Application Preferences Properties

The Edit Application Preferences dialog box contains the following tabs:        

Application tab – allows you to configure application-level defaults, such as the default startup display and whether to show or hide the system tree at run-time.

Display tab – allows you to configure defaults for all displays, such as the default background color and whether to show or hide the run-time toolbar.

Time tab – allows you to configure time-specific defaults for all displays, such as the default scroll rates for all charts and whether or not to update charts automatically in all displays.

Error Values tab – allows you to configure the text to display when the requested data is unavailable. For example, if a data source does not respond to a request for data, Proficy Portal displays the text "@" in place of the value.

Error & Wait Icons tab – Error icons can appear on your display when errors occur; wait icons can appear on your display if a chart, grid, datalink, or tree exceeds the specified time limit while retrieving data. The configurable options allow you to enable/disable the error/wait icon display, change the icon used for errors/wait indicator, or change the positioning of the icon on the display.


Edit Application Preferences: Application Tab

Property

Description

Startup Display

Lets you enter the name of the display that appears by default when any user logs in. The default value for this field is AllUsers/displays/Overview/

Startup Display Browse button

Opens the Select Display dialog box where you can select the startup display you want to use. After you select a display, Proficy Portal enters its name in the Startup Display field.

Image Name

Lets you specify an image for the top frame of the Proficy Portal client. The default value for this field is images/GEIndusSmall.gif

Image Name Browse button

Opens the Image Name dialog box where you can select the image you want to use. After you select an image, Proficy Portal enters its name in the Image Name field.

Allow System Tree in Run Mode check box

Indicates whether to show or hide the system tree at run-time. If you do not want users to be able to toggle the system tree, clear the check box. This check box is selected by default.

Allow Help in Run Mode check box

Indicates whether you want to access online Help at run-time. Online Help is always available from the configuration environment. This check box is selected by default.

Allow Print in Run Mode check box

Indicates whether you want to print analysis displays and charts from the run-time environment. This check box is selected by default.

Allow Auto Update Modification check box

Indicates whether the Auto Update command is available in the Application context menu. When this command is available, users can enable or disable the Auto Update option and specify the rate at which to update the objects in the current display. To hide the command and prohibit users from modifying the Auto Update settings, clear the check box. This check box is selected by default.

Allow Scroll Value Modification check box

Indicates whether the Scroll Value command is available in the Application context menu. When this command is available, users can change the scroll rate of the scroll buttons on all displays in the run-time environment. To hide the command and prohibit users from changing the scroll rate, clear the check box. This check box is selected by default.

Allow Time Criteria Modification check box

Indicates whether the Time Criteria command is available in the Application context menu. When this command is available, users can change the display's default time criteria for charts and datalinks in the run-time environment. To hide the command and prohibit users from changing the default time criteria, clear the check box. This check box is selected by default.

Displays from Different Resolutions check box

Indicates whether to scale analysis displays from different resolutions to the current screen resolution automatically. Using this feature allows you to view analysis displays properly regardless of the resolution of the original analysis display or monitor.

For example, you can create analysis displays at 800 x 600 but view them with a monitor set to 1024 x 768. If this option is enabled, Proficy Portal automatically scales the displays so they appear the same, regardless of resolution.

This check box is selected by default.

Displays from Same Resolution with Different Size check box

Indicates whether to scale analysis displays of different sizes and the same resolution. Using this feature allows you to resize analysis displays properly when switching between monitors of different sizes but the same resolution, for example, a 17-inch monitor for a desktop computer and an 11-inch LCD screen on a laptop computer.

This check box is cleared by default.

Visible at Startup check box

Indicates whether the system tree appears on startup. If you want to hide the system tree at startup, clear the check box.

This check box is cleared by default.

NOTE: Users will still be able to display the system tree using the Application context menu. If you want to prevent this, clear the Allow System Tree in Run Mode check box.

Startup Width

Configures the width of the system tree. Enter a width (in pixels) up to 9999. The default value for this field is 150.

Set to Current button

Changes the value in the Startup Width field to match the width of the system tree.

Default Threshold Table Name

The default threshold table to use for grids, trees, and alarm analysis objects. The default value for this field is DefaultThresholdTable.

Threshold Table Name Browse button

Opens the Select Threshold Table dialog box where you can select a threshold table as the default.

Automatically save changes to threshold tables check box

Indicates whether the threshold tables will be saved automatically when changes are made.

Symbol File Name

Specifies the default symbols file to use for your displays.

Default Symbol File Browse button

Opens the Open Symbol File dialog box where you can choose the symbols file to use as the default.


Edit Application Preferences: Display Tab 

Property

Description

Use Image check box

Specifies whether to use an image as the background. If selected, the Image Name field becomes available and you can enter an image name or use the Browse button to select an image. To hide the field and use a background color for all displays, clear this check box. This check box is cleared by default.

Color button

Opens the Choose Color dialog box where you can select a background color for all displays. The background color is set to white by default.

Background Image

Specifies the name of the GIF or JPEG file you want to use on all displays. This image must reside in the AllUsers/images folder. This field is empty by default and is available only if the Use Image check box is selected.

Browse button

Opens the Select Image dialog box where you can select an image to use in your analysis displays. After you select an image, Proficy Portal enters its name in the Background Image field.

Centered option
button

Centers the specified image in the background of your displays. This option is selected by default. This option is available only if the Use Image check box is selected.

Stretched option
button

Enlarges the specified image to fill the background of your displays. This option is available only if the Use Image check box is selected.

Tiled option
button

Tiles the specified image in the background of your displays.

Show Toolbar
check box

Indicates whether the run-time toolbar is visible for all displays. To hide the toolbar for all displays, clear the check box. This check box is cleared by default.

Print Options
(AutoFit Width/Height)

Indicates whether to scale the display to fit the paper size when printing. For example, if AutoFit Width is selected, the width of the display would be scaled automatically to fit the size of the printed page; however, the display may print on more than one page if the AutoFit Height option is cleared.

If AutoFit Height and AutoFit Width are both cleared, the display will print on multiple pages (if the display size is larger than the size of the printed page).

AutoFit Display
Width check box

Indicates that when a new display is created, the display width will be scaled to fit the window (if Auto Scale is enabled). All objects in the display will scale accordingly.

Display Width

Allows you to specify a set width for all displays. The maximum allowable width is 5000 pixels. This field is available only if the AutoFit Display Width check box is cleared. To use this option, ensure that the Auto Scale options are disabled.

AutoFit Display
Height check box

Indicates that when a new display is created, the display height will be scaled to fit the window (if Auto Scale is enabled). All objects in the display will scale accordingly.

Display Height

Allows you to specify a set height for all displays. The maximum allowable height is 5000 pixels. This field is available only if the AutoFit Display Height check box is cleared. To use this option, ensure that the Auto Scale options are disabled.


Edit Application Preferences: Time Tab 

Property

Description

Enabled check box

Indicates whether the Auto Update option is available in all displays by default. When selected, this option allows each display to update the objects on the screen with new data automatically and disables the scroll buttons on the run-time toolbar. To disable the option, clear the check box. This check box is cleared by default.

Rate in Secs

Specifies the default rate at which to show new historical data. You can enter any value from 1 to 2000 seconds in this field. This field is available only if the Enabled check box is selected.

Regular Scroll Rate

Specifies the scroll rate of the left and right scroll buttons on the run-time toolbar.

Regular Scroll Rate Unit option buttons

Specifies the unit for the value entered in the Regular Scroll Rate field. For example, if you enter 5 in the Regular Scroll Rate field, selecting the Hours button sets the default scroll rate to 5 hours. However, selecting the Seconds button sets the default scroll rate to 5 seconds. The default unit is minutes.

Fast Scroll Rate

Specifies the scroll rate of the fast left and right scroll buttons on the run-time toolbar.

Fast Scroll Rate Unit
option buttons

Specifies the unit for the value entered in the Fast Scroll Rate field. For example, if you enter 10 in the Fast Scroll Rate field, selecting the Minutes button sets the default fast scroll rate to 10 minutes. However, selecting the Days button sets the default fast scroll rate to 10 days. The default unit is minutes.


Edit Application Preferences: Error Values Tab 

Property

Description

Configuration

The specified data source could not be found. By default, Proficy Portal displays "*" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Out of Service

The specified data source is off scan. By default, Proficy Portal displays "?" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Unknown

The specified data source is unavailable. By default, Proficy Portal displays "&" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Bad Quality

The specified data source has returned a sample with bad quality. By default, Proficy Portal displays "-" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Uncertain

The quality of the data is questionable or out of range. By default, Proficy Portal displays "%" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Communication

The network is not responding or there is a communication error. By default, Proficy Portal displays "@" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Device

The specified data source does not respond. By default, Proficy Portal displays "X" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Uncertain Quality

The data source has returned data with an uncertain quality. By default, Proficy Portal displays "^" in place of the requested data; however, you can enter any printable ASCII character in this field.

Animation Error Defaults: Color button

When a problem occurs with the data source associated with an animated object that uses color to indicate data changes, the color that is set here will be displayed for any errors. For example, a rectangle that is set up with foreground animation would be displayed in the error color when an error occurs with the data source.

Animation Error Defaults: Numeric

Animations that output a numeric value, such as fill, scale, rotation, or position type animations, will output the number entered here in the absence of data. The way this number is interpreted is dependent on the type of animation. For example, a fill or scale percentage will output the number as a percentage, a rotation animation will output the number as degrees of rotation, and a position animation will output the number as pixels. The object that is animated will be displayed accordingly. Visibility animations output as a boolean and are not affected by any of the default error outputs.


Edit Application Preferences: Error & Wait Icons Tab 

Property

Description

Enabled check box (Error Icon)

Specifies whether the error icon will appear. When selected, the error icon appears on the display when an error has occurred.

Allow Hiding check box (Error Icon)

Specifies whether the user can hide the error icon by right-clicking the icon and choosing Hide until next error (the icon will be hidden until the next error occurs). This check box is available only if the Enabled check box is selected.

Top Left/
Top Right radio buttons (Error Icon)

Specifies the positioning option for the error icon. The error icon can be positioned on the top of the display only - top left or top right.

Image Name (Error Icon)

Specifies the image to use as the error icon. This field is available only if the Enabled check box is selected. Use the Browse button to select the icon from the AllUsers/images directory.

Enabled (Wait Icon)

Specifies whether the wait icon is displayed during data retrieval. When enabled, any one component can cause the wait icon to appear. The types of components that use the wait icon are: charts, grids, datalinks, and trees.

Delay (Wait Icon)

Specifies the amount of time (in seconds) that a component is allowed for data retrieval. If the data is not retrieved before the time is up, the wait icon will appear.

Top Left/Top Right radio buttons (Wait Icon)

Specifies the positioning option for the error icon. The wait icon can be positioned on the top of the display only - top left or top right.

Image Name (Wait Icon)

Specifies the image to use as the wait icon. This field is available only if the Enabled check box is selected. Use the Browse button to select the icon from the AllUsers/images directory.