To build an expression:
- In the iFIX WorkSpace, open a dialog box that displays a Data Source field. For instance, double-click a datalink to display the Datalink dialog box, or open an Expert dialog box to add a basic animation.
- Click the Browse button to the right of the Data Source field. The Expression Builder dialog box appears.
- Click the tab that contains the items you want to use in your expression, as follows:
- To include a data source in an expression, click the node, block, and field from the FIX Database tab.
- To include properties of picture objects, click the Pictures tab.
- To include historical data, click the Historical tab.
- To include global objects, click the Globals tab.
- To include I/O points from third-party OPC servers, click the Data Servers tab.
NOTE: Not all tabs are available for all objects.
- Expand the list to display the items you want and select them. If a tab has many entries you do not want to display, filter the data source.
- If you want to combine two expressions, click the Mathematical Functions button and an operator button followed by a numeric value or another expression.
- Repeat steps 2 through 4, moving from tab to tab until you have included all the items you want in the expression.
- Enter the tolerance, deadband, and refresh rate for this connection.
- Click the Check Syntax button to verify that your expression is valid. A valid expression displays the message "Syntax check successful!". An error message is displayed for an invalid expression.
NOTE: If you have created an object-to-object connection, such as the fill percentage of one tank to another, or created a connection to a data source, the animated properties display in boldface in the Properties list of the Pictures tab for the selected object.
