Workforce

development
2024
Expanding human possibility through
learning

FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

Rockwell Automation
2/20/2024
 Important User Information
This documentation, whether, illustrative, printed, “online” or electronic (hereinafter “Documentation”) is intended for use only as a
learning aid when using Rockwell Automation approved demonstration hardware, software and firmware. The Documentation should
only be used as a learning tool by qualified professionals.
The variety of uses for the hardware, software and firmware (hereinafter “Products”) described in this Documentation, mandates that
those responsible for the application and use of those Products must satisfy themselves that all necessary steps have been taken to
ensure that each application and actual use meets all performance and safety requirements, including any applicable laws,
regulations, codes and standards in addition to any applicable technical documents.
In no event will Rockwell Automation, Inc., or any of its affiliate or subsidiary companies (hereinafter “Rockwell Automation”) be
responsible or liable for any indirect or consequential damages resulting from the use or application of the Products described in this
Documentation. Rockwell Automation does not assume responsibility or liability for damages of any kind based on the alleged use of,
or reliance on, this Documentation.
No patent liability is assumed by Rockwell Automation with respect to use of information, circuits, equipment, or software described in
the Documentation.
Except as specifically agreed in writing as part of a maintenance or support contract, equipment users are responsible for:
 properly using, calibrating, operating, monitoring and maintaining all Products consistent with
all Rockwell Automation or third-party provided instructions, warnings, recommendations
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 all other factors affecting the Products that are outside of the direct control of Rockwell
Automation.
Reproduction of the contents of the Documentation, in whole or in part, without written permission of Rockwell Automation is
prohibited.
Throughout this manual we use the following notes to make you aware of safety considerations:

WARNING: Identifies information about practices or circumstances that can cause

an explosion in a hazardous environment, which may lead to personal injury or
death, property damage, or economic loss.

ATTENTION: Identifies information about practices or circumstances that can lead

to personal injury or death, property damage, or economic loss. Attentions help you
identify a hazard, avoid a hazard, and recognize the consequence.

IMPORTANT

Identifies information that is critical for successful application and understanding of the product.
 Labels may also be on or inside the equipment to provide specific precautions.

SHOCK HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a drive
or motor, to alert people that dangerous voltage may be present.

BURN HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a drive or
motor, to alert people that surfaces may reach dangerous temperatures.

ARC FLASH HAZARD: Labels may be on or inside the equipment, for example, a
motor control center, to alert people to potential Arc Flash. Arc Flash will cause
severe injury or death. Wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Follow ALL
Regulatory requirements for safe work practices and for Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE).

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Table of Contents
Introduction to the New FactoryTalk® Optix™ Visualization Platform Hands-on Lab........................... 3
Before You Begin ........................................................................................................................ 3
About this Lab ......................................................................................................................... 3
Duration .................................................................................................................................. 4
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................... 4
Materials ................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5
Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 5
What is FactoryTalk Optix?....................................................................................................... 5
FactoryTalk Optix Studio Interface ........................................................................................... 6
Create Your First Project (30 Minutes) .......................................................................................... 9
Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 9
Scenario ................................................................................................................................. 9
Lab Procedure ....................................................................................................................... 10
Web Presentation Engine (5 Minutes) ......................................................................................... 29
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 29
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 29
Lab procedure....................................................................................................................... 29
Alarming (15 Minutes) ................................................................................................................ 33
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 33
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 33
Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 33
Configure a Datalogger (15 Minutes) ........................................................................................... 45
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 45
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 45
Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 45
Reporting (20 Minutes) .............................................................................................................. 57
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 57
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 57

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Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 57

Configure Recipes (15 Minutes)................................................................................................... 77
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 77
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 77
Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 78
Language Switching (10 Minutes) ............................................................................................... 89
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 89
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 89
Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 89
Security (20 Minutes) ................................................................................................................. 111
Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 111
Scenario ............................................................................................................................... 111
Lab Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 111
Appendix A – Configure Communications: Logix Station ............................................................. 131
Appendix B – Configure Communications: OPC UA .................................................................... 137
Appendix C – Responsive Graphics ........................................................................................... 143
Appendix D – OPC UA ............................................................................................................... 156
Appendix E – Container Objects ................................................................................................ 164
Appendix F – Reporting ............................................................................................................ 166
Appendix G - Transfer application to a runtime device ............................................................... 168

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

Introduction to the New

FactoryTalk® Optix™
Visualization Platform Hands-
on Lab

Before You Begin

About this Lab

This is an introductory Lab that explores the features and functionality of FactoryTalk Optix.
In the first section of the lab, you will be creating a brand-new project to get hands-on experience
with fundamental concepts and configure the framework for the rest of the lab. The remaining
sections are independent of other lab sections so you may select what you wish to learn about in any
order.
The lab sections contain an explanation and feature details for that particular section in a “Tip”
section. It is not necessary to read these explanations, but a more thorough understanding of the
features presented will be attained if time is taken to read through them.
In this lab, you will:
 Create your first project and configure the main window
 Configure Communication to ControlLogix and an OPC UA Server
 Configure panel and screen types
 Configure navigation

Select from the following:

 Configure alarms and alarm history
 Create security users and groups
 Configure a data logger, and display data in a Data Grid and Trend
 Configure Reports
 Configure Language switching
 Configure Recipes
 Create a Web Presentation Engine
 Develop a User Interface (UI) with scaled layout and responsive graphics

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Duration
Create Your First Project – 30 minutes
Web Presentation Engine - 5 minutes
Alarming – 15 minutes
Configure a Datalogger - 15 minutes
Reporting - 20 minutes
Configure Recipes - 15 minutes
Language Switching - 10 minutes
Security – 20 minutes

Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites required for this lab.

Materials
This lab requires the following items.
 FactoryTalk Optix Studio version 1.3.1.39 or newer
 FactoryTalk Optix Runtime version 1.3.0.164 or newer
o Or an OptixPanel terminal
o Or an Embedded Edge Compute module

 (Optional) FactoryTalk Logix Echo 2.01

 (Optional) Studio 5000 Logix Designer version 35.11
 (Optional) UaExpert OPC UA Client version 1.6.3
 (Optional) UaCPPServer 1.7.7

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Introduction

Objectives
 Explain “What is FactoryTalk Optix”
 Understand the FactoryTalk Optix components.
 Learn about the Design environment.

What is FactoryTalk Optix?

FactoryTalk Optix is a new platform for creating Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) developed by
Rockwell Automation. It is an addition to the FactoryTalk suite of industrial automation software and
is designed to provide an open and flexible platform for creating custom HMI applications that are
tailored to the user-specific needs.
With FactoryTalk Optix, users can create:
 Real-time monitoring: FactoryTalk Optix provides real-time information about the status of
industrial systems and processes, allowing operators to make informed decisions and quickly
respond to issues.
 Data visualization: FactoryTalk Optix provides a wide range of visualization tools and
features, including graphs, charts, and histograms, to help operators better understand and
analyze data.
 User-friendly interface: FactoryTalk Optix features a modern and intuitive interface that is
designed to be easy to use, even for non-technical users.
 Customization: FactoryTalk Optix provides a wide range of customization options, including
the ability to create custom screens, dashboards, and reports, to meet specific customer
requirements.
 Connectivity: FactoryTalk Optix is designed to connect to a variety of industrial systems and
devices, including Rockwell Automation controllers, and third-party PLCs and automation
devices.
 Scalability: FactoryTalk Optix is designed to scale from small to large-scale applications with
multiple web clients.
 Extensibility: OPC UA is core to the platform with support of the OPC UA Companion Specs.
Native IoT connectivity and a C# engine to fulfill every customer need.

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

FactoryTalk Optix consists of different software components:

FactoryTalk Optix Studio:
Integrated development environment with a framework of functional modules for designing and
compiling HMI or Internet of Things (IoT) applications. FactoryTalk Optix Studio includes a library of
predefined objects that support the modular design of graphical interfaces, features, and logic
operations of an HMI application. By using specific C# language scripts, you can automate various
actions in the design phase and add customized functions to projects. FactoryTalk Optix Studio
comes in either:
 FactoryTalk Optix Studio Standard
 This is available at no-cost to anyone without a license.
 FactoryTalk Optix Studio Pro
 This is a subscription that enables cloud and collaboration functionality.
FactoryTalk Optix Application:
An HMI or IoT application developed and compiled in FactoryTalk Optix Studio.
FactoryTalk Optix Runtime:
Runtime software that is deployed to FactoryTalk Optix Application client systems. The FactoryTalk
Optix Runtime installation package contains FactoryTalk Optix Application Update Service (Software
for updating and deploying FactoryTalk Optix Applications from FactoryTalk Optix Studio to the client
devices) and FactoryTalk Optix License Manager.

FactoryTalk Optix Studio Interface

The Design environment

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

Main toolbar
Commands that apply to all portions of the user interface.

Project view
Project information model that displays the content and structure of the project in nodes. A node can
be a parent that has child nodes.

Type view
Object types and variable types on which instances of objects are based. Predefined types are
grouped in folders according to their purpose. Custom types are grouped in folders that reflect the
structure in Project view.

Output pane
Messages related to the operation of the FactoryTalk Optix Application. Applications that are running
and are connected to FactoryTalk Optix Studio appear on Emulator Output.

Tabs

Tabs of open objects being modified in the editor. If you hover over a tab to select without saving
the project, you are prompted to save your changes.

Editor toolbar
Commands that apply to the object type being modified in the editor.

Editor
Graphic editor for objects. Each editor opens in a new tab and is used for graphic objects and object
types, such as tag importers and recipes.

Properties pane
Set the properties for the selected node in Project view or in the object editor.

Events pane
Associate methods with events generated by the currently selected node.

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Create Your First Project (30 Minutes)

Objectives
 Create a new project
 Configure the main window
 Produce panel types and a navigation panel
 Add graphic objects and variables
 Set up Dynamic Links and Complex Dynamic Links using Key-value converters
 Explore responsive graphics
 Appendix A - Establish communications

Scenario
In this section of the lab, you will be introduced to some of the core aspects of basic HMI development
using FactoryTalk Optix Studio. You will be starting from scratch to create a new project, where you
will be guided in:
 Exploring the user interface (UI) responsive graphics capabilities of FactoryTalk Optix
 Creating some simple displays with easily configured navigation.
Along the way you will also be introduced some more optional advanced features and concepts such
as:
 OPC UA Information Models
 Object-oriented programming utilizing Types
 Advanced Dynamic Linking
 Key-Value Converters

To learn more about setting up communications to both a Logix controller and an OPC UA Server,
please check Appendix D.

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

Lab Procedure
1. Open FactoryTalk Optix Studio by clicking on the FactoryTalk Optix Studio icon from the
Windows Start menu.

2. Under New project, select Default.

3. Under Name, enter the name of the project. For example, enter “QuickStart”.

4. Verify that Use version control is selected.

5. We aim to run the Optix application full screen on the device of your choosing.

i. To run the project on an OptixPanel, select the appropriate OptixPanel from the list.

ii. To run the project on your local computer or an Embedded Edge Compute (EEC)
module, select PC Runtime 1920x1080 in Set main window size. If your computer
runs a different resolution, select the more appropriate resolution for your computer.

6. Select Create.

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ADDITIONAL PROJECT OPTION

OptixPanel™ graphic terminals give you a PC-like user experience in a sealed HMI appliance. There
is no operating system to secure and smaller applications can benefit from the superior price-
performance ratio. These graphic terminals are also available in a wide range of screen sizes, bezel
options, aspect ratios and touch screen technologies that support gestures, such as swipe and
pinch, for easier integration on your factory floor.

OptixPanel is the 2nd option available. Select this option if you would like to create a project with
system widgets for OptixPanel terminals.

Configure the Main Window

1. In Project view, expand UI and double-click MainWindow (type).

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DEFAULT PROJECT COMPONENTS

A default project will provide the following 4 User Interface related items:
 Default Style Sheet: Makes it possible to globally set style properties of all graphical
objects in the project.
 Native Presentation Engine: Use the Native Presentation Engine for typical HMI
applications that run on targets with an operator panel. There can be only one Native
Presentation Engine in a FactoryTalk Optix Studio project.
 Main Window: This object is the root container of graphical objects.
 Screens: Folder where screen types can be created

You can set Full screen to True, however; it is easier to develop and preview applications with the
default False settings.

The MainWindow area displays in the editor. The main window contains all graphical elements
displayed at design time in FactoryTalk Optix Studio and at runtime in your FactoryTalk Optix
Application.

2. (Optional) We want our application window to float above other windows. In the Properties
window of the MainWindow (type) set
a. Always on Top to True
b. Full Screen to False

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

3. Save the project.

4. From the toolbar, Emulator is the default selection to test run the application. Click the Run
Emulator icon

5. The title is displayed in the Emulator with either QuickStart or whatever you may have changed
it to.

6. Close the Emulator.

EMULATOR
FactoryTalk Optix Studio includes an Emulator to make developing and testing your runtime
project easy.
 The Emulator will run for two hours at a time, and it may be restarted as needed after the
time limit expires.
 Multiple projects may be emulated at the same time.
 The Emulator is the default deployment option when pressing the play button within
FactoryTalk Optix Studio.
Note: Click on Emulator to expand the runtime deployment configuration window and
explore the options available there.

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(Optional) Create a Logo

1. (Optional) In Project view, double-click MainWindow (type).

2. (Optional) On your computer, using Windows explorer, locate the C:\Program Files\Rockwell
Automation\FactoryTalk Optix\Studio\Help\en\downloads folder.

3. (Optional) Drag the ra_logo.svg logo file into the main window area in the editor.

4. (Optional) Close Windows explorer.

The logo appears in the editor. Depending on the logo resolution and the main window
resolution, the logo might take too much space or be positioned incorrectly.

5. (Optional) If not already selected, click Image1 to access it’s properties.

6. (Optional) Then in Properties set Horizontal alignment to Right.

7. (Optional) Set Width to “200”.

Note: Hover over the property and notice the pencil icon appears . Select this icon to
type in new values for a property.

8. (Optional) Set Top margin and Right margin to “5”.

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

9. (Optional) Scroll MainWindow (type) horizontally if needed to see the new location and size of
the logo.

Screen Types and Instances

Configure screen types to distribute interface elements over multiple pages in the application.
1. In Project view, right-click Screens and select New > Screen.
Screen1 (type) appears under Screens.

2. Hover-over Screen1 (type), select the edit icon , and enter “Page” as the new name.

3. In properties on the right, set Left margin, and Top margin to “10”.

4. In Project view, right-click UI and select New > Folder.

5. Hover-over Folder1, select the edit icon , and enter “Pages” as the new name.

6. Right-click Pages and select New > Screens > Page.

Page1 (type) appears under Pages.

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7. Now, with Page1 (type) under Pages still highlighted press Ctrl+C to copy the object. Select the
Pages folder, then press Ctrl+V thirteen more times to create Page2, Page3, Page4, …, Page14.
Each Page# (type) inherits its properties from Page (type). There will be fourteen instances of
the Page (type) object total under the Pages folder. They will be used as starting templates
throughout the lab for the various sections.

Note: To properly instantiate child objects from a parent object type, only use the copy and
paste method when the child type has not been modified. Otherwise, all specific
changes to the particular child instance will be copied and it will not reflect the original
parent type any longer. In cases where only the original type is meant to be
instantiated, use the method described in step #6 above.
INSTANCES OF PARENT OBJECT TYPES

Create consistent user interfaces by inheriting properties from parent object types. For example, if
you want to change the margins of Page1 (type), Page2 (type), Page3 (type), Page 4 (type), ...,
edit the margin properties of Page (type). The modification will propagate to each Page# (type).

Navigation Panel
Configure a navigation panel to switch between different panels (pages) at runtime.

1. In Project view, double-click MainWindow (type).

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2. Right-click MainWindow (type) and select New > Containers > Navigation panel.

Note: To learn more about Containers see Appendix E – Container Objects

Note: Navigation panel appears in the main window and is not positioned.

3. In Properties, set Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment to Stretch.

Now, the navigation panel occupies the entire height and width of the main window and covers
the logo.

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4. Set Top margin to “55” (you may need to scroll down the Properties pane to locate this
property). The navigation panel no longer covers the logo.

5. Click and drag Page1 (type) to the NavigationPanel1 object in the Project view tree.

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6. Now, click to select Page2 (type). Then hold Shift and click on Page14 (type). Now, click and
drag the entire group of pages onto NavigationPanel1.

Note: Do not drag Page (type) onto the Navigation Panel. Page (type) is the base object for
the 14 instances we created earlier. Notice how all the pages now have links in the
project’s Navigation panel object

7. Save your project.

Creating Objects and Variables

Add a Switch, Spin box, and LED objects to Page1 of your application.
1. In Project view, double-click Page1 (type)

Blank Page1 displays in the editor.

2. Rename Page1 to “Dashboard” by hovering-over it and selecting the edit icon.

3. Right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > Switch.

4. Right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > Spin box.

5. Right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > LED.

6. In the center pane of the editor, arrange the objects according to your preferences.

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Associate the LED status with the switch

Turn the LED object on and off with the switch.

1. In Project view, select LED1.

2. In Properties, next to the property value called Active, select Add Dynamic Link icon

3. In the Dynamic Links browser, browse to QuickStart > UI > Pages > Dashboard (type)
> Switch1 > Checked.

4. Choose Select.

Note: A dynamic link can also be created by dragging the source from Project view to the
value of the property that you want the dynamic link to set.

5. Save your project.

6. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. Click the Run Emulator icon .

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7. At runtime, in the Emulator, toggle the switch and observe the LED change color.

8. Toggle the switch off and observe the LED turn off.

9. Close the Emulator.

Associate the LED color with the spin box

Control the color of the LED object by changing spin box values at runtime.
1. In Project view, select LED1.

2. In Properties, next to the Color property, select Add Dynamic Link icon

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3. In the Dynamic link browser, select the Advanced tab.

4. In the Complex Dynamic Link Editor, select the Add new icon and select Key-value
converter

5. Specify the source and converter logic to transform the value. Select the Change Dynamic Link
icon , browse and select QuickStart > UI > Pages > Dashboard (type) > SpinBox1 > Value.
Click Select.

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6. Next to Key-value converter, select the configure icon .

7. In the central pane of the editor, the Value Map editor is displayed. Next to Values (header of the
second column), click on String to open the Data Type Editor.

8. Select the Show all checkbox and change the data type to Color.

9. Click Select.

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10. Add two rows by selecting the Add new icon two times and set the values as follows:
Note: For this lab, you may type Red, Orange and Blue as the colors instead of the hex value of
the color.

11. Close the KeyValueConverter1 tab.

12. In Project view, select SpinBox1.

13. In Properties, set Minimum value to “0”, and the set Maximum value to “2”.

Setting Minimum and Maximum value prevents you from providing values that are not
handled by Key-value converter at runtime.

14. Save the project.

15. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. click the Run Emulator icon .

16. At runtime, in the Emulator, change the LED change color using the spin box.

17. Close the Emulator.

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Create variables
Create variables that define a motor alarm, temperature, and individual ingredients.
Note: When working with Logix-based controllers, instead of creating variables manually,
you can import controller variables in the offline and online mode.

1. In Project view, create a variable by right-clicking Model and selecting New > Variable. Repeat this
three times to create 4 variables, or simply copy and paste the variable that you created 4 more
times inside the Model folder.

2. Rename the variables by hovering-over each variable, selecting the edit icon , and entering:

3. In Project view, select Motor1Alarm.

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 FactoryTalk Optix Platform – My First Project

4. In Properties, change the data type from Int32 to Boolean.

The variable value type changes to Boolean for the digital alarm that you will configure later.

5. Save the project.

Configure temperature controls

Create Label, Textbox, and Linear gauge objects to visualize and control the temperature variable.

1. In Project view > QuickStart > UI > Pages, double-click Dashboard (type).

2. Right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > Label.

3. In Properties, set Text to “Temperature:”.

4. In Project view, right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > Text box.

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5. In Properties, use drag and drop to create a dynamic link between Text and the Temperature
variable.

The Temperature variable is now linked to the text property of TextBox1.

6. In Project view, right-click Dashboard (type) and select New > Base controls > Linear gauge.

7. In Properties, use drag and drop to create a dynamic link between Value and the Temperature
variable.

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8. In Project view, double-click Dashboard (type) and arrange the objects according to your
preferences.

9. Save the project.

10. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. Click the Run Emulator icon .

11. Change the temperature value and make sure that the gauge and the text box are linked.

12. Close the Emulator.

SUMMARY

While the steps are very different from existing HMI products, in a few clicks we covered some
advanced topics.
For example:
 We created one panel as a Type and created several instances of that panel. Any change to
the template panel that was created would propagate to the other instances.
 We experienced how every property of an object can be dynamically linked to a variable or
the property of another object.
 We also leveraged browsing and drag and drop to establish that dynamic link.

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Web Presentation Engine (5 Minutes)

Objectives
 Create a Web Presentation Engine
 Transfer application to a runtime device (Web Presentation Engine host)
 Connect a web client to the runtime host device

Scenario
Web Presentation Engine exposes a web user interface for connecting multiple users from different
web browsers. When a user connects to the web server, an interactive session is generated for the
authenticated user. The same user can generate additional interactive sessions by accessing the
project from multiple devices.

Lab procedure
Create a Web Presentation Engine
Note: Each FactoryTalk Optix Studio project can contain a single Native Presentation Engine
and a single Web Presentation Engine. There is no limit to the number of web clients
that can connect to the Web Presentation Engine.

1. In Project view, right-click the UI folder (make sure it is expanded) and select New > Web
Presentation Engine.

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2. In the Properties pane on the right make the following changes:

 Set Protocol to http

 Set Port to “8443”
 Change the Maximum number of connections to 3

Add a new Stylesheet to the project

1. From the Toolbar select Template Libraries icon

2. From Libraries
- Locate the StyleSheets section
- Drag and drop the Friendly dark stylesheet to the UI folder.
- Select Import as Instance.

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3. The FriendlyDark1 style sheet is now available to use in the project. Close Libraries.

Set the Web Presentation Engine to use the new style sheet
4. In Project view, under the UI folder, select Web Presentation Engine.

5. In the Properties pane for the Web Presentation Engine on the right, change the Style sheet
property to use FriendlyDark1.

6. Save the project.

Connect a web client to the runtime host device

1. From the toolbar, click the Run on Emulator icon .

2. Wait for the OptixRuntimeTarget application to launch

3. Open Microsoft Edge browser (or Chrome) from Windows Taskbar.

4. As a URL enter http://localhost:8443

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5. Once the web session is established, feel free to compare the web presentation session with the
native presentation.

6. Close the web browser session and the OptixRuntimeTarget application.

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Alarming (15 Minutes)

Objectives
 Configure a Digital alarm
 Configure an Analog alarm
 Configure Alarm Banner and Alarm Grid
 Configure Alarm History
 Simulate alarms

Scenario
In this section of the lab, you will experience how easy it is to configure alarms in FactoryTalk Optix.
You will first create a digital and an analog alarm. The digital alarm will warn you about issues with
Motor1 while the analog alarm will be associated with the TemperatureAlarm variable. You will then
observe and interact with these alarms at runtime utilizing ready-to-use alarm objects from the
extensive FactoryTalk Optix Template Libraries.

Lab Procedure
Note: Screenshots may differ depending on what optional sections have been completed
previously.

Configure a Digital alarm:

1. In Project view, right-click the Alarms folder and select New > Digital alarm.

DigitalAlarm1 will be created. Observe the Properties pane, on the right, associated with the new
alarm. Next, you will create a dynamic link between the Input variable property and the
Motor1Alarm variable in the Model folder.

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2. Expand the Model folder and drag and drop the Motor1Alarm variable to the Input variable field.

3. In Properties, in the Message field, enter a warning message e.g. “Motor1 Alarm”.

4. Set the Auto confirm property to True.

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Configure an Analog alarm

1. In Project view, right-click the Alarms folder and select New > Exclusive level alarm.

2. Rename ExlusiveLevelAlarm1 to AnalogAlarm by clicking on the pencil symbol on the right of

the object.

3. Using the same method when creating dynamic link for the digital alarm, expand the Model
folder and drag and drop the Temperature variable to the Input variable field in the
AnalogAlarm object’s Properties pane (make sure AnalogAlarm is selected in the Project view).

4. With the alarm’s Properties pane still open, set the High limit to 80.

5. Under Message, in the Message high-state field, type the message: “Temperature is over 80
degrees”.
Your configured alarm properties should look like this:

6. Set the Auto confirm property to True.

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Configure an Alarm Banner

1. In Project view, expand UI and double-click MainWindow (type).

2. From the Toolbar select Template Libraries icon .

3. In the search field type ”banner” to locate the Alarm Banner object.

4. Drag and drop the Alarm Banner widget onto the MainWindow and position it closer to the top
right above the NavigationPanel.

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5. Close the Libraries window

6. With the Alarm Banner widget selected, match the Size and layout properties as shown below.

Configure an Alarm Grid

Add a table that displays alarms status in real time.

1. In Project View, expand the Pages folder and rename Page2 to Alarms.

2. Double-click the Alarms page.

3. From the Toolbar select Template Libraries icon again.

4. Let’s add another alarm widget called Alarm Grid (type grid in the Search field to find it quicker).
drag Alarm Grid onto Alarms (type) in Project view

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5. Close the Libraries window.

6. In Project view, select AlarmGrid1.

7. In Properties, set Horizontal alignment to Stretch. The object adjusts its width to the container
at runtime.

8. Save the project.

Simulate Alarm
Next, you will simulate these alarms and observe them in both the Alarm Banner and the Alarm Grid.

1. Right-click Alarms (type) and select New > Base controls > Switch.

2. In Properties, use drag and drop to create a dynamic link between the Checked property and the
Motor1Alarm variable.

3. In the editor, arrange Switch1 so it is located below the Data Grid.

4. The Linear gauge on the Dashboard is already configured to change the value of the temperature.
In Project view, under UI >Pages > Dashboard (type), right-click LinearGauge1 and select Copy.

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5. You can now right-click Alarms(type) and select Paste.

The Alarms page should now look similar to this:

6. Save the project.

7. Next, you will simulate couple of alarms and observe them in both the Alarm Banner and the
Alarm Grid. Click the Run Emulator icon .

8. Navigate to the Alarms page by clicking Alarms tab in the Navigation Panel top bar.

9. Click on the Motor 1 Alarm Trigger switch.

Note: Observe how the alarm condition is displayed in both the Alarm Banner and the
Alarm Grid.

10. Move the Temperature Alarm Trigger slider To a value higher than 80.

Note: As soon as the second alarm is triggered, Next/Previous Alarm buttons show
next to Alarm Banner so that you can scroll between simultaneously active alarms. At
the same time, all the alarms and their states are shown in the Alarm Grid.

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11. To finish this exercise, deactivate both alarms by clicking the Motor 1 Alarm Trigger switch and
moving the slider away from the red zone.

12. Click Acknowledge All and then Confirm All button to remove both alarm messages.

13. Close the Emulator.

Configure Alarm History

In the next exercise you will experience how easy it is to configure a method that allows you to
observe the alarm history. You will use simple steps to create a database that will store the alarm
transactions and then associate this database with the Alarm Event Logger object. You will observe
the alarm history in yet another, ready-to-use widget that you will create on a new page.
1. In Project View, expand the Pages folder (if not expanded already) and rename Page3 to
AlarmHistory.

2. Double-click the Alarm History page. This page is currently blank.

3. In Project View, right-click the DataStores folder and select New > Embedded database.

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4. Hover over EmbeddedDatabase1, select the Edit icon , and rename it to AlarmDB.

5. From the Toolbar, select the Template Libraries icon .

6. In the Search field type logger to locate the Alarms Event Logger object.
7. Under Components, drag Alarms Event Logger onto the Loggers folder in Project view.

8. When dropping the object, select Import as instance.

9. Close the Libraries window.

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10. To create a dynamic link between Alarms Event Logger and the alarm history database
AlarmDB, simply drag and drop the AlarmDB object to the Database property of the
AlarmsEventLogger object.

11. Select the Template Libraries icon again.

12. In the Search field type grid to locate the Alarm History Grid with filter object.
13. Drag and drop this object onto the AlarmHistory page (you may need to re-open this page if it is
closed).

14. Close the Libraries window.

15. In Properties, for better viewing at runtime, adjust Size and layout of the object per the settings
below.

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16. To create a dynamic link between Alarms History Grid and Alarm Event Logger that you created
in previous steps, drag and drop the AlarmsEventLogger1 object to the AlarmsEventLogger
property of the AlarmHistoryGridWithFilter1 object.

17. Save the project.

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Simulate alarm transactions

Next, you will generate the same alarm transactions as before and observe them in Alarm History.
1. Click the Run Emulator icon .

2. Navigate to the Alarms page by clicking Alarms tab in the Navigation Panel top bar.

3. Click on the Motor 1 Alarm Trigger switch.

4. Move the Temperature Alarm Trigger slider all the way to the right.

5. Click on the Motor 1 Alarm Trigger switch again to deactivate the digital alarm.

6. Move the Temperature Alarm Trigger slider all the way to the left.
7. Click Acknowledge All and then Confirm All button.
8. Click the Alarm History tab in the Navigation Panel top bar to open the page with the Alarm
History Grid object.
9. Close the Emulator.

Note: Observe the sequence of actions that you performed in the previous steps e.g. the
timestamped records indicate when the alarms went off and when they were
deactivated as well as the acknowledgment and confirmation of alarms.

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Configure a Datalogger (15 Minutes)

Objectives
 Use a wizard to create a datalogger
 Use a DataGrid to show the data on the screen
 Create a trend and configure as Realtime Data
 Create a trend and configure as Historical Data

Scenario
In this section you will learn how easy it is to create a data log using one of our wizards.
When the data is logged, you want to display that on a screen by using the standard DataGrid object
that is included in FactoryTalk Optix.
After that we will add 2 trends that can show real-time and historical data.
Note: Screenshots may differ depending on what optional sections have been completed
previously.

Lab Procedure
Configure Data logger:

1. From the FactoryTalk Optix Studio toolbar, select the Open dashboard page icon .

2. In the central pane, select Configure a data logger.

3. Select New data loggers to create a data logger.

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4. Select a Sampling mode of Change in value. Sample all monitored variables with values that
changed from the previous sampling.

5. Select Polling time. Set the sampling properties using the format: 0000:00:00.100.

6. Select Next and Next again.

7. In Available databases, select New database.

8. Edit Name and set it to DataLogDB.

9. Leave the Type as Embedded and select Next and select Next again.

10. Click Next and select the Temperature variable under the Model folder to log.

11. Select Next.

12. Wait for the successful message and Exit.

Display Logger data in a Data Grid:

You can display the data logger and event logger data in a table. The Data grid object shows the
data stored by the logger in the database.

13. In the Project view pane, expand UI>Pages and rename Page4 (type) to DataGrid

14. Right-click on DataGrid page and select New > Data controls > Data grid.

15. Double-click the DataGrid1 object to open it in the editor.

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16. From the Project view pane, drag the data logger in the folder Loggers called DataLogger1 to
the Data grid object in the editor called Datagrid1.

17. To display the data updated in real time at runtime, configure the Auto refresh time property of
DataGrid1 using the format: 0000:00:01.000.

18. In Properties, scroll down to Size and layout section set Horizontal alignment and Vertical
alignment to Stretch and Bottom margin to “300”.

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19. Save the project.

20. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed, click the Run on Emulator icon .

21. At runtime, under Dashboard, change the temperature setpoint value and you will see the
temperature change automatically.

22. Navigate to DataGrid and observe the value changes in the Data Grid.

23. Close the Emulator.

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Realtime Trending:
1. In the Project view pane, expand UI>Pages and rename Page5 (type) to RT_Trend

2. Right-click on RT_Trend page and select t New > Data controls > Trend.

3. Double-click the Trend1 object to open it in the editor.

4. In Properties, under Model, Change the Mode from Normal to Trace.

5. Set Time window to 5 minutes using the following format 0000:05:00:000

6. Set Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment to Stretch.

7. Set Left, Top, Right and Bottom margins to 50.

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8. Under Pens, drag and drop to create a dynamic link between TrendPen1 and the pen data
source Temperature variable.

9. To change the Color of the pen, select the edit icon , enter Red, and hit enter on the
keyboard.

The Color property is changed to red, and the appropriate hex value of #ff0000 is used.

10. Change the Thickness property to 4.

11. Save the project.

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Historical Trending:
1. In the Project view pane, expand UI>Pages and rename Page6 (type) to HT_Trend

2. Right-click on HT_Trend page and select New > Data controls > Trend.

3. In Properties, Set Time window to 5 minutes using the following format 0000:05:00:000

4. Set Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment to Stretch.

5. Set Left, Top, Right and Bottom margins to 50.

6. For historical trending, we need to provide the trend with a model. Use drag and drop to drag the
DataLogger1 we created earlier under Loggers and drop it on the Model property of the trend
chart to automatically update the Model and Pens properties of the trend chart.

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7. Under Pens, click on the + next to Thresholds and change the properties of the Threshold1 as
below.

8. To change the Color of the pen, select the edit icon , enter Red, and hit enter on the keyboard.

The Color property is changed to red, and the appropriate hex value of #ff0000 is used.

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The final configuration of the trend properties will look like the following

9. Save

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10. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed, click the Run on Emulator icon .

11. From Dashboard, change the temperature value using the gauge.

12. Navigate to RT_Trend to view the real time trend. After few seconds values will start to appear.
Note: We did not change the default refresh time of 2 second.

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13. You can click on the trend to add traces, so you can see the values at specific times.

14. Navigate to HT_Trend to view the historical time trend. All historical values in the last few
minutes are plotted.

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Note: You can zoom in and zoom out a trend chart in three different ways.
1. Use the pinch-to-zoom gesture.
2. Place the mouse pointer in the area of interest and scroll forward or backward
with the mouse wheel.
3. Select the Trend graph and select + or -.
15. Close the emulator.

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Reporting (20 Minutes)

Objectives
 Create stylesheets for your report
 Create a report with header, footer and main sections
 Generate a PDF report

Scenario
In this section you will learn how to create reports using standard objects within FactoryTalk Optix.
You will also learn how to create PDF reports based on the stylesheet that you selected.
Make sure to do the Datalogging section first because we will use the data logs in this section.

Lab Procedure
See Appendix F to read about Reports
1. In Project View, select Reports

2. To have different custom style Reports we have to create at least 2 different style sheets for
these reports. Right click Reports > New > All > Reports > Style sheet. Repeat this step a
second time so that we have 2 Style sheets.

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3. Select StyleSheet1 and update the properties as follows

Under DataList Style, change the Header background color to #f0f0f0 or Lightgray (for the
purpose of this lab, you may type Lightgray as the closest color instead of the hex value)

4. Select StyleSheet2 and update the properties as follows:

Under Global Style, change the Border color to #ffffff or White.

Under DataList Style change the Alternate background color to #f0f0f0 or Lightgray.

Under DataList Style change the Header background color to #0fafff or Lightblue.

Under DataList Style change the Header text color to #ffffff or White.

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5. Right click Reports > New > Reports.

6. Select Reports1 and change the Page orientation property to Landscape.

7. In Project View, Expand Reports1 and you will see the 3 components a Report contains. Header,
Sections and Footer.

8. Double Click on Header and you will see the Header in the Editor Part of the window.

9. (Optional) Right Click Header and add an Image.

10. (Optional) Click on Image1 to access its properties and on its Path property, click on Browse.
Select ra_logo.svg from the project files main folder. NOTE: If the image is missing, please
follow the optional steps in lab 1 under the “Create a Logo” section on page 14.

11. (Optional) Click on Image1 and change the Width, Height and Left margin properties according
to the screenshot.

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12. Right Click Header and add a Label.

13. Click on the newly created Label1 and change the Properties according to the screenshot

Name: PrintDateTime
Horizontal alignment: Right
Vertical alignment: Center
Width: 2.5
Right Margin : 0.2

14. For the Text property, click on Add Dynamic link and navigate to
Reports > Reports1 > Print time and click Select

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The properties pane will look like the screen capture below.

15. The Header is done. We now need to create the Footer content. Right click Footer and add a
Label.

16. Rename the Label to PageCounter by clicking right to the Label.

17. (Optional) Right click Footer and add 2 more Labels.

18. (Optional) Rename these Labels to ReportFooter, and Copyright by clicking right to the
Label.

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19. (Optional) Click the ReportFooter Label and update the Properties
Text: This report has been automatically generated by FTOptix Studio
Please change the highlighted properties below

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20. (Optional) Click the Copyright Label and update the Properties

Text: Copyright ©2024 Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Note: Press Ctrl + Alt + C to enter the copyright symbol

Please change the highlighted properties below

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21. Click the PageCounter Label and update the Properties

22. For the Text property, click the Add Dynamic Link

23. Now click on Advanced.

24. In the Complex Dynamic Link editor click the and select String formatter.

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25. In Format type : Page {0} of {1}

26. Click on Change Dynamic Link for {0} DynamicLink and browse to Reports  Report1  Page
Number.

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27. Click on Change Dynamic Link for {1} DynamicLink and browse to Reports  Report1  Page
Count.

28. Close when done.

Sections
1. Right Click Sections and add a Panel section

2. Right Click Sections and add a Data grid section.

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3. Rename PanelSection1 to ParametersHeader

4. Select ParametersHeader and update the Height property to 0.4 In.

5. Right click the ParametersHeader and add a new Label. Rename the new Label1 to
LineParametersLogging

6. Update the Properties according to the screenshot. If Width is not set as Auto, you can enter “-1”
or right-click and select Reset Value to set it to Auto.

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6. Rename DataGridSection1 to ParametersGrid.

7. Select the ParametersGrid to access its properties.

8. In order to get data in our Report first we have to define where the data is coming from. We will
use a local Database that you created in the Configure a Database section. Expand Datastores
select DataLogDB and drag it to the Model property.

9. Update the Query property with SELECT * FROM "Reporting" LIMIT 300

10. You can add all the columns manually but for the lab you will drag and drop the DataLogger1
Logger into the report Data

The report structure is now done.

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11. Double click on the screen we created earlier called DataGrid page under the pages folder. Right
click on the DataGrid page and add from New > Base Control >

- 2x Option Button
- 1x Button
12. Sort the 3 objects below the DataGrid as shown in the picture below.

13. Select OptionButton1 at the bottom of the screen, change properties as below:

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14. In the Events section at the bottom, follow the 3 steps below.

15. Add dynamic link in the VariableToModify, In the search bar, type in “StyleSheet”, select the var
StyleSheet (Pointer) and click on Select.

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16. Update the Value in the Events properties to StyleSheet1.

17. Select OptionButton2 at the bottom of the screen, change properties as below, leave the Checked
property as False:

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18. In the Events section, click the + to add a new Modified value event , follow the 3 steps below.

19. Add dynamic link in the VariableToModify, In the search bar, type in “StyleSheet”, select the var
StyleSheet (Pointer) and click on Select.

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20. Update the Value in the Events properties to StyleSheet2.

21. Select the Button and change the properties as picture below:

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22. In the events section, add a MouseClick Event. To do so, select the small plus “+” icon next to
MouseClick event. Type “generate” in the search bar and select Generate PDF.

23. For the OutputPath, select the pencil and type in “C:\Lab Files\Reports\DataReport.pdf” “ or
any other folder on your computer.

24. Save your work.

25. Start the Emulator, click on the DataGrid tab.

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26. Select a Stylesheet and click on Generate Report.

27. Open the folder C:\Lab Files\Reports.

28. Double click on the DataReport pdf.

29. The pdf report will open depending on the stylesheet you selected

Note: Make sure to close the PDF before creating a new Report.

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29. Close the emulator and close the pdfs when you have finished testing.

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Configure Recipes (15 Minutes)

Objectives
 Create a recipe schema using the Configure a recipe wizard
 Import a Recipes Editor from the Template Libraries
 Configure the Recipe Editor

Scenario
In this section of the lab, you will use the Configure a recipe wizard to create a recipe schema which
will be used to define the recipe variables or ingredients. Then you will import a pre-built recipe
editor from the FactoryTalk Optix library of widgets which will be used to create and interact with
recipes.

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Lab Procedure
RECIPE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
In FactoryTalk Optix, recipe management is done through one or more Recipe schema objects.
A Recipe Schema object defines a set of variables, or ingredients, with which it is possible to
configure different recipes, i.e. different sets of values for the same set of variables.
This object can be used to define the values of a configuration and save them to be reapplied as
needed. It can be useful, for example, to restore the initial settings of the machine following
changes that compromise its operation.
Ingredients of a Recipe Schema
To define the ingredients in a Recipe Schema, a destination node must be set at design time that
contains, among all the child nodes, the variables of interest. It can be any node of the project and
the choice depends on the structure of the project and its complexity. For example, the destination
node can be the Model folder, an object inside the Model folder, or a node that contains variables of
one or more PLCs.
Hint
To define variables contained in different nodes of a complex project as ingredients of a Recipe
Schema, create a dedicated object in the Model folder and add variables inside it, then create a
dynamic link between the variables and desired ingredients. In fact, if the object is selected as
destination node, the selection of the Recipe Schema ingredients is more intuitive, as only the
variables referenced in the object are shown.
Recipe management at runtime
To design recipe management at runtime, the Recipes Editor widget included in FactoryTalk Optix
Studio can be used.
The widget can be used as provided or some of its components can be reused to design a
customized solution.
Edit model
When the user creates, edits or loads a recipe from the database at runtime, an Edit model node is
automatically created in the project root node that can be referred to at design time. The Edit
model node contains a temporary copy of the created/edited/loaded recipe data, until it is saved,
deleted or sent to the PLC.
Important
If execution of the FactoryTalk Optix Application is stopped, the Edit model node and the data it
contains are deleted.
To design custom recipe management, the mechanisms related to the Edit model node must be
known. On the other hand, in the Recipes Editor widget, the references to the Edit model node are
already correctly set to guarantee all features at runtime.

Note: Screenshots may differ depending on what optional sections have been completed
previously.

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First, you will create a folder in the Model node. Then you will add some variables to this folder.
1. Right-click the Model folder, select New, and then select Folder.

2. Rename Folder1 to “Recipe”.

3. Drag and drop the 3 variables we created earlier called Ingredient01, Ingredient02, and
Ingredient03 under the Recipe. (Create the 3 variables if that step was skipped in section 1)

Now, you will use the Configure a recipe wizard to create the recipe schema.
4. Click the Open dashboard page icon.

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5. Select the Configure a recipe tile.

6. Click New recipe.

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7. The name property can stay the same. For the Target node, click the Change Dynamic Link
icon for.

8. Click the Recipe folder and click Select.

9. Click Next. Wait for the successful message and click Next again.

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10. Click New database.

11. In the Name field, enter “RecipeDB” for the new embedded database and click Next.

12. Click Next.

13. Wait for the successful message and click Next.

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14. Select Ingredient01, Ingredient02, and Ingredient03 and click Next.

15. Wait for the successful message.

16. Review the Summary and then click Exit.

17. Observe that RecipeSchema1 has been created in the Recipes folder and RecipeDB has been

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created in the DataStores folder.

18. Save the project.

Configure a recipe editor

First, create a screen that you will add the recipe editor to.

1. Rename Page7 to “Recipes”.

2. From the toolbar, select the Template Libraries icon .

3. In Libraries, type “Recipes Editor” in the search field.

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4. Under Components, drag and drop Recipes Editor onto Recipes (type) in Project view.

5. Select Close to close Libraries.

6. In Project view, ensure RecipesEditor1 is selected.

7. Drag and drop RecipeSchema1 to the RecipeSchema property of RecipesEditor1.

8. In Project View, right-click RecipesEditor1 and select Execute Setup.

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9. Check the box Do not show this warning again and click Proceed at the NetLogic security
warning. In this case, this simply indicates that the C# code included in this sample library
object imported through the template library is using these assemblies. Care is advised when
running or deploying a project received from unverified sources.

10. Save the project.

11. From the toolbar, click the Run on Emulator icon .

12. Check the box Do not show this warning again and click Proceed at the NetLogic security
warning if the warning appears during emulation.

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13. Once the Emulator launches, navigate to Recipes.

Use the recipes editor widget to create new recipes, to delete existing recipes, or to apply recipes on
the controller.
14. To create a new recipe:

a. In the recipe list, type “Recipe1” as the name for the recipe and hit enter.

b. Edit the values of the ingredients.

c. Select Save.

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15. Repeat step 14 to create Recipe2 with different values.

16. To apply a recipe:

d. Select a recipe. Recipe values display in the spin boxes.

e. Select Apply. Recipe values appear next to the spin boxes. These values are loaded
into the assigned variables.

Note: The Load button loads the recipe values from the right column – the applied values –
into the spin boxes. Selecting a recipe performs the Load operation.

17. (Optional) To delete a recipe, select a recipe and select Delete.

18. Close the Emulator.

SUMMARY
FactoryTalk Optix provides recipe management capability. The recipes can be stored locally, in
an embedded database, or in an external database. When developing the project, designers can
use the Template Libraries to quickly and easily add pre-built recipe management functionality.

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Language Switching (10 Minutes)

Objectives
 Understand languages in FactoryTalk Optix.
 Configure localization dictionary and use translations in the project.
 Create buttons to switch languages during runtime.
 Learn how to create new dictionary entries from existing objects.
 Understand locales and learn how to change them during runtime.

Scenario
In this section of the lab, you will use the Localization Dictionary to add new translations and use them
around the project. You will also be able to see how by using different locales the information on the
screen will be displayed differently depending on the locale being used: language used, measuring
system.

Lab Procedure
Note: Screenshots may differ depending on what optional sections have been completed
previously.

LANGUAGES
Read about Languages
Under the folder Translations you can see the Localization Dictionary.

In here you can add Locale or languages and also do the translations.

Every text field in the application gets a unique name called Key which is the first column you see
in the table.
When you click on View Translation References, you will see all the strings used in the application
and each string has a unique Key. So even if for example Start is used multiple times in your
application, it will only be shown as 1 key, so you only need to translate it once.

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Add translations to the Localization Dictionary

1. In Project view, expand Translations and double click on LocalizationDictionary1.

2. Notice that English (United States) locale is already available by default.

3. Click on Add Locale, choose German (Germany) de-DE from the dropdown list and add the
selected locale:

4. You will get a confirmation message:

5. Click Yes

6. (Optional) Now repeat the previous steps to add Spanish (Spain) es-ES

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7. Under the Key column, scroll down to the first available row, and type “Hello World”

8. Fill in the columns of the first row (double click on the cell or click the pencil icon to edit)

9. Under the English (United States) en-US, type “Hello World”

10. Under German (Germany) de-DE, type “Halo Welt”

11. (Optional) Under Spanish (Spain) es-ES, type “Hola Mundo”

12. Do the same on the second available row for Keys English, German and Spanish:
Key: English
English: English
German: Englisch
(Optional) Spanish: Inglés *Note: Press Alt + 130 to enter é

13. On the third row:

Key: German
English: German
German: Deutsch
(Optional) Spanish: Alemán *Note: Press Alt + 160 to enter á

14. On the fourth row:

Key: Spanish
English: Spanish
German: Spanisch
(Optional) Spanish: Español *Note: Press Alt + 164 to enter ñ

15. Your Localization Dictionary should look like the following:

Create objects using translations from the Localization Dictionary

1. In project view navigate to UI-> Pages and rename Page8 to “LanguageSwitching”.

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2. Right click on LanguageSwitching, click New, click Base controls, and click Text box.

3. Rename it on the project view to “Message”

4. Set the following properties for this text box:

Width: 200
Height: Auto
Left Margin: 360
Top Margin: 180

5. On Text property: type “he” and a suggestion to use the key “Hello World” from the dictionary
will come up as below. Press Enter (or double click on it) to accept the suggestion.

6. Right click on LanguageSwitching, and select New-> Base control ->Button

7. Rename button to “English”

8. Set the following properties for English button:

Width: 50
Height: Auto
Left Margin: 140
Top Margin: 120

9. On property Text: type “en” and a suggestion to use the key “English” from the dictionary will
come up as below. Press enter (or double click on it) to accept the suggestion.

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Configure buttons to change the application’s language during runtime

1. Click English button. On Properties, click the + symbol next to MouseClick Event:

2. Expand Commands, expand Variable commands, select Set variable value, Click Select

3. A method will appear under Mouse click event

4. Click on the dynamic link icon ( ) next to VariableToModify

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5. Navigate to language: Aliases->{Session}->Session and select Actual Language

6. Click Select

7. On the property Value: select the locale we will want to change the application to when pressing
the button. In this case en-US:

Repeat for German

10. Right click on the button called English, copy and paste under the screen called
LanguageSwitching

11. Rename button to “German”

12. Change the following additional properties for German button:

Left Margin: 210
Text: type “ge” and a suggestion to use the key “German” from the dictionary will come up as
below. Press enter to accept the suggestion.

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13. Under Events, on the property Value: Select the locale we will want to change the application
to when pressing the button. In this case de-DE:

(Optional) Repeat for Spanish

14. (Optional) Right click on the button called English, copy and paste under the screen called
LanguageSwitching

15. (Optional) Rename button to “Spanish”

16. (Optional) Change the following additional properties for Spanish button:
Left Margin: 280
Text: type “sp” and a suggestion to use the key “Spanish” from the dictionary will come up as
below. Press enter to accept the suggestion.

17. (Optional) Under Events, on the property Value: Select the locale we will want to change the
application to when pressing the button. In this case es-ES

Your screen should look like this:

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Let’s test this screen after saving your project:

18. Click Run next to the emulator

19. Navigate to LanguageSwitching

20. Test that the buttons we just created change the language of the text box and the text of the
buttons:

21. Close the emulator.

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LOCALES
Read about Locale
Introduction
The term locale means the set of display settings of a user interface based on language and
country. It is represented by a label called locale ID, made up of language and country (e.g., en-US,
en-UK, it-IT etc.).
A project can support multiple locales. The locales supported by the project are set in the Locales
property of the project node.
In multilingual projects, the Presentation engine displays the interface based on the session locale,
if configured, and the texts displayed based on the translations available in the
LocalizationDictionary object.
Locale IDs
The Locale ID specifies a language and a country, e.g. en-US, en-UK, it-IT. In particular, the second
segment determines the date and time format, the date separator and the measurement system
(International Measurement System, United States Customary System or British Imperial System).
Session locale
The session locale determines the locale of the user interface (i.e. the translation of the texts
according to the project settings), the data display format, and the conversion of all values
according to the required measurement system. It is set at runtime based on the user or object
locale Session UI.
Note
If there are no locale settings at the user or Session UI object level, the session locale is set based
on the locales supported by the project: in particular, the first locale in order of writing in the
Locales property has priority (see Fallback locale).
Fallback locale
If the user-determined session locale is not configured in a project, or if translations of some
interface texts are not available for the session locale, the texts are displayed in the project fallback
locales, configured in the Fallback locales for translations property of the project node.
Note
When there are multiple fallback locales, at runtime the system uses the fallback locale based on
the order of insertion of the different locales in the Fallback locales for translations property. If the
list of fallback locales contains the locale not supported by the project, this fallback locale takes
priority over the others.

(Optional) Create Analog items and display values according to

measurement system
1. (Optional) Right-click the Model folder, click New, and click AnalogItem.

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2. (Optional) In the Properties window, next to AnalogItem1->Float, change value from “0” to “25”.

3. (Optional) Click on <None> to bring up the EUInformation Editor.

4. (Optional) Scroll down, click Mass: pound[lb], and click Select.

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5. (Optional) The properties of AnalogItem1 should look like this:

6. (Optional) Right-click the Model folder, click New, and click AnalogItem.

7. (Optional) In the Properties window, next to AnalogItem2 change value from “0” to “72”.

8. (Optional) Click on <None> to bring up the EUInformation Editor. Scroll down, click
Temperature: degree Fahrenheit[°F], and click Select.

9. (Optional) The properties of AnalogItem2 should look like this:

10. (Optional) From Project view, right-click LanguageSwitching, click New, click Base controls,
and click Label.

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11. (Optional) Change the Left margin to “360” and the Top margin to “275”.

12. (Optional) Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Text property.

13. (Optional) Scroll down to Model, and expand the folder, click AnalogItem1, and click Select.

14. (Optional) Click the Dynamic Link icon again for the Text property.

15. (Optional) Click Advanced and then click the Gear icon.

16. (Optional) Click EU Mode and then select Localize.

Note: This option allows the value to be converted to different engineering units.

17. (Optional) Close the Add Dynamic Link pop-up.

18. (Optional) From Project view, right-click LanguageSwitching, click New, click Base controls,
and click Label.

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19. (Optional) Change the Left margin to “420” and the Top margin to “275”.

20. (Optional) Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Text property.

21. (Optional) Expand the Model folder, expand Analogitem1, expand EngineeringUnits, select
DisplayName, and click Select.

22. (Optional) Click the Dynamic Link icon again for the Text property.

23. (Optional) Click Advanced and click the Gear icon.

24. (Optional) Click EU Mode and then click Localize.

25. (Optional) Close the Add Dynamic Link pop-up.

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26. (Optional) In Project view, right-click LanguageSwitching, click New, click Base controls, and
click Label.

27. (Optional) Change the Left margin to “360” and the Top margin to “305”.

28. (Optional) Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Text property.

29. (Optional) Expand the Model folder, click AnalogItem2, and click Select.

30. (Optional) Click the Dynamic Link icon again for the Text property.

31. (Optional) Click Advanced and click the Gear icon.

32. (Optional) Click EU Mode and then click Localize.

Note: This option allows the value to be converted to different engineering units.

33. (Optional) Close the Add Dynamic Link pop-up.

34. (Optional) In Project view, right-click LanguageSwitching, click New, click Base controls, and
click Label.

35. (Optional) Change the Left margin to “420” and the Top margin to “305”.

36. (Optional) Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Text property.

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37. (Optional) Expand the Model folder, expand AnalogItem2, expand EngineeringUnits, click
DisplayName, and click Select.

38. (Optional) Click the Dynamic Link icon again for the Text property.

39. (Optional) Click Advanced and click the Gear icon.

40. (Optional) Click EU Mode and then click Localize.

41. (Optional) Close the Add Dynamic Link pop-up.

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(Optional) Create buttons to change locale during runtime

1. (Optional) Right-click the LanguageSwitching screen, click New, Base controls and then click on
Button

2. (Optional) Rename this button “en-US”

3. (Optional) Set the following properties for this button:

Width:120
Height: Auto
Left Margin: 600
Top Margin: 120
Text: en-US (en, lb, °F,...)

4. (Optional) Click on en-US button. On properties, click the + symbol next to MouseClick Event:

5. (Optional) Expand Commands, Variable commands, select Set variable value, Click Select

A method will appear under Mouse click event

6. (Optional) Click on the dynamic link icon ( ) next to VariableToModify

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7. (Optional) Navigate to: Aliases->{Session}->Session and select Actual Locale

8. (Optional) Click Select

9. (Optional) On the property Value: select the locale we will want to change the application to
when pressing the button. In this case “en-US”:

10. (Optional) Under LanguageSwitching, right click on the en-US button, and click Copy

12. (Optional) Right click on LanguageSwitching and click paste

13. (Optional) Rename this button “de-DE”

14. (Optional) Change the Left Margin to 740 and Top Margin to 120

15. (Optional) Change Text to: de-DE (de, Kg,°C,...)

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16. (Optional) On the Events section, under Variable to modify, change property Value: de-DE:

17. (Optional) Under LanguageSwitching, right click on the en-US button, and click copy

18. (Optional) Rename this button “es-ES”

19. (Optional) Change the Left Margin to 880 and Top Margin to 120

20. (Optional) Change Text to: es-ES (es, Kg, °C,...)

21. (Optional) On the Events section, under Variable to modify, change property Value: es-ES:

22. (Optional) This is what the page will look like:

23. (Optional) Click play next to the emulator to test our screen.

24. (Optional) Navigate to the Language Switching screen.

Note: Notice how the language of the text box, value of the analog items and units change
depending on the selected locale.

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25. (Optional) Close the Emulator.

(Optional) User Login with Locales

Note: You must complete the Language Switching lab section before performing the
following steps.

1. (Optional) In Project view, expand the Security node, expand the Users folder, and click User2.

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2. (Optional) Click the Locale drop-down arrow and click de-DE.

3. (Optional) Click the Language drop-down arrow and click de-DE.

4. (Optional) Click the Measurement system drop-down arrow and click International system of
units.

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(Optional) Emulate and Explore

1. (Optional) From the toolbar, click the Run on Emulator icon .

2. (Optional) Click on the UserLogin tab in the Navigation panel.

3. (Optional) Enter “password1” in the Password box and press Enter.

4. (Optional) Click the Login button.

5. (Optional) Click the LanguageSwitching tab in the Navigation Panel.

Observe that the text being displayed is in English as well as the US measurement system.

6. (Optional) Click on the UserLogin tab in the Navigation panel.

7. (Optional) Click the Logout button.

8. (Optional) Click the User drop-down arrow button and click User2.

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9. (Optional) Enter “password2” in the Password box and press Enter.

11. (Optional) Click the Login button.

12. (Optional) Click the LanguageSwitching tab in the Navigation Panel.

13. (Optional) Observe the following:

 The text has changed to the German equivalent.
 The value and engineering units have changed to the equivalent in the International
system.

14. (Optional) Close the Emulator.

SUMMARY
FactoryTalk Optix provides the ability to create a single application that can be used in various
countries via localization. Users can select their specific language via a button and any analog
values and associated engineering units will convert to their locale. Additionally, any strings that
have been translated will also convert to the user’s native language.
Further, rather than using a button, the locale information can be associated with a user in the
security configuration for the user.

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Security (20 Minutes)

Objectives
 Examine the Project Settings regarding security
 Create users and groups during design time
 Create screens to be used during runtime to manage users and log into the application
 Add elements to a screen to explore some security and localization settings during
runtime

Scenario
FactoryTalk Optix provides the ability to perform project, local, and domain authentications. Users
can be created both during design time and runtime – with runtime creation limited to project scoped
users. FactoryTalk Optix also provides the ability to assign a locale to a user. Therefore, when a
specific user logs into the application, the values and associated engineering units will convert to the
locale assigned to that user. Additionally, any strings that have been translated will also convert to
the user’s native language.

Lab Procedure
Note: Screenshots may differ depending on what optional sections have been completed
previously.

First, you will examine the Localization, Authentication, and Password policy properties that are
available for configuration within the project.

1. In Project view, click QuickStart.

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Notice the Localization, Authentication, and Password policy properties.

2. Click the Authentication mode drop-down arrow and observe the available options.

3. Leave the default option of Model only

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AUTHENTICATION MODES

Model only uses the accounts created within the project.

Local only uses accounts created on the local PC.
Domain only uses accounts created in the specified domain.
Domain and local uses accounts created in both the local PC and the specified domain.
Any uses all of the above.

Create Users and Groups

1. Expand the Security folder, right-click the Users folder, click New, and then click User.

2. In the Properties window for User1, click in the Password field, type “password1”, and press
Enter.

Note: If more than one locale exists in the project, you can select the desired Locale and
Language for the User. When the user logs in, any translated text and engineering
units would switch to the user’s native language and locale.

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3. Click the Measurement system drop-down arrow and click US customary measurement
system.

4. Leave the Domain field blank.

The properties for User1 should appear as shown below.

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5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to create User2 and assign the following properties:

 Password – “password2”
 Measurement system – US customary measurement system
The properties for User2 should appear as shown below.

Next, you will create two groups.

6. In the Security folder, right-click the Groups folder, click New, and click Group.

7. Repeat step 6 to create Group2.

You now have Group1 and Group2.

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Next, you will use the Manage users and groups wizard from the dashboard to assign User1 to
Group1 and User2 to Group2.
8. Click the Dashboard icon if the Dashboard is not open already.

9. Click the Manage users and groups tile.

10. Check the box next to User1 and then click Assign users to groups or roles.

11. Check the box next to Group1 and then click Apply.

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12. Uncheck the box next to User1, check the box next to User2, and then click Assign users to
groups or roles.

13. Check the box next to Group2 and then click Apply.

User1 is now assigned to Group1 and User2 is now assigned to Group2.

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14. Close the Manage user and groups and the Dashboard screens by clicking the X on each tab.

Runtime user management

1. Right-click the Pages folder, click New, and click Folder.

2. Rename the folder to “UserSecurity”.

3. Rename Page9 to “UserLogin”.

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4. Rename Page10 to “UserManagement”.

Next, you will use the Template Libraries to add two pre-built items to your project.
5. Click the Template Libraries icon.

6. Type “Login form” in the Libraries search field.

7. Click and drag the Login form folder to the UserSecurity folder.

8. Type “User Editor” in the Libraries search field.

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9. Click and drag the User Editor folder to the UserSecurity folder.

10. Close the Template Libraries pop-up by clicking the Close button.

11. Expand LoginForm1 and click LoginForm (type).

12. Drag and drop the Users folder from the Security node to the Users NodeId property.

13. Use Type view to add the LoginForm panel to the UserLogin screen by dragging it onto the
screen from User Interface>Pages>UserSecurity>LoginForm1.

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14. Use Type view to add the UserEditorOverview panel to the UserManagement screen by
dragging it onto the screen from User Interface>Pages>UserSecurity>UserEditor1.

15. Drag and drop the Users folder in the Security node to the Users property of
UserEditorOverview1.. The Kind property will be automatically assigned.

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16. Drag and drop the Groups folder in the Security node to the Groups property of
UserEditorOverview1. The Kind property will be automatically assigned.

17. In Project view, right-click UserLogin, click New, click Base controls, and click Button.

18. Click Button1.

19. Change the Text of the button to “EASY” and press Enter.

20. Change the Left margin to “500” and the Top margin to “200”.

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21. Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Visible property.

22. Expand the Aliases folder, expand {Session}, expand the Session object, expand the Groups
object, click Group2, and click Select.

Any user that logs in that is a member of Group2 will have access to the EASY button.

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23. In Project view, expand MainWindow, and click the NavigationPanel1 configuration icon.

24. Scroll down and find Panel10 in the Properties.

25. Click the Add Dynamic Link icon for the Enabled property.

26. Expand the Aliases folder, expand {Session}, expand the Session object, expand the Groups
object, click Group2, and click Select.

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Any user that logs in that is a member of Group2 will have access to the User Management panel.
Note: If performing navigation by using a button, this same Dynamic link can be applied to
the Enabled or Visible property of the button.

Emulate and Explore

1. From the toolbar, click the Run on Emulator icon .

2. Click the UserManagement tab on the Navigation panel.

3. Notice that the UserManagement panel cannot be navigated to. In Addition, the text is grayed
out, indicating it is not enabled. This is because no user that is a member of Group2 is logged in.

4. Click the UserLogin tab.

5. Click the User drop-down arrow button and click User2.

6. Enter the appropriate password and press Enter.

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7. Click the Login button.

8. Observe the following:

 User2 is the Current User.
 The EASY button is available for User2 since User2 is a member of Group2.
 The UserManagement tab is available for User2 since User2 is a member of Group2.

9. Click the UserManagement tab on the Navigation panel.

10. (Optional) Click the Create button.

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11. (Optional) Assign the following to create a new user – press Enter after any text entry – and click
Apply when finished.
 Name - “User3”
 Password – “password3”
 Locale – en-US
 Groups – Group2

12. (Optional) User3 has now been created.

13. (Optional) Click on the UserLogin tab in the Navigation panel.

14. (Optional) Click the Logout button.

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15. (Optional) Click the User drop-down arrow button and click User3.

16. (Optional) Enter “password3” in the Password box and press Enter.

17. (Optional) Click the Login button.

18. (Optional) Observe the following:

 User3 is the Current User.

 The EASY button is available for User3 since User3 is a member of Group2.
 The UserManagement tab is available for User3 since User3 is a member of Group2.

19. (Optional) Click the Logout button.

20. Close the Emulator.

21. Close any open tabs in the Display canvas.

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RETENTIVITY
There is a Retentivity folder that is part of any project by default. Also by default, within this
folder, there is a database called SecurityRetentivityStorage which is assigned to the Security
node. Therefore, any changes made to users during runtime will be retained.

SUMMARY
FactoryTalk Optix provides the capability of creating local users and groups and/or using Windows
domain accounts. When developing the project, designers can use the Template Libraries to
quickly and easily add pre-built login and user management functionality. Finally, FactoryTalk
Optix provides the ability to add locale information to individual users. Therefore, when a user
logs into the application, the text, values, and engineering units will switch to the user’s native
language and measurement system.

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Appendix A – Configure Communications: Logix Station

1. Once the project is open, you will see wizards. For this section, you will select the Configure
communications to devices icon.

2. Select New Station.

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3. Now pick the radio button for RA EtherNet/IP station. Leave the Name at default and click on
Next.

Note: Notice the list of native drivers that can be added to FactoryTalk Optix as well as
communicating via OPC UA.

4. Enter “127.0.0.1” as the IP address in the Route field, and then click Next.

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ROUTE SYNTAX
Using the IP address, the driver is looking at the controller in slot 0.
If you want to use a controller in a different slot you need the following syntax:
IP address\Backplane\slot, for example:
192.168.1.20\Backplane\2 would be the controller in slot 2

5. The RA Ethernet/IP station has been successfully created. Choose Next to continue to Tag
configuration.

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6. Toggle the switch next to Offline to execute an Online tag import. Wait for tags to import from the
Logix controller.

Note: If you don’t have a controller, you can develop in Offline mode through an L5K, L5X or
ACD file.

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7. Now, expand Program:Calendaring and check the box next to Alm_Estop. Then choose Next to
add the tag to the application.

8. After seeing the Summary tab, click on Exit to close the communications wizard.

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9. Now, in the Project view under QuickStart > CommDrivers > RAEtherNet_IPDriver1 >
RAEtherNet_IPStation1 > Tags > Program:Calendaring you will find the communication driver
and station created plus the tag you imported from the Logix controller into the project,
Alm_Estop.

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Appendix B – Configure Communications: OPC UA

Besides the communication stations/drivers that can be added to FactoryTalk Optix, the software has
full OPC UA connectivity. FactoryTalk Optix is compliant with the OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture)
standard and can communicate with any OPC UA client or server.
Note: Devices running properly configured FactoryTalk Optix applications can operate as an
OPC UA client or server. For more information on OPC UA Connectivity, see Appendix
D.

OPC UA Client Configuration

1. Switch to dashboard and click on the Configure communications to devices icon.

2. Under Available Devices choose New OPC UA client.

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3. Keep the Name default as OPCUAClient1 and click on Next.

4. Under the Server Endpoint URL you need to fill in “opc.tcp://localhost:48010”. Leave the rest of
settings at default. Then click on Next.

Note: In this case, we will not configure security to avoid additional steps required to
manage certificates.

5. You may see the message “Communication device OPCUAClient1 successfully created”.
Optional: take a moment to explore the properties of the two Available Devices configured,
OPCUAClient1 and RAEtherNet_IPStation1.

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6. Toggle the switch next to Offline to execute an Online tag import. Wait for tags to import from the
OPC UA Server.

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7. Now, expand Building Automation and check the box next to Furnace_1 to import the OPC UA
information model Object and all its members. Then choose Next to add the object to the
application.

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8. Click on Exit to close the communications wizard.

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9. Expand OPC-UA > OPCUAClient1 > Objects > Building Automation and select Furnace_1 which is
the Object you imported from the OPC UA Server into the project. The variable members of the
Object will be found under the Properties of Furnace_1.

Note: Some of the members of Furnace_1 will be used in the next section.

SUMMARY

So far, we have created a new project, established communications to both a Logix controller and
an OPC UA Server, and saw how to import tags into the FactoryTalk Optix Studio project.
Key takeaways:
 Using the built-in wizards, it is easy to set up communications quickly
 Tags/variables can be imported either online or offline
 Besides Rockwell Automation controller support there are many native driver options for
connectivity to third-party devices
 FactoryTalk Optix Studio is built on the OPC UA specification
o An application can be configured as an OPC UA Client, Server, or both.
o Companion specifications and custom information models are supported
o OPC UA information models are:
 In the form of Objects containing members of various data types and
function calls called methods
 Representative of an object-oriented development methodology, which can
be applied to create reusable types for a variety of applications.
 Applied to provide consistent context for data from various sources

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Appendix C – Responsive Graphics

Responsiveness - Scale Layout
Develop a UI with responsive graphics using the Scale layout, Horizontal layout, and Vertical layout
objects.
 Scale layout - container that automatically scales its children graphic objects when the
container aspect ratio changes.
 Horizontal layout - panel that automatically arranges graphic objects horizontally next to
each other
 Vertical layout - panel that automatically arranges graphic objects vertically next to each
other

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CONCEPTS OF LAYOUT

The layout of a user interface in a FactoryTalk Optix application depends on the following
elements:
 Organization of the graphical objects in the information model
 Value of the positioning (alignment and margins) and sizing (width and height) properties of
the graphical objects
 Order of the graphical objects on the z axis
 Size and aspect ratio of the screen on which the interface is displayed.
 Margins, padding and borders
Below is an example of Text box object to present the meaning of the terms content, margin,
padding and border:

 Content - content text

 Padding - space between the content and the edge of the object. Both horizontal and vertical
padding are values relative to the height of the text contained (for example, if the padding is
60%, a label with text 20 pixels high has padding of 12 pixels).
- The padding is present only in some objects such as the Text box, Button, Spin box,
Data grid, Drop-down and List selection objects.
 Edge - edge of the object, in the example in red
 Margin - space between the edge of the object and the edge of the parent object (container)
- The padding, edge thickness and edge corner radius, if any, are global style
properties defined in a Style sheet.

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CONCEPTS OF LAYOUT (CONT.)

Positioning of the objects

 The positioning of a graphical object is determined by its alignment on the x and y axes and
by its margins with respect to the sides of the container object. The margins to be set depend
on the alignment set, or the value of the Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment
properties.
 The position of objects on the x and y axes in the layout is always relative to the position of the
container. If a container is moved, then all the child objects are also moved.
 The position of objects on the z axis compared to other child objects in the same container is
determined by their position in the information model. Objects further down in the
information model are higher up on the z axis.
 For a description of all properties related to the positioning, refer to the properties of
graphical objects in the Reference on objects and variables section of this manual.
Size of the objects
 The size of a graphical object is defined via the Width and Height properties, only if the
alignment on the x and/or y axes is left, right or center.
 If the value(s) of the Width and/or Height properties is/are deleted, the two dimensions take
on the Auto value. In this way, for some objects the size is determined by the intrinsic content
(for example the text in a Text box object) or by other contained nodes (for example graphical
objects in a Panel object). For example, the height of a Text box object with Height = Auto
equals the height of the text, plus any padding set in the style sheet.
 If the alignment on the x and/or y axes is set to Adjust, the width and/or height assume the
dimensions of the container, minus any margins. This setting makes the size of the object
dynamic relative to the size of the container.
 It is not possible to scale in percentage the size of an object inside a container with respect to
the size of the container itself.

Create Template Object to Scale

1. In Project view, right-click UI and select New > Folder.

2. Hover-over Folder1, select Edit , and enter “Templates” as the new name.

3. Right-click Templates and select New > Containers > Scale Layout.

ScaleLayout1 (type) appears under Templates.

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4. Hover-over ScaleLayout1 (type), select the edit icon , and enter “MyObjectScaled” as the
new name and hit enter.

5. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

c. Set Original width to “200”.

d. Set Original height to “100”.

6. In Project view, expand MainWindow (type), right-click Image1 and select Copy.

7. Still In Project view, right-click MyObjectScaled within the Templates folder and select Paste.
This will add Image1 to the MyObjectScaled container.

Add Template Object to Panel

1. In the Project view pane, right-click Page11 (type) and select New > Containers > Vertical
layout.

VerticalLayout1 is created under Page11 (type).

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2. Select VerticalLayout1 to change its properties.

3. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

4. Right-click VerticalLayout1 and select New > Containers > Horizontal layout.

HorizontalLayout1 is created under VerticalLayout1.

5. Select HorizontalLayout1 to change its properties.

6. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

7. Right-click HorizontalLayout1 and select New > Templates > MyObjectScaled.

8. Repeat the previous step two more times.

You will have the following in the Project view:

9. Hover-over Page11 (type), select the edit icon , and enter “ScaleLayout” as the new name
and hit enter.

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10. Save.

11. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. Click the Run Emulator icon .

12. Select ScaleLayout from the navigation bar.

13. Change the size of the runtime window and watch the object maintain position and change size
as needed.

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14. Close the Emulator.

Responsiveness – Vertical and Horizontal Layouts (Optional)

Develop a UI with responsive graphics using the Vertical layout and Horizontal layout objects.
 Horizontal layout - panel that automatically arranges graphic objects horizontally next to each
other
 Vertical layout - panel that automatically arranges graphic objects vertically next to each other
Create a Template Object

1. In Project view, right-click Templates and select New > Container > Panel.

2. Hover-over Panel1, select Edit , and enter “MyObject” as the new name and hit enter.

3. Select MyObject to change its properties.

4. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

c. Set Width to “200”.

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d. Set Height to “100”.

5. In Project view, expand, under Templates > MyObjectScaled (type), right-click Image1 and
select Copy.

6. Right-click the newly created MyObject and select Paste.

This will add Image1 to the MyObject container.

7. Select Image1 under MyObject to change its properties.

8. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Center.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Center.

c. Set Width to “200”.

d. Set Height to Auto.

e. Set all margins to “0”.

Add Template Object to Panel

1. In the Project view pane, right-click Page12 (type) and select New > Containers > Vertical
layout.

VerticalLayout1 is created under Page12 (type).

2. Select VerticalLayout1 to change its properties.

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3. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

4. Right-click VerticalLayout1 and select New > Containers > Horizontal layout.
HorizontalLayout1 is created under VerticalLayout1.

5. Select HorizontalLayout1 to change its properties.

6. In Properties,

a. Set Horizontal alignment to Stretch.

b. Set Vertical alignment to Stretch.

7. Right-click HorizontalLayout1 and select New > Templates > MyObject.

8. Repeat the previous step two more times.

You will have the following in the Project view:

9. Hover-over Page12 (type), select the edit icon , and enter “VH_Layouts” as the new name
and hit enter.

10. Save the project.

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11. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. Click the Run Emulator icon .

12. Select VH_Layouts from the navigation bar.

13. Change the size of the runtime window and watch the objects maintain relative positions.

Note: In this case, the size of the logos will be maintained because the Scale layout
container has not been implemented.

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14. Close the Emulator.

Responsiveness – Vertical and Horizontal Alignments (Optional)

Develop a UI with responsive graphics using the Vertical alignment and Horizontal alignment
properties.
 Horizontal alignment - Alignment of the object on the horizontal axis
 Vertical alignment - Alignment of the object on the vertical axis
1. In Project view, right-click Page13 (type) and select New > Templates > MyObject.

2. Repeat the previous step 2 more times

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3. Select MyObject1 under Page13 (type) to change its properties. In Properties, set the following

4. Select MyObject2 under Page13 (type) to change its properties. In Properties, set the following

5. Select MyObject3 under Page13 (type) to change its properties. In Properties, set the following

6. Hover-over Page13 (type), select the edit icon , and enter “VH_Alignment” as the new
name and hit enter.
7. Save.

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8. From the toolbar, with Emulator still displayed. Click the Run Emulator icon .

9. Select VH_Alignment from the navigation bar.

10. Change the size of the runtime window and watch the object maintain position and change size
as needed.

Note: VH_Layouts and VH_Alignment will respond to screen sizing in a similar way.

11. Close the Emulator.

SUMMARY

A FactoryTalk Optix application may be developed with responsive graphics in mind to handle
window resizing and runtime deployment to different platforms.
In this section:
 We explored layouts using containers and their relative object positions within the container
determined by their margins and alignments.
 We used three types of containers: Scale layout, Horizontal layout, and Vertical layout to
demonstrate this feature.
 We learned that the UI is capable of responding to changes dynamically at runtime.
- Recall that Scale layout was needed for the logos to change size as well as
position when resizing the window.

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Appendix D – OPC UA
OPC UA Connectivity
READ ABOUT OPC UA CONNECTIVITY
Use these components to develop your application logic:
 OPC UA nodes
 OPC UA server object
 OPC UA client objects

OPC UA nodes
 FactoryTalk Optix Studio enables importing nodes from the OPC UA server.

OPC UA server
 Publishes the nodes of the project information model at runtime. The server publishes all
project nodes by default. You can select which nodes to publish to the assigned users.
 Important: You can configure a single OPC UA server object in a project.
 The server object enables an OPC UA client to:
o Read from the server (listen to events)
o Write to the server (invoke methods)

OPC UA client
 The OPC UA client object enables communication with the OPC UA server.
 Tip: You can configure unlimited OPC UA client objects in a project.
 The client accesses nodes published by the server to:
o Read from the server (listen to events)
o Write to the server (invoke methods)
 You can specify the nodes to the server to import at design time or at runtime.
o For example, an OPC UA client can read specific object variables or listen to events
generated by alarms.

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OPC UA Endpoints
OPC UA ENDPOINT URL
In FactoryTalk Optix, the predefined endpoint URL is opc.tcp://localhost:59100
The URL of an endpoint is composed of these elements:
 Communications protocol: opc.tcp
 Network address, expressed in one of the following modes:
o Localhost, a keyword that expresses local address.
o Hostname, the name of the network device on which the server is hosted.
o IP address, the IP address of the network device on which the server is hosted.

Tip: Unless there are specific requirements, Rockwell Automation recommends using the localhost
keyword.
 Port
o In this lab we are using opc.tcp://localhost:48010, which is the default endpoint URL for the
Unified Automation CPP OPC UA Demo Server being utilized in this lab.
OPC UA Information Model
READ ABOUT THE INFORMATION MODEL OBJECT
In FactoryTalk Optix, the information model appears in the form of Objects containing members of
various data types and functions. Objects are similar to User-defined Data Types (UDTs) found in
Studio 5000 Logix Designer.
Using an OPC UA information model enables data to be contextualized according to OPC UA
Companion Specifications such as PackML M2M communications and ISA-95 Common Object
Model, or a custom data model. The OPC UA standard is the backbone of FactoryTalk Optix
software, which is built entirely upon OPC UA specifications.
Create custom types linking data accessed from Rockwell Automation controllers, third-party
devices, and OPC UA servers, with different names and layouts, to reorganize and unify the data to
present a consistent form for an OPC UA Client.
The information model feature enables standard or custom structures and items:
 Organize scalar data into structures.
 Unify/standardize data from multiple sources or programmable controllers into a
structure.
 A machine built for one industry may be used in a different one by re-arranging the data
model to support a different convention or standard. Therefore, an industry specific
standard may be met without having to redefine and program the programmable
controllers.
 Improve the organization of the automation system data. For example, the layout of
structures coming from programmable controllers may be changed by mapping Logix data
with different names.
 Limit or secure the automation system data that is available to clients.
 Contain OPC UA methods, which are the function calls of an Object.
OPC UA Methods

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CALL AN OPC UA METHOD

 OPC UA methods are the function calls of an Object.
o Methods may be called and they will return their status either successful or
unsuccessful.
o The time required to execute a function will vary depending on complexity.
o For instance, buttons could be created to toggle the Start and Stop methods of an
instance of a furnace in an OPC UA Server.

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CREATE A CUSTOM OPC UA METHOD

 In FactoryTalk Optix, you can create an OPC UA method callable by an external OPC UA
client and then edit its code in an external code editor.
 Example of an OPC UA script structure:
[CustomBehavior]
public class testTypeBehavior : BaseNetBehavior
{
public override void Start()
{
// Insert code to be executed when the user-defined
behavior is started
}
public override void Stop()
{
// Insert code to be executed when the user-defined
behavior is stopped
}
#region Auto-generated code, do not edit!
protected new testType Node => (testType)base.Node;
#endregion
}

Configure Communications: OPC UA Server (Optional)

1. In Project view, right-click OPC UA and select New > OPC UA Server.

2. Looking in Properties, the default URL is opc.tcp://localhost:59100.

3. Save the project.

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4. From the main toolbar, with Emulator selected, click the Run Emulator icon .

Note: Running the Emulator starts the Optix OPC UA server that the OPC UA test client will
connect to.

Minimize the emulator (Do not close)

Using the UaExpert OPC UA test client

1. From the Start Menu, select the UaExpert OPC UA test client.

2. In UaExpert

a. Click the plus icon to add a new server

b. Enter Optix for the Configuration Name

c. Select the Advanced tab

d. Enter the following Endpoint Url: “opc.tcp://localhost:59100”

e. Select OK.

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3. In the Project pane, right-click on Optix and select Connect.

If you are prompted about a certificate issue, for the purpose of this lab, choose Trust Server
Certificate then Continue to connect.

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4. Using the Address Space pane, expand the FactoryTalk Optix application name we are running,
QuickStart, and note how the application is functioning as a full OPC UA Server.

5. Expand QuickStart > CommDrivers > RAEtherNet_IPDriver1 > RAEtherNet_IPStation1 > Tags
> Program:Calendaring, drag and drop the Alm_Estop to the center pane.

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6. The Logix controller variable, Alm_Estop, is now being monitored in the center pane Data
Access View tab.

7. Feel free to experiment by adding other variables

8. Switch back to the FactoryTalk Optix Emulator and change the values displayed and make sure
you can see those values update in the UaExpert client.

9. Close the UaExpert client

10. Close the Emulator.

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Appendix E – Container Objects

CONTAINER OBJECTS

Container objects include the following:

 Panel - Simple container of graphic objects within a selectable area that constitutes a
specific widget. By default, each new panel has a fixed width and height and is aligned with
the top-left corner of the parent object.
 Screen - Container for objects that constitute a specific interface. By default, each new
screen stretches to cover the entire parent object.
 Horizontal layout - Panel that automatically arranges graphic objects horizontally next to
each other.
 Vertical layout - Panel that automatically arranges graphic objects vertically next to each
other.
 Scale layout - Container that automatically scales its children graphic objects when the
container aspect ratio changes.
 Panel loader - Container that uses logic to display different alternative panels at runtime.
 Navigation panel - Panel that contains other panels and automatically organizes panels
into tabs that you can navigate.
 Dropdown button - Button that, when selected, opens and closes a pop-up window.
 Scroll view - Panel that can scroll to display content larger than the panel size.
 Accordion - Container that contains expandable content blocks.

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THE PANEL LOADER OBJECT

An alternative way to add navigation to get to the various panels (aka. pages, screens, etc.) is to use
the Panel loader object. The object is found under New > Containers.

The Panel loader Object includes a method, ChangePanel, to load a panel from within your project
into the Panel loader container at runtime.
For example, a button can trigger a MouseClick event to call the method. Page1 will be loaded in
this instance.

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Appendix F – Reporting
READ ABOUT REPORTS
Introduction
You can design, layout, and generate PDF reports by using a Reports object. The reports can
include data extracted from FTOptixApplication and databases.
You can customize the appearance of report contents with the Report Stylesheet and save reports
to a specific location.

Report components

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READ ABOUT REPORTS

Report Example

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Appendix G - Transfer application to a runtime device

Note: The Web Presentation local device has been pre-configured in Optix. See the end of
this section for instructions on creating a new local target.

1. In Optix Studio, click the dropdown arrow to ensure the target to Emulator.

2. Right-click on the Local folder and select Add local device.

3. Modify the Name field of the target device to OptixRuntimeTarget.

4. Enter localhost in the IP Address field.

5. In the Username field enter the name of the local user labuser.

10. Your target device configuration should look like this:

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11. Click Select to close the configuration window and save the changes.

12. Save the project.

Note: Observe how the target device in the toolbar changed from Emulator to
OptixRuntimeTarget

13. Click the Run icon .

14. If you are prompted with a certificate validation window, leave the defaults, and select Trust.

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15. Enter “rockwell” as the password and click OK.

Note: Once deployed to the new target device, the application will start automatically.

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