Ignition Tips, tricks and Screens

[TWS]

Like this? https://inductiveuniversity.com/video/template-indirect-binding?r=/course/templates.
Or this? https://inductiveuniversity.com/video/template-udt-parameter?r=/course/templates

 

[TConnolly]

Jesper,

Ignition has that. And it does it very well. IMO better than most packages. Ignition templates, template binding and indirect bindings are very powerful reusable graphic tools. For repeating graphics I haven't seen a tool as powerful at the template repeater on any other HMI package.

I'd venture that the detractors have only very limited exposure and have never been to an Ignition training course. Suffice it to say that I am in 100% disagreement with them. I know people have their favorite software, and that is OK. From my own experience all I can say is that if you have been futzing around with Rockwell's latest software you'll find Ignition to be a breath of fresh air.

 

[dmargineau]

Jesper,

Ignition has that. And it does it very well. IMO better than most packages. Ignition templates, template binding and indirect bindings are very powerful reusable graphic tools. For repeating graphics I haven't seen a tool as powerful at the template repeater on any other HMI package.

I'd venture that the detractors have only very limited exposure and have never been to an Ignition training course. Suffice it to say that I am in 100% disagreement with them. I know people have their favorite software, and that is OK. From my own experience all I can say is that if you have been futzing around with Rockwell's latest software you'll find Ignition to be a breath of fresh air.

@TConolly

With all do respect...
I am a Certified Ignition Integrator (Ignition 7.7 Core Test)and of course I have graduated both the Vision and MES Inductive University classes.
I would've never make the previously posted statements without a general idea about the capabilities of the at hand subject.
In addition to my opinions about my perception of Ignition's shortcomings, I have also(and always) stated that I still prefer it when given a choice.
Java is a nimble, bare-bone, Mobile OS functionality intended developer platform...It is frugal when it comes to graphics because it is intended to be used on smart phones, tablets, printers, etc...
I am sure IA is aware of this, however, their choice of development is directed towards functionality rather than user choice experience.
Again, when it comes to graphics, Ignition will go as far as Java will take it.

 

[curlyandshemp]

screen shot of recent app, also created my own pop up Faceplates:

 

[TheLights]

@TConolly

With all do respect...
I am a Certified Ignition Integrator (Ignition 7.7 Core Test)and of course I have graduated both the Vision and MES Inductive University classes.
-Snipped-
I am sure IA is aware of this, however, their choice of development is directed towards functionality rather than user choice experience.
Again, when it comes to graphics, Ignition will go as far as Java will take it.

Hi, For the reason below, I set up a test server with Ignition. Quite easy to setup, add devices, drag tags and create screens. Almost too easy.

Added MYSQL to log data.

We run quite a mix of HMI software here, long story. Panel View, RsView, Seimens SiMatic, Mitsubshi GOT, InduSoft, others. Mainly WonderWare.

About 5 years ago they set up a WonderWare Information Server but never got it to work. A few weeks ago I started to upgrade Info Server to Ver 2014. but kinda put the project on hold because of license issue. In the process of gathering the license and software, I discovered they only purchased one client license to view Info Server. I talked to boss and told him there will be more than one person concurrently looking at data, so he wanted a 20 seat license. I got a quote..... Which is why I looked into Ignition.

Need to research more but if we go Ignition will go with "The Works, Mission Critical"

Question: How does "The Works" compare to WonderWare's Information Server. I realize they are kinda two different animals but can I get "The Works" to do what "Info Server" can do or do I need to add the "MES" package to "The Works"?

I wish I could tell you what kind of data they want, how much or what they want to look like but... They ask to get it running and show them what kinda data they can see.

Right now I am just using VB code to extract data from Wonderware Historian database to Excel .

 

[Paullys50]

Hi, For the reason below, I set up a test server with Ignition. Quite easy to setup, add devices, drag tags and create screens. Almost too easy.

Added MYSQL to log data.

We run quite a mix of HMI software here, long story. Panel View, RsView, Seimens SiMatic, Mitsubshi GOT, InduSoft, others. Mainly WonderWare.

About 5 years ago they set up a WonderWare Information Server but never got it to work. A few weeks ago I started to upgrade Info Server to Ver 2014. but kinda put the project on hold because of license issue. In the process of gathering the license and software, I discovered they only purchased one client license to view Info Server. I talked to boss and told him there will be more than one person concurrently looking at data, so he wanted a 20 seat license. I got a quote..... Which is why I looked into Ignition.

Need to research more but if we go Ignition will go with "The Works, Mission Critical"

Question: How does "The Works" compare to WonderWare's Information Server. I realize they are kinda two different animals but can I get "The Works" to do what "Info Server" can do or do I need to add the "MES" package to "The Works"?

I wish I could tell you what kind of data they want, how much or what they want to look like but... They ask to get it running and show them what kinda data they can see.

Right now I am just using VB code to extract data from Wonderware Historian database to Excel .

You are asking a too broad of a comparison.

Forget about information server and Wonderware, go Ignition be amazed, and start getting stuff done. Seriously, if you took a fraction of the WW cost and got the Ignition licensing and brought Inductive Automation Design Services in to help you get started...everyone who wants that data will think you're amaze-balls.

As for the graphics...well Ignition is object-oriented, so you can create master objects (called 'templates') deploy changes to the templates. Includes symbol factory like everyone else, vector-based. Can do all kinds of fancy graphics for shapes, layers, shading, gradients...etc. While not as powerful as Archestra Graphics might be, considering all the big SCADA manufactures are retracting from fancy 3-d graphics to the 'High Performance HMI guidelines" graphics are a very moot point.

It will do everything you want and then some.

 

[the_msp]

Here is the link I mentioned for user submitted screenshots on the IA forums: https://inductiveautomation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3155

 

[sfong]

Check out the Discover Gallery from last year's Ignition Community Conference, there are a number of case studies with screenshots available.

https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition-conference/discover-gallery

 

[Tark]

Forgive me if I'm reading your posts incorrectly dmargineau, but it appears that you are saying that Ignition is written in JavaScript and that Java is a mobile OS platform. But Ignition is written in Java, not JavaScript and Java was developed to be a cross platform programming language not a Mobile OS. Java was developed back in 1995, before smart phones and tablets, I actually don't know of any smart phones or tablets than can run Java, which is why Inductive Automation created the Mobile Module to allow projects to be run on mobile devices.

From a personal perspective - I haven't seen any GUI where I thought that I wouldn't be able to reproduce the same look and feel in Ignition. It's even possible to hook into the underlying Java to give Ignition projects the look and feel you want. I have a large image library of GUIs that catch my eye, my wife rolls her eyes every time I say "Hold on I want to take a picture of this GUI"

 

[dmargineau]

Forgive me if I'm reading your posts incorrectly dmargineau, but it appears that you are saying that Ignition is written in JavaScript and that Java is a mobile OS platform. But Ignition is written in Java, not JavaScript and Java was developed to be a cross platform programming language not a Mobile OS. Java was developed back in 1995, before smart phones and tablets, I actually don't know of any smart phones or tablets than can run Java, which is why Inductive Automation created the Mobile Module to allow projects to be run on mobile devices.

From a personal perspective - I haven't seen any GUI where I thought that I wouldn't be able to reproduce the same look and feel in Ignition. It's even possible to hook into the underlying Java to give Ignition projects the look and feel you want. I have a large image library of GUIs that catch my eye, my wife rolls her eyes every time I say "Hold on I want to take a picture of this GUI"

You are forgiven...
Never mentioned Java Script...
Nokia phones(built on Symbian), 39 Motorola models(MOTODEV Studio- including my own), most of Samsung smartphones and some Sony Ericsson are all running Java.
My Sony Blue-ray player and Epson printer run J2ME or JME...Need to keep going?
Now I know that IA Ignition documentation is a far cry from what it needs to be, however, the Mobile Module functionality is pretty clear: it allows mobile devices to connect to the Gateway as Clients of the Vision Module (one Project only, nothing else); the connections could be VPN routed; SMS Pipeline Notifications also use the Mobile Module.

..."run Ignition projects on mobile devices"...???...Where's that coming from?...Ignition Training Courses?...Ignition documentation?...Popular knowledge?...

Projects run on the Gateway; Clients connect to the Project based on login credentials.

 

[Tark]

You are forgiven...
Never mentioned Java Script...

Good, because I'm trying to understand what you mean when you said "Java developed script" and "Java script"?

Ignition Gateway is a collection of services linked by Java developed script;
....
Ignition graphics will be only as good as Java script is;

I should have said - "I actually don't know of any smart phones or tablets that can run Java J2SE which Ignition is developed in, which is why Inductive Automation created the Mobile Module to allow projects to be launched on mobile devices"

Kudos for listing many mobile devices, the point I was trying to make is that Ignition cannot run natively on these devices which is why they developed the Mobile Module. And no, your Android phones don't run Java. A program is written in Java, it gets compiled to Java bytecode and then that gets translated to Dalvik bytecode, which is not Java.

You are correct, technically speaking, mobile launched clients are not running on the mobile device. The server launches a virtual client and then uses HTML5 and AJAX to convey the project on the mobile device. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "(one Project only, nothing else)". Not sure why you said the "SMS Pipeline Notifications also use the Mobile Module" (insert "Where's that coming from?...Ignition Training Courses?...Ignition documentation?..Popular knowledge?..."). In order to send SMS alarm notifications you need the Alarm Notification Module and SMS Notification Module (plus 1 of the compatible G3 Gateways), the Mobile Module is not a requirement.

 

[jtashaffer]

Does anyone know if you can display texted strings in ignition just like you can with HMI?

 

[curlyandshemp]

Does anyone know if you can display texted strings in ignition just like you can with HMI?

yes, either through an expression / sql query or using the style customizer on a text label object

 

[jtashaffer]

create all your devices and alarm journals before you get started on multiple projects.

 

[JordanCClark]

Sorry to be late to the discussion. Between work and daughter's graduation, been extra busy!

The paintable canvas component can also let you some interesting things: