Viewing Projects
Once you've Action.NET the application, you can see the System Project Management window, shown below. See in Starting the Action.NET
The projects presented in the list depend on the selected Project Server (defined in the Server tab) and the selected search paths (defined with the Find Project).
The Action.NET automatically creates metadata about projects, with information such as screen preview, tool design and version, modification date, project template, and more. Use the combo-box to change the view of projects to Cards, or Table, or use the Rotate button to switch between the graphic icon and a brief summary of the project.
See Project configuration, for details about the project metadata information.
A Project in Action.NET contains the entire configuration for a specific application. This project configuration is stored in a single file with extension Tproj.
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Hint: If the list is not showing any projects, it is because the system was unable to find project files in the selected server and search paths. Use Find Projects to search for projects on your local computer, use the "Server" tab to connect to a new Project Server, or use "Create Project" to create a new project. |
The Projects, shown in this list, are all found in the search paths, which can be defined using the Find Projects. See Finding Projects.
Projects located on remote computers or servers in the cloud can also be managed using server configuration, see Accessing Projects Remotely.
Projects retain information about the version of the Action.NET that was used to create the original project. Unless you upgrade the project to a new version, it will always open using the version with which it was created. For more information, see Updating projects.
Creating a Project
Clicking New Project, the screen below with fields is displayed for specifying attributes of the new project to be created. To create it fill in the fields with the name and description of the new project and choose the product, model, language, and language attributes to use in "scripts". At the end, press the Create New Project so that you are actually creating a project or click Come back if you give up on creating a new project.
To create a project:
Click New Project.
The figure appears with the project creation window (above).
Enter or select the information as needed:
Field | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Name | Enter a name for the project. | ||
Description | (Optional) Enter a project description text | ||
Location | Click the button (...) to select or create a new folder for the project. Note: Remote access to projects based on directories (folders) is configured. Be sure to place local projects in a different folder of projects that allow remote access. | ||
Product Verson | Choose the version in which the project should be created. Versions that are installed on the current machine will be offered. | ||
Product Family | Depending on Action.NET license, you can have here the options to build applications for a specific version of Action.NET.
See Versions and Licenses Action.NET, for more information about the Product Family. A basic description of the family is presented below:
l You can change this setting later if necessary. | ||
Product Model | Depending on your Action.NET, you can have options here to build applications for a specific product model. The product model is related to the number of real-time communication points that will be allowed in this project See Versions and Licenses Action.NET, for more information on product models. | ||
Target Framework | One should choose between existing MS Dot net Framework versions or special versions for other environments such as IIot-Mono | ||
Template | Choose one of the default projects to be used as the basis for your project. Each project template already contains an initial set of objects appropriate for a sector or type of automation. |
Press the icon Create New Project.
Project templates
Multiple pre-built project templates let you get to build the solutions you need faster.
Pre-built project templates using Lean Automation technology, developed with Action.NET, allow you to manage automation applications for substations, power plants, wind farms and photovoltaics in a few tens of minutes, without error and with excellent visual quality.
Displays and layouts are already predefined.
Various types of models including:
Blank project;
Standard Project;
TrendChart Project;
TrendChart with alarm page design;
TrendChart with alarm pages and alarm footer;
Projects with Redundancy.
Default Project Enterprise
Each of the projects accumulates the items from previous projects. Pre-built menus and headers.
Blank design
Logon dialog;
Various themes;
Navigation with industrial icons on the header page;
Blank main page;
Layout with header and main pages.
Standard design
Contains everything present in the blank Project in addition to the items below:
Server information page through dashboard page;
Templates and Scripts for system information;
Configuration of the data historian.
TrendChart Project
It is added to the standard design:
User interface data templates;
TrendChart page;
TrendChart data templates.
TrendChart with alarm page design
Add to trendchart project:
Page with history of alarms and online alarm;
Alarm data template.
TrendChart with alarm pages and footer
It is added to the TrendChart project with alarm page design:
Alarm footer page.
Design with Redundancy
Add to trendchart project with alarm pages and footer:
Redundancy Information Page.
DefaultNewProject
The default design of Action.NET for applications in the electrical sector, is complete basstante for applications of these type. See in this guide in the chapter Default Project Enterprise.
Finding Projects
When it is known that there are other projects in other directories on the machine or on other servers in the cloud, you can use this tool for project localization. By clicking on Find Projects, the next window is shown.
In this window, you can specify in which directories the Project Manager should search for projects Action.NET.
When accessing the local computer, the Action.NET search for projects in the default folder and in any folder created in the project. When you copy a project file to a folder, Action.NET not know this folder as being from projects. You can then add this folder to the search path so that the Action.NET look for projects in this folder.
You can also remove folders from the search path if those folders are no longer needed or you want to narrow down the folder list.
To find projects and manage remote access:
Click Find Projects.
The window displays a list of the search paths considered.
Enter or select the information as needed.
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Current Project Server | Shows where the current project is running (read-only). |
Include Sample Projects | Selected by default. Path with the sample projects directory. Uncheck if you don't want to see them on the list |
Include Published Projects | Selected by default. Uncheck if you do not want to see projects already in the Published state in the list. |
Find | Click to navigate to a project. The folder for the selected project is automatically added to the list of search paths, and all projects that are in this folder will appear in the list. |
Search Paths |
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Click Back to return to the main window.
This page also contains settings to allow users on remote computers to access projects, as described in the next section;
WARNING - When you add a project or folder, all projects in the selected folder are added to the list of projects on the main page.
Allowing remote access
Remote users can only view and access projects from a local computer configured for remote access. To allow remote access to one or more projects, but not to others, remember to put the projects in separate folders. When setting up remote access (either for project editing, or for running in real time), this setting includes the entire folder selected at the time of setup. All projects in a folder configured to allow remote access will be accessible to remote users. For information about accessing a remote project, see Running Projects.
The software installation includes a web server (TWebServer), which allows remote access between computers that have the Action.NET installed. No other configuration is required.
To find projects and manage remote access:
Click Find Project.
Select the folder from the list of search directories that you want to view and modify the permissions, select the information as desired.
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Allow Remote Access | Selected by default. Uncheck to deny remote access to edit projects in the selected folder. |
Allow Remote Run | Selected by default. Uncheck to deny remote access to run real-time projects in the selected folder. |
Virtual Path | Enter a title to provide access to only the selected folder. Anyone who accesses your computer remotely through Action.NET can see all folders that are configured for remote access and that do not have a virtual path. |
Click Back to return to the main window.
Accessing Projects Remotely
You can access and edit projects that are configured for remote access. Projects can be on any accessible computer or server. Those who are enabled for the cloud service can access projects configured on it. The find project function is not available when accessing a remote computer.
You can also send a project to the remote computer.
To remotely access a project
Click on the tab Server.
This tab allows you to configure and access remote projects.
Proceed in one of the following ways:
To access a project on a remote computer
Select the option Remote.
Enter the IP address of the computer the project is on.
If configured, type the virtual path of the folder.
The person who created the project may have configured the virtual path.
To access a project about the cloud service
Select the Cloud option.
Enter your account and password.
Click Connect
To upload a project, click Upload Project .
Click on the tab Projects. The list of projects available from the accessed computer will be shown. Available projects must be in folders that are configured for remote access:
if you don't type a virtual path, you see all projects in folders configured for remote access, but not projects in folders that have a virtual path configured;
if you type a virtual path, you see all the projects in the folders configured with the virtual path you type.
Double-click on the desired project, to open it.
Running Projects
You can run the project in real time in any of the following ways:
in the main Action.NET and project list, right-click on the project and select Run Project.
when setting up the project, go to Run > Startup and click Run Startup.
when setting up the project, go to Run > Test and click Run Test.
for more information, see Running the Application.
automatically using the autoboot settings in the Server.
Updating projects
Projects retain information about the version of the Action.NET used in its creation or last modification. Unless you upgrade the project to a new version, it always opens using the version in which it was created.
When you move to a newer version of Action.NET, you can update a project to use the latest version.
To update a project:
Start Action.NET:
See Starting the Action.NET;
the main window is shown. Any existing projects are displayed at the bottom of the page.
Select the desired project.
For any project that has a ProductVersion older than its current version, right-click and select Upgrade Project.
If this option is not available, the project is already in the same version as the current version of Action.NET.
The system maintains the original project and adds the original version number to the file name, so you can still open and run it with the version of the product with which the project was developed. The system creates a new project with the original project name, importing all the settings from the latest version of the product.
Project configuration
The entire configuration of the project is executed in an integrated application, which provides the facilities of generating tags, screens, configuration of communication channels and other needs, in a modern, interactive and extremely user-friendly way.
Engineering tools
By clicking on Open Project, a window is presented with the project configuration tools or, as they are often called, the engineering tools.
The project configuration UI overview is in Desktop Workspace Overview.
SQL-oriented configuration
All project configuration, canvases with drawings, graphic images, scripts, tag definitions, address mapping in IEDs (external devices), etc. are saved in a single sql-oriented embedded database. This file is encrypted for your security and should be opened and edited using only project engineering tools.
The project configuration is saved to a file with TPROJ extension. As part of the Publishing, described in Project Version Control, you can also create versions read-only intended only for real-time execution, which will have the TRUN extension.
Multi-user, multi-design
The system allows many open projects at the same time. If there is already one project open, simply select another one from the Project Selection list and open it. When a second instance of the same project is opened, it opens as read-only.
In order to allow concurrent users, one must have a Project Server licensed to multiple engineers. In the License tab, in the Engineering Group box, there are the number of Engineering tool users who can simultaneously access the selected server or local computer.
Project Information
Each project file has embedded metadata with key project information. When using the engineering tools, this information is shown on the Info-Project-Version.
Project settings that can be user-defined, such as product family and model, and default options can be set on the page Info-Project-Settings in the Engineering Tools application.
To view and change project settings, open the Project with the configuration tool:
Go to Info > Version.
Most information is read-only.
Project Setup (Settings)
You can view and change the project settings, defined in the project creation.
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NOTE - Changing some project settings may not be possible because they would lead to non-valid conditions. For example, some features are only available in the Enterprise version. |
To view and change project settings, open the Project with the configuration tools and go to Info > Project > Settings, how in the following figure.
Table 1: | |
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Product | Name of the product used to create the project (read-only). |
ProjectPath | Path of the folder where the project file is located (read-only). |
Family | See Versions and Licenses Action.NET, for more information about the product family. A basic description for the product family is:
Changing the family of a project may not be possible because it could lead to conditions not v alidas. For example, some features are only available in the Enterprise version. |
Model | The product model is related to the number of real-time communication points allowed in this project. See Versions and Licenses Action.NET, for more information about the product model. |
Culture Info | Select the language for the application at runtime. This setting controls the formatting of dates, numbers, and other information that conforms to the selected language. You can change this setting later if necessary. |
Target Framework | Read-only. Shows the version of the Microsoft .NET Framework required for the project. |
Default Code | If the field is enabled, select the programming language (C# or VB.Net)that you want to use for the creation of Scripts Custom. You can change this setting later if necessary. |
Limit values to Min-Max | If this box is checked the system will not allow you to place values outside the Min-Max range of each tag. |
Target layout size | Select the default resolution for new Layouts to be created in the project. This does not affect existing pages. |
Default size when creating new pages | Select the default resolution for new screens to create in the project. This does not affect existing pages. |
Run modules inside realtime process | If this box is checked, runs modules within the TServer module, i.e. without a separate task for exevution. This increases performance and decreases memory usage.:
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Security AD/LDAP server | If Active Directory (AD) or LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directory authentication services are used, you must here provide the Authentication Server URL. |
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