PanelView+ - Disable numeric entry based on current user’s security code?

agarb · Aug 28, 2017

It seems like this should be so easy to do that maybe I'm missing something??

Is there a way to create a numeric input box but only allow the value to be changed based on the security code of who is logged in? For example, operators could see machine parameters but an engineer would need to log in to change them. Would also be nice to enable or disable screen navigation buttons based on the same security code. So button to navigate to maintenance functions would be always visiable but only active is proper user is logged in.

Right now, I create two separate screens. One is view only (numeric display) and the other can be modified (numeric entry). Then I make two screen navigation buttons and stack them with different visibility animations. Seems like lots of unnecessary effort.

seth350 · Aug 28, 2017

IIRC, you should be able to do something with the "Enter" expression property in the tag list for the numeric input box.
Like,
If CurrentUserSecurityLevel > A Then 1 Else 0

Don't take that word for word, it's been awhile. In the expression editor, look through the snippets to find something along those lines.

TL140 · Aug 28, 2017

You could always put a visibility animation on the numeric input and just use a numeric display to show the parameters. Also, I've heard of people creating transparent boxes that cover sections of the screen to block off that area with a visibility animation on them tied to security code.

Phrog30 · Aug 28, 2017

agarb said:
It seems like this should be so easy to do that maybe I'm missing something??

It should be easy, but RA doesn't understand that word.
One simple trick is to place an end key on top of what you want to secure. Then put visibility on this end key based on user rights. When the end key is visible it will prevent user input. I like this method because it still allows the user to see the numeric values. Why RA can't integrate something like this into the object is beyond me.

brendan.buchan · Aug 28, 2017

What we do is have a numeric display object that is 'on-top', and behind this have a transparent numeric input object that has visibility set depending on current user code.

What this does is make it so that the numeric display object is always visible, but when you press on it nothing happens. Once the correct user is logged in and you press on the display object, it will reach the numeric input object behind it and bring up the numeric input popup.

agarb · Aug 28, 2017

Awesome!

Phrog30 said:
It should be easy, but RA doesn't understand that word.
One simple trick is to place an end key on top of what you want to secure. Then put visibility on this end key based on user rights. When the end key is visible it will prevent user input. I like this method because it still allows the user to see the numeric values. Why RA can't integrate something like this into the object is beyond me.

This is perfect! I tested it with a single transparent end button and no border. I sized it to cover all the parameters on my screen and then hide it upon login.

This eliminates making separate two separate displays as I do now. Some also suggested the the stacking of numeric entries and numeric displays. I've done that before as well but I think having one large end button is preferable for me because it is simpler. Don't have the extra work of making unique objects that are properly aligned, identical in size, setting up connection tab for each, etc.

crawler009 · Aug 28, 2017

agarb said:
It seems like this should be so easy to do that maybe I'm missing something??

It will come, just be patient. Lets talk in 5 years about this, or maximum 10 years, and i bet it will be implemented. If not, wait another decade

I prefer to overlay a transparent "something" over the numeric input, instead of having 2 screens, because its easyer to maintain. With 2 screens, you have to make the changes always 2 times, and the probability of making some mistakes is bigger.

For the overlay i like a momentary push button (with visibility on CurrentUserHasCode(C) for example) connected to some temporary tag. The pushbutton in state0 has no caption, and in state1 it says "No Access". So, if a user who has not the rights to modify the value, presses the number to change it, a "No access" appears right on top of the value.

agarb · Aug 28, 2017

crawler009 said:
It will come, just be patient. Lets talk in 5 years about this, or maximum 10 years, and i bet it will be implemented. If not, wait another decade

I prefer to overlay a transparent "something" over the numeric input, instead of having 2 screens, because its easyer to maintain. With 2 screens, you have to make the changes always 2 times, and the probability of making some mistakes is bigger.

For the overlay i like a momentary push button (with visibility on CurrentUserHasCode(C) for example) connected to some temporary tag. The pushbutton in state0 has no caption, and in state1 it says "No Access". So, if a user who has not the rights to modify the value, presses the number to change it, a "No access" appears right on top of the value.

That's a neat twist. Essentially what Phrog30 suggested but with feedback for the operator with respect to access.

I sometimes use Maple Systems HMI on low-end systems. This is built in feature that has me spoiled.

Phrog30 · Aug 28, 2017

If you want feedback to the user I usually use a goto button instead of end key. This goto button can call a pop-up display that will tell the user no access rights, or whatever message you want. This acts kind of like a message box in windows forms.

crawler009 · Aug 28, 2017

Phrog30 said:
If you want feedback to the user I usually use a goto button instead of end key. This goto button can call a pop-up display that will tell the user no access rights, or whatever message you want. This acts kind of like a message box in windows forms.

Thats also a interesting idea, like it.

agarb · Aug 28, 2017

Yea, so many ways to do things. That is one of the beauties of this forum. I get to learn from people smarter than me!

Phrog30 · Aug 28, 2017

One thing I noticed, if you use userhasgroup instead of userhascode be careful on how many you have on one display. For whatever reason, using more than 6 or so on one display will cause the entire display to be slow in response. I tried v9 and it was slow as well. I mentioned to RA support but for some reason I don't expect a fix soon.

ASF · Aug 28, 2017

brendan.buchan said:
What we do is have a numeric display object that is 'on-top', and behind this have a transparent numeric input object that has visibility set depending on current user code.

What this does is make it so that the numeric display object is always visible, but when you press on it nothing happens. Once the correct user is logged in and you press on the display object, it will reach the numeric input object behind it and bring up the numeric input popup.

That's what I do as well, only I have mine in front. I make it transparent but give it a border that's slightly different to the numeric display - that way, when you're logged in, your numeric entry fields display slightly differently, giving you a visual cue as to whether or not you're logged in. Usually it's just as simple as changing the thin black border to a slightly thicker blue border, or something.

This is particularly useful when you have multiple levels of access across a range of different parameters - as soon as you log in you can see at a glance which parameters you have access to change, and which ones you don't.

brendan.buchan · Aug 28, 2017

ASF said:
That's what I do as well, only I have mine in front. I make it transparent but give it a border that's slightly different to the numeric display - that way, when you're logged in, your numeric entry fields display slightly differently, giving you a visual cue as to whether or not you're logged in. Usually it's just as simple as changing the thin black border to a slightly thicker blue border, or something.

This is particularly useful when you have multiple levels of access across a range of different parameters - as soon as you log in you can see at a glance which parameters you have access to change, and which ones you don't.

Nice. It never occurred to me to do this but I like it.

PanelView+ - Disable numeric entry based on current user’s security code?

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