Overview
This section presents how to navigate and use the most common tools in the main design area — the Draw Environment! Like an artist's palette and tools, you can use this area to build almost anything you can imaginepage lists a suite of tools for design and interface creation for data visualization, such as dashboards, process displays, HMIs, and SCADA systems. It offers precise selection tools, versatile drawing capabilities for shapes and graphics, and advanced symbol management, text, and button design features that ensure clear and efficient graphical representations using real-time data.
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Toolbars
TerminologyThe
Draw area has the following controls to create, format, and configure displays:Top Toolbar
On the top, you have buttons to save the display, to select a new displays and other actions on the current display.
Document Toolbar
Underneath there is the buttons to select new displays, or save, preview and document actions.
Vertical toolbar
On the left side of the Drawing tab. Use these buttons to draw shapes, add buttons, and create special windows.
Horizontal toolbar
Across the bottom of the Drawing tab. Use these buttons to group, combine, align, and lock the selected objects.
Element Properties
The area on the left side displays the Graphical Element Properties. These settings may differ based on the type of object selected. The Appearance parameters dictate the brush style and color used when drawing objects in the display. Clicking the Fill option allows you to specify the colors, gradients, or objects used to fill the graphics.
toolbar at the top provides functionalities like undoing, redoing, Git synchronization, and tag management. Directly below, the Document toolbar focuses on actions related to document management, such as saving and previewing content hierarchies. On the left, the Drawing toolbar offers tools for creating and manipulating graphical elements, from drawing basic shapes to configuring dynamics. At the top of the Draw area is the Object toolbar, which is designed for adjusting and aligning screen elements, with options ranging from zooming to layering and locking elements. The Components Panel is a guide to User Interface components, allowing users to drag and drop tools like charts and buttons onto their workspace. Lastly, the Drawing Properties table aids in customizing objects and detailing sections like appearance, layout, and content formatting to help users define every aspect of their designs.
Document toolbar
On the Draw Environment, underneath the Solution toolbar there are basic actions buttons such as those for saving modifications and adding new displays. The table outlines key document actions, from saving and creating new documents to previewing content hierarchies.
Action | Description | |
| Save | Retains the current modifications made to the document, ensuring no loss of recent edits. |
| Save As | Allows users to store the document under a different name or location, creating a duplicate. |
| New Document | Initiates a fresh, blank document for a new start. |
| Preview Document | Provides a visual representation for users to review the document's final appearance. |
| Tree View Document | Displays the document's content in a hierarchical format for structured navigation. |
| Discard Changes | Reverts the document to its last saved state, discarding unsaved modifications. |
Drawing toolbar
The Drawing toolbar is on the left side of the Draw area. Use these buttons to draw shapes, add buttons, create alarm windows, and more. The tools offer functionalities for selecting and manipulating graphical elements. The "Selection tool" facilitates the selection of individual or multiple objects and provides access to the "Dynamics configuration." The "Direct Selection tool" allows users to modify the properties of objects within a group and handle polyline points. The "Hand tool" adjusts the view through dragging. There are also tools for drawing basic shapes such as rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and polylines. Users can add gridlines, design buttons, manage text input/output, and work with symbols – creating, editing, or decomposing them into foundational elements.
Tool | Description | ||||||
| Selection tool | Select individual or multiple objects; access "Dynamics configuration" with a double-click.
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| Direct Selection tool |
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Configuring the Toolbars and Properties
Top Toolbar
Undo
Undoes an operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
Redo
Redoes a previously undone operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
Cut
Cuts a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing). This command will delete any select row or object in order to paste it somewhere else.
Copy
Copies a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing).
Paste
Pastes a row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing) that was copied or cut previously.
Delete
Deletes selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing).
Prints current table (DataGrid) or display (Drawing).
Export Document
Exports content to an external file as .csv (Tables) or .jpg (Displays) file.
Import Document
Imports an external file to the current table. See Copying and Pasting Rows for more details.
Find Elements
Next Reference
Previous Reference
New Tag
Tag Properties
Object Selection
Open a New Window to the Selected Document
Feedback
Documentation
Vertical Toolbar
Selection Tool
- Click on an object to select it.
- CTRL+click selects multiple objects and object groups. Hold the CTRL key as you click on each object.
- Shift+click to choose a main object from a group of selected objects
- Click on an open area of the display and highlight several elements to select a group of elements
- Double-click on an object to open the "Dynamics configuration" window that provides settings for dynamic object properties.
Direct Selection Tool
Use this tool to select an object inside a group and modify its properties. Click on the object once to select it.
You can also add, remove, and modify the points in a Polyline with the Direct Selection Tool.
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Hand Tool
The Hand tool can be used to modify the view window. Click once on the display background and hold down the left mouse button. Then, move the display to the desired position.
Hand tool | Drag to adjust the view. |
| Edit Properties |
Opens properties dialog window of the selected object
Geometric objects tools
Right-click to end the use of each tool.
To add, modify, and/or remove points after creating a polygon or polyline, use the Direct Selection Tool.
Rectangle
Creates a rectangle object.
Ellipse
Creates an ellipse object.
Polygon
Creates a polygon object.
Connectors
PolyLine
Creates a polyline object.
GridLine
Creates a gridline object.
Button
Creates a button object.
LabelBox
Creates a label box.
TextTool
Text Output
Creates a text output object.
Display property dialog for chosen object. | ||
| Rectangle | Draw a rectangle. |
| Ellipse | Draw an ellipse. |
| Polygon | Draw a polygon. |
 | PolyLine | Draw a polyline. |
| GridLine | Add a gridline. |
| Button with Themes Colors | Generate a button with theme-based colors. |
| PushButton with Custom Colors | Generate a pushbutton with custom colors. |
| Textblock Output | Introduce a text output section. |
| TextBox Input or Output |
Creates a text input/output (I/O) object. |
To link the I/O object with a tag, double-click the I/O object |
Insert a component in the draw.
The symbol library includes both built-in and user-defined symbols.
Undo
Undoes an operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
Redo
Redoes a previously undone operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
Creates an alarm window. Position the alarm window and double-click it to configure the alarm window settings.
For more information, see Configuring an Alarm Window.
Creates a data grid window. Position the data grid window and double-click it to configure the data grid window settings.
For more information, see Configuring a DataGrid Window.
Charts
3DPipeViewer
Creates a 3D Pipe Viewer object.
For more information, see the 3D Pipe Viewer section in the User Interface Controls.
BarChart
Creates a Bar Chart object.
For more information, see the Bar Chart section in the User Interface Controls.
DrillingChart
Creates a drilling chart trend window. Position the trend window and double-click it to configure the trend window settings.
For more information, see Configuring the Trend Window.
PieChart
Creates a Pie Chart object.
For more information, see the Pie Chart section in the User Interface Controls.
TrendChart
Creates a trend window. Position the trend window and double-click it to configure the trend window settings.
For more information, see Configuring the Trend Window.
XY Chart
Creates a XY trend window.
CustomPieChart
Creates an Advanced Pie Chart object.
GanttChart
Gantt Chart for WPF is a MS Project-like Project Viewer with built-in grid, schedule and resource assignment constraints. Some of the key features of Gantt control are: drag support for increasing and decreasing the Start and Finish Date of the Task, Drag and Drop support for the task within a row and automatic data synchronization between Grid and Chart.
For more information, see the Gantt Control.
Timeline
Containers
ChildDisplay
HTML5 Control
The HTML5 Control object is a user interface component that provides a way to apply CSS styles and JavaScript functionality to elements within HTML5 applications. It is primarily used for customization and interactivity enhancement of web pages or elements within the application.
PDFViewer
Creates a PDF Viewer object.
ReportViewer
Creates a Report Viewer object.
WebBrowser
Creates a Web Browser object.
WPF Control
Creates an external WPF component.
Gauges
CircularGauge
The Circular Gauge control is available for HTML5 and WPF, and it allows visualizing data in the form of Circular Scale.
CircularGaugeArcPointer
Creates a Circular Gauge Arc Pointer.
CircularGaugeCompass
Creates a Circular Gauge Compass.
CircularGaugeFullCircle
Creates a Circular Gauge Full Circle.
CircularGaugeRanges
Creates a Circular Gauge Ranges.
CircularGaugeSemiCircle
Creates a Circular Gauge Semi Circle.
LinearGauge
The Linear Gauge control allows visualizing data in the form of Linear Scale, and is designed to see a simple display of value compared to a scale and one or more ranges. Some of the key features of the Linear Gauge are: adding a scale to linear gauge using horizontal and vertical orientations, highlight the desired ranges of values in the gauge scale and adding multiple pointers to the linear scale.
CircularGaugeControl
Creates a Circular Gauge Control.
CircularGaugeRangeControl
Creates a Circular Gauge Range Control.
LinearGaugeControl
Creates a Linear Gauge Control.
Input
Button
The Button is a simple interface component that allows users to trigger an action or execute a specific function when clicked. It is used to create interactive buttons in web applications and can be configured with options such as the expression to be executed and the label displayed on the button.
CheckBox
Creates a Check box.
ComboBox
Creates a combo box.
ListBox
Creates a list box.
RadioButton
Creates a radio button object.
Slider
Creates a Slider.
DatePicker
Creates a Date Picker.
DateTimePicker
Creates a Date Time Picker.
DateTimeTextBox
Creates a Date Picker.
TimeTextBox
Creates a Time Text Box.
Button
Creates a Button object.
Calendar
The Calendar object serves as a user interface component for selecting and displaying dates in HTML5 applications. Its primary function is to provide an interactive, configurable calendar interface that can reflect specific dates, enable date selection, and display calendar information such as week numbers or day names based on specified settings.
CheckBox
The Checkbox object is a user interface element in that allows users to make binary choices by either checking or unchecking the box. It is primarily used to enable or disable specific features, or to indicate whether a certain condition or option applies.
ColorPicker
The Color Picker object is a user interface component in that provides an interactive way for users to select and assign a specific color value. It's primarily used to allow users to customize the appearance of elements within an application or to select colors for various uses.
ComboBox
The Combo Box object is a user interface component in HTML applications that provides a drop-down list of options for users to select from. It is primarily used to condense a large list of selectable items into a compact, user-friendly format, allowing for a single selection from a predefined set of options.
DatePicker
Creates a Date Picker.
DateTimePicker
Creates a Date Time Picker.
MaskedTextBox
Creates a Masked Text Box.
NumericTextBox
Creates a Numeric Text Box.
RadioButton
Creates a Radio Button.
Slider
Creates a Slider.
TextBox
Creates a Text Box.
TimePicker
Creates a Time Picker.
Interaction
Calculator
Creates a Calculator object.
For more information, see the Calculator section in the User Interface Controls.
FileExplorer
The File Explorer object is a user interface component for WPF applications that provides a way for users to navigate, view, and select files and directories on a computer system from within the application. Its primary function is to facilitate file access and selection for various operations within a project.
Maps
The ESRIMap Control is a user interface component in WPF applications that provides an interactive and configurable map display, primarily for projects involving geolocation. It is designed to integrate with the ArcGIS service for base map data and supports the addition of layers from WMS (Web Map Service) services for further map details.
Google Map
The Google Map Control is a user interface component for WPF applications that offers an interactive map display using various map providers for Geographic Information System (GIS) projects. It is primarily used for viewing geolocation information, navigating geographical data, and obtaining map details from selected providers like Google Maps or Bing Maps.
Maps
The Maps object is a user interface component for HTML5 applications that provides an interactive and customizable map display using various map providers. It's primarily used to display geolocation information, allow users to navigate geographic data, and customize map visuals according to specific geographical coordinates or settings.
Navigation
CircularPanel
Creates a Circular Panel object.
For more information, see the Circular Panel section in the User Interface Controls.
Menu
Creates a menu.
MenuItem
Creates a menu item.
PageSelector
Creates a Page Selector object.Creates a menu item.
Horizontal Toolbar
Icons
Commands
Description
Expand Components Panel
Grid definition
Screen Zoom
Group
Ungroup
Union
Intersect
Exclude
Exclusive-Or
AlignLeft
AlignHorizontalCenter
AlignRight
AlignTop
AlignVerticalCenter
AlignBottom
Move To The Front
Move To The Back
Change Z-Order
Resize Width
Resize Height
Rotate Clockwise
SpaceEvenlyHorizontal
SpaceEvenlyVertical
FlipHorizontally
Flip Vertically
Lock element
Unlock element
Unlock All Elements
Show All Elements
Hide Selected Element
Examples
Here you will see examples showing the functionality of the commands of the horizontal toolbar.
The shapes used can be any object without dynamics, like polygons, ellipses, or rectangles.
Union 
and Intersect 
and Exclusive-Or 
Lock element command. 
: Select both rectangles then click it to lock. Now the rectangles can not be selected.
- To unlock only one rectangle:
- Click the Direct Selection Tool command
in the vertical toolbar. - Select the desired rectangle and click Unlock Element
. 
- To Unlock all elements, click Unlock All Elements command
.
and change its Linked Value | ||
| Create a New Symbol with Selected Elements | Convert chosen elements into a new symbol. |
| Edit Selected Symbol | Access properties of the chosen symbol. |
| Break apart Selected Symbols to its elements | Decompose the symbol into its foundational elements. |
Object toolbar
The Object toolbar is on the top of the Draw area. This toolbar allows users to adjust and align elements on the screen, offering capabilities ranging from grid adjustments for alignment to zooming in or out for improved viewability. Users can group or ungroup elements, merge shapes in various ways (Union, Intersect, Exclude, Exclusive-Or), and align them based on different parameters (left, center, right, top, bottom). Layering is facilitated through options to move elements frontward or backward and adjust their Z-order. Resizing and rotation options, along with horizontal and vertical flipping, offer further customization. Finally, there are functions to lock or unlock elements, ensuring design integrity, and options to show or hide specific elements for better work clarity.
Control | Description | |
| Expand Components Panel | Expand components panel. |
| Collapse Components Panel | Collapse components panel. |
| Grid definition | Adjusts the underlying grid used for aligning elements. Show/Hide Gridlines: You can choose to turn grids on and off. You can also adjust spacing (between grids) and thumb size. Snap to Gridlines: This option disallows free movement of the objects - they'll necessary match the gridlines. Show/Hide Rulers: You can turn on rulers to help guide your design. |
| Screen Zoom | Allows for zooming in or out on the screen view. |
| Group | Binds multiple elements together to be treated as one. |
| Ungroup Resizing Children | Separates elements that were grouped together, keeping the children objects with their current sizes |
| Ungroup Restoring Sizes | Ungroup the elements, restoring the children objects to their original sizes. |
| Union | Combines two or more shapes into a single shape. |
| Intersect | Creates a shape from the overlapping areas of two shapes. |
| Exclude | Creates a shape by removing the overlapping areas of two shapes. |
| Exclusive-Or | Forms a shape from the non-overlapping parts of two shapes. |
| AlignLeft | Aligns selected elements to the left. |
| AlignHorizontalCenter | Aligns selected elements to the horizontal center. |
| AlignRight | Aligns selected elements to the right. |
| AlignTop | Aligns selected elements to the top. |
| AlignVerticalCenter | Aligns selected elements to the vertical center. |
| AlignBottom | Aligns selected elements to the bottom. |
| Move To The Front | Moves selected elements to the front of the layer stack. |
| Move To The Back | Moves selected elements to the back of the layer stack. |
| Change Z-Order | Adjusts the layering order of selected elements. |
| Resize Width | Resizes the width of selected elements. |
| Resize Height | Resizes the height of selected elements. |
| Rotate Clockwise | Click this option the rotate clockwise. |
| SpaceEvenlyHorizontal | Evenly spaces selected elements horizontally. |
| SpaceEvenlyVertical | Evenly spaces selected elements vertically. |
| FlipHorizontally | Flips the selected elements horizontally. |
| Flip Vertically | Flips the selected elements vertically. |
| Lock element | Prevents changes to the selected element. |
| Unlock element | Allows changes to a previously locked element. |
 | Unlock all elements | Allows changes to all previously locked elements. |
| Show all elements | Reveals all elements, including hidden ones. |
| Hide selected element | Hides the currently selected element. |
Panels
Components Panels
This table provides a comprehensive overview of the User Interface (UI) components, ranging from data visualization tools like charts and gauges to standard interaction elements such as buttons and text boxes. Technically, each component has a distinct function, whether it's rendering graphical data, facilitating user input, or displaying information in structured formats. Functionally, users can easily integrate these components into their design by dragging and dropping them onto the draw area, allowing for an efficient design experience.
Component | Description |
AlarmAreas | A UI element for alarm organization used for alarms management. It displays the alarm tree. Simply drag and drop onto the draw area. |
AlarmViewer | An alarm window designed for alarms visualization. It efficiently displays alarms within an interface. Drag and drop to use. |
AssetsTree | A UI component that displays asset hierarchies, giving a clear view of asset structures. To use, drag and drop onto the draw area. |
DataGrid | A tabular UI component essential for showing structured data in rows and columns with sorting/filtering capabilities. Drag and drop to use. |
BarChart | A graphical tool for visualizing data using bars to compare data sets. Use by dragging and dropping onto the draw area. |
DrillingChart | A specialized visualization tool for displaying drilling trends, providing insights into drilling operations. Drag and drop to use. |
GanttChart | A tool for visualizing and tracking project tasks, showcasing tasks and their dependencies on a timeline. Drag and drop to use. |
PieChart | A circular tool that visualizes data, dividing it into slices to compare parts of a whole. Drag and drop to use. |
TrendChart | A tool designed to analyze time-based data patterns by plotting data points on a time axis. Simply drag and drop to use. |
XY Chart | A Cartesian chart for comparing two variables by plotting them on X and Y axes. Use by dragging and dropping onto the draw area. |
ChildDisplay | A UI tool that shows nested hierarchies, effectively representing parent-child UI relations. Drag and drop to use. |
HTML5Control | A tool for embedding and displaying HTML5 content with CSS and JS support. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
PdfViewer | A specialized viewer for displaying PDF documents. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
ReportViewer | A dynamic tool for displaying and managing structured reports. Use by dragging and dropping onto the draw area. |
WebBrowser | An embedded browser for web content rendering and navigation. Simply drag and drop to use. |
WPFControl | A tool for embedding and displaying WPF elements and components. Use by dragging and dropping onto the draw area. |
ArcPointerCircular | A UI element designed for circular pointers, used to indicate values on circular displays. Drag and drop to use. |
CenterValueCircular | A display feature for circular gauges that showcases core values centrally. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
CircularGauge | A gauge component that visualizes data in a circular format. Drag and drop to use. |
Compass | A navigation tool essential for displaying directional information. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
LinearGauge | A straight-line gauge component useful for displaying data in a linear fashion. Drag and drop to use. |
SemiCircleCircular | A half-round gauge that displays data in a semi-circular format. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
BrushEditor | A UI editor for customizing and visualizing graphical brush designs. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
Button | An interactive UI element that triggers specified actions when pressed. Use by dragging and dropping onto the draw area. |
CheckBox | A togglable UI component used for binary choices. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
ComboBox | A drop-down list component that lets users select an item from a list. Drag and drop to use. |
DatePicker | A tool designed for users to select specific dates. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
DateTimePicker | A combined tool for users to select specific dates and times. Drag and drop to use. |
ListBox | A list display component that showcases items for user interaction. Drag and drop to use. |
MaskedTextBox | A text input tool that accepts input in a predefined pattern or format. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
NumericTextBox | A text input component tailored for numerical values. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
PushButton | An activatable UI element that executes specific actions upon activation. Drag and drop to use. |
RadioButton | A UI component for making single choices from a set, ensuring only one can be active at a time. Drag and drop to use. |
Slider | A value selection tool on a scale, allowing users to adjust values within a range. Drag and drop to use. |
TextBlock | A component for displaying uneditable, static text content. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
TextBox | A text input UI tool that lets users type and modify text. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
TimePicker | A specialized tool allowing users to select specific hours and minutes. Drag and drop to use. |
Menu | A list of selectable items or actions presented to the user. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
MenuItem | An individual selectable item within a menu. Typically added to a Menu component for functionality. |
PageSelector | A navigation tool for transitioning between different pages or views. Drag and drop to use. |
MapsGMap | A geographical map component for displaying location data using the GMap provider. Drag and drop to use. |
RangeCircularGauge | A gauge feature that showcases a specified range within circular gauges. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
Circle | A geometrical component used for displaying a circular shape. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
Ellipse | An oval-shaped component for visualization. Drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
Hexagon | A six-sided geometric component used to display a hexagonal shape. Drag and drop onto the draw area to use. |
Rectangle | A four-sided geometric component for displaying a rectangular shape. Simply drag and drop onto the draw area for usage. |
Tags Panel
The Tags Panel allows you to drag and drop data points onto displays, quickly design real-time, data-driven interfaces with low coding, organize and manage data tags for efficient application development, and easily customize dashboards for monitoring and analytics purposes.
Button to Expand or Restore Panel Width
Filter for Tag names
Button to Collapse All Tags on Panel
Drawing Properties
The table provides an overview of Drawing Properties sections utilized in object customization on draw environment. "Appearance" dictates the visual style, while "Border Radius" defines corner curvature. "Connections" indicates connectivity capabilities, and "Contents Align" manages internal content alignment. "Display Settings" prescribes the object's presentation mode, and "Dynamics Clipboard" offers tools for dynamic configurations. "Layout" establishes position and dimensions, while "Replace Tags/Strings" facilitates tag and string substitutions. The "Text" section handles content formatting, "Transform" applies visual effects, and "Type" determines the object's classification within systems. Each section encompasses specific parameters or options tailored to its purpose.
Property section | Description |
Appearance | Customize object look using themes and properties: Fill, Line, Opacity. Includes TextShadow option. |
Border Radius | Adjust corner curvature with X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) values. |
Connections | Decide if an object connects elements. Checkbox to enable/disable. |
Contents Align | Manage content alignment within an object: options like left, right, and center. |
Display Settings | Set object presentation: Page, Popup modes. Customize background, size, borders. |
Dynamics Clipboard | Tools for dynamic properties. Buttons to fetch and apply configurations. |
Layout | Set position and size using parameters: Left, Top, Width, Height. |
Replace Tags/Strings | Replace tags and strings. Selections from object namespaces with multiple replace options. |
Text | Manage text content and appearance. Options include font, localization, and text wrapping. |
Transform | Apply visual effects: DropShadow, Rotation, Skew. Customizable parameters for each effect. |
Type | Classify objects for categorization within larger systems. |
In this section:
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