FactoryTalk View Studio Animation/Fill/Read from tags

Reandy

Member
Join Date
Aug 2004
Location
Green Bay, WI
Posts
9
I'm having an issue with getting animation to work as I expect it should work. It only seems to change when I exit the display, then come back to the display.

Goal: Create 2 vertical bar graphs, the left one to be the PV of a PID loop, and the right one to be the SP of the PID loop. Always have the right bar graph be 50% (in the middle) no matter what the SP is. Have the left bar graph show the PV in the same scale as the SP bar graph is. I want to make these bar graphs dynamic so I can show a range of just 20 (zoomed in)(+10 and -10 of SP) instead of a range of 200 (low) to 300 (high).

To see what I am describing... In the PLC, create 3 tags (int/real doesn't matter) just make them the same type. For simplicity, I will use SLC500 style integer:
N7:0 (set point)
N7:1 (set point - 10)
N7:2 (set point + 10)

Create logic which subtracts 10 to N7:0 and puts it in N7:1
Create logic which adds 10 to N7:0 and puts it in N7:2

Put a value in N7:0 of 250, observe N7:1 now equals 240, and N7:2 now equals 260

In FactoryTalk View Studio create a rectangle. Right Click/Select Animation/Fill. In the expression for the tag put in N7:0. Under "Expression range" select radio button "Read from tags". In "Min:" put in N7:1. In "Max:" put in N7:2. Apply/Close. What we should observe when we run this is that the bar graph always stays half filled (Yes I know we could just show a graphic which represents 50% (not dynamic), but my goal builds upon this concept, so let's continue)

When I observe this in run mode in studio, and on the client, is that as i change the SP in the PLC, the bar graph does not always stay only 50% filled. If I bring up another display, and then come back to this display, then it shows correctly. It's almost as if this "read from tags" animation only is updated when the display opens.

Other things to note... I'm putting a scale to the left of these 2 bar graphs. It has 3 major ticks, and 1 minor tick. I have text with tags inserted on the top major tick (N7:2). On the middle tick (N7:0 the SP) and N7:1 on the lower tick. Of course these update just fine, always showing the SP (N7:0) on the middle tick. And the other ticks updating their +/- 10. The left bar graph for the PV, I have it with the same "read from tags" on it's Animation/fill "Expression Range / Read from tags". I have the PV tag in the fill expression. This bar graph acts like the SP one, only updates and scales correctly when the window is opened.

Right now, my only "work around" is to have the operator change graphics, and then come back to this one, right after he/she makes a SP change.
 
I'd try using the dedicated FTV Objects (Bar Graph, Gauge and Scale) rather than relying on (HMI) System Tags driven animation.
 
You will not be able to dynamically adjust the Min/Max of the Bar Graph or Gauge objects, however, you could create a 'stack' of them each with different, defined limits and the Visibility animation determined by the values of the two 'thresholds' (N7:1 and N7:2 in your example).
 
ok, so if I understand correctly, if valid SP's range from 200 to 300, in increments of 1, then I would need 100 stacked bar graphs, one for each valid SP, with the corresponding offset.
 
Welcome to View.

HMI Software that makes 1975 stuff look modern.

You **MIGHT** be able to get the effect you want by using VBA, and forcing an update on the object from event fired scripts when any of your watched values changes.

It will be jerky, slow, and probably buggy, but should work.

I won't try it out, as I have no desire to fire up studio and deal with the frustration.
 
if valid SP's range from 200 to 300, in increments of 1

That's quite a 'granular' process I might say...Real life or theoretical?...A stack of 100 Bar Graphs is quite an undertaking...I think my highest ever had some 25 items...:D

I dunno what to tell you; FTV Animation timing is driven by System Tags (Internal Clock) and I don't believe is synchronized to the CPU data update rate; then you are connected to a SLC which, even if a Ethernet 5/05, is not using the FTV dedicated data server RSLinx Enterprise...

As suggested by rdrast, you could try implementing some VBA script and try adjusting the Min/Max of the object, however, I am not sure this scenario could be successfully implemented within given scenario.
 
rdrast: Thanks for your reply and I love the first two lines of your response! I've used other SCADA/HMI systems, and began to use FTVS only in the last year or so. Corporate wanted all plants to standardize on a single system, and now every day, i say to myself over and over "change is good, change is good".

A little background on me... Started programming on the GE Series 1 back in 87. It was programmed with a keypad that snapped on to the front of the processor.

That's back in the day when PLC's were called PC's (programmable controller). Then with the explosion of the personal computer also being called PC's, the controls industry changed PC to PLC by adding the word "Logic" to avoid confusion.
 
Last edited:
dmargineau: It's a real process, depending on raw material consistencies the target temperature needs to change. (it's a recycled waste product stream in which the raw-material is changing by the hour). Really my only goal is to give some graphical difference between the SP and the PV. With a valid range of SP between 200 to 300, I wanted to be able to graphically display a 5 degree difference between PV and SP. With the bar graph low end fixed at 200, and high end fixed at 300, PV and SP are always "appearing" to be close in-line with each other. I wanted some way to "zoom-in" and show the operator that the process is now getting 5 degrees or more away from SP. This isn't causing production problems, alarms and LCL/UCL notify the operator of a deviation outside specifications. I just thought it would be cool to dynamically have the bar graph 'zoom-in' to a tighter range, to give the operators a better visual. A 5°ΔT would show a 50% deflection, instead of a 5% deflection between the 2 bar graphs.
 
I see...And I agree with your intended approach regarding the operators' perceived system information...However, FTV is what it is...Need I say more?...:D
 

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