Lets you set the way the selected object(s) color is animated in the runtime environment. There are three color experts:
- Background Color Expert
- Foreground Color Expert
- Edge Color Expert
Data Source
Allows you to enter the data source that animates the selected object(s) color property. Click the browse button (...) to view all of data sources available in your system. Click the down button to view the last data sources you used. Click the modify database block button to modify the selected data source. You can add a database block by entering a new database block tag name and tabbing off this field. The Quick Add dialog box appears and allows you to enter the appropriate values for the added block.
Color Properties Tab
The Color Properties tab contains the following items:
Color By
|
Item |
Description |
|
Current Value |
Allows you to enter a value or range of values and assign each a unique color in the Color Threshold table to the right. When the current value of the data source falls within or on that color definition, the selected object(s) change to that color. |
|
Current Alarm |
Allows you to set up color thresholds to visually alert operators that a data source is in a particular alarm state. This differs from the Latched Alarm option in how it handles multiple alarm states. Selecting current alarm always displays the color assigned to the current alarm. |
|
Latched Alarm |
Allows you to set up color thresholds to visually alert operators that a data source is in a particular alarm state. This differs from the Current Alarm option in how it handles multiple alarm states. When a data source is in more than one alarm state that has defined thresholds, the latched alarm strategy displays the color assigned to the unacknowledged alarm of the highest priority. If there are no unacknowledged alarms, it displays the color of the current alarm. |
New Alarm
|
Item |
Description |
|
Blink on New Alarm |
Sets the selected object(s) to blink every time the data source registers a new alarm. The object stops blinking when the alarm is acknowledged. This setting overrides the blinking settings defined for individual thresholds. The object blinks between the color of the threshold table and the blink on a new alarm color. |
|
Blink on New Alarm Color |
Sets the color for the blink on new alarm if the Blink on New Alarm check box is selected. |
Color Threshold
|
Item |
Description |
|
Range |
If the value of the data source falls within a specified threshold range in the table below, the selected object(s) change to the associated color. |
|
Exact Match |
If the value of the data source exactly matches a threshold value in the table below, the selected object(s) change to the associated color. |
|
Exact Match Tolerance |
Lets you enter an allowable deviation from the current value of a data source. For example: If the current value is 10, and the tolerance is 5, the range that the color will display is from 5 to 15. |
|
Color List Box |
Allows you to animate an object's color based on a specified value. To assign values, click a cell within the Maximum, Minimum, and Value columns and enter a value. To assign colors, double-click a cell within the Color and Blink To columns and select a color from the color box. |
|
No Blink |
Removes a blink color assigned to the selected row in the color table threshold. |
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Insert Row |
Inserts a new row into the color threshold table. |
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Delete Row |
Deletes the selected row of the color threshold table. |
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Reset to Defaults |
Resets the Color Threshold table to the default values. |
|
Use Shared Threshold Table |
Allows you to use a color table that is defined in globals or any color table that is defined in a picture, which will be open in conjunction with the current picture. |
|
Shared Table |
Allows you to enter the data source for the shared color table. The shared table data source must be a color threshold table found in the global user page or in another picture. |
Historical Properties Tab
The Historical Properties tab allows you to set the parameters for a query that fetches historical data from Proficy Historian. The tab contains the following items:
NOTE: The following fields, with the exception of the Update Rate fields, are only available if you select a Historical Mode other than Current Value.
Start Date
|
Item |
Description |
|
Fixed Date |
Specifies whether to enter a specific start date for the query of the data source. |
|
Days Before Now |
Specifies whether to enter the number of days prior to today to fetch data from Proficy Historian. For example, if you want to display data collected for the data source two days ago, enter 2. |
Start Time
|
Item |
Description |
|
Fixed Time |
Specifies whether to designate a specific time to start. If selected, allows you to enter an explicit start time. |
|
Lock Time |
Locks the Fixed Time, even if you change the time zone in the Date and Time Properties dialog box in the Control Panel. This field is available only when you designate a specific time to start using the Fixed Time field. |
|
Duration Before Now |
Specifies whether to enter the duration prior to the current time to start. The minimum duration is 0 seconds; the maximum is 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. |
Time Zone
|
Item |
Description |
|
Time Zone |
Allows you to select the time zone to associate with the start time. You can select the client time (time zone for your computer), the server time (time zone used by the Historian server), or the tag time (uses the time zone bias of the tag, which is set in Historian). The default time zone is that of the client machine. This field is available only when Historian is used. |
|
Adjust for Daylight Savings Time |
Adjusts the time if the zone you selected is experiencing daylight saving. This field works only if you selected the Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving changes check box located on the Time Zone tab of the Date/Time Properties dialog box in the Control Panel. |
Historical Mode
Allows you to determine how iFIX selects and fetches data from a historical data source and, determines what each displayed value represents. The options are:
- Sample – The last valid value found, up to and including the start of the specified interval.
- Avg – The average of all valid data found during the specified interval.
- High – The highest valid data point value found during the specified interval.
- Low – The lowest valid data point value found during the specified interval.
- Interpolated – The data is interpreted by assuming that the line between two values is a straight line. All points along that line are estimated except the starting point and the ending point.
- Current Value – The
current value of the data point.
IMPORTANT: The Current Value may update at a rate different from the rate set in the Update Rate field. The update rate is not set solely by the rate entered in the Update Rate field. It also depends on the collection rate, the rate for querying Historian, and the time required to request an update from the Historian server and send it back to the client. As a result, the time it takes to display the updates may be longer than anticipated. Additionally, please be aware that the timestamp for this mode represents the timestamp from the Historian server, not the client.
- Standard Deviation – The standard deviation of all valid data found during the specified interval.
- Total – The total of all valid data found during the specified interval.
Duration
The duration determines the time range for the historical data source. The minimum duration for a fetch is one second; the maximum is 999 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.
|
Item |
Description |
|
Days |
Allows you to enter the number of days. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
|
Hours |
Allows you to enter the number of hours for the duration for the data fetch query. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
|
Mins |
Allows you to enter the number of minutes for the duration for the data fetch query. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
|
Secs |
Allows you to enter the number of seconds for the duration for the data fetch query. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
Update Rate
Allows you to specify the rate at which the data is updated. The default rate is five seconds. Zero is permitted for a one-time fetch. The fastest update rate is five seconds, the slowest, 1:59:59.
|
Item |
Description |
|
Hours |
Allows you to enter the number of hours for the rate of data update. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
|
Mins |
Allows you to enter the number of minutes for the rate of data update. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
|
Secs |
Allows you to enter the number of seconds for the rate of data update. This field can be used in conjunction with the other fields in this area. |
Get Data From New Selection
Allows you to select a different object in the Workspace while the Color Expert is still displayed. Click this button and that object's color animation parameters appear in the Color Expert. You can then apply the parameters to a new selection.
