An idea about pipe transport animation

Yuryas

Member
Join Date
Mar 2009
Location
Moscow
Posts
21
Gentlemen,

I have an idea that the reliable or at least repeatable results for “pipe animation” could be achieved by creating an piping routes model first and then implementing it in a software component. Really this model can be constructed each time during HMI design.

WPF technology now makes it possible to execute such Lab work online – “live”.
Try it here – http://www.pipinglinksdraw.com/
It takes some seconds to produce the piping system sketch.
Feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

clip0022.jpg
 
attachment.php


clip0022.jpg
 
Last edited:
FrancisL,

Thank you, indeed, for your remark.
The difference is:
Compare to universal ControlDraw - component pipingDraw.Net is quite specialized for the pipe transport Animation requirements only.
It is .Net control (not large dll) designed for imbedding in Visual Studio projects or in .Net compatible SCADAs.
It could be used on HMI screen or “under the hood” – just as animation calculator.

I wonder, gents,
What do you think, the pipe animation logic have to be placed at the PLC level or at the level of HMI?

Thanks.
 
Yuryas
I think your idea is good as an HMI component.
Where the pipe animation logic should live is a good question. Since it does not actually have any control, there is no reason not to do it in the SCADA.
In some applications I have seen, lines are coloured according to what is in them, so you need the relevant information in SCADA. But this may mean that you need more points from the PLC's in the SCADA so it knows.
Whether you actually need moving dots in the lines is another issue, it may make the graphic distracting to operators.
 
Thank you, FransisL.

It took some time to test the various options with this suspicious for you “moving dots”.
If we assume that our piping operator has to understand at glance:
a) whether a pipeline is filled with particular liquid;
b) whether the pipeline is open from the begin to the end;
c) whether there is a flow in the pipeline (this is could be especially important when the motive reason is out of the scope of our pipe diagram);
If we assume that -we need some reliable indicator for the case c).
Finally, I have tested a marker, which is “pipewalker” of the all connected at a moment pipes and is bringing a flow indicator, value for which was assigned at the place of a flow switch or a pump, or a filled tank, etc. In this case it is up to an HMI designer to use this marker or not.
As it is “indirect measurement” - actually it depends upon the piping structure, it bears reliable information for the all connected pipes or not.

As for animation logic place, now I am not so sure that the PC level is the only best option.
Now, while we able to have compact decryption of animation pipe routes interaction, why do not load this description in PLC DB, and write, say, “SCL” function for the run time calculations? Animation logic would be editable on PC level and executable on PLC level.
It is interesting to look at the “pro” & “contra” arguments.

Thanks.
 
To much animation distracts the operator from the critical points of operation. Flashing in general should be used to draw the operators attention to a operation that requires his imediate action/input.

It is nice to differentiate when you are for ex.flushing a line vs the line during production conditions,but it is a nice to have.Most applications i see there is no pipe animation.

:D
 
Thank you.
It is not a question at all what is used to "mark in" the flow in the pipes: “the moving dots” or some static symbol..
The question is the automatic transfer of the reliable information from the particular pipe segment to all others…
 

Similar Topics

I am trying to create an agnostic product queue builder using PLC ladder logic. I have a pallet conveyor and would like to be able to use a NO or...
Replies
18
Views
2,177
Hi all, I have been working on a tool for my company that handles a specific task our company runs into often related to PLC's. This is a tool I...
Replies
15
Views
2,854
I asked this question briefly in my previous post long post, I'm asking again here as the main point so it doesn't get buried. I am pretty new at...
Replies
3
Views
1,487
Everything worked fine until a program file was put in a box from another country, then I used it to fill in the gaps in the program, on my...
Replies
1
Views
998
Just wondering if anyone knows whose PLC this is?
Replies
40
Views
12,220
Back
Top Bottom