expressions.
Printing
Each RSView editor has a Print item on its File menu.
To print selections
1. Select the item you want to print, for example a record in an editors spreadsheet.
2. On the File menu, click Print.
3. Under Print Range, click Selection.
To print the entire contents of the window
1. On the File menu, click Print.
2. Under Print Range, click All.
2-16
Selecting a printer
2 Placeholder
You must install a printer before you can select it. For information about installing a
printer, see your Windows documentation.
To select a printer
1. On the File menu in any RSView editor, click Print Setup.
2. If you dont want to use the default printer, specify another printer.
3. Choose the appropriate orientation and paper options.
Setting up the printer

For detailed information about changing printer options, refer to your Windows
documentation.
The Print Setup menu item in RSView Studio applies to the development computer only. If you
will use a different computer to run the application, you must set up a printer for that computer; to
enable run-time printing.
The settings in the Print Setup dialog box do not affect run-time log printing set up in the Alarm
Setup editor.
Selecting a network printer

RSView can print to a network printer. For detailed information about setting up network
printers, refer to your Windows documentation.
Printing at run time

To print graphic displays at run time, use the PrintDisplay command. If you want
operators to be able to print specific displays, provide them with a way to issue the
command when you create the display.
For example, create a button object, display key, or client key with the PrintDisplay
command as the press action. For information about creating graphic displays, see
Chapter 16, Creating graphic displays.
When you use the PrintDisplay command RSView prints the entire display, even if parts
are covered by other displays. Use the ScreenPrint command if you want to print an image
of whatever shows on the monitor.
For detailed information about individual commands, see Help.
2-17
Planning an application
3 Placeholder
understanding the process you are automating.
planning the layout of the network.
planning a redundant system.
planning communications.
designing an HMI tag database, and planning alarms.
designing graphic displays.
planning run-time language switching.
planning how to use trends.
designing a secure system.
designing a system for multiple users.
designing a system that is easy to deploy and maintain.
integrating with other applications, and customizing the system.
Understanding the process you are automating

For a complete and detailed understanding of the process youre automating, gather
information from a variety of sources:
Talk to operators and other experts who are going to use the system, to find out what
information they need to optimize plant operations.
Talk to management and information systems staff, to find out what information they
need to support planning decisions.
Break up each section of the process into its constituent parts.
Determine what types of data servers youll be using.
Determine whether parts of the process warrant some level of redundancy.
Identify the process variables you need, and their locations in the programmable
controllers.
3-1
Planning the layout of the network

It is important to pay careful attention to the layout of the network, when designing a
distributed application.
The Windows domain or workgroup

Distributed applications that contain more than 10 computers require a domain controller.
Do not run FactoryTalk Directory, or any other application software, on the same computer as
a Windows domain controller.
Applications that contain that 10 computers or fewer, can be run in a Windows workgroup
environment. In that case, all computers participating in a single application must be
members of the same Windows workgroup, and all must have administrative rights.
The computers youll need

You can develop a distributed application on a single computer, and you can run it on a
single computer for testing purposes. However, depending on needs, a distributed
application deployed for production typically involves the following computers:
One computer running FactoryTalk Network Directory server
FactoryTalk Directory is software that works like a telephone directory or electronic

address book, allowing the parts of an application to find each other on a computer, or
across a network.
FactoryTalk Network Directory manages distributed applications, which can consist of
multiple clients and servers distributed across a network. All of the computers
participating in a distributed application must point at the same FactoryTalk Network
Directory. For details, see Chapter 4, Setting up FactoryTalk Directory.
One or more redundant pairs of computers with RSView SE Server software
installed on them
The RSView SE Server software is required to create and run HMI servers. The HMI
server stores HMI project components (for example, graphic displays), and serves those
components to clients. The server also performs alarm detection, and historical data
management (logging), and might contain a database of tags.
More than 2 HMI servers can be located on a single computer for development purposes only.
When deploying an application, ensure that there are no more than 2 HMI servers per computer.
If the servers are set up for redundancy, only 1 HMI server per computer is permitted.
3-2
3 PLANNING AN APPLICATION
One or more redundant pairs of computers running data servers
If an application requires more than 10,000 tags and you are not using RSLinx Enterprise for
communications, install the OPC data server on its own, dedicated host computer for best
performance.
If you are using RSLinx Enterprise this is not necessary. RSLinx Enterprise is optimized to
provide best performance for large numbers of clients (more than 10) and a large number of tags
(more than 10,000) even if it is located on the same computer as the HMI server.
For details about data servers, see Chapter 7, Setting up communications.

One or more development computers, running RSView Studio
RSView Studio is configuration software for developing and testing machine- and
supervisory-level human-machine interface (HMI) applications.
This manual provides information about developing supervisory-level applications. For
information about developing machine-level applications, see the RSView Machine
Edition Users Guide.
One or more operator client computers, running RSView SE Client
RSView SE Client is software for viewing and interacting with supervisory-level

applications developed using RSView Studio.
For details about setting up RSView SE Clients, see page 27-13.
One or more administration computers, running RSView Administration
Console
The RSView Administration Console is software for administering RSView Supervisory

Edition applications after they have been deployed. The RSView Administration Console
contains a sub-set of the RSView Studio editors so you can make minor changes to an
application without installing RSView Studio.
For more information, Administering deployed applications on page 27-16
System requirements and installation

For details about system requirements and installing the RSView Enterprise software, see
the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
3-3
3 Placeholder
Data servers allow clients access to information in programmable controllers, devices, and
other data servers that comply with the OPC-DA 2.0 specification.
Planning a redundant system

In theory, the ideal redundant solution involves having at least one backup copy of
everythinghardware, software, networks, and so on. In practice, this is seldom feasible,
or even necessary. Before setting up redundancy, plan:
which components in the system need to have backupsin other words, decide how
much redundancy is necessary.
where (on which computers) to locate backup systems.
the network layout, and calculate the processing load expected for each computer.
This information can help you plan which parts of an application can share hardware.
RSView Supervisory Edition allows you to set up redundant pairs of HMI servers and data
servers in a distributed application. For details, see Chapter 5, Working with
distributed applications and Chapter 26, Setting up a redundant system.
In addition, you can set up RSView Supervisory Edition to send alarm and data log
information automatically to an ODBC-compliant database. You can set up an HMI server
to buffer data locally if the database becomes unavailable.
You can also set up system activity logging to an ODBC-compliant database, using the
Diagnostics Setup utility.
Planning communications
When planning communications, gather information about the types of controllers or
devices in the plant, and the software that is available for communicating with them. This
will help you set up one or more OPC servers.
Next, plan how the devices on the network will communicate with the application. This
will help you plan the number of data servers the application needs.
Also, consider which systems need to be redundant in order to minimize disruptions to
clients in the event that data access is interrupted. This will help you plan the number of
redundant, data server pairs you need.
Finally, plan how you will gain access to data in the controllers or devices. For many
purposes you can access the values in controllers or devices directly, using a data server in
the application. For some purposes, however, you will need to use tags from an HMI
servers tag database.
For details about setting up communications in RSView, see Chapter 7, Setting up
communications.
3-4
Plan how to access data
how the application will communicate with the programmable controllers or devices
on the network.
how the application will access values in the programmable controllers or devices,
once the application is set up.
Setting up communications with devices

To access values in programmable controllers or devices, you can use data server tags,
HMI tags, or a combination of both. You need to:
know what kinds of controllers or devices you are using.
plan how the application will communicate with the controllers or devices.
Plan how to collect data

When planning data collection, design the system so only essential data is collected.
Limiting data collection is important because collection activities require substantial
processing power and generate significant traffic on the communication channel or
network.
Keep data collection requirements in mind when designing the layout of the
programmable controller data tables and the tag database. Ideally, tag addresses should
reference contiguous blocks of programmable controller data tables to reduce network
traffic and optimize system response.
When to use HMI tags

Use HMI tags when an application needs to provide extended capabilities, such as:
triggering alarms when tag values cross a specified threshold.
scaling or offsetting a value before sending it to a programmable controller or device.
security features, to prevent unauthorized changes to a tags value.
flexible addressing. HMI tags dont require hard-coded physical addresses or devicespecific variable names in an application. This lets you re-use an application with
other devices, by changing the physical addresses to which the tag names are mapped.
Also, some controllers or OPC servers do not allow descriptive tag names.
For more information about HMI tags, see Chapter 9, Creating HMI tags.
3-5
3 Placeholder
To access data, you need to plan:
Designing an HMI tag database

Before creating an HMI tag database, take the time to plan it. A good design helps reduce
the time required for maintenance, and can improve device-to-RSView response time.
Collect information
Before creating an HMI tag database, collect this information:
process flowcharts (or process and instrument diagrams)
a list of programmable controller data table or register addresses for the application
alarm requirements (for more information, see Planning alarms on page 3-6)
Organize HMI tags

Before creating the HMI tags, plan how to organize them:
Develop naming conventions for the HMI tags, choosing names that are familiar and
logical to everyone. This makes troubleshooting easier.
Group related HMI tags, in ways that make most sense for the application. For
example, group all similar devices, or group related areas of the plant floor.
To group related HMI tags, you can create folders in the Tags editor. For greater
organization, create nested folders.
For optimum performance, do not place all the HMI tags in the root folder. In addition, it is
recommended that you limit the number of tags in any folder to less than 2000. HMI tags
contained in nested folders do not contribute to the number of tags in the root of the folder.
Planning alarms
Before setting up alarms for HMI tags, plan:
what conditions will trigger alarms.
how operators will be notified of those alarms.
what information alarm messages should contain.
what actions will occur in response to those alarms.
which alarms will require additional actions that can be supplied using a macro.
For more information about alarms, see Chapter 11, Creating alarms.
3-6
Designing graphic displays
Develop a hierarchy of displays

Well-organized graphic displays present information clearly and consistently and guide
users through the system. Before designing individual graphic displays, plan an overall
display hierarchy and plan how users will navigate through the hierarchy.
A hierarchy is a series of graphic displays that provide progressively more detail as users
move through them. A hierarchy should meet the needs of the various users, including
managers, supervisors, and operators.
Create templates to ensure consistency

It is possible to keep a consistent appearance among all the displays in an application, by
presenting the same pieces of information in the same place on each display. To ensure
uniformity, develop displays with common elements that act as templates. Each time you
develop a new display, start with a copy of the appropriate template.
For example, a template might contain:
the company logo.
a title.
the date and time.
navigation buttons.
You can also create parts of the template using global objects. For more information, see
About global object displays and global objects on page 16-2.
Apply visual design principles

When designing displays, practicing good visual design principles helps users and
increases their efficiency. Aim for the following important design principles:
Consistency
Be consistent in the use of symbols and color.
Be consistent with button labels and button placement.

When you design several displays, place the same kinds of buttons in the same
positions. For example, if there is a Start button in a certain position in one display,
dont put a Stop button in the same position in the next display.
3-7
3 Placeholder
When designing displays, decide on the best ways for users to navigate through them, and
develop templates to establish a common look and feel.
Clarity
Use symbols that are easily recognizable. For example, use the conventional ISA
symbols for tanks and valves.
Dont overload the screen with information.
Use standard, clear terminology, and avoid abbreviations or acronyms that the user
might not understand.
Use colors with recognizable meanings. For example, in Europe and North America
the colors red and green often mean stop and start. Keep color meanings consistent by
assigning red only to Stop buttons, and green only to Start buttons.
Use high-contrast color combinations, such as yellow on blue or dark text on lightcolored backgrounds.
Usability
If youre designing for a touch screen, place important buttons where they will not be
blocked by a pop-up window. Users cant press a covered button. Also, ensure that
buttons are large enough and spaced far enough apart for users to touch them easily,
even when wearing work gloves.
Ensure there is always a clear way to move between displays.
For more information about working with:
graphic displays, see Chapter 16, Creating graphic displays.
graphic objects, see Chapter 17, Setting up graphic objects.
Planning run-time language switching

When designing an application that will support multiple languages, consider:
how operators will switch between languages at run time. For example, you can use
buttons in graphic displays that issue the Language command when pressed, for each
language the application supports.
whether operators will need to switch languages. If so, ensure that they have sufficient
security privileges to open graphic displays that contain language switching buttons.
displaying the different languages consistently and effectively in graphic displays. For
example, if you use a caption to identify a button set up to switch to French, the
caption will change whenever a language switch occurs. To avoid this, use an image
of the French flag on the button, instead.
For more information about language switching, see Chapter 25, Setting up language
switching.
3-8
Planning how to use trends

3 Placeholder
When planning trends, consider how they will be used. For example, will the trend be
used to:
analyze process trends?
monitor production efficiency?
archive process variables to ensure compliance with government regulations?
Based on such considerations, you can determine which tags need to be plotted:
on the same trend.
from a data log model.
against time, or against another tag.
For more information about trends, see Chapter 19, Setting up trends.
Designing a secure system

When planning how to secure the control system, consider:
the types of users or groups of users requiring access to the system.
the levels of access to the system each user or group requires.
whether and when users must log on to the system, or change their passwords.
who will have administrative privileges, for example, to set up security for the system.
which HMI project components to secure, for example, to prevent accidental changes
to graphic displays, or to control who can write to certain HMI tags.
for a distributed system, whether to restrict access to computers or groups of
computers in certain areas of the plant.
Based on these considerations, you can set up security for groups of users, or individual
users. Setting up groups of users, such as a manager group and an operator group, is
recommended to simplify the management of users with common security needs.
For more information about security, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
Designing a system for multiple users

Behavior that is appropriate in a single-user environment might not be appropriate for
multiple users. When designing a distributed application, keep in mind contingencies such
as the following:
3-9
If a graphic display that is to run on several clients uses a shutdown macro to stop a
derived tags file, closing the display on any of the clients will stop derived tags
processing. Since derived tags processing occurs at the HMI server, this would affect
all clients that require the derived data.
Since tags are global, do not use them to store local information, such as the last
display shown, because all clients see the same tags.
Designing a system that is easy to deploy and maintain

RSView Supervisory Edition includes tools and features that can help you build ease of
maintenance into an application, in these ways:
Create global objects and distribute copies of those objects throughout an application.
When you modify the original object, in the global object display, the changes are
applied to all of its copies in the application.
Create special graphic displays to help deployment and maintenance personnel test an
application, for example, to troubleshoot communications problems.
Link parts of an HMI application to logic in programmable controllers using the
OpenRSLogix5000 command.
For example, by linking actions performed in RSView to Sequential Function Charts
(SFCs) in RSLogix 5000, you can help operators track the state of processes that are
running in the plant.
Because Sequential Function Charts are graphical representations of batch procedures,
actions in RSView that are linked to RSLogix 5000 programs could also be used
frequently by operators who monitor the progress of batch procedures.
For details about the OpenRSLogix5000 command, see Help.
Integrating with other applications, and customizing the system

If you regularly require data from programs such as Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft SQL
Server, consider using the RSView SE Client object model and display code with VBA to
integrate these applications with RSView.
You can also use the RSView SE Client object model to customize a system in the
following ways:
Add custom alarm events
You can write alarm detection algorithms using PLC logic, and then create events in
RSView to respond to the algorithms.
3-10
Validate operator input
Create custom operator forms

Use the RSView SE Client object model to populate VBA form objects with data, for use
in graphic displays. For example, use list boxes or combo boxes in graphic displays to
allow operators to select options such as recipe items.
Manipulate the RSView SE Client window
Write VBA code to arrange graphic displays based on the size of the RSView SE Client
window. This allows you to adapt an application dynamically to various screen desktop
sizes and resolutions.
Send custom messages to the Diagnostics log
Send specific messages to the Diagnostics List and Diagnostics log, to notify the operator
of problems with VBA code.
Secure the system
The RSView object model allows you to obtain security information about who is using
the system, and to use the security information and events to control access to the system.
For example, you can restrict a users access to a graphic display on a secured computer
by creating code that displays the graphic display on a workstation with a specific
computer name, only when the user is logged in with a particular user name.
3-11
3 Placeholder
Use VBA logic to validate the operators input, for example, to ensure that the value an
operator enters in a numeric input field falls within 10% of the value of another numeric
input field.
Setting up FactoryTalk Directory
4 Placeholder
what FactoryTalk Directory is.
using FactoryTalk Directory in a networked system.
specifying the location of FactoryTalk Directory.
restoring FactoryTalk Directory when deploying an application.
what happens if FactoryTalk Directory is unavailable at run time.
About FactoryTalk Directory

FactoryTalk Directory software works like a telephone directory, or electronic address
book, allowing parts of an application to find each other on a computer, or on the network.
FactoryTalk-enabled applications like RSView use one of two types of FactoryTalk
Directory:
FactoryTalk Local Directory (also called Local Directory) manages applications
confined to a single computer, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition stand-alone

applications.
FactoryTalk Network Directory (also called Network Directory) manages
applications that can consist of multiple clients and servers on separate computers
connected over a network, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition distributed
applications.
Your set up the directory (or directories) you need after installing the FactoryTalk
Automation Platform. For details, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation
Guide.
The illustration that follows shows an RSView Supervisory Edition distributed
application deployed on a network, along with FactoryTalk Network Directory, RSLinx,
and RSLogix software.
In the illustration, the RSView SE clients use the Network Directory to find out which
computers are hosting RSView SE Servers, in order to gain access to graphic displays in
the applications running on the RSView SE Servers.
The RSView SE Servers use the Network Directory to find RSLinx, in order to gain
access to data on network devices (PLC-5 and ControlLogix devices) and to update
graphic displays.
4-1
In RSView Studio, when you create or open a stand-alone or a distributed application,

an icon representing the Local or Network Directory and the name of its host computer
appears at the top of the Explorer window, as shown in the following illustrations.
Local directory
(host computer)
Network directory
(host computer)
Application
Application
Area
HMI server
HMI server
HMI project
components,
and editors
Security policies,
user accounts,
and devices
HMI project
components,
and editors
Areas
Security policies,
computer and
user accounts,
and devices
For a stand-alone application, shown on the left, the name of the host computer appears
beside the Local Directory icon.
4-2
Using FactoryTalk Directory in a networked system

You can set up a network so that multiple RSView SE distributed applications share a
single FactoryTalk Network Directory, or so that multiple Network Directory servers
manage multiple applications.
For RSView SE stand-alone applications, the application and the FactoryTalk Local
Directory must be on the same computer.
Multiple distributed applications, one Network Directory computer
FactoryTalk Network Directory can contain multiple applications, allowing you to have
multiple automation systems on the same network.
This would allow you to develop one application, while another is operating in a
production environment. Alternatively, different applications can run simultaneously,
each controlling a different facility within a corporate network.
All the computers participating in a distributed application share a common Network
Directory located on a network server computer. Application users can be members of
different domains. If you are not using domains, all of the computers that connect to an
application must also be in the same Windows workgroup.
Multiple distributed applications, multiple Network Directory
computers
A network can also contain more than one computer running the FactoryTalk Network
Directory software. This is useful to run multiple distributed applications that:
are separated by a slow network, for example a wide-area network (WAN).

To do this, set up one Network Directory at each site on either side of the WAN.
do not need to share data with each other.
Each computer on the network can connect to only one computer running the FactoryTalk
Network Directory software. You cannot connect a single computer to multiple FactoryTalk
Directory servers.
4-3
4 Placeholder
For a distributed application, localhost appears beside the Network Directory icon, if the
directory server is located on the same computer as the application. The host computer
name appears if the directory server is located on a different computer.
4 SETTING UP FACTORYTALK DIRECTORY
One stand-alone application and FactoryTalk Local Directory on

the same computer
For stand-alone applications, the FactoryTalk Local Directory, RSView SE Server, and
RSView SE Client all must be installed and run on the same computer. Only OPC data
servers can be installed on other computers.
Specifying the location of FactoryTalk Directory

Local Directory setup for stand-alone applications
For stand-alone applications, you do not need to do anything to set up the FactoryTalk
Local Directory, as the location is set to localhost automatically, during installation of the
software.
For information about deploying all the parts of a stand-alone application, see Chapter 28,
Deploying stand-alone applications.
Network Directory setup for distributed applications

For distributed applications, you need to decide which computer will host the Network
Directory server.
You can run the server on the same computer as other RSView software components, or
you can run it alone, on a dedicated computer. To do this, you only have to install the
FactoryTalk Automation Platform software on that computer.
After installing RSView Supervisory Edition and before you run RSView Studio, the
RSView SE Client, or the RSView Administration Console, you must use the FactoryTalk
Directory Server Location Utility to specify:
localhost on the computer running the Network Directory server.
the name of the computer running the Network Directory server, on every other
computer to participate in the application.
For information about deploying all the parts of a distributed application, see Chapter 27,
Deploying distributed applications.
4-4
To specify localhost on the Network Directory server computer
2. You are prompted to log on. Type your name and password, and then click OK.
To use the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility, you must have administrative
privileges at FactoryTalk Directory and in Windows, on the computer where the utility is
running. For more information, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
3. In the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility, if the Computer hosting

directory server box displays localhost, click OK.
To specify the
location of the
Network Directory
server, click the
Browse button.
If the Computer hosting directory server box does not display localhost, click the
Browse button.
4. In the FactoryTalk Directory Server Configuration dialog box, click This computer,
and then click OK.
5. Click OK.
To specify the Network Directory location on computers
participating in the application
1. On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk Tools,
and then click Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location.
4-5
4 Placeholder
1. On the computer to host the Network Directory server, on the Windows Start menu,
select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk Tools, and then click Specify
FactoryTalk Directory Location.
2. You are prompted to log on to FactoryTalk. Type your name and password, and then
click OK.
To use the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility, you must have administrative
privileges at FactoryTalk Directory and in Windows, on the computer where the utility is
running. For more information, see Chapter 15, Setting up security.
3. In the FactoryTalk Directory Server Location Utility, click the Browse button beside
Computer hosting directory server.
To specify the
location of the
Network Directory
server, click the
Browse button.
4. In the FactoryTalk Directory Server Configuration dialog box, click Remote

computer, and then type the name of the computer that is running the Network
Directory server.
You can also click the Browse button, to find and select the Network Directory server
computer.
5. Click OK.
To specify a remote computer as the FactoryTalk Network Directory server, you must you
must have administrative privileges at FactoryTalk Network Directory and in Windows, on the
remote server computer.
6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 on each computer (other than the Network Directory computer)
that is to participate in the distributed application.
4-6
Restoring FactoryTalk Directory when deploying an application
For a distributed application, backing up FactoryTalk System information with the

application is optional. For a stand-alone application, the back-up operation includes the
FactoryTalk information. However, you can choose to exclude the information when you
restore the stand-alone application.
When you restore archived FactoryTalk System information, it replaces any user or
computer accounts set up for existing applications using the current FactoryTalk
Directory. Users logged on to the current directory must log back on to RSView and
FactoryTalk Directory, once the restore operation is complete.
For example, if you have an application opened in RSView Studio when FactoryTalk
Directory is restored, the application closes and you must log back on, before you can
create or open another application.
If the application archive includes Windows-linked users, and you are restoring the application to
a different Windows domain, then the archived users will not be recognized in the new domain.
For more information about backing up and restoring:
distributed applications, see Chapter 27, Deploying distributed applications.
stand-alone applications, see Chapter 28, Deploying stand-alone applications.
What happens if FactoryTalk Directory is unavailable at run time

If FactoryTalk Network Directory becomes unavailable while client computers are
connected to a distributed application, the clients will continue to run correctly. This is
because any client computer that was running, or had connected at least once to the
application before the failure, has a cached copy of the Network Directory.
When any of these clients loses contact with the Network Directory, its cached copy
becomes active, allowing it to continue functioning. For example, the client can continue
to resolve tag addresses, read and write tag values, acknowledge alarms, and view graphic
displays, even if the tags and displays it requires were never used before.
4-7
4 Placeholder
After developing and testing an application, you are ready to move it to the computer or
set of computers that will run the application in a live setting such as the plant floor. To
move a stand-alone or a distributed application, you back up the application first, and then
restore the backed up components on the designated computers.
While the Network Directory is unavailable, you cannot modify the structure of
applications using that directory. For example, you cannot add areas, data servers, or HMI
servers, to those applications. You also cannot create new user or computer accounts, or
change system security policies.
How RSView SE Clients respond to server disruptions
Users do not have to restart the RSView SE Client software to continue using the system,
when FactoryTalk Directory becomes unavailable. However, clients that had never
connected to the application before the failure, will not be able to connect until the
Network Directory is restored.
Working with distributed applications
5 Placeholder
what an RSView distributed application is.
key distributed application concepts.
creating distributed applications.
setting up HMI server properties.
starting and stopping HMI servers and components manually.
deleting HMI servers.
renaming and deleting distributed applications.
backing up and restoring distributed applications.
About distributed applications

In RSView Studio you can create two kinds of supervisory-level applications: standalone applications, and distributed applications.
The following illustration shows a distributed application, as it appears in the Explorer
window in RSView Studio.
FactoryTalk
Network Directory
FactoryTalk Directory
host computer
Application
Area
HMI server
HMI project
components,
and editors
Areas
Security settings
for FactoryTalk
Directory
5-1
A distributed application includes:
areas, that allow you to organize the application by sub-dividing it into logical or
physical divisions. You can also use areas to separate servers that contain the same
names, for example two HMI servers running projects that contain the same set of
displays or tags.
HMI servers. Each RSView Supervisory Edition application must contain at least
one HMI server. For a distributed application you can set up a secondary host
computer with a backup copy of the HMI server to provide server redundancy.
HMI project components such as graphic displays, HMI tags, and data log models,
created in RSView Studio.
a list of users, plus the security codes that grant or deny users permission to access
secured HMI project components.
data servers, that allow clients to access information in programmable controllers,
devices, and other data servers that comply with the OPC-DA 2.0 specification, with
or without the use of HMI tags.
Every vendors OPC data server is different. Some contain tag databases of their own,
like the tag database in an HMI server, while others reference the tag databases or
addresses that exist in controllers, as is the case with RSLinx and ControlLogix.
You can set up a redundant pair of host computers for each data server in a distributed
application.
Distributed applications have the following characteristics:
The software programs that allow a distributed application to run, for example,
FactoryTalk Directory, the HMI server, the HMI clients, and the OPC data
servers, can each be located on a different computer on the network.
Each computer taking part in a distributed application must point at the same
FactoryTalk Network Directory.
A distributed application can contain multiple areas, including nested areas.
Each area in a distributed application can contain only a single HMI server. Multiple
data servers are supported.
Redundancy is supported for distributed applications.
For a stand-alone application, all the software programs and application components must
be located on the same computer, and there can be only one HMI server. For information
about stand-alone applications, see Chapter 6, Working with stand-alone applications.
5-2
5 WORKING WITH DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS
Key concepts
on a computer, or on the network. For example, to access graphic displays on HMI
servers in the application, HMI clients use FactoryTalk Directory to find out which
computers on the network are hosting HMI servers.
FactoryTalk Network Directory manages distributed applications. All of the computers
participating in a particular application share a common Network Directory, located on a
network server.
A copy of the information provided by the Network Directory is stored locally on each
client connected to the directory server computer. This means that the application will
continue to run correctly, even if the Network Directory becomes unavailable.
RSView clients connected to the application also will continue to run, without restarting
the system, if the directory server becomes unavailable. However, clients that were not
connected before the Network Directory went down, will be unable to connect until
service is restored.
For more information, see Chapter 4, Setting up FactoryTalk Directory.
RSAssetSecurity
The FactoryTalk Network Directory uses RSAssetSecurity Network services to
authenticate and authorize users of RSView distributed applications. In RSView Studio,
you can set up which users and groups of users have access to resources such as the
Network Directory itself, the application, and areas within the application. For distributed
applications, you can also set up accounts for computers and groups of computers.
Licensing restrictions apply to security for FactoryTalk-enabled applications that use FactoryTalk
Network Directory, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition distributed applications. For
information about security activation, see the RSAssetSecurity Quick Start and Installation Guide
on the RSAssetSecurity Network CD.
5-3
5 Placeholder
HMI server, HMI project, HMI client

HMI servers are software programs that supply information to clients when they request
it. An HMI server stores HMI project components (for example, graphic displays), and
serves these components to clients. An HMI server also manages a database of tags, and
performs alarm detection, and historical data management (data logging). A distributed
application can contain one HMI server or more.
HMI projects contain displays, data log models, alarms, HMI tags and other services.
HMI projects are loaded by HMI servers.

HMI clients are software programs that obtain information from, or write information to
HMI servers or data servers. RSView Studio, the RSView Administration Console, and
the RSView SE Client are all HMI clients.
Areas
All applications have one system-defined area called the application root area, which has
the same name as the application. The application root area can contain an HMI server, or
one or more data servers.
In a distributed application, you can create additional areas to divide the application into
manageable, logical parts, or to organize it in a way that makes sense for the process it is
controlling. An area might represent a portion or stage of a process, or a region within the
process facility.
For example, an automotive plant might be divided into areas called Press and
Fabrication, Body Shop, Paint Shop, Engine and Transmission. A bakery might be
divided into areas called Ingredients, Mixing, Baking, and Packaging.
Alternatively, a plant with identical production lines might be divided into areas called
Line 1, Line 2, Line 3, and so on. This would allow you to add new, identical production
lines to the application by copying HMI server projects into new areas.
Each area you add to a distributed application can contain one or more sub-areas, and one
or more data servers. Each area or sub-area can contain only one HMI server.
The home area
In distributed applications, the home area is the area in which an application component
(e.g., a tag or display) is located. When you refer to an application component without
specifying the area, RSView uses the home area to locate the component.
For example, if an object on a graphic display refers to a tag without specifying its area,
RSView assumes that the tag and the display are in the same home area. If the tag does not
belong to a data server or HMI server in the displays home area, an error will occur when
the display is run.
5-4
Absolute and relative references
Absolute references point directly at a specific component, by referring to the

components name and the area (or areas, in the case of nested areas) in which it is
located.
For example, an absolute reference to a display called Detail in an area called

AssemblyLineNorth is /AssemblyLineNorth::Detail.
An absolute reference to an applications root area does not include the applications name, even
though the name appears in the root area in RSView Studio.
Relative references point at a component relative to the current server or area.
For example, a relative reference to a display called Detail is simply the displays name:
Detail. When a relative reference is used, RSView assumes that the component is located
in the current area.
Using absolute and relative references

Assume the display called Detail, mentioned above, contains an absolute reference to a
tag called /AssemblyLineNorth::Speed, and a relative reference to a tag called Temp. The
relative reference is simply the tags name: Temp.
If you copy the Detail display to an area called AssemblyLineSouth, the display will still
refer to the tag /AssemblyLineNorth::Speed, because it contains an absolute reference to
that tag.
However, the display will refer to the tag called Temp in the current area,
AssemblyLineSouth, because it contains a relative reference to that tag. If the Temp tag
does not exist in the AssemblyLineSouth area, an error will appear in the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics List when the display is run.
Use absolute references when you want to ensure that a specific component is used,
regardless of where it is referenced from.
Use relative references, for example, when you want to re-use component names in an
application for a plant that has identical production lines. The application could have
multiple areas, each representing one of the production lines, with the same component
names in each area. For details about areas, see page 5-3.
5-5
5 Placeholder
In a distributed application, use absolute or relative references to refer to application

components, such as graphic displays, when building RSView commands or connecting
graphic objects to tags.
Syntax
Precede area names with a forward slash (/). Also separate area names from other area
names, with a forward slash.
Separate area names from component names with two colons (::)
Example: Using the Display command with absolute and relative
references in distributed applications
Assume that a graphic display called Overview appears if the operator presses a button on
a graphic display. To show the Overview display, use the Display command in the buttons
press action, as follows:
To create an absolute reference to the display called Overview in the area called
Baking, type Display /Baking::Overview.
To create an absolute reference to the display called Overview in the area called
Packaging, type Display /Packaging::Overview.
To create an absolute reference to the display called Overview in the root area of the
application, type Display /::Overview.
To create a relative reference to the display called Overview in the area from which
the Display command is issued, type Display Overview.
Use the Command Wizard to build commands that take application components as parameters.
The Command Wizard supplies the correct syntax, based on the location of the component you
select.
More information and examples

For more information about using absolute and relative references:
with tags, see Using tag references on page 8-11.
with commands, see page A-5.
Redundancy
In process monitoring and control automation, redundancy refers to the ability of the
system running the process to continue to work correctly when one or more parts of the
system become unavailable, or fail. You can enable redundancy by setting up pairs of
critical systems components, such as data servers, on paired computers. One server in the
pair acts as the primary server, and the other acts as the secondary, or backup, server.
5-6
How RSView SE Clients respond to server disruptions
About HMI-server redundancy

You can set up redundant operation for HMI servers to provide minimal disruption of
system operation in the event that clients lose service from a server, for example, because
of network or computer failures.
For more information, see Redundant HMI servers on page 26-6.
The operational status of HMI servers
There are four possible states for an HMI server:
Active applies to any HMI server. It means that the server is running and able to serve
data to clients that connect to it.
Standby applies to the inactive HMI server in a redundant server pair. It means that
the server is running, and will replace the active server if the active server fails.
Out of service applies to any HMI server. It means that the server has been created,
but cannot be contacted.
Unknown applies to the secondary server in a redundant server pair. It means that the
secondary server has not been created yet.
You can view the operational status of an HMI server in the General tab in the HMI
Server Properties dialog box. You can also use VBA code on the RSView client to
determine the status of HMI servers.
File synchronization
While the server is active, changes made to files (for example, configuration files, or log
files) are not automatically synchronized on the secondary server.
If synchronization is required, the files must be synchronized manually after the changes
are made. You can do this by copying the files using Windows Explorer.
For details, see Synchronizing redundant HMI servers and projects on page 27-11.
Alarm state synchronization
Alarm states are synchronized automatically, between primary and secondary HMI
servers in a redundant pair.
For alarm states to be synchronized properly, the clocks on the primary and secondary
HMI servers must be kept synchronized to a time server. If the clocks on both computers
5-7
5 Placeholder
During server disruptions, users do not have to restart the RSView SE Client software to
continue using the system. Once the system has switched to the secondary HMI server, or
data server, RSView SE Clients continue functioning normally.
are not synchronized, when fail-over occurs multiple alarms or inconsistent information
might be displayed in an alarm summary.
About data-server redundancy
You can set up redundant operation for data servers to provide minimal disruption of
system operation in the event that clients lose service from a server, for example because
of network or computer failures.
For information about setting up redundancy for OPC data servers, see Setting up OPC
data server redundancy on page 7-11.
For information about setting up redundancy for RSLinx Enterprise data servers, see
Setting up RSLinx Enterprise data server redundancy on page 7-7.
Language switching
The RSView language switching feature allows operators to view user-defined text strings
in an application, in up to 20 different languages.
At run time, multiple RSView clients can switch between any of the different languages
the application supports. Multiple clients can also run in different languages, at the same
time.
For details about how to set up language switching for an application, see Chapter 25,
Setting up language switching.
Creating distributed applications

Distributed applications can consist of one or more areas, one HMI server per area, and if
required, one or more data servers. Once you have created the application and an HMI
server, use editors in the Explorer window to create components, such as graphic displays.
To create a distributed application
2. In the Product Type Selection dialog, select SE Distributed, and then click Continue.
installing RSView or restarting the computer, you will be prompted to log on to the
Network Directory. For more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk on
page 1-9.
3. In the New/Open SE Distributed Application dialog box, click the New tab.
5-8
The application name

can be up to
32 characters long.
The application
language can be any
Windows language.
The application icon and name are displayed in the Explorer window, beneath the
Network Directory icon.
Adding and deleting areas

You can add and delete areas, but you cannot copy areas, in a distributed application.
To add an area
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application root or right-click an area name,
and then click New Area.
2. In the New Area dialog box, type a name for the area, and an optional description, and
then click OK.
To delete an area
1. Right-click the area you want to delete, and then click Delete.
When you delete an area, HMI servers and data servers located in the area are not
deleted from disk.
Adding an HMI server

You can add one HMI server, or more, to a distributed application after you create the
application. Each area in a distributed application can contain only one HMI server.
5-9
5 Placeholder
then click Create.
To add an HMI server

1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application root, or right-click an area name,
and then click New HMI Server.
2. In the Select Operations window of the Add HMI Server wizard, click one of the
operations to select it, and then click Next. You can choose to:
Create a new HMI server that is not based on an existing HMI server, HMI
project, or RSView32 application. When you create an HMI server, the servers
HMI project is created automatically.
Copy an HMI server that exists already. After you have copied an HMI server,
changes made to the original do not affect the copy, or vice versa.
Import a project from RSView32, RSView Supervisory Edition, or RSView

Machine Edition, as the basis for a new HMI server. After you have copied a project
into the new HMI server, changes made to the original project do not affect the copy,
or vice versa.
Attach to an existing HMI server without making a copy of the HMI server.
You cannot attach to an existing HMI server that is being used in another application.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the wizard.

Once the HMI server has been added, you can set up its properties. For details, see
page 5-12.
5-10
Adding a data server

To add an RSLinx Enterprise data server
click New Data Server, and then click RSLinx Enterprise.
2. Provide a name and description for the server, and then specify where the server is
located.
To add an OPC data server
click New Data Server, and then click OPC.
located.
For information about setting up RSLinx Enterprise and OPC data servers, including
RSLinx Classic data servers, see Chapter 7, Setting up communications, or see Help.
When to use additional HMI or data servers

A distributed application does not require more than one HMI server or data server, but
there are circumstances in which it is helpful to use additional servers.
For example, adding servers allows you to provide redundant operation for HMI servers
or data servers at run time. It also allows different integrators to work on different HMI
servers, without worrying about name collisions or needing to integrate all the files later.
Adding HMI servers or data servers for redundant operation
You can set up redundant HMI servers or data servers to enable an application to use a
secondary server in the event that the primary server goes out of service. You must set up
redundancy separately for each HMI server or data server in an application.
For details about adding:
HMI servers to an application, see page 5-9.
OPC data servers to an application, see page 7-9.
RSLinx Enterprise data servers to an application, see page 7-5.
Adding HMI servers or data servers for load balancing

Over time, an HMI project might increase in size, or the number of clients connecting to
the HMI server or data server might increase to the point where the computer running the
server becomes overloaded.
5-11
5 Placeholder
Each area in a distributed application can contain more than one data server.
If this happens, install another HMI or data server on a different computer and then move
some of the HMI project components, or some of the OPC server tags, to the new server.
This distributes the processing load across computers more effectively and provides better
performance.
HMI server restrictions

Server Names
The names of HMI servers are stored by FactoryTalk Directory, and are not deleted, even
if you remove an HMI server from all applications in which it is used and then delete the
HMI servers project files.
The name of every HMI server must be unique. This means that:
you cannot re-use an HMI servers name, even after you delete the HMI server.
if multiple users share the same FactoryTalk Directory, the names of all HMI servers
created by all users must be unique. Similarly, if multiple applications share the same
FactoryTalk Directory, the name of each HMI server in each application must be
unique.
Number of servers
Each area in a distributed application can contain only one HMI server.
When deploying a distributed application for production, ensure that there are no more
than 2 HMI servers running on each computer. If the HMI servers are set up for
redundancy, only 1 server per computer is permitted.
For more information about system limits and requirements, see the RSView Supervisory
Edition Installation Guide.
Setting up HMI server properties

After adding an HMI server, you can use the HMI Server Properties dialog box to:
5-12
select a startup type for the HMI server.

set up redundancy for the HMI server, and specify the name of the second computer
that will host the redundant HMI server.
select the components that will run when the HMI server starts up.
specify macros that will run when the HMI server shuts down, and, if redundancy has
been set up, when the HMI server becomes active or goes into standby mode.
change the name of the computer on which the HMI server is running.
You must set up the properties of each HMI server in a distributed application separately.
1. In RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, in the Explorer window,

right-click the HMI server, and then click Properties.
For details about the options in the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click Help.
Specifying how the server starts up

You can set an HMI server to start up on demand, when the first client connects to it, or to
start when the operating system initializes. After an HMI server has finished starting, it is
said to be loaded. After an HMI server has finished stopping, it is said to be unloaded.
When the HMI server is loaded, the user can edit the servers HMI project using RSView
Studio, and connect clients to the HMI server. A client can be RSView Studio, the
RSView Administration Console, or the RSView SE Client.
5-13
5 Placeholder
To open the HMI Server Properties dialog box
Starting the HMI server when the first client connects to it

You can set up the HMI server to load on demand. This means that the HMI server is
loaded when the first client accesses the HMI server project, and is unloaded when the last
client is closed.
HMI servers should start on demand only when a system is under development. In the
run-time environment, the HMI server should start when the operating system starts, to
ensure that no alarms or logged data is missed. An unlicensed HMI server can only be
started on demand.
Starting the HMI server when the operating system initializes
You can set an HMI server to load when Windows starts. This option is required, if you
want to set up redundancy for the HMI server.
This option also is for normal use at run time, as it allows clients to connect quickly, and
ensures that the HMI server can be returned to normal operation automatically, if the
computer on which it is running is restarted. Because the HMI server runs as a service,
users do not have to log into Windows to make the HMI server run.
If you are setting up redundancy for an HMI server, you can run components when the
server starts up, or you can specify macros to start the components only when the server is
the active server. For information about macros, see Chapter 22, Creating macros.
An HMI server set to load when Windows starts, can be unloaded by changing the Startup
type to On demand, and then closing all clients, or by using the RSView SE Service
Manager.
After changing an HMI servers startup type, you must restart the servers computer for the
change to take effect.
Setting up HMI server redundancy

To minimize disruptions to clients if the primary HMI server fails, set up a redundant
HMI server. In RSView, the redundant server is called the secondary server. When the
primary HMI server becomes available again, the system automatically switches back to
the primary from the secondary server.
The settings you specify on the Redundancy tab are saved with the application, and are the
same for both primary and secondary HMI servers. You do not need to specify different
settings for the computers that are hosting the primary and secondary servers.
5-14
Specifying server redundancy
This option is available only if the HMI server startup type is set to Load and run startup
components when operating system initializes. For details about the HMI servers startup
type, see page 5-14.
Selecting the secondary host computer
In the Redundancy tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box, type the name of the
computer hosting the secondary HMI server. To browse for the name of the computer,
click the Browse button.
For information about the steps required to set up redundant components in an
application, see Planning the layout of a redundant system on page 26-8.
Setting up a redundant HMI server
These are the tasks involved in setting up redundancy for an HMI server:
1. Install the RSView SE Server software on the computer you want to host the
secondary HMI server. For details, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation
Guide.
2. Copy the HMI project files from the computer hosting the primary HMI server to the
computer hosting the secondary HMI server. For details, see Moving HMI project
files on page 27-6.
3. In RSView Studio on the primary computer, open the HMI Server Properties dialog
box for the primary HMI server.
4. In the Redundancy tab, set up the redundancy options. For details, see Help, or
Setting up HMI server redundancy on page 5-14.
Selecting the HMI servers startup and shutdown components

In the Components tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box, select the check box for
each of the items you want to run when the HMI server runs, including:
which components will run when the HMI server starts.
which macros will run when the HMI server shuts down.
which macros will run when switching to the secondary HMI server, or back to the
primary HMI server.
5-15
5 Placeholder
In the Redundancy tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Provide
redundancy using a secondary server, check box to enable redundancy for this HMI
server. Clear this check box to disable redundancy for this HMI server.
Where required, specify the name of the component. For details about the options in the
Components tab, click Help.
The order in which items appear in the Components tab is not the order in which items will run. If
you have created an HMI server that has components that must start in a particular order, create
a macro that will run when the HMI server starts.
Running a macro when the HMI server becomes active

The macro that runs when an HMI server becomes active is called the On active macro.
An HMI server can become active if another HMI server fails, or if it is the primary server
at startup time.
Any RSView macro can be used as the On active macro. If you have not set up a
secondary server in the Redundancy tab, the option to run an On active macro is not
available.
Running a macro when the HMI server goes into standby mode
The macro that runs when an HMI server goes into standby mode is called the On standby
macro.
When a primary HMI server recovers, and the system switches from the active secondary
back to the primary server, it goes into standby mode before it becomes active. Then, once
the primary server becomes active, the secondary switches to standby.
Any RSView macro can be used as the On standby macro. If you have not set up a
secondary server in the Redundancy tab, the option to run an On standby macro is not
available.
The On standby macro will not run if the active HMI server fails in such a way that it cannot run
the macro, for example, if power to the server computer fails.
Changing the name of the host computer

In the General tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box, the box labeled Computer
hosting the server, displays the name of the computer on which the HMI server is running.
To change this to another computer, a copy of the HMI server has to exist on the computer
that is going to be the host.
5-16
Starting and stopping HMI servers and components manually
You can run an HMI servers startup components, or stop the components running on an
HMI server, from within the HMI Server Properties dialog box.
If you have set up redundancy for an HMI server, you also can start or stop the secondary
servers components manually, from within the same dialog box.
For details about starting and stopping HMI server components, see page 27-9.
Starting and stopping HMI services

You can use the RSView SE Service Manager to start or stop the HMI services running on
a computer.
When you stop the HMI services, clients are disconnected, all HMI servers running on
the computer are shut down, and the activation keys used by the HMI servers are released.
When you start the HMI services, clients are allowed to connect to HMI servers on the
computer.
For details about starting or stopping HMI services, see page 27-10.
Deleting HMI servers

You can delete an HMI server from an application without deleting its project files. This
allows you to add the HMI server to an application at a later time.
You can also add the HMI server to an application temporarily, while you copy
components to other HMI servers in the application.
To delete an HMI server
1. Disconnect all clients from the HMI server. A client is any of the following: RSView
Studio, RSView Administration Console, or RSView SE Client.
2. Start RSView Studio, and then open the application from which you want to delete the
HMI server.
3. Right-click the HMI server you want to delete, and then click Delete.
This does not delete the HMI servers project files.
Deleting HMI server project files

Delete the HMI server from the application in which it is used before you delete the HMI
servers files.
5-17
5 Placeholder
Starting and stopping an HMI servers components
To delete an HMI servers project files

1. Disconnect all clients from the HMI server. A client is any of the following: RSView
Studio, the RSView Administration Console, or the RSView SE Client.
2. Use the Windows Explorer to browse to the following folder on the computer hosting
the HMI server:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\
RSView Enterprise\SE\HMI projects*
*The path given is for Windows XP. For Windows 2000, the third folder
is not Shared documents, but just Documents.
3. Delete the folder that has the same name as the HMI server whose project files you
want to delete. For details about starting or stopping HMI services manually, see
page 27-10.
Renaming and deleting distributed applications

Use the Application Manager tool to rename or delete a distributed application.
You must have the necessary security permissions to perform tasks in the Application Manager.
For more information, Setting up access to resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory on
page 15-12.
You cannot rename or delete a distributed application that is in use. Ensure that all users
disconnect from the application first.
To run the Application Manager

Enterprise,Tools, and then click Application Manager.
For details about using the Application Manager, click Help within the tool.
To rename a distributed application
1. In the Application Manager, click Supervisory Edition Distributed, and then click
Next.
2. Click Rename application, and then click Next.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the rename operation.
To delete a distributed application
1. In the Application Manager, click Supervisory Edition Distributed, and then click
Next.
2. Click Delete application, and then click Next.
5-18
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the delete operation.
deleting the HMI server files, see page 5-17.
removing a data server and deleting its cache files, see page 7-13.
Backing up and restoring distributed applications

For information about how to back up and restore distributed applications, see Chapter 27,
Deploying distributed applications.
5-19
5 Placeholder
When you delete a distributed application, the HMI servers and data servers set up
in it are not deleted automatically. For details about:
Working with stand-alone applications
6 Placeholder
what an RSView stand-alone application is.
key stand-alone application concepts.
creating stand-alone applications.
setting up HMI server properties.
renaming and deleting stand-alone applications.
copying, backing up, and restoring stand-alone applications.
About stand-alone applications

In RSView Studio you can create two kinds of supervisory-level applications: standalone applications, and distributed applications.
The following illustration shows a stand-alone application, as it appears in the Explorer
window in RSView Studio.
FactoryTalk
Local Directory
host computer
Application
HMI server
HMI project
components,
and editors
Security settings
for FactoryTalk
Directory
A stand-alone application includes:
an HMI server.
For a stand-alone, RSView Supervisory Edition application, the HMI server is created
when you create the application and has the same name as the application.
6-1
data servers that allow clients to access information in programmable controllers,

devices, and other data servers that comply with the OPC -DA 2.0 specification,
without the use of HMI tags. That data servers that can be used include RSLinx
Enterprise and OPC data servers (including RSLinx Classic).
Every vendors OPC data server is different. Some contain tag databases of their own,
like the tag database in an HMI server, while others reference the tag databases or
addresses that exist in controllers, as is the case with RSLinx and ControlLogix.
components such as graphic displays, HMI tags, and data log models, created in
RSView Studio.
a list of users, plus the security codes that grant or deny users permission to access
secured HMI project components.
Stand-alone applications have the following characteristics:
The software programs that allow a stand-alone application to run, for example,
FactoryTalk Directory, the HMI server, and the HMI clients, are all located on
the same computer.
A stand-alone application has only one area, which is the application root area. You
cannot add areas to a stand-alone application.
A stand-alone application can have only one HMI server which is created
automatically when the applications is created, and has the same name as the
application.
Only OPC data servers can be located on other computers.
You do not have specify the location of FactoryTalk Local Directory, for use with
stand-alone applications. This is done automatically when you install RSView
Supervisory Edition.
For information about distributed applications, see Chapter 5, Working with

distributed applications.
Key concepts
on a computer, or on the network. For example, to access information via a non-HMI data
server, an HMI client uses FactoryTalk Directory to find out which computer on the
network is hosting the data server.
6-2
RSAssetSecurity
The FactoryTalk Local Directory uses RSAssetSecurity services to authenticate and
authorize users of RSView stand-alone applications. In RSView Studio, you can set up
which users and groups of users have access to resources such as the Local Directory
itself, or the application and its contents.
HMI server, HMI project, HMI client

HMI servers are software programs that supply information to clients when they request
it. An HMI server stores HMI project components (for example, graphic displays), and
serves these components to clients. An HMI server also manages a database of tags, and
performs alarm detection, and historical data management (logging).
A stand-alone application contains one HMI server that is created automatically when you
create the application.
HMI projects contain displays, log models, alarms, HMI tags and other services. HMI
projects are loaded by HMI servers.

HMI clients are software programs that obtain information from, or write information to
an HMI server. RSView Studio, the RSView Administration Console, and the RSView SE
client are all HMI clients.
Using references in stand-alone applications

In a stand-alone application, you use relative references to refer to application
components, such as graphic displays or tags, when building RSView commands or
connecting graphic objects to tags.
Relative references point at a component relative to the current application. For example,
a relative reference to a display called Detail is simply the displays name: Detail. To set
up a button on a graphic display to open the Detail display at run time, use Display Detail
as the buttons Press action.
Language switching
The RSView language switching feature allows operators to view user-defined text strings
in an application, in up to 20 different languages. For details about how to set up language
switching for an application, see Appendix D, RFC1766 names for Windows languages.
6-3
6 Placeholder
FactoryTalk Local Directory manages stand-alone applications. For more information, see
Chapter 4, Setting up FactoryTalk Directory.
6 WORKING WITH STAND-ALONE APPLICATIONS
Creating stand-alone applications

Stand-alone applications consist of the application root area, one HMI server, and if
needed, one or more data servers. Once you have created the application, use editors in the
Explorer window to create components, such as graphic displays.
To create a stand-alone application
2. In the Product Type Selection dialog, select SE Stand-alone, and then click Continue.
installing RSView or restarting the computer, you will be prompted to log on to the
Local Directory. For more information, see Logging on to FactoryTalk on page 1-9.
3. In the New/Open SE Stand-alone Application dialog box, click the New tab.
then click Create.
The application icon and name are displayed in the Explorer window, beneath the
Local Directory icon. In a stand-alone application, the HMI server has the same name
as the application.
Importing a project into a new application

You can create a new stand-alone application by importing a project from RSView32,
RSView Supervisory Edition, or RSView Machine Edition. For details about importing
projects, see Help. You cannot import a project into an existing application.
After you have copied a project into the new application, changes made to the original
project do not affect the copy, or vice versa.
Adding a data server

A stand-alone application can contain multiple OPC data servers, but only one RSLinx
Enterprise server.
To add an RSLinx Enterprise server
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application name, click New Data Server, and
then click RSLinx Enterprise.
2. Provide a name and description for the server.
6-4
For more information about setting up RSLinx Enterprise data servers, see Chapter 7,
Setting up communications, or see Help.
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application name, click New Data Server, and
then click OPC.
located.
Stand-alone applications support multiple OPC data servers, which can run on
separate computers.
For more information about setting up OPC data servers, including RSLinx Classic and
RSLinx Gateway servers, see Chapter 7, Setting up communications, or see Help.
Setting up HMI server properties

When you create a stand-alone application, an HMI server and project with the same
name as the application are created automatically. You need to set up the HMI servers
properties in the HMI Server Properties dialog box.
Use the HMI Server Properties dialog box to:
add a description of the HMI server.
select the components that will run when the HMI server starts up.
specify a shutdown macro.
start or stop components manually.
To open the HMI Server Properties dialog box

1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the HMI server and then click
Properties.
For details about the options in the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click Help.
Specifying HMI server startup components

In the Components tab of the HMI Server Properties dialog box, select the check box for
each of the items you want to run when the HMI server runs, including:
which components will run when the HMI server starts.
6-5
6 Placeholder
The location is set to localhost automatically, and cannot be changed. Stand-alone

applications support a single RSLinx Enterprise data server, which must run on the
same computer as the application.
which macro will run when the HMI server shuts down.
In a stand-alone application, the HMI server is always started automatically, when the
RSView SE client connects to it.
For details about the options in the Components tab, click Help.
The order in which items appear in the Components tab is not the order in which items will run. If
you have created an HMI server that has components that must start in a particular order, create
a macro that will run when the HMI server starts.
Starting and stopping an HMI servers components manually

You can run an HMI servers startup components, or stop the components running on an
HMI server from within the HMI Server Properties dialog box. For details, see page 28-4
6-6
Renaming and deleting stand-alone applications
You must have the necessary security permissions to perform tasks in the Application Manager.
For more information, Setting up access to resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory on
page 15-12.
To run the Application Manager

Enterprise,Tools, and then click Application Manager.
For details about using the Application Manager, click Help within the tool.
To rename a stand-alone application
1. In the Application Manager, click Supervisory Edition Stand-alone, and then click
Next.
2. Click Rename application, and then click Next.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the operation.
To delete a stand-alone application
1. In the Application Manager, click Supervisory Edition Stand-alone, and then click
Next.
2. Click Delete application, and then click Next.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the operation.
For stand-alone applications, you can choose whether to delete the HMI server project
associated with the application. For details, click Help within the Application Manager.
For details about removing a data server and deleting its cache files, see page 7-13.
Copying, backing up, and restoring stand-alone applications

You can also use the Application Manager tool to copy, back up, and restore a stand-alone
application. For more information, see Chapter 28, Deploying stand-alone applications.
6-7
6 Placeholder
Use the Application Manager tool to rename or delete a stand-alone application.
Setting up communications
7 Placeholder
what data servers are.
setting up communications.
adding RSLinx Enterprise data servers to an application.
setting up communications in RSLinx Enterprise.
adding OPC data servers to an application.
deleting data servers.
About data servers

A data server provides a route to the physical devices on the network, so you can see the
values in those devices. Devices can be:
programmable controller values.
OPC tags, and their value or status information.
named variables in a ControlLogix processor.
Types of data servers

You can create two types of data server in an RSView Supervisory Edition application:
RSLinx Enterprise data servers, and OPC data servers.
A single RSView application can contain up to 25 data servers.
RSLinx Enterprise data servers
RSLinx Enterprise data servers support RSLinx Enterprise, and provide best performance
when communicating with ControlLogix processors or with large numbers of clients.
OPC data servers
OPC stands for OLE for Process Control, a protocol used to connect RSView to
communication devices via vendor-specific OPC servers. RSView supports the OPC-DA
2.0 specification. OPC servers provide a way for RSView to retrieve tag values from:
Allen-Bradley controller devices, using RSLinx Classic as an OPC server.

third-party controller devices, such as Siemens or Modicon, using third-party OPC
servers.
7-1
OPC data servers support RSLinx Classic, RSLinx Gateway, or any data server that
conforms to the OPC-DA 2.0 standard. RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Gateway provide
enhanced support for Rockwell Automation programmable controllers and devices.
RSLinx Classic does not require an activation key provided it is installed on the same
computer as an RSView SE Server, and is serving data to FactoryTalk clients only, such as
RSView SE Client or RSSQL. RSLinx Gateway can be installed on any computer, but
requires an activation key to serve data to remote, third-party OPC clients.
Overview of data server communications

The following illustration shows how RSView can use RSLinx Enterprise and OPC data
servers for communications.
7-2
7 SETTING UP COMMUNICATIONS
Using multiple data servers
Use multiple data servers to:
balance the processing load for exchanging data. If CPU usage is high on a computer
on which one data server is running, you should create another data server on another
computer to balance the processing load.
provide data-access redundancy. This is available for distributed applications only.
To provide redundancy, set up a secondary data server on another computer. On the
primary data server, change the settings in the Redundancy tab of the Data Server
Properties dialog box, to switch clients to the secondary server if the primary one fails.
communicate with more than one type of controller simultaneously, for example a
Rockwell Automation controller (such as ControlLogix), a Modicon controller, and a
Siemens controller.
Both RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise can be set up to communicate with multiple
types of controllers simultaneously. This means you might not need a separate data server
for each controller.
Communicating with multiple controllers

You can set up one data server, or several, to communicate with multiple controllers.
If you have set up RSLinx to communicate with all the controllers in an application, you
only need one data server that you set up with an OPC topic or device shortcut for each
controller.
If you have set up multiple remote copies of RSLinx, each of which communicates with a
different controller or network, you will need to set up a data server for each remote copy
of RSLinx you have running.
For details about setting up communications:
in RSLinx Enterprise, add an RSLinx Enterprise data server to an application, open

the Communications Setup editor, and then click Help.
in RSLinx Classic, see Getting Results with RSLinx, or see Help for RSLinx Classic.
RSLinx Enterprise is optimized to provide best performance for large numbers of clients (more
than 10), and large numbers of tags (more than 10,000), even when it is on the same computer
as the HMI server.
If an application requires more than 10,000 tags and is not using RSLinx Enterprise, place the
OPC data server on its own, dedicated host computer for best performance.
7-3
7 Placeholder
In RSView Studio, you can add more than one data server to an RSView Supervisory
Edition application. A single RSView application can contain up to 25 data servers.
Setting up communications
These are the tasks involved in setting up communications for an application:
1. Gather information about the network, and the devices that are connected to it. You
will need this information to set up RSLinx, or another OPC server.
2. Decide what OPC server will be used to communicate with devices on the network. It
can be any of the following OPC servers:
RSLinx Enterprise
RSLinx Classic
an OPC-DA 2.0-compliant server
For information about when to use each of these OPC servers, see Installing the
communications software on page 1-7.
3. Set up the data server that will be used for communications.
Setting up RSLinx Enterprise
To use RSLinx Enterprise as the data server that enables communications on the
network, add an RSLinx Enterprise data server to the application and then set up
RSLinx Enterprise. The RSLinx Enterprise data server should point to the computer
on which RSLinx Enterprise is running.
For details about setting up RSLinx Enterprise, see Adding RSLinx Enterprise data
servers on page 7-5, or see the RSLinx Enterprise Help.
For details about installing RSLinx Enterprise, see the RSView Supervisory Edition
Installation Guide.
Setting up RSLinx Classic
To use RSLinx Classic as the OPC server that enables communications on a network,
set up RSLinx Classic and then add an OPC data server to the application. The OPC
data server should point to the computer on which RSLinx Classic is running.
For details, see Getting Results with RSLinx, or see Help for RSLinx.
For details about installing RSLinx Classic, see the RSView Supervisory Edition
Installation Guide.
Setting up an OPC server other than RSLinx
To use a OPC server other than RSLinx Classic, to enable communications on the
network, set up the OPC server you will use. For details, see the documentation
supplied with the OPC server.
7-4
Details about setting up data servers are provided in this chapter.

5. Once an application can communicate with a device, you need to plan how the
application will access the values in the device. To do this, you can use data server
tags, or HMI tags, or a combination of both.
For information about when to use HMI tags or data server tags, see Chapter 8,
Working with tags.
To use HMI tags in the application, open the Tags editor, and then create device tags
that point at addresses in devices. For details about creating HMI tags, see Chapter 9,
Creating HMI tags.
6. Create tag connections in the application, wherever you need to obtain values from
tags. For example, to connect an object in a graphic display to a tag, type the tag name
using the syntax for the OPC server, or use the tag browser to find and select the tag.
For details about using the tag browser, see Chapter 8, Working with tags.
Adding RSLinx Enterprise data servers

You can add more than one RSLinx Enterprise data server to an RSView distributed
application. A single area in the application can contain multiple data servers. For each
instance of RSLinx Enterprise on a computer, you need to create a single data server only.
You can only add on RSLinx Enterprise data server to a stand-alone application. In a
stand-alone application, the RSLinx Enterprise data server must be located on the same
computer as the application.
For details about adding OPC data servers for use with RSLinx Classic or third-party
OPC servers, see Adding OPC data servers on page 7-9.
To add an RSLinx Enterprise data server
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the application root or an area name, select New
Data Server, and then click RSLinx Enterprise.
2. In the Data Server Properties dialog box, fill in the fields in each tab, as described in
the sections that follow. When you are finished, click OK.
7-5
7 Placeholder
4. In RSView Studio, add a data server to the application, that points at the OPC server
you are using for communications.
Setting up general properties

In the General tab, type a name and description for the data server, and specify the name
of the computer that will host the data server.
Name
Type a name for the data server. This name will appear in the Explorer window. The name
cannot include dashes or hyphens ().
Description
Type a description for the data server. For example, the description can consist of the
servers location, the name of a contact person or number to contact in case of failure, or
version information.
Computer hosting the RSLinx Enterprise server
Type the name of the computer on which the RSLinx Enterprise data server is running. To
browse for the name of the computer, click the Browse button.
You can change the name of the computer hosting the RSLinx Enterprise data server only
in a distributed application. In a stand-alone application, you can add only one RSLinx
Enterprise data server, and it must be located on the same computer as the application.
7-6
Setting up RSLinx Enterprise data server redundancy
Since stand-alone applications do not support data server redundancy, there is no Redundancy
tab in the RSLinx Enterprise Server Properties dialog box, for a stand-alone application.
In RSView, the redundant server is called the secondary server. In the Redundancy tab,
specify the name of the secondary data server, and specify whether RSView should switch
back to the primary data server if it becomes available again.
Provide redundancy using a secondary server

Select this check box to enable data server redundancy. Clear this check box to disable
data server redundancy.
Computer running the secondary server
Type the name of the computer on which the secondary data server is running. To browse
for the name of the computer, click the Browse button.
Switch back options
To prevent RSView from switching back to the primary data server when it becomes
available, click Continue using the secondary server even when the primary becomes
available again. To make RSView switch back to the primary data server when it becomes
available, click Switchback to the primary server when it becomes available again.
7-7
7 Placeholder
To minimize disruptions to clients if the primary data server fails, set up a redundant data
server. This is only available for distributed applications.
Setting up communications in RSLinx Enterprise

Use the RSLinx Communication Setup editor to add drivers and devices, set up driver and
device properties, and set up device shortcuts.
To set up communications in RSLinx Enterprise
1. In the Explorer window, if necessary, click the + symbol beside the RSLinx Enterprise
data server icon.
2. Double-click the Communication Setup editor.
3. In the Communication Setup editor, you can add or delete devices, add or remove
device shortcuts, or open an offline tag file to browse for tags offline.
For details about using the Communication Setup Editor, click Help.
Primary and Secondary tabs

If you have set up only a primary RSLinx Enterprise data server, only the Primary tab
appears in the Communication Setup editor.
7-8
7 Placeholder
In a distributed application, if you have set up both a primary and a secondary RSLinx
Enterprise data server, both the Primary and the Secondary tabs appear in the
Communication Setup editor.
You can use these tabs to point RSLinx Enterprise at different networks or different
hardware in case of failure.
When specifying device shortcuts for a redundant server pair, be sure to use exactly the same
shortcut names for the primary and secondary servers. If the names are not the same, tag
references that use these shortcuts will not be able to obtain data reliably.
Adding OPC data servers

Add an OPC data server for use with RSLinx Classic, or for use with a third-party OPC
server such as Modicon.
You can add more than one OPC data server to a stand-alone or a distributed application.
In a distributed application, on area can contain multiple OPC data servers.
For details about adding RSLinx Enterprise data servers, see page 7-5.
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, right-click the application root or an area
name, select New Data Server, and then click OPC.
2. In the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, fill in the fields in each tab. When you
are finished, click OK.
Setting up general properties

In the General tab of the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, type a name and
description for the data server, and specify a computer and an OPC server name.
7-9
Name
Type a name for the data server. This will appear in the Explorer in RSView Studio and
the RSView Administration Console. The name cannot include dashes or hyphens ().
Description
Type a description for the data server. For example, it can describe the servers location,
the name of a contact person or number to contact in case of failure, or version
information.
Computer that will run the OPC server
Type the name of the computer on which the data server will run. To browse for the name
of the computer, click the Browse button.
For stand-alone applications, in the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, you can select from
two options to specify the computer that will host the OPC server: Server will be hosted on local
computer, or Server will be hosted on remote computer. The browse button is activated only if
you select the second option.
7-10
OPC server name (Prog ID)
To use RSLinx Classic as the OPC server, click the Browse button, and then click RSLinx
Remote OPC Server.
For distributed applications, always select RSLinx Remote OPC Server. Do not select RSLinx
OPC Server.
Setting up OPC data server redundancy

To minimize disruptions to clients if the primary data server fails, set up a redundant data
server. This is only available for distributed applications.
In RSView, the redundant server is called the secondary server. In the Redundancy tab,
specify the name of the computer that will host the secondary data server, and specify
whether RSView should continue using the secondary data server or switch back to the
primary data server when it becomes available again.
For a stand-alone application, there is no Redundancy tab in the OPC Data Server Properties
dialog box. Stand-alone applications do not support data server redundancy.
Provide redundancy using a secondary server

Select this check box to enable data server redundancy. Clear this check box to disable
data server redundancy.
7-11
7 Placeholder
Type the programmatic ID of the OPC server. To browse for the programmatic ID, click
the Browse button.
Computer running secondary server

Type the name of the computer on which the secondary data server is running. To browse
for the name of the computer, click the Browse button.
Switch back options
To prevent RSView from switching back to the primary data server when it becomes
available, click Continue using the secondary server even when the primary becomes
available again.
To make RSView switch back to the primary data server when the primary server
becomes available, click Switchback to the primary server when it becomes available.
Setting up advanced properties

In the Advanced tab, set up a cache for tags on the data server. A cache lets you to view
tag names when you are not connected to the data server.
Include extended information in the server cache file

Select this check box to make available additional information about tags, for example,
their data types, when you are not connected to the data server.
To create a data server cache
1. To provide the list of tags, ensure that the OPC data server is running, and that devices
are connected.
2. In the Advanced tab of the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, select the check
box, Include extended information in the server cache file.
3. Click Create Cache and then click OK.
7-12
Synchronizing a data servers cache
To synchronize a data servers cache
1. To provide the list of tags, ensure that the OPC data server is running, and that devices
are connected.
2. In the Explorer window, right-click the data server, and then click Properties.
3. In the Advanced tab of the OPC Data Server Properties dialog box, click the
Synchronize button, and then click OK.
Deleting data servers

To delete a data server
1. Right-click the OPC or RSLinx Enterprise data server you want to delete, and then
click Delete.
When you delete a data server, its cache files are also deleted.
7-13
7 Placeholder
If tags are added, modified, or deleted on the data server, you must synchronize the cache
manually. You can synchronize a data servers cache only after you have created one.
Working with tags
8 Placeholder
tags and the HMI tag database.
using data server tags.
using HMI tags.
browsing for tags.
working with tags in the Tag Browser.
using tag references.
how to log tag values.
Tags and the HMI tag database

A tag is a logical name for a variable in a device or in local memory (RAM). For
example, a tag can represent a process variable in a network device.
Data server tags, HMI tags, and their attributes

RSView conforms to the OPC Data Access (DA) 2.0 specification for information
exchange among automation or control applications, field systems or devices, and
business or office applications.
The OPC-DA specification calls tags data items. RSView provides direct access to the
basic attributes of all OPC-DA-compliant tags through a data server. In the RSView
documentation, the tags you access through a data server are called data server tags.
RSView also provides tags with additional properties for alarms, security, and data
manipulation. These are called HMI tags and are created using the Tags editor in RSView.
An application can use a mix of HMI tags and data server tags. To use data server tags
such as those found in ControlLogix and other OPC-compliant devices, provide a direct
reference to the tags location wherever the application is to use the data.
Tag-related limits
Each graphic display can contain up to 3000 references to expressions or tags (HMI tags
and data server tags). This limit includes the tags contained in embedded variables. The
limit also includes duplicate references. For example, one display can contain only 3000
numeric inputs that refer to tags, even if all 3000 objects refer to the same tag.
8-1
Each HMI server in an application can have up to 40,000 HMI tags that have alarms. Of
these alarm tags, 10,000 can be analog HMI tags.
RSLinx Enterprise is optimized to provide best performance for large numbers of clients (more
than 10), and large numbers of tags (more than 10,000), even when it is on the same computer
as the HMI server.
If an application requires more than 10,000 tags and is not using RSLinx Enterprise, place the
OPC data server on its own, dedicated host computer for best performance.
When to use HMI tags

Use HMI tags when an application needs to provide extended capabilities, such as:
triggering alarms when tag values cross a specified threshold.
scaling or offsetting a value before sending it to a programmable controller or device.
security features, to prevent unauthorized changes to a tags value.
flexible addressing. HMI tags dont require hard-coded physical addresses or devicespecific variable names in an application. This lets you re-use an application with
other devices, by changing the physical addresses to which tag names are mapped.
Also, some controllers or OPC servers do not allow description tag names.
For details about setting up communications in RSView, see Chapter 7, Setting up

communications.
Basic steps for using tags

To use data server or HMI tags in an RSView application, do one of the following:
Type the name of an existing tag or browse for it, anywhere you plan to connect an
object to live data at run time.
For example, you can set up a graphic object that represents a vat on a production line,
so that at run time it will show the level of the vat. To do this, set up Fill animation for
the object using a tag that is updated by a network device that monitors the vat level.
At run time, the value of the tag will determine the fill level of the graphic object.
Create the tag, if it does not already exist.

To use a new data server tag, (for example, in a device), create it in the device or OPC
server. For example, in a ControlLogix device, create the tag using RSLogix 5000
programming software.
To use a new HMI tag, create it in the Tags editor. For details, see Chapter 9, Creating
HMI tags, or see Help.
8-2
8 WORKING WITH TAGS
Browsing for tags
Using tag names that dont exist

You can type the name of a tag that doesnt yet exist. If you do this, when you create the
tag, and everywhere you use its name, make sure that you spell the tag name consistently.
Using data server tags

For some uses in an application, data server tags can offer advantages over HMI tags. For
example, using direct references to tags in devices, or to tags located in an OPC servers
database, can eliminate the need for duplication or provide access to complex data types.
Eliminating duplication
Using data server tags lets you add, modify, or delete tags in a device without having to
duplicate the changes in the HMI tag database.
Providing access to complex data

Some devices, for example, ControlLogix processors, support complex data types such as
arrays and structures. A controller can have structures that contain hundreds of member
elements. Referencing tag values directly eliminates the need for creating an HMI tag for
each member.
Setting up data server tags

These are the tasks involved in setting up data server tags in an application:
1. Create the tag in the OPC server, or processor, or use an existing tag in the processor.
For information about creating tags in OPC-DA servers that have their own tag
database, see the documentation provided with the OPC-DA server.
For information about creating tags in a ControlLogix processor, see the programming
software documentation for ControlLogix.
2. Create a data server in RSView, if the application doesnt already have one.
3. Anywhere you need to access a tags value, map an application component to the tag,
through the data server. For example, map a tag to a graphic object, or add the tag to a
data log model. At run time, the tags value is passed to the component it is mapped to.
8-3
8 Placeholder
If you dont know the names of tags, you can browse for them. You can browse while
online and connected to a device, or you can browse for tags from an offline file, for
example, a PLC program file. To browse for tags, use the Tag Browser. For details, see
page 8-5.
Using HMI tags

Use HMI tags for triggering alarms and where you need to manipulate data or secure the
values in a device.
Triggering alarms
In RSView, HMI tags provide the only method for triggering an alarm when a tag has a
certain value.
An alarm occurs when something goes wrong. It can signal that a device or process has
ceased operating within acceptable, predefined limits or it can indicate breakdown, wear,
or a process malfunction.
For more information about alarms, see Chapter 11, Creating alarms.
Securing tag or device values

Only HMI tags can be used to secure tag or device values.
To prevent users from changing a value in a device, create an HMI tag for the devices
address, and then assign a security code to the tag.
For information about assigning security to tags, see Assigning security codes to HMI
tags on page 15-29.
Manipulating data
Use HMI tags if the data server you are using does not support scaling or offsetting of tag
values, or setting minimum or maximum limits for tag values (that is, providing a range of
values).
Scale, offset, and minimum and maximum values can be specified in the Tags editor, for
analog HMI tags.
Scale and offset
Use scale and offset to modify the raw data that comes from the network device before it
is saved in the computers memory, or to modify a value specified in RSView before it is
written to a device or data server
Scale is a multiplication factorthe value from the device is multiplied by the scale.
Offset is a fixed valueafter the value from the device is multiplied by the scale, the
offset amount is added.
8-4
8 WORKING WITH TAGS
Minimum and maximum
For example, if you specify a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 100, RSView would be
able to read a value of 200 from a device and store it in memory, but would not be able to
write this value to the device.
Storing values in RSViews memory

A memory tag can be used to store values without the need for an attached or accessible
device. For example, you can use memory tags:
to store the result of a calculation.
temporarily, for example, to act as a counter or index.
to maintain information about the systems current state, for example, which graphic
display was last displayed.
For information about creating memory HMI tags, see Help.
Setting up HMI tags

These are the tasks involved in setting up HMI tags in an application:
1. Create an HMI server if the application doesnt already have one. Each HMI server
contains one tag database.
2. In the tag database, create memory tags, or for device tags, map each tag name to a
data server or DDE address.
3. In graphic displays, alarm summaries, or anywhere else you plan to access a tags
value, map an object to a tag. At run time, the tags value is passed to the object.
Browsing for tags

To use a tag, you can type its name and path, or browse for it using the Tag Browser. How
you open the Tag Browser depends on where you are in RSView.
Opening the Tag Browser

To open the Tag Browser, use one of these methods:
In the Command Wizard, for commands that take tags as parameters, click the browse
button beside the Tag box.
8-5
8 Placeholder
HMI tags allow you to set the minimum and maximum values that can be written to the
network device or data server. These values do not affect what is read from the device or
server.
In the Tags editor, when creating an HMI device tag, click the browse button beside
the Address box.
In the Animation tabs in the Graphics editor, click the Tag button.
In the Connections tab for a graphic object in the Graphics editor, click the browse
button in the Tag column.
In the Expression editor, position the cursor where you want to insert the tag name and
then click Tags.
In the Tags in Model tab in the Data Log Models editor, click the browse button beside
the Tag[s] to Add box.
Root folder
Area folder
Folders pane
Tags pane
For a better view of

the folders or tags,
drag this bar to the
left or the right.
For details about working with folders in the Tag Browser, see Help.
8-6
8 WORKING WITH TAGS
Using the Tag Browser
In the Tag Browser, you can:
select a single tag or multiple tags, depending on where you have opened the browser.
For example, when you open it in the Data Log Models editor, you can select multiple
tags. In the figure above, only a single tag can be selected.
select data server and HMI tags.
create and edit HMI tags.
create new folders for HMI tags.
import tags from a PLC or SLC database.
For more information about using the Tag Browser, see Help.
Showing server names
By default, the folder pane in the Tag Browser shows folders, but not the servers they
belong to.
To display the names of servers
1. Right-click a blank area of the folders pane and then click Show Server Names.
The folders list with

server names hidden.
The same folders list with
server names shown.
8-7
8 Placeholder
The Tag Browser shows the root folder of the application and folders containing the tags
for the applications HMI and data servers. For a distributed application, the Tag Browser
also shows a folder for each area, in addition to the root folder.
Finding the home area

The home area is the area from which you are browsing for tags. To locate the tags in the
home area, right-click a blank area of the folder pane, and then click Go To Home Area.
The home area is selected automatically.
For information about the home area, see page 8-12.
Browsing for off-line tags from RSLinx

For each RSLinx Classic topic in an application, an Offline and an Online folder is
displayed in the Tag Browser.
Use the Offline folder to browse for tags in a PLC or ControlLogix program stored on
disk. If the topic in RSLinx has access to symbols, you can also browse for them in the
Offline folder.
For details about adding symbols to a topic in RSLinx, see the RSLinx Classic Help.
Tags that are available

when you are not
connected to the data
server, are located in the
Offline folder.
Tags that are available

when you are connected
to the data server, are
located in the Online
folder.
Browsing for off-line tags in RSLinx Enterprise

For each RSLinx Enterprise shortcut in an application, an Offline and Online folder is
displayed in the Tag Browser.
Use the Offline folder to browse for tags in a PLC or ControlLogix program stored on
disk. If the shortcut in RSLinx Enterprise has access to symbols, you can also browse for
them in the Offline folder.
To browse for off-line tags in RSLinx Enterprise
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, double-click the RSLinx Enterprise icon.
2. Double-click Communication Setup to open the RSLinx Enterprise Communication
Setup dialog box.
3. Click the Browse button beside the Offline Tag File box.
For details about browsing offline for tags or adding symbols to a shortcut in RSLinx
Enterprise, see the RSLinx Enterprise Help.
8-8
8 WORKING WITH TAGS
Browsing for off-line tags from other OPC servers
For details about setting up and managing an OPC data servers cache files, see Setting
up advanced properties on page 7-12.
Working with tags in the Tag Browser

Tags appear in the right pane of the Tag Browser. For information about selecting, adding
and editing tags in the Tag Browser, see Help.
Displaying tags
To display tags, select a folder. Any tags in the folder appear in the right pane of the Tag
Browser.
Showing or hiding tag descriptions

By default, the Tag Browser does not show tag descriptions. To show or hide tag
descriptions, right-click a blank area of the right pane, and then click Show Description.
About the Selected Tag box

The Selected Tag box, in the lower part of the Tag Browser, displays a single tag you
select in the Tag Browser. Where multiple tags can be selected, the box is called Selected
Tags, and it displays all the tags you select. If multiple servers use the same tag name, the
server name automatically appears in the box, with the tag name.
Displaying tag properties

To display tag properties, right-click a tag in the Tag Browser, and then click Properties.
8-9
8 Placeholder
To browse for off-line tags from OPC servers other than RSLinx Classic, set up a data
server cache. When you are not connected to the device, the cached tags appear in the
same folders in the Tag Browser as the online tags. The offline tags are not located in a
different folder, as with RSLinx.
The Tag Properties dialog box shows information about the tag. The properties are a
snapshot, and do not update in real time. You cannot display the properties of multiple
tags at the same time.
Filtering tags
To display only tags whose names match a pattern, type the pattern in the Tag Filter box,
and then press Enter.
The Tag Filter box lists the last 10 filters you applied.
Type the tag

filter here.
To clear the filter,
click <None>
in the list.
8-10
8 WORKING WITH TAGS
To create a filter, you can use these wildcard characters:

Does this
?
*
Matches any single character.

Matches any number of characters, including the
backslash (\) character.
8 Placeholder
This wildcard character
To remove a tag filter

1. In the Tag Filter list, click <None>.
Creating, editing, and importing HMI tags

The context menu in the Tag Browsers right pane includes three menu items for
manipulating HMI tags:
New HMI Tag allows you to create a new HMI tag.
Edit HMI Tag allows you to edit an existing HMI tag.
Import PLC Tags allows you to import a tag from another database.
For information about creating and editing HMI tags, see Chapter 9, Creating HMI tags.
For information about importing tags from a PLC database, see page 9-9.
Using tag references

When you type a tag name, you are creating a reference to the tag. For example, you
might refer to a tag called FanRunning to obtain its value for animating a graphical
representation of a fan in a graphic display.
In distributed applications, which can contain multiple areas, you can refer to a tag using
an absolute reference or a relative reference. In stand-alone applications, which contain
only the application root area, you use relative references only.
Absolute references
Absolute references point directly at a specific tag, by referring to the tags name and the
area (or areas, in the case of nested areas) in which it is located. For example,
/Cooling/Fans::Extractor is a reference to an extractor fan in the Fans subarea of the
Cooling area.
Use absolute references when you want to ensure that a specific tag in a specific location
is used, regardless of where it is referenced from.
8-11
Relative references
Relative references point at a tag relative to the current server or area. For example, a
relative reference to a tag called Extractor is simply the tags name: Extractor. When a
relative reference is used, RSView assumes that the tag is located in the current area.
Use relative references, for example, when you want to re-use tag names in an application
for a plant that has identical production lines. The application could have multiple areas,
each representing one of the production lines, with the same tag names in each area. For
more information about areas, see page 5-3.
The home area

In distributed applications, the home area is the area in which an application component
(e.g., a tag or display) is located. When you refer to an application component without
specifying the area, RSView uses the home area to locate the component.
For example, if you create a graphic display in the Cooling area, and add a relative
reference to a tag (for example, FanStart), RSView looks for the tag in the home area of
the graphic display (Cooling). If the tag does not belong to a data server or HMI server in
the displays home area, an error will occur when the display runs.
The Tag Browser composes references to tags automatically, using correct syntax. If the
tags you select are in the home area, the Tag Browser automatically uses relative
references. If the tags are not in the home area, the Tag Browser uses absolute references.
In the Tag Browser, the

home area appears
in bold type.
Instead of browsing for tags, you can create references to tags manually, by typing the tag
name and, optionally, its path.
Logging tag values

The RSView data logger can log any tag value, and uses data log models to determine
which values to log. For a tag to be polled and its values logged by the data logger, the tag
needs to be included in a data log model, and the model needs to be started at run time.
For more information, see Help, or Chapter 13, Using data logging.
8-12
Creating HMI tags
9 Placeholder
what HMI tags are.
organizing HMI tags.
using the Tags editor.
creating, editing, duplicating, and deleting tags.
specifying a data source.
creating HMI tags without using the Tags editor.
adding alarms to HMI tags.
About HMI tags

HMI tags belong to the RSView HMI servers tag database. They have extended
properties that let you use them to trigger alarms, secure tag or device values, and
manipulate data. For more information about these properties, see Using HMI tags on
page 8-4.
Use the Tags editor in the HMI Tags folder in the RSView Studio Explorer, to create and
edit HMI tags. In a distributed application, you can edit a tag database locally (on the
same computer) or remotely (from a different computer).
HMI tag types

An HMI tag database can contain the following types of tags:
Tag
Type of data stored
Analog
Range of values.
Digital
These tags can represent variable states such as temperature or the

position of rotary controls.
0 or 1.
String
These tags can represent devices that can only be on or off, such as
switches, contacts, and relays.
ASCII string, series of characters, or whole words (maximum of 82
characters).
These tags can represent devices that use text, such as a bar code
scanner that uses an alphanumeric product code.
9-1
Tag
Type of data stored
System
Information generated while the system is running, including alarm

information, system time and date, and so on.
RSView creates system tags when it creates an HMI project. The
system tags are stored in the folder called System in the tag database.
You cannot edit system tags. You can use system tags anywhere you
would use any other type of tag.
Data sources for HMI tags

When defining an analog, digital, or string HMI tag, you specify where it receives its
values. This is called the data source. The data source can be Device (external) or Memory
(internal).
Device
An HMI tag with Device as its data source receives its data from a source external to
RSView. The data can come from a programmable controller or other device via
RSLinx, or from another OPC or DDE data server.
Memory
An HMI tag with Memory as its data source receives its data internally from RSView. A
memory tag can be used to store values internally.
Retentive Memory Tags
You can specify that a memory tags value be retained even if an HMI server is shut down.
In a distributed application, if RSView Studio or RSView SE clients are running, a
memory tags value can be changed at any time prior to shutting down. The next time the
HMI server starts, the memory tag will have the same value it had prior to the system
shutting down.
Organizing HMI tags

Organizing tags makes it easier to work with them, especially if the database is large. To
organize tags:
establish naming conventions.

Naming conventions make wildcard characters more effective when searching for and
displaying tags during development and run time.
9-2
use folders to group related tags.
9 CREATING HMI TAGS
Naming HMI tags
The tag name can contain:
A to Z (upper and lower case)
0 to 9
underscore ( _ ) and dash ( )
The tag name can be mixed case. Tag names preserve upper and lower case for readability
but are not case sensitive. For example, the tag name MixerValve1 is the same as
mixervalve1.
In an expression, tag names that start with a number or contain a dash must be enclosed in
brackets, for example, {N33-0}. Also use brackets with wildcard characters to represent
multiple tags in an expression, for example, {alarm*}. For more information about using
tags in expressions see Chapter 20, Creating expressions.
Using folders to group HMI tags

To organize tags, create a folder, and then include tags that are related to one another. To
separate the folder name from the rest of the tag name, use a backslash (\). For example,
tags in the folder called Pump would start with Pump\.
For greater organization, you can nest folders. For example, if a plant is divided into
zones, you can organize the tag database first by zone, then by machines in the zone, and
finally by devices in each machine. The result might be Area1\Machine1\Pump.
For optimum performance, do not place all HMI tags in the root folder. It is also recommended
that you limit the number of tags in a folder to less than 2000. HMI tags contained in nested
folders do not contribute to the total number of tags in the root folder.
For details about creating, duplicating and deleting folders, see Help.
Viewing tag statistics

The Tag Statistics dialog box provides a summary of how many tags an HMI server uses,
as well as other tag information, such as the date the HMI tag database was last modified.
To view tag statistics, the Tags editor must be open and have focus.
To view tag statistics
1. On the View menu, click Tag Statistics.
9-3
9 Placeholder
Tag names can be up to 255 characters long. For tags in folders, the folder name becomes
part of the tag name and the backslash counts as one character.
Using the Tags editor

The Tags editor has items on the View menu to control the appearance of the editor, and
extra tools on the toolbar. Use the Tags editor to:
create and view tags.
edit, duplicate, and delete tags.
create folders.
duplicate, nest, and delete folders.
The Tags editor has these parts: form, query box, folder hierarchy, and spreadsheet. For
details about using the Tags editor, see Help.
Form
Query box
Folder hierarchy
Spreadsheet
Using the Accept and Discard buttons

When you enter information, the Prev and Next buttons change to Accept and Discard
buttons. Click Accept to save tag and alarm information. Click Discard to cancel changes
to a tag.
9-4
9 CREATING HMI TAGS
Using the form
In the lower part of the form, define the data source (where the tags values will come
from).
Select the Alarm check box to define alarm conditions for an analog or digital tag. To edit
alarms once they have been defined, click the Alarm button.
Using the query box

Use the query box to select the tags you want displayed in the spreadsheet. This allows
you to edit tags in different folders without browsing the folder hierarchy. You can select a
single tag by typing the tag name, or select multiple tags by typing wildcard characters.
Does this
?
*

Use this wildcard character by itself, to display all the
tags in the tag database.
Using the folder hierarchy

The hierarchy and spreadsheet work together. The hierarchy shows the tag folders, and the
spreadsheet shows the tags within the folders.
A folder icon called root is always present in the hierarchy window, at the top of the folder
hierarchy. This folder contains all the tag folders you and RSView create.
You can nest folders. If a folder icon has a plus ( + ) sign on it, the folder contains one or
more folders. If the folders icon is blank, it does not contain any other folders.
When you nest folders, remember that the backslash in a folder name counts as one
character in the tag name.
Creating, editing, duplicating, and deleting tags

Use the Tags editor to add, edit, duplicate, and delete HMI tags.
To create an HMI tag
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, open the HMI Tags folder.
2. Double-click the Tags icon or drag it into the workspace.
9-5
9 Placeholder
In the upper part of the form, define the basic characteristics of the tag, such as tag name,
type, security, and specifics related to the tag type.
You can also right-click the Tags icon and then click Show.
3. To add the tag to a folder, double-click the folder in the folder hierarchy to open it.
4. Click the New button in the forms section to clear the form and position in the cursor
in the Name box.
5. Specify the tag name and select its type. If you have opened a folder, its name is
inserted in the Name box.
6.
Specify the additional information required in the Tag section for the type of tag you
are creating.
7. Select a data source and specify the required information.

8. Check the Alarm box if the tag is to have an alarm set up for it.
9. Click Accept to save the tag to the database.
For descriptions of the options available for each type of tag, see Help.
To edit a tag
1. Select the tag you want to edit.
The details of the tag appear in the form area.
2. Edit selected details.
You can edit all parts of a tag except the tag name and tag type.
3. Click Accept to save changes.
To duplicate a tag
1. Select the tag you want to duplicate.
2. On the Edit menu, click Duplicate, or on the toolbar, click the Duplicate button.
A new row is inserted below the highlighted row. The new row contains all the same
information except the tag name.
3. In the Tag Name box, type the name for the new tag.
4. Click Accept.
To delete a tag
1. Select the tag you want to delete.
9-6
9 CREATING HMI TAGS
2. On the Edit menu, click Delete, or on the toolbar, click the Delete button.
9 Placeholder
Delete tags carefully. Once you click the Delete button, the tag is deleted. There is no
confirmation message, and you cannot undo the deletion.
Specifying a data source

The following topics describe the Data Source fields. For details about setting up analog,
digital, and string tag types, see Help.
Specifying Device as the data source

An HMI tag with Device as its data source receives its data from a source external to
RSView. The data can come from:
Allen-Bradley or SoftLogix 5 programmable controllers through RSLinx.
network devices through an OPC or DDE data server.
another Windows program through an OPC or DDE data server.
For information about setting up OPC communications, see Chapter 7, Setting up

communications.
For details about creating HMI tags for use with DDE communications, see Appendix B,
Setting up DDE communications for HMI tags.
To create a tag with Device as the data source
1. Click Device.
2. In the Address box, specify the name of the tag in the data server, or specify the DDE
item. You can click the browse button to select the address of the data server tag.
Addressing syntax for OPC tags
The syntax for OPC tag addresses is:
[AccessPath]Address
or
::[AccessPath]Address
where :: is required for addresses that contain an initial colon (: ).
The square brackets are part of the syntax. They do not indicate optional parameters.
9-7
The access path is one of the following:
For communications with an RSLinx OPC server, the access path is the name of a
device shortcut or DDE/OPC topic in RSLinx.
For communications with other OPC servers, the access path may be optional. For
information about the syntax for the access path, see the OPC server documentation.
Specifying Memory as the data source

An HMI tag with Memory as its data source receives its data from internally, from
RSView.
To create a tag with Memory as the data source
1. Click Memory.
2. In the Initial Value box, type the tags starting value.
When you first load an HMI project, a memory tag has the value defined in the Initial
Value box.
To ensure that a memory tag uses a particular value when the project starts, use the Set
or = (Equal) commands in a startup macro to specify the tags value. For details about
using macros, see Chapter 22, Creating macros.
The value of a memory tag can also be set using derived tags, events, or graphic
objects.
3. To have the tags value retained when an HMI server shuts down, select the Retentive
check box.
If you want the memory tag to revert to its initial value the next time an HMI server
starts, clear the Retentive check box.
Creating HMI tags without using the Tags editor

In addition to creating tags in the Tags editor as described earlier in this chapter, you can:
9-8
create tags in a third-party application and import them into RSView.
create tags from the Tag Browser.
import tags from a PLC or SLC database.
9 CREATING HMI TAGS
Creating tags in a third-party application
When you import tags, they can be merged with tags already in the tag database, in which
case any tags with the same name are updated with the new information.
Creating tags as needed in other RSView editors

Any editor that uses tags has access to the Tags database.
To create tags using the Tag Browser
1. Click the browse button or the Tags button, whichever is available, to open the Tag
Browser.
2. In the Tag Browser, open the folder in which you want to create the tag, right-click a
blank area of the Contents pane, and then click New HMI Tag.
Importing tags from a PLC database

To import tags selectively from a PLC database into the RSView HMI tag database, use
the Import PLC Tags dialog box.
Tags imported in this way are copied into the databasethey are not shared with the
source database. This means changes to tags in RSView do not affect the database from
which they have been imported and vice versa.
Opening the Import PLC Tags dialog box
To open the Import PLC Tags dialog box, use one of these methods:
DB Browser
button in the
Tags editor
In the Tags editor, click the DB Browser button on the toolbar, or select Other
Databases from the Edit menu.
In the Tag Browser, right-click a blank area of the Contents pane, and then click
Import PLC Tags.
9-9
9 Placeholder
You can use a third-party spreadsheet editor such as Microsoft Excel to create tags, and
then import them into RSView using the Tag Import and Export Wizard. For details, see
page 9-10.
Use the filter to

search for a
particular tag or
set of tags.
You cannot use
wildcards, or filter
beyond a slash.
For example, a
filter containing
B3/1 will not show
B3/10, B3/11,
and so on.
You can import tags from any of these databases:
legacy PLC databases, created using WINtelligent LOGIC 5 or A.I. 5, with file
extension .dsc
RSLogix 5/500, saved as an external database, with file extension .ctd
RSLogix 5 internal database, with file extension .rsp
RSLogix 500 internal database, with file extension .rss
For PLC and SLC addresses, the Import PLC Tags dialog box shows only addresses that
are used in the symbol or address list of the PLC programming software.
For detailed instructions about importing a PLC database, see Help.
Using the Tag Import and Export Wizard

You can also import PLC or SLC databases into RSView using the Tag Import and
Export Wizard. The Tag Import and Export Wizard must be run on the same computer as
the HMI server.
9-10
9 CREATING HMI TAGS
Opening the Tag Import and Export Wizard
9 Placeholder
To open the wizard, use one of these methods:

In RSView Studio, click the Tools menu, and then click Tag Import and Export
Wizard.
Click the Windows Start button, select Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView
Enterprise, Tools, and then click Tag Import and Export Wizard.
If you need help while using the wizard, click the Help button.
Adding alarms to HMI tags

Analog and digital tags can have alarms associated with them. At run time, RSView scans
the tag values in the tag database and compares them to the limits set for the tags. If a tag
value crosses a limit, an alarm is triggered. For details about alarms, see Chapter 11,
Creating alarms.
When a tag has an alarm set up for it, an X appears in the Alm column of the Tags editors
spreadsheet, and the Alarm button in the editors form is highlighted (enabled).
9-11
10 Placeholder
10 Creating derived tags

what derived tags are and how to use them.
setting up derived tags.
using the Derived Tags editor.
creating a derived tags component.
what the maximum update rate is.
starting and stopping derived tag processing.
About derived tags

A derived tag is a tag whose value is the result of an expression. An expression can be
simply a tag name, or it can be an equation made up of tag names, mathematical and
logical operations, special functions, and If-Then-Else logic. Derived tag calculations are
performed on the HMI server.
A derived tags component is a file that contains the definitions of one or more derived
tags. A derived tags component can be run when an HMI server starts, or it can be run
using the DerivedOn command, after the HMI server has started.
Writing to tags whose value is the result of a derived tag expression is not recommended,
because a derived tag is re-evaluated whenever the tags in the expression change.
For example, if the derived tag called Tag3 is defined by the expression Tag1+Tag2, and
if you set Tag3=0, the value of Tag3 becomes zero, but that will change when the value of
Tag1 or Tag2 changes.
How to use derived tags

Heres an example of how a derived tag can be used. Suppose there are five weight
sensors on a conveyor belt. The tag database contains one tag for each sensor, so the
weight at each point on the conveyor belt is monitored. If the weight at any point is
excessive, RSView triggers an alarm.
However, if no individual sensor detects an excessive weight, but the total of all five
sensors is too high, an alarm might be triggered. To handle this case, you could set up a
derived tag to sum the weights of all five sensors. Then, if this total, which would be the
value of the derived tag, is too high, RSView can trigger an alarm.
10-1
Setting up derived tags

These are the tasks involved in setting up derived tags for an application:
1. Create the derived tags in the Derived Tags editor in RSView Studio.
2. Set the maximum update rate in the Derived Tag Setup dialog box.
3. Save the derived tags component and give it a name.
Using the Derived Tags editor

To open the Derived Tags editor
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, open the Logic and Control folder.
2. Right-click the Derived Tags editor and then click New, or drag the Derived Tags
editors icon from the Explorer to the workspace.
10-2
10 CREATING DERIVED TAGS
Using the Check Syntax button
If the syntax is invalid, an error appears next to the Check Syntax button.
The syntax of the expression is also checked automatically when you click the Accept or
Discard buttons.

When you enter information in the editor, the Prev and Next buttons change to Accept and
Discard. Click Accept to save information. Click Discard to discard information that you
just entered.
Creating a derived tags component

You can use any tag to store the result of a derived tag calculation. The tag must already
exist, for example, as an HMI tag (i.e., memory or device) or in a data server, before you
can use it as a derived tag.
Do not create derived tags that depend on the results of other derived tags.
Derived tag processing is not sequential. This means the results of an expression that includes
other derived tags might not occur in the desired scan or order of evaluation. To avoid this, it is
best to put all the required logic in the expression.
To create a derived tags component

1.
In the Derived Tags editor, specify the tag that will hold the derived value and type a
description of the tag.
2. In the Expression box, create an expression that will determine the derived tags value.
For information about expressions, see Chapter 20, Creating expressions.
3. Click Accept.
4. Click Next to create another derived tag if the derived tags component is to contain
more than one derived tag.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until all derived tags for the particular component are
defined.
6. Select Derived Tag Setup from the Setup menu.
10-3
10 Placeholder
After you create an expression for a derived tag, use the Check Syntax button to verify
that the syntax is correct. You can check the syntax of an expression at any time while the
Derived Tags editor is open.
7. In the Derived Tag Setup dialog box type a description of the component and specify a
maximum update rate, and then click OK.
8. In the Derived Tags editor, click Close.
9. Specify the name of the derived tags component and then click OK.
Using multiple derived tag components

You can create multiple derived tag components, for example, to group derived tags that
need to be evaluated at different rates. Each HMI server in an distributed application can
run up to 20 derived tag components, with up to 1,000 tags in each component.
About the maximum update rate

The maximum update rate is the fastest rate at which the value of any derived tag in the
derived tag component can be updated. Expressions containing derived tags are evaluated
only when the value of a tag or function in the expression changes.
The maximum update rate also determines the fastest rate at which data servers can send
changes in tag values. Set the update rate as fast as, or faster than, the rate at which the
values of tags used in the expressions change, unless it is desirable to miss changes in tag
values.
Set a maximum update rate for each derived tag component.
Starting and stopping derived tag processing

There are many ways to start and stop derived tag processing. Choose the way that works
best for the individual application.
For distributed applications, it is best to start derived tag processing using a server
component such as the startup macro, or using event processing. Using clients to start and
stop derived tags processing is not advised, as one client might stop processing a derived
tags component that another client still requires.
For an explanation of RSView command syntax, see Appendix A, RSView commands, or
see Help.
Ways to start derived tag processing

Distributed and stand-alone applications
10-4
In HMI Server Properties dialog, click the Components tab, select the Derived tags
check box, and then select a derived tag component. The derived tag component will
start the next time the HMI server runs, or when the HMI servers components are
started manually.
In the Events editor, specify the DerivedOn <component> command as the action for
an event.
At the command line in RSView Studio, or the RSView Administration Console,
type DerivedOn <component> and then press Enter.
Stand-alone applications only

The following methods are not recommended for distributed applications, as they use
clients rather than servers to start derived tags processing:
In the Graphics editor, create a button and then specify the DerivedOn <component>
command as the buttons press action. When the button is pressed, derived tag
processing starts.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and then attach touch animation with
the DerivedOn <component> command as the objects action. When the object is
touched, derived tag processing starts.
For the Login Macro in the RSView User Accounts editor, specify the DerivedOn
<component> command, or a macro that contains the command.
For the Startup command in the Display Settings Behavior tab, specify the DerivedOn
Ways to stop derived tag processing

Having multiple clients stop derived tags processing is not recommended. Do this in
special cases only, for example, for application maintenance.
Distributed and stand-alone applications
To shut down all the components that are running on the HMI server, including all
derived tag components, stop the components running on the HMI server manually.
For details about stopping an HMI servers components manually in distributed
applications, see page 27-9 and in stand-alone applications, see page 28-4.
To stop a single derived tag component, use one of these methods:
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, DerivedOff
<component>. In the HMI Server Properties dialog, click the Components tab,
select the On shutdown macro check box, and then specify the macro. Derived
tags processing will stop when the HMI server shuts down.
10-5
10 Placeholder
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, DerivedOn
<component>. In the HMI Server Properties dialog, click the Components tab, select
the Macro check box, and then specify the macro. Derived tag processing will start
when the HMI server runs.
10 CREATING DERIVED TAGS
In the Events editor, specify the DerivedOff <component> command as the action
for an event.
At the command line in RSView Studio, or the RSView Administration Console,
type DerivedOff <component> and then press Enter.
Stand-alone applications only (single components)

The following methods are not recommended for distributed applications, as they use
clients rather than servers to stop derived tags processing:
10-6
In the Graphics editor, create a button and then specify the DerivedOff <component>
command as the buttons press action. When the button is pressed, derived tag
processing stops.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and then attach touch animation with
the DerivedOff <component> command as the objects action. When the object is
touched, derived tag processing stops.
For the Logout Macro in the RSView User Accounts editor, specify the DerivedOff
For the Shutdown command in the Display Settings Behavior tab, specify the
DerivedOff <component> command, or a macro that contains the command.
11 Placeholder
11 Creating alarms
the features of RSView Supervisory Edition alarms.
the steps involved in setting up alarms for an application.
key alarm concepts.
setting up general alarm behavior.
setting up alarm conditions for HMI tags.
setting up alarm logging.
viewing alarm log files.
setting up security to log alarms to a remote computer.
creating an alarm summary graphic object.
starting and stopping alarm monitoring.
About RSView Supervisory Edition alarms

Alarms are an important part of most plant control applications because they alert
operators when something goes wrong. Often, it is also important to have a record of
alarms and whether they were acknowledged.
In RSView Studio, you can set up a complete alarm system. At run time, alarm
monitoring occurs at the HMI server. If alarms are detected, notification is sent to
connected RSView SE clients, where operators can view and acknowledge the alarms.
In an RSView application, you can monitor only HMI tags for alarms. You cannot monitor
data server tags for alarms.
Summary of features
Using the RSView alarm system, you can:
monitor any analog and digital HMI tag for alarms (to a maximum of 40,000 tags per
HMI server, 10,000 of which can be analog).
display the last 2,000 alarm transactions from an HMI server in an alarm summary.
define up to eight different severity levels to distinguish alarms visually.
use system default messages or custom messages to describe alarms.
11-1
log messages to a file, to a printer, or to both.
suppress alarms for maintenance and tuning purposes.
associate a command or macro with an alarm to provide custom handling of the alarm.
share alarm information with other RSView components. For example, you can use
alarm functions in expressions in a graphic display.
synchronize alarm acknowledgement on redundant HMI server pairs using the
Acknowledge bit.
use the AlarmEvent command to respond to alarm detection algorithms you have
created for notification (annunciation), logging, printing, and for display in alarm
summaries.
Setting up alarms for an application

These are the tasks involved in setting up alarms for an application:
1. In the Alarm Setup editor, set up the attributes of all alarms on an HMI server. This
includes:
in the Setup tab, specifying the maximum update rate, behavior if redundancy is
set up, and whether to generate alarms for analog tags when their values approach
normal range.
in the Severities tab, specifying the logging destination and notification for the
various levels of alarm severity (1 through 8) and alarm events.
in the User Msgs tab, create user default messages to use in place of system
default message, when alarms occur.
2. Using the Alarm Log Setup tool, set up the alarm log file. The alarm log file is a
record of alarm incidents. You can specify where the alarm log file is stored, and
when if everlog files will be created and deleted.
3. In the Analog or Digital Alarm dialog box in the Tags editor, specify alarm conditions
for each HMI tag you intend to monitor. You can define alarms for analog and digital
tags, but not for string tags.
4. In the Graphics editor, set up ways to display alarm information. In graphic displays,
you can:
11-2
set up alarm summaries.
embed numeric or string displays that use alarm functions or alarm system tags.
11 CREATING ALARMS
choose methods for starting and stopping alarm monitoring.
Key concepts
An alarm occurs when something goes wrong. It can signal that a device or process has
ceased operating within acceptable, predefined limits or it can indicate breakdown, wear,
or a process malfunction.
Set up a system of alarms in the Tags editor by linking alarms to tags you want monitored.
When the tag values are updated, they are compared to the limits assigned when the alarm
was set up. If a tag value exceeds a specified limit, an alarm of a preset severity is
triggered.
Alarms for analog HMI tags

An analog tag can trigger a number of alarms, when its value crosses various threshold
levels (unlike a digital tag, which is either on or off).
Thresholds
When defining an analog tag, you can assign up to eight alarm thresholds, each with a
different level of severity to indicate the alarms importance.
The lowest threshold is one and the highest is eight. You do not have to use all eight
thresholds for a tag, but the ones you do use must be set up in ascending order. For
example, you can assign thresholds one, two, and eight, as long as you assign them in that
order.
Thresholds can be increasingmonitoring for a rising value that crosses the threshold, or
decreasingmonitoring for a falling value that crosses the threshold. The tag in the
example that follows has both increasing and decreasing thresholds.
Example: Alarm thresholds
In this example, a tags value changes as it monitors a motors revolutions per minute
(rpm). With the given threshold settings, the motor must run between 2,000 rpm and 3,000
rpm, or an alarm is triggered.
11-3
11 Placeholder
The RSView AlarmOn and AlarmOff commands control alarm monitoring on the HMI
server. How you choose to start and stop alarm monitoring is particularly important for
distributed applications. For information about starting and stopping alarm monitoring,
see page 11-39.
Alarm
severity
levels
Threshold
Thresholds
values
Increasing
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
8
Safe zone
8
Decreasing
1,000
6
4
Time
Thresholds must be set up

in ascending order
* These alarms are triggered only if Generate alarms when
approaching normal operating range is selected in the Alarm

Setup dialog box.
If the motor speed
It triggers an alarm of this severity
exceeds 3,000 rpm

exceeds 4,000 rpm
exceeds 5,000 rpm
falls below 5,000 rpm*
falls below 4,000 rpm*
falls below 2,000 rpm
falls below 1,000 rpm
falls below 1 rpm
8
4
1
4
8
8
6
4
In the illustration, an X shows when the tag goes into alarm and an O shows when the tag
goes out of alarm.
Alarms occur when the motor speed falls below 5,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm, and when it
rises above 1 rpm and 1,000 rpm. These alarms would not occur if Generate alarms when
approaching normal operating range was cleared in the Alarm Setup dialog box
11-4
11 CREATING ALARMS
Variable thresholds
Variable thresholds require more system resources than constant thresholds because of the
continuous scanning of threshold values, and the processing necessary to detect alarm
faults.
Alarm faults
A variable threshold must not become higher than the threshold above it or lower than the
threshold below it. If this happens, an alarm fault is generated for the monitored tag. To
correct an alarm fault, change the variable threshold so it does not overlap either of its
neighbors. This can be complex when the neighboring thresholds are also variable,
because these boundaries are determined dynamically at run time.
When an alarm fault is generated, the following actions occur:
The tags alarm status stays as it was before the fault was generated.
An alarm fault is reported to all alarm reporting devices you have set up, such as the
alarm log file and the printer.
The alarm fault status bit for the tag is set in the value table. This notifies other
applications that an alarm fault has been generated.
The Alarm Type column in the alarm summary states that the tag is in Alarm Fault.
When the faulty thresholds return to their normal operating range, the alarm fault
condition is cleared, the out-of-alarm-fault status is generated and logged, and alarms for
the tag resume normal operation.
Deadband
With some measured values, such as line pressure, tag values can fluctuate rapidly above
and below a critical threshold. Where such conditions exist, you can create a deadband as
a buffer to prevent the fluctuations from triggering unnecessary alarms.
If the threshold is increasingmonitoring rising valuesthe deadband range lies below
the threshold. If the threshold is decreasingmonitoring falling valuesthe deadband
lies above it.
11-5
11 Placeholder
Threshold values can be constant or variable. The previous example uses constant
thresholds. To define a variable threshold, specify a tag name in the Threshold box when
setting up the thresholds for an analog alarm tag. As the value of the specified tag
changes, the threshold changes.
The following illustration shows an increasing threshold of 4,000 rpm with a deadband
value of 500 rpm. The rpm has to fall to 3,500 and then rise above 4,000 before it will
trigger the alarm again.
rpm
In alarm
again
In alarm
5,000
4,000
Deadband
3,500
3,000
Threshold
Out of alarm
2,000
1,000
0
Time
A deadband range may be absolute, as illustrated above, or it may be a percentage of the

minimum/maximum range for a tag. If the deadband in the illustration were two percent,
its range would be two percent of 5,000 rpm, or 100 rpm.
If a buffer is not required, the deadband must be set up as zero. With a deadband of zero,
alarms will be triggered as soon as the tag value crosses any of its thresholds.
Use the deadband carefully in safety-critical applications. In the above illustration, the variable
has to fluctuate by more than 500 rpm before an alarm is triggered again.
Alarms for digital HMI tags

Digital tags are either on or off. Instead of thresholds, digital tags have alarm states.
This alarm state
Does this
On
Triggers an alarm when a tag has a value

of 1.
Triggers an alarm when a tag has a value
of 0.
Off
11-6
Does this
Any Change*
Triggers an alarm when a tag value

changes from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0
Triggers an alarm only when a tag value
changes from 0 to 1.
Triggers an alarm only when a tag value
changes from 1 to 0.
Changes to On*
Changes to Off*
11 Placeholder
This alarm state
In the above table, * indicates change-of-state types. These are considered out of alarm
immediately after the change of state.
Alarm severity
Alarms can range in severity from one to eight to indicate different levels of importance.
One is most severe, eight is least severe. For example, a level-four alarm might warn that
a vat is half full of liquid, while a level-one alarm indicates that the vat is about to
overflow. Both alarms monitor the same tag but have different severity levels.
When you set up alarm severity, you specify what severity levels mean and what actions
they will trigger. Severity determines the order in which alarms are displayed in an alarm
banner.
Alarm messages
Alarm messages report information about alarms. There are three types of messages:
In Alarm messages are generated when tags go into alarm.
Out of Alarm messages are generated when tags goes out of alarm.
Acknowledged messages are generated when operators acknowledge alarms.
11 CREATING ALARMS
For each message type, you can use the default message or create a custom message, and
route the messages to a log file, a printer, or both destinations.
Alarm log file

The alarm log file records alarm incidents. You can set up how often, if ever, you want log
files created and deleted, and view the alarm log file using the Alarm Log Viewer.
Using the Alarm Log Setup tool, you can set up automatic logging to a central ODBC
database. You can also use the AlarmLogSendToODBC command to export the alarm log
file to an ODBC database while online. For more information about the
AlarmLogSendToODBC command, see Help.
11-7
If you export alarm log data to an external, ODBC-compliant database, you can use thirdparty applications to view the records in the database. The application must be ODBC
compliant, for example, you can use Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft Visual Basic
Alarm displays
Alarm information can be displayed in:
the alarm log viewer.
graphic displays containing graphic objects such as the alarm summary.
When alarms are generated, they are recorded in two places: the alarm log file, and on the
HMI server computer where the alarms are generated. The alarm log viewer displays the
records in the alarm log file. The alarm summary displays the records in the HMI server
computers memory.
Alarm log viewer
The alarm log viewer displays the contents of the alarm log file. The contents of this file
depend on the severities set up in the Alarm Setup editor. By default, the log file will have
a record for each of the following alarm incidents:
when a tag goes into alarm
when a tag goes out of alarm
when an alarm is acknowledged
when a tag with an alarm is suppressed
when an alarm fault is generated
Set up an application so that only essential alarm information is logged. Alarm logging uses
system resources and can slow overall system performance.
Alarm summary
The alarm summary is a graphic object, created in the Graphics editor, that displays the
alarm information recorded in the computers memory. Use the alarm summary to
determine which alarm information is displayed and how it is displayed.
The alarm summary can display alarms from more than one HMI server. Each HMI
server maintains a list of up to 2,000 alarms. As new alarms occur, they appear at the top
of the list.
When the list of alarms at the HMI server is full and a new alarm is generated, the alarm
at the bottom of the list (the oldest alarm) is acknowledged automatically by the system,
and then dropped from the list. Alarms that are acknowledged automatically by the system
11-8
Alarms are also dropped when they are out of alarm, or acknowledged manually. When
alarms are dropped, they are removed from memory. When the AlarmOff command is
issued, the contents of the alarm summary are erased.
AlarmOff is just one of the RSView commands used with alarms. For details about this command
and others, see Help.
In the alarm summary, each alarm incident can be set up to be a different color. For
example, low-severity alarms could be set up as blue, medium-severity as yellow, and
high-severity as red. When an alarm is displayed, operators can tell its severity at a glance.
Graphic objects and displays
You can customize graphic displays to show specific information about alarms. RSView
makes all alarm status information available to graphic displays through a set of system
tags (see below). Use these tags with numeric and string display objects. Attach visibility
and color animation to affect the appearance of the objects.
The Alarm Information graphic library contains alarm-related graphic objects that you can
drag and drop into a display. For example, to include an alarm banner in a display, drag
and drop the banner from the Alarm Information graphic library. Use the graphic objects
in the library as they are, or edit them to suit the applications needs.
Alarm system tags
System tags are created and updated by RSView on the HMI server. You can use these
tags anywhere a tag name is required:
This tag
Type
Displays this information
system\AlarmBanner
String
system\AlarmMostRecentDate
system\AlarmMostRecentLabel
String
String
system\AlarmMostRecentSeverity
system\AlarmMostRecentTagDesc
Analog
String
system\AlarmMostRecentTagname
String
system\AlarmMostRecentTime
String
The most recent, most severe alarm. If an alarm of an

equal or higher severity occurs, it replaces the first
alarm, whether or not the previous alarm has been
acknowledged.
The date of the most recent, most severe alarm.
The threshold label of the tag of the most recent, most
severe alarm.
The severity of the most recent, most severe alarm.
The description of the tag of the most recent, most
severe alarm.
The name of the tag of the most recent, most severe
alarm.
The time of the most recent, most severe alarm.
11-9
11 Placeholder
appear in the alarm log file with SysAk (system-acknowledged) in the TransType
(transaction type) field.
11 CREATING ALARMS
This tag
Type
Displays this information
system\AlarmMostRecentUnits
system\AlarmStatus
system\AlarmSummaryItems
String
String
Analog
system\AlarmSummaryItemsUnacked
Analog
system\AlarmSuppressedCount
Analog
The units of the most recent, most severe alarm.

The number of unacknowledged and suppressed alarms.
The number of alarm transactions in an unfiltered alarm
summary.
The number of unacknowledged alarms in an unfiltered
alarm summary.
The number of tags with alarm suppression turned on.
Alarm acknowledgment
If an alarm appears in the alarm summary or some other alarm display, an operator can
acknowledge the alarm. Acknowledging an alarm does not correct the condition causing
the alarm, but indicates that an operator is aware of the alarm.
A tag, not an alarm, is acknowledged. A single tag might have caused several alarms. For
example, a tag representing temperature might have triggered Warm, Hot, and Overheat
alarms by the time it is acknowledged. The tag could also have gone in and out of alarm
several times before being acknowledged.
One acknowledgment is all that is required for all previous and current alarms for a tag, so
alarm log files often show fewer acknowledgments than alarms.
Acknowledging alarms
To acknowledge alarms, operators can use any of these methods:
Click the Acknowledge or Acknowledge All button in the alarm summary.

Use the RSView Acknowledge command by itself, or with parameters to name a tag
or group of tags.
Use the RSView AcknowledgeAll command.
Unless an alarm is acknowledged, it remains outstanding until the system is shut down,
the alarm summary is full, or alarm monitoring is turned off.
Alarm suppression
You can suppress alarm monitoring for tags. This is useful for testing or for performing
repairs or maintenance on a piece of equipment.
To suppress alarm monitoring for tags, use the RSView SuppressOn command. To view a
list of the tags not being monitored, use the Suppressed List. You can also turn monitoring
back on from this list.
11-10
11 CREATING ALARMS
Alarm functions in expressions
Checking for tags in alarm

If the system detects that a tag is in alarm, it sets an internal alarm bit, and then resets the
bit when the tag is out of alarm. The following expression checks if a tag is in alarm:
ALM_IN_ALARM (tag)
where tag is the name of the tag you want to check for alarms. When a tag is in alarm, the
expression result is 1. When a tag is out of alarm, the expression result is 0.
One way to use this expression is to animate the visibility of a graphic object in a display.
When the tag goes into alarm, the ALM_IN_ALARM expression is set to 1, making the
object visible. This is an effective way to draw the operators attention to the alarm.
Checking for acknowledged alarms
The following expression checks if an alarm has ever been acknowledged:
ALM_ACK (tag)
The expression ALM_ACK returns 1 if an alarm has been acknowledged. If a tag goes
out of alarm without being acknowledged, the expression returns 0.
When alarm monitoring starts and a tag has never been in alarm, the ALM_ACK
expression returns 1 by default. To reverse this default behavior, create the registry key
Alarm Initially Acked on the computer running the HMI server. Once you have created
the key, change its string value to False. The key is located at:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Rockwell Software\
RSView Enterprise\Alarm Server
To create or change the key, use the Windows Regedit32 utility. For details about using
Regedit32, click Help in the Registry editor window.
ALM_ALLACKED (tag*)
The expression ALM_ALLACKED (tag*) returns 1 if all tags that match the pattern
have been acknowledged. If any of the tags have not been acknowledged, the expression
returns 0.
11-11
11 Placeholder
When a tag goes into alarm, or an alarm event occurs, certain information about the alarm
is recorded in the value table together with the value of the tag or alarm event. Using
expressions, information about alarms can be retrieved on a tag-by-tag basis. For
information about alarm events, see page 11-13.
Other functions are also used with expressions to monitor alarms. For a list of the alarm
functions, see Tag functions on page 20-11.
If a graphic display requires more than 20 alarm functions, for performance reasons it is
better to use the alarm functions in derived tags. For details, see Help for alarm functions.
Using wildcard characters in alarm expressions

For built-in alarm functions, you can use wildcard characters in the expression to retrieve
information about multiple tags at once.
Does this
?
*

For example, the following expression checks if any of a group of tags is in alarm:
ALM_IN_ALARM (alarm*)
where alarm* represents all tags whose names begin with alarm. If one or more of these
tags are in alarm, the expression result is 1. If all of the tags are out of alarm, the
expression result is 0.
Using wildcard characters in alarm expressions may affect performance if the pattern matches a
large number of tags.
Acknowledge bit
An acknowledge bit is a digital tag that can be used to:
acknowledge an alarm.
monitor the acknowledged state of an alarm.
When you set up an acknowledge bit for a tag, the HMI server monitors the value of the
acknowledge bit, and automatically acknowledges the alarm when the value of the
acknowledge bit changes from 0 to 1. This is called a remote acknowledge, and a RmAck
(Remote Acknowledge) transaction is logged to the alarm log file.
When an operator acknowledges an alarm, the acknowledge bit is set to 1. If the Auto
Reset feature is turned on, the HMI server resets the acknowledge bit to 0 when the tag
goes back into alarm.
11-12
Because an HMI server monitors the value of each acknowledge bit tag, using many
acknowledge bits can slow down the system considerably.
Handshake bit
A handshake bit is a digital tag that can be used to monitor the status of an alarm.
When you set up a handshake bit for a tag, the HMI server sets the handshake bit to 1
when the tag goes into alarm. If the Auto Reset feature is turned on, the HMI server sets
the handshake bit to 0 when the tag goes out of alarm.
The handshake bit must be set up as a digital tag in the HMI tag database. For details
about setting up a handshake bit, see Help.
Switching handshaking on
By default, handshaking is off. To switch handshaking on, do one of the following:
Use the /H parameter with the AlarmOn command.
Use the HandshakeOn command.
For information about alarm and handshake commands, see Help.
Alarm events
You can customize and extend the RSView alarm monitoring system by writing alarmdetection algorithms using PLC ladder logic, custom programs, or any other appropriate
tools.
You can then add alarm events to the RSView alarm subsystem, to respond to the alarmdetection algorithms for annunciation, logging, printing, and for display in alarm
summaries.
By using a tag name for an alarm event, you can customize the alarm features of the tag.
For example, you can use alarm events to provide a tag with more than eight
thresholds.You can also use alarm events to specify an alarms time stamp.
Since alarms are scanned in the background, alarms that occur rapidly might appear out of
sequence in RSView, because they might all be scanned at the same time, and therefore
produce the same time stamp. If the sequence in which alarms occur is important, you
might want to record accurate time stamps for the alarms by buffering the alarms in the
PLC, and then using alarm events to record them with accurate time stamps in RSView.
To create an alarm event, use the AlarmEvent command. For details, see Help.
11-13
11 Placeholder
The acknowledge bit must be set up as a digital tag in the HMI tag database. For details
about setting up an acknowledge bit, see Help.
11 CREATING ALARMS
How event-based alarms work

Alarm events let you create alarms without setting up tags in the tag database. Eventbased alarms work just like tag-based alarms. They appear in alarm summaries, they can
be used with alarm system tags, and they can be logged to disk or printer.
You can filter event-based alarms the same way you filter tag-based alarms in alarm
summaries. You can acknowledge event-based alarms, either individually, or with
wildcard characters, using the Acknowledge command. You cannot suppress event-based
alarms.
As with tag-based alarms, you can use alarm events with alarm functions in expressions.
You can time-stamp event-based alarms with the current time, or by specifying a date and
time either in RSView or in alarm-detection algorithms you create for the application.
Alarm events are not processed until the AlarmOn command is issued, and alarm events are no
longer processed after the AlarmOff command is issued.
Differences between event-based and tag-based alarms
You cannot specify thresholds for analog alarm events. All analog alarm events have a
value of zero.
You cannot specify alarm labels for event-based alarms. That is, you cannot use the
IntoAlarm and OutOfAlarm labels for digital tag-based alarms, or the threshold labels
for analog tag-based alarms.
Alarm events have no acknowledge and handshake bits.
The Identify feature is not available to event-based alarms, to run a command, macro,
or custom program.
Event-based alarms are not retained after the AlarmOff command is issued, or after
the HMI server shuts down.
Naming alarm events

A name must be associated with each alarm event. The event name can be a tag defined in
the tag database as long as the tag does not have an alarm defined for it.
Alarm event names can be up to 255 characters long. The alarm event name can contain
the following characters:
11-14
A to Z
0 to 9
underscore ( _ ) and dash ()
When an alarm event name starts with a number or contains a dash, enclose the name in
brackets { } when you use it in an expression, for example, {N33-0}. Also use brackets
when using wildcard characters to represent multiple alarm events in an expression, for
example, {alarm*}.
Using event types
Use the AlarmEvent command to create into-alarm and out-of-alarm events. Multiple
into-alarm events can be processed for the same event name before an out-of-alarm event
is received. Use the InAndOutOfAlarm event type for change-of-state alarms. An out-ofalarm event is ignored if no into-alarm events preceded it.
How event-based alarms are logged
Event-based alarms appear in the alarm log file in the order in which the alarm
transactions were logged. If you specify a time stamp for alarm events, alarm transactions
could appear out of order in the alarm log.
Setting up general alarm behavior

Use the Alarm Setup editor to specify the general features of all alarms for a specific HMI
server. In the Alarm Setup editor, use the:
Setup tab to specify general behavior for alarm monitoring and annunciation.
Severities tab to set up logging and alarm behavior for individual severities.
User Msgs tab to create messages to replace the default messages supplied by the
system.
To open the Alarm Setup editor
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, open the Alarms folder.
2. Double-click Alarm Setup or right-click Alarm Setup and then click Open.
11-15
11 Placeholder
The alarm event name can be mixed case. Alarm event names preserve upper and lower
case for readability but are not case sensitive. For example, the alarm event name
HopperOverflow is the same as hopperoverflow.
11 CREATING ALARMS
Set up alarm
severities.
Create alarm
messages to
replace the system
messages.
For details about using the Alarm Setup editor, see Help.
Setting up alarm monitoring

In the Setup tab of the Alarm Setup editor you can specify:
how the system behaves when alarms cross back over trigger thresholds.
how often the system checks for new alarms.
where alarms are logged and printed when HMI-server redundancy is turned on.
Alarm trigger thresholds

An alarm is triggered when the value of an analog tag crosses its alarm threshold. If the
value of the tag fluctuates above and below its alarm threshold, alarms are triggered each
time the tag value rises above the threshold value, or falls below the threshold value. You
can enable or disable this feature.
For more information about how this feature works, see Thresholds on page 11-3.
Specifying how often the system checks for alarms
The system does not check for alarms more frequently than the maximum update rate
specified in the Alarm Setup dialog box. You should match the maximum update rate to
the rate at which you expect tag values to change. For example, if you are monitoring
11-16
Setting up alarm monitoring on redundant servers

If you have set up redundant HMI servers, alarms can be logged and printed on the active
HMI server only, or on both the active and the standby HMI server.
For alarm states to be synchronized properly, the clocks on the primary and secondary HMI
servers must be kept synchronized to a time server. If the clocks are not synchronized, when a
fail-over occurs, multiple alarms or inconsistent information might display in an alarm summary.
Setting up alarm severities

In the Severities tab of the Alarm Setup editor, you can set up logging destinations for
each alarm severity and alarm incident. For each severity or incident, you can log to the
alarm log file, to a printer, or to both.
When logging to a printer, you can use only continuous-feed printers, such as dot-matrix printers.
Page printers, such as laser printers, are not supported.
You can also specify how notification of alarms of a particular severity will be handled.
For details about alarm annunciation, see Help.
Alarm severities
Alarm incidents
11-17
11 Placeholder
temperatures that fluctuate slowly, you can check for alarms less frequently than if you are
monitoring rapidly-changing manufacturing processes.
11 CREATING ALARMS
Alarm or incident
What is logged (to file, printer, or both)
Severity 1 through 8
Out of alarm
In Alarm messages.
Out of Alarm messages (for any severity that has been set
up to log In Alarm messages).
Acknowledged messages (for any severity that has been
set up to log In Alarm messages).
All Fault messages.
All Suppression messages.
Acknowledged
Fault
Suppression
Setting up alarm messages

Alarm messages report information about alarms. When setting up alarm messages, you
can use the system defaults, or you can define the content of each message.
To create a userdefault message,

type a message in
the appropriate box.
In the User Msgs tab of the Alarm Setup editor, you can define the content of:
In Alarm messages, which are generated when an analog tags alarm threshold has
been crossed, or when a digital tag has changed state.
Out of Alarm messages, which are generated when a tag is no longer in alarm.
Acknowledged messages, which are generated when an alarm has been
acknowledged.
11-18
Defining the content of the message

To define the content of a message, use any combination of system default messages, user
default messages, and custom messages.
System default messages are a series of placeholders. At run time, these placeholders
are replaced with information about the alarm that has been triggered.
This placeholder
Is replaced with the
\C
\D
\L
Current value of the tag.

Date when the message is sent.
Alarm label specified in the Alarm Label field of the
Analog Alarm and Digital Alarm editors.
Name of the tag in alarm.
Description of the tag in alarm.
Time when the message is sent.
Units specified in the Units field, in the Tags editor.
Threshold value that was crossed.
\N
\S
\T
\U
\V
\C, \L, \U, and \V do not contain any information when used in alarm Acknowledged messages.
The system default messages are used automatically, for all alarms and alarm events. For
alarm events, they are used if you dont specify a log message string using the /L
parameter with the AlarmEvent command. For details, see Help.
Example: Message placeholders
An out-of-alarm message set up like this:
\11D \8T Tag \10N is out of alarm.
is displayed like this at run time:
01/22/01
01/22/01
01/22/01
11:45:02 Tag PUMP3 is out of alarm.

11-19
11 Placeholder
Alarm messages appear in the description field of the alarm log file only. They are not
displayed in alarm summaries.
11 CREATING ALARMS
The width of a column in a message is the number of spaces specified between the
backslash and the placeholder character. In this example, the date column has 11 spaces
(\11D), the time has 8 spaces (\8T), and the tag name has 10 spaces (\10N).
User default messages are messages you create to replace the system default
messages. You can use both words and placeholders to define user defaults.
Custom messages apply on a per-tag basis. You set them up in the Alarm Messages
tab of the Analog or Digital Alarm dialog box in the Tags editor.
To create a custom message, type any message you want. You can use both words and
placeholders to define custom messages. For more information see Help.
Setting up alarm conditions for HMI tags

For each analog and digital tag that will be monitored for alarms, use the Analog and
Digital Alarm dialog boxes in the Tags editor to specify the conditions that will trigger an
alarm. You can set up an alarm for a tag when you create the tag or you can set it up later.
To open the Tags editor
1. In the Explorer window, open the HMI Tags folder.
2. Double-click the Tags icon or right-click the Tags icon and then click Open.
To add an alarm to
a tag, select this
check box.
When a tag has an
alarm defined for it,
an X appears in this
column.
11-20
11 CREATING ALARMS
Opening the Analog or Digital Alarm dialog box

1. In the spreadsheet section of the Tags editor, select the analog or digital tag that is to
have alarm conditions added.
2. In the form section of the Tags editor, click the check box beside the Alarm button.
To edit alarm conditions already set up for a tag
1. In the spreadsheet section of the Tags editor, select the analog or digital tag that is to
have alarm conditions edited.
2. In the form section of the Tags editor, click the Alarm button.
Setting up alarms for analog tags

These are the tasks involved in setting up alarms for analog tags:
1. Set up the alarm threshold, and then choose the message that will appear if the
threshold is crossed.
2. Set up the messages that are sent when a tag goes out of alarm and when an operator
acknowledges an alarm.
3. Set up advanced features, such as deadband and handshake.
For details, see Help.
Setting up alarms for digital tags

These are the tasks involved in setting up alarms for digital tags:
1. Set up alarm states.
2. Set up the messages that are sent when a tag goes out of alarm and when an operator
acknowledges an alarm.
3. Set up advanced features, such as handshake.
For details, see Help.
Setting up alarm logging

Use the Alarm Log Setup tool to specify:
where to store alarm log files.
when alarm log files are created or deleted.
11-21
11 Placeholder
To add alarm conditions to an analog or digital tag
optionally, whether to log alarm data to a central, ODBC-compliant database.
You must set up alarm logging on the computer that is running the HMI server monitoring tags for
alarms. If you run the Alarm Log Setup tool on some other computer, the settings will have no
effect.
You must also set up alarm logging separately, on each computer running an HMI server
monitoring for alarms. If two such HMI servers are running on a single computer, the alarm log
file will contain entries for both of those HMI servers.
Opening the Alarm Log Setup tool

To open the Alarm Log Setup tool, use one of these methods:
In RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, click Tools on the menu
bar and then click Alarm Log Setup.
Click the Windows Start button, select Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView
Enterprise, Tools, and then click SE Alarm Log Setup.
For details about using the Alarm Log Setup tool, see Help.
For more information about alarm log files, see:
11-22
Adding remarks to the alarm log file at run time on page 11-24.
Viewing alarm log files on page 11-27.
the schema for the ODBC alarm log table on page C-2.
11 CREATING ALARMS
Specifying where log files are stored or printed
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView

Enterprise\SE\AlarmLog
In the Logging tab, if you have selected to log alarms to a printer, you can also specify
where alarm logs are printed.
Specifying when log files are created

Use the File Management tab in the Alarm Log Setup tool to specify when log files are
created. You can set up an application to create new log files periodically, or you can
prevent new files from being created.
In each 24-hour period, up to 26 new files can be created. If you attempt to create a 27th
file, RSView continues logging data to the 26th file. At midnight, the sequence starts
again with the first new file for the new day.
Monitoring disk space
If the computers hard disk is full, alarm logging stops and no more log files are created.
For information about monitoring disk space on computers running HMI servers, see
page 27-18.
Specifying when log files are deleted

Use the File Management tab in the Alarm Log Setup editor to specify when log files will
be deleted. You can delete log files after a specified period or once a specified number of
files have been created. If you never want files deleted, leave the check boxes under
Delete Oldest Files blank.
Alarm log files are deleted only when a new file is created. If the application creates a new
file each day and deletes the oldest file every third day, the project will have files for the
three previous days data, as well as a file for the current day.
If you have set up file management to delete the oldest files when a new one is started, and you
are exporting data to an ODBC database (see below), make sure you export the data before the
oldest file is deleted, or the oldest data will be lost.
Setting up periodic logging to a central ODBC database

Use the Central Logging tab in the Alarm Log Setup editor, to set up logging to a central,
ODBC-compliant database.
11-23
11 Placeholder
Use the Logging tab in the Alarm Log Setup tool to specify where alarm log files are
stored on the computer. The default location is in the path:
Central logging works by exporting the contents of the alarm log file periodically to an
ODBC-compliant database. RSView supports the following ODBC-compliant databases:
Sybase SQL Server, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.
For details about setting up logging to a central database, see Help.
Exporting alarm log files manually to ODBC format

You can use the command AlarmLogSendToODBC to export logged activities manually
from the alarm log file to an ODBC-compliant database.
If the table in the database to which you are attempting to export data is not ODBC
compliant, the export will fail. If an ODBC-compliant table does not exist, RSView will
try to create it.
When you export data to an ODBC table, RSView keeps track of the exported data in a
control file called Alarm.exp, which is located in the same path that stores the alarm log
.dat files. Whenever you export data, only the newest data is exported.
However, if the control file is deleted, all the alarm log data in the .dat files is exported
when you issue the AlarmLogSendToODBC command.
Example: Exporting alarm log files to ODBC format on demand
To export the contents of the alarm log files to an ODBC-compliant database on demand,
create a graphic display containing a button that uses the AlarmLogSendToODBC
command as its press action.
When the operator presses the button at run time, the contents of the alarm log file will be
exported to the ODBC database.
The AlarmLogSendToODBC command exports only the records added to the alarm log
files since the last export.
For information about the contents of the alarm log ODBC tables, see page C-2.
Adding remarks to the alarm log file at run time

Using the AlarmLogRemark command, you can add information to the alarm log file at
run time. Parameters for the command let you add a text comment, the alarm severity, and
the tag name to the alarm log file
Other parameters let you prompt the operator for the text part of the remark at run time,
and log the remark to a printer as well as to the alarm log file.
11-24
11 CREATING ALARMS
You cannot display alarm log remarks in alarm summaries.

11 Placeholder
Using the /P
parameter with the
AlarmLogRemark
command, you can
prompt the operator
at run time to type
a remark for the
alarm log file.
At run time, only one Alarm Log Remark dialog box is displayed at a time, and the
operator must respond to the dialog box before the next one is displayed.
Alarm logging must be on before you can use the AlarmLogRemark command. To start
alarm logging, issue the AlarmLogOn command. For details about using the
AlarmLogRemark command, see Help.
Suppressing alarm printing

To suppress alarm printing for all tags, use the AlarmPrintOff command. To re-enable
printing of alarms, use the AlarmPrintOn command.
Using AlarmOn and AlarmPrintOff in the correct order
When alarm monitoring is started by issuing the AlarmOn command, alarms are logged to
both the alarm log file and a printer, if you have set up both destinations.
You can then choose to stop logging to the printer, by issuing the AlarmPrintOff
command. The order in which you issue AlarmOn and AlarmPrintOff affects what
happens at run time:
If you issue the AlarmOn command first, alarms are logged to both the alarm log file
and the printer, until you issue the AlarmPrintOff command.
If you issue the AlarmPrintOff command first, and then issue the AlarmOn command,
alarms are logged to the alarm log file, but not to the printer. To restart logging to the
printer, you would have to issue AlarmPrintOn.
The AlarmPrintOff and AlarmPrintOn commands are not retained across RSView
sessions. If you issue AlarmPrintOff before AlarmOn in the current session, alarms will
not print to the printer. However, if you then shut down RSView, restart it, and issue the
AlarmOn command, alarms will be logged to both the alarm log file and the printer, until
you issue the AlarmPrintOff command.
11-25
Suppressing alarm logging

You can suppress alarm monitoring for tags. This is useful for testing or performing
repairs or maintenance on equipment.
To suppress alarm monitoring for tags, use the SuppressOn command. To suppress all
alarms for the specified tags, issue the SuppressOn command before the AlarmOn
command.
For more information about RSView commands, see Help.
Using the Suppressed List

Use the Suppressed List to see which tags are not being monitored for alarms and to turn
alarm monitoring back on.
To open the Suppressed List
1. In RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, in the Explorer window,
open the Alarms folder.
2. Double-click Suppressed List or right-click Suppressed List and then click Open.
To turn off suppression

for a tag, click the tag
name, and then click
Suppress Off.
Click All Off to turn off
suppression for all
tags.
You cannot open the Suppressed List at run time, from an RSView SE client.
For details about using the Suppressed List, see Help.
11-26
11 CREATING ALARMS
Viewing alarm log files
For information about the contents of the alarm log ODBC tables, see page C-2.
You can display alarm log files stored either on the local computer or on a remote
computer, and you can select the number of log files to be displayed in the alarm log
viewer. Each alarm log file is displayed in a separate tab in the Alarm Log Viewer.
Opening the Alarm Log Viewer
To open the Alarm Log Viewer, use one of these methods:
In RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, click the Tools menu, and
then click Alarm Log Viewer.
Click the Windows Start button, click Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView
Enterprise, Tools, and then click SE Alarm Log Viewer.
For information about setting up and using the Alarm Log Viewer, see Help for the Alarm
Log Viewer.
To open the alarm log viewer Help
1. Click the Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, RSView Enterprise, Tools,
and then click SE Alarm Log Viewer Help.
To display the Alarm Log Viewer at run time
1. In a graphic display, create a button operators can use to open the Alarm Log Viewer.
2. For the buttons press action, type the following command:
AppStart C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView Enterprise\
AlarmLogViewer.exe
You must include the quotation marks, because there are spaces in the parameter.
At run time, as a result of operating system rules, the viewer might open behind the RSView SE
Client window. If the operator is unaware of this, and presses the button again, another instance
of the viewer will open. This could result in multiple viewers being open at the same time.
To avoid this, the operator can bring the viewer to the front manually, and close it when it is no
longer required. Or, you can work around the problem programmatically. For details, search for
Technote ID P9029 in the Rockwell Automation KnowledgeBase. For help finding the
KnowledgeBase, see Information on the Internet on page P-2.
11-27
11 Placeholder
The Alarm Log Viewer displays the contents of alarm log files. The contents of the alarm
log files depend on how you set up alarm severities in the Alarm Setup editor.
About alarm log files

Alarm information is stored in file sets, in proprietary format.
How log files are named
When a log file is created, it is named automatically. The name is based on the date the
file was created and the type of data it contains. The format for the name is
YYYYMMDDnz.dat, where:
YYYY are the four digits of the year.
MM is the month.
DD is the day.
n is the sequence letter (A, B, C, and so on). This letter indicates the sequence in
which the files were created. You can have up to 26 files (A to Z) per day. At
midnight, the sequence starts at a again.
z is the file type: L (uppercase L) is for alarm.
If you are using short file names, or if the path where the log files are stored does not
support long file names, the format for the name is YYMMDDnz.dat, where YY are the
last two digits of the year.
Example: Log file name
The log file named 20051015BL.dat was created in the year 2005, month 10, and day 15.
The B indicates that this is the second file created that day. The L (uppercase L)
indicates that this is an alarm log file.
Setting up security to log alarms to a remote computer

If you are logging alarms to an ODBC database that is not located on the same computer
as the HMI server, you must change certain DCOM security settings.
To change the security account of the alarm log program file in
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
1. On the computer where alarm monitoring will run, click the Windows Start button,
and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type dcomcnfg, and then press Enter.
11-28
If DCOM Configuration Warning messages appear, click No for each one.

4. In the list of applications, under DCOM Config, right-click RsAlmLogExpServ, and
then select Properties.
5. In the RsAlmLogExpServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
6. Click This user, and then type the name and password of a user that has access to the
network path and database.
If the users password changes periodically, you must modify this DCOM setting manually,
whenever a change is made. To avoid this, specify a user whose password never changes.
Alternatively, you can select The interactive user. However, with this DCOM
setting, a user must also be logged on at the HMI server.
7. Click OK, and then restart the computer.
To change the security account of the alarm log program file in
Windows 2000
1. On the computer where alarm monitoring will run, click the Windows Start button,
and then click Run.
If DCOM Configuration Warning messages appear, click No for each one.
3. In the Distributed COM Configuration Properties dialog box, click the Applications
tab.
4. In the Applications list, click RsAlmLogExpServ, and then click Properties.
5. In the RsAlmLogExpServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
11-29
11 Placeholder
3. In the left-hand side of the Component Services window, double-click Component

Services, double-click the Computers folder, double-click My Computer, and then
double-click DCOM Config.
11 CREATING ALARMS
Creating an alarm summary

The alarm summary is a table that displays the active alarms recorded in an HMI server.
At run time, operators can use the alarm summary to view and interact with the alarms.
To set up an alarm summary, you decide how many columns you want the table to have,
how wide the columns will be, and what information the columns will contain. You can
also specify the tags and, in a distributed application, the areas from which you want
alarm data displayed.
Creating an alarm summary object

An alarm summary object can be part of a graphic display or it can fill the entire graphic
display. You can use the pre-built alarm summary in the Alarm Information graphic
library, or you can create a new alarm summary object.
For details about creating an alarm summary object, see Help.
The parts of an alarm summary

A new alarm summary looks like this:
Use commands on
the Insert menu to
insert headings in
the header area.
Use the mouse to
move the divider up
and down.
Alarm information is
displayed in the
alarm summarys
body at run time.
Use commands on
the Format menu to
specify the position
of the button bar,
and the buttons it
contains.
11-30
11 CREATING ALARMS
Inserting headings
Insert the Operator Name heading to include an operators name. When a tag goes into
alarm, that column will show the name of the Windows system account. When a user
acknowledges an alarm, the name of that user will be displayed under Operator Name.
For stand-alone applications, the Area heading is not available.
When you click an item on the Insert menu,
two boxes appear in the alarm summary. Drag
the boxes to position them. Drag the handles
on the boxes change the width of the column.
Choosing fonts
The alarm summary header and body fonts can be different. For example, you might
choose a larger font for the header and a smaller font for the body.
To change a font, on the Format menu, click Body Font or Header Font, to open the Font
dialog box. The list of fonts that appears depends on what is installed on the computer. To
increase the size of the header area to accommodate a large font, drag the divider down.
Choosing colors and blink styles

To specify the color or blink style of an item in the Alarm Summary, click the Format
menu and then select Colors. In the Colors dialog box you can set up the color of:
11-31
11 Placeholder
The Insert menu, shown below, contains the headings that define the items that will appear
in the alarm summary at run time. To add a heading, click the item on the Insert menu.
You can add as many items as you want and place them in any order.
Severity 1 through 8 messages.
Out of Alarm and Fault State messages.
Header, body, and button areas.
You can set up the blink style of:
Severity 1 through 8 messages.
Out of Alarm and Fault State messages.
For details about the options in the Colors dialog box, see Help.
Selecting buttons
In the Buttons dialog box you can specify which buttons you want on the button bar in the
alarm summary, and where the bar will be positioned.
For descriptions of the individual buttons, see Help.
To select the buttons for an alarm summary
1. Select Buttons from the Format menu.
2. In the Buttons dialog box, make sure that a check is displayed only in the check boxes
beside the buttons that are to be in the alarm summary. To clear a check, click the
check box.
In addition to providing Filter and Sort buttons that the operator can use at run time, you
can filter or sort alarms permanently at design time. The result of the design-time filter or
sort operation is retained each time the summary is activated at run time. For more
information see Choosing the data to display on page 11-33.
To change the button text
1. Double-click the button you want to change.
2. Type the new button text in the Text box.
To position the button bar
1. On the Format menu, click Button Bar Position
2. Click a location. In the illustration below, the button bar is on the left.
11-32
11 CREATING ALARMS
11 Placeholder
Choosing the data to display

Use the Filter and Sort items on the Data menu to specify which alarm information to
display in the alarm summary.
Using Filter
Use Filter to select informationthat is, to specify information you do want displayed in
the alarm summary. Anything you dont specify in the filter is not displayed in the alarm
summary at run time. For details about options in the Filter dialog box, see Help.
You cannot filter by area name in stand-alone applications.
Using Sort
Use Sort to specify the order in which alarm information is displayed. You can sort
filtered or unfiltered data. For details about options in the Sort dialog box, see Help.
You cannot sort by area name in stand-alone applications.
Filtering and sorting at run time
Include Filter and Sort buttons on the alarm summarys button bar, if you want to change
the information displayed, or the order in which it is sorted, at run time. Changes made at
run time are not saved.
Displaying area names with tag names
To display tag names with the names of the areas they belong to in the alarm summary,
click Display full tag name.
This option is not available for stand-alone applications.
11-33
Examples: Using area and tag names in filters

To collect all alarm transactions from the area called Powertrain, type:
/Powertrain::*
To collect alarm transactions from the current area for the tag name Coolant_East, type:
Coolant_East
To collect alarm transactions from the current area for all tags whose names begin with
Coolant, type:
Coolant*
To collect all alarm transactions for the current area, type:
*
To collect alarms from specific areas for tag names that match a pattern, you can type:
/Powertrain::Coolant*
/Press::FlowValve*
To collect alarms from more than one HMI server, you can type:
/Powertrain::*
/Press::*
You can also use the Areas and Tags buttons to browse for area or tag names rather than
typing them.
Tag placeholders
You can also use tag placeholders to specify the area or tag names you want to appear in
the alarm summary.
A tag placeholder is the cross-hatch character (#) followed by a number from 1 to 500.
The placeholder can also contain wildcard characters and folder names. For more
information, see Using tag placeholders on page 16-28.
Examples: Using tag placeholders with area names
To display alarm transactions from an area whose name you want to specify at run time
using a parameter file or on the command line, type one of the following:
11-34
11 Placeholder
/#1::*
or
/Area1/#1/Area3::*
To display alarm transactions from a specific area for a tag whose name you want to
specify at run time, type:
Area::#1
To display alarm transactions for all tags in a specific area and folder, type:
Area::Folder/#1/*
In the example shown above, the placeholder #1 allows you to substitute a folder name at
run time.
Resolving tag placeholders at run time

If you use tag placeholders, at run time you must specify the tag or folder name each
placeholder represents, either by using a parameter file or by specifying the tag or folder
names as parameters to the Display command. If you use a parameter file, it can contain
wildcard characters.
Example: Using a parameter file to replace tag placeholders
The parameter file called Beans specifies which tags to use for the placeholders in a
display:
#1 = bean_weight
#2 = bean_level
#3 = bean_temp
To run the display called Canning with the Beans parameter file, type:
Display Canning /PBeans
For more information, see:
11 CREATING ALARMS
Replacing tag placeholders using a parameter file on page 16-29

Replacing tag placeholders using parameters with the Display command on
page 16-29.
11-35
Sorting data
Select Sort from the Data menu to open the Sort dialog box. By default, alarm information
is sorted first by date and time, then by severity, then, in distributed applications, by area
name, and finally by tag name.
This means that alarms are presented chronologically. If two or more alarms have the
same time and date, these alarms are presented in order of severity. If any alarms have the
same time and date and the same severity, they are presented by tag name.
For details about using the Sort dialog box, see Help.
Running commands, macros, or custom programs in

response to alarms
Use the Execute and Identify buttons in an alarm summary to run a command, macro, or
custom program, in response to a tags alarm conditions.
Use the Execute button to run a command, macro, or custom program that applies to all
alarms in the summary, for example, to create a custom alarm report for analyzing plant
maintenance efficiency.
Use the Identify button to run a command, macro, or custom program that applies only to
the tag associated with the highlighted alarm. The Identify button can run a different
command, macro, or custom program for each tag, for example, to run a different help file
for each tags alarm conditions.
About the Execute button
With the Execute button, you can specify a command or macro that operators can run with
reference to the highlighted alarm in an alarm summary.
The Execute command can be appended with tag information for the highlighted alarm,
for example, the area name (for distributed applications only), the tag name, alarm type,
severity, value, date and time, and the tag type.
Use the execute feature to apply a common command, macro, or custom program to the
alarm that is selected in the alarm summary. For example, you can run a custom program
to add entries to a custom alarm report for selected alarms in an alarm summary, and you
can pass arguments from the highlighted alarm to the custom program.
For details about setting up the Execute button, see Help.
About the Identify button
With the Identify button, you can specify a command or macro that operators can run
when a tag is in alarm. Use this button to provide information about an alarm.
11-36
For details about setting up the Identify button, see Help.
Using alarm data with commands

Use the Execute item on the Data menu to execute a command (whether an RSView
command, an RSView macro, or a custom program), and to append parameters to the
command. At run time, the parameters are derived from the highlighted alarm in the alarm
summary.
For example, to transfer information about a particular entry in the alarm summary, to the
FactoryTalk Diagnostics log, use the Remark command. To include details about the
highlighted alarm, for example, the alarms severity or the tags value, select the
corresponding boxes in the list of parameters.
Using parameters
Parameters are appended to the command in the same order in which the parameters
appear in the dialog box. You can substitute parameters into any position within a
command by passing the parameters to a macro. For details about using parameters with
macros, see page 22-3.
Parameters are separated by a space, unless you click Separate Parameters with commas.
A space is not automatically appended to the end of the command text. If you are using
parameters, and require a space between the end of the command, macro, or custom program
and the first parameter, be sure to include the space at the end of the command text.
Severity and value are shown only for alarms of type IntoAlarm. For alarm types
OutOfAlarm and IntoFault, the severity is 0.
Adding area names to parameters
To include the area name in the parameters passed to the command for the Execute button,
select the Insert Area name check box.
If you select the Insert Area name check box, the Area name appears automatically
between the first and second word you type in the Execute Command Text box. Because
you cannot change the position of the area name, be sure the command shown at the
bottom of the dialog box is syntactically correct before you click OK.
Alternatively, use a macro to substitute the parameters into any position within the
command.
11-37
11 Placeholder
For example, use the Display command to open a display that contains instructions about
how to handle a motor that is running too fast.
11 CREATING ALARMS
If you select the Tag name check box, to pass tag names as arguments to the Execute
command text, the tag names always include the area name, whether or not areas are
displayed in the alarm summary.
At run time, the area name is the area of the alarm that is highlighted in the alarm
summary.
Example: Using AlarmLogRemark with the Execute button
You can use the Execute button to prompt the user at run time to add a remark to the alarm
log file.
To do this, add the command AlarmLogRemark /P /T to the Execute button in the alarm
summary, and then click the Tagname parameter, as shown in the following illustration.
At run time, the following will happen:
11-38
The /P parameter displays a dialog box to prompt the operator for a remark.
The /T parameter logs a string in the Tagname column of the alarm log file.
You cannot change the order in which parameters are passed to the command line for the
alarm summary Execute button. To use the alarm summary Execute button with the
AlarmLogRemark command, and have the tag name added correctly to the /T argument,
you must ensure that the argument (/T) appears last on the command line.
For details about using the AlarmLogRemark command, see Adding remarks to the
alarm log file at run time on page 11-24, or see Help.
Using the Execute button to run a custom program

If you set up the Execute button to run a custom program, and you copy the alarm
summary from one application to another application, you must ensure that the custom
program is available in the new application, otherwise the Execute button will not run the
program.
Starting and stopping alarm monitoring

There are many ways to start and stop alarm monitoring. Choose the way that works best
for the application.
For a complete list of RSView commands and their command syntax, see Help.
Ways to start alarm monitoring at the HMI server

To start alarm monitoring, use any of these methods:
In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components tab, and then select
the Alarming check box. Alarm monitoring starts the next time the HMI server runs,
or when the HMI servers components are started manually.
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, AlarmOn. In the
HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components tab, and then specify the
macro. Alarm monitoring will start when the HMI server runs.
In the Graphics editor, create a button object. In the Button Properties dialog box,
click the Action tab. In the Press action box, type the AlarmOn command. When the
button is pressed, alarm monitoring starts.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and then attach touch Animation the
AlarmOn command as the action. When the object is touched, alarm monitoring starts.
In the Events editor, type the AlarmOn command in the Action box for an event.
11-39
11 Placeholder
The Tagname parameter records the name of the highlighted tag in the alarm summary
in the Tagname column of the alarm log file.
11 CREATING ALARMS
At the command line in RSView Studio, or the RSView Administration Console, type
AlarmOn and then press Enter.
If the HMI server performing alarm monitoring is not in the home area, you must specify the area
name with the AlarmOn command in the above examples. For details about using the AlarmOn
command, see Help.
Ways to stop alarm monitoring

To stop all the components that are running on the HMI server, including data log models,
event components, derived tag components, and alarm monitoring, stop the components
running on the HMI server manually.
For details about stopping components manually:
in distributed applications, see page 27-9.
in stand-alone applications, see page 28-4.
To stop alarm monitoring only, use any of these methods:
In the Graphics editor, create a button object. In the Button Properties dialog box,
click the Action tab. In the Press action box, type the AlarmOff command. When the
button is pressed, alarm monitoring stops.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object, and then attach touch animation with
the AlarmOff command as the action. When the object is touched, alarm monitoring
stops.
In the Events editor, type the AlarmOff command in the Action box for an event.
AlarmOff and then press Enter.
If the HMI server performing alarm monitoring is not in the home area, you must specify the area
name with the AlarmOff command in the above examples. For details about using the AlarmOff
command, see Help.
11-40
12 Placeholder
12 Logging system activity

what FactoryTalk Diagnostics is.
the steps involved in setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics.
key FactoryTalk Diagnostics concepts.
setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics in RSView.
using the Diagnostics list.
viewing FactoryTalk Diagnostics logs.
setting up security to log system activity remotely.
About FactoryTalk Diagnostics

FactoryTalk Diagnostics is a FactoryTalk component that performs services similar to the
RSView activity logger, which it replaces. It records information about various types of
system activity including:
command and macro usage.
operator comments.
system messages and errors.
errors from the communication network.
tag read and write activity.
FactoryTalk Diagnostics allows the information to be:
viewed using the Diagnostics List, or the Diagnostics Viewer.
archived for future processing or analysis.
exported to ODBC format while online. This enables analysis of the data in thirdparty, ODBC-compliant tools such as Microsoft Excel, and Business Objects
Crystal Reports.
Summary of steps
These are the tasks involved in setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics for an application:
1. Decide which computers on the network need to log system activity.
12-1
2. On each computer that needs to log system activity, run the FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Setup tool, and set up:
destinations for logged information. By default, system activity is logged locally

on each computer.
message routing. This allows you to specify where (to what destination) to send
which information (of what severity) and for whom (for what audience).
3. To log system activity to a central, ODBC-compliant database, set up the database,

and then set up the ODBC Database destination in the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup
tool.
For details about the schema for the ODBC database, see Appendix C, ODBC
database schemas.
Key concepts
Destinations
FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages can be sent to various destinations, including the
message log on the local computer, an ODBC-compliant database, and the Diagnostics
List at the bottom of the window in RSView Studio or the RSView SE client. Each of
these destinations has features or behavior you can set up.
The available destinations might vary, depending on which Rockwell Software products you have
installed on the computer.
For example, RSView adds the ODBC Database and Diagnostics List destinations to
FactoryTalk Diagnostics. If RSView is not installed on the computer, these destinations are not
available in FactoryTalk Diagnostics.
Setting up redundancy for Diagnostics logs

You can set up redundancy for Diagnostics logs by logging to an ODBC-compliant
database, and setting up a copy of the database on another computer, that will act as a
backup if communications to the primary database are interrupted.
By default, all system activity is logged locally on each computer. You can use the local
log to buffer information, if communications with the ODBC-compliant database are lost.
Message routing
You can decide which destinations receive messages of which severity, and for which
audience. This ensures that information is provided to the appropriate person and place.
12-2
12 LOGGING SYSTEM ACTIVITY
Examples of message-routing destinations
You can route messages that contain information about system activity, and warnings
about things that might go wrong, to the local log.
This allows a control systems engineer to analyze system activity and performance,
and make corrections during scheduled maintenance times.
You can route errors that require immediate action to the FactoryTalk Diagnostics
List, as well as the local log.
At run time, if the FactoryTalk Diagnostics List is visible, an operator can alert the
plants control systems engineer to problems such as tag errors, as they occur.
During scheduled maintenance time, the engineer can use the errors, together with
warnings, or information messages recorded in the local log, to analyze operation of
the system, and then make the necessary corrections.
Message categories
Messages sent to FactoryTalk Diagnostics are categorized by severity and audience. To
route messages, specify that a particular destination (for example, the FactoryTalk
Diagnostics List) receives messages of a particular severity (for example, Errors), and
audience (for example, Operator).
Severity
RSView uses four message severities:
Errors indicate that a process or action has failed. For example, a tags value could
not be written, or an ActiveX control is missing.
Warnings indicate that a process or action might not function correctly, or might
eventually fail if preventive action isnt taken.
For example, if an ActiveX control used in a graphic display is a different version than
the one installed at the RSView SE client, a warning is logged to indicate the
mismatch. Mismatched ActiveX controls might not behave as expected at run time.
Information indicates that a process or action has completed successfully. For

example, an information message is logged when a user logs on to the system.
Audit indicates that the system configuration has been changed. RSView also records
an Audit message:
for all tag writes.
12-3
12 Placeholder
Here are some examples of how you might choose to route different messages:
whenever an editor that handles multiple components adds, deletes, or removes a

component. Examples of multi-component editors are the Data Log Models editor,
Graphics editor, and Macros editor.
Audience
RSView uses three message audiences: Operator, Engineer, and Developer.
RSView assigns the Operator audience for all messages it generates, except for messages
with the Audit severity. Audit messages are assigned the Developer or Engineer audience.
Audit messages include tag writes.
How tag writes are categorized
The severities Audit and Information are assigned to tag writes that are successful. The
severities Audit and Error are assigned to tag writes that fail.
The audiences for tag writes, whether successful or unsuccessful, are Developer and
Secure. All other messages are categorized as Operator with severities of Error, Warning,
or Information.
The Secure audience is reserved for auditing tools, such as those required for US
Government 21 CFR Part 11 compliance, to track system activity.
You cannot change the audience or the severity categories assigned to diagnostic messages.
For example, you cannot specify that a Developer receive all messages of type Error.
When you set up message routing, you specify where the messages for a particular audience
and severity will be logged. For example, you can specify that tag write messages logged for the
Developer audience are sent to the local log, the Diagnostics List, or both, or neither.
If messages for a particular combination of audience and severity are not routed to a destination,
they will not be logged.
Setting up FactoryTalk Diagnostics in RSView

Opening the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool, use one of these methods:
In RSView Studio or in the RSView Administration Console, on the Tools menu,

click Diagnostics Setup.
On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, Utilities, and then
click Diagnostics Setup.
FactoryTalk Diagnostics settings apply to all Rockwell Software products installed on a computer.
You must run the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool separately, on each computer where
system activity is to be logged.
12-4
12 Placeholder
Click here to show

the destinations.
Specify where to
store the local log,
its maximum size,
and when to overwrite
entries.
Set up logging to a
central database.
Specify which
destinations receive
which categories of
messages.
For details about using the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Setup tool, click Help in the tool.
Logging to a central database

In addition to logging data locally on each computer, you can set up FactoryTalk
Diagnostics to log to a central, ODBC-compliant database.
12-5
Central logging works by periodically exporting the contents of the local log to an
ODBC-compliant database. RSView supports the following ODBC-compliant databases:
Sybase SQL Server, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.
If you have set up FactoryTalk Diagnostics to overwrite events in the local log, make sure
messages are logged to the ODBC-compliant database before the oldest events are
deleted.
For information about the FactoryTalk Diagnostics ODBC tables, see page C-1.
Setting up message buffering
FactoryTalk Diagnostics messages are stored in the computers local log, and are exported
to the ODBC-compliant database at the interval you specify.
To buffer messages, in the ODBC Destination Setup dialog of the Diagnostics Setup tool,
specify how long messages will remain in the local log after they have been exported to
the ODBC-compliant database.
This is useful in the event of a network failure, or any other reason that causes the
database to be unavailable. In this case, the messages remain in the local log until the
buffer time expires. If the ODBC-compliant database becomes available during that time,
the buffered messages are then exported to the database.
Setting up message routing

For each destination you have set up, you can specify which messages will be routed to it.
Messages are categorized by audience and severity. See page 12-3 for details.
12-6
Using the Diagnostics List

To keep track of what is happening when an application is running, use the Diagnostics
List in RSView Studio, the RSView Administration Console, or the RSView SE client.
For system activity messages to appear in the Diagnostics List, messages must be routed
to the Diagnostics List. For details about routing messages, see page 12-2.
For the RSView SE client, the option to show, hide or undock the Diagnostics List in set up when
you create a client file. For details, see Help for the RSView SE Client Wizard.
Working with the Diagnostics List

When RSView Studio first starts, the Diagnostics List is visible and is docked above the
status bar in the RSView main window.
Diagnostics List
Status bar
12-7
12 Placeholder
All messages are logged as Error, Warning, or Info, with the audience, Operator, except
for tag writes which are logged as Audit, with the audiences Developer or Engineer, and
Secure.
Showing or hiding the Diagnostics List

To show or hide the Diagnostics List in RSView Studio (or the RSView Administration
Console), click Diagnostics List on the View menu. When Diagnostics List has a check
mark beside it, the list is visible.
Moving the Diagnostics List
You can detach (undock) the Diagnostics List from the main window, and then move the
Diagnostics List anywhere on the screen.
To undock the Diagnostics List, drag the grab bars at the bottom left of the Diagnostics
List. If you cant see the grab bars, drag the top edge of the Diagnostics List to make it
larger.
To detach the
Diagnostics List,
drag the grab bars.
To prevent the Diagnostics List from docking automatically while you move it across the
screen, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while you move the Diagnostics List.
Resizing the Diagnostics List
When the Diagnostics List is undocked, you can make it any size you want, for example
to view more than one message at a time. To resize the bar, drag an edge or corner until
the bar is the size you want.
Messages in the Diagnostics List

The types of messages that appear in the Diagnostics List depend on how message routing
is set up in the Diagnostics Setup dialog box.
Diagnostics messages are preceded by a blue, yellow, or red icon. Blue indicates
information, yellow indicates a warning, and red indicates an error.
The following illustration shows a warning and an information message:
The ellipsis means
this message is
truncated. To view the
entire message, resize
the Diagnostics List.
12-8
Clearing messages in the Diagnostics List

12 Placeholder
To clear messages from the list, use one of these methods:
Click Clear, to clear the most recent message, at the top of the list, or to clear the
message that is selected (highlighted).
Click Clear All, to clear all the messages in the list.
Clearing a message in the Diagnostics List does not delete the message from the
Diagnostics log.
Viewing FactoryTalk Diagnostics logs

Use the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer to view the contents of FactoryTalk Diagnostics
logs.
Opening the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer
To open the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer, use one of these methods:
In RSView Studio or in the RSView Administration Console, on the Tools menu, click
Diagnostics Viewer.
On the Windows Start button, select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk
Tools, and then click Diagnostics Viewer.
For information about setting up and using the FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer, see the
context-sensitive help provided for the tool.
To display the Diagnostics Viewer at run time
1. In a graphic display, create a button operators can use to open the Diagnostics Viewer.
2. For the buttons press action, type the following command:
AppStart C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView Enterprise\
ActivityLogViewer.exe
You must include the quotation marks, because there are spaces in the parameter.
At run time, as a result of operating system rules, the viewer might open behind the RSView SE
Client window. If the operator is unaware of this, and presses the button again, another instance
of the viewer will open. This could result in multiple viewers being open at the same time.
To avoid this, the operator can bring the viewer to the front manually, and close it when it is no
longer required. You can also work around the problem programmatically. For details, search for
Tech Note ID P9029 in the Rockwell Automation KnowledgeBase. For help finding the
KnowledgeBase, see Information on the Internet on page P-2.
12-9
Setting up security to log system activity to a remote computer

If you are logging system activity to an ODBC database that is not located on the
computer where the activity is being generated, you must change certain DCOM security
settings.
To change the security account of the activity logging service in
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
1. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run.
3. In the Component Services window, double-click Component Services, double-click
the Computers folder, double-click My Computer, and then double-click DCOM
Config.
4. If DCOM Configuration Warning messages appear, click No for each one.
5. In the list of applications (under DCOM Config), right-click RsLogExpServ, and then
select Properties.
6. In the RsLogExpServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
To change the security account of the activity logging service in
Windows 2000
1. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run.
tab.
5. In the Applications list, click RsLogExpServ, and then click Properties.
6. In the RsLogExpServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
12-10
12-11
12 Placeholder
13 Placeholder
13 Using data logging

what data logging is.
data log storage formats.
creating a data log model.
editing a data log model.
working with ODBC data sources.
switching log paths at run time.
setting up security to log to a remote computer.
making runtime changes to data logging.
starting and stopping data logging.
About data logging

Data log is an RSView component that collects and stores tag values. You specify which
tag values to collect, when to collect them, and where to store them by defining a data log
model.
Logged data can be stored in an internal file set, or an ODBC-compliant (Open Database
Connectivity) database, and can be:
displayed in trends.
archived for future use.
analyzed using any ODBC-compatible reporting software, such as Microsoft Excel,

or Business Objects Crystal Reports.
About data log models

A data log model defines which tags to log data for, when to log the data, and where to log
the data. In the model you also specify the format of the log files (file set, or ODBC) and
when to create and delete the files, or records.
A data log model can contain up to 10,000 tags.
13-1
Using multiple data log models

At run time, up to 20 models can run simultaneously on each RSView SE server. Use
multiple data log models to:
store related information in separate file sets.
log groups of tags at different rates.
log groups of tags based on events.
Displaying historical data in a trend

You can display historical data in a trend by assigning a tag from a data log model to a
pen. For information about trends, see Chapter 19, Setting up trends.
Data log storage formats

Logged data is stored in either an internal file set or in an ODBC-compliant database.
File sets store tag values in proprietary-format files. You cannot view the contents of these
file sets, except in trends. File sets provide faster performance for historical trends than an
ODBC database.
If you log tag values to an ODBC database, you can view the data in trends, or use thirdparty, ODBC-compliant tools to analyze and create reports from the data. If the ODBC
database becomes inaccessible, RSView logs the data to backup files in proprietary
format.
To use data in multiple formats, define multiple data log models for the same tags.
Log file sets

Data log files are stored in sets of three. Each file set includes a file for storing numeric
values (either integers or floating point values), text, and tag names.
How log file sets are named
When a log file set is created, it is named automatically. The name is based on the date the
file was created and the type of data it contains.
RSView names the log file sets using long file names. The maximum length of a log file
sets name, including its path, is 200 characters. File sets are named using the following
format for the file name:
YYYY MM DD NNNN <Log File Identifier String> <(type)>.dat
13-2
YYYY is the year.
MM is the month.
DD is the day.
NNNN is the sequential file identifier. This number indicates the sequence files were
created in. You can have up to 9999 file sets per day. At midnight, the sequence starts
at 0000 again.
<Log File Identifier String> is a text string you can specify to help identify the log
file. The maximum string length is 20 characters.
<(type)> is the file type. The type is enclosed in parentheses. There are three file
types: Tagname, Float (for analog and digital tag values), and String.
Example: Long file name

The log file named 2004 10 30 0004 Oven Temperatures (Float).dat was created
October 30 2004. The 0004 indicates that this is the fourth file set created that day. Oven
Temperatures is the log file identifier string, which the user defined to help identify the
data. (Float) indicates that this file contains analog or digital tag values.
ODBC database storage format

Use the ODBC database storage format to store data in an ODBC data source such as
Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server. The ODBC format stores data in up to three tables:
Tag table (optional)stores tag names in an index so they can be referenced using a
2- or 4-byte numeric field (rather than a 40-byte character field) in the float and string
tables.
Float tablestores analog and digital tag values.
String table (optional)stores string tag values.
For details about the contents of the tables, see page C-4.
ODBC backup files are stored as binary files with the extension .obf. You cannot view the
contents of the .obf files.
How ODBC tables are named
The ODBC tables are created with the default names TagTable, FloatTable, and
StringTable. In the Data Log Models dialog box, you can edit these names before creating
the tables, or you can specify the names of different tables.
13-3
13 Placeholder
13 USING DATA LOGGING
If you specify a backup path for an ODBC model, RSView names the backup log files as
described on page 13-2.
Creating data log models

To set up a data log model, in the Data Log Models editor specify:
which log file format to use.
where to store data log files (primary or secondary paths).
when to create and delete log files.
which actions will trigger logging.
which tag values will be logged.
To open the Data Log Models editor

1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, open the Data Log folder, and then
double-click the Data Log Models icon.
You can also right-click the editors icon, and then click New, or drag the icon from
the Explorer to the workspace.
Set up general
aspects of the model.
Specify the paths to
which the data is
logged.
Specify when log files
will be created
and deleted.
Specify how and when
logging should occur.
Specify the tags for
which you want to log
data.
13-4
Specifying the storage format
When you select File Set as the storage format and you plan to log string tags, specify the
number of characters to be logged.
When you select ODBC database as the storage format, type the path and file name of the
ODBC data source, and specify the ODBC tables that will be used, or create new tables.
To create tables for a new data source, click Create Tables. If RSView cannot create the
tables automatically, you will have to open the database using its editing tool, and create
the tables manually.
To select an existing table from the specified database, click the Browse button and then
select a table in the Select ODBC Table dialog box. To view the order, type, length, and
precision of the fields in the table, click the table to select it and then click Details.
For more information see, Working with ODBC data sources on page 13-7.
Setting up log paths

Set up logging paths in the Paths tab of the Data Log Models editor.
If the storage format is file sets, specify the primary path, and an optional secondary file
path in case the primary path becomes unavailable.
If the storage format is ODBC, you can specify a backup file path for the ODBC database.
To prevent loss of data, you can set up a secondary or backup logging path. If the disk
space for the primary path is full, data logging switches to the secondary path, if set up,
until space becomes available on the primary path.
If you do not do this, when the primary path runs out of disk space, data logging stops and
no more log files are created.
For details see Help.
Setting up and managing data log files

In the File Management tab of the Data Log Models editor, you specify when to start new
files and when to delete old files. If the data log model uses the ODBC format, data is
added continually to the same database, and this section does not apply. If the data log
model uses file sets, RSView logs the data to sets of files.
13-5
13 Placeholder
In the Setup tab of the Data Log Models editor you provide a log file identifier string,
which becomes part of the file name for the data log files, and select a storage format. You
can also type a description of the model. This is for information only.
You can set up an application to create new file sets:
periodically.
at specified times.
when a particular event occurs.
You can also select Never, in which case all data is logged to one file set. Log files are
saved in the folder you specify on the Paths tab.
Deleting file sets and ODBC database records
If a data log model uses file sets, you can set up file management to delete file sets after a
specified period or once a specified number of file sets has been created. If you never
want file sets deleted, clear the check boxes under Delete Oldest Files.
Data log file sets are deleted only when a new file set is created. If the application creates
a new file set each day and deletes the oldest file set every third day, there will be file sets
for the three previous days data, as well as a file set for the current day.
If a data log model uses the ODBC database format, you can purge old records from the
database using standard relational database tools or SQL queries. You can also set up
RSView to delete (purge) records in the ODBC database after a specified time.
For more information, see Help.
Specifying when to log data

In the Log Triggers tab of the Data Log Models editor, you specify what will trigger data
to be logged and when or how frequently this will occur. You can set up logging so tag
values are logged:
periodically (periodic logging).
only when a tags value changes (on-change logging).
when a particular event occurs and triggers the DataLogSnapshot command (ondemand logging). For for more information about the DataLogSnapshot command,
see page 13-11.
You can also combine types of logging. For more information, see Combining logging
on page 13-11.
Choosing the data to be logged

In the Tags in Model tab of the Data Log Models editor, you specify which tags will be
scanned for data for the data log model. Log models can contain up to 10,000 tags.
For more information, see Help.
13-6
Editing a data log model
If you change a model at run time, the changes will not take effect until you stop data
logging and then restart it.
If a tag that you delete from a data log model is used in a trend object, be sure to remove all
references to the deleted tag from the trend.
Changing log paths using the RSView Administration Console

You can change the log paths after an application has been deployed by using the RSView
Administration Console (you dont need to use RSView Studio). You can change the
primary and secondary paths for file sets, and the backup path for ODBC data log models.
You cannot change the ODBC database using the Administration Console.
Working with ODBC data sources

Using an existing ODBC data source
You can log data to an existing ODBC data source, but its tables must contain fields that
are formatted for the RSView data log.
There are two ways to prepare tables for data logging to an existing database:
Set up the RSView data log fields in the existing ODBC tables before setting up a
data log model.
Create new tables automatically or manually in the existing database using the Data
Log Models dialog box.
To use the tables in an existing ODBC data source

1. Add fields for the data log data to the tables in the ODBC database.
The section Data log tables on page C-4 describes the order and type of fields
needed to log data to an ODBC database. Edit the tables as described in the
documentation for the ODBC database you are using.
2. Set up a data log model, as described in Help. Specify the existing ODBC database as
the ODBC Data Source, and then specify the tables you edited.
13-7
13 Placeholder
You can edit a model during development or run time, using either RSView Studio or the
RSView Administration Console.
To create new tables in an existing ODBC data source

1. Specify the name of the existing ODBC data source in the ODBC Data Source field
of the Data Log Models editor. For more information, see Help.
2. Click Create Tables. RSView automatically creates new data log tables in the existing
database. You can also create tables manually.
3. Set up the rest of the data log model, as described in Help.
Creating a new ODBC data source

To create a new ODBC data source, use the ODBC Data Source Administrator in Control
Panel. For details about using the ODBC Data Source Administrator, click Help in the
ODBC Data Source Administrator window. You can create the tables for the new data
source using either method described previously.
Switching log paths at run time

RSView lets you specify a secondary or backup path to use if the primary path for file sets
or the ODBC database becomes unavailable. This could happen because of network
failures, or because of lack of disk space on the computer where the data is being logged.
If the primary data log location becomes unavailable, RSView begins to store the data in a
buffer. The buffer can hold up to 64 Kb of data. If the primary location is still unavailable
when the buffer fills, or when the maximum amount of time to buffer data has elapsed,
RSView switches to the secondary path.
RSView checks periodically to determine whether the primary file path has become
available again. If it has become available, RSView switches back automatically.
RSView also checks the status of the primary path if the secondary path becomes
unavailable, and will switch back if possible. If both paths are unavailable, RSView
buffers the data. If the buffer fills and both paths are still unavailable, RSView empties the
buffer (the data in the buffer is lost) and begins storing new data in the buffer. RSView
continues checking both paths until one becomes available.
If the data log file is locked, data is buffered for the time specified for Maximum time to
buffer data in the Advanced Configuration dialog box, and then a new set of files is
created on the primary path. If the secondary path is not set up, the data is buffered for 10
minutes (the default value for maximum time). If the maximum time is set to 0, a new file
is started immediately.
If the model is logging to the secondary path and the file is locked, the behavior is the
same: the data is buffered, and then a new file is created when the specified time period
has elapsed.
13-8
For models that use the file set format, RSView creates a new file set each time the
logging path changes.
Using the DataLogSwitchBack command

You can switch back to the primary path manually, using the DataLogSwitchBack
command with either of these parameters:
DataLogSwitchBack <component> (where <component> is a data log model name)

switches logging for the specified data log model.
DataLogSwitchBack * switches logging for all data log models that are currently
running.
You can use the DataLogSwitchBack command anywhere you can enter an RSView
command or macro.
The switchback is performed only if the model is running, RSView is logging data to the
secondary or backup path, and the primary path or ODBC database is available. For file
sets, RSView creates a new set of files when it switches back to the primary path.
To enable operators to issue the DataLogSwitchBack command at run time, you could
create a button object and use the command as the press action.
In order to prevent an adverse effect on performance, data is not moved from the secondary or
backup path when you switch back to the primary path or ODBC database. You must move it
manually using the DataLogMergeToPrimary command.
Using the DataLogMergeToPrimary command

When you begin writing to, or reading from a data log model, RSView sends a message to
the FactoryTalk Diagnostics log if there are files on the secondary or backup path.
You must move data manually from the secondary or backup path to the primary path or
ODBC database, using the DataLogMergeToPrimary command with either of these
parameters:
DataLogMergeToPrimary <component> (where <component> is a data log model

name) moves data for the specified data log model, whether or not the model is
running.
DataLogMergeToPrimary * moves data for all data log models whether or not they are
running.
13-9
13 Placeholder
You can also switch back to the primary path or ODBC database manually, using the
DataLogSwitchBack command or the DataLogMergeToPrimary command (see below for
details). You cannot switch manually from the primary path or ODBC database to the
secondary or backup path.
You can use the DataLogMergeToPrimary command anywhere you can type an RSView
command or macro.
If a model is running when you issue the command, RSView also performs a switchback
to the primary path or ODBC database for the specified model or all running models. If a
model uses file sets, RSView moves all files on the secondary path (including the current
file set) to the primary path, begins a new file set on the primary path, and then continues
logging to the new file set. If a model uses the ODBC format, RSView merges the data in
the ODBC backup files into the ODBC database, and then continues logging to the
ODBC database.
To restore the secondary or backup data, enable operators to issue the
DataLogMergeToPrimary command at run time. For example, you could create a button
object and use the command as the press action.
Using the DataLogNewFile command

You can create new ODBC backup files and new file sets using the DataLogNewFile
command with these parameters:
DataLogNewFile <component> (where <component> is a data log model name)

creates a new file set for the specified data log model.
DataLogNewFile * creates a new file set for all data log models that are currently
running.
You can use the DataLogNewFile command anywhere you can type an RSView command
or macro.
If a data log model uses the ODBC format, the command creates a new set of backup files
if RSView is logging to the backup path when you issues this command. If RSView is
logging to the ODBC database, RSView logs an End Snapshot and then a Begin Snapshot
when you issue this command.
If a data log model uses file sets, DataLogNewFile starts a new file set regardless of when
new files have been set up to start for the data log model. The new file set is created in the
same location that RSView is currently logging to.
DataLogNewFile records two snapshots of data: an End Record in the old file, and a
Begin Record in the new file. It is not necessary to use the DataLogSnapshot command in
this case.
To enable operators to issue the DataLogNewFile command at run time, you could create
a button object and use the command as the press action.
13-10
Using the DataLogSnapshot command
DataLogSnapshot <component> (where <component> is a data log model name)

records tag values for all tags in the specified model at the instant the command is
executed.
DataLogSnapshot * records tag values for all tags in all running models at the instant
the command is executed.
You can use the DataLogSnapshot command anywhere you can issue an RSView
command or macro. For example, enter the command as the action for an event.
Operators can also use this command at run time. For details, see Providing a way to log
on demand on page 13-12.
Example: Creating an event for on-demand logging
To create an event that will trigger logging when an alarm occurs:
1. Click the On Demand log trigger.
2. Open the Event editor. Create an expression such as:
If alm_in_alarm(motor_fault) and new_batch_started then 1 else 0
3. In the Event editors Action field, type DataLogSnapshot <component> where
component is the name of the data log model.
When the tag called motor_fault goes into alarm, and the tag called new_batch_started is
1, the DataLogSnapshot <component> command runs. All tags in the model will then be
logged (not just the tag in alarm).
Combining logging
You can combine periodic or on-change logging with on-demand logging. This allows
data to be captured at particular times, as well as when a particular event occurs.
To combine logging
1. In the Data Log Models editor, click the Periodic or On Change log trigger.
2. Type the DataLogSnapshot command with the <component> or * (asterisk) parameter,
anywhere you can use a macro or command.
13-11
13 Placeholder
You can record tag values using the DataLogSnapshot command with these parameters:
Providing a way to log on demand

To enable operators to take a snapshot of data at run time, provide them with a way to
issue the DataLogSnapshot command:
Create a button object that uses the command as the press actionoperators can then
press the button to take a data log snapshot.
Create a display key or client key that uses the command as the press action
operators can then press a key to take a data log snapshot.
Setting up security to log data to a remote computer

If you are logging data to an ODBC database that is not located on the same computer as
the HMI server, you must change certain DCOM security settings.
To change the settings for the data log program files and read
server in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
1. On the computer on which you want to run data logging, click the Windows Start
button, and then click Run.
3. In the tree view (left-hand side) of the Component Services window, double-click the
Component Services icon, double-click the Computers folder, double-click the My
Computer icon, and then double-click the DCOM Config folder.
5. In the list of DCOM Config applications on the right-hand side of the Component
Services window, locate DatalogServ.
6. Right-click DatalogServ and then click Properties on the context menu.
7. In the DatalogServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
9. In the list of DCOM Config applications, locate Rockwell Datalog Read Server.
13-12
11. In the Rockwell Datalog Read Server Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
12. Repeat step 8, above.
13. Restart the computer.
To change the settings for the data log program files and read
server in Windows 2000
1. On the computer on which you want to run a data logging, click the Windows Start
button, and then click Run.
tab.
5. In the Applications list, click DatalogServ, and then click Properties.
6. In the DatalogServ Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
8. In the Applications list, click Rockwell Datalog Read Server, and then click
Properties.
9. In the Datalog Read Server Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
10. Repeat step 7, above.
11. Restart the computer.
Making runtime changes without editing the data log model

At run time you can change the following data log parameters without editing the data log
model:
the log rate for periodic logging, using the DataLogChangeRate command.
13-13
13 Placeholder
10. Right-click Rockwell Datalog Read Server and then click Properties on the context
menu.
the log file identifier string, using the DataLogRenameFile command.
Use these commands anywhere you can enter an RSView command or macro. For
example, in RSView Studio, or the RSView Administration Console, type the command
directly at the command line.
These changes take effect immediately, but only apply to the current logging session.
When you stop and restart logging, RSView uses the logging rate and log file identifier
specified in the data log model.
For details about the DataLogChangeRate and DataLogRenameFile commands, see Help.
Starting and stopping data logging

Use RSView commands and macros in conjunction with graphic objects to start and stop
data logging. In the descriptions below, <component> represents the name of the data log
model.
For details about RSView commands and command syntax, see Help.
Ways to start data logging

To start data logging, use one of these methods:
In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components tab, select the Data
Logging check box, and then specify a data log model. The data log model will run the
next time the HMI server runs, or when the HMI servers components are started
manually.
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, DataLogOn
<component>. In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components tab,
select the Macro check box, and then specify the macro. The specified data log model
will run when the HMI server runs.
To start more than one data log model, specify multiple DataLogOn <component>
commands in the macro.
13-14
In the Graphics editor, open the Display Settings dialog box, and then click the
Behavior tab. In the Startup box, type DataLogOn <component>.
In the Graphics editor, create a button object and then specify DataLogOn
<component> as the buttons press action. When the button is pressed, the command
runs.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and define Touch animation for it by
typing DataLogOn <component> in the Action box. When the object is touched, data
logging starts for the specified model.
DataLogOn <component> and then press Enter.
Ways to stop data logging

You can manually stop all the components that are running on the HMI server, including
data log models, event components, derived tag components, and alarm monitoring.
For details about stopping running components:
in distributed applications, see page 27-9.
in stand-alone applications, see page 28-4.
To stop data logging, use one of these methods:
Use the DataLogOff <component> command (where <component> is the name of the
data log model) to stop a single model. To stop all data log models, use the
DataLogOff * command.
In the Graphics editor, create a button object, and then specify DataLogOff
<component> or DataLogOff * as the buttons press action. When the button is
pressed, the command runs.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object, and attach touch animation to it. In the
Action box, type DataLogOff <component> or DataLogOff *. When the object is
touched, the command runs.
In the Events editor, specify DataLogOff <component> or DataLogOff * as the action
for an event.
DataLogOff <component> or type DataLogOff * and then press Enter.
13-15
13 Placeholder
In the Events editor, type the DataLogOn <component> command in the Action box
for an event.
14 Placeholder
14 Using events
what events are.
setting up events.
using the Events editor.
creating an events component.
what the maximum update rate is.
starting and stopping event processing.
About events
Events are expressions that trigger actions. Expressions are equations containing tag
values, mathematical operations, ifthenelse logic, and other built-in RSView
functions. For information about using expressions, see Chapter 20, Creating expressions.
Actions are RSView commands, symbols, or macros. An action could, for example,
initiate a snapshot of tag values using the DataLogSnapshot command, or change a tag
value using the Set command.
Events are detected at RSView SE Servers only. Commands that are executed only at the
RSView SE Client are ignored when issued by an event expression. For information about where
commands run, see page A-4.
An events component is a file that contains the definitions of one or more events. An
events component can be run when an HMI server starts, or it can be run using the
EventOn command, after the HMI server has started.
Setting up events
These are the tasks involved in setting up events for an application:
1. Create the events in the Events editor.
2. Set the maximum update rate for the events component in the Events Setup dialog
box.
3. Save the events component and give it a name. The file extension .eds is added by the
system.
14-1
Using the Events editor

To open the Events editor
1. In RSView Studio, in the Explorer window, open the Logic and Control folder.
2. Right-click the Events icon and then click New, or drag the icon from the Explorer to
the workspace.
Using the Check Syntax button

After you create an expression for an event, use the Check Syntax button to verify that the
syntax is correct. You can check the syntax of an expression at any time while the Events
editor is open.
If the syntax is invalid, an error appears next to the Check Syntax button.
The syntax of the expression is also checked automatically when you click Accept or
Discard.
14-2
14 USING EVENTS
Creating an events component

An event consists of two parts: an expression and an action. When a component in the
expression changes, the expression is evaluated. If the expressions true state changes
from false on the previous evaluation, to true on the current evaluation, the action is
triggered.
To create an events component
1.
In Action box in the Events editor, specify the command, macro or symbol that will
run when the event expression evaluates to true.
2. In the Expression box, create an expression that will determine the conditions that will
trigger the action. For information about expressions, see Chapter 20, Creating
expressions.
3. Click Accept.
4. Click Next to create another event if the events component is to contain more than one
event.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until all events for the particular component are defined.
6. Select Event Setup from the Setup menu.
7. In the Event Setup dialog box type a description of the component and specify a
maximum update rate, and then click OK.
8. In the Events editor, click Close.
9. Specify the name of the events component and then click OK.
14-3
14 Placeholder
When you enter information in the editor, the Prev and Next buttons change to Accept and
Discard. Click Accept to save information. Click Discard to discard changes to the
information.
Using multiple events components

You can create multiple events components, for example, to group events that need to be
evaluated at different rates. Each HMI server in an distributed application can run up to 20
event components, with up to 1,000 tags in each component.
Do not create events that depend on other events. Events are not processed sequentially.
Editing events
You can edit events during development or when you run the application. If you change
the event component while running the application, the changes dont take effect until the
component is stopped and then restarted.
About the maximum update rate

The maximum update rate is the fastest rate at which event expressions in the event
component can be evaluated. It also determines the fastest rate at which data servers can
send changes in tag values. When setting the maximum update rate, remember to:
set the update rate separately for each event component.

set the update rate as fast as, or faster than, the rate at which the values of tags used in
the expressions change, unless it is desirable to miss changes in tag values.
Starting and stopping event processing

There are many ways to start and stop event processing. Choose the way that works best
for the application. For information about RSView command syntax, see Appendix A,
RSView commands, or see Help.
Ways to start event processing

To start event processing, use any of these methods:
14-4
In the HMI Server Properties dialog box, click the Components tab, select the Events
check box, and then select an event component. The event component will start the
next time the HMI server runs, or when the HMI servers components are started
manually.
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, EventOn
select the Macro check box, and then specify the macro. Event detection will start
when the HMI server runs.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and then attach touch animation using
the EventOn <component> command as the action. When the object is touched, event
detection starts.
At the command line in RSView Studio, or in the RSView Administration Console,
type EventOn <component>, and then press Enter.
For the Login Macro in the RSView User Accounts editor, specify the EventOn
For the Startup command in the Display Settings Behavior tab, specify the EventOn
Ways to stop event processing

To stop all the components that are running on the HMI server, including event
components, stop the components running on the HMI server manually.
For details about stopping an HMI servers components manually in distributed
applications, see page 27-9 and in stand-alone applications, see page 28-4.
To stop a single event component, use any of these methods:
In the Macros editor, create a macro that contains the command, EventOff
select the On shutdown macro check box, and then specify the macro. Event
processing will stop when the HMI server shuts down.
In the Graphics editor, create a button object and then specify the EventOff
<component> command as the buttons press action. When the button is pressed,
event detection stops.
In the Graphics editor, create a graphic object and then attach touch animation using
the EventOff <component> command as the action. When the object is touched, event
detection stops.
EventOff <component>, and then press Enter.
For the Logout Macro in the RSView User Accounts editor, specify the EventOff
For the Shutdown command in the Display Settings Behavior tab, specify the
EventOff <component> command, or a macro that contains the command.
14-5
14 Placeholder
In the Graphics editor, create a button object and then specify the EventOn
<component> command as the buttons press action. When the button is pressed,
event detection starts.
14 USING EVENTS
15 Placeholder
15 Setting up security
how security works.
the steps involved in setting up security.
planning security for an application.
setting up basic elements of the security system.
setting up RSAssetSecurity user accounts.
setting up computer accounts for a distributed application.
setting up access to resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory.
understanding inherited permissions.
setting up access to HMI project components in RSView.
adding users to RSView and assigning security codes to them.
assigning security codes to RSView commands and macros.
assigning security codes to graphic displays.
assigning security codes to OLE object verbs.
assigning security codes to HMI tags.
using the signature button to secure HMI project components.
logging on and off the RSView SE client.
locking users into the RSView SE client environment.
How security works

For RSView and other FactoryTalk-enabled applications, FactoryTalk Directory stores
information about which users are allowed to access the parts of a control system. For
distributed applications, this includes information about the computers from which users
are allowed access.
FactoryTalk Directory uses this information to provide two basic security services:
User authentication verifies the users identity, and whether a request for service
actually originated with that user.
15-1
User authorization verifies the users request to access a software resource, based
on the access rights and privileges defined for that user.
For example, when a distributed application user logs on to RSView Studio, the security
system verifies the users identity first. If authentication succeeds, the security system
checks permissions assigned to the user, in order to authorize actions performed on
secured parts of the application. The system also checks whether the user is allowed to
perform the actions on the current computer.
System resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory

RSAssetSecurity manages security for FactoryTalk Directory resources, including the
FactoryTalk Directory itself, the application, the areas (and their contents) within the
application, and participating users, computers and devices.
In RSView Studio, you can specify the levels of access that users, or groups of users, have
to each of these resources when they develop and run applications. You do this by
allowing or denying permission to perform certain actions on a resource. For more
information about setting up these permissions, see page 15-12.
For a distributed application, you can also specify which computers, or groups of
computers, have access to system resources in conjunction with users.
RSAssetSecurity also manages system-wide security policies, such as whether or how
often users must change their passwords. You can use RSView Studio to set up these
policies, as well. For more information, see page 15-7.
HMI project components secured in RSView

RSView manages run-time security for HMI project components, including RSView
commands and macros, graphic displays, OLE objects, and HMI tags.
In RSView Studio, you can specify the levels of access that users, or groups of users, have
to each of these components at run time. You do this by adding users to the RSView user
accounts list, assigning security codes to those users, and assigning security codes to the
components you want to secure.
Only users assigned the specified security code can issue secured commands, open a
secured graphic display, or write to secured HMI tags. For more information about setting
up security for HMI project components, see page 15-23 to page 15-29.
About FactoryTalk Local and Network Directory

on a computer, or on the network. FactoryTalk-enabled applications like RSView use one
of two types of FactoryTalk Directory:
15-2
FactoryTalk Local Directory manages applications that are confined to a single

FactoryTalk Network Directory manages applications that can consist of multiple
clients and servers on separate computers, connected over a network, for example,
RSView Supervisory Edition distributed applications.
You set up the directory (or directories) you need, during RSView Supervisory Edition
installation. For details, see the RSView Supervisory Edition Installation Guide.
In RSView Studio, when you create or open a stand-alone or a distributed application, an
icon representing the Local or Network Directory and the name of its host computer
appears at the top of the Explorer window, as shown in the following illustrations.
Local directory
(host computer)
Network directory
(host computer)
Application
Application
Area
HMI server
HMI server
HMI project
components,
and editors
Security policies,
user accounts,
and devices
HMI project
components,
and editors
Areas
Security policies,
computer and
user accounts,
and devices
Security settings are stored separately for FactoryTalk Local and Network Directory, even
if both are set up on the same computer. For example, to allow one user access to a standalone and a distributed application on the same computer, you must create an account and
set up access permissions for that user at both the Local and the Network Directory.
Licensing restrictions apply to security for FactoryTalk-enabled applications that use FactoryTalk
Network Directory, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition distributed applications. For
information about security activation, see the RSAssetSecurity Quick Start and Installation Guide
on the RSAssetSecurity Network CD.
For more information about FactoryTalk Directory, see Chapter 4, Setting up FactoryTalk
Directory.
15-3
15 Placeholder
computer, for example, RSView Supervisory Edition stand-alone applications.
15 SETTING UP SECURITY
Summary of steps for setting up security

The basic tasks involved in setting up security for an RSView application fall into these
categories:
Plan security for the application.
Set up basic elements of the security system.
Set up user and computer accounts.
Set up access to application resources secured at the FactoryTalk Directory.
Add users to the RSView user accounts list.
Set up access to HMI project components secured in RSView.
This chapter introduces some of the concepts and tasks associated with these categories,
to assist you with setting up security for RSView applications.
For details about RSAssetSecurity, and for information about additional features that
might be useful to the control system you are developing, see the RSAssetSecurity Help.
To find additional information about RSAssetSecurity
1. From the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk
Tools, and then click FactoryTalk Help.
2. In the Contents tab, open the book Log on and configure security.
Under Configure security, you will find detailed information and instructions about
setting up security for FactoryTalk-enabled applications. You can also gain access to
RSAssetSecurity Help by clicking the Help button in dialog boxes used to set up
security.
Planning security for an application

As part of designing a complete control system, consider which parts of the application
you want to secure, and to what extent. Before you begin setting up security, consider:
the roles that participating users, groups of users, software, computers, and network
devices are to play in the application.
the types of user groups for which you want to set up accounts. For example, you
might create groups for the Operators, Supervisors, and Managers that need access to
the application.
Setting up group accounts is recommended to simplify the management of multiple
users with the similar needs. You can create the required groups first, and set up
permissions for them, and then add users to the appropriate groups, as needed.
15-4
whether some user groups should have access to resources only from specific
computers, or groups of computers.
which HMI project components you want to secure, including RSView commands,
macros, graphic displays, OLE objects, and HMI tags.
which groups of users, or individual users, should be able to set up security for the
application. For example, who is allowed to create or modify user accounts, or set up
system-wide security policies.
which system-wide security policies are appropriate for the control system. For
example, you might require users to change their passwords periodically, or log on
every time they start RSView Studio or an RSView SE client.
Setting up basic elements of the security system

To set up security for an RSView application, you must log on as a user with
administrative privileges to the FactoryTalk Directory server.
For initial access, use the accounts you set up in the FactoryTalk Directory Configuration
Wizard, when installing RSView Supervisory Edition. If you are setting up security for:
an RSView stand-alone application, you must log on using the administrative account
created for FactoryTalk Local Directory
an RSView distributed application, you must log on using the administrative account
created for FactoryTalk Network Directory.
An administrative account has full access, and is allowed to create users and groups,
assign permissions, and set up system policies for an application.
Logging on to FactoryTalk Directory

To log on to the FactoryTalk Directory, use one of these methods:
Start an RSView software component, such as RSView Studio.

For example, if RSView Studio is the first FactoryTalk-enabled component you run
after installing RSView Supervisory Edition, or after restarting the computer, you are
prompted to log on before you can create or open an application.
Use the Log On to FactoryTalk utility.
15-5
15 Placeholder
the levels of access you want to allow different user groups to the FactoryTalk
Directory, the application, and areas within the application.
To open the Log On to FactoryTalk utility

1. On the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software, FactoryTalk Tools,
and then click Log On to FactoryTalk.
Log on to FactoryTalk
Network or Local
directory.
If single sign-on is
turned on, the current
user is also the single
sign-on user.
You can use the Log On to FactoryTalk utility at any time, to change or to log off the user
logged on to the FactoryTalk Directory. For information about using the utility, see
RSAssetSecurity Help.
About single sign-on

Single sign-on allows one user to access multiple products in a FactoryTalk-enabled
system, without having to log on separately to each product.
If single sign-on is turned on, once an initial user logs on to FactoryTalk Directory, that
users credentials are checked first when any other FactoryTalk-enabled product is started.
As long as RSAssetSecurity services authorize the single sign-on user, there will be no
further prompts to log on in the current Windows session.
To confirm whether a user is logged on to FactoryTalk, check the Logon Information
displayed in the Log on to FactoryTalk utility (as illustrated above).
Single sign-on is set up as a system security policy and is turned on by default. For
information about setting up system-wide policies, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
15-6
Logging on and off RSView
In RSView Studio or the RSView Administration Console, on the File menu, you can
click Log Off <current user name> to log off the current user. After the current user is
logged off, on the File menu, click Log On to log on another user.
In the RSView SE client, you can use the Login and Logout commands to change the
client user. For more information, see Logging on and off the RSView SE client on
page 15-30.
Changing the user logged on to RSView Studio, RSView Administration Console, or the
RSView SE client does not change the user logged on to FactoryTalk Directory. To
change that user in the current Windows session, you must use the Log On to FactoryTalk
utility.
Specifying which users can set up security

One of the first tasks you should perform when setting up security is to ensure that only a
group of authorized, trusted users is able to change security settings in the FactoryTalk
Directory.
You can do this by allowing only members of the Administrators group permission to
perform the Configure Security action on the FactoryTalk Directory.
The Administrators group is created automatically, during the FactoryTalk Directory
configuration portion of RSView Supervisory Edition installation. To give individual
users administrative permissions, add them to the Administrators group.
For information about setting up permissions for users, see page 15-12. For information
about adding individual users to a group, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Setting up system-wide policies

Policies are security and audit specifications stored at FactoryTalk Directory. They apply
to any FactoryTalk-enabled product that a Local or Network Directory manages. You can
set up the following policies:
User rights assignment settings determine which users can backup and restore
FactoryTalk Directory contents.
Audit settings determine what security information is recorded while the system is in
use, for example, whether to log an audit message to FactoryTalk Diagnostics when a
user attempts an action, and is allowed or denied access.
15-7
15 Placeholder
You can also log off or change the user logged on to RSView Studio, the RSView SE
client, or the RSView Administration Console:
Security settings determine general features of user accounts and passwords, and
whether single sign-on is in use.

In RSView Studio, set up these policies in the System Policies sub folder of the System
folder. The following illustration shows where to find this folder in the Explorer window.
Set up system-wide
user rights, audit, and
security policies.
To set up system policies

1. In the System Policies folder, right-click the icon representing the policy to set up, and
then click Properties.
For details about options in each of the Properties dialog boxes, click the Help button.
Setting up RSAssetSecurity user accounts

Every user and group of users requiring access to any part of an RSView distributed or
stand-alone application must have an RSAssetSecurity account set up at the FactoryTalk
Directory that manages the application.
In RSView Studio, you can create user or user group accounts that:
originate at the FactoryTalk Directory.

refer to existing Windows users and groups. These are called Windows-linked user
accounts.
You can modify the properties of the accounts you create. You can also delete, disable or
reactivate them. For details, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
User accounts are stored at FactoryTalk Directory. This means the accounts you create for an
RSView application are available to any FactoryTalk-enabled product the directory manages.
FactoryTalk Local Directory and FactoryTalk Network Directory store user accounts separately,
even the directories are set up on one computer. If you want to gain access to a stand-alone and
a distributed application on the computer, you must have accounts at both the Local and the
Network Directory.
15-8
Using accounts that originate at FactoryTalk Directory
Use this type of user or group account when you want to centralize security administration
without relying on a Windows domain, or when the security needs of the Windows
network differ from those of the control network. For example, you might consider
accounts originating at FactoryTalk Directory when:
using a Windows workgroup, instead of a Windows domain.
all operators share the same Windows account to gain access to a computer.
the computer is always logged on, under a particular Windows account. In this case,
separate accounts allow different operators to gain different levels of access to the
control system, independent of their access to Windows.
the computer automatically logs on to the Windows network after restarting, so that it
can run control programs automatically.
For more information, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Using Windows-linked accounts

When a Windows-linked user attempts to access system resources, FactoryTalk Directory
relies on Windows to determine whether the users name and password are valid, and
whether the account is active or locked out.
Use this type of user or group account when the security needs of the Windows network
match those of the control system. For example, you might consider Windows-linked
accounts when:
the control system is located in its own domain, perhaps separate from business
systems, and user accounts and passwords can be shared between Windows and
FactoryTalk-enabled software programs.
operators can log on and off computers with their own Windows accounts, and the
software programs they use start automatically.
For more information, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Using both types of user account

If you decide to use both types of RSAssetSecurity user account in an application,
remember that Windows-linked accounts only refer to accounts that already exist at the
Windows domain. This means that you cannot:
15-9
15 Placeholder
When a user that originates at FactoryTalk Directory attempts to access system resources,
FactoryTalk Directory determines whether the users name and password are valid, and
whether the account is active or locked out.
convert an original FactoryTalk Directory account to a Windows-linked account.
add an original FactoryTalk Directory account to a Windows-linked user group.
add a Windows-linked user group to an original FactoryTalk Directory group.

However, you can add individual Windows-linked users to such a group. This allows
you to include Windows-linked users when setting permissions by group.
Setting up accounts for groups of users

Whichever type of RSAssetSecurity account you decide to use, when setting up security
for an RSView application, it is recommended that you create group accounts and set up
access permissions for them first.
Using group accounts makes it easier to assign and manage permissions for multiple users
with similar security needs. Rather than assigning permissions to each user in the system,
you can create accounts for new users, and then add the users to the appropriate groups.
Later, if you want to change an individual users permissions, you can move the users
account to a different group. You can also change permissions for several individual users
at once, by modifying the group to which the users belong.
For more information about adding users to groups, or changing group account
permissions, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Creating user accounts

In RSView Studio, create user accounts in the Users and Groups sub folder of the System
folder. The following illustration shows where to find this folder in the Explorer window:
Right-click the User

Groups or Users
folder, and then click
New, to set up user
accounts.
15-10
To create a new user group

1. In the Users and Groups folder, right-click the User Groups folder, point to New, and
then click User Group.
For details about options in the New User Group dialog box, click the Help button.
To create a new user
1. In the Users and Groups folder, right-click the Users folder, point to New, and then
click User.
User icon
For details about options in the New User dialog box, click the Help button.
To create a Windows-linked group
Windows-linked
user group icon
1. In the Users and Groups folder, right-click the User Groups folder, point to New, and
then click Windows-Linked User Group.
For details about options in the New Windows-Linked User Group dialog box, click
the Help button.
To create a Windows-linked user
Windows-linked
user icon
1. In the Users and Groups folder, right-click the Users folder, point to New, and then
click Windows-Linked User.
For details about options in the New Windows-Linked User dialog box, click the Help
button.
Windows-linked accounts refer to existing Windows accounts. If you want to create a new
Windows user or group, you must do so in Windows. For details, see Windows help.
Setting up computer accounts for a distributed application

For RSView distributed applications, in addition to specifying which users have access to
resources in the system, you can specify from which computers their access is allowed.
You do this by creating computer accounts. Then, you can associate users or user groups
with a computer, or group of computers, when you set up their permissions.
If you do not want to restrict access further, by associating users with specific computers,
use the All Computers account when setting up permissions. This account is created
automatically at the FactoryTalk Network Directory.
For more information about:
setting up permissions, see page 15-12.
creating and using computer accounts, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
15-11
15 Placeholder
User group
icon
Creating computer accounts

In RSView Studio, for a distributed application, create computer accounts in the
Computers and Groups sub folder of the System folder. The following illustration shows
where to find this folder, in the Explorer window.
Right-click the
Computer Groups or
Computers folder,
and then click New,
to set up computer
accounts.
The Computers and Groups folder does not exist for a stand-alone application. You cannot
create computer accounts for applications that are confined to a single computer.
To create a new computer

Computer icon
1. In the Computers and Groups folder, right-click the Computers folder, and then click
New Computer.
For details about options in the New Computer dialog box, click the Help button.
To create a new computer group
Computer group
icon
1. In the Computers and Groups folder, right-click the Computer Groups folder, and then
click New Computer Group.
For details about options in the New Computer Group dialog box, click the Help
button.
Setting up access to resources secured at FactoryTalk Directory

RSAssetSecurity manages security for system resources including the FactoryTalk
Directory, the application, areas within the application and their contents, and the System
folder and its contents.
In RSView Studio, set up user access to these resources by right-clicking their folders or
icons in the Explorer window, and then clicking Security.
15-12
The following illustration shows which resources you can secure in this way:
Set up access to
areas in the
application.
HMI servers always
inherit permissions
set up for the parent
area. You cannot set
up access to an HMI
server separately.
15 Placeholder
Set up access to
the application.
Set up access to
FactoryTalk Directory.
By default, the
application and the
System folder inherit
permissions set up at
the Directory.
Set up access to the
System folder, or any
of its subfolders.
In this way, you can
specify which users
can set up system
policies, or create
user and computer
accounts.
Using the Security Settings dialog box

In the Security Settings dialog box, add the users or groups of users that are to have access
to the resource, and then allow or deny permission to perform the actions that define their
level of access.
When setting up permissions for a distributed application, you can associate users and
groups of users with specific computers or groups of computers.
This allows you to specify not only who has access to system resources, but from which
computers. This option is not available for stand-alone applications. You cannot create
computer accounts for applications that are confined to a single computer.
To open the Security Settings dialog box
1. In the Explorer window, right-click the folder or icon for the resource to secure, and
then click Security.
The Security Settings dialog box in the following illustration is for a distributed application.
The Computers column does not exist in the dialog box, for stand-alone applications.
15-13
Right-click the Network Directory icon

and select Security, to set up access to
the FactoryTalk Directory. By default,
the application and the System folder
inherit permissions set up at this level.
Set up permissions
by user or action.
List of user groups
with various levels of
access to FactoryTalk
Directory
Click to add groups
(or individual users)
to the list.
Select or clear the

Allow check boxes,
to set up permission
to perform the actions
listed, for the group (or
user) selected in the
Users list.
For details about options in the Security Settings dialog box, click the Help button.
Specifying actions that users can perform on a resource

To secure access to a system resource, specify which users or groups of users have
permission to perform actions on the resource.
In the above illustration of the Security Settings dialog box, the Operators group has
permission to perform the Common actions Read and List Children, on the FactoryTalk
Network Directory. This means that members of the group are able to run the RSView SE
client. For more information about the Common actions, see the example on page 15-16.
15-14
For example, if a user belongs to two different groups, and one group is allowed to delete
applications but the other group is denied that permission explicitly, then the user will not
be allowed to delete applications. For more information about effective permissions, see
page 15-20.
You do not have to select the Deny check box, to deny permission to perform an action. If
the Allow check box for an action is cleared, you deny permission to perform the action
implicitly.
To assign permissions to users
1. In the Permissions tab, click the User option for viewing permissions.
You can also set up permissions by action. This means that you select an action, and
then specify which users or groups of user can perform the action.
2. Click the Add button, select the user or group of users to add, and then click OK.
For a distributed application, you must associate the user or group of users with a computer,
or group of computers, before you can click OK.
The user or group of users you added, should be selected (highlighted) in the Users
list, in the Permissions tab.
3. Select the Allow check box beside the actions the selected user or group of users is
allowed to perform.
You can also select the Allow check box beside:
All Actions, to select all the actions that apply to this resource.
a category of actions, such as Common, to select all the actions in the category.
4. If desired, select the Deny check box beside actions you want to disallow explicitly.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for each user or group of users you are setting up with permissions.
6. Click OK.
Any users that are not set up with permissions are removed from the list.
For details about assigning permissions, see the RSAssetSecurity Help.
15-15
15 Placeholder
Selecting the Deny check box for an action denies permission explicitly. This always
takes precedence over allowing permission.
Example Using the Common actions to set up security for users

in an RSView distributed application
The following table shows what RSView Supervisory Edition users can do, if given
permission to perform the Common actions Read and List Children, plus one or more of
the other Common actions, at the FactoryTalk Network Directory for a distributed
application.
The Common action Execute is excluded, as it has no function in RSView Supervisory Edition
applications.
Allowed this action
Plus this action
The user or group of users can
Read
List Children
open existing applications in RSView Studio, or the

RSView Administration Console.
view areas, sub areas, and HMI server and data server
names in RSView Studio.
However, this user cannot add areas or servers, nor
modify the properties of existing servers. HMI Servers
appear in the Explorer window as locked.
run applications in an RSView SE client.
IMPORTANT: Add the Tag action Write Value, to

allow this user to write to tags at run time.
Allowing the Common actions Read and List Children provides basic access to the system. To increase the
amount of access, allow some or all of the following actions in addition to Read and List Children.
Delete
15-16
delete applications using the Application Manager.

delete areas, HMI servers, and data servers, in RSView
Studio.
Allowed this action
Plus this action
The user or group of users can
modify the properties of FactoryTalk Directory,

existing applications, and existing areas.
view HMI server and data server names in RSView
Studio.
However, this user cannot add servers, nor modify their
properties. HMI servers appear in the Explorer window
as locked.
rename applications using the Application Manager.
back up and restore applications.
IMPORTANT: to back up and restore applications, in

addition to having permission to perform the Write
action, the user must be set up under the User Rights
Assignment policy.
For more information, see Chapter 27, Deploying
distributed applications and Chapter 28, Deploying
stand-alone applications.
Write
Create Children
create applications, and modify their properties.
add areas, and modify their properties.
add HMI servers, and data servers.

However, this user cannot create HMI project
components. HMI servers appear in the Explorer
window as locked.
Write
Delete, and
Create Children
Configure Security
Configure Security
In addition to tasks allowed with Delete, Write, Create

Children (see above):
modify the properties of HMI servers and data servers.
create and modify HMI project components.
Delete, Write, and

Create Children
set up security for the FactoryTalk Directory and its

contents. This includes the application, areas within the
application, and the System folder and its sub folders.
create user accounts at the FactoryTalk Directory.
add users to RSView User Accounts, and assign
security codes to them.
use the RSView Secured Commands editor.
15-17
15 Placeholder
Write
The next table shows how someone with administrative access might assign the Common
actions to four groups of RSView usersAdministrators, Engineers, Supervisors, and
Operatorsto give them appropriate levels of access to a distributed application.
In the example, in addition to the Common actions listed, each group is allowed the Tag
action Write Value. This action governs general access to HMI and data server tags.
Set up
this group
With these permissions

at the Network Directory
And then override

inherited permissions
To set up this level of access to the

distributed application
Administrators
Allow Common actions:
No changes.
Full access.
Retain inherited
permissions at all lowerlevel resources.
This includes the ability to create

applications, add areas and servers, create
HMI project components, set up permissions
for all resources the FactoryTalk Directory
manages, create new users, add users to
RSView User Accounts, and secure HMI
project components.
Configure Security
Create Children
Delete
List Children
Read
Write
See the previous table in this example, for a

complete list of tasks users with full access
can perform.
Allow Tag action:

Write Value
Engineers
same as Administrators
Allow Tag action:
Supervisors
Write value
Read
List Children
Tag action:
Write Value
Explicitly deny these

Common actions on the
Users and Groups folder
(in the System folder):
Configure Security
Delete
Create Children
Retain all other inherited

permissions.
Explicitly allow these
Common actions on the
application:
Delete
Write
Create Children
Retain all other inherited

permissions.
15-18
Same access as Administrators, except

members of this group cannot:
set up security for the Users and Groups

sub folder of the System folder.
create users at the FactoryTalk Directory.
However, members of this group can add
users to RSView User Accounts, assign
security codes to them, and use the
RSView Secured Commands editor.
Run-time access (see Operators group,

below), plus, members of this group can:
modify existing applications.
modify HMI server properties.
create HMI project components.
Operators
With these permissions

at the Network Directory
And then override

inherited permissions
To set up this level of access to the

distributed application
No changes.
Run-time access. Members of this group can

only:
Read
List Children
Allow Tag action:
Retain all inherited

permissions at lowerlevel resources.
load existing applications.

However, members of this group cannot
modify HMI server properties, nor view
HMI project components. HMI servers
appear in the Explorer window as locked.
Write Value
run applications in the RSView SE client.
write to tags at run time.
IMPORTANT: to restrict access to

individual HMI tags, assign security codes
to this group in RSView User Accounts.
In the Security Settings dialog box, you might see other categories of actions specific to
FactoryTalk-enabled products such as RSLinx. For details about these actions, see the
product documentation.
For information about inherited permissions, and overriding inheritance, see page 15-19
Understanding inherited permissions

Inheritance means that any security settings you define at the FactoryTalk Directory,
extend to all system resources that the directory manages. These resources include the
application and areas within the application, plus the System folder and its subfolders.
Inheritance allows you to define basic levels of access for a broad set of users, across a
FactoryTalk-enabled system. You can then refine security settings for selected users as
necessary, by overriding inherited permissions on lower-level resources.
In an RSView Supervisory Edition application, an HMI server always inherits the
permissions assigned to the area in which it resides. You cannot set up access to an HMI
server separately.
The chain of inheritance that starts at the FactoryTalk Directory does not extend to a
users ability to access certain HMI project components at run time. If you want to restrict
access to specific RSView commands and macros, graphic displays, OLE objects, or HMI
tags, you must secure these components separately, within the RSView application.
15-19
15 Placeholder
Set up
this group
For details, see the rest of this chapter, starting with Adding users to RSView and
assigning security codes to them on page 15-23.
To secure individual HMI tags at run time, assign security codes to them in RSView. To control
access to tags in general, including HMI and direct reference tags, allow or deny permission to
perform the Tag action Write Value.
For more information about how inheritance works, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Breaking the chain of inheritance

You can override inherited permissions by breaking the chain of inheritance.
To break the chain of inheritance
1. In the Security Settings dialog for the resource, select the Do not inherit permissions
check box.
You are prompted to choose one of these options, instead of inheriting permissions:
Copy the inherited permissions and make them explicit for the resource.
Remove all inherited permission from the resource.
Breaking the chain of inheritance applies to the resource, not to the user or group of users
selected in the Security Settings dialog box.
If you choose to copy inherited permissions, the change is applied to all listed users that have
any inherited permissions. If you choose to remove all inherited permissions, all listed users
that have only inherited permissions, are removed from the Security Settings dialog box.
Using explicit permissions to override inheritance

You can also override inheritance by allowing or denying explicit permission to perform
actions on selected resources.
For example, in the table on page 15-18, the Supervisors group has permission to perform
all Common actions, except for Configure Security, at the FactoryTalk Network Directory.
In the Security Settings dialog box for the application, inherited permissions for the
Supervisors group, set up at the FactoryTalk Directory, appear as gray check marks, as
shown in the following illustration:
15-20
Explicit Deny
To extend or further restrict this groups access at the application level, you might make
these explicit changes, to override the inherited permissions:
Select the Allow check box beside the Configure Security action.
Explicitly allowing the Configure Security action on the application means that
Supervisors can set up security for the application, add users to RSView User
Accounts and assign security codes to them, and secure HMI project components.
Select the Deny check box beside the Delete action.

Explicitly denying the Delete action on the application means that Supervisors are
prevented from deleting applications.
The changes are reflected in the Effective Permissions tab, as follows:
Check mark means

Configure Security
is allowed.
No check mark
means Delete is
denied.
When setting up permissions, or overriding inherited permissions, keep these rules of

precedence in mind:
Explicit Deny takes precedence over explicit Allow.
Explicit Allow takes precedence over implicit Deny.
When you use explicit permissions (Allow or Deny) to override inheritance on a particular
resource, these permissions become the ones that are inherited by lower-level resources.
15-21
15 Placeholder
Explicit Allow
Gray check marks
indicate inherited
permission to
perform these
actions.
Setting up access to HMI project components in RSView

RSView manages run-time security for HMI project components, including RSView
commands and macros, graphic displays, OLE objects, and HMI tags.
These are the tasks involved in setting up security for HMI project components:
Add users stored at FactoryTalk Directory to the RSView Users Accounts list, and
assign security codes to these users.
Assign security codes to the HMI project components.
The following illustration shows where to perform these tasks, in RSView Studio:
In the Security Settings
dialog box opened from the
RSView User Accounts
editor, add user and group
accounts stored at the
FactoryTalk Directory, and
then assign security codes
to them.
In the RSView Secured

Commands editor, assign
security codes to RSView
commands and macros.
In the Tags and Graphics

editors, assign security
codes to HMI tags, graphic
displays, and OLE object
verbs.
Only users assigned the necessary security code (or codes) can issue secured commands,
open secured graphic displays, or write to secured HMI tags, as shown in the following
example:
Example Setting up access to HMI project components
In the RSView User Accounts editor, the following groups of users are set up with these
security codes:
A Supervisors group is allowed security codes A through P.
An Operators group is allowed security codes B, C, and E.
A Visitors group is allowed security code B.
HMI project components are set up with the following security codes:
15-22
A graphic display named Overview has security code B.
A graphic display named Boiler has security code C.
The DisplayClientClose command has security code D.
An HMI tag named BoilerTemp has security code E.
15 Placeholder
This means that members of:
the Supervisors group have full run-time access.

the Operators group can open the Overview and Boiler graphic displays, and can write
to the BoilerTemp tag. Members cannot issue the DisplayClientClose command.
the Visitors group can only open the Overview graphic display.
If a user belongs to more than one group, the security codes allowed or denied for each
group are combined for that user.
For example, if John Doe is a member of one group that has codes AB, and of another
group that has codes CD, then John Doe has all of codes ABCD. Or, if John Doe belongs
to one group that has codes ABC, and to another group that denies code B explicitly, then
John Doe has codes A and C only.
Adding users to RSView and assigning security codes to them

To set up users or groups of users with run-time access to an application, and to secured
HMI project components, you must add the users to the RSView User Accounts list and
assign at least one security code to them.
When you add a user or user group to the RSView User Accounts list, you are creating
references only, to user and user group accounts stored at the FactoryTalk Directory. For
information about creating new user accounts, see Setting up RSAssetSecurity user
accounts on page 15-8.
The RSView User Accounts list belongs to the application for which the users were
added. In a distributed application, all areas share the same RSView User Accounts list. If
you are running multiple applications that use the same FactoryTalk Network Directory,
you might need to add user accounts to RSView separately, for each application.
To add users and assign security codes to them
1. In RSView Studio, on the Settings menu, click RSView User Accounts.
Add User/Group 2. In the RSView Users Accounts editor, on the Setup menu, click Add Users/Groups.
button.
15-23
You can also click the Add User/Group button on the editors toolbar.
Set up security codes

by user or action.
List of user groups
with levels of access
to securable HMI
project components.
Click to add groups
(or individual users)
to the list.
Select or clear the

Allow check boxes,
to assign security
codes to the group (or
user) selected in the
Users list.
3. In the Security Settings dialog box, in the Permissions tab, click the User option for
viewing permissions.
You can also set up security codes by action. This means that you select a security
code, and then specify which users or groups of users have that code.
4. Click the Add button, select the user or group of users to add, and then click OK.
For a distributed application, you must associate the user or group of users with a computer,
or group of computers, before you can click OK.
The user or group of users you added, should be selected (highlighted) in the Users
list, in the Permissions tab.
5. Select the Allow check box beside the security codes the selected user or group of
users is to have.
To select all security codes, select the Allow check box beside All Actions, or beside
the Security Codes heading.
15-24
An explicit Deny takes always takes precedence over an explicit Allow. If a user belongs to
one group that allows codes ABC, and to another group that denies code B explicitly, then
John Doe is only allowed A and C.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6, for each user or group of users to set up with security codes.
8. Click OK.
Any users that are not set up with security codes are removed from the list.
Specifying login and logout macros

You can assign a login and logout macro to any user or group of users listed in the
RSView User Accounts editor.
Type a login and logout

macro for this account.
Or, click the buttons to
browse for a macros.
To view security codes
for listed accounts,
open the Security
Settings dialog box.
Square brackets [ ]
indicate a user group.
Any macro component, containing any RSView command, can be a login or logout
macro. For example, a login macro might contain a command to bring up a specific
graphic display in an area of the plant. A logout macro might contain commands to
redefine sensitive keys.
In a distributed application, for a login or logout macro to run, it must be issued from the
area in which it is located. For example, if you specify a login macro located in the
Bottling area, when the user logs on to the RSView SE client, the macro will run only if
the Bottling area is the clients home area.
For more information about logging on and off at run time, see page 15-30. For more
information about macros, see Chapter 22, Creating macros.
15-25
15 Placeholder
6. If desired, select the Deny check box beside security codes you want to deny
explicitly.
To assign a login or logout macro to a user account

1. In the RSView User Accounts editor, click the name of the user or group of users to be
assigned a login or logout macro.
2. Type the name of a macro in the Login Macro and Logout Macro boxes. You can also
click the browse buttons, to find and select a macro in the Command Wizard.
If the macros name contains spaces, it must be enclosed in quotes.
3. Click Accept.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each user to be assigned a login or logout macro, and then
click Close.
Removing users or groups from RSView

If you remove a user or group of users from the RSView User Accounts list, you do not
delete the corresponding user or group account stored at the FactoryTalk Directory.
If you delete a user or group from FactoryTalk Directory, and the account exists on the
RSView list, you can remove it manually from the RSView User Accounts editor.
Otherwise, it will be removed automatically, the next time you save changes in the editor.
To remove accounts from the RSView users list
1. In the RSView User Accounts editor, on the Setup menu, click Add Users/Groups.
You can also click the Add User/Group button on the toolbar.
2. In the Security Settings dialog box, select the user or group to remove, and then click
the Remove button.
Assigning security codes to RSView commands and macros

In the RSView Secured Commands editor, create a list of the commands and macros to be
secured, and then assign a security code to each.
Only users or groups assigned the same security code as a particular command or macro,
will be able to issue the command or macro at run time.
15-26
To assign security to commands and macros

15 Placeholder
1. In RSView Studio, on the Settings menu, click RSView Secured Commands.

Type or browse
for a command
or macro.
Click a security
code.
List of secured
commands and
macros
2. Type or select the command or macro to secure, provide a description, select a

security code from the list, and then click Accept.
For details about options in the RSView Secured Commands editor, click Help.
Do not restrict access to the Login command.
About the Unspecified_Command

In the RSView Secured Commands editor, the first record in the Commands list is called
Unspecified_Command. Any commands or macros that are not listed as secured
commands use the security code selected for the Unspecified_Command.
Initially, the security code is an asterisk (*), which means that any user assigned at least
one security code will have access to any unspecified commands or macros. A user must
possess at least one security code for * access to work.
If you leave the security code for the Unspecified_Command as the asterisk, in the
RSView Secured Commands editor, you have to list all RSView commands and macros to
which access is restricted.
15-27
Assigning security codes to graphic displays

Use the Graphics editor to set up security for graphic displays. You can assign a security
code while you are creating a graphic display, or you can assign it later.
Only users or groups assigned the graphic displays security code, will be able to open the
display at run time. Users must have at least one security code assigned, to open graphic
displays assigned an asterisk (* ) .
To assign security to a graphic display
1. In the Graphics editor, right-click in the graphic display and select Display Settings, or
select Display Settings from the Edit menu.
2. In the Properties tab of the Display Settings dialog box, click the arrow beside the
Security Code box, and then select a security code other than the asterisk (*).
Click a security code.
For details about using the Signature button, see page 17-56.
Assigning security codes to OLE objects

Use the Graphics editor to assign security to a graphic object with OLE verb animation.
Only users or groups assigned the OLE verbs security code, will be able to activate or
modify the OLE object at run time. Users must have at least one security code assigned, to
activate OLE objects assigned an asterisk ( * ).
Once an OLE object is activated, there is no way to control what operators can do within the
associated program. Therefore, the only way you can secure the program is by assigning
security to the OLE object verb in RSView.
To assign security to an OLE object

1. In the Graphics editor, open the graphic display containing the OLE object to secure.
2. Right-click the OLE object, and then click Animation on the context menu.
3. In the Animation dialog box, select the OLE Verb tab.
15-28
4. In the OLE Verb list, click the verb you intend to secure.
15 Placeholder
5. In the OLE Verb list, select the verb to secure.

6. In the Security list, click a security code.
7. Click Apply.
Assigning security codes to HMI tags

Use the Tags editor to assign security to an HMI tag, to restrict write access to the tag.
This prevents users who are not assigned the tags security code from changing the tags
value.
Only users or groups assigned the tags security code, will be able to change the tags
value at run time. Users must have at least one security code assigned, to change the value
of tags assigned an asterisk (* ) .
You cannot assign a security code to data server tags, to prevent their values from being
modified. To secure a data server tag, map its address to an HMI tag, and set up security for the
HMI tag.
15-29
To assign security to a tag

1. Open the Tags editor.
2. Select the tag that requires security.
3. In the Security list, click a security code.

4. Click Accept.
Using the signature button to secure HMI project components

You can also use the signature button in a graphic display, to set up security for
commands, graphic objects, and tags. The signature button allows you to control the
actions an operator can perform at run time, for example:
setting the value of a tag.
issuing a command.
downloading values to programmable controllers or devices.
For details about using the Signature button, see page 17-56.
Logging on and off the RSView SE client

To start the RSView SE client, or to change users while the client is running, the user
logging on must be:
15-30
allowed to run the RSView SE client. For information about setting up the required
permissions, see page 15-16.
added to the RSView User Accounts list. For information about adding FactoryTalk
Directory users to RSView, see page 15-23.
If a current user is not authorized to run the RSView SE client, then a prompt will be
presented for a different user to log on.
You can force all users to log on when an RSView SE client starts up, by turning off single
sign-on. For more information about single sign-on, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
Logging on a different user at run time

To allow different users to log on to an RSView SE client while it is running, provide
them with a way to issue the Login command. For example, on a graphic display, include
a button that has the Login command as the press action.
When the current user clicks the button, the RSView SE Client Login dialog box opens.
To log on a different user

1. In the RSView SE Client Login dialog box, type the user name and password for the
user to log on.
If the application involves multiple Windows domains, Windows-linked users
belonging to other than the current domain, must include the domain with the user
name, using the following syntax:
domain\user name
For more information about Windows-linked users, see RSAssetSecurity Help.

2. Click OK.
If single-sign on is turned on, changing the RSView SE client user does not change the user
logged on currently to FactoryTalk Directory. To change the FactoryTalk Directory user during the
current Windows session, you must use the Log On to FactoryTalk utility.
15-31
15 Placeholder
If single sign-on is turned on, when the RSView SE client starts up, the client will attempt
to log on the current FactoryTalk Directory user. If there is no user logged on to the
FactoryTalk Directory, the client will attempt to log on the current Windows user, if that
user is set up as a Windows-linked user at the FactoryTalk Directory.
Logging off the current user at run time

To allow users to log off an RSView SE client while it is running, provide them with a
way to issue the Logout command. For example, on a graphic display, include a button
that has the Logout command as the press action.
When the current user logs off, the following sequence of events occurs:
1. All displays are closed (including cached displays).
2. The current users logout macro is run and the user is logged out.
For information about user macros, see Specifying login and logout macros on
page 15-25.
3. If the RSView SE client is licensed, it releases the license, making it available for
other RSView SE clients.
4. The RSView SE Client Login dialog box is displayed.
You can also set up an RSView SE client to log out automatically after a specified period
of inactivity. For details, see Help for the RSView SE Client Wizard.
Changing the current users password at run time

To allow users to change their password at run time, include a way for them to issue the
Password command. For example, on a graphic display, include a button that has the
Password command as the press action.
When the current user clicks the button, the Change Password dialog box opens.
15-32
To change a password
You determine whether a FactoryTalk Directory user is able to change passwords, when you
create the users account. For details, see RSAssetSecurity Help.
For information about changing the passwords of Windows-linked users, see Windows Help.
Locking users into the RSView SE client environment

To prevent users from going outside the RSView SE client environment, do one or more
of the following:
Remove title bars or minimize and maximize buttons
from graphic displays
To do this, right-click the graphic display, and then click Display Settings.
In the Display Settings dialog box, clear the Title Bar, Minimize Button, and Maximize
Button check boxes. For details, see page 16-32.
Disable access to the operating system
To disable access to the operating system, use one of these methods:
Prevent users from switching to other applications. This is set up when you create the
RSView SE Client file.
For details, see Help for the RSView SE Client Wizard.
Prevent users from accessing the desktop. This is set up using the DeskLock tool.
To run DeskLock, on the Windows Start menu, select Programs, Rockwell Software,
RSView Enterprise, Tools, and then click DeskLock. For details about using the
DeskLock tool, see DeskLock Help.
15-33
15 Placeholder
1. In the Change Password dialog box, type the current password, followed by the new
password (twice), and then click OK.
INDEX
Index
.bmp files 16-26
.cab files 17-56
.dat files 13-1, 13-2
.dxf files 16-26
.gif files 16-26
.jpg files 16-26
.obf files 13-3
.pcx files 16-26
.tif files 16-26
.wmf files 16-26
.xml files 16-2, E-1
= (Equal) command
and memory tags 9-8
??? in input fields 17-24, 17-25, 17-40
[tag] parameter 18-21
as placeholder 18-4
A
Absolute references 5-5
in commands A-5
syntax 5-5, 5-6
to tags 8-11
Acknowledge bit 11-12
Acknowledge command 11-10
AcknowledgeAll command 11-10
Activation
redundancy 26-10
Active macro
See On Active macro
ActiveX objects 16-2, 17-2, 17-54
attaching animation 18-1, 18-13
deploying automatically 17-56
editing 18-14
events 18-16
methods 18-15
naming 18-13
navigating to 17-10
properties 18-14
using with VBA code 17-55, 18-16
ActiveX Toolbox 17-55
Index
Symbols
Activity logging
See FactoryTalk Diagnostics
Addressing syntax
See Syntax, DDE communications
Administration Console
See RSView Administration Console
Advanced objects 17-9, 17-33
See also Interactive objects
arrow 17-34
display list selector 17-35
local message display 17-37
piloted control list selector 17-43
recipe 17-38
tag label 17-35
time and date display 17-35
Alarm banner 11-7, 11-9
Alarm buffer zone
See Alarm deadband
Alarm commands
Acknowledge 11-10
AcknowledgeAll 11-10
AlarmLogRemark 11-38
AlarmOff 11-9, 11-40
AlarmOn 11-13, 11-39, 13-14
Execute 11-36
HandshakeOn 11-13
Identify 11-36
SuppressOn 11-10
Alarm deadband 11-5
Alarm events 11-13
Alarm faults 11-5
Alarm Import Export Wizard E-1
Alarm log files 11-7, 11-21, 11-28
adding remarks at run time 11-24
and third-party applications 11-8
contents of 11-8
creating 11-23
deleting 11-23
exporting to ODBC 11-24
location 11-23
maximum number of 11-28
naming 11-28
I1
RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDES
viewing 11-27
Alarm Log Viewer 11-8, 11-27
Help 11-27
Alarm logging 11-21
See also Alarm monitoring
redundancy 11-17
setting up remote logging 11-28, 11-29
to ODBC database 11-23
Alarm message types 11-7
custom messages 11-20
system default 11-19
user default 11-20
Alarm messages
importing XML E-3
placeholders in 11-19
setting up 11-18
Alarm monitoring 11-1, 11-21
acknowledge bit 11-12
alarm events 11-13
handshake bit 11-13
handshaking
switching on 11-13
starting 11-39
stopping 11-40
Alarm printing
redundancy 11-17
Alarm Setup editor 11-15
importing XML E-3
Alarm severity 11-7
setting up 11-17
Alarm states 11-6
Alarm summary 11-8
creating 11-30
displaying 18-23
filtering data 11-33
setting up
buttons 11-32
colors 11-7, 11-31
fonts 11-31
headings 11-31
showing areas 11-33
sorting data 11-33, 11-36
using commands 11-37, 11-38
Alarm system tags 11-9
Alarm thresholds 11-3, 11-5
Alarm triggers
I2
importing XML E-3

AlarmLogRemark command 11-24
with Execute button in alarm summary
11-38
Alarms
Acknowledged messages 11-18
acknowledging 11-10, 11-12
adding to tags 9-11, 11-3
ALM_ACK expression
changing default behavior 11-11
charting in trends 19-14
expressions in 11-11
identifying 11-36
importing and exporting 16-2
In Alarm messages 11-18
logging 11-21
to ODBC 11-23
Out of alarm messages 11-18
planning 3-6
running custom programs 11-39
setting up
for analog tags 11-21
for digital tags 11-21
using Tags editor 11-2, 11-3, 11-20
severity 11-17
starting 11-39
stopping 11-40
suppressing 11-10
using tags for 8-4
ALM_ (alarm) functions 11-11, 11-12, 20-11
Analog HMI tags
alarms for 11-3
See also Tags
setting up alarms for 9-11, 11-20, 11-21
Animation 18-1
ActiveX objects 18-13
copying 18-25
Current [Tag] parameter 18-21
defining range of motion 18-5
display keys 18-23
finding 18-25
finding tags 18-25
for object groups 16-16, 18-25
global objects 18-2
min. and max. values 18-5
object keys 18-17, 18-20
recently used 2-3

planning 3-1, 3-9
stand-alone 6-1
administering at run time 28-8
deleting 6-7
FactoryTalk Local Directory 4-1, 6-3,
15-3
setting up 4-4
renaming 6-7
setting up security for 6-3
structure 6-1
switching languages in
See Language switching
Arc graphic object 17-6
Areas 5-2
adding 5-9
home area 5-4, 8-12
max. number of HMI servers 5-12
removing 5-9
showing in alarm summaries 11-33, 11-37
tag references 8-11
Arithmetic operators 20-6
Arrow graphic object 17-34
Auto-repeat
for keys 17-33
B
Backspace key 17-33
Bar graphs 17-31
Base objects 16-2
Bitwise operators
AND, & 20-8
inclusive OR, | 20-8
Browse button 2-15
Built-in functions
file 20-16
language 20-18
math 20-17
security 20-18
tag 20-11
time 20-14
Business Objects Crystal Reports
Buttons 17-12
12-1, 13-1
I3
Index
Object Smart Path 18-5

precedence in grouped objects 18-25
tags and placeholders 18-4
testing 18-6, 19-21
using commands for actions 18-4
using VBA code 18-13
Animation dialog box 18-2
Animation types
color 11-9, 18-7
in grouped objects 18-25
fill 18-9
in grouped objects 18-25
height 18-10
horizontal position 18-9
horizontal slider 18-12
OLE verb 15-28, 18-12
rotation 18-10
touch 18-11
vertical position 18-9
vertical slider 18-12
visibility 11-9, 18-7
width 18-10
Application files
deleting 2-13
Application Manager 5-18, 6-7, 28-3
Applications
deploying
See Deploying applications
distributed 5-2
administering at run time 27-16
creating 5-8
deleting 5-18
FactoryTalk Network Directory 4-1,
5-3, 15-3
setting up 4-4
specifying localhost 4-5
specifying location of 4-5
home area 5-4
managing multiple 4-3
redundancy 26-1
renaming 5-18
setting up security for 5-3, 15-16
structure of 5-1
opening 2-2
INDEX
C
CABARC.exe 17-56
Cache
creating for OPC data servers 7-12
synchronizing for OPC data servers 7-13
Calling methods 18-15
Check syntax
derived tags 10-3
expressions 20-4
Circle graphic object 17-6
Client keys 23-5, 23-10
creating 23-10
precedence among key types 23-7
running a key file 23-11
Clients
See RSView SE Client
Color
animation 18-7
in alarm summaries 11-9, 11-31
in graphic displays 16-18
in trends 19-12
COMM_ERR function 20-11
Command execution A-4
Command line
using A-8
Command Wizard 2-16, A-8
Commands A-1
See also individual command entries
absolute and relative references A-5
adding alarm data 11-37
attaching to ActiveX events 18-16
execution of A-4
in editors 2-16
in macros 2-16
placeholders in 22-1, A-2
precedence over macros A-3
redundancy
See Redundancy
startup and shutdown 16-38
using in graphic displays 18-4
using with alarms 11-36
Common actions
See Security, for FactoryTalk resources
Communications
errors 20-11
I4
planning 3-4
setting up 7-1
Component names
and /P parameter 2-14
and spaces 2-14
long 2-14
maximum length of 2-14
Components
absolute references to 5-5
adding 2-12
deleting 2-13
in Explorer window 2-11
naming 2-14
opening 2-12
relative references to 5-5, 6-3
removing 2-13
starting manually 27-9, 28-4
startup 5-15
stopping manually 27-10, 28-5
Constants
in expressions 20-5
Context menus 2-15
using in graphics 16-8
Control
See Animation
Control list selectors 17-42, 17-48
compared with piloted control list selectors
17-42
Enter-key handshaking 17-43
navigating to 17-10
Control network redundancy
See Redundancy
ControlLogix processor 8-2
Crystal Reports
See Business Objects Crystal Reports
Current [Tag] parameter 18-21
D
Data log files
and third-party software
creating 13-5
deleting 13-6
max. at run time 13-2
naming 13-2
13-1
load balancing 5-11

OPC 7-1
adding 7-9
creating cache 7-12
deleting 7-13
redundancy 7-11
setting up 7-9
synchronizing cache 7-13
redundancy 5-8, 5-11
See Redundancy
RSLinx
deleting 7-13
RSLinx Enterprise 7-1
adding 7-5
redundancy 7-7
setting up 7-6
tags 8-1
Data source for tags 9-2, 9-7
Date and time
in graphic displays 17-35
DDE communications B-2
and RSServer B-1
poll rate B-4
RSView as client
assigning server to RSView tags B-3
setting up B-2
setting up B-1
syntax B-3
Deadband for alarms 11-5
Define command A-6
Deploying applications 27-1, 28-1
distributed applications 27-1
backing up 27-3
changing HMI server computer 27-9
moving HMI project files 27-6
moving RSLinx Classic files 27-12
moving RSLinx Enterprise files 27-12
restoring 27-7
FactoryTalk Network Directory
27-8
setting up
FactoryTalk Network Directory
server 27-4
HMI server properties 27-8
RSView SE clients 27-13
I5
Index
redundancy
See Redundancy
storage format 13-2
ODBC 13-1, 13-3
Data log models 13-1
editing 13-7
Data Log Models editor 13-4, 13-8
Data logging
and events 13-11
choosing data 13-6
creating expressions 20-1
log triggers 13-6
ODBC data source
creating new 13-8
using existing 13-7
ODBC database tables
creating new 13-8
using existing 13-7
on demand 13-12
paths
moving data between 13-9
switching at run time 13-7, 13-9
planning 3-5
redundancy
See Redundancy
remote logging permissions 13-12, 13-13
setting up 13-1
starting 13-14
stopping 13-15
when to log data 13-6
Data logging commands
DataLogMergeToPrimary 13-9
DataLogNewFile 13-10
DataLogOff 13-15
DataLogOn 13-14
DataLogSnapshot 13-11
DataLogSwitchBack 13-9
Data server tags
Tags 8-1, 9-1
Data servers 5-2, 6-2, 7-1
adding 5-11, 6-4
OPC 5-11, 6-5
RSLinx Enterprise 5-11, 6-4
deleting 7-13
deploying 27-13, 28-5
how to use 5-11, 7-3
INDEX
specifying location of FactoryTalk

Network Directory 27-5
stand-alone applications 28-1
backing up 28-3
moving data server files 28-5
restoring 28-3
FactoryTalk Local Directory
28-4
setting up RSView SE Clients 28-5
Derived tag commands
DerivedOff 10-5
DerivedOn 10-5
Derived tags 10-1
checking syntax 10-3
creating 10-3
max. components at run time 10-4
max. in a component 10-4
max. update rate 10-4
redundancy
See Redundancy
starting and stopping processing 10-4
Derived Tags editor 10-2
DeskLock 15-33
Device HMI tags 9-2
OPC communications 9-7
Diagnostics List 2-5, 12-7
clearing messages 2-6, 12-9
hiding 2-7
resizing 2-6
showing 2-7
Diagnostics Viewer 12-9
Digital HMI tags
alarms for 11-6
setting up alarms for 9-11, 11-21
Display cache 16-34, 23-3
Display command
and graphic displays 16-36, 16-39
and key lists 18-25
and parameter files 16-29
and trends 19-22
Display keys 23-5
creating 18-23
Display list selectors
I6
navigating to 17-10
Display Settings dialog box 16-30
DisplayClientOpen command 27-16
Displays
See Graphic displays
Displays editor
See Graphics editor
Distributed applications
See Applications, distributed
Documentation for RSView
finding P-1
Download command 17-26, 17-41
DownloadAll command 17-26, 17-41
Drawing objects
arc 17-6
changing properties 17-7
ellipse 17-6
image 17-7
panel 17-8
polygon 17-5
polyline 17-5
rectangle 17-4
rounded rectangle 17-5
text 17-8
wedge 17-6
E
Edit Display mode 16-21, 19-21
Editors
Alarm Log Viewer 11-8
Alarm Setup 11-15
Data Log Models 13-4, 13-8
Derived Tags 10-2
Events 14-2
Graphics 16-3
in RSView Studio 2-9
hints for working in 2-14
printing from 2-16
RSView Secured Commands 15-27
RSView User Accounts 15-23
Suppressed List 11-10, 11-26
Tags 9-5, 11-2, 11-20
Electronic signatures 17-56
Ellipse graphic object 17-6
Expressions 2-16, 20-1

alarm events in 11-15
and animation 18-4
assigning to graphic objects
using the Property Panel 16-19
built-in functions in 20-11
checking syntax 20-4
constants in 20-5
copying 20-4
creating 20-2
fo retrieving alarm information 11-11
for reporting communication errors 20-11
formatting 20-4
ifthenelse logic 20-18
in alarms 11-11
in data logging 13-11
operators in 20-6
tags and placeholders in 9-3, 20-5
F
F1 key
precedence 23-8
FactoryTalk Diagnostics 12-1
See also Diagnostics List
audiences 12-4
buffering messages 12-6
categories 12-3
categorizing tag writes 12-4
destinations 12-2
logging to ODBC database 12-5
messages
audiences 12-4
buffering 12-6
categories 12-3
routing 12-2, 12-6
severities 12-3
remote logging 12-10
remote logging permissions 12-10
routing 12-2
severities 12-3
viewing log files 12-9
FactoryTalk Diagnostics log files
and third-party applications 12-1
FactoryTalk Diagnostics Viewer
See Diagnostics Viewer
I7
Index
Embedded variables 21-1

creating
numeric 21-3
string 21-3
time and date 21-4
displaying at run time 21-5
syntax
numeric 21-3
string 21-4
time and date 21-4
types of values 21-1
updating at run time 21-5
End key 17-33
Enter key 17-33
handshaking 17-43, 17-46, 17-47
Event commands
EventOff 26-7
EventOn 14-4, 14-5, 26-7
Event-based alarms 11-13
Events 14-1
ActiveX 18-16
creating 14-3
editing 14-4
evaluation interval for 14-4
for on-demand logging 13-11
max. components at run time 14-4
max. in a component 14-4
max. update rate 14-4
redundancy
See Redundancy
starting and stopping processing 14-4
Events editor 14-2
Execute button
in alarm summaries 11-36
Execute command 11-36
Explorer in RSView Studio 2-8
components 2-11
editors 2-9
folders 2-9
undocking 2-8
Export
alarm files 16-2
graphic displays E-1
text strings
INDEX
FactoryTalk Directory 1-2, 4-1

FactoryTalk Local Directory 1-9, 4-1
backing up 28-4
restoring 28-4
setting up 4-4
FactoryTalk Network Directory 1-9, 4-1,
5-3
backing up 27-4
cached copy 26-5
deploying distributed applications 27-4
managing multiple applications 4-3
restoring 27-8
setting up 4-4
specifying localhost 4-5
specifying location of 4-5, 27-5
HMI server names 5-12
logging on to 15-5
single sign-on 15-6
restoring 4-7
service disruption 4-7
Fail-over
See Redundancy
Failure
See Redundancy
File names
See also Component names
for alarm logs 11-28
short
11-28
for data logs 13-2
long 13-2
File types
graphics
importing 16-26
using bitmaps 16-26
log
.dat 13-2
.obf 13-3
ODBC
alarms 11-24
data log 13-3
log files 13-2
Fill animation 18-9
Filter
I8
removing from tags 8-11

tags 8-10
FlushCache command 16-40
executing shutdown command with
Folders 9-3
Fonts
in graphic displays
substitution at run time 17-9
in trends 19-12
single-font support
Functions
See Built-in functions
16-38
G
Gauges 17-29, 17-31
Global object displays 16-2, 16-23
at run time 16-25
base objects in 16-2
creating 16-24
from existing displays 16-24
creating from existing displays 16-24
creating global objects on 16-2, 16-23,
17-48
file type 16-24
location of 16-24
Global objects 16-2, 16-23, 17-3, 17-48
and graphic libraries 17-49
base objects 16-2
breaking links 17-52
creating on global object displays 16-2,
16-23, 17-48
reference objects 16-2, 17-49
linked properties 17-49
LinkAnimation 17-50, 18-2
LinkBaseObject 17-51
LinkConnections 17-51
LinkSize 17-51
Graphic display commands
Display
and key lists 18-25
and parameter files 16-29
types 16-33
uploading recipes to 17-40
uploading values to 17-23
using parameter files 16-29
Graphic libraries
See Libraries
Graphic object types 17-1
ActiveX 17-54, 18-13
advanced objects 17-2, 17-9, 17-33, 17-34
alarm summary 11-30
arc 17-6
arrow 17-34
bar graph 17-31
button 17-12
circle 17-6
control list selector 17-42, 17-48
ellipse 17-6
gauge 17-29, 17-31
graph 17-29, 17-31
image 17-7
interlocked push button 17-19
keys 17-33
latched push button 17-16
list indicator 17-29
local message display 17-36
local messages 17-37
maintained push button 17-15
momentary push button 17-13
multistate indicator 17-28
multistate push button 17-18
numeric and string
electronic signatures 17-58
numeric display fields 11-9
numeric input field 17-23
OLE objects 15-28, 17-52
panel 17-8
piloted control list selector 17-43, 17-48
polygon 17-5
polyline 17-5
ramp push button 17-21
rectangle 17-4
rounded rectangle 17-5
scale 17-31
square 17-4
string display fields 11-9
I9
Index
caching 16-39, 19-22

positioning 16-36
Download 17-26, 17-41
DownloadAll 17-26, 17-41
FlushCache 16-40
executing shutdown command with
16-38
NextPosition 18-17
Position 18-17
PrevPosition 18-17
PrintDisplay 16-40
RecipeRestore 17-41
RecipeSave 17-41
ScreenPrint 16-40
SetFocus 16-34
Upload 17-26, 17-41
UploadAll 17-26, 17-41
Graphic displays 16-1
caching 16-34, 23-3
with the Display command 16-39
color 16-18
creating 16-1, 17-1
creating templates 3-7, 16-31
designing 3-7
developing a hierarchy 23-1
displaying alarm information in 11-9
downloading values from 17-23
exporting to XML E-1
global object displays 16-2, 16-23
grid 16-7
importing XML E-3
improving performance 16-39
moving among 23-2
commands for 23-3
positioning 16-36
preventing scroll bars 16-36
printing 2-16, 16-40
printing at run time 2-17
reducing call-up time 16-34, 16-39
replacing text 16-20
running multiple copies 16-33
securing 15-28, 16-36
specifying run-time appearance 16-34
startup and shutdown commands 16-38
testing 16-21
animation 18-6, 19-21
INDEX
string input field 17-23

symbol indicator 17-28
tag label 17-35
text 17-8
time and date display 17-35
trend 19-1
wedge 17-6
Graphic objects 17-1
animating
See Animation
arranging 16-10, 16-13
assigning tags
choosing text fonts 17-8
color 16-18
common properties
converting 16-26
duplicating 16-9
editing 16-17
exporting to XML E-1
flipping 16-14
formatting 16-18
global objects 16-2, 17-3
grid 16-7
grouping 16-16
importing 16-26
importing XML E-3
line properties 16-19
methods 18-15
naming 16-22, 18-13
navigating among 17-10
pattern styles 16-18
positioning 16-11, 16-13
with grid 16-7
replacing text 16-20
resizing 16-10
rotating 16-15
spatial properties
setting up 17-4
stacking 16-11
testing states 16-21
ungrouping 16-16
using tags and placeholders 17-10
I10
using with object keys

visibility 17-3, 17-4
Graphics editor 16-3
Graphs
See Bar graphs
Grouped objects
animation 18-25
creating 16-16
18-20
H
Handshake bit 11-13
HandshakeOn command 11-13
Handshaking
for Enter key 17-43, 17-46, 17-47
resetting 17-47
switching on 11-13
Hardware failure
See Redundancy
Height animation 18-10
Help
activation 1-3
alarm log viewer 11-27
RSView SE Client object model 24-8
technical support 1-3
VBA 24-8
Help files
creating for displays 18-22
Highlight
ActiveX objects 17-10
enabling or disabling 16-38
trends 17-10, 19-12
HMI clients 5-4, 6-3
HMI projects 5-4, 6-3
deleting files 5-18
moving files 27-6
See also HMI servers
HMI servers 5-4, 6-3
Active state 5-7
adding 5-10
alarm monitoring 11-39, 11-40
allowing clients to connect 27-11
components
starting and stopping 27-16, 28-8
starting manually 27-9, 28-4
I
Identify command 11-36
If-then-else expressions 20-18
Image graphic object 17-7
Images
in graphic displays
importing 17-8
pasting 17-7
placing 17-7
Import
alarm files 16-2
graphic displays E-1
translated text files
Index numbers 18-17
and recipe files 17-39
changing 18-18
checking 18-17
removing 17-11
using for tab sequences 18-17
Indicator tag
indicators 17-28
piloted control list selectors 17-45
Indicators 17-27
indicator tag 17-28
list 17-29
multistate 17-28
symbol 17-28
Input field commands
Download 17-26, 17-41
NextPosition 18-17
Position 18-17
PrevPosition 18-17
Upload 17-26, 17-41
Input fields
creating
numeric 17-23
string 17-23
downloading values from 17-23
highlight
enabling or disabling 16-38
question marks in 17-24, 17-40
specifying behavior for 16-38
specifying color for 16-38
uploading values to 17-23
using at run time 17-24, 17-40
using keys with
special keys 17-24
Index
stopping automatically 28-8

copying
using HMIBackup utility 26-8, 27-7
when not running 27-6
while running 27-7
deleting 5-17
HMI services
starting manually 27-11
stopping manually 27-10
how to use 5-11
load balancing 5-11
load on demand 27-16
max. number of servers 5-12
monitoring disk space 27-18
naming 5-12
On active macro 5-16
On standby macro 5-16
Out of service state 5-7
primary 5-14
redundancy 5-7, 5-11, 5-14, 26-6
secondary 5-14
securing 15-19
setting up 5-12, 6-5
showing in Tag Browser 8-7
Standby state 5-7
starting manually 1-3
states 5-7
synchronizing 5-7, 27-11
tags 8-1
Unknown
state 5-7
HMI tags
See Tags
Home area 5-4, 8-12
finding tags in 8-8
Home key 17-33
Horizontal position animation 18-9
Horizontal slider animation 18-12
INDEX
I11
Input focus
giving to graphic objects 17-10
specifying behavior 16-38
Interactive objects
See also Advanced objects
creating 17-9
specifying behavior 16-38
Interlocked push buttons 17-19
Internet technical support P-2
Invoke command 18-15
K
Key list 18-24
disabling 18-25
Keyboard
on-screen 16-39, 17-26
Keyboard navigation 17-10
Keypad for numeric input 16-39
Keys 17-33, 23-7
See also Key list
See also Special keys
auto-repeat 17-33
precedence 23-7
reserved 23-9
understanding 17-31
using to open displays 23-5
viewing at run time 18-24
L
Language command 25-13
RFC1766 names for D-1
Language switching 25-1
adding languages to an application 25-5
at run time 25-13
default Windows formats 25-3
exported text files
format 25-7
location 25-7
opening in Microsoft Excel 25-13
saving in Microsoft Excel 25-14
schema 25-15
translation of 25-13
exporting text strings 25-6
troubleshooting 25-7
importing text files 25-10
I12
max. number of languages 25-1
RFC1766 names D-1
setting up
graphic libraries 25-4
single-font support 25-2
Windows support for 25-2
specifying a base language 25-3
text strings
that allow switching 25-8
that do not allow switching 25-8
Latched push buttons 17-16
Libraries 16-1, 16-25
location of files 16-25
reference objects in 17-49
setting up language support in 25-4
using for alarm displays 11-9
using for trends 19-21
Limits
number of HMI servers 5-11
number of languages 25-6
tags in graphic displays 8-1
tags with alarms 8-2
List indicators 17-29
Load balancing
data servers 5-11
HMI servers 5-11
Local Directory
See FactoryTalk Directory, FactoryTalk
Local Directory
Local message displays 17-36
Local messages 17-37
value tag 17-38
Log On to FactoryTalk utility 15-6
Logging in
at run time 15-31, 27-15, 28-7, 28-8
Logging on to FactoryTalk 1-9
Logging out
at run time 15-32, 27-15, 28-7, 28-8
Logging paths
See Data logging, paths
Logical operators 20-7
Login macro 15-25, 22-5
assigning to RSView users 15-26
Logout macro 15-25, 22-5
Multistate push buttons
Macros 22-1
creating 2-16, 22-1
login and logout 15-25, 22-5
startup and shutdown 16-38, 22-4
using the Command Wizard A-8
nesting 22-4
On active 5-16
On standby 5-16
precedence of A-3
redundancy
See Redundancy
using in graphics 18-4
using parameters in 22-3
using to identify alarms 11-36
using with trends 19-21
Maintained push buttons 17-15
Memory tags 9-2, 9-8
redundancy
See Redundancy
Messages
routing to FactoryTalk Diagnostics 12-6
Methods 18-15
calling 18-15
Microsoft Access 11-8, 13-3
Microsoft Excel
and alarm logging 11-8
and data logging 13-1
and FactoryTalk Diagnostics 12-1
opening exported text files in 25-13
saving exported text files in 25-14
using to create tags 9-9
Microsoft SQL Server 13-3
Microsoft Visual Basic 11-8
and DDE communications B-1
Modicon devices 1-8, 7-1, B-1
Module called ThisDisplay 24-4
Momentary push buttons 17-13
momentary on button 17-13
Move Down key 17-33
Move Left key 17-33
Move Right key 17-33
Move Up key 17-33
Multistate indicators 17-28
17-18
Naming graphic objects 16-22

Navigation
among graphic displays 23-1
commands 23-3
using buttons 23-6
using keys 23-5
among graphic objects in a display 17-10
display hierarchy 3-7, 23-1
Network
planning layout 3-2
redundancy
See Redundancy
Network Directory
See FactoryTalk Directory, FactoryTalk
Network Directory
NextPosition command 18-17
Non-Allen-Bradley devices 1-8, 7-1, B-1
Numeric and string objects
See Graphic object types
Numeric input graphic object 17-23
and on-screen keyboard 16-39, 17-26
O
Object Browser
VBA 24-7
Object keys 23-5
creating 18-20
key list 18-24
Object model
See RSView SE Client object model
Object Smart Path 18-5
Objects
viewing 24-7
Objects that use data 17-9
ODBC data logging
See Data logging
ODBC schemas
See ODBC storage format
ODBC storage format
data log files 13-1, 13-3
I13
Index
INDEX
PLC network redundancy

See Redundancy
PLC redundancy
See Redundancy
Poll rate for DDE B-4
Polygon graphic object 17-5
Polyline graphic object 17-5
Position command 18-17
Precedence
among client, object, and display keys
23-7
and the F1 key 23-8
embedded ActiveX objects 23-8
embedded OLE objects 23-8
reserved keys 23-10
PrevPosition command 18-17
PrintDisplay command 16-40
Printers
selecting 2-17
Procedure window
See VBA Procedure window
Procedures
defined 24-2
P
Programmatic ID
Page Down key 17-33
RSLinx Classic 7-11
Page Up key 17-33
Project Explorer
Pan
See VBA Project Explorer
in trends 19-27
Properties
Panel graphic object 17-8
ActiveX 18-14
Parameter files
Properties window
assigning to graphic displays 16-29
See VBA Properties window
Passwords 15-32
Property Panel
Pattern styles 16-19
assigning tags to graphic objects 16-19
invisible 16-18
using with ActiveX objects 18-14
Piloted control list selectors 17-43, 17-48
Push button objects
compared with control list selectors 17-42
See Graphic object types
controlling remotely 17-44
Push buttons 17-11
Enter-key handshaking 17-46
button 17-12
indicator tag 17-45
interlocked 17-19
value tag 17-45
latched 17-16
Placeholders
maintained 17-15
See also Tag placeholders
momentary 17-13
multistate 17-18
in commands 22-1, A-2
ramp 17-21
Planning applications 3-1
Offsetting
tag values 8-4
OLE objects 17-2, 17-52
attaching verb animation 18-12
converting 17-53
securing 15-28
OLE verb animation 18-12
On active macro 5-16
On-screen keyboard 16-39, 17-26
and RSLinx 7-1
syntax 9-7
OPC data servers
See Data servers
OPC-DA data items
See Tags
OpenRSLogix5000 command 3-10
Overview of RSView
Features 1-4
software programs 1-1
I14
R
Ramp push buttons 17-21
Read tag 16-20
Read-write tag 16-20
Recipe commands
Download 17-26, 17-41
RecipeRestore 17-41
RecipeSave 17-41
Upload 17-26, 17-41
Recipes
recipe file 17-39
using at run time 17-40
using index numbers 17-39, 18-17
Rectangle graphic object 17-4
Redundancy 26-1
activation
See Redundancy, licensing
alarms 11-17, 26-7
commands 26-7
control network 26-2
data log files 26-7
data servers 5-8, 5-11, 26-8
OPC 7-11
RSLinx Enterprise 7-7
derived tags 26-7
effect on clients 26-3
events 26-7
FactoryTalk Directory cached copy 26-5
fail-over time for servers 26-3
hardware 26-3
HMI server states 5-7
HMI servers 5-7, 5-11, 5-14, 26-6, 26-9,
26-10
HMIBackup utility 26-8
information network 26-2
licensing 26-10
Index
Question marks
in input fields 17-24, 17-40
Quick Start
VBA code 24-2
macros 26-7
memory tags 26-7
planning 3-4, 26-1, 26-2, 26-8
PLC 26-2
primary HMI server 5-14
RSLinx 26-8
RSView SE Servers
See Redundancy, HMI servers
secondary HMI server 5-14
software 26-3
synchronizing project files 26-8
synchronizing servers 5-7, 27-11
Reference objects 16-2
and graphic libraries 17-49
creating 17-49
link to base object 16-23
linked properties 17-49
grouped objects 17-52
LinkAnimation 17-50, 18-2
LinkBaseObject 17-51
LinkConnections 17-51
LinkSize 17-51
See also Global objects
with broken links 16-24
References
absolute 5-5
relative 5-5, 6-3
syntax 5-6
to tags 8-11
Relational operators 20-6
Relative references 5-5, 6-3
in commands A-5
resolving in commands A-5
syntax 5-5, 5-6, 6-3
to tags 8-12
Remarks
adding to alarm log file 11-24
Reserved keys 23-9
precedence 23-10
Rockwell Software
contacting P-2
Rotation animation 18-10
Rounded rectangle graphic object 17-5
INDEX
I15
RSAssetSecurity
See Security
RSLinx
and OPC communications 7-1
redundancy
See Redundancy
RSLinx Enterprise
browsing for offline tags 8-8
RSLinx Enterprise data servers
See Data servers
RSLogix 5000 8-2
OpenRSLogix5000 command 3-10
Sequential Function Charts 3-10
RSServer B-1
RSView Administration Console 1-2, 13-7,
27-16, 28-8
logging off 15-7
logging on 15-7
RSView commands A-1
See also Commands
See also individual command entries
RSView demo mode 1-10
RSView SE Client 1-2
commands
DisplayClientOpen 27-16
copying configuration files 27-14
HMI server fail-over 5-7
logging off 15-32
logging on 15-31
opening 27-14, 28-6
reponse to FactoryTalk Directory service
disruption 4-8
securing 15-33
setting up 27-13, 28-5
for language switching 25-13
starting when Windows starts 28-7
RSView SE Client object model 24-1, 24-4
RSView SE Server 1-2
See also HMI servers
RSView SE Service Manager 1-3
RSView Secured Commands editor 15-27
RSView Studio
Communications tab 2-5
Explorer 2-5
exploring 2-4
logging off 15-7
I16
logging on 15-7
starting 2-1
workspace 2-5
RSView user accounts
adding 15-23
login and logout macros 15-25, 22-5
removing 15-26
RSView User Accounts editor 15-23
Run time
changing logging paths 13-7, 13-9
changing passwords 15-32
font substitution 17-9
input fields 17-24
language switching 25-13
logging off 15-32
logging on 15-31
recipes 17-40
setting up clients
for distributed applications 27-13
for stand-alone applications 28-5
trends 19-23
delta value bar 19-26
loading a template 19-20
overlays 19-28
printing 19-28
scrolling 19-24
value bar 19-25
zoom 19-27
updating reference objects 16-2
S
Scale graphic object 17-31
Scaling tag values 8-4
ScreenPrint command 16-40
Scroll bars
preventing on graphic displays 16-36
Security 15-1
and FactoryTalk Local directory 15-3
and FactoryTalk Network Directory 15-3
assigning security codes
to graphic displays 15-28
to HMI tags 15-30
to macros 15-27
to OLE object verbs 15-28
Signature button 17-56

system policies 15-7
user accounts 15-8
adding to RSView 15-23
Administrators group 15-7
creating 15-10
removing from RSView 15-26
using group accounts 15-10
Windows-linked users 15-9
user authentication 1-9, 15-1
user authorization 1-9, 15-1
using Security Settings dialog box 15-13
Security codes
assigning
to graphic displays 15-28, 16-36
to HMI tags 15-30
to OLE objects 15-28
to RSView commands and macros
15-27
to RSView users 15-23
Service Manager 1-3
Services
setting remote access permissions
FactoryTalk Diagnostics logging
12-10
Set command 9-8
SetFocus command 16-34
Short file names
for alarm logs 11-28
Siemens devices 1-8, 7-1, B-1
Signature button 17-56
Software failure
See Redundancy
Special keys
arrows
using in trends 19-28
Ctrl
drawing objects with 17-4, 17-5, 17-6
Ctrl-PgDn 17-25
Ctrl-PgUp 17-25
Ctrl-Tab 20-4
Enter 17-25, 17-41
using with on-screen keyboard 17-27
PgDn 17-25, 17-41
PgUp 17-25, 17-41
Shift-Tab 18-19
I17
Index
to RSView commands 15-27

Unspecified_Command 15-27
to RSView users 15-2
changing passwords 15-32
Common actions 15-14, 15-16
computer accounts 15-11
creating 15-12
DeskLock 15-33
disabling access to key combinations
15-33
HMI server 15-19
locking users into RSView 15-33
logging off
RSview Studio 15-7
logging on
failure to 28-8
to FactoryTalk 15-5
to RSView SE Client 27-15, 28-7
to RSView Studio 15-7
using administrative accounts to 15-5
using single sign-on 15-6
permissions
assigning by action 15-15
assigning by user 15-15
breaking inheritance 15-20
denying 15-15
explicit 15-20
inherited permissions 15-19
overriding inheritance 15-20
precedence 15-21
planning 3-9, 15-4
RSAssetSecurity 15-2
finding more information about 15-4
RSView Secured Commands editor 15-27
RSView User Accounts editor 15-23
securing
FactoryTalk resources 15-2, 15-12,
15-14
graphic displays 16-36
HMI project components 15-2, 15-22
HMI tags 8-4
setting up remote logging
alarm logging 11-28, 11-29
data logging 13-12, 13-13
INDEX
Tab 17-25, 18-19

using to navigate at run time 17-11
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location 4-5
Square graphic object 17-4
Stand-alone applications
See Applications, stand-alone
standard plotting 19-9
Standby macro
Startup components 5-15
Startup macro 22-4
using with trends 19-21
States toolbar 16-21
Status bar 2-7, 16-4
hiding 2-7
showing 2-7
String input graphic object 17-23
Suppressed List editor 11-10, 11-26
SuppressOn command 11-10
Symbol commands
Define A-6
Undefine A-7
Symbol indicators 17-28
Symbols A-6
Syntax
absolute references 5-5, 5-6
checking in derived tags 10-3
checking in expressions 20-4
embedded variables
numeric 21-3
string 21-4
time and date 21-4
relative references 5-5, 5-6, 6-3
tags
System administration
See RSView Administration Console
System tags
for alarms 11-9
T
Tab index
I18
18-17
removing 17-11
Tab key
creating a tab sequence 18-19
Tab sequence
changing index numbers 18-18
checking index numbers 18-17
creating 18-17, 18-19
removing objects from 17-11
Tag Browser
displaying tag properties 8-9
displaying tags 8-9
filtering items 8-10
hiding tag descriptions 8-9
home area 8-8
how to use 8-7
removing filter 8-11
showing server names 8-7
showing tag descriptions 8-9
using to create HMI tags 9-9
using wildcards in 8-11
Tag commands
= (Equal)
using for memory tags 9-8
Set 9-8
Tag Import and Export Wizard 9-10
Tag label graphic object 17-35
Tag placeholders 16-28, 18-4
creating 16-28
replacing by listing tag names 16-29
replacing using a parameter file 16-29
resolving at run time 11-35
using in alarm summaries 16-29
using in expressions 20-5
using the [tag] parameter 18-21
using with tag folders 16-28
Tag substitution 16-20
Tag values
changing 9-8
displaying in a tag label object 17-35
downloading 17-23
logging 8-12, 12-4, 13-6
updating 17-25, B-4
continuously in graphic displays 17-24
uploading 17-23
Tags
8-1, 9-1
absolute references 8-11

adding alarms to 9-11, 11-3
assigning to graphic objects 17-10
basic steps for using 8-2
browsing 8-3, 8-6
browsing offline 8-8, 8-9
creating later 8-3
data server tags
how to use 8-3
when to use 8-3
data sources 9-2
DDE B-2, B-3
designing database 3-6
displaying 8-9
displaying properties 8-9
filtering 8-10
hiding descriptions 8-9
HMI tags
alarms 9-11, 11-21
browsing 8-5
creating 8-11, 9-5, 9-8
data sources 9-7
deleting 9-6
device 9-2
duplicating 9-6
editing 9-6
folders 9-3, 9-5
grouping 9-3
importing 8-11, 9-9, 9-10
memory 9-2, 9-8
naming 9-3
organizing 9-2
setting up 8-5
Tags editor 9-5
when to use 8-4
home area 8-8
in graphic objects
updating continuously 17-24
limits
alarms 8-2
in graphic displays 8-1, 16-1
logging values 8-12, 12-4
min. and max. values 8-5
offline 8-8
offsetting values 8-4
OPC
addressing syntax 9-7
redundancy
See Redundancy
references 8-11
relative references 8-12
removing a filter 8-11
scaling values 8-4
securing 8-4, 15-29
showing descriptions 8-9
showing server names 8-7
storing values in memory 8-5
syntax
using for alarms 8-4
using in editors 2-15
using in expressions 2-16, 9-3, 20-5
with built-in functions 20-11
using in trends 19-11
using with placeholders in commands
22-1, A-2
Tags editor 11-2, 11-20
Technical support P-2, 1-3
Test Display mode 16-21, 18-6, 19-21
Text graphic object 17-8
ThisDisplay module 24-4
Thresholds for alarms 11-3, 11-5
Time and date displays 17-35
Toolbars 2-4, 16-3, 16-7
ActiveX toolbox 17-55
hiding 2-7
showing 2-7
States toolbar 16-21
Tools 1-2
Alarm Log Setup 1-3
Alarm Log Viewer 1-3, 11-27
Application Manager 1-2, 5-18, 6-7, 28-3
DeskLock 1-2, 15-33
Diagnostics Setup 1-3
I19
Index
See also [tag] parameter

See also Analog tags
See also Derived tags
See also Digital tags
See also String tags
See also System tags
INDEX
Diagnostics Viewer 1-3, 12-9

FactoryTalk Directory Configuration Wizard
1-3
FactoryTalk Help 1-3
Log On to FactoryTalk 1-3, 15-6
RSView SE Service Manager 1-3
Specify FactoryTalk Directory Location
1-4, 4-5
Tag Import and Export Wizard 1-3, 9-9,
9-10
Windows Firewall Configuration Utility
1-4
Tooltips
adding to graphic objects 16-22
Touch animation 18-11
Trends 19-1
appearance 19-12
background color 19-12
changing at run time 19-23
chart scale 19-5
charts 19-4, 19-9
plotting an XY chart 19-9
colors in 19-12
comparing data 19-14, 19-18
creating
setting up 19-3
delta value bar
displaying tag values 19-11
editing at run time 19-23
fonts in 19-12
graphic library 19-21
isolated graphing 19-10
legends 19-6
current value legend 19-6, 19-13
line legend 19-6, 19-14
x-axis legend 19-5
y-axis legend 19-5
markers in 19-12
multiple pens 19-10
navigating to 17-10
overlays 19-18
adding 19-18
at runtime 19-28
pan 19-27
parts of 19-4
I20
pens 19-6
icons 19-6
markers 19-7
selecting at run time 19-23
planning 3-9
printing 19-28
running in the background 19-21
scrolling 19-24
at run time 19-24
setting up 19-3
shading 19-14
snapshots 19-18
adding as an overlay 19-18
creating 19-18
templates 19-19
loading 19-20
testing 19-21
using at run time 19-8, 19-21
value bar 19-8, 19-25
x-axis 19-5
y-axis 19-5
zoom 19-27
U
Undefine command A-7
Upload command 17-26, 17-41
UploadAll command 17-26, 17-41
User accounts
See Security
V
Value table 8-4
updating B-4
Value tag
local messages 17-38
piloted control list selectors 17-45
VBA code 18-13
planning 3-10
using with ActiveX objects 17-55, 18-16
validating operator input 17-24
VBA documentation 24-8
VBA IDE 24-1, 24-3
Procedure window 24-4
W
Water Samples application 1-10
opening in RSView Studio 1-10, 2-3
running in RSView SE Client 1-12
Wedge graphic object 17-6
Width animation 18-10
Wildcards 9-2
and commands A-2
using to select tags 8-11
Windows workgroups 4-3

Workgroups in Windows 4-3
Write tag 16-20
Index
Procedures defined 24-2

Project Explorer 24-4
Properties Window 24-4
ThisDisplay module 24-4
VBA Integrated Development Environment
See VBA IDE
Vertical position animation 18-9
Vertical slider animation 18-12
Viewing objects 24-7
Visibility animation 11-9, 18-7
INDEX
X
XML
using with RSView
XML files
creating E-1
editing E-2
exporting E-1
graphics
structure E-3
importing E-3
testing E-2
E-1
Z
Zoom
in trends
19-27
I21

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Technical Support Telephone440-646-5800

Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, RSLinx, RSView, and VersaView are registered trademarks,

2 Exploring RSView Studio

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Exploring the RSView Studio main window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Plan how to access data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

4 Setting up FactoryTalk Directory

5 Working with distributed applications

Using absolute and relative references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

When to use additional HMI or data servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

6 Working with stand-alone applications

HMI server, HMI project, HMI client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Setting up communications in RSLinx Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

8 Working with tags

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

9 Creating HMI tags

About HMI tags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

10 Creating derived tags

Summary of features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Choosing the data to display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-33

12 Logging system activity

13 Using data logging

Using an existing ODBC data source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Setting up system-wide policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-7

16 Creating graphic displays

Using the grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-7

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Setting up display properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-32

17 Setting up graphic objects

How to use Least Significant Bits to trigger states. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-28

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

18 Animating graphic objects

Using rotation animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-10

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Pen markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19-7

Using expressions in a command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-2

21 Creating embedded variables

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

24 Using the RSView SE Client object model and display code

25 Setting up language switching

26 Setting up a redundant system

Setting up a redundant RSView SE system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-1

HMI redundancy as part of a complete strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-2

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Licensing in a redundant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-10

27 Deploying distributed applications

28 Deploying stand-alone applications

Backing up and restoring FactoryTalk System information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-4

B Setting up DDE communications for HMI tags

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

C ODBC database schemas

D RFC1766 names for Windows languages

About the documentation

Finding the information you need

Try the Users Guide and Help first

RSVIEW SUPERVISORY EDITION USERS GUIDE

Information on the Internet

Contacting Rockwell Software Technical Support

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