Button Properties
The Button supports the following properties, which are available via the Properties pane and the Canvas script editor. Click next to any property name in the Properties pane to see a short description for the selected property.
See Accessing Screen Objects for more information about how to view control objects in script in the Canvas application.
Categorizing, Sorting, and Finding Properties
You can click
(Categorize), click
(Alphabetical within Category) or click
(Search) within the properties using the features located immediately above the properties list. The search box is useful to help locate a property when an object contains many properties. For clarity, when you enter a search term, items matching your entry string remain displayed and non-matching items are temporarily hidden. Clear the search box to display the full properties list again.
You can expand and collapse each property category by clicking
or
next to the group name or simply clicking anywhere in the category heading.
Button Properties
The following tables describe the property names visible in the Properties pane user interface (UI) and the corresponding script property name.
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ControlName |
The Name property specifies the unique identifier for this control. Valid characters are A-Z, 0-9, and underscore (_). Special characters and spaces are not permitted. Names cannot start with a number; an underscore will be prefixed if the control name starts with a number. The default value is the object name and the numeric instance. The control's Name is also displayed on the Controls view of the Screen pane. |
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ControlType |
The read-only Type property displays the type for the control: Button, Chart, CygNet Grid, Edit Box, Object Container, Search Box, Tag Chooser, etc. … The control's Type is also displayed on the Controls view of the Screen pane. |
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Styles are created in two ways:
Tip: You can also change a control's Style on the Controls view of the Screen pane. |
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Location
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Height |
The Height property specifies the height of the control (or screen). Tip: You can also change the height of a control using the Settings pane (click on the |
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HorizontalResizeMode |
The Horizontal resize mode property specifies whether and how the control dynamically moves or resizes horizontally when the screen is resized in run mode. Options include:
The default value is None. |
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Layer |
Tip: You can also edit a control's Layer on the Controls view of the Screen pane. Note: Layer visibility can be controlled at runtime via the AddLayer, HideLayer, SetLayerVisibility, and ShowLayer methods on the Screen object. |
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IsLocked |
Tip: You can also toggle the lock setting of a control using the Settings pane (click on the |
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VerticalResizeMode |
The Vertical resize mode property specifies whether and how the control dynamically moves or resizes vertically when the screen is resized in run mode. Options include:
The default value is None. |
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IsVisible |
Tip: You can also change a control's Visible setting on the Controls view of the Screen pane. |
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Width |
The Width property specifies the width of the control (or screen). Tip: You can also change the width of a control using the Settings pane (click on the |
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X |
The X property specifies the location of the control along the horizontal axis. Use the up, down, left, and right arrow keys to nudge a control by 1 pixel. Arrow moves a control by 1 pixel. Ctrl+Arrow moves a control by 10 pixels. Ctrl+Shift+Arrow moves a control by 100 pixels. Tip: You can also change the location of the control using the Settings pane; click on the |
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Y |
The Y property specifies the location of the control along the vertical axis. Use the up, down, left, and right arrow keys to nudge a control by 1 pixel. Arrow moves a control by 1 pixel. Ctrl+Arrow moves a control by 10 pixels. Ctrl+Shift+Arrow moves a control by 100 pixels. Tip: You can also change the location of the control using the Settings pane; click on the |
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ZIndex |
The Z index property is used to determine the order in which controls are layered on top of each other. Controls with higher values will draw on top of those with lower values. The newest control added to a screen will always have the highest value and will be the top layer. Two or more controls can be on the same index (layer). Tip: You can also change the Z index of a control using the Settings pane (click on the |
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Script
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Tip: You can also change the Include in Script setting on the Controls view of the Screen pane. |
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Value
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ColorConfiguration |
The Color configuration drop-down contains all options required to specify the color properties of the control. Click |
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Background color |
ColorConfiguration.BackgroundSource ColorConfiguration.BackgroundSelfColor |
The Background color property specifies the color used for the background of the control. The color can be sourced from one of three options provided in the Source drop-down menu:
Options include:
For each color property select the Source and Color:
Note: You can override the default point state colors for this element by creating a custom color palette. See Configuring Color Palettes and Color palette for a screen or object for more information. |
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Text color |
ColorConfiguration.TextColorSource ColorConfiguration.TextSelfColor |
The Text color property specifies the color used for the text on the control or map visual. The color can be sourced from one of three options provided in the Source drop-down menu:
Options include:
For each color property select the Source and Color:
Note: You can override the default point state colors for this element by creating a custom color palette. See Configuring Color Palettes and Color palette for a screen or object for more information. |
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Border color |
ColorConfiguration.BorderColorSource ColorConfiguration.BorderSelfColor |
The Border color property specifies the color used for the border of the control. The color can be sourced from one of three options provided in the Source drop-down menu:
Options include: For each color property select the Source and Color:
Note: You can override the default point state colors for this element by creating a custom color palette. See Configuring Color Palettes and Color palette for a screen or object for more information. |
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Display alarm acknowledgment |
ColorConfiguration.BlinkBackground ColorConfiguration.BlinkBorder ColorConfiguration.BlinkText |
The Display alarm acknowledgment property enables the button's background, text, and border to blink when the associated point is in alarm. Check each box to configure the:
If none of these options are selected, no visual indication of a point in alarm will be presented. However, if the point is in alarm, an Acknowledge alarm option will be available from the context menu in run mode. Note: The blink interval is configurable in the Canvas Settings page in the Backstage view. |
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CustomContextMenuItems |
The custom context menu options will appear at the bottom of the fixed context menu options, separated by a line. Each custom context menu item has a title and an event script ID; items can be designated as a separator; and custom context menus support nested menu items. Click |
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Context menu items > Title |
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Context menu items > Is separator |
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Context menu items > Script event ID |
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DateTimeFormat |
The Date and time format property specifies the format for a point's timestamp using any of the valid .NET standard or custom numeric format strings. The date and time format applies to any point's timestamp property. Use this property to override the Default date format, which is configured in the Application settings page of the Backstage view. The default date format is YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS.fff, which corresponds to 2024/01/01 10:20:30.0001. All timestamps are local client time. If an invalid format is configured for the Date and time format, the control will automatically use the format configured for the Default date format saved in the global settings file, and configured in the Backstage view. Note: You can also use the Microsoft .NET Standard Date and Time Format Strings to define the text representation of a date and time value in Canvas. For example, "d" is the short date pattern and corresponds to 1/1/2024, "F" is the full date/time pattern and corresponds to Monday, January 1, 2024 1:45:30 PM. |
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HideInvalidTag |
The Hide invalid tag check box indicates whether to hide the element (a control, button, image, or map visual item) if it resolves to an invalid or unknown tag. Note: Invalid point tags and relative facility resolution work in the following way for single-value controls: when a point tag is invalid or unknown, the tag can be hidden using the Hide invalid tag property. In this situation, a control with only facility-based tokens that has a valid relative facility resolution, but results in an invalid point tag, then the point tag will be treated as an invalid tag and displayed accordingly. There may be a scenario where you want to hide a control when using facility-based attributes and relative facilities. Say you have a templated screen with a Text Tool displaying a Gas Meter, but not all Wells have an associated Gas Meter. You could hide the control for a Well that does not have an associated Gas Meter, and by not specifying a UDC, you can always show (or hide) a facility resolution with facility-based attributes only. |
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PointConfiguration |
The Point configuration property is used to configure the CygNet point associated with the control. Click |
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Selection mode |
PointConfiguration.SelectionMode |
The Selection mode property is used to determine how the control will receive CygNet information from other controls or from itself. Two options are available; click the desired radio button:
Sending and receiving facility tagsSome controls on the same screen allow for the sending of facility information from one control to another.
ExampleAdd a control to a screen (e.g., a Tag Chooser or Grid) and configure it as a facility sender to send a facility to the screen. Add another control to the screen (e.g., a Text Tool or Donut) and configure it to receive the facility from the screen. In this scenario the Tag Chooser or Grid will send a facility to the screen and the screen will then send the facility to a Text Tool or the Donut. |
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Facility tag Point config > Facility
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FacilityID FacilitySender FacilityTag
FacilityTag.FacilityId FacilityTag.Service FacilityTag.Site FacilityTag.SiteService FacilityTag.SiteService.Service FacilityTag.SiteService.Site IsRelativeFacilityResolutionEnabled PointConfiguration.Facility PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.IsBroadcastSourced PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.IsOrderInType PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.IsOrderInTypeAttributeConfigured PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.IsRelative PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.IsSelfSourced PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.OrderInType PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.RelativeFacilityLink PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.ResolveRelativeFacility PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.Source PointConfiguration.Facility.FacilityID.SourceFacilityID PointConfiguration.FacilityTag PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.FacilityId PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.Service PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.Site PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.SiteService PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.SiteService.Service PointConfiguration.FacilityTag.SiteService.Site PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.FacilityId PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.Service PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.Site PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.SiteService PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.SiteService.Service PointConfiguration.SourceFacilityTag.SiteService.Site |
The Facility tag or Facility property is where you specify the source of the facility for the control (or screen) to use. The source for the facility can be explicitly configured for this control or it can be received from another control on the same screen, or from the screen, or from another screen. Click
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SiteService |
PointConfiguration.SiteService PointConfiguration.SiteService.DisplayString PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.DomainId PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.Service PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.Site PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.SiteService PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.SiteService.Service PointConfiguration.SiteService.DomainSiteService.SiteService.Site PointConfiguration.SiteService.IsBroadcastSourced PointConfiguration.SiteService.IsSelfSourced PointConfiguration.SiteService.SiteService PointConfiguration.SiteService.SiteService.Service PointConfiguration.SiteService.SiteService.Site PointConfiguration.SiteService.Source SiteService SiteServiceSender |
The SiteService property is where you specify the source of the SiteService for the control (or screen) to use. The source for the SiteService can be explicitly configured for this control or it can be received from another control on the same screen, or from the screen, or from another screen. Click
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Point |
LongPointID PointConfiguration.LongPointID PointConfiguration.PointSelectionMode PointConfiguration.PointTag PointConfiguration.UDC Points
Points.Comparer Points.Count Points.Keys Points.Subscribe Points.Unsubscribe Points.Values PointTag UDC |
The Point property is used to determine how the CygNet point will be configured. Click the appropriate radio button to reveal the desired field.
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ShowContextMenu |
The Show context menu check box indicates whether a right-click context menu will be available or suppressed in run mode. The default context menu will allow alarm acknowledgment, access to point history and alarm history, point configuration, and facility configuration. Note: The CygNet Thin Web Client supports its own context menu in the web view. When activated the context menu appears on the right side of the page. From the CygNet TWC web view context menu you can view point values, acknowledge a point in alarm, view and edit alarm values, and add a selected point to an ad-hoc chart. See Using the Thin Web Client Context Menu. |
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ValueFormat |
The Value format property specifies the format for the point's value using any of the valid .NET standard or custom numeric format strings. The value format applies to a point's Value, Primary Value, and Alternate Value properties. The default value format is #,##0.00, which corresponds to 123,456,789.12. Formats use # and 0, with a period (.) as the decimal separator and comma (,) as the thousands separator. Add additional zeros to show more decimal places. |
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Button
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IsEnabled |
The Enabled check box indicates whether the control is enabled. The default value is True. When set to False, the control is visible in run mode, but grayed out and disabled from use. |
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Image
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FilePath IsValidImage |
This property specifies the path to the file, image file, video file, object file, or screen file. Depending on the selection in the source property the type of path is different. Click
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FileSource |
This property specifies the source of the file, object file, screen file, image file, or video file. Options include:
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ShowImage |
The Show image property indicates whether to display an image on the button. |
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ImageSize |
The Size property indicates the size of the image on the control. |
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ImageSizeMode |
The Size mode property specifies the method used to size the image used on the button so it can scale without distortion. The image will be resized if not square. Options include:
The default value is Auto. |
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Display
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MouseCursor |
The Mouse cursor property determines which mouse cursor will appear when the mouse hovers over this control or map visual. Select an option from the drop-down menu: Arrow ( |
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SuppressDataRetrieval |
The Suppress data retrieval check box indicates whether all CygNet data retrieval is suppressed for the control or map visual. Use this if you want to store point information in the control but don't want to automatically query services for data. Tokens will not be replaced and point state colors will be ignored. You can configure the control with a valid point configuration but the control will not retrieve any CygNet data. This allows you to display static text for a control, while still allowing CygNet data context available from script. If a control has a point configured, but Suppress data retrieval is enabled, Canvas won’t do much point processing. The one exception is point validity. If the control is configured to Hide invalid tag, then Canvas will check if the current tag is valid, even if Suppress data retrieval is enabled. This will allow you to configure some static text that will dynamically hide in the case of a templated screen for a facility that doesn’t have that particular point. |
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Text |
The Text property specifies the text that will appear on the face of the control. The item can display a static text string, such as a label, legend, tooltip, or a dynamic text string based on point or facility attributes. Dynamic text is built using tokens, which can represent real-time CVS point properties, point configuration properties, and facility properties. In run mode, the tokens are replaced with the attribute's value. Click |
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Tooltip
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TooltipText |
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TooltipEnabled TooltipDuration TooltipBetweenShowDelay TooltipInitialShowDelay |
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TooltipMode |
The default value is Text. |
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TooltipObjectPath TooltipObjectSource |
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Font
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FontSize |
The Font size property specifies the font size of the text on the control or map visual. |
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TextStyle |
The Text style property specifies the style to use for the text that appears on the control or map visual. Options include: Normal, Italic, or Oblique. The default value is Normal. |
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TextWeight |
The Text weight property specifies the weight to use for the text that appears on the control or map visual. Options are: Normal or Bold. The default value is Normal. |
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Generic
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String |
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YesNo |
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The Include in script check box indicates that the control will appear in the objects collection of the screen (if scripting is enabled). To optimize performance, best practice dictates that you only include the controls you need to manipulate via script. Other controls should be excluded. When you add an event to a control, it will be automatically added to script and the Include in script property (and the In Script check box on the Controls view) will be set to True.
