How you design your CimEdit configuration depends on your project's information requirements. Therefore, your planning begins with determining those requirements. The requirements include:

1	Choose data sources for CimView.
2	Determine user interaction with CimView screens.
3	Determine where runtime Information will be used.

1. Choose Data Sources for CimView

Information that CimView displays, calculates, and monitors can come from a wide variety of sources.

Sources include:

	Point data.
	Variables.
	Expressions.
	Other data sources.

Point Data

Point values are at the core of CimView monitoring and regulation of processes. Points defined in CIMPLICITY's Point Configuration application are readily available whenever you need them in CimEdit. In addition, if you need to create new points you can easily open the Point Configuration application through CimEdit.

Device Point	Values from PLCs or other devices provide the CimView viewer with the ability to monitor a process represented by several points.
Virtual Points	Provide a flexible way to create calculated values.

Two common uses for a point are:

Set points to affect a process.

Alone or in expressions to display information about a process.

Variable Data

Variables are flexible containers for information and do not add to your project's overhead. A variable has a unique name, a variable ID, and represents a value that can be assigned to it during configuration of the CimEdit screen or at runtime.

Some of the data sources it can represent are:

Full Point ID

Partial Point ID

Text string in an expression.

A variable does not communicate with the PLC but is wholly contained in CimEdit.

Example of a Variable

Different values (types of values) are assigned to a variable ID {var_value} for different items on a CimEdit screen.

Variable ID	Value
var_level	40
var_level	tank_level (point)
var_level	tank_level+50
var_level	Assigned during runtime

In addition to providing you with several options for assigning values, variables can streamline your configuration time. For example, when you create an object that uses variable IDs, you can use the same object in several locations on a CimEdit screen, or on several different screens and assign different text strings to each instance of the object.

Expression Data

Expressions provide a valuable and flexible way to help you evaluate, compare, and use the information gathered by points or variables or both.

An expression includes points, variables, or both along with any of the following CimEdit operations:

Arithmetic

Logical

Alarm functions

Bitwise

Conversion

Relational

Scientific

Other Data Sources

CimEdit provides you with an easy to use Expression dialog box, in which you build complicated expressions with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Although points, variables, and expressions are sources for the most current information in CimView, you may need to view logged, historical, or other types of information. These values can come from vast number of sources, including:

Logged files

Text files

Other database type files

 Note: These data sources are available through features, such as Trending, or scripts.

2. Determine User Interaction with CimView Screens

CimView provides you with the framework to take full advantage of CIMPLICITY's powerful setpoint capabilities.

These capabilities include enabling CimView users to change device point values in a PLC to turn a machine on/off, open/close valves, or increase/decrease values to control how processes will function.

3. Determine where Runtime Information will be Used

If you have more than one CimView viewer, it is a good idea to lay out what information needs to be displayed and what type of user interaction is required at each location. The number and type of locations may be a major factor in how the screen design will be most effective.

For example, locations can be as disparate as being on:

On one or more Viewers in the network.

Remote, with a user accessing the CIMPLICITY project through WebView.

Remote, with a user accessing the CIMPLICITY project through PocketView on a handheld PC.

More information

CimEdit configuration overview.

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