Work Area

The user interface is similar to a browser, with menu areas, main work areas, and buttons to go back, go ahead, a list of recent items, and other navigation tools. The Figure shows the main parts of the page.

Grid Splitter

You can drag the vertical bar with your mouse to adjust the size of the menu frame on the left, when you want to have more space on the desktop.

Using the toolbar

The toolbar at the top of each page has all edit buttons such as undo, redo, crop, copy, and paste, as well as buttons for common functions that are unique to Action.NET.

Also, some buttons have additional options when you right-click on them. For example, the Print and Browse buttons have additional options, as shown in the Figure.

Right-click options on the toolbar:

• The options for Print allow you to print or save to a CSV file.

• The options for Search allow you to find, go to the previous one, and go to the next one. For more information, see "Working with Tables" on [page 69|#_bookmark91].

Undo and Redo Changes

The Undo and Redo buttons on the toolbar let you undo or redo any operation. When editing tables, undo and redo are available for all changes during your editing session.

To edit documents in the Draw, Reports, and Script, undo, and redo areas are available until you save the changes.

Smart Cut, Copy, and Paste

The Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons are context-sensitive: when the focus is on a DataGrid the tool will cut/copy and paste the selected rows into the table. When the focus is on the drawing tool, the functions will be performed on the selected objects. The reason for the smart word is that you can copy and paste rows to and from Excel, plus other tables in the workspace, even if the columns are not all the same. When copying and pasting, the cell data in the columns and also the headers of the same are copied to the clipboard. In this way the system is able to place the information in the correct column, regardless of the order that the columns are being displayed or not, or if there are some columns in the target table.

Print, save to a file, or Import

These commands allow you to print the selected document (a DataGrid or a drawing). The export button when pressed saves DataGrids for CSV files and graphics screens for JPG files. The import button will import CSV files into the DataGrid.

Find objects

To find where you used a specific object, such as a tag, in a project, the Engineering workspace offers three forms of search.

Find String and Find Object buttons

• The button Find String serves for searching for a specific string in the currently selected tab of the DataGrid table. Type the text you want to search in the text box and press the FindString.

• The button Find Object in the toolbar accesses the Project's Cross-Reference List, which lets you find where objects are used in the Project.

In list shown at the bottom of the screen, clicking on each row is shown the table where the reference is made. For more information on cross-referencing, see "Using Cross-Reference" on page 76.

Finally, you can apply dynamic filters to the selected table by just typing the mask in the input field. Example: *abc* will filter to show only lines with the letters "abc" in any position of the name; ab * will filter to show the lines starting with "ab". Click the Home button to clear all filters and reset all datagrid columns for viewing in standard system format.

New Tag and Properties of a Tag

• New Tag: Allows you to create a new tag in the database in real time.

• Tag Properties: Shows the properties of the Selected Tag in the TextBox.

Security login

When you hover over the Logon icon (keychain) the currently logged-on user name is shown. Clicking on the icon opens the Logon dialog box. By default, when the system starts, the Guest user is registered. Each user's permissions are set as described in "Security and Users" on page 111

Help button

The Help button navigates the workspace for the Info-Help section, which gives you access to the local help file, as well as allows you to search online content.

Navigating the Desktop

You navigate the Action.NET using the desktop environment, sections, and tabs.

Any engineering workspace user interface is identified by three names: the Environment (main menu in the upper left corner), the Section (or sub-menu), and the tab (or the Table).

To describe how to get to a specific location where you want to perform functions, we use an abbreviated notation.

For example, instead of saying:Click Edit, then click Tags, then click the Objects tab. in the explanations of this manual we use the notation:

Go to Edit> Tags> Objects.

This abbreviated notation quickly tells you how to navigate to the correct main menu, sections, and tabs.

EDIT - Editing Environment

The button EDIT in the engineering module workspace allows access to the configuration tasks of the main objects of the modules Action.NET.

In this environment the vertical bar displays the possible navigation between the editable sections:

To set, check, or edit the "Tags" of the points to be used in the project.

Security - To set the permissions and access levels of project users.

Devices - To configure communication protocols and IEDs (communication and data acquisition equipment) that will be used by the project.

To set up items of Alarm Alarm Areas and Groups for generating alarms under defined conditions.

Datasets for defining data sources such as database files, specific tables, and predefined queries.

For setting up "Scripts" which may be in C-Sharp or VB.Net, (in dot NET) compiled and dynamically linked prior to project execution.

To set up or select dynamic graphics screens, Displays that will show in real time the state of supervised processes

To configure Reports, which can include updated graphic symbols in XPS, HTML, ASCII, and Unicode format.

DRAW - Drawing Environment

To set up animated graphics screens, you must click the Draw (Draw) in the Main Menu. The symbol appears increased after the click. In this case in the vertical window below the button appear screen properties being shown. Details about editing screens are presented in the "Screens and Symbols" section.

RUN - Execution Environment

The execution environment provides access to all real-time execution features of the project.

Build - it should be used to request project preparation for real-time execution, and to save the project istory, including script builds and builds in executable code libraries.

Test - to test the project and verify its execution in real time before publishing it for use on the actual Server.

StartUp - Allows you to specify diagnostic tools and modules to be used to test applications and scripts in project executions

Publish - Publish the project to get the final installation file on the server. A new identifier for the Published Project Review is obtained.

Count - Displays a summary of the project as the number of Tags used. It also provides a cross-reference report of project objects.

Dictionaries - For the customization of the language to be used in alarm messages and text from project screens.

Extensions - Show several applications specialized in import-exporting project data or to the project.

INFO - Information Environment

The Information environment provides access to current project configuration details

 Shows the product and product versions project the location of the project, the language used, and various other details.

 For information on the Publications version numbers and history of changes made.

 To fill in notes and observations other users who are developing the project.

 To call the Online Reference Assistance of the Action.NET

Shows information specific to current product licensing. A Registry tab makes it easier to online registration of the software.

Setting Preferences

You can configure the appearance theme of the Action.NET and other preferences. The window below is shown when requesting your presentation as described in item 1 below.

To set up preferences:

1. Click the app button (the Spin logo at the top of the toolbar).

   

   • Change or select the options you want.

• Click Close in the upper right corner.