Uploading FTView-ME project

ceilingwalker

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Hello. After much help here on the forum I was finally able to communicate with my PanelViewPlus400 and my laptop. I uploaded .mer files, thinking that would be all I need to open the project in FTView-Studio. I now know they are files only to be opened by the HMI itself. Could someone please tell me what I should upload from my PV so that I may view the project and make changes as needed? I searched for help on youtube but came up empty. The problem is that I have no copy of this project at all. It is used equipment that was purchased several years ago. My knowledge of FTView-ME is pretty limited, outside of watching videos on youtube. Thank you:unsure:
 
You may or may not be able to recover the project files from just the .mer. It isn't always a reversible process. DO you know what firmware is in the PV+? Versions 5.1 and after may be restored if certain options were selected when the .mer file was created.
 
You may or may not be able to recover the project files from just the .mer. It isn't always a reversible process. DO you know what firmware is in the PV+? Versions 5.1 and after may be restored if certain options were selected when the .mer file was created.

No Sir, all I know is I have V7 on my laptop. I am able to communicate with the HMI from the laptop though. That's how I uploaded the runtime files.
 
Can you get on the config. screen of the PV+? It will tell you the firmware of the panel, probably 5.0 or 5.1, but who knows.
 
Use the application manager (in the FactoryTalk View Studio Tools folder), and select "restore runtime application". That'll restore it back into FTView Studio, and it will appear in your list to select when you start FTView Studio.

As jkerekes is alluding to though, it's not certain that'll just straight up work for you. Some older versions of .mer files don't allow conversion. Even the newer ones, whoever created the runtime file can select "always allow conversion", "allow conversion with password" or "never allow conversion". If you don't have a copy of the program beyond the one you uploaded, I'm going to guess that you also don't have the password, so unless they selected "always allow" you could be at a dead end anyway.

Pro tip: if it asks you for a password, try leaving it blank and pressing "OK" or enter - by default, the software selects the password option, so if you're not paying attention and just click through you'll end up with a password protected runtime file, but the password is blank. You might just get lucky.

The other thing to be aware of is that generally, when you restore the application, all of the user data (usernames and passwords) is scrambled. So make sure to check that out, of you intend to edit and re-download the application you'll need to get a hold of all the usernames and passwords ahead of time, and make sure you can work out which login had which access codes.

Good luck!
 
Use the application manager (in the FactoryTalk View Studio Tools folder), and select "restore runtime application". That'll restore it back into FTView Studio, and it will appear in your list to select when you start FTView Studio.

As jkerekes is alluding to though, it's not certain that'll just straight up work for you. Some older versions of .mer files don't allow conversion. Even the newer ones, whoever created the runtime file can select "always allow conversion", "allow conversion with password" or "never allow conversion". If you don't have a copy of the program beyond the one you uploaded, I'm going to guess that you also don't have the password, so unless they selected "always allow" you could be at a dead end anyway.

Pro tip: if it asks you for a password, try leaving it blank and pressing "OK" or enter - by default, the software selects the password option, so if you're not paying attention and just click through you'll end up with a password protected runtime file, but the password is blank. You might just get lucky.

The other thing to be aware of is that generally, when you restore the application, all of the user data (usernames and passwords) is scrambled. So make sure to check that out, of you intend to edit and re-download the application you'll need to get a hold of all the usernames and passwords ahead of time, and make sure you can work out which login had which access codes.

Good luck!

Thank you but I believe I have hit a stone-wall. When I try convert it it gives the error "This runtime application file was saved in a protected format that does not allow conversion to a development application". Sounds like I might be screwed, for lack of a better word.
 
Yep, that's a problem. It means that it was created with an old version of FTView that does not allow for you to restore it.

There are methods of partially recovering the project even so, but they're long winded and tedious, with no real guarantee and with varying levels of "recovery". So at this point you've got to ask yourself how much you really need this program, whether it's worth your time, or whether you might not be better to cut your losses and start over from scratch with a new program
 
Yep, that's a problem. It means that it was created with an old version of FTView that does not allow for you to restore it.

There are methods of partially recovering the project even so, but they're long winded and tedious, with no real guarantee and with varying levels of "recovery". So at this point you've got to ask yourself how much you really need this program, whether it's worth your time, or whether you might not be better to cut your losses and start over from scratch with a new program

I wouldn't mind cutting my losses except I have a unit that is running and can't be interrupted. I have the RSL5000 however, I have no idea what tags the HMI is using. I have searched the .acd to see if anything would be an obvious but no such luck. I am unable to go online with CPU at same time as HMI. Here comes some reconstruction 101 for me.
 
See TN 8913 Recovering a FactoryTalk View ME Project from the MER File version 4.0 or earlier
 
A couple of gotchas to throw into the works, along with the already rather large spanner.

To use the recovery method you must be using FactoryTalk View Studio v6.0 or older, and not v7.0, as you say you currently have. Also, v6.0 or older must be running on a 32-bit OS and not a 64-bit OS, as your v7.0 might possibly be? This is because of the older 32-bit WATCOM Tag Database not being compatible under a 64-bit OS.

Also, because we know from the message "The runtime application file was saved in a protected format that does not allow conversion to a development application." that the MER file was created selecting "Never allow conversion". This means that the graphical Displays are non-recoverable.

Depending on the complexity of the application, not having the Displays may be a hurdle too high to consider even attempting the recovery?

Just some further points for you to consider.

Regards,
George
 
Yeah, I knew about all the gotchas with this. But I'm not sure what version of the .mer he's dealing with. Might be worth a try if important enough. Otherwise its going back to square one and recreate it. Take a camera and photograph each screen and such.
 
A couple of gotchas to throw into the works, along with the already rather large spanner.

To use the recovery method you must be using FactoryTalk View Studio v6.0 or older, and not v7.0, as you say you currently have. Also, v6.0 or older must be running on a 32-bit OS and not a 64-bit OS, as your v7.0 might possibly be? This is because of the older 32-bit WATCOM Tag Database not being compatible under a 64-bit OS.

Also, because we know from the message "The runtime application file was saved in a protected format that does not allow conversion to a development application." that the MER file was created selecting "Never allow conversion". This means that the graphical Displays are non-recoverable.

Depending on the complexity of the application, not having the Displays may be a hurdle too high to consider even attempting the recovery?

Just some further points for you to consider.

Regards,
George

This PV+400 is only capable of running 1 .mer file, correct? I ask because when I uploaded them from the PV it has 5 .mer files. I am not even sure which one is running. The only date code it has is my upload date.
 
Yes it can run only one at a time. But as you discovered, it can store more depending on the sizes. If you can get it into the config. mode, there is a utility which shows you the loaded files. I don't remember if it shows you dates and times of the fie creation.
 
ceilingwalker said:
I wouldn't mind cutting my losses except I have a unit that is running and can't be interrupted...

Can you even take it to Configuration Mode?

What is stopping you from doing so besides the obvious "it's in use"?

A properly programmed terminal should usually not be required to keep the process going.
You might be running blind for a while but it should not be detrimental to take it offline for a short while?

DISCLAIMER: I say that without knowing exactly what it is doing.

If you go out to Configuration Mode, the first screen you see is the same as the attached photo I just took, albeit for a PVP 600...

j9Le5fxjJ-KufehjgWNtW_ftQ3rnoRy_7yJ-X7q1aOA


The MER Runtime file that you just exited from will be listed in the Current Application box.

If you're not sure how to get to Configuration Mode then let us know.

G.
 

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