SetPoint Button Tool

A SetPoint Button can be used to modify the current value, timestamp, and/or unreliable bit for a target point in either a templated or fully qualified point tag format.

This tool can be used in very simple scenarios to update a target point’s current value or in more complex scenarios where a process is initiated by virtue of changing a point’s value and the progress of that process is available for monitoring. An example of a complex use of this tool would be the triggering of an HSS script to run and then monitoring its progress. Another more complex use of the SetPoint Button tool would be to provide supervisory control over the processes managed by remote PLCs in a plant environment. In circumstances where there is no native driver communicating with plant devices, you can program a SetPoint Button to interact with a plant environment controlled by a PLC, via an OPCIS communicating with the plant's OPC server, which writes to the PLC’s registers. The PLC performs plant operations (for example: closing a valve, opening a gate, controlling a flow, updating a process, enabling alarm conditions), feedback passes through the PLC, and comes back into the CygNet point system.

See SetPoint Button Applications for more information about applications for the SetPoint Button.

Configuration

All design-time configuration for the SetPoint Button tool is found under the [SetPoint] property on the tool's property sheet. Additionally, all properties of the SetPoint Button are exposed to the VBScript environment of CygNet Studio allowing them to be manipulated at runtime. The SetPoint Button contains a similar user interface to the UIS Command Button offering many of the same configuration features, plus other more sophisticated options, including:

Target Point

• The target point to be modified can be very explicitly defined, allowing a templated point tag, inheriting some or all of the point identifier properties from the button properties or from a reference facility. Alternatively you can specify a fully qualified point tag for the target point.
• You can request that a confirmation message be shown when the SetPoint operation completes.
• You can set a timeout for the SetPoint operation to complete.

Default Value

• The default value for the target point is highly configurable and can be limited to a particular point data type, predefined as a specific value, retrieved from a point attribute of the target point, or retrieved from the current value of another templated or fully qualified point.
• The timestamp for the SetPoint can be the current time or you can specify a different absolute or relative time.
• You can persist, set, or clear the unreliable bit for the target point.

Prompt

• The button can be configured to prompt the user for a value, or optionally include an analog slider with a configurable range of minimum and maximum values. The min and max values can be specific values, retrieved from the target point, or retrieved from the current value of another templated or fully qualified point.
• The value on the prompt dialog box can be set to be editable, read-only, or hidden, and you can choose to display the target point's units or use different units.
• The timestamp and unreliable bit on the prompt dialog box can be set to be editable, read-only, or hidden.
• The look and feel of the user prompt is customizable, and it can be previewed before committing to a design.

Status Point

• Lastly, you can configure a status point to monitor the status of a SetPoint operation as it completes. As with the target point, the status point can be defined as a templated point tag, inheriting some or all of the point identifier properties from the button properties or from a reference facility. Alternatively you can specify a fully qualified point tag for the status point.
• When monitoring the status of the SetPoint operation you can initialize the value of the status point to a specific value, set an initialization delay, and toggle into and out of Manual Mode when initializing the value of the status point.
• You can enable and disable the button while the SetPoint operation is in action, set a status point timeout, set the SetPoint operation as complete when the status point value matches the target point value, or any of a list of completion values.

Script Support

• Script can be added to the SetPoint Button as necessary allowing customized logic when firing events at runtime. See SetPoint Button Tool Scripting SetPoint Properties.

Other Useful Properties

The default button shape is a rectangular button. The ButtonShape property can be used to change the shape to an active tab or an inactive tab.

The face of the button can show a label or point attributes, and it can be configured to show a bitmap and point state (concurrently or independently). The object’s [DisplayItem] property determines the point attribute to be displayed. If this property is set to Text, the text listed in the Text property will be displayed. Use this configuration for a label. The Text property can contain both static and dynamic text. The dynamic portion of the string is built using one or more tokens. All other options in the [DisplayItem] property are point attributes. These attributes include point configuration attributes, point CVS record attributes, and facility attributes.

To show point attributes or the point state on the button face, the button must be associated with a point using the point identifier properties to form a fully qualified CygNet tag string. The point identifier properties are [1:SiteService], [2:Point ID], [3:Long Point ID], [4:Facility ID], and [5:UDC].

The [AlarmElement] property can be set to show the point state color in the object’s Background Color, the Foreground Color, or not at all (None). When set to None, the color specified for each component is shown. If set to one of the other options, the component color is replaced with the point state color.

The [UseCustomStateColors] property enables the object to use its own custom point state colors. If set to 1 - Yes, the colors used are those defined by the object’s [CustomStateColors] property. If set to 0 - No, the colors are those defined by the TheView’s [CustomStateColors] property.

SetPoint Button Security

All standard CygNet security settings and user permission levels for point, facility, or service are in place for the SetPoint Button and its actions.

More:

SetPoint Button Applications

Configuring the SetPoint Button Tool

Using the SetPoint Button Tool in Run Mode

SetPoint Button Tool - Selecting an Image

SetPoint Button Tool - Properties, Events, and Methods