You are viewing an old version of this page. View the current version.

Compare with Current View Page History

Version 1 Next »

About the Drawing tools

n this chapter, we will focus on the tools and techniques to create and customize displays and symbols in Tatsoft FactoryStudio. We will explore the drawing tools and features available to design interactive and visually appealing user interfaces. Additionally, we will delve into dynamic behavior on screen elements, symbols, user control components, and display code-behind programming

<< To Do >> << Add more one paragraph here, like an Overview and concept >>

On this page:


Key Concepts And Terminology

Graphical Element

When drawing displays, any object placed on the screen is defined as a Graphical Element. It can be simple objects like a rectangle, or controls like a CheckBox or TrendChart.

Dynamics

In the context of the Drawing tool, Dynamics are real-time behaviors you can use on a Graphical Element. For instance, you can add the Dynamic of Color Change to Rectangle and define the real-time Tag that will drive the color change.

Smart Symbols

Smart Symbols — or Symbols for short — is a platform feature that combines graphical Elements with Dynamics properties and connection to the real-time Tags and templates.

The Symbols vastly expedite the creation of Operator Users Interfaces, and simplify the maintenance, as changes on the Symbols propagate automatically to the Displays using it.

Components and User Controls

In context of the drawing tools... <add definition >>

Image Resources

Image files imported to the Project. The Image Resources can be applied as background color, or even as a Dynamic color change, to any Graphical Element. 


The Drawing Area and Its Features

In this section will present:

Overview of the drawing area in Tatsoft FactoryStudio

Accessing the drawing tools and customizing the environment

Features Highlights and Capabilities

Drawing Area Workspace

<<Explanation of workspace

Accessing and customization

When clicking the Draw button  in the ProjectDesigner, the toolbars are changed to present the Drawing Tools.The Draw area is where you create and edit the displays, create and modify symbols, and do the Display CodevBehind programming.

<<contens

Features Highlights and Capabilities

Some features available in the Drawing tool include:

  • Cross-Platform: Use the advanced WPF drawing features to create HTML5 pages. 
  • Symbols are fully customizable and new symbols can be created from the green field.
  • The concept of open Dynamic properties brings the flexibility to deliver any UNI requirement. 
  • Advanced components for Trending, Alarms, DataGrids, Gantt, Maps, BarCharts and many others.
  • Third-party components can be easily integrated, and new built-in components are frequently created.
    <<<<.please review the content of this paragraph>>>>
  • Image files can be imported into the Project as Resources, so you do not need to keep the image file anymore.
  • The Image Resources can be applied as a painting Brush to any element.
  • Import XAML and AUTOCAD drawings into the system as a vector object. 
  • Many Productivity tools, like Copy-Paste dynamic properties, edit multiple objects, search replace tags.
  • Select the objects in the display, or use the ObjectTree View.
  • Flexible Grid Snapping and zoom settings. 

Working with Graphical Elements

This section will cover:

Understanding the concept of graphical elements
Creating and editing basic shapes, text, images, and controls
Configuring element properties and behavior

Adding Dynamics to Screen Elements

  • Introduction to real-time behaviors (dynamics) for screen elements
  • Configuring dynamic properties, such as color changes and visibility
  • Binding screen elements to real-time tags and templates

Symbols, Images, and Repositories

  • Understanding the concept of smart symbols
  • Exploring images, Symbol Factory library, and Local Symbols Gallery
  • Using built-in symbols and components
  • Creating and managing custom symbols and components
  • Importing and exporting symbols and components


User Controls and External Components

Introduction to dynamic objects, smart symbols, and UI controls
Utilizing platform UI controls, Windows UI controls, and extensible components
Integrating external components in FactoryStudio displays

Preparing the Application Navigation

Understanding the concept of application navigation
Organizing the navigation of pages for users
Display Modes: Pages, Dialogs, and Popups

Responsive Design and Dashboard Layouts

Implementing responsive design principles
Working with grid layouts to create adaptable and flexible user interfaces

Code-Behind Programming

Overview of display code-behind programming
Writing code in VB.Net or CSharp and automatic language conversion
Defining event handling methods for mouse and input commands
Utilizing pre-defined methods for handling display opening, closing, and dialog actions

Specific Tips and Best Practices

Design guidelines and recommendations for creating effective and user-friendly displays and symbols
Optimizing performance and resource usage in complex screens







Display Mode

Pages, dialogs, and pop-up are different display modes, they share some common, but each one have a specific particularly or behavior. They are commonly used in application development to build intuitive and dinamics user-interfaces.

This feature brings speed-up to your digital solution development, it allows you think more about business solution and less about codes.

Page

A Page is a Display that always remains open or opens, replacing the previous display, constituting an independent unit of information or functionality within an application. In summary, it is a screen that allows users to perform a specific action, in which access to the page is given from a navigation menu or through other links within the application.

Dialog

A Dialog is a display that opens on top of all other displays and stays open, blocking the use of other displays until the User closes it.

A dialog is a small window that appears on top of the main application window and requires user input before it can be dismissed. It is typically used to prompt users for confirmation or additional information before proceeding with an action. 

Dialogs can be modal, meaning the User cannot interact with the main application window until the dialog is closed.

Popup

A Popup is a small window that opens over a page, remaining on top, but the Users can still interact with the other pages. It displays additional information or functionality. And it can be triggered by a user action, such as clicking on a button or link, or they can appear automatically based on certain conditions. 

Popups can be modal or non-modal, often containing forms, menus, or other interactive components.

PopupWindow

A PopupWindow opens a completely independent Window with its border to show the display. 

A small, separate window appears on top of the main application window. It can display additional information or provide quick access to specific functionality, but they are not intended to be used for extended periods.

You can define it when creating a new display.

You can change the display mode later in Display Settings in the drawing area.

And finally, you can modify the Display mode on Mode Column in the Display List.



Toolbars and Element Properties

Learn 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 imagine!

The 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. 
  • 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.

The Display Setting is always visible on the left side. The configuration fields of the Display, including if the Display is a Page, Dialog or Popup, were discussed in the section Displays, Remote Clients

Top Toolbar


IconCommandDescription

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).

Print

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


Help


Vertical Toolbar


IconCommandDescription

 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.

    • To move the point, click on the point to select it and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the point to its new position.
    • Double-click on a point to add a new point adjacent to the selected point.
    • Right-click on a point to delete the selected point.

 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. 

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.

 Text Box

Creates a text input/output (I/O) object.
To link the I/O object with a tag, double-click the I/O object. Under the Dynamic configuration window, select the TextIO dynamic.

Industrial iconsInsert an industrial icons to be used in the project.

Image resourceInsert an image to be used in the project.

Components


Symbol Library

The symbol library includes both built-in and user-defined symbols.


Add SymbolCreates New Symbol with Selected Elements.

Edit SymbolEdit Selected Symbol.

Break SymbolBreak apart Selected Symbol to its elements.
IconCommandDescription

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.

IconComponentsDescription
Assets

AlarmWindow

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.

Alarm AreasCreates an Alarm Area control that allows you to view the existing alarm tree.

Alarm Tree

DataGrid

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.

TreeView

Charts



3DPipeViewer

 Creates a 3D Pipe Viewer object.

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



CustomPieChart

 Creates an Advanced Pie Chart object.


GanttChart



Timeline


Containers



ChildDisplay



HTML5 Control


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



CircularGaugeArcPointer


CircularGaugeCompass



CircularGaugeFullCircle



CircularGaugeRanges



CircularGaugeSemiCircle



LinearGauge



CircularGaugeControl



CircularGaugeRangeControl



LinearGaugeControl


Input




Button


CheckBox


ComboBox

Creates a combo box.

ListBox

 Creates a list box.

RadioButton

Creates a radio button object. 

Slider


DatePicker


DateTimePicker


DateTimeTextBox


TimeTextBox



ColorPicker



MaskedTextBox



NumericTextBox



TextBox



TimePicker


Interaction



Calculator

 Creates a Calculator object.


FileExplorer


Maps




ESRI Map


Google Map


Maps


Navigation



CircularPanel

 Creates a Circular Panel object.

Menu

 Creates a menu.

MenuItem

Creates a menu item.

PageSelector

Creates a Page Selector object.Creates a menu item.

Horizontal Toolbar


Icons

Commands

Description

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


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  



Exclude  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  .

In this section...

  • No labels