FT View SE - create .DAT file

[Fornax]

Hi all,

I have few GB of logged data created by RS View 32 Works, it is all in .DBF format.
At the moment, my company wants to shift all data to FT View SE and use it as only source of logs, and , of course to view old logs which were created by RS View. My problem is that new FT View SE can only read .DAT files.

Do you have any idea how to switch from .DBF to .DAT format?


....
It's hard to find more about this topic online, but it must be that someone else has had this issue...

 

[A_G]

Welcome to the forum! It's been a while since I used RSView32 but I remember it being possible to view data log in excel. The below thread says you just open the dbf file directly with excel https://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=27129

I don't know if there is any way to export import RSView32 datalog to Factory Talk View

 

[A_G]

So I guess if you can get old logs into excel, will this satisfy the requirements of your company

 

[Fornax]

Thanks for welcoming me!

No, reading the file in Excel is not a problem for me, as you said it can be done just by opening in Excel or alternatively, by using FactoryTalk File Viewer.

I want to transform .dbf files to .dat files, so they can be readable by FactoryTalk View SE (in Trends).

 

[Operaghost]

Ok so I have not done this other than a quick test that I just did. FTView can import datalogs from RSView32. In doing so it will create the .DAT files. Here is what I did…

1. From your RSView32 Datalog (DLGLOG) project folder, copy the .MDF file and the folder for that datalog. The MDF file is the configuration info, and the folder contains the actual data logs.
2. I did this on two separate computers, so I copied those files above to my other PC and placed them on my desktop.
3. In FTView I went to the Data Log folder right clicked on Data Log Models and select Add Component into Project
4. Browse to the location where you placed the RSView32 .MDF file, select it and click Open
5. That will then create new .DAT files from your .DBF source logs. Once you are sure everything is working you can delete the files that were copied.

That is what worked for me using an RSView32 datalog I just created and logged a small amount of data into. I do see that data in my trend when I tell it to use the logged data.

OG

 

[Fornax]

Operaghost, this might be great solution actually.

Few questions:
1) Inside the project folder -> DLGLOG -> .mdf file. I have copied that and pasted to another computer, on desktop, created new folder as you did. Now, my actual .dbf logs are on another location C: -> ARCHIVE. I take several logs from This folder and paste them on another computer, desktop, new folder where .mdf file sits.

When I try to open .MDF file from FTView, it actually does create a model of a database within FTView Data Log folder, but it doesn't convert any of .dbf files to .dat.

What am I missing?

It is just one question actually..

 

[clintm]

This is just a WAG as I haven't used RSView32 in years, but if the paths to the datalogs in RSV32 were absolute and not relative to the project you might have to duplicate that path on your new PC.

 

[Operaghost]

This is just a WAG as I haven't used RSView32 in years, but if the paths to the datalogs in RSV32 were absolute and not relative to the project you might have to duplicate that path on your new PC.

Exactly. The path to the DBF files is part of the MDF configuration. You will need to recreate the necessary folders so that the path is exactly the same. Then place your DBF files into that folder. Once that is done, do the Add Component step again.

OG

 

[Fornax]

Again I tried unsuccessfully.

So, here is my DLGLOG folder (in image attached).


It sits on C:Rab32(project name). From there I have copied the configuration file, named 'Global' (in another image attached)

I use 2 computers. I place 'Global' on desktop to my second computer.
Back to 1st computer, I took archive files (log files, .dbf format) from location C:arh_rab (on 3rd image)


Place those log files on the same location on a 2nd computer (C:arh_rab).
Open FTView SE, do the Add Component step.
Global appears on FTView SE under Data Log Models.
None of the files get converted.

Any idea why?

 

[Operaghost]

On your new PC (the one running FTView) you need to have the same folder structure as the one running Windows XP.

You need to have C:\Rab32\DLGLOG

The "Global.MDF" file and the Global folder need to be placed in this folder.

Your second picture is what you need to have on the new PC.

OG

I will try this again on my end to make sure I didn't miss something.

 

[Operaghost]

So I just did this again.

I went into RSViews32 and created a simple data log in a Wide format. I logged a couple minutes of data and then stopped the log.

I then copied the contents of the DLGLOG folder which consisted of the MDF file and the folder of the same name.

I pasted that information into a different PC that has FTView and placed the file and folder on the Windows desktop.

I opened FTView and created a new SE local application. Once it opened I went to the Data Log Models in the tree and right-clicked and selected Add Component into Project. I pointed to the MDF file I had copied to my Windows desktop. Click to select and then clicked Open.

After that, I went to the public documents and drilled down to my FTView project and its DLGLOG folder and the .MDF and the .DAT files were created.

I created my trend and set it up to pull data from the data log and added the pens I had recorded. Now, when you run the trend, you may have to change the timespan setting to see older data. The default for a new trend is to only show the last two minutes so you may need to play with that setting.

But, I did not have to put the DBF files into a specific folder to get this to import.

OG

 

[Fornax]

Hi, I was occupied with another tasks these days. Thanks a lot for your response! Sorry for my noobiness but let's take it again , I will do it step by step.

Comparing to your steps:
1) I went into RSViews32 and created a simple data log in a Wide format. I logged a couple minutes of data and then stopped the log.
- In my case I have 1GB of data with both Wide and Narrow format. These logs are recorded on absolute path: C/arh_rab/Global. On the other hand .mdf file is stored onto a project file C/Rab32/DLGLOG.

2)I then copied the contents of the DLGLOG folder which consisted of the MDF file and the folder of the same name.
I pasted that information into a different PC that has FTView and placed the file and folder on the Windows desktop.
- I can see that you have placed it on the Windows desktop, while you have reccomended me to create a 'new' structure on another PC, which should be the same as on the old PC : C/Rab32/DLGLOG. I have placed the files on the desktop at another (new) computer as well.

3)I opened FTView and created a new SE local application. Once it opened I went to the Data Log Models in the tree and right-clicked and selected Add Component into Project. I pointed to the MDF file I had copied to my Windows desktop. Click to select and then clicked Open.
After that, I went to the public documents and drilled down to my FTView project and its DLGLOG folder and the .MDF and the .DAT files were created.
- I opened already existing SE local application, went to the Data Log Models in the tree and right-clicked and selected Add Component into Project. I pointed to the MDF file I had copied to my Windows desktop. Click to select and then clicked Open.
After that, I went to the public documents and drilled down to my FTView project and its DLGLOG folder and the .MDF file was created, but .DAT files were not.


Maybe I'm making some solid mistake but I'm really unsure what to do

 

[Operaghost]

Ok so let me make sure I understand...

When you Add Component into a new application, it works. But if you import into an existing application, it doesn't. Is that right?

Assuming that is the case, what if you use the Add Component option and point to the data log in the new application and try to add that to the existing application.

OG

 

[Fornax]

No,
When I 'Add Component' it never turns logs from .dbf to .dat format, whether we are talking about existing or new application.

 

[Fornax]

No,
When I 'Add Component' it never turns logs from .dbf to .dat format, whether we are talking about existing or new application.