Expanding a Free HMI Software and Looking for help with drawing HMI components

DRS said:

Gages without needles would be very helpful (needles can added by the VB or C codes).

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All of the objects you see in the image above are user controls with code behind them. After you drop them on a form, you simply set a "Value" property and the needle moves to that position. They are designed to allow an HMI to be build in VB without the need to write any code by automatically linking the Value property to the PLC address specified in the "PLC Address" property. If the PLC Address property has nothing in it, then you can set the value (needle position) with VB code.

Archie
While my current project doesn't use an A-B PLC I hope you don't mind me leaching some of your graphics.

Tommy

DRS said:

I hope you don't mind me leaching some of your graphics.

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After some intensive code testing, I'm going to put all of my code on Sourceforge for anyone to use as they please. It will include all the graphics, including the gauges and needles as separate images.
I'm hoping in return other will contribute some graphics to add to the library. So if you have some good graphics to share, I would really appreciate it.

I'm hoping in return other will contribute some graphics to add to the library.

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Archie
While not sure you'd find much use in my stick people drawings, anything I come across I'll post here.





not sure who made these keys came across them in one of the forums.

Tommy

Archie, excellent work thus far. I too am artistically challenged, so I am afraid I am of little help.

A few suggestions of items I use a bit;

motorized valves, 2-way and 3-way
air dampers
flow meter
air filter

as well as some obvious output devices like;

HVAC compressor (generic looking thing)
water pump
duct heater bank
air fan
solenoid valve

cheers

Charlie

I'm going to put all of my code on Sourceforge for anyone to use as they please.

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Archie
I do wish you luck and a speedy completion of your project.


Even this simple numeric keypad can take hours to put together.


Tommy

Comment and suggestions

First, I want to say that those are the finest looking graphical pushbuttons and gauges I have ever seen. Period.

You are far from art-tarded.

As a suggestion, no two of them:

Simple shapes and compound animation. My first experince using RSView32 to build a 2-d model of a machine actually moving on the screen revealed incredible potential, and later became the heart of a wonderful HMI program. Being able to use expression for x and y postion, and rotation angles of rectangles and circles circles with fill levels and color choices makes nearly every conceivable process pretty simple to animate.

Another suggsetion, although not graphical, and I have never seen this feature before:

Sortable tables.

What if you could have an alarm list or recipe table for example, in which you could filter and sort by simply right clicking or double clicking the column headings?

Want to sort the display by Alarm Time? Daily Total Batches? Name? It would be very intuitive for those people accustomed to Winders Exploder...

Paul

Just my little brainstorm...

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. The keypad was actually the next thing on my list. I've been hunting for a really good looking keypad to mimic.

Charlie... I'm adding all of your suggested objects to my list and starting to look for models to go by.

Paul... I will definitely add the simple shapes and animation. I can probably get that done before I post the code. I've got an idea on a sortable table to start playing with.


Thanks again for the feedback! Its exactly what I need to turn this into a useful piece of software.

If you do work on a numeric keypad, I'd suggest work on a full blown version of it.
It'll save you a lot of time down the line.
I agree with the rest, the graphics so far are very good looking.

If you do work on a numeric keypad, I'd suggest work on a full blown version of it.

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while I agree with bkottaras I also wounder what more is needed on a HMI Numeric keypad? (Current Value?,Max/Min)




Tommy

DRS said:

while I agree with bkottaras I also wounder what more is needed on a HMI Numeric keypad?

Tommy

Click to expand...

This looks even better.
Thats what I meant.
A Backspace maybe?
My point was to emphasize that since you are putting in the time, go all out so you don't have to touch it again once created and functional.

Archie
Guess you never know how your graphics look until you see them on a HMI application.



Thanks!
Tommy

Looks great! Is the "current check" an image or something created with shapes/objects?

Is the "current check" an image or something created with shapes/objects?

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surferb
For this application it was easiest to do it with images (small number of checks that need to be made on each of the parts).


Tommy

Tommy, which software do you use for drawing? I have a fairly complex application coming up, but it will require some custom components. I've used paint.net so far, but would like to find something better.