Copy global objects from FactoryTalk ME?

[patjdixon]

I have a FactoryTalk ME application with some global objects for diagnostics of 1769 and 1719 IO modules that don't work. They were developed by someone that didn't complete the work. I then found another ME application that has the completed, working version of those objects, and the names of those global objects are the same in both applications. How do I get the working objects from the other application into my application? Is there a way to import them and overwrite the ones already in my application?

 

[dmroeder]

Open both applications, place them side by side on your screen (so you can see the project tree of both). Make sure they are on the same monitor if you have dual monitors. Expand the global objects on the "source" application. Click the global object you want to bring over to you destination application, drag over to your destination project global objects. Release the mouse on your global objects in the destination application. Make sure you release on "Global Objects", not under global objects branch.

Here is the trick, the cursor will show you a symbol that suggests you cannot drag/drop. Ignore it, when you release the mouse button initially, you have a short period of time to left click again before the object will actually be copied over. It takes a little practice unfortunately.

So drag, drop, left click again. It's the additional left click that actually drops it. Undocumented feature...

 

[patjdixon]

Wow, is that goofy or what? Thanks you so much.

I actually found the feature, but it is again undocumented as far as I can see. Right click on Global Objects and there is a "Import and Export" item. You need to make sure the global object you want to export is not open. The menus are somewhat intuitive and allows you to create an XML of the global object. On the destination application do the same thing and choose Import. If you are updating an existing global object, select that option. When done it imports and updates the global object.

Now we have 2 hard to find ways to do it.

 

[dmroeder]

Drag/drop used to behave like you'd expect. Apparently it was deemed too boring so they spiced it up a bit. Equally as weird as the extra left click is, the monitor thing threw a mystery in as well. It took me a bit to understand, I'd say "well I know this worked yesterday, why is it intermittent"....