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Creating and Editing Tags

In FactoryStudio, tags can be created and edited using various methods, such as:

Using the Create Tag Icon on the main toolbar or the Unified Namespace << See <Name of link page or anchor in this page>>. DON'T PUT SEE HERE, Put see <somename or meanful text>

Using the Tag Objects DataGrid to create and edit tags using a table format.  << See <Name of link page or anchor in this page>>. DON'T PUT SEE HERE, Put see <somename or meanful text>

Importing Tag Definitions

To import tag definitions into a project, you can use several methods, such as:

a. Copy-pasting from other projects or Excel. << See at <Name of link page or anchor in this page>>. DON'T PUT SEE HERE, Put see <somename or meanful text>
b. Importing from CSV files (individual or extended). See
c. Using the Import Tag Wizards. << See <Name of link page or anchor in this page>>. DON'T PUT SEE "HERE", no HERE put <somename or meanful text>
d. Utilizing external programming APIs.  Link to EngWrapper API. 

After importing the tags, you can organize them using the Asset Modeling feature, which enables you to create a hierarchical structure for your project's tags.

Tag Configuration Properties

Main configuration properties are essential for defining a tag's characteristics. The key properties include:

• TagName: A unique identifier for the tag.
• Type: The data type of the tag (e.g., Integer, Digital).

Optional configuration properties offer additional customization for tags. These properties can be edited after importing the tags into the project. Examples of optional properties include:

• Alarm configurations: Settings related to alarms triggered by tag values.
• Historian settings: Configurations for data logging and archiving.
• Device Address: The address or location of the tag in the PLC or data source

Tag value formatting allows you to display the tag values in a more readable and meaningful format. This includes setting:

b. Units: Appropriate units for the tag values, such as temperature or pressure.
c. Precision: The number of decimal places to display for the tag value.
c. Other project-specific attributes: Custom properties specific to the project requirements

Toolbar commands to Create and Edit Tags

Click on New Tag Icon to create new Tags, or the Tag Properties to edit the Tag.

The following dialog will be presented. <<IMAGE>>

The only 2 essential fields to field in are the NAME and the TYPE of the Tag, 

Editing Tags at the Unified Namespace

When using the toolbar from the Unified Namespace page you select in which folder the Tag will be created.

To create or edit tags on the Unified Namespace view, navigate to the Project Designer tools and select the "Tags - Unified Namespace" section. From there, you can create new tags or edit existing ones, assigning them to specific data types or templates. When creating a tag, ensure you define the relevant attributes, such as data source, initial values, and any required metadata. Existing tags can be edited to update their attributes or modify their relationships with other tags or assets as needed.

Main Configuration Properties

To import tags, ensure that these properties are correctly defined in the source file (Excel or CSV).

This section provides guidance on managing tags, covering essential topics such as creating and editing tags, configuring tag properties, formatting tag values, and importing tag definitions

Creating 

You can create tags in two different places.

1. In Unified Namespace / Asset Tree

• In Unified Namespace / Tags, click the icon to create new tags. Image Added

• In Unified Namespace / Asset Tree, right-click the desired folder or use the ‘New Tag’ icon, or user the right-click context menu.

2. In Unified Namespace / Tags

• Paste from an external table with a column named "Name."

• Manually insert a new entry in the data grid, filling only the "Name" column with a unique tag name.

• Click the New item Image Addedon the data grid controls to open the Create New Tag dialog.

3. Using the top toolbar, with New Tag icon Image Added. 

The Create New Tag dialog allows creating a new Tag and configure additional aspects related to Devices, Alarm and Historian definitions.

Editing

To edit the properties of existing local tags:

• At the top toolbar, select the Tag Properties button. Image Added

• Go to Unified Namespace / Tags, select the tag you wish to modify and click the Edit icon.Image Added

The following dialog will be presented.

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The only two mandatory fields in this dialog are the 'NAME' and the 'TYPE' of the Tag.

Tag Types

All tags have a specific type for their value, such as Integer, Text, or DateTime. The predefined tag types are known as Built-in Tag Types. Additionally, tags can be UDTs (User Defined Types) or Tag Templates.

Tags have predefined properties, such as Description and Array Size. While different tag types may have specific properties, most properties are common to all tags.

When creating a tag, some properties are set in the configuration (e.g., Description), while others are only accessible at runtime (e.g., Value, Quality, Timestamp). The complete set of tag properties at runtime is referred to as Runtime Tag Properties.

Built-in Types

The built-in tag types extend .NET data types and provide key functionality for handling different data formats in the software platform.

Tag Types

All tags have a specific type for its value, such an integer, text or DateTime. The many pre-defined Tag Types are the Built-in tag types. In addition, the tag type can be an UDT (User Defined Type) or Tag Template .

Tags have also pre-defined properties, such as Description and Array size. Different tag types may have specific properties, but most properties are available to all Tags.

When creating the Tag, some of those properties are defined in the configuration — such as the Description —, some of the properties are only accessible when the application is running — like Value, Quality and Timestamp. The complete set of Tag properties when running the project is referred as the Runtime Tag Properties. 

Built-in Tag Types

The built-in tag types are based directly as extensions of the .NET datatypes. The tag types are summarized in the following table:

Reference Type

Reference tags allow dynamic addressing of variables. 

The way you use Reference tags in the project is similar to how you use references in .NET programming, as they both have a defined type.   The target type for the Reference reference is defined in the Parameters columnscolumn.

Typed references bring offer advantages in both the engineering stage and in runtime. In During the engineering stage, it allows they allow IntelliSense to directly browse the template members if a reference is pointing points to a template. In At runtime, it allows they enable string data validation. 

All Reference tags have an additional runtime attribute: the Link  Link property, which specifies which the tag that the reference will be linked to during execution.

Essentially, the Link property is a string property that needs to receive the target tag name before using the reference tag. You can assign a string directly or by using a string expression. The best way to set the link Link property is to use the method GetName(), which will create the string based on the current tag name. This way, approach allows you can to rename the tag without having needing to search the through strings. This It also shows the tag names linked on in the cross-reference utility. 

Examples:

@Tag.Reference1.Link = @Tag.TagName.GetName();

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagName";

@Tag.Reference1.Link = 

@Tag.Reference1.Link = @Tag.TagName.GetName();

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagName";

@Tag.Reference1.Link = "Tag.TagNa" + "me";

The reason for using the GetName() method instead of using strings directly is that with GetName() you retain the benefits of Cross-Reference and Refactoring. 

Tags Object DataGrid

To create new local tags using the Object DataGrid:

• Go to Edit → Tags → Objects and insert a new row with the tag properties defined in the columns.
• or, in any configuration windows, just  click the  <<< IMAGE >>>. New Tag button on the Top Toolbar
• or, when at the Edit → Tags → Assets, use the NewTag toolbar button <<IMAGE >> to create a tag at the selected asset level
• or, by copy-paste the data form Excel or another project;
• or, using the other Importing tags tools.

To edit the properties of existing local tags:

"Tag.TagNa" + "me"; 

The reason for using the GetName() method instead of using strings directly is that with GetName(), you retain the benefits of Cross-Reference and Refactoring.

Importing Tag Definitions

There are many ways to import Tag definition to the Solution:

• Just copy from another Solution and paste it in the Unified Namespace / Tags DataGrid.

• Using the Import from CSV Files.

• Using the Solution Import Tags. We offer a wide range of tools, including .NET Classes, CSV files, OPC Server, OSIsoft PI Historian and PI AF, Prediktor Historian, Rockwell ControlLogix, Siemens, SNMP, SQL DataTable, Tundra, TwinCAT, UnityPro, WirelessHart, and XML files.

• Using the EngWrapper API.

After importing the tags, you can organize them using the Asset Modeling feature, which enables you to create a hierarchical structure for your Solution's tags.

Importing Tags and PLC Addresses from Excel

The "Import from Excel" enables easy importation of tags and PLC addresses. The process is as simple as copying and pasting the content of an Excel table, ensuring that you include the titles of the columns. The feature allows for flexibility in having tables with different columns or arranged differently in your Solution. 

Importing from CSV Files

The importation of CSV files encompasses two main approaches: Individual CSV Files and Extended CSV Files.

Individual CSV Files

In this scenario, you can import items for each individual table available throughout the Engineering Environment. This feature is especially useful for adding items, such as alarms, to your Solution. When a grid is in focus, the import button on the top bar becomes available. Upon clicking it, a import dialog window will open, allowing you to select the CSV file to be imported. For a more detailed understanding of this process, refer to our detailed guide in Individual CSV File.

Extended CSV Files

Here, the idea is to use a single .CSV table to import information on Tags, Devices, Alarms, and historian items. In this case, the final table is a concatenation of the various grids from the Solution. This feature can be particularly useful for importing a large amount of correlated information at once. For more information on how to utilize this feature, refer to our comprehensive guide in the Extended CSV Files section.

Tag Properties

Either creating a new tag, or editing tags, in the datagrid DataGrid view or the properties dialogs, the tag has the following configuration fields: .

The table lists all properties available for the Tags. However, not all properties described in the documentation are displayed in the data grids by default. Right-click column headers to see which property columns are currently displaying. The displayed properties appear with a check mark.  

Field	Description
ID	Identifies the tag uniquely within the software platform.
Path	Allows users to associate tags with specific assets. Select the asset you want to associate with the tag. Specifies the tag's location within the Solution hierarchy.
VersionID	Tracks the version of the tag configuration.
Name	Defines the name of the tag.
Type	Determines the data type of the tag (e.g., integer, string, float). The supported Types available are: Digital: Represents binary data, typically used for true/false or on/off states. Integer: Holds whole numbers without decimal points, suitable for counting or indexing. Long: Stores larger whole numbers than Integer, useful for extended range calculations. Double: Represents floating-point numbers with double precision, allowing for very large or very small values. Decimal: Used for high-precision floating-point numbers, ideal for financial calculations where precision is critical. Text: Contains strings of characters, used for textual data. DateTime: Combines date and time into a single value, useful for timestamps and scheduling. For valid date and time formats, refer to Standard Date and Time Format Strings. TimeSpan: Represents a duration of time, often used for intervals.  Image: Stores binary data for images, enabling the inclusion of visual data. Timer: Represents a timer object, useful for time-based operations. Guid: Contains globally unique identifiers, used for uniquely identifying objects. DataTable: Stores structured data in table format, allowing for complex data organization. JSON: Holds JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) formatted data, enabling structured data exchange. Reference: Represents a reference to another object or entity, used for linking related data.
Array	Defines whether the tag is an array.

Tag main configuration properties 

Field

Description

Parent

Specify the Parent Level where the Tag is located in Asset tree.

Name

Enter a name for the tag. The system lets you know if the name is not valid.

• If you edit the name of an existing tag, the system automatically updates the name throughout the project.

Type

Select the tag type, which may be a built-in type or a user-defined Tag Template.

Parameters

Configure any parameters. The parameters vary based on the tag type. Once the type is entered, you can double-click the parameters field to see a dropdown menu with any applicable parameters.

• DeadBand — It is used as a limitation to save new values to the tag. It defines the difference necessary between the old value and the new value. It is also possible to set the DeadBand as an percentage and with decimal numbers such as: 10.5; 10%; 300%; 17.8%.

      Example 1: If the DeadBand is Set to 5 and initial value of the tag is 0, the next input possible to be saved, need to be >=5 or <=-5.

      Example 2: If the current value of the tag is 100 and the deadband is set to 10%, the next input possible to be saved, need to be >=110 or <=90.

• EnumerationSet: You can also use dictionaries to "translate" tag values into text. These dictionaries are called Enumeration Sets.

For example, a device may have a value of 0  or 1 . Rather than display "0" or "1", you can display the strings "on" or "off."

The definition for the Enumeration Set dictionary is on Tags → Enumeration Sets

When configuring a display component to use these tags, set the TextOutput to one of the following:

• Tagname or Tagname.Value: show the numeric value of the tag.
• Tagname.ValueAsString or Tagname.DisplayValue: show the enumeration string.

Array

When this field is blank, the tag is not an array.

When the field contains an integer value of N, an

Array

array is created from position 0 to N.

For example, if the field contains the value 5, the

Array

array is created from Tag[0] to Tag[5]

. This means that

, resulting in 6 elements

are created.Two programming styles are accommodated by this method;

. This method accommodates two programming styles: one that counts elements from 0

to less than 5, and one that counts from 1 to 5.

Description

String message with additional information about the Tag, maximum string length is 1024

The fields above are visible by default on the datagrid view. To add or remove columns, right-click the column heading area and check or uncheck the columns that should be visible.

to less than 5, and one that counts from 1 to 5.
Enumeration	Defines the set of possible values, messages, and colors for the tag. Connect these types with a Tag or use them directly in script expressions.
StartValue	Sets the initial value of the tag upon startup.
Parameters	Configures additional parameters based on the tag type associated with the tag. Double-click the parameters field to see a dropdown menu with applicable options. Deadband: Limits new values saved to the tag. Defines the necessary difference between old and new values. Set Deadband as a percentage or decimal (e.g., 10.5, 10%, 300%, 17.8%). Example 1: With Deadband set to 5 and initial value at 0, the next saved input must be ≥5 or ≤-5. Example 2: With the current tag value at 100 and Deadband set to 10%, the next saved input must be ≥110 or ≤90. EnumerationSet: Use dictionaries to translate tag values into text (e.g., display "on" for 1 and "off" for 0). Configure the display component to use tags with TextOutput set to Tagname, Tagname.Value, Tagname.ValueAsString, or Tagname.DisplayValue to show the numeric or enumeration string value.
Min	Sets the minimum allowable value for the tag.
Max	Sets the maximum allowable value for the tag.
ScaleMin	Defines the minimum scale value for the tag.
ScaleMax	Defines the maximum scale value for the tag.
Retentive	Specifies whether the tag retains its value between application restarts. Allows

Tag optional configuration propertiesField / Column Description MinEnter the minimum value that is valid for the object.MaxEnter the maximum value that is valid for the object.ScaleMinStores a minimum value to assist scaling charts or communication devices.ScaleMaxStores a maximum value to assist scaling charts or communication devices.Units

String with the Engineering units of measure, simplifying the visualization of the value on Displays, and allowing the dynamic change of metric systems.

Info
More information at Dictionaries Units.

FormatDefault format for displaying tag value. E.g.: N2 for 2 decimals; See the next table, Formatting Tag Values.StartValueInitial value set to the Tag when the project first runs. This value is overridden if a Retentive option is used.RetentiveSelect this option

to save the value of the tag and its internal properties to the database

every time

whenever the value changes.

This

By enabling this, the software platform retains the tag's value when the application shuts down and makes

the value

it available when the

next next

application starts again. The option available are: None

—

: Does not retain the value or properties. ValueOnly

—

: Retains only the value. Properties

—

: Retains all properties, including the value. PropertiesOnly

—

: Retains all properties, except the value.

The values for Retentive Tags are stores at

Retentive Tag values store in the database defined at Datasets

→

/ DBs

→ Retentive, and it can be customize

/ Retentive. You can customize this to use any database.

 

Domain Server Tags: Retentive can

be applied to Tags of Domain Server, in this case, you can easily allow the

apply to these tags, allowing cold-start from the

Project,

Solution without losing

Operator

operator-

Inputed

input values or other

Tags that shall keep the

tags that retain their last value

in

between

a

shutdown and

a

startup. Domain Client Tags: Retentive can

be applied to Tags of Domain Client, in this case, you can falsity create concepts

apply to these tags, creating concepts such as User Configuration settings

, that are stored and located according

. These settings store and locate according to the client or user connection.

 

Domain

Defines

Associates the tag with a specific domain. It defines if the tag value has Server (global) or Client (instance) scope. Server (Default): The software platform synchronizes the tag value

of tag is unique, synchronize

across all operator stations

accessing the project. All tags used by Devices Communications and Historian must be or Type Server.

Client: The value of tag is local at each Client Displays Instance accessing the project. Common use for client tags are to manage the user interface.

Visibility

Select the value visibility of your tag to external connection and the built-in OPC server.

Private: Tag is visible only to the local project and redundant pair.
Protected: Tag is visible on the external connections for read-only operations. 
Public: Tag is visible on the external connections, for both reading or writing. 

If not defined, the visibility is Public by default. 

CommentEnter a short comment about this tag. The comment field is typically used to show a friendly name to the operator on the displays. For instance, a tag name "LV102KP" can have the Comment as "Level Tank 102". The Description field is typically the longer engineering definition of the tag usage. Category

Allows to define metadata labels to the tag. Categories are useful for project organization during the engineering phase.

Categories are also useful when copy pasting tags directly the draw area, automatically creating symbols. 

Info
For more information on Categories, go to Dictionaries Categories.

DevicePointRead-only property. Show which communication point address is related to the tag (if any).DisableWhen checked disable the use of the Tag in the project execution. Default is enabled. Other ColumnsFor definitions of other columns that are available in this table, see Common Column Definitions.

Tag Value formatting 

The format property defines the display format of tag values. For example, N1 defines a number with one decimal place, like 2.1

Proper formatting ensures that the tag values are displayed accurately and are easily understood by users.

These formats follow the specifications provided in Microsoft .NET.

Additional Tag Configuration

Optional configuration properties offer additional customization for tags. These properties can be edited after importing the tags into the Solution and include:

Devices

Device Address: The address or location of the tag in the PLC or data source.

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Key Features: 

• Node: Determine the node of the channel source where the tag data resides.
• Address: Defines a address for the  and PLC/data source.
• AcessType: If the tag will be only Read, Write or ReadWrite.

Alarm

Alarm Configurations: Settings related to alarms triggered by tag values.

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Key Features:

• Condition: Defines a a condition for a alarm to trigger.
• Groups: Its possible group the alarms items in a group with its own configuration properties.
• Limit: Defines the value of alarm trigger based on the condition defined.

Historian

Historian Settings: Configurations for data logging and archiving.

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Key Features: 

• Deadband: The Deadband is a range within which value changes are considered insignificant and, therefore, aren't recorded. This helps in reducing unnecessary logging of data when the value changes are minimal or within an acceptable range.

• Table: Defines the specific table where the historical data for this tag will be stored.

• Dev/DeadbandType: This is an extension of the Deadband concept. It allows you to define the type of Deadband to be applied. This could be based on an absolute value, percentage, or other criteria, depending on your requirements.

• Dev/Deadband Limit: Here, you define the specific threshold for the Deadband. Any changes in the tag value below this threshold won't be recorded. For example, if set at 0.5, only changes greater than this value will be logged.

Runtime Attributes

Access Tags Namespace to see the properties of the alarm server. 

This section describes only some commonly used properties.

For general information and concepts on objects namespaces and attributes, go to the section Objects and Namespaces.

In this section:

Import Tag Definitions 

There are many ways to import Tag definition to the project:

• Just Copy from other Projects and in this Project.
• Copy Paste from Excel
• Importing CSV files 
• Using the Import Tag Wizards
• Using the EngWrapper API 

Import from Excel

Importing Tag and PLC Addresses

You can copy and paste the contents of an Excel table. As long you include the title of the columns when you copy and paste the contents of the table, the tables in your project can have different columns or can be ordered differently. The system will put the data in the expected columns, even if the order is different in the source.

To create and import Tags:

• In Excel, make a table with the columns that are shown below. 

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To successfully import the tags, you need the TagName, Type, and Address columns. 

• After you chose the device protocol and create a new node, click the Import button. Then, choose the .CSV file that contains the tag's information and click the Ok button. 

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• The Tags and Points will be created automatically in  Tags.

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• Device → Points 

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After you use the Import tool for the first time, the system will save whatever settings you used. The import button turns into the "Sync" button. This make the button execute a synchronization that verifies the previously imported addresses and the new ones.

Import from CSV Files

Individual CSV File

In this scenario, we are importing items for each individual table that is available throughout the Engineering Environment.

In your Engineering Environment, you should find a toolbar located on the top of the display with green arrow in it.

In Tabs that do not contain a table, the import icon is unfocused and is unable to be selected.

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For Tabs that do contain grids, the import button is available when the grid is on focus (selected). When the import button is clicked, a dialog window will open.

Browse for the csv file and click Open.

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Examples

To better understand how to use this feature, we are going to add Alarm Items into our sample project.

Assuming we have two Tags, Tag1 and Tag2, in our project. Each tag must have an alarm configured to it.

1. Tag1 - Belongs to ’Critical’ Alarm Group and triggers an alarm when its value is lower than 20.

2. Tag2 - Belongs to ’Warning’ Alarm Group and triggers an alarm when its value is higher than 80.

The import steps are:

• Go to  Alarms → Items, create a dummy row, and copy it (Ctrl + C).
• On your external Table Editor (e.g. Excel, Google Docs, Notepad, etc), paste the copied content.

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3. Fill your table with the required information.

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4. Save the file as a ‘.csv’.

5. Go back to the  Alarms → Items page and click the Import CSV File Button.

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Extended CSV Files

In this scenario, we are using a single .csv table to import information on Tags, Devices, Alarms and historian items.

In your Engineering Environment, navigate to Run → Extensions → Import. You should see many supported files that can be imported into a project.

Select the CSV file and browse for your Table File.

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The table must obey a certain format. The required columns can be obtained by following the same method as in the previous section; copy from project and paste on Sheet Editor.

The difference in this method is that the final table is a concatenation of the various grids from the project.

Examples

To illustrate the usage of this feature, we will add a couple of items to our sample project. The following items will be added:

Tags:

• MyTag1: Integer DataType and StartValue = 0.
• MyTag2: Digital DataType.

Alarm Items:

• MyTag1:

1. HiHi alarm limit (configured for ‘Critical’ alarm group) set to 95
2. Lo alarm limit (configured for ‘Warning’ alarm group) set to 10

• MyTag2:

1. Hi alarm limit (configured for ‘Critical’ alarm group) set to 1 and Message ’Tag Alarm is Hi’.
2. LoLo alarm limit (configured for ‘Warning’ alarm group) set to 0, Priority set to 1 and Message ’Tag Alarm is LoLo’.

Historian:

• MyTag1: Added to default Historian Table ‘Table1’.
• MyTag2: Added to default Historian Table ‘Table1’.

The table that contains all the columns and rows required to import the items described above can be found in the pictures below (with additional columns):

Following the importation procedure in Run → Extensions → Import, select the CSV option, browse for the filled csv file, and click Import.

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In this section...