converting .mer file to .apa file

I have a question about uploading a .mer file from a running touchscreen and then converting it to an .apa file that can be restored for use in RSView Studio. To me this should be a no brainer, but can't seem to get it done. I can upload the file but can't convert it.

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I don't think there is anyway to de-compile an .mer file back down to a project. I might be wrong, but I've never seen or heard of a way to do it.

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Tech support can do this but some information is lost..such as alarms and such..

This does seem a little silly and hopefully they are looking into it..

D

Ya, this software has been a interesting exercise. I upload program from slc’s for modifications regularly. I see the same thing coming for touchscreens and if no one has saved the .apa file your on the phone for who knows how long with tech support for a part of the program. Oh well quite the adventure.
thanks for the input
Mark

You can do it yourself, the method used to be posted on the Rockwell Knowledge base. Not sure if it is still there.
Regards Alan Case

conversion follow up

Hi, just a note to thank you all again for the information. My schedule is pretty intense but I finally got a round to trying the conversion and it does work. I haven't investigated the files that need to be manual rebuilt but the basic conversion worked.

Have a great holiday!!!!

I finally got a round to trying the conversion and it does work

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How did you do the conversion? Is there a technote available?

See this post: http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showpost.php?p=187012&postcount=7

A major opportunity for Rockwell to improve the PanelView Plus RSView software is to get rid of their arcane and cumbersome file restrictions. Every time I come back from a start-up I have to jump through hoops to get the right file in the right format onto our server in the right project folder in a useable format. Then, if someone else goes out to the field for service they have to jump through the same hoops backwards to make sure they can revise the HMI configuration if needed.

This is rediculous. With the tools available to programmers now I fail to see any reason that I can't save projects to any directory I want, simply copy the file(s) to another directory, and then simply open it. A-B isn't the only (or the worst) company that doesn't seem to understand that control work isn't always done in an office and isn't always done on the same PC and isn't always using a single application.

Good points Tom. The rigid file structure has been somewhat frustrating for me too. I've heard that Ver. 5 of RSView is coming out in the spring.

Tom Jenkins said:

This is rediculous...

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Amen brotha Tom!

I had found, with RSView ME at least, that a list of the active projects is kept in the registry. If it isn't in the registry, it doesnn't exist. If it in the registry, the application exists, even though the files had been deleted. The 'delete' and 'restore' functions manipulate the registry properly. Merely moving the files in or out doesn't.

I was able to sucessfully delete an application after mistakenly deleting just the files, by meticulously going through the registry (a scarry thought) and deleting every reference to it. There was a bunch.

Come on AB, how about just a local text file as an index? Or just looking for all files with the appropriate extension in a chosen (and changable) directory?

bernie_carlton said:

Come on AB, how about just a local text file as an index? Or just looking for all files with the appropriate extension in a chosen (and changable) directory?

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You mean like PanelBuilder32? and RSView32? - where's the fun in that?
Seriously, I've complained about this many times.

What about the security sytem? That was all pretty straight-forward until they lobbed version 4 over the wall.
And have you noticed it will happily overwrite a .mer file but absolutely refuses to overwrite an .apa file?
And when you call up the transfer utility, it defaults to the last runtime you downloaded - not the one you've just built - and the PV+ it went to. Good possibilities for sending the right thing to the wrong place or vice-versa.


I have tried the upload method and it does work.

rta53 said:

How did you do the conversion? Is there a technote available?

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Yes I got them from the AB knowledge base, I copied it to my note pad for unknown or unremembered reason, it’s an expanded version of the link Ken suggested. I will attach it to this reply.

Good luck