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PI ProcessBook 2012 User Guide

OSIsoft, LLC 777 Davis St., Suite 250 San Leandro, CA 94577 USA Tel: (01) 510-297-5800 Fax: (01) 510-357-8136 Web: http://www.osisoft.com OSIsoft Australia Perth, Australia OSIsoft Europe GmbH Frankfurt, Germany OSIsoft Asia Pte Ltd. Singapore OSIsoft Canada ULC Montreal & Calgary, Canada OSIsoft, LLC Representative Office Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China OSIsoft Japan KK Tokyo, Japan OSIsoft Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V. Mexico City, Mexico OSIsoft do Brasil Sistemas Ltda. Sao Paulo, Brazil OSIsoft France EURL Paris, France

PI ProcessBook User Guide Copyright: 1994-2012 OSIsoft, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of OSIsoft, LLC. OSIsoft, the OSIsoft logo and logotype, PI Analytics, PI ProcessBook, PI DataLink, ProcessPoint, PI Asset Framework (PI AF), IT Monitor, MCN Health Monitor, PI System, PI ActiveView, PI ACE, PI AlarmView, PI BatchView, PI Coresight, PI Data Services, PI Event Frames, PI Manual Logger, PI ProfileView, PI WebParts, ProTRAQ, RLINK, RtAnalytics, RtBaseline, RtPortal, RtPM, RtReports and RtWebParts are all trademarks of OSIsoft, LLC. All other trademarks or trade names used herein are the property of their respective owners. U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS Use, duplication or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions set forth in the OSIsoft, LLC license agreement and as provided in DFARS 227.7202, DFARS 252.227-7013, FAR 12.212, FAR 52.227, as applicable. OSIsoft, LLC. Published: 4/20/2012

Table of Contents
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1 What's New ........................................................................................................................1 PI ProcessBook Essentials ...........................................................................................................3 What Can You View with PI ProcessBook .........................................................................3 Start PI ProcessBook .........................................................................................................3 Add-Ins ...............................................................................................................................8 Menus and Toolbars...........................................................................................................9 Browser Toolbar ...............................................................................................................10 Keyboard Shortcuts..........................................................................................................13 Preference Settings..........................................................................................................14 Print ..................................................................................................................................21 Change the Language Used for PI ProcessBook ............................................................22 About PI ProcessBook .....................................................................................................23 Work with a ProcessBook ...........................................................................................................25 Basic Steps to Build a ProcessBook ................................................................................25 Create a New ProcessBook .............................................................................................25 Add ProcessBook Entries ................................................................................................26 Arrange ProcessBook Entries ..........................................................................................31 Open an Existing ProcessBook........................................................................................37 Properties .........................................................................................................................38 Import Files to a ProcessBook .........................................................................................41 File Sharing Capability .....................................................................................................42 Move a ProcessBook to Another PC................................................................................42 Work with a Display......................................................................................................................45 Overview of Display Elements .........................................................................................45 Manage Displays and Independent Display Files ............................................................46 Drawing Tools ..................................................................................................................52 Formatting ........................................................................................................................54 ToolTip Statistics ..............................................................................................................58 Time Range and Playback Toolbar..................................................................................58 Time Range Toolbar.........................................................................................................64 Layers within Displays......................................................................................................66 Migrating Displays to Another PI Server ..........................................................................69 Visualize Data with Symbols .......................................................................................................71 Trends ..............................................................................................................................71
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Table of Contents

XYPlots.............................................................................................................................90 Additional Dynamic Symbols..........................................................................................108 Multi-State Symbols .......................................................................................................116 Static Symbols................................................................................................................118 Work with Symbols.....................................................................................................................127 Details and Annotations .................................................................................................127 Data Favorites ................................................................................................................130 Select and Move a Symbol ............................................................................................132 Select Multiple Symbols .................................................................................................133 Rotate a Symbol.............................................................................................................133 Flip a Symbol..................................................................................................................134 Delete a Symbol .............................................................................................................134 Stacking Order ...............................................................................................................134 Align Multiple Symbols ...................................................................................................135 Group, Ungroup, or Regroup symbols ...........................................................................136 Connectors .....................................................................................................................136 Item Definition ................................................................................................................144 Status Report for Dynamic Symbols ..............................................................................145 Status Flags for Data......................................................................................................145 PI System Data............................................................................................................................147 About PI Data .................................................................................................................147 PI Tags (PI Points) .........................................................................................................150 Element Relative Display (ERD) ....................................................................................156 Data Sets........................................................................................................................160 ODBC .............................................................................................................................175 PI Notifications in PI ProcessBook...........................................................................................181 Launch PI Notifications ..................................................................................................181 About the Notifications Window .....................................................................................181 Contacts Window ...........................................................................................................184 Embedding and Linking.............................................................................................................187 Overview of Microsoft OLE Compound Documents ......................................................187 OLE Automation in PI ProcessBook ..............................................................................187 Embedded Objects.........................................................................................................188 Linked Objects................................................................................................................191 Should You Link or Embed? ..........................................................................................194 Add an Active X Control .................................................................................................194 Work with OLE Objects ..................................................................................................195 Visual Basic for Applications in PI ProcessBook ...................................................................201 VBA Commands.............................................................................................................201 ActiveX Automation ........................................................................................................201 What You Can Do with ActiveX Automation in PI ProcessBook....................................201

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Automation Vocabulary ..................................................................................................202 System Administrator Notes .....................................................................................................203 Installation ......................................................................................................................203 High Availability Configuration Settings .........................................................................205 MDB to PI AF Migration .................................................................................................206 Playback Toolbar Setting Defaults .................................................................................209 DEP Security ..................................................................................................................210 Read/Write Data Access for Users ................................................................................210 Machine Address............................................................................................................211 PROCBOOK.INI .............................................................................................................211 IMPPIGP.INI...................................................................................................................221 SETUPProcessBook.LOG .............................................................................................224 Troubleshooting Tips .................................................................................................................225 Display Can't Find Data..................................................................................................225 Trend Cursor Does Not Appear .....................................................................................225 Trend Legend Does Not Appear ....................................................................................225 Cant Change or Save a Display ....................................................................................225 Is an XYPlot Updating? ..................................................................................................225 Is an OLE Object in a Display Linked or Embedded?....................................................226 Linked Object Data Isn't Updating..................................................................................226 Missing ODBC Trace......................................................................................................226 Missing ODBC Data Sources.........................................................................................227 Technical Support and Resources ...........................................................................................229 Index ............................................................................................................................................233

PI ProcessBook User Guide

Chapter 1

Introduction
As the easy-to-use graphical display interface to the OSIsoft PI SystemTM, PI ProcessBookTM makes it possible to efficiently display real-time and historical data residing in the PI System and other sources. Process owners use PI ProcessBook to create interactive graphical displays that can be saved and shared with others. Users can quickly switch between run and build modes to create dynamic, interactive displays and populate them with live data. They also can write scripts that automate displays and trends by using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, which is seamlessly integrated into PI ProcessBook. OSIsoft also produces add-ins that perform Batch and other types of analyses.

What's New
Whats New in PI ProcessBook 2012

Enhanced Support for PI Asset FrameworkPI ProcessBook no longer supports Module Relative Displays and removes the MRD add-in when it is installed. Enhanced support for PI Asset Framework (PI AF) includes ToolTip statistics and support for AF data references in the Details window. You can still download the MRD add-in from Tech Support if you need it. Display EnhancementsThe Playback toolbar added for v3.2 is enhanced to provide more time controls and synchronization across multiple displays for time range changes only. The name of the toolbar is now Time Range and Playback toolbar to reflect the enhanced functionality. The Bar symbol now has a scale option. Enhanced Language SupportA Language Selection tool is added to the PI ProcessBook preference page. This tool allows users to switch among languages installed using the PI ProcessBook MUI Pack. This version of PI ProcessBook has implemented Unicode and regionalization enhancements. VBA EnhancementsA newer version of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is installed, which addresses some security issues. In addition, there is support for handling UTC times through automation.

What's New in Version 3.2


PI ProcessBook v3.2 is the last version to deliver MRD functionality. New in version 3.2:

PI ProcessBook User Guide

Introduction

The Element Relative Display (ERD) add-in is provided to replace Module Relative Display. Element relative displays provide a re-useable display that can be shared across similarly configured elements. Displays can now be played back to review a specific time period using DVR-like controls. Display navigation is enhanced with browser-based navigation controls that traverse, open, and bookmark displays and workbooks. The Notifications add-in has been enhanced to provide a list of contacts, using Office Communicator, associated with a notification to assist in investigating issues. The PI SQC Statistical Quality Control symbol is now included with PI ProcessBook.

Chapter 2

PI ProcessBook Essentials
What Can You View with PI ProcessBook
A PI ProcessBook display entry may contain PI System data from any or all of the following sources:

PI Servers PI Asset Framework (PI AF) Servers Calculations from PI data Databases with ODBC connectivity Databases with custom interfaces to PI ProcessBook Spreadsheets, documents, schematics, graphics, photos, and other Windows applications through OLE linking and embedding VBA code

ProcessBook displays may be linked to other displays within the same ProcessBook, or to displays in a separate ProcessBook. You can also include buttons that launch other applications.

Start PI ProcessBook
To begin using PI ProcessBook you need to: 1. Launch the application. 2. Connect to a PI Server (page 4). 3. Open a ProcessBook file (page 6) or display (page 6).

Servers and Connections


See the PI SDK Controls and Dialogs User Help to find comprehensive and up-to-date information on connecting PI ProcessBook to a PI Server. You can access this Help from the Help menu in the Connections dialog (File > Connections).

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

Connect to a PI Server Use the PI Connection Manager dialog to manage connections to PI Servers

Click File > Connections. The PI Connection Manager dialog appears. The dialog lists the configured servers to which you can connect. It also shows the server you have chosen as the default server.

A selected checkbox next to a server name in the Connections dialog box indicates an open connection to the PI Server.

To manage connection settings:


Click to select a checkbox and open a connection to a PI Server in the list. Clear a checkbox to close a connection. Select a PI Server in the server pane to access connection settings.

Note: If you select more than one server, the application tries to connect to each server using the same user ID and password. If it fails, a new PI Server Login dialog appears. If you already are logged in to the server from a different PI application, such as PI DataLink, the application uses the user ID and password with which you logged in. See the PI SDK Controls and Dialogs User Help for more detail.

PI Security PI ProcessBook is designed to support whatever PI Security is configured on the PI Server.

Start PI ProcessBook

When PI ProcessBook attempts to connect to a PI Server, the application first attempts to pass your Windows log in credentials. The PI SDK will try to use them directly or find a Trust for the user, domain, application or machine (per Trust configurations). If all attempts to login to the PI Server using Windows credentials or other machinerelated information fail, then you must have a PI user account (not Windows securitybased). In this case, the PI SDK attempts to use the default PI user account configured for the Server (you can see this in the Connections (page 4) dialog in PI ProcessBook). If the default PI user account does not require a password, then you are automatically logged in. If the default account does require a password, a login dialog box appears, which expects the PI user account and password.

Note: For more detailed information on PI Server security see Configuring PI Security, which is available on the OSIsoft Tech Support site. As of PI Server 3.4.380, the PI Server can be configured to take advantage of significantly enhanced security options.

Network Errors Network Errors update the Status Report (page 145) dialog, rather than displaying error messages on your monitor. When a display is opened but the server is not available, only one Select New Node (page 5) dialog appears. The dialog appears once for each server that is not available.

Displays and Connection Failure If the connection to your data is not successful, the display (page 6) is still drawn, but data in dynamic elements are replaced with indicators signifying that no data is available.

Trends are labeled Invalid and no information is plotted. Values are replaced with pound signs (###) and the message Disconnected appears. Bar graphs are drawn using hash marks (//////). Multi-State symbols show the configured color for bad data.

If a server has been disconnected, and/or cannot be reached, the Select New Node dialog appears.

PI ProcessBook User Guide

PI ProcessBook Essentials

Click Connections to launch the PI Connection Manager dialog. From there you can choose a new server from the drop-down list of connected servers.

Node Identifiers for Multiple PI Servers A Node Identifier is stored with each tag name used in a display to point to the correct server. If you define PI Server nodes in the PI Connection Manager dialog, the identifiers are the same on each PC on the network as long as the node names for the PI System are the same.

Workspace
When you start PI ProcessBook, it appears as an open window or workspace on the desktop. Depending on your settings, you may initially see an empty workspace, or an open ProcessBook in either Book (page 32) or Outline (page 34) view. Within the PI ProcessBook workspace you can open a ProcessBook or independent display.

ProcessBook (.piw) In PI ProcessBook a ProcessBook is the container for the information and analysis of the process you are monitoring. A ProcessBook may appear as either a tabbed book - Book view (page 32), or an outline - Outline view (page 34), and is saved as a separate file with a .piw extension. A ProcessBook is a collection of individual displays of data and analysis. Use a ProcessBook to organize data from the PI System and other sources so that you can analyze the processes you monitor or the tasks you perform. A ProcessBook and its displays are stored in a single file.

Display The main unit for creating presentations of data in PI ProcessBook is the display. A display may stand on its own (.pdi or.svg), or it may be part of a ProcessBook (.piw). A display contains all the symbols used to represent an operational environment using real-time, production data from PI as well as data from other sources. In addition to containing this

Start PI ProcessBook

collection of data elements, the display has its own set of features and properties that affect the collection of data elements. Displays can show a variety of elements, such as a schematic representation of a production line, a plot of readings taken from a production line, or a comparison of lab data and batch specifications. Displays can also be linked to other ProcessBooks, displays in other ProcessBooks, or other applications.

Create a New ProcessBook or Display Use the New dialog to create a new ProcessBook (page 25), add ProcessBook entries (page 26), or create an independent display (page 46). Click File > New to launch the New dialog,

Run Mode and Build Mode


When you work with a ProcessBook or an independent display, you work in one of two operating modes, Run mode or Build mode.

Build modemost of the functions that you use when you create or modify a ProcessBook require the Build mode pointer. Use Build mode to add, remove, or move symbols on a display, to add, remove, or organize entries in a ProcessBook, and for access to symbol definitions and formatting tools. Run mode is used to open entries and execute commands once a ProcessBook is built. You can make some changes to a display while in Run mode; however, working in Run mode keeps you from accidentally making permanent changes to items in a display. or the Build mode pointer

You switch between modes by clicking the Run mode pointer

, which are located on the Tools menu and the Drawing toolbar. Your preferred mode of operation is set as a default in your Preference settings.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

Note: You can choose Build or Run mode as your preferred mode of operation by clearing or selecting the Prefer Run Mode checkbox in the General tab (page 14) of the ProcessBook Preferences dialog. This is a helpful preference if you spend most of your time building or editing displays.

Add-Ins
By default, PI ProcessBook installs with the following add-in components. You can load or unload these and other add-in components by using the Add-In Manager (page 8).

AF 2.x Data Set Browser toolbar (page 10) Data Favorites (page 130) Details (page 127) Element Relative Displays (ERD) (page 156) PI Notifications Viewer (page 181) ProcessBook SVG File Converterenables you to save displays as SVG files, which can then be used by PI WebParts. Time Range and Playback toolbar (page 58) ToolTip Statistics (page 58)

You can install other add-ins with PI ProcessBook, but they don't become available until you add additional applications:

PI BatchView

Load Add-ins
The Add-In Manager lists the Add-Ins available in your PI ProcessBook installation. Use this dialog to control whether the add-ins are loaded whenever you use PI ProcessBook. 1. Click Tools > Add-in Manager. The Add-In Manager dialog appears. 2. Click an available add-in from the Available Add-Ins list. 3. A description of what the add-in does appears in the Description box. 4. Under Load Behavior, select the appropriate check boxes:

Loaded/UnloadedLoads or unloads the selected add-in. The add-in's current status appears in the Load Behavior column at the top. Load on StartupLoads the selected add-in on startup of PI ProcessBook. The addin's current status appears in the Load Behavior column at the top. Command LineLoads the selected add-in when PI ProcessBook is started from the command prompt or from a script.

5. Click OK to complete the action and close the dialog.


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Menus and Toolbars

Note: If the add-in is unloaded and then reloaded, you must click the Revert toolbar button to re-synchronize any symbols using the add-in.

Menus and Toolbars


Command Menus
The active components of menu bars change depending on the active window and current selections. There are five different collections of menu commands.
Menu Bar Default Book Display View-Only Book View-Only Display Function Displays when no documents are active Displays when a PI ProcessBook workbook is active Displays when a PI ProcessBook display document is active Displays when PI ProcessBook is running in no-edit mode and a PI ProcessBook workbook is active. Displays when PI ProcessBook is running in no-edit mode and a display or workbook document is active.

Customize Toolbars
Toolbars may be displayed or omitted as follows: 1. Click View > Toolbars. The Toolbars tab of the Customize dialog opens. 2. Check the toolbars you wish to display, and click OK.
Note: Click the Commands tab to see what buttons appear on each toolbar.

3. To move a toolbar, click on the double vertical bar at the left end and drag to the new location. If the toolbar has no move handle, click on the title bar instead. 4. To reshape a floating toolbar (one without move handles), grab one of its edges and drag to a new shape.

Toolbar Buttons
Many of the menu commands in PI ProcessBook can be selected by clicking a button on a toolbar. To determine the use of a button on a toolbar, hover the mouse pointer over the button to display a ToolTip.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

You can configure toolbars to display as view-only to omit unnecessary buttons. View-only toolbars and others can be specified in procbook.ini (page 211).

Add Buttons to Toolbars You can change the icons that appear on the toolbars or create your own custom toolbar. 1. Click View > Toolbars. 2. From the Commands tab of the Toolbars dialog, you can select a particular toolbar in the dialog and drag buttons to existing toolbars in your PI ProcessBook window. 3. While the Commands tab is open, you can also drag buttons off of a toolbar to remove them from your window.

Browser Toolbar

The Browser add-in provides a toolbar that resembles the controls of a typical web browser. The toolbar is automatically loaded when you install PI ProcessBook, and allows you to navigate recently-used ProcessBooks and displays.

Browse ProcessBooks and Displays


1. Click View > Toolbars. 2. In the Toolbars list, make sure the Browser Toolbar and Time Range and Playback Toolbar are selected.
Note: These toolbars are open by default when you first launch PI ProcessBook.

3. From the Browser toolbar (page 10), click either the Forward or Back buttons to view previously opened ProcessBooks or displays. Only displays opened during the current session of PI ProcessBook are included in this navigation. You can also use the Address box to open ProcessBooks and displays. 1. Click the arrow to the right of the Address box to see the last ten valid file paths you entered. The last entry in the list is Browse. 2. Click Browse to launch an Open File dialog where you can browse for a file. You can also enter a URL to open a file.

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Browser Toolbar

View Browsing History


1. Click the small black arrow to the right of the Back or Forward buttons to see a drop-down box that lists the last ten ProcessBooks and/or displays that you visited during the current session. 2. Click an entry to return to that item. The final entry in the list is History. Click History to open the History tab (page 12) of the Organizer window (page 11) from where you can find an alphabetical list of all ProcessBooks and displays visited during the current session

Set a Home Page


The Home Page is the startup file that is defined in PI ProcessBook preferences. It can be a .pdi (display), .piw (ProcessBook), or a display entry. 1. On the Browser toolbar (page 10), click the small arrow next to the Home button 2. From the drop-down menu, select one of the following:

Use Default to make PIDemo.piw your default file Use Current to set the start file to the current, active ProcessBook or display

Bookmarks and Browser History


The Organizer is a docking window that allows you to organize and use bookmarks and the current session's history. By default this window is hidden. Click the Bookmarks button on the Browser toolbar (page 10) to make it appear.

The Organizer window has two tabs:

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

Bookmarks Tab New bookmarks are automatically added to the root level of the bookmarks tree. You can organize the entries into a hierarchical tree structure by dragging and dropping entries. Rightclick the Bookmarks tab to select one of the following from the context menu:

New Folder inserts a new folder at the top level of the tree or as a subfolder of a selected folder. Rename makes the entry name of the selected entry editable. Edit opens a dialog box where you can enter a new name and file path for the selected bookmark. Select All selects every entry. Deselect All clears every entry. Send To File opens a Save File dialog for the location to store the list of bookmarks. Bookmarks are saved as XML and can be subsequently imported. Only files/folders that are selected (checked) in the tree are exported. Send To E-Mail opens a pre-populated Outlook email with the selected bookmarks ready to be sent as an attachment with the same format as the Send to File option. Only files/folders that are selected (checked) in the tree are exported.
Note: The Send To options are only visible if at least one entry is checked or when right-clicking an item.

Import opens an Open File dialog where you can select a bookmarks file to import.

History Tab The History tab contains an alphabetical list of all ProcessBooks and displays you have visited during the current session. From there you can click an entry to return to that item. The icon of the entry indicates its file type. Hover over an entry to see its full path in a ToolTip.

Add/Edit Bookmarks 1. On the Browser toolbar (page 10) click the Bookmark button Bookmark tab of the Organizer (page 11) window. From there you can browse, modify, or delete stored file locations. 2. Click 3. Click to add a bookmark. to edit a bookmark. to open the

If the active file is already bookmarked, the same icon appears as the Edit Bookmark icon. Click this button to edit the bookmark's label and file path.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts
A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keystrokes to use for frequent actions. Several of these are already assigned in PI ProcessBook. They appear to the right of the corresponding menu command on the drop-down menus. PI ProcessBook lets you assign new combinations of keystrokes or change existing ones. For example you can:

Assign a keyboard shortcut for inserting symbols with one command. Assign more than one keyboard shortcut to a specific action. Change an existing shortcut, such as Ctrl+S, to another sequence you prefer.

Assign a Keyboard Shortcut


1. Click View > Assign Shortcuts. The Shortcut Keys dialog appears.

2. Under Select a macro, click the appropriate macro (menu item). The description for that item and its assigned shortcuts, if any, appears. 3. Click the Create Shortcut button.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

The Assign Shortcut dialog appears. 4. In the Press new shortcut key box, type the key you wish to use for the shortcut.
Note: If you choose a combination already in use, the current assignment appears in the dialog. If you click OK, the previous assignment is voided.

5. Click OK. The new shortcut appears in the Assigned shortcuts box.
Note: If you want to reset all the keyboard shortcuts to their original positions when PI ProcessBook was installed, click the Reset All button, and then the OK button.

Remove a Keyboard Shortcut


1. In the Shortcut Keys dialog, under the Select a macro list, select the appropriate macro (menu item command). The description for that item and its assigned shortcuts, if any, appears. 2. Under Assigned shortcuts, select the shortcut you want to remove, and then click the Remove button. 3. Click OK.

Preference Settings
You can reach the ProcessBook Preferences dialog by clicking Tools > Preferences. Preference settings determine how the ProcessBook entries look, what colors are available when you draw, and whether your ProcessBook opens in Book View (page 32) or Outline View (page 34).
Note: Preference settings are stored in the file procbook.ini. Before you change the Preference settings, consider creating a back-up copy of procbook.ini so that you can restore PI ProcessBook to the original settings.

General Preferences
Click Tools > Preferences > General tab to configure application-wide settings. These settings are stored in and retrieved from the [STARTUP] section of your procbook.ini (page 211) file.

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Preference Settings

AuthorDetermines the name used as the creator of new files and the person who last edited the file. See Summary Information in ProcessBook (page 38) for more information. This field is blank by default when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Startup FileThe file name and path in this field determine which, if any, file is automatically opened when the application is launched. The default value when PI ProcessBook is first installed is <installation path>\procbook\pidemo.piw. Library FileThe file name and path in this field determine which, if any, file is opened when the original symbol library command is used. The default value when PI ProcessBook is first installed is <installation path>\procbook\symlibry.piw. Prefer Run ModeDetermines whether ProcessBook starts up in Run mode or Build mode by default. By default, this option is enabled when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Create Backup FilesDetermines whether backup files (with a .bak extension) are automatically created when a PI ProcessBook file is opened. By default, this option is turned off when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Keep snapshot values on updating plotsDetermines whether the archive event pipe is used for updating trends, discarding any snapshot values between stored, archive values. This setting is stored as PB2TraceCompatibility in the [STARTUP] section of your procbook.ini. By default, this option is turned off when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Date and Time FormatSettings in this area determine how time is displayed in PI ProcessBook. Previews of each format are shown to help you select the desired option.
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PI ProcessBook Essentials

The Use local Windows format option uses the current Regional Options settings in the Windows Control Panel on the client machine to determine how dates and times are displayed. Dates are shown using the currently configured Short Date format and Times are shown using the current time format settings. The Use PI Time Format option displays timestamps in the default PI format of ddmmm-yy HH:mm:ss.ssss, where dd is the day of the month, mmm is a the short text abbreviation of the month name (e.g., Jan for January), yy is the two digit year, HH is the hour in 24-hour format, mm is the minute and ss.sss is the second, including subseconds, if present.

Default Time ZoneDetermines whether timestamps reflect the time zone of the PI Server used to retrieve data (PI Server time zone), or the time zone of the local computer (Client machine time zone), when a new display is created. By default, the PI Server option is selected when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. This setting can also be changed and is stored with each display.

Table of Contents Preferences


Click Tools > Preferences > Table of Contents tab to configure the default view of Table of Contents windows for ProcessBook(PIW) files, as well as the font applied to each level of entry in those files. These settings are stored in and retrieved from your procbook.ini (page 211) file.

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Preference Settings

Default ViewSettings in this area determine how ProcessBook entries are displayed by default. The default is Book view. Font SettingsThe controls in this area determine the font settings applied to each entry level in a ProcessBook. The font settings control the display of entry names in Table of Contents windows.

The Entry level field allows you to select the level to configure. You can only select one level at a time. The Font field lists all the fonts installed on the computer running PI ProcessBook. The Size field determines the size of the text. The first time ProcessBook is installed, the current Windows system font determines the default font settings to use. The Font style group determines whether text is shown in bold or italic.

PreviewThis read-only field displays font settings for each level in a ProcessBook. Each of the 10 possible entry levels is listed and displayed with its current font name, and style settings.

Display Window
Click Tools > Preferences > Display Window tab to set options that apply to display windows. These settings are stored in and retrieved from your procbook.ini (page 211) file.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

Preserve Aspect Ratio on resizeDetermines whether display element sizes change in proportion to the window size when a window is resized. When the check box is selected, the aspect ratio is preserved and the display element sizes change in proportion to the window size. Show Symbol ToolTipsDetermines whether ToolTips are displayed on display symbols. ToolTips appear for toolbar buttons regardless of this setting's value. By default, this option is turned on when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Show Value AttributesDetermines whether icons are displayed for Value Attribute flags (Questionable, Substituted or Annotated) on PI data. This option is turned on when PI ProcessBook is first installed on a computer. Run mode scrollingDetermines the scroll bar behavior of display windows in Run mode. Build mode scrollingDetermines the scroll bar behavior of display windows in Build mode.
On Off Automatic Display contains scroll bars all the time. Scroll bars never appear. Scroll bars appear when needed (this is the default setting).

Color PaletteThese fields present the 16 colors selected for use throughout the application as the basic colors for the color well control.

Use the Modify button to launch the Color dialog, where you can select additional colors. Use the Reset button to return the Color Palette to system default values.

Default Display Background ColorDetermines the default color used for new displays. The color well control is used to select a color. This color is also set when the Background color of the current display is changed. Symbol Defaultscontains fields to set the default formatting values for new symbols. These defaults are also changed when the Formatting controls are used and no symbols are selected.

Trend Preferences
Click Tools > Preferences > Trend tab to set default settings for new trend symbols. These settings also apply to instant trends.

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Preference Settings

DisplayCheck or uncheck these options to configure what information a trend displays by default.

AutoScaleSelect this check box if you want trends to be scaled as tag values change over time. If you do not select this check box, then trends use the Database scale for each tag. Plot TitleSelect this check box if you want a title to display. Vert. Scale Ins. Axis(Vertical Scale Inside Axis)Select this check box to display the numeric scale inside the axis. If you do not select this check box the scale displays outside the axis. Note that the value scale is drawn horizontally when the trend orientation is vertical. GridsSelect to display grid lines (page 83). Multiple Scales (page 84)Add a value scale for each data point when selected. When the check box is cleared, only a single value scale appears. MarkersSelect the Markers check box if you want markers to indicate data points on the trend. If you do not select the Markers check box three markers display on each line. These markers help you match a line to a tag.

LegendSelect or clear these options to configure what information appears in the trend legends. The information that can fit in the legend is determined by the size of the trend. Consequently, not all of the information in the legend may be visible:

If the width of the legend is more than the width of the trend the legend does not appear.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

If the height of the text in the legend is longer than the total height of the trend, items are removed in this order: engineering units, tag name, then value.

Options include:

Tag Name Server Name (for PI tags) Value Description Eng Units

SampleUse this display area to view a preview of selected trend preferences.

Trend Elements Preferences


Click Tools > Preferences > Trend Elements tab to set what colors, line styles, etc. are used in individual traces gridlines, text, or the background. These settings also apply to instant trends.

Multi-State on Ad HocSelect this check box to include data from multi-stated symbols when creating an ad hoc (instant) trend. When this option is cleared, data from a multi-state configuration is not included on instant trends.

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Print

Traces per Ad Hoc TrendSelect the number of traces to have per plot on an ad hoc (instant) trend. The default is 3, the maximum is 8. Once this number is reached, additional plots are created to show the remaining tags selected for the instant trend.

Plot ElementsUse the drop down list to select from pens, text, grids, and background. For each plot element, select a Marker Type, Line Style, Line Weight, and Color.
Note: You may select one of several line styles for each trace. You can also specify the line thickness. Select none to omit a grid line.

SampleSee your changes previewed in the Sample area at the bottom of the dialog.

Print

When you print from a ProcessBook, you can:


In Outline view, print a list of the ProcessBook contents or selected displays. In Book view, print a list of the entire book or a selected tab section. Print the entire contents of a display or selected items from that window.

You can also set various printing options, such as the number of copies. Each topic in the help file may be printed separately or you can print them all at once. The Print command is accessible from the File menu, CTRL+P, or the print button. You can print the contents of the active window or if you select items within a display before you open the Print dialog, then you can choose to print only those items.
Note: On a non-color printer, symbols are printed in shades of gray, but trends are printed in black and white. On some printers, when you print a trend with cursors, the value and time stamp boxes of the cursor does not hide the information beneath them. However, other trend cursors and the trend time scale may show through the trend cursor boxes, making the values hard to read.

Page Setup for Printing


You can select the particular printer, the orientation of the paper, the paper size, and the source within the printer of the paper. Use the Properties button to fine-tune the quality of output or the performance of the printer. The settings you choose in Page Setup become the defaults for all your printing.

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PI ProcessBook Essentials

Note: PI ProcessBook supports dot matrix, HP PCL (LaserJet), Postscript, and color printers. However, all Windows print drivers may not be compatible. If you are not sure if your printer is supported or you observe any printing problems, contact OSIsoft Technical Support (http://techsupport.osisoft.com).

Print Preview

Print Preview displays your selection as it will look when it is printed. Note that the Print Preview shows colors even though you may be using a black and white printer. Once you select the item you want to preview, click File > Print Preview. Zoom in or out of the selection by clicking on the selection with the magnifier cursor or by clicking the Zoom buttons. To print the selection, click the Print button.

Setup Printer
Select Print Setup to choose a printer, page orientation, and paper size. In addition, you can fine-tune the quality of output or the performance of your printer. The settings you choose in Print Setup become the defaults for all your printing. 1. Click File > Page Setup. The Print Setup dialog appears. 2. Select the printer, orientation, and paper size and source.
Note: PI ProcessBook supports dot matrix, HP PCL (LaserJet), Postscript, and color printers. However, all Windows print drivers may not be compatible. If you are not sure if your printer is supported or you observe any printing problems, contact OSIsoft Technical Support.

3. Click the Properties button to select printer-specific options. Refer to your printer documentation for additional information about these options.

Change the Language Used for PI ProcessBook


You can change the language for the application on your machine if you have a PI ProcessBook Language Pack and the desired language resources installed. The language setting is per user locale, so if others want to use the application on the same machine under a different login, they can use different language resources if available. To change the application language: 1. Run the PI ProcessBook Language Pack and select the language resources you want to install, if they are not already available. 2. Click Tools > Preferences. The ProcessBook Preferences dialog appears.

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About PI ProcessBook

3. On the General tab click the Language Settings button to launch the language selection tool. This button is only active if you have language resources installed. 4. Select the target language and click OK. 5. Quit and restart the application. PI ProcessBook now appears in the specified language. Note that users who log in with the same account see the same language, but the language does not change for those logging in to the machine with different accounts.

About PI ProcessBook
You can launch the About PI ProcessBook dialog by clicking Help > About PI ProcessBook. The dialog provides detailed version and build information, as well as a link to the OSIsoft tech support site.

Click Copy Info to copy the contents of the list to your Windows clipboard where it can be pasted into a spreadsheet or text editor. This can be useful to share with OSIsoft Technical Support engineers if you have a problem. Click System Info to launch the Microsoft System Information dialog. This information can also be useful when troubleshooting issues through Technical Support.

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Chapter 3

Work with a ProcessBook


Basic Steps to Build a ProcessBook
There are five basic steps to creating a ProcessBook (page 25): 1. Create and save a ProcessBook. 2. Add, organize, and edit entry titles. 3. Design a detailed display for each display entry title, using the drawing tools to create schematics or other drawings with trends, bars, and values. To import outside data, add OLE objects and values from data set queries. 4. Format trends and make other adjustments to each display to present your data in the most useful manner. 5. Save the completed ProcessBook and install it wherever it is needed.
Note: In some installations, the System Administrator may set your PI ProcessBook to View Only (page 220) mode. If so, you cannot create and save new ProcessBooks.

Create a New ProcessBook


Before you create a ProcessBook, you should consider planning an organizational structure and a naming convention for the ProcessBook and the entries within it. When you create and save a new ProcessBook, the application initially gives it the title Book1, where 1 represents the number of ProcessBooks created during the current session. PI ProcessBook also creates a file name for the new ProcessBook. It suggests the first word from your title and an extension of .piw. For example, PI ProcessBook may suggest Filtrat1.PIW. If you plan to build an entire set of ProcessBooks, you might choose to modify it in Windows Explorer to sort your set of ProcessBooks in some meaningful order, such as 05FiltrP.PIW. 1. In Build mode, click File > New. The New dialog appears. 2. Select ProcessBook (.piw) File. 3. In the ProcessBook Name box, type a name for the new book. 4. Click OK.

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Work with a ProcessBook

5. A new ProcessBook appears.


Note: If you typed a name in the ProcessBook Name box, then the name appears on the ProcessBook title bar. If you did not type a name, then the default title Book1 appears on the title bar.

Add ProcessBook Entries


After creating a ProcessBook, the next step is to add individual entries. By arranging and combining displays and other entry types, you can create a complete working environment for plant personnel.
Note: You can add entry titles to a ProcessBook and then complete the detailed design of the entries later.

There are five specific types of entries:


Text (page 27)provides headings or static information Display (page 27)opens a display Linked displays (page 27)links to an independent display file Linked ProcessBook (page 29)links to an entry in another ProcessBook Operating system command (page 29)opens another application

When you add entries to a ProcessBook in either Outline or Book View, the entries are arranged hierarchically. Subentries are indented under main entries. The name you give each new entry is the name that shows in the ProcessBook. When you create a new entry, it is placed in the ProcessBook just before the selected entry. If no entries are selected, the new entry appears at the end of the current tab section in Book View or at the end of the Outline View. The first entry on a book tab is normally a Level 2 item (Level 1 is used as the tab label). All Level 3 through 10 items are listed below a level 2 item and indented the same. In Outline View, all levels are indented according to their level.

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Add ProcessBook Entries

Create a Text or Display Entry


Use text entries to add labels and clarify text in a ProcessBook table of contents. Display entries represent a display in a ProcessBook. 1. Click File > New. The New dialog appears. 2. Under Type, select ProcessBook Entry. 3. Click OK. 4. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 5. In the Label dialog, type a name.
Note: The label must be 244 characters or less in length.

6. For the Type, select Text or Display. 7. In the Level list, click the level at which you want to position the entry in the ProcessBook hierarchy of entries, or Type a number between 1 and 10.
Note: If you are creating the first entry in the ProcessBook, the level is automatically set to 1 and cannot be changed. This entry is used as the first tab label.

8. Click OK. The entry is added to the ProcessBook. If the entry is at Level 1 and you are in Book view, a tab is created using the name of the entry. 9. Click the Save button on the toolbar, or Click File > Save.

Linked Display Entry


A linked display allows you to use a display name to link to an entry elsewhere in the ProcessBook or in another ProcessBook or independent display file. This means that you create and store only one copy of the display. You can then access the same entry from several different locations in one ProcessBook. Or, while you are in one ProcessBook, you can open an entry from another one without having to close the first ProcessBook. The linked entry is not a copy; it is a way of opening the original, similar to using a Windows shortcut. The Book View or Outline View shows the title of the linked entry, but the actual display window shows the title of the original entry. If you edit the original from any linked entry, the original is updated and automatically appears updated in all the ProcessBooks that are linked to it. To prevent unexpected updates, you can restrict access to an entry so that only the original entry can be edited and all others to which it is linked are read-only. If the entry resides on a server, you can write-protect the file on the server. If you need more information on restricting access to files, see your System Administrator.
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Before you create a link to an original entry in a different ProcessBook, the ProcessBook that contains the original (target) entry must be open. Once the link is established, you only need to open the ProcessBook with the Linked Entry. If you want to link to an entry in a second ProcessBook, open the second book or use the Display Search dialog. If you want to link to an entry in the current ProcessBook, create the original display entry first, save the file, and then create the linked entry. The target display must be in a file that has been saved so that its path can be determined.

Create a Linked Display Entry 1. Click File > New. The New dialog appears. 2. Under Type, select ProcessBook Entry. 3. Click OK. 4. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 5. In the Label dialog, type a name.
Note: The label must be 244 characters or less in length.

6. For the Type, select Link/OS Command. 7. Click the Browse button, or Click the Browse arrow to see more search options. The Open dialog appears. 8. To link to an independent display file, locate and select the display file (.pdi) to which you want to link and then click the Open button. The display name appears in the Action box. 9. To link to another ProcessBook, locate and select the processbook file (.piw) to which you want to link and click the Open button. The file name appears in the Action box. 10. To link to a display in a ProcessBook, select the Display Search option from the Browse drop-down and enter criteria to locate the display you want within the open files. If the display you want is not in a file that is open, select a different option in the Look in field. When the display is listed in the Display Search dialog, select it and click OK. The name appears in the Action box. 11. In the Level list, click the level at which you want to position the entry in the ProcessBook hierarchy of entries, or Type a number between 1 and 10.
Note: If you are creating the first entry in the ProcessBook, the level is automatically set to 1 and cannot be changed.

12. Clear the Options check box if you want the absolute path to the file checked first.

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Add ProcessBook Entries

Note: By default, ProcessBook attempts to open a linked display from its relative path first. If the relative path fails, then the absolute path is checked. Clearing the Use relative path check box reverses the order in which the paths are resolved. For new displays, this option is checked by default.

13. Click OK. A linked display entry icon is added to the outline and book view of the ProcessBook you are developing. 14. Click the Save button.
Note: If you need to move the original entry to another directory or ProcessBook, you must redefine the link between the ProcessBooks. If you move both the original and the linked item and the relationship between the two file paths is unchanged, you do not need to relink.

Linked ProcessBook Entries


Similar to a Linked Display, a Linked ProcessBook entry is a link to a different ProcessBook. When you open a linked ProcessBook entry, another ProcessBook is opened. You may open any of the entries in that ProcessBook. Using a Linked ProcessBook entry is the same as opening a ProcessBook using the Open command on the File menu. The same rules apply to Linked ProcessBook entries as to Linked entries.

Move Linked Entries If you move a linked pair of displays or ProcessBooks to another location and if this move changes the relationship of the two file paths, you need to relink the items.

Operating System Command Entry


An operating system command is used to start another application, such as Microsoft Excel, in addition to PI ProcessBook. Essentially, any command that you can execute with the Windows Run command can be used as an Operating System Command entry in a ProcessBook. For example, you can use an operating system command to link to PI DataLink reports or calculations. You can also create links to CAD drawings, modeling packages, or statistics packages. Links to displays saved as SVG files are treated as Operating System Command entries. When you have reports created on a different system, you can convert them to ASCII and, using an operating system command, create a link to Notepad to read the reports. If your company has online Help files for certain procedures, you can create a link to those help files or other documents.

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Your computer must have enough memory to run the applications you want to use in addition to PI ProcessBook. The applications also must be installed on your system. If you do not know whether or not your computer has enough memory, contact your System Administrator.

Create an Operating System Command Entry 1. Click File > New. The New dialog appears. 2. Under Type, select ProcessBook Entry. 3. Click OK. 4. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 5. In the Label dialog, type a name.
Note: The label must be 244 characters or less in length.

6. For the Type, select Link/OS Command. 7. Click the Browse button to the right of the Action box, or Click the Browse arrow and then click Applications. The Open dialog appears. 8. Browse and locate the file to which want to link, and then click the Open button. The application's path/name is displayed in the Action box.
Note: If you know the name of the .exe file for the application, such as C:\excel\Excel.exe for Excel or the path and name of a data file, such as C:\document\report.xls, then you can type the path directly in the Action box. You can use most commands that execute successfully in the Windows Start menu Run dialog.

9. If you need to specify the location of the executable for the application, click the Browse button to the right of the Working folder box. The Browse for Folder dialog appears. 10. Locate and select the folder that you want to specify for this operating system command, and click OK.
Note: If you know the name of the working folder for this application, then you can type it directly in the Working folder box.

11. In the Level list, click the level at which you want to position the entry in the ProcessBook hierarchy of entries, or Type a number between 1 and 10.
Note: If you are creating the first entry in the ProcessBook, the level is automatically set to 1 and cannot be changed.

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Arrange ProcessBook Entries

12. If the file specified in the Action box is associated with one application and you want to open it with another, select the Ignore the default shell command for recognized file types check box. This option is normally only used with files such as displays saved as SVG so that they can be opened in PI ProcessBook instead of the associated Viewer application.
Note: If the file type is supported by ProcessBook (either natively or through an addin), then it is opened directly when this option is selected for a Link or OS command entry. For example, an .svg file is opened using the .svg File Converter in ProcessBook, even if you have Adobe SVG Viewer installed. Clearing this check box disables this behavior, so the default shell command is used to open the file instead.

13. Click OK. An icon for the program you are launching is added to the outline and book view of the ProcessBook and the application opens. Close the application. 14. Click the Save button.
Note: Any path entered in the Action field is considered absolute. If the display with this entry is moved, the path is not changed from the original entry. If the Action is entered and saved as a relative path, the system attempts to open the command using that relative path. In this case, if you need to move the original entry to another directory or ProcessBook, you may have to redefine the link between the ProcessBooks. If you move both the original and the linked item and the relationship between the two file paths is unchanged, you do not need to relink.

Working Directory for Operating System Commands The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog has a text box where you can enter the working directory. The command line recognizes file extension associations. For example, in the past you needed to enter a command like: C:\EXCEL\EXCEL.EXE C:\MYWORK\MINE.XLS Now you can use a command like: C:\MYWORK\MINE.XLS In other words, if the string works for the Run command under the File menu of the Program Manager, it will work in PI ProcessBook. Some applications that you can access with an operating system command, such as MS Excel, allow only one copy of the application to open, even if you execute the command several times.

Arrange ProcessBook Entries


Once you have created your entry titles, it is a good idea to consider how they are arranged in your ProcessBook. Each ProcessBook gives two possible views of your entry titles, Book View and Outline View.
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Work with a ProcessBook

Whether you are in Outline View or Book View, you can edit and rearrange entries, or delete entries altogether. Some functions are performed the same regardless of the view in which you are working. Book View is a useful organizational tool when your ProcessBook has only a few dozen displays. If your ProcessBook is large and contains many displays, Outline View is faster and easier to use.

Book View
In Book View , the ProcessBook displays as a loose-leaf binder.

Tabs indicate major divisions in the ProcessBook. Each tab section has a heading, which may be any ProcessBook entry. The entry title is used as the tab name. A tab section may contain several pages of entries representing different types of information. There is no limit to the number of tabs you may have in a Book. However, as you add tabs or reduce the size of the ProcessBook, the tabs are stacked to the right of the Book. This might make the ProcessBook difficult to read in Book View. When you create a first-level entry in Book View, the name becomes the label for the section tab. If the entry is the first entry you have added to the ProcessBook, the entry level is automatically set at 1. Subsequent sub-entries are listed below the main entry. When you select another first level entry, a new page is created with a new tab. You can have up to 10 levels of entries in a ProcessBook, but levels 3 to 10 are displayed in Book View as though they were at the same level. Displays within a tab section are typically arranged in a hierarchical fashion. For example, a display that includes a boiler, a condenser, and a pump may be at the top level of a tab section. The boiler, the condenser, and the pump may be separate displays that are arranged underneath the summary display. Each of these displays can have several displays for their components.

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Arrange ProcessBook Entries

Book View

Turn Pages in Book View 1. Click View > Book to view a ProcessBook in Book View (page 32). Notice the top right . corner of the page is divided into two small triangles 2. Click the upper triangle to move forward one page, or Click the lower triangle to move backward a page. A dark gray triangle indicates there are no more pages in that direction. 3. Click the tabs along the right-hand side to move quickly between sections of a ProcessBook.

Resize a ProcessBook 1. Click and drag on the frame of a ProcessBook until the window is the size you want. As you make a window smaller, the ProcessBook is resized so you can still see all of the tabs. If the window becomes too small to display all the members of a group of displays, the displays are moved to new pages. 2. If the ProcessBook window becomes too small, all the tabs behind the first tab are collapsed into one tab labeled More. Click the More tab to display a pop-up list of the other tab sections.

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Work with a ProcessBook

Entries in Book View When you create a first level entry in Book View, the name becomes the label for the section tab. If the entry is the first entry you have added to the ProcessBook, the entry level is automatically set at 1. Subsequent sub-entries are listed below the main entry. When you select another first level entry, a new page is created with a new tab. Change the Name of an Entry in Book View 1. Click View > Book to view a ProcessBook in Book View (page 32). 2. In Build mode, double-click the entry you want to change. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 3. In the Label text box, type a new name. 4. Click OK. Change the Level of an Entry in Book View 1. Click View > Book to view a ProcessBook in Book View (page 32). 2. In Build mode, double-click the entry you want to change. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 3. In the Level list, click the level at which you want to reposition the entry in the ProcessBook hierarchy of entries, or Type a number between 1 and 10. 4. Click OK.

Outline View
In Outline View , ProcessBook displays are arranged hierarchically on a page.

Click View > Outline to display a ProcessBook as an outline. When you are in Outline View, a set of buttons is added to the active ProcessBook window to collapse or expand the outline. You may need to resize the window so all the buttons are visible. Use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars to see all entries in the outline. Hierarchies of entries may be revised by dragging entries from one location to another, or by promoting and demoting entries.

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Arrange ProcessBook Entries

Outline View

Collapse or Expand Outline View You can collapse or expand sections of the outline to view the list of displays in a meaningful manner. 1. Click View > Outline to view a ProcessBook in Outline View (page 34). 2. Click the black plus sign to the left of an entry to expand it. This shows additional displays that are subordinate to the selected display. Collapsed View:

-orClick the transparent plus sign to collapse the list of subordinate displays. Expanded View:

Note: You can change the font for each level in Outline View in the ProcessBook Preferences (page 14) dialog.

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Work with a ProcessBook

Rearrange Entries in Outline View In Build mode, click and drag the entry name up or down (not sideways) to a new location. A dotted line indicates the location of the entry you are moving. Alternatively, you can use the four buttons at the top left of the window as follows: Promote highlighted entry Demote highlighted entry Move highlighted entry up Move highlighted entry down

Change the Name of an Entry in Outline View 1. Click View > Outline. 2. In Build mode, click the entry you want to change. 3. Click Edit > Selected Item. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 4. In the Label box, type a new name. 5. Click OK.

Change the Level of an Entry in Outline View 1. Click View > Outline. 2. In Build mode, click the entry you want to change. 3. Click Edit > Selected Item. The Define ProcessBook Entry dialog appears. 4. In the Level list, click the level at which you want to reposition the entry in the ProcessBook hierarchy of entries. -orType a number between 1 and 10. 5. Click OK.

Copy and Paste an Entry


1. Click on the Build mode pointer and select the entry. 2. Click the Copy button. This copies the selection to the clipboard. 3. If it is not already open, open the ProcessBook where you want to paste the entry. 4. Click the Paste button. This copies the contents of the clipboard to your ProcessBook. A copy of the original entry is created, not a link to the original.

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Open an Existing ProcessBook

Note: If you highlight an entry first, the new entry is placed above the highlighted entry.

Remove an Entry
1. In Build mode, select an entry title in either Book View or Outline View. 2. Press the DELETE key. The entry is removed from the ProcessBook.
Note: If you accidentally delete the wrong entry click Edit > Undo.

Save and Close a ProcessBook


After creating a ProcessBook, it is a good idea to name the file and save it immediately. It is also important to save a ProcessBook periodically while you are working in it. When you save a ProcessBook, all changes to all entries and to the organizational structure are stored permanently. The ProcessBook remains open in your workspace so you can continue working. 1. To save a ProcessBook for the first time, click File > Save or Save As. The Save As dialog appears. 2. Type a name for the ProcessBook file. A .piw extension is automatically added. 3. Select the drive and directory where you want to save it. 4. Click OK.

Open an Existing ProcessBook


1. Click File > Open, or On the standard toolbar, click the Open button. The Open dialog appears. 2. Click the specific ProcessBook file (.piw) you want to open. 3. Click OK.
Note: Depending on the settings in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog, a default ProcessBook may open automatically when you start PI ProcessBook.

PI ProcessBook keeps track of the four most recently opened ProcessBooks or independent display files. Instead of using File > Open, you may select a file name from the bottom of the File menu.

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Work With Multiple ProcessBooks


You can work in multiple ProcessBooks and/or independent display files at the same time.

Use the File menu to create new or open existing ProcessBooks. Use the Windows menu to select the ProcessBook title and switch among them. Click inside a ProcessBook window to make it active. Switch among the open windows by pressing CTRL+F6.

Properties
Summary Information in ProcessBook
Click File > Properties to display the Summary Information dialog for a file. The Summary Information dialog you see is the same for the ProcessBook as a whole or for the individual displays.

The following table describes the fields in the Summary Information dialog:
Field Name Author Description Extracted from the Author field on the General tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog at the time the ProcessBook is first saved.

Note: You can change the Author field in either the Summary Information dialog or the ProcessBook Preferences dialog.
Title Subject Keywords Name of the ProcessBook (extracted from the original creation of the ProcessBook). May be used to explain the title more fully. May be added at any time.

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Properties

Field Name Comments Properties button

Description May be used for any text entry. You can revise this field at any time. Clicking the Properties button displays the PI ProcessBook Properties (page 39) dialog, which gives information about the view currently in the active window.

PI ProcessBook File Properties


1. Click File > Properties to display the Summary Information (page 38) dialog. 2. Click the Properties button. The PI ProcessBook Properties dialog appears.

Note: If you click the Properties button while a display is open, you launch the Display Properties dialog.

The following table describes the fields in the PI ProcessBook Properties dialog:
Field Name Title Created Description Extracted from the Summary Information dialog. Original date and time the ProcessBook was saved.

Note: If the ProcessBook file is moved to another machine, the original date and time will be preserved, however Windows Explorer shows the date and time the file arrived on the present machine.
Created By Extracted from the Author field on the General tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog box. Shows the original author, unless the authors name has been modified in the Summary Information dialog. Most recent revision date and time. Name of the person who saved the ProcessBook most recently. (Extracted from the Author field on the General tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog.) If this field is blank, the PC login name of the author is used. This is useful for tracking who made which revisions.

Last Saved Last Saved By

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Field Name Revision Displays System Commands

Description Number of times the ProcessBook has been revised and saved. Total number of entries in the ProcessBook. Total number of operating system command entries in the ProcessBook.

Modify a ProcessBook Title You can change the name of a ProcessBook at any time. 1. In either Build mode or Run mode, click File > Properties. 2. The Summary Information (page 38) dialog appears. 3. In the Title box, type a new title.
Note: The ProcessBook title is different from the file name established in the New dialog when you created the new ProcessBook. The title bar on the ProcessBook window displays the file name, which ends in .piw, rather than the title.

4. Click OK.

PI ProcessBook Display Properties


1. With a display window selected, click File > Properties to display the Summary Information (page 38) dialog for a display. 2. Click the Properties button. The Display Properties dialog appears.

The following table describes the fields in the Display Properties dialog:

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Import Files to a ProcessBook

Field Name Title Created

Description Extracted from the Summary Information dialog. Original date and time the ProcessBook was saved.

Note: If the ProcessBook file is moved to another machine, the original date and time will be preserved, however Windows Explorer shows the date and time the file arrived on the present machine.
Created By Extracted from the Author field on the General tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog box. Shows the original author, unless the authors name has been modified in the Summary Information dialog. Most recent revision date and time. Name of the person who saved the ProcessBook most recently. (Extracted from the Author field on the General tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog.) If this field is blank, the PC login name of the author is used. This is useful for tracking who made which revisions. Number of times the ProcessBook has been revised and saved. Total number of symbols in the display. Total number of unique PI Points used in the display. The number of display symbols that are dynamic symbols. The number of display symbols that are static symbols. The number of different PI Servers referenced in the display.

Last Saved Last Saved By

Revision Total Symbols Tags Dynamic Symbols Static Symbols Servers Required

Import Files to a ProcessBook


1. To import PIDisDiff or PI-Graphics files into a ProcessBook, start PI ProcessBook. 2. Open a ProcessBook (page 37) into which you want to import the files or create a new ProcessBook. 3. In Build mode, click File > Import. The Import Files dialog appears. 4. Select the file type. 5. Select the drive and directory where the file resides, or Type the path and file name in the File Name box. You can select more than one file at a time. 6. Click the Open button.

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The status bar displays each file as it is imported. When completed, a message displays the number of files successfully imported. If errors occurred during the import process, a message box is displayed at the end of the import process showing the number of errors. You can check the message log from the Status Report icon at the bottom of your display.
Note: Depending on the size, some files may take several minutes to import.

When a trend is successfully imported, a new Text display showing the full file name is added to the ProcessBook. Each trend is added as a subordinate display and retains its original trend name. For graphics, the VAX display name becomes the Display name. Once converted, graphics and trends can be edited like any other display.

File Sharing Capability


Several users may access the same ProcessBook file at the same time. However, if one person makes changes to a particular display entry and saves the changes, then other users are blocked from saving changes in that display. This protects against accidental saving conflicts. If a user has already changed a display, the second user who wishes to make changes to the display receives an error message explaining that someone else has already edited and saved the display. The second user then has two options:

Save the changes under a different ProcessBook name, thus creating two ProcessBooks, -orClose the ProcessBook and reopen it so that the new version of the display is shown. Then make changes and save again.

Open the Summary Information (page 38) dialog to view the name of the person who has made changes and saved the file most recently.

Move a ProcessBook to Another PC


If you decide to move a ProcessBook to another PC, you may experience some differences in display entry appearance on the new PC:

When the number of colors is different between the original PC and new PC, PI ProcessBook uses the closest color when drawing an entry. This is true for any graphics you may have included in an entry. If an entry calls for a font that is not available on the new PC, PI ProcessBook substitutes a similar font. If a ProcessBook includes links to other entries, ProcessBooks, or applications, PI ProcessBook may not be able to locate them if the path on the new PC is not the same as the old one. Node names (for PI Servers) must be identical.

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Move a ProcessBook to Another PC

Different monitors have different resolutions, which may distort the appearance of an existing ProcessBook.

PI ProcessBook records both the absolute and relative paths for Linked displays and Linked ProcessBooks. This means you can copy ProcessBooks to new directories without breaking links as long as either all the linked files are placed in a similar directory tree or all the drive, directory, and file names remain the same.

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Chapter 4

Work with a Display


PI ProcessBook provides tools for manipulating and analyzing the information shown in a display. For example, you can:

Display the point attributes of a tag Change the time range that is used for values, bars, trends, XYPlots, SQC plots, and Multi-State symbols Use a Trend Cursor to see the value of plotted tags at a specific point in time Create an instant trend

Overview of Display Elements


Displays contain a variety of individual items, including static elements, buttons, OLE objects, and dynamic elements.

Static Symbols
Static symbols are symbols that do not automatically change as time passes, such as an image, process diagram, or descriptive text. Static symbols include all items in a display that do not connect to the PI Server or other application to retrieve data, and do not start any application. Text labels and flow lines are examples of static symbols. Other types include rectangles, circles, arcs, and images.

Dynamic Symbols
Dynamic symbols are values, bars, trends, XYPlots, SQC charts, and multi-state symbols (such as a pump image tied to temperature data) that change over time, and are based on the value of a tag in the PI Server. If you wish to see how a dynamic symbol was defined, select it and click the Item Definition button on the Drawing toolbar.

Dynamic symbols may also report data from outside databases through queries. If you rest your mouse on a dynamic symbol, you can see a ToolTip with the current value, tag name, and time stamp. Icons for questionable, substituted, and annotated PI data can also appear on your displays.

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Most point types (page 155) can be used with any dynamic symbol. There are some restrictions on string and timestamp data.

Buttons
Buttons are elements that create a link to other applications, such as a calculator or word processor, or other ProcessBooks or displays. You can also use buttons to execute a script. For example, if you find you work in a particular display and frequently need to update a report with the information you are monitoring, you can add a button that automatically opens a spreadsheet program. You also can use a button to perform common actions using a script, like printing a display, or connect to related displays, ProcessBooks, or Web sites.

OLE Objects
OLE objects include information from outside applications, such as text, spreadsheets, or graphics. This information may be configured to update dynamically. OLE objects may be either linked (page 191) or embedded (page 188) into displays.

Manage Displays and Independent Display Files


Open a Display
Use any of these procedures to open a display from either Book View (page 32) or Outline View (page 34) of a ProcessBook:

Click on the display title, then on the New button to open the selected display in a new window. Click on the display title, then on the Open button to open the display into the last display window you used. If none are open, a display window opens. With the Run Mode pointer, double-click the display. The display opens and appears within an existing window, if possible. Click and drag the display title to an unused area in the application workspace and release the mouse. This opens a new display in addition to already opened displays. If you drag the display on top of an open display, it closes that display while opening the dragged display. To use the keyboard instead of the mouse, use CTRL+F6, to select the ProcessBook, then use the up or down arrow keys to select the display title. Press Enter. If you have more than one display open, it replaces the open display with the new display. Pressing CTRL+N is the same as clicking the New button.

If the display is a Display, Linked Display, or Linked ProcessBook, the display is opened and the contents are displayed on your workspace. If the display is an Operating System Command, the command is executed or the application is started.

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Note: If you click on an Operating System Command more than once in the same session, it may run the application repeatedly. This depends on the application and how it has been set up.

Displays re-open in the same position, size, and shape as when they were last saved.

Open Several Displays at One Time In addition to the procedures for opening a display, you can also open multiple displays simultaneously. Press SHIFT while highlighting the displays you want to open in Outline view. Click the New button at the bottom of the list of displays. Each display or linked display is opened in your workspace.

Manage Multiple Open Displays Just as you can work with multiple ProcessBooks, you can have multiple displays open in the work area. To make a display active, click in the display window or press CTRL+F6 to toggle between open displays. To improve viewing when there are multiple open displays, choose:

Window > CascadeThe titles of all open displays and ProcessBooks appear in a cascaded list down the screen. Window > TileAll open displays and ProcessBooks appear in a tiled view. Window > <display title>The selected display is active.

Open Independent Display Files Independent Display Files use a .pdi extension in the file name. When you double-click on a display file in Windows Explorer, a copy of the PI ProcessBook application installed on your PC opens, just as it would if you double-clicked on a .piw file. The independent display appears inside the application.

Zoom Display Size


Use the Zoom command to change the size of the drawing within a display window. 1. Click View > Zoom 2. Click a percentage, or Type a number in the Custom text box to enlarge or reduce the drawing. The Custom text box displays the current Scale Factor. Typing a number greater than the current Scale Factor enlarges the drawing; typing a number less than the current Scale Factor reduces it. . The Zoom dialog appears.

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3. Select Fit all symbols to resize all the symbols in a display to fit within the window. If you want only specific symbols to fit within the display window, select the symbols, and then select Fit Selected Symbols. The items in the display resize and take up the entire window. OLE objects are not included. 4. Click OK to accept your changes.
Note: You must save the display before closing it for your zoom settings to appear the next time you open it.

To resize the window:

Use the Maximize and Minimize buttons in the upper right hand corner of your display window to adjust your display size. When you maximize a display, all open display windows are maximized. You can also drag the edge or corner of the window to the desired size.
Note: If you have your Preference setting for Preserve Aspect Ratio check box selected, the contents of the display resize as you resize the window. If this option is not enabled, the size of each element in the display does not change as you change the window size.

Use Full Screen Mode


1. Click the Full Screen button on the Full Screen toolbar the display enlarges to fit the screen. . Other toolbars vanish and

2. Click the Full Screen button again to restore your toolbars. A default keyboard shortcut of F11 also toggles between Full Screen and Normal presentations.
Note: You can customize the Full Screen toolbar to contain other buttons to use with a Full Screen display.

Search for a Display


1. Open the ProcessBooks (page 37) you want to search. 2. Click Tools > Display Search & Run. The Display Search dialog appears.

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3. In the Name box, type one or more of the letters of the display name. 4. In the Look in drop-down list, click the location you want to search. -orIn the drop-down list, click Browse, and then locate the appropriate folder. 5. Select the Look in subfolders check box (optional). 6. Click the Search button. 7. The search results are displayed under Results. 8. Under Filename, click the display you want to open and then click OK.

Reduce a Display to an Icon to Save Space


If you find your work area cluttered with many open displays, you can reduce a display to an icon by clicking its Minimize button. Even though the display is minimized, it continues to be updated with information from the PI Server, however the results are not shown until the window is restored. When you want to use the display, double-click the icon.

Save a Display
A display may be saved within a ProcessBook or as an independent file (.pdi). 1. Click File > Save or Save As. 2. From the Save as type drop-down box, select one of the following six formats. The default is .pdi:

.pdiDisplay file. If you select this format your display becomes an independent file that updates under certain circumstances. .svgSVG file for Web use. PI ProcessBook 3.0 or higher only supports version 3.0 or higher of the SVG add-in. See the SVG add-in release notes for more information.
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The last four file types are graphics formats and do not update. If you choose one of the graphic formats, the display in focus is unchanged by the Save-As operation. The display is left open and remains in the same mode (Run or Build).

.jpgJPG-JPEG-JFIF compliant .bmp32-bit Bitmap .wmfWindows Metafile .pngPortable Network Graphics

Display Settings
To edit display properties, click Edit > Display, or double-click the Time Zone setting in the Status bar. The Display Settings dialog appears.

Background ColorThe color applied to the area of the display where there are no symbols. This field uses a color well control to provide color choices. The color selected in this field also becomes the default background color for new displays. Time ZoneThis field determines whether the local computer or PI Server time zone is used for interpreting dates and times for this particular display. ConnectorsThe Enable Connector Attachments check box allows a symbol dragged and dropped on a Connector symbol to be attached to that Connector. Clearing the check box disables this functionality for the Display. Note that even if this feature is disabled for the Display, you can still use the Connectors dialog to attach Symbols to Connectors.

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Enable ScriptingWhen displays have many symbols on them, the performance of PI ProcessBook may be affected. One way to improve the situation is to disable the ability to code the majority of those symbols. In order to disable scripting and improve performance, you can take the following actions:

In the Enable Scripting section, clear the Automatically Enable Scripting check box. This adds new symbols to the display without the overhead of enabling scripting if it isn't needed. If the display already has many enabled symbols on it, click the Disable Scripting for All Symbols... button in the Enable Scripting section. This button removes the scripting capability for all existing symbols to help improve performance.

OKClicking this button accepts the changes made and closes the dialog box. These settings are saved as part of the Display object.

Display Scrolling Properties

Run mode scrollingDetermines the scroll bar behavior of display windows in Run mode. Build mode scrollingDetermines the scroll bar behavior of display windows in Build mode.
On Off Automatic Display contains scroll bars all the time. Scroll bars never appear. Scroll bars appear when needed.

Status Bar Indicators


The following appear on the PI ProcessBook status bar:
Image Name Time Zone (page 50)

Layers (page 66) Troubleshooting Icon (page 145)

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Displays the current default color for symbol line, fill, and background color. Keyboard Numeric Lock is on. Keyboard Scroll Lock is on.

Drawing Tools
PI ProcessBook includes a drawing environment with features that allow you to create symbols and graphics within an entry. You can use the drawing tools to:

Create ellipses, polygons, rectangles, arcs, lines, and polylines Add dynamic elements such as values, bars, and trends Add buttons and graphic files Add ActiveX controls

The Drawing toolbar contains a set of buttons used for creating drawings and the Draw menu contains the corresponding commands. To use the drawing tools, click the appropriate button. When you draw a line or other shape, the tool uses the current formatting attribute (page 54) preferences. Each of these objects is considered a symbol by PI ProcessBook. In Build mode, when you select a symbol by clicking it with your mouse, you see small squares around the bounding rectangle of the symbol. These are called selection handles and allow you to resize the symbol. For arcs, polygons, and polylines, there are also reshaping handles at the intersection of the line segments. Each symbol has a name, reflecting the order in which it was added to the display, such as Rectangle1, Rectangle2, etc. In Build mode (or VBA Design mode), an identifying ToolTip (page 58) appears whenever your mouse hovers over a symbol.
Note: If you are drawing multiple objects, press the CTRL key while selecting the drawing tool. This lets you continue to work with that tool until you select a different tool.

Organizing Symbols
PI ProcessBook provides several tools to help you organize your drawings. These tools include a drawing grid, flip and rotate capabilities, and the ability to change the order in

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Drawing Tools

which objects overlap each other. You can move and resize drawing objects. You can also divide a display into layers so that you can segregate various elements. For example, you might separate HVAC elements from Electrical elements in a display. Any of these functions can be performed on a single screen element or group of them. For information on grouping objects, see Grouping Symbols (page 136). Make sure you have selected the item or items with the Build Mode pointer. OLE objects behave somewhat differently; their behavior is discussed under Commands that Ignore OLE Objects (page 197).

Drawing Area
The drawing area of a display is actually much larger than your monitor. There are scroll bars on the display window for moving around this area. You should plan to set a few options before you begin drawing:

Consider turning on snap-to grid and setting the grid size, font style, and default colors of lines, backgrounds, and fills before you begin. It is usually easier to work with a grid when laying out a display. Symbols in your drawing automatically align themselves with the grid lines or the intersections of grid lines. Grid lines not only make it easier to place objects in the drawing, but it helps keep the objects proportional. You can start with one grid size and then modify it as your work gets more detailed. Select a font and font size for any values, trends, or text boxes you might add to the drawing. Select colors for lines, fills, and backgrounds that are easy on the eyes. For example, if you are projecting on a large video screen, a black background with colored lines is better, but if you are printing, a white background is better.

While you are drawing, you can use the zoom feature to zoom in on an area that requires more attention. Zoom out if the drawing is larger than your monitor.

Drawing Grid
The grid is a system of vertical and horizontal lines spaced at regular intervals on the drawing area. Dots are placed at the intersection of the grid lines. The grid helps you align drawing objects. When you move an object to a location on the drawing area, the corners or edges of the object are aligned with the closest grid intersection. This is called snap-to-grid or grid snap. When you turn off grid snap, you can move an object to any location within the drawing area. You determine the interval at which you want the grid lines to be spaced by setting the grid size.

Set Grid Size and Grid Snap 1. In Build mode, open a display.

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2. On the Arrange menu, click Grid Size. 3. The Grid Size dialog appears. 4. In the Lines per Screen Unit box, type or select the number of grid lines per unit of drawing space.
Note: The size of a unit as displayed on your monitor varies according to the monitor's resolution and driver software.

5. Select the Snap to Grid check box. Once grid snap is on, any symbols you draw are automatically aligned to the grid.
Note: The Snap to Grid command also appears on the Arrange menu.

6. Click OK.

Formatting
Each symbol you draw and place on a display has attributes that determine how the symbol looks. The fill and line attributes that are currently selected on the Display Window (page 17) tab of the ProcessBook Preference dialog are applied to any new drawing symbol. You may configure these attributes for individual symbols or for all selected symbols as a group. The Symbol Formatting toolbar contains buttons for formatting fonts, colors, and line styles. PI ProcessBook also includes the older Formatting toolbar to support backwards compatibility

Editable Formatting Attributes


The following table shows the editable attributes for each symbol.
Colors Line Line Rectangle Text Ellipse Arc Value Polygon Polyline X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Fill Background Line Styles Style X X Weight X X Ends X

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Formatting

Bar Trend XYPlot SQC

X X X X

X X X X

X X X X X X X

Set Font
To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose font you want to change. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click a name in the Font box.

Note: When choosing fonts, plan to use fonts that other PI ProcessBook users are likely to have. If another user does not have the fonts you used, PI ProcessBook attempts to match the font to an existing font. However, the match may make it difficult for another user to read the entry.

3. Type or click a point size in the Font Size box.

Set Line Color


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose line color you want to change. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Line Color button .

Depending on the symbol type, the following elements change to the color displayed on the button.

Symbols that display text use the line color to determine the color of the text within the symbol Symbols that have lines (such as ellipses) use the line color to change lines in the symbol

3. Click the arrow on the right side of the Line Color button to display the color palette. Choose from the 16 colors available or click on one of these two buttons:

Custom ColorLaunches the Color dialog where you can choose additional colors from a color well of options NoneDisables line color. Setting the line color to None for Pen elements on a trend hides the trace and its associated markers

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Set Fill Color


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose fill color you want to change. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Fill Color button of the selected symbol(s) changes. . The interior color

Note: The Fill Color button is disabled if the selected symbol does not support this property.

3. Click the arrow on the right side of the Fill Color button to display the color palette. Choose from the 16 colors available or click on one of these two buttons:

Custom ColorLaunches the Color dialog where you can choose additional colors from a color well of options NoneDisables fill color. Setting the fill color to None shows the display background color.

Set Background Color


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose background color you want to change. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Background Color button background of the selected symbol changes.
Note: The Background Color button is disabled if the selected symbol does not support that property.

. The

3. Click the arrow on the right side of the Background Color button to display the color palette. Choose from the 16 colors available or click on one of these two buttons:

Custom ColorLaunches the Color dialog where you can choose additional colors from a color well of options NoneDisables background color. Setting the background color to None shows the display background color.

Set Line Weight


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes.

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Formatting

1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose line weight you want to change. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Line Weight button weight options appears below the button. . A list of six line

3. Select a line weight. The thickness of the selected symbol's line weight changes.

Set Line Style


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose line style you want to change. . A list of six line 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Line Style button style options appears below the button. Options include solid, dash, dot, dash-dot, dashdot-dot, and none. Selecting None for a trend Pen element hides the trace line, but not the marker. 3. Select a line option. The symbol's line pattern changes.

Set Line Ends


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose line ends you want to change. . A list of four line 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Line Ends button ends options appears below the button. These options determine whether arrows appear at the end of lines. 3. Select a line ends option. The selected symbol's line pattern changes.

Set Formatting Paintbrush


To determine what type of formatting is applicable for each symbol, refer to the table of editable formatting attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display, and click the symbol(s) whose font, color, or line formatting you want to replicate. 2. On the Symbol Formatting toolbar, click the Formatting Paintbrush button .

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Note: Double clicking the Formatting Paintbrush button allows you to apply formatting to more than one symbol. To turn off the Formatting Paintbrush selection, click the button again or press ESC.

3. Click another symbol. The formatting of the first symbol is copied to the selected symbol(s).

ToolTip Statistics
In Run mode, hover your mouse over a point on a dynamic symbol to display a ToolTip with summary statistics. Engineering units are shown next to the value followed by the timestamp paired with the value. If you hover your mouse over a point where there is more than one trace, each trace's data is shown on a separate line. Click Tools > ToolTip Statistics to launch the ToolTip Statistics dialog, where you can select what type of data you want to see when viewing ToolTips.

Note: The options under Summary Statistics to Show do not affect ToolTips for XYPlots.

ToolTip Statistics are shown for any dynamic symbol that has PI data. The effective time range of the display is used to aggregate the data for these statistics.

Time Range and Playback Toolbar


The Time Range and Playback Toolbar allows you to play, pause, loop, and manually scroll a display through a pre-set time period. You can move backwards and forwards in time, alter the display range duration, and revert to the original symbol definitions. Playing back a display can be useful for showing the conditions of various systems and analyzing conditions leading up to a specific time frame or event.

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Time Range and Playback Toolbar

The Time Range and Playback Toolbar is enabled for the active display and disabled if there is no active display. You can right-click anywhere in the PI ProcessBook toolbar area and show or hide the toolbar from the context menu.

The toolbar contains a time tracker that shows the display range, the scroll period that shows the start and end time for the entire playback session, and the following controls: Revert Click the Revert button to restore all the active displays to their configured time ranges.

This button is available only when the display is not in playback mode. Back or Forward One Time Period to Click the One Time Period Backwards or One Time Period Forwards adjust the display range (page 62) back or forward one time period for the active display or all active displays, if synchronized. When you use these buttons to move beyond the start or end time of the scroll period, the scroll period expands to contain the display range. These buttons are available only when playback is not active. Time Tracker The time tracker shows the Display range (page 62) and available Scroll period (page 62).

Go to Current Time Click the Go to Current Time button the current time (*). to move the display range so that its end time is

This action does not change the dimensions of the display range. This button is available only when the display is not in playback mode. Change the Display Range or double-click the display range to open the Click the Change Display Range button Change Display Range dialog box (page 63). Synchronize to enable synchronization when one or more PI Click the Synchronize button ProcessBook displays are open. When synchronization is enabled, time-related actions that you perform through the Time Range and Playback toolbar affect every display that is
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currently open and every new display that you open. Synchronization is disabled by default. Once on, synchronization remains enabled even if you close all displays. Time range actions that you make from the PI ProcessBook Time Range toolbar or a button on the standard toolbar are not synchronized. Only symbols that are already on the active display are synchronized. Symbols that you add to the display are not synchronized until the next time the display range changes. Synchronization is temporarily suspended during playback. The displays are resynchronized when playback is paused or stopped. Repeat Click the Repeat button scroll period (page 62). End Playback Click the Stop button to end playback. to make the playback repeat each time it reaches the end of the

This action resets the position of the Time Tracker to the far left and changes the Pause/Play icon to Play. Pause/Play The Pause/Play button drives the playback feature.

The Play button changes to the pause icon when a display is in playback mode. When playback is paused, the button shows the play button.
Note: The playback rate is reduced if PI ProcessBook cannot retrieve display data quickly enough to keep up with the desired playback speed. When this occurs an information icon appears on the right side of the time tracker.

Fast Forward to accelerate the rate of play back. Each successive click Click the Fast Forward button of Fast Forward doubles the rate at which the display plays back. The first click doubles playback speed, then advances to 4x, 8x, 16x, and 32x the playback speed. An additional click returns the playback to the default playback speed. Click Play to resume normal speed playback. The playback continues from the current position rather than starting from the beginning. Options Click the Options button to open the Calendar Hover at either end of the scroll period to see the Calendar icon. Scroll Options (page 61) dialog box.

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Click the scroll range while the calendar icon is displayed to open a calendar to set that end of the scroll period. The calendar accepts any time string format supported by PI and returns dates and times using Windows time configured with the current regional settings of the client computer.

Scroll Options
Use the Scroll Options dialog box to set the default behavior settings for the Time Range and Playback Toolbar. These defaults apply to the active display or all displays, if synchronization is on. The defaults are retained when PI ProcessBook is closed and reopened on a per user basis.

The following settings are controlled through this window:


Display Range (page 62)use any accepted PI Time (page 148) input parameter to set the length of the display range. Scroll Period (page 62)use the spin box or calendar controls to select start and end dates and times. Refresh Rateselect the number of seconds between updates of the display that is being played. Speedselect the rate at which the display plays back. The speed is expressed in units per second. Speed can be expressed as milliseconds, seconds, minutes, hours, days, and months, and must be smaller than the display range.

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Scroll Period
The scroll period marks the earliest and latest time for which you can manipulate or playback a display.

Scroll Period Constraints The scroll period must be larger than the display range (page 62). The scroll period end time must be after the scroll period start time. An error icon appears to the far right of the time tracker if you violate either of these conditions.

Scroll Period Time Format The displayed time format of the scroll period depends on its duration. If the scroll period is less than 24 hours, then the start and end time is shown in hours and minutes. If the scroll time is 24 hours or more, then the start and end time is shown as a date. The time zone of PI ProcessBook determines whether the time is shown in the client time zone or the server time zone.

Change the Scroll Period There are several ways to change the scroll period:

Hover the mouse next to the left or right arrow of the scroll period to change the mouse icon to a calendar icon. Click the icon to open the calendar where you can modify the dates. Click the Scroll Options button to launch the Scroll Options (page 61) dialog box.

Display Range
The display range represents the time duration shown on the trend symbols, or for a bar or value, the end time of the display range is the symbol time. The display range must be shorter than the scroll period (page 62).

Change the Display Range There are several ways to change the display range:

Click the Change Display Range button or double-click the display range to open the Change Display Range dialog box (page 63). Double-click anywhere in the display range to open the Change Display Range (page 63) dialog box.

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Time Range and Playback Toolbar

Click and drag one of the display range thumbs. Click the display range and rotate the mouse wheel. Click the Playback Options button box. to launch the Scroll Options (page 61) dialog

Click the display range and use the up and down arrow keys to change the size of the display range.

Note: A display must be reverted to re-establish any build time configuration time ranges for individual symbols.

Change Display Range Dialog Use the Change Display Range dialog box to specify the display range.

Rules for time settings:


The start and end time boxes support all time string formats recognized by PI. You can edit the times manually. The dynamic time strings, such as *-1h, that you set are added to the drop-down list. . Static time strings, such as 1-Jan-2009, are not added to the list. Each drop down list saves the ten most recently used values. Settings are stored per user.

This button is available only when playback is not active.

Move the Display Range During Playback The location of the display range on the scroll bar tracks the time of the playback on the display. The display range always advances from left to right from its initial start position while playing. There are several ways to move the display range while you play back a display:

Use the Time Tracker arrow keys to move the display range current position. Click the scroll bar on either side of the display range to move the display range to the position where you click.

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Click anywhere in the display range and use the left and right arrow keys to move the display range back and forward across the scroll period.

Time Range Toolbar

The Time Range toolbar is used for working with dynamic symbols. This toolbar is hidden by default for new installations of PI ProcessBook 2012 and later.
Note: We recommend you use the Time Range and Playback Toolbar (page 58) to manage time in a display.

In general, the commands on this toolbar affect only the symbols selected on the display. If no symbols are selected, all symbols are affected. This toolbar, which must be used in Run mode, contains three buttons:

Revert (page 64)returns the trend or other dynamic symbol to its original setting.

Change Time Range (page 64)opens a dialog to set new, temporary start and end times. For Bars, Values, and Multi-State symbols you can only set an end time.

Scroll Bar (page 65)scrolls through time values.

Revert Time Range

To discard any of the changes you have made to the time range of a trend or the effective time of a Bar, Value, or Multi-State symbol and return it to its saved setting: In Run mode, click View > Revert, or Click the Revert button.

Change the Time Range

The Time Range command lets you enter new starting and ending times for dynamic symbols. When you specify a time range for a single-time dynamic element, such as a MultiState symbol, bar or value, only the end time is used.
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Time Range Toolbar

Note: The time represented on your display is the time relative to the PI Server, unless you have selected the client time zone setting for your display. If the PI Server to which you are connected is in a different time zone, time on your display represents the server time zone, not the local one.

1. In Run mode, select the dynamic symbol or symbols for which you want to change the time range. If no symbols are selected, the time range change affects all dynamic symbols on the display. 2. Click the Time Range button on the Time Range toolbar, or Click View > Time Range. The Change Time Range dialog opens, allowing you to change the time span for a trend or plot, or the effective time for a bar, value, or Multi-State symbol.

3. Select new starting and ending times from the drop-down lists or define your own starting and ending times. Time ranges can be relative, absolute, or combined. 4. Click OK. The selected elements change to reflect the new time range.

Use the Scrolling Time Range

1. In Run mode, select the dynamic symbol or symbols for which you want to change the time range. If no symbols are selected, the time range change affects all dynamic symbols in the display. 2. On the Time Range toolbar, click the forward or backward Scroll Time button, or Click and drag the Scroll Time slider, or Click the space on either side of the Scroll Time slider to increment or decrement by a time span. If the slider is dragged, a ToolTip is updated with the end time that is applied when you release the mouse button. 3. Release the mouse button. Selected symbols are refreshed with the new time range.
Note: You can scroll the time for all items in a display or selected items. If no trend is included in the selected items, the scroll buttons are disabled.

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Time Forward and Back

Use the time backward and forward buttons to scroll the time range forward or backward. To do this: 1. Click on the desired symbols with the Run Mode pointer. 2. Click the Time Forward or Time Backward button. Trends scroll by the time range specified in the trend definition. When you select multiple trends, each trend maintains its time range as it is scrolled. If you select a trend and a dynamic element such as a value, the non-trend symbol scrolls by the time range specified in the first trend's definition. For example, if the trend displays data from 1:00 to 4:00 (three hours) and the value has a timestamp of 5:00, scrolling backward shows trend data from 10:00 to 1:00. The value's timestamp also changes by three hours (2:00).

Set Time Range for Future Trends


To set trends with an end date in the future, enter an end time of the present (*) plus an amount of time, such as 4 hours or 8 days. These trends update if they are less than the maximum update time range limit. The default update time range limit is 7 days, but you can change that setting in the procbook.ini (page 211) file. A trend can also be scrolled into the future using the time range buttons, but then it does not update.

Layers within Displays


You can divide a display into layers containing one or more symbols. This feature could be useful in building a complex display with several systems depicted (electrical, HVAC, etc.). If you separate systems by layer, you can view any one of the layers by making the other layers invisible. Before creating a display you should determine how you might implement layers. When a display has no layers, all new symbols are added to the base layer of the display, thus removing the control afforded by using a layers-based strategy.

A layer can be Visible or Invisible in Run mode. Layers are always Visible in Build mode. You can move symbols between layers or remove them from a layer. Add, make visible, restack, and lock layers while ProcessBook is in either Run mode or Build mode. Delete layers only when ProcessBook is in Build mode.

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Create Layers
1. Open a display. 2. Click the Layers toolbar button , or

Double-click the Layers icon in the Status Bar, or Click View > Layers. The Layers dialog appears.

3. Click the New Layer button to open the New Layer dialog. A default name comprised of the word Layer prefixed to the layer number appears. The layer number does not necessarily match the index number; it is simply the next unused integer in the list.

A new layer is added to the end of the collection. Its index is one higher than the previous high index number. All symbols added to this layer are displayed over symbols on lower indexed layers. 4. Click OK to return to the Layers dialog.

Indexspecifies the index number of the layer. The index is used in determining the display order (Z Order) of overlapping symbols. A layer with a lower index number is lower in the stack than one with a higher number. Higher layers may obscure symbols in lower levels.

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Countthis is a read-only value that contains the number of symbols on a layer. A composite symbol is counted once and each of its subordinate individual symbols is also counted. Up/down arrowsbuttons at the right side of the dialog box are used to move the relative position of one layer to another within a display. As a layer is moved down the list, its index number becomes larger, and vice versa. Symbols on layers with higher index numbers may hide or cover symbols with lower-index numbers. Locked layers cannot be reordered. Visiblemakes the elements in the layer visible in Run mode. New layers are visible by default. Activeaccepts all new symbols as you add them to the display. Inactive prevents symbols from being added automatically. New layers are Active by default. Lockedprevents you from adding symbols to a layer. Existing symbols on locked layers cannot be cut, copied, pasted, deleted, or moved. New layers are not locked by default.

5. Select the appropriate check boxes:


6. Repeat steps 3-5 as needed. Click OK to accept changes and close the Layers dialog.

Assign Symbols to Layers


If you have at least one layer in a display, you can assign symbols to it. 1. Select a symbol, right-click, and select Assign Layers. The Assign Layers dialog appears and displays all of your existing layers.

2. Select or clear the checkbox next to a layer name to add or remove the selected symbol from a layer. If a layer name is grayed out, the layer is locked and you cannot add or remove symbols. You may add the same symbol to more than one layer. 3. Click OK.

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Layers and Composite Symbols


To link symbols and create composite symbols click Arrange > Group, or click the Group button grouped.

on the Layout toolbar. The symbols may be on different layers when they are

Assign a composite symbol to any layer(s) regardless of its component symbols. You can not group symbols on locked layers into a composite symbol, but the layers may be locked after the symbols are grouped. You can not delete a composite symbol that contains symbols on locked layers, however, you can delete an unlocked layer. Normally, a symbol existing only on one layer is deleted if the layer is deleted, but when the symbol is inside a composite symbol it is not deleted. It stays in the composite symbol. If a composite symbol is hidden, all its parts are hidden. If the composite symbol is visible its individual parts may still be hidden if the layers they are assigned to are hidden. Since you can not individually select the parts of a composite symbol you must first use the Ungroup button individually. to separate them in order to change their layer assignments

Active Layers Status Bar


The Layers icon on the Status Bar shows whether or not the display has more than one layer. This icon appears in the status bar at the bottom of your application, indicating one or more layers in the display currently in focus. Double-clicking the icon displays the Layers dialog. If no layers have been defined, the icon appears with a slash through it. Hovering the mouse over the icon displays a ToolTip with the names of any active layers, beginning with the top layer.

Active Layers Status Bar Area (with ToolTip)

Migrating Displays to Another PI Server


When you want to use an existing tag with a different PI Server, PI ProcessBook attempts to locate the correct tags. Each ProcessBook saves the tag information for all of the symbols it contains. Beginning with PI SDK 1.3.6, when you use a PI ProcessBook symbol with a PI Server other than the one for which it was created, the PI Server is added automatically if it is discoverable on the network.
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If the PI Server is not discoverable, then PI ProcessBook prompts you to select a new PI Server. Once the new PI Server is selected, PI ProcessBook searches the database for a matching tag ID.

If a match is found, PI ProcessBook retrieves the tag name associated with the tag ID and compares the tag name with the saved tag name. If the tag names are the same, the value is shown in the entry. If the tag names are different, PI ProcessBook searches the database for the tag ID of the saved tag name. If a match is found, the value is shown in the entry. If a match is not found, PI ProcessBook uses the tag ID saved with the ProcessBook regardless of the different tag names. If no tag ID or tag name is found in the database, PI ProcessBook displays a message informing you of the missing tag.

This behavior is governed by the value of PB2TagResolution, located in the procbook.ini (page 211) file's Data Manager section. PB2TagResolution can take the following values:

0[default] the Point ID is used to match a missing tag before the stored point name 1uses the tag name before checking Point ID. This mimics behavior of older version of PI ProcessBook that are based on the PI API.

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Chapter 5

Visualize Data with Symbols


Symbols are the building blocks of a PI ProcessBook display.

Dynamic symbols allow you to view live data in your display. These symbols are updated in real time as PI ProcessBook receives updates from your PI Server.
Note:The maximum number of dynamic symbols per display is 278,343.

Chapter

Static symbols allow you to embed graphics, text, lines, and other images in a display.

Trends

A trend is a dynamic symbol that lets you view values plotted against time. Trends can show the value of one or more data items over a time period. Trends are typically used to display time series data, though they may also include non-time series data as well. Some components of trends include:

TracesLines drawn on a trend to represent a series of data points from a data item. PensFormatting components used to determine the presentation of data lines (traces) on trends. Plot TitleThe title of the trend being configured. The plot title can be blank, but a title is supplied by default. Grid linesUsed to mark intervals along the time and value scales.

If the Plot Time continues through the current time, the trend updates as information changes, unless the length of the overall time period exceeds the limit set by your System Administrator. The default limit is 7 days. This value is configurable.

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Create a Trend
1. Open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Trend button Click Draw > Trend. The mouse pointer changes to the Trend pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the trend and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the trend will be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Define Trend (page 75) dialog appears. , or

4. In the Plot box, type a name. 5. (Optional) Click the New Plot button if you want to build a trend with multiple plots (page 74). 6. In the Tags in Plot box, type the name of the tag, or Click the Tag Search button to locate a tag, or Click the Tag Search arrow to see more search options:

Tag Search (page 151) PI Calculation (page 161) (data set) ODBC (page 164) (data set) AF2 (page 174) - launches the Select AF Attribute dialog box, from which you can search an AF database for elements and attributes. Element Relative - launches the Element Search dialog box from which you can search an AF database for elements.

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Your selections for tags, data sets, or attributes appear under Tags in Plot. 7. If you manually enter tag names, select the appropriate PI Server from the Server dropdown list. Normally, the default PI Server is listed. 8. You can rearrange, add to, or delete the selected tags by clicking one of the buttons above the Tags in Plot box. 9. If you have an ODBC dataset column with a PI Tag placeholder or a PI Summary dataset column selected for the plot, the Custom Placeholder button is enabled. Click the button to change the PI Tag used as the placeholder for the selected trace.
Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

10. Under Scale, select Single Scale or, if you have more than one trace, you may select Multiple Scales. The multiple scales option shows a value range for each trace. There is only one time scale. 11. Consider checking the following check boxes:

Logarithmicto display the data in a logarithmic scale. If you have multiple scales, you may set this option differently for each trace. This option is disabled for digital tags.

Note: You may use logarithmic and non-logarithmic scales for traces in the same trend when you select the Multiple Scales option. In this case, the minor grid lines associated with a logarithmic plot may confuse the plot. You can turn off the minor grid lines by setting the vertical minor grid color or line style to none.

Regression Linedetermines whether a regression line is drawn for a selected trace.

12. In the Max and Min drop-down lists, select Autorange or Database or enter the values to determine the value scale range. Min Settings:

AutorangeThe trend displays with the value scale starting at the closest available major axis. If the minimum is Autorange and the maximum is not, the scale starts at the lowest data value in the trace (not on a major axis) and ends on the closest major axis. DatabaseThe tag's Zero attribute is used to specify the minimum plot value. This value can be negative is the value of the tag is negative. 0 (absolute value)The value you type is used as the first value on the value scale. AutorangeThe trend displays with the value scale ending at the closest available major axis. If the maximum is Autorange and the minimum is not, the plot starts on
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Max Settings:

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the minimum value and ends on the largest trace value (neither min nor max will be on a major axis). DatabaseThe tag's Zero + Span attributes are used to specify the maximum plot value. 0 (absolute value)The value you type is used as the value scale maximum.

13. From the Format drop-down list, select the number format for the scale. Database is the default format. This number format is also applied to legend, cursor, and ToolTip numbers.

DatabaseDatabase format uses the displaydigits PI Point attribute to determine how many decimal places to show. If the length of the number exceeds the displaydigits value, scientific notation is used. PI ProcessBook trims trailing zeroes that follow a decimal point. The Database format option is intended for use with PI Tags only. GeneralShows all significant digits for a number except trailing zeros. If the absolute value of the value is greater than 1e+7 or less than 1e-5, the format will switch to use scientific notation. ScientificMost useful with very large numbers. The scientific format used for trends displays in the format: 0.00E+00. Custom (#,##0.00, 0%)Allows you to enter your own number format. See the Table of Format Values for examples.

14. Under Plot Time, from the Start and End drop-down lists, select a time. An asterisk (*) represents the current time. You can also manually enter a valid PI Time (page 148) string. 15. In the Style drop-down list, select Full time stamp, Partial time stamp, or Relative time stamp to indicate how time is displayed on the time axis. 16. Click OK.
Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

Build a Trend with Multiple Plots For new trend symbols, you can add multiple plots at the same time so that many trends are created, configured and placed on the display without dragging additional symbols on the display. Once the plots are created they are no longer associated in any way and are configured, moved, and sized individually. 1. Follow the steps to create a trend (page 72).

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2. To create additional plots, click the New Plot button and select tags. Repeat as necessary. To view the tags you have selected, you can select each plot name in the Plot box. 3. To adjust the arrangement matrix for the plots you are creating, click the Layout tab (page 78).
Note: These matrix options are available only when you create the trend and cannot be edited later. However, you can revise the traces and other trend properties on each plot individually.

Move a Plot If you have created more than one plot in the trend, you can move each plot separately. In Build mode simply click the plot you want to move. Selection handles appear around the plot. Use these handles to drag the plot to its new location.

Delete a Plot within a Trend 1. In the Define Trend dialog, click the General tab. 2. In the Plot drop-down list, select the plot you want to delete, and then click the Delete Plot button. This button is only available while the symbol is being created.
Note: Once you have drawn a trend, and you want to delete a plot, you can select the plot and then press DELETE.

Edit a Trend
Use the Define Trend (page 75) dialog to edit an existing trend. To launch this dialog do one of the following:

In Build mode, double click a trend Select a trend and click the Item Definition toolbar button Select a trend and click Edit > Selected Item

Define Trend Dialog


In the Define Trend dialog, you can specify tags; the colors and line styles for traces, legends, and backgrounds; and how much tag information is displayed with a trend. Use the Symbol Formatting (page 54) toolbar to make color or line formatting or font changes. Trends are formatted according to certain defaults. Using the Trend Preference settings (page 18), you can create your own default format for new trends. You can set options like line colors, background, and marker shapes, and you can set the types of point information included with a trend.

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The Define Trend dialog has a General tab where you create a trend (page 72), and the following additional tabs for formatting and layout:

Display Formatoptions for the elements to be included in the trend. Trace Formatprovides an alternate way to choose colors and line styles for each trace (plot line) as well as the axes, background, and text. Layoutoptions determine the arrangement of rows and columns for multiple plot trends. This tab only appears when you first create a trend symbol.

Display Format Tab

Legend group boxcheck or uncheck options for displaying the tag name, server name, description, value, and engineering units. Your choices are reflected in the sample trend at the bottom of the dialog. The information that can fit in the legend is determined by the size of the trend. Consequently, not all of the information in the legend may be visible.

If the width of the legend is more than 50 percent of the width of the trend, the legend does not display. If the length of the text in the legend is longer than the total height of the trend, the items on the bottom are not shown.

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Display group boxcheck or uncheck the following options. The sample trend reflects the changes you make.

Plot Title Vertical Scale Inside AxisDraws the value scale inside the plot area GridsShows grid lines (page 83) on the trend MarkersWhen checked, markers indicate data points on the trend. If the Markers box is not selected, three markers appear on each line to help you match a line to a tag.

Trend orientationchoose from the three radio button options at the top of the dialog: End Time at right (horizontal), End Time at top (vertical), or End Time at bottom (vertical). This feature allows you to orient your trend in a horizontal or vertical direction.

Trace Format Tab Use the buttons on the Symbol Formatting (page 54) toolbar to configure plot elements such as pens (traces (page 86)), text, and background. The Trace Format tab gives you an alternate way to update formatting changes.

Plot Element drop-down boxselect from a list of available traces and other plot elements. Element Format group boxselect formatting options for the selected plot element. Your choices are reflected in the sample trend at the bottom of the dialog.
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Layout Tab The plot arrangement in a multi-plot trend is established by setting up the number of rows and columns of plots in the Layout tab.
Note: The Layout tab only appears when you initially create a trend (page 72). Once the layout is set, you cannot revise it because the plots are no longer associated when the symbol is created. However, individual plots can be moved on the display in Build mode.

To revise the proposed plot arrangement matrix: Under Plot Arrangement, select the number of rows and columns you want. The following example shows four plots, to be arranged in 2 rows of 2 columns each. Tab past the matrix to see the sample of your new selection display in the Preview area.

Configure Trend Scale


The Trend Scale dialog provides easy access to the value scale settings for each tag in a trend, SQC chart or XYPlot. If the plot uses a data set, only the Autorange and Absolute options are available for the Maximum and Minimum scale settings.

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1. In Run mode, double-click the plot's value scale to open the Trend Scale dialog.
Note: In PI ProcessBook you can also click View > Trend Scale. This menu object is not available in PI ActiveView.

2. Select the Single Scale or Multiple Scales radio button. 3. If you are using multiple scales, then select the tag for which to set the scale options from the Tags drop-down list. 4. Select Autorange, Database, or Absolute options for the Maximum and Minimum values of the scale.

Autorange: sets the value scale using the minimum and maximum tag values between the trend start time and end time. Database: sets the value scale using the tag attribute values in the Point Database. Zero is the minimum. Zero + Span is the maximum. See the PI Server Reference Guide for more information on tag attributes. Absolute: allows you to enter a custom value for the value scale of a tag. Enter the value in the adjacent box.

5. If you have selected the Absolute option, then type in the Maximum and Minimum values of the scale in the adjacent boxes. 6. Click OK. Modifications made to a trend through use of this dialog do not affect the stored settings of the trend.
Note: To return the trend scale to its original settings, click Revert on the context menu.

Trend Analysis Tools


PI ProcessBook provides a number of tools for analyzing or monitoring the data in a trend, SQC chart, or XYPlot.
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Trend Zoom (page 80)lets you use the mouse to drag a box around the data you would like to see more detail. Trend Expand (page 80)temporarily expands a trend symbol so that it occupies the entire display window. Trend Cursor (page 81)shows the value of the plotted tags at a specific point in time.

Drag Zoom Drag Zoom lets you contract the time scale of a trend. 1. With the Run mode pointer, click an area in the trend at which you want a closer look. 2. Drag the pointer diagonally to create a rectangle. 3. When you release the mouse, the trend displays the data within the rectangle.

Trend Zoom 2x In or Out

Use the Zoom In or Out button at the bottom of a trend to reduce or expand the time range of that trend by a factor of 2. In other words, if your time range is 8 hours, Trend Zoom 2x In divides the time range by 2 and displays the trend for a 4 hour time period. Trend Zoom 2x Out multiplies the time range by 2 and displays the trend for a 16 hour time period. You can remove changes to the time range by clicking the Revert button .

Note: If a trend is too small these buttons may not appear. Double-click a trend to expand its size and display hidden buttons.

If there are no trend cursors, the Trend Zoom 2x command zooms in or out of the last portion of the time period. For example, if the initial time range is 60 minutes and you select Trend Zoom 2x In, the trend displays the last 30 minutes. Trend Zoom 2x Out displays 120 minutes adding 60 minutes to the beginning of the trend. When a trend cursor is displayed, the command uses the trend cursor as the center of the zoomed trend. If several cursors are used, the last one set is used as the center of the zoomed trend. See Trend Cursor (page 81), for more information on trend cursors.

Expand a Trend Double-click a trend in Run mode to redraw the trend so that it occupies the entire display window. Double-click again to reduce the trend to its original size. While the trend is expanded, the Drawing toolbar is disabled. If you switch to another display, the Drawing toolbar will work there. All descriptive information (title, tag descriptor, tag value) is shown on an expanded trend.

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Trend Cursor

A trend cursor lets you read tag values for a particular time. When you select a trend cursor, a vertical line indicates the cursor position. The box at the top of the line indicates the value and status. The box at the bottom displays the time and date of the value. On verticallyoriented trends the cursor is horizontally oriented. You may display several trend cursors at one time.
Note: A trend does not update while trend cursors are visible.

If the trend is too small, the Trend Cursor command is disabled and the mouse pointer does not change when you move over the left axis. You can expand the trend by double-clicking it. Trend cursors may be automated. Add a Trend Cursor 1. Notice whether the time scale appears at the bottom and the timestamp appears at the upper right. If not, the trend rectangle may be too small to use Trend Cursor. Enlarge the trend. If the time stamp does not appear, reformat the display format to show it. 2. With the Run mode pointer, click the Trend Cursor button . A cursor appears at the right edge of the trend. When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow over the trend cursor, click the vertical line and drag left to position the trend cursor, or Click View > Trend Cursor. An indented icon in front of the command indicates that trend cursors are on. 3. Move the mouse pointer over the left axis of the trend. The pointer changes to a trend cursor symbol. As you drag to the right, a new trend cursor is added to the trend 4. Move the trend cursor back and forth across the trend by dragging it. As you move it, the time stamp, status, and value appear in a box at the top right of the trend. 5. When you release the cursor, the values appear in boxes at the top and bottom of the cursor. You can add additional cursors by grabbing the trend cursor icon at the left axis. Remove a Trend Cursor Click the Trend Cursor button -orClick View > Trend Cursor, -orRevert the trend. ,

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Note: To remove one trend cursor but not all of them, click the trend cursor and drag it to the left or right until it moves off of the trend.

Change Time Range

Scroll time ranges directly on a trend by using the Step Forward or Backward buttons on the time scale. These time changes are not saved with the symbol.

Use the Revert button configured settings.

, located next to the time scale, to return the trend to its

Note: If the trend is too small these buttons may not appear. Expand the trend's size to display hidden buttons.

You can also use buttons on the Time Range (page 64) toolbar to modify time configurations settings.

How Trends Refresh


If the end time of the trend is current (*) or future (for example, *+1h), and trend cursors are off, then the trend updates whenever information is sent from the machine instrumentation to the PI Server at a configurable update rate (5 seconds by default). A dashed line on the plot time grid of the trend indicates the current time and that the plot is updating. If the information has not changed at the instrumentation sensor, the trend shows a flat line from the last update to the current time (the dotted line). You can force a refresh by clicking the Revert button.
Note: If desired, a PI System Manager can change the seven-day updating time range limit to another interval on your computer.

PI ProcessBook uses an algorithm to identify the peaks and valleys of data values so that no information is lost when the trend time range is large. It ensures that the plot is not under- or over-sampled and that the correct amount of information is sent from the PI Archive. Unlike data from a PI Server, data from an ODBC data set refreshes according to a configured refresh rate.

Trend Appearance
A trend appears according to the format established in the Preference settings (page 18). You may override this format by selecting the Trend Formatting (page 76) button .

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Typically, the title of the trend appears at the upper left, and the current timestamp appears at the upper right. The selected tag names, current or end value, and engineering units appear in the legend opposite the value scale.

Grid Lines and Labels Trends are formatted according to certain defaults. Use the Trend Elements (page 20) tab in the ProcessBook Preferences dialog to create default formats for new trends. You can set options like line colors and marker shapes, and set the types of point information included with a trend. Grid Lines Horizontal and vertical grid lines align with even units (whole numbers) on the scales. Grid lines for the value scale line up with whole numbers at intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, or powers of 10 times those intervals. Grid lines for the time scale line up with time intervals such as weeks, days, hours, minutes, etc. The traces then scroll as time passes on an updating trend. Grid Line Labels Configure the labels for the value scale using single or multiple scales. You can place these labels on either the inside or outside of the value axis:
Single Scale Multiple Scales The union of the ranges for all traces appears in the label. The range for each trace in the trend appears in the label.

Configure the labels for the time axis using a full timestamp, partial timestamp, or a relative timestamp:
Full timestamp Partial timestamp Relative timestamp Displays a complete timestamp for the start and end times. The time range of the trend is in the middle of the time axis. Labels most grid lines in the units of the time range. Displays the full timestamp for the end time of the trend at the top right edge of the plot. Displays the offset from the end time limit in weeks, days, hours, etc. and the full timestamp for the end time of the trend at the top right edge of the plot.

Note: Labels for the grid lines appear unless the trend rectangle is too small.

Value Scale Grid Lines Grid lines are shown in value scale intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, or powers of 10 times those intervals. The value axis minimum and maximum are set using one of four methods:

Autorange scale Database scale Logarithmic scale

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Manually Defined scale

Autorange Scale The value scale is determined by a calculation based on minimum and maximum values in the trend. As new data are received from the server, the high and low values may change, and the scale is recalculated accordingly. For example, if the original scale ranged from 5 to 100, but the new data has a high of 103, then the new plot shows a range from 5 to 105 (the nearest number divisible by 5 and larger than the high value). If more than one tag is plotted on a single scale, the value scale is calculated from the highest and lowest values for all the tags. Database Scale If the scale is set to Database, the range is the same as the limits for the point on the server. The minimum value is termed zero, and the maximum value is the sum of the zero value plus the span value. For example, suppose the tag attributes for a point are Zero = 3 and Span = 6. The plot range therefore is based on making the minimum and maximum values 3 to 9. Logarithmic Scale If you prefer a logarithmic scale, check this option. This option is disabled for digital, string, or timestamp tags. Manually Defined Scale When the scale is configured, an arbitrary minimum and maximum scale value may be entered.

Single and Multiple Scales for the Vertical Axis Value scales are labeled whenever there is enough room. Configure these labels with either single or multiple scales.

For a single scale label, the union of the ranges for all traces appears. For multiple scale labels, the range for the first trace appears next to the value axis. Ranges for the other traces appear in increasing distance from the axis in the order the tags are listed in the trend legend.

Note: On a single scale trend, traces that contain only one value (a flat line) or have no data are governed by special scaling rules. When a trend is composed of only flat or no data traces, the default value scale range is inflated to prevent showing a flat plot area. These default ranges are not applied if the trace in question is on a single scale trend that contains other visible traces that do not fall into either of the aforementioned categories.

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A single scale trace containing one flat trace with a constant value of 0.

A single scale trend containing a flat trace and a non-flat trace. The default range for the flat trace is not applied.

Time Scale Grid Lines Grid lines for the time scale line up with whole units of time, such as days, hours, minutes, etc. On a trend that receives updates, traces scroll as time passes. For an updating trend, the current time is indicated by a dotted vertical line. Configure labels for the time axis in one of three ways:

Full Timestamplabels the start and end time limits with the date and time. When space permits, the elapsed time between these lines is also shown. Partial Timestamplabels each grid line in whole units, such as hours. For example, the grid lines might be labeled 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00. A full timestamp showing the plot end time is shown at the upper right. Relative Timestamplabels each grid line with the amount of time preceding the end time limit in days, hours, minutes, or seconds. For example, the grid lines might be labeled -4, -3, - 2, -1, meaning 4, 3, 2, and 1 hours before the end time. A full timestamp for the end time is shown at the upper right.

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Traces A trace is a single line on a trend. When a trace is continuous, a line is drawn from measurement to measurement. When a trace is discrete, the value is propagated forward until a new value is recorded in the database. This results in horizontal and vertical lines for the tag (staircase trace). Digital points are discrete type measurements, producing staircase traces. For digital points, the offset from the starting digital state code is plotted. Staircase traces are used for points from a PI Server that have a Step Flag set to TRUE. ODBC queries may produce either curved or staircase traces, depending on the Stepped Plot check box setting in the ODBC Data Set dialog. Hide Traces You can hide one or more traces on the trend in Run mode so that an area of concern is more easily viewed. 1. Open a trend in Run mode. 2. Hover your mouse pointer over the trend's legend. The mouse pointer changes to a hand cursor , and the trace in the trend is highlighted.

3. Click on the legend item to hide or show the trace on the plot. If the trace has a regression line configured, the regression line is also hidden. When a trace is hidden:

the trace name is dimmed in the legend and the description, value, and engineering units are hidden (if they were shown before). the space reserved on the legend for the description, value, and engineering units collapses so that the trace under the hidden trace is moved. This clearly shows the visible traces on the legend, especially on a trend with many traces. on a multi-scale trend, the scale associated with the hidden trace is hidden. on a single scale trend, the minimum and maximum values shown on the scale may be adjusted.

You can show hidden traces by clicking their names a second time in the legend, or by clicking the Revert button. All hidden traces are shown in Build mode.
Note: You can also right click on a trend and select Show All or Hide All to make traces visible or invisible.

Markers Markers indicate data points and allow you to differentiate between traces on a trend. There are three types of markers:

actual data trace markers bad data markers

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At least three markers are shown on a trace, unless the plot is too small. Actual Data Markers Actual data markers plot each value stored in the database. The color of the trace and of the marker is the same. You can select the shape of the marker, such as diamonds, circles, squares, or triangles, which can be helpful for color- blind users and for monochrome monitors. Trace Markers If there are too many values to plot based on the size of the trend, the display resolution and the density of the plotted data, actual data markers do not appear and trace markers are used instead. Trace markers are also used if the trend configuration does not specify Markers. Trace markers help you identify the legend information for each trace; they do not indicate actual plot values. Up to three trace markers are used per trace. X Markers When a value is outside the limits defined for the trend, it is plotted as over- or under-range. When a value is out of range or has a bad value, it is not shown on the plot. An X marker is placed on the trend at the beginning and end of the time when data are not plotted. When the data are missing, (for example, not connected to a server) they are given the value No Data and are not plotted.

Ad Hoc Trends
Create a trend on an ad hoc basis for tags represented by dynamic symbols in a display within a ProcessBook. Ad hoc trends are like any other trends in that you can scroll the time forward and backward, view cursors, zoom, view point attributes, use multiple scales, or change the time range. To create an ad hoc trend, use either:

Trend tool to add a trend to an existing display pre-configured with data from other symbols on the display. Trend Display tool to create a separate, new display with a trend pre-configured with data from symbols on the original display.

Note: You can build a trend display before you open any displays.

If you create an ad hoc trend display and then choose to save it for future use, it appears on the Book or Outline View as subordinate to the original display.

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Create an Ad Hoc Trend To create an ad hoc trend for a specific tag or tags: 1. In Run mode, select the dynamic symbol(s) with the data you want to trend, such as a bar, value, or Multi-State symbol. To select more than one dynamic symbol, hold down the Shift key while you click them. 2. Click the Trend Display button .

A new display window opens, and a trend is created automatically for the selected symbols using the default format and time range. It is given the unique name Trend Display#, where # is a number. The plot title is Ad Hoc Trend. - or . The mouse pointer changes to a trend pointer. Click in the Click the Trend button display and drag to create a rectangle. It is given the name Ad Hoc Trend. The trend appears in the rectangle, using the default format.
Note: If you select more tags than the default set in your Preference settings, usually 3, then you will have more than one plot in your trend or trend display.

Save an Ad Hoc Trend Display If you create an ad hoc trend display and wish to save it for future use, then you must use the Save or Save As command before you close the instant trend. There are several options:

Save an ad hoc trend display as an independent display by clicking it and using the Save As command with a .pdi filename extension. If you had a display entry from a ProcessBook open when the instant trend was created, the instant trend can be saved as a subordinate of the display by using the Save command. You may save an ad hoc trend as another file type, such as a bitmap (.bmp) file, using Save As.

Note: You cannot save an ad hoc trend from view-only mode.

OpenVMS Trends and Graphics


PI ProcessBook allows you to convert your existing OpenVMS trend and graphic files for use within a ProcessBook. Specifically, the following types of files are supported:

PIDisDIFF filescontain trend graphs built using the PI Data Trending Package. You can convert horizontal, vertical, composite, and overview trends. PI-GP filesgraphic files built using the PI-GP Graphics Builder.

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Before you can convert your trend files (PIDisDIFF), you must convert them as ASCII text files on the VAX and then download them to your PC. Once the files are on the PC, you can import them to a ProcessBook. Trends are formatted based on the settings on the Trend Elements tab in the ProcessBook Preference dialog.

Convert Trends This process is used to convert VAX graphics for use with a PC. 1. On the VAX or Alpha at the DCL prompt, type $ Run PISysExe:PIDisDIFF

2. Select option 1 List Master Display Library from the PI Display Data Interchange File Format Builder. 3. Direct the output to a file. 4. Enter a file name. If your file name is more than 8 characters and a 3-character extension (xxxxxxxx.xxx), the name is truncated during the download process. 5. Accept the defaults for display mask, group numbers and unit numbers (*). 6. Select the trend display types you are importing. For optimum performance select only options 1 (horizontal), 2 (vertical), 3 (composite), and 8 (overview). 7. Quit the PIDisDIFF application (option Q). 8. Transfer the file from the VAX or Alpha to the PC using any ASCII text file transfer program you have available.

Convert Graphics This process is used to convert VAX graphics for use with a PC. On the OpenVMS computer, copy a graphic file to your working directory. Graphic files are named PISysDat:PIGP_xxxxxxxxxx.dat, where xxxxxxxxxx is the display name. 1. At the DCL prompt, type $ RUN PISysExe:GPAB

2. Select option 1 Convert Binary to ASCII from the PI Graphics Package ASCII/Binary File Conversion menu. 3. Type the display name of the graphic you want to convert and press Enter. Repeat for each file you want to convert. 4. Select option Q to quit the application. 5. Transfer the file from the VAX or Alpha to the PC using any ASCII text file transfer program you have available. Your PI ProcessBook Install disks include an OpenVMS command file which performs Steps 1 - 5 for all graphics. The file is named GPPBConv.com.

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Chapter

XYPlots
An XYPlot shows a correlation between one or more paired sets of data. On an XYPlot (also called a scatter plot), the X scale shows possible values for one of the items in the pair and the Y scale shows the value of the other item in the pair. A basic scatter plot looks like the following:

Uncorrelated data

This case plotted 10-minute intervals of two points, A and B, for the last hour. Point A had 12 point values; Point B had 16 point values. The number of points plotted equals the number of pairs. Since A had fewer point values, the plot shows only 12 point pairs. The extra data from point B is ignored. You can configure the method by which pairing occurs. Correlation is a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables. Correlation is indicated graphically by the spread of the data points around a fitted straight line (for example, a straight line that indicates the trend of the data). In general, the closer the points are to the fitted line, the stronger the correlation. The two PI tags shown in figure 1 are not strongly correlated. Another plot shows perfectly correlated data:

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Perfectly correlated

A third plot is somewhat correlated:

Somewhat correlated

In the case of the third plot, a regression line with a slope (M) of 1 and an offset (B) of 0 drawn diagonally across the plot would show all points lying close to the line, some above it, some below it. This line formula is appropriate in this case because both scales are the same and the points appear to have values very close to each other. In other cases, one value may be two or three times the other value (for example) and the regression line would fall on a different slope, depending upon how the scales are configured. If the scales are the same, the slope of the line determines the relationship between the points. If the scales are not the same, the slope is insignificant.

Draw an XYPlot
1. In Build mode, click Draw > XYPlot, -orOn the Drawing toolbar, click the XYPlot button
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2. Drag a rectangle on the display to create the boundaries. 3. Release the mouse button. The Define XYPlot dialog opens with the General tab open. Use the tabs to:

General Tab (page 92)Select tags to be plotted. Display Format Tab (page 96)Choose what to show in the Legend and on the Display. Plot Format Tab (page 97)Select how to color and style the plot elements, such as trace pens and background.

4. Click OK. The XYPlot appears. To revise an existing XYPlot, select Build mode and double-click the XYPlot. The Define XYPlot dialog appears. Make your changes and click OK.
Note: Click Undo to restore your original plot.

General Tab Use the General tab to select data items to plot.

Plot TitleEnter a plot title. Change it later if you wish. Tags in PlotSelect the tags or data sets you want to plot.

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Click the Tag Search button to locate a tag, or Click the Tag Search arrow to see more search options:

Tag Search (page 151) PI Calculation (page 161) (data set) ODBC (page 164) (data set) AF2 (page 174) - launches the Select AF Attribute dialog box, from which you can search an AF database for elements and attributes. Element Relative - launches the Element Search dialog box from which you can search an AF database for elements.

Your selections for tags, data sets, or attributes appear under Tags in Plot. An Options radio button appears next to each tag name.

Select the Options radio button to choose the X-axis tag. Unselected tags are Y-axis tags. If a tag that is selected as the X-axis is deleted, the first tag in the list becomes the X-axis tag. Use the four toolbar buttons on the title bar to rearrange this list. They are, in order, Add, Delete, Up Arrow, and Down Arrow.

ServerEnter or select a PI Server name. This field is only used when a PI Tag name is typed directly into the list.

Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

Configure Pairings Once the tags are listed in the Tags in Plot list, configure the method for pairing values between X and Y in the Data Retrieval Methods box.

X Tagchoose either Recorded or Interpolated for the retrieval method. Interpolatedan interval may be entered in the Plot Time section. Interpolated is the default for tags and is disabled for ODBC and Custom data sets. This method retrieves interpolated values for the specified time range in regular intervals. For example, if the time range is *-1h to * and the Interval is 10m, then six values spaced 10 minutes apart are returned. This option provides a way to get evenly sampled data. RecordedRetrieves archive values between the specified start and end time. Y Tag(s)the Y tag data retrieval method applies to individually selected tags in the Tags in Plot list (unless the Use for all Y tags check box is selected). The default data retrieval method for Y tags is Synchronize.

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Y Tags, paired by position in the listTo use multiple time ranges, select Recorded or Interpolated. In this case, data is paired by position in the point list. If Interpolated is selected for the X tag as well, the interval value for the Y tag defaults to the one for the X tag. When Recorded is the retrieval mechanism, the results are not skewed by minor timestamp differences.

Y Tags, paired by timestampsto pair values by time, rather than by list position, choose one of these retrieval methods: Synchronize, Match, Match or Previous, or Match or Next. Synchronizesynchronizes data found for X with data for Y using the timestamps for the X data. This may result in interpolated data values for Y. Matchfind the event for Y corresponding to the exact timestamp as X. If no matching event is found, no match is made for that X value. Match or Previousfind the event for Y corresponding to the exact timestamp as X. If there is none, find the event that is the closest but earlier in time. Match or Nextfind the event for Y corresponding to the exact timestamp as X. If there is none, find the event that is the closest, but later in time. Synchronize and Matchuse different PI SDK value retrieval methods. Synchronize uses TimedValues. Match uses RecordedValues and then uses the values where the timestamps match.
Note: Synchronize is disabled for ODBC and Custom data sets.

If you select Synchronize or any of the Match options, the start and end times for that tag are set the same as for the X tag and cannot be changed.
Note: The XYPlot supports ODBC data sets that don't contain timestamps. This type of entry must be plotted as a Y-tag, and data values must be retrieved using the Recorded retrieval method. If a tag is changed from a Y tag to an X tag and has a value for Retrieval Method that is only valid for Y tags, the method is changed to Interpolated. If the tag is a data set, the method is changed to Recorded.

In all cases, if a pair is not made, the unmatched X or Y events are ignored.

Use for all Y tagsSelecting this box indicates that the Y-tags data retrieval mechanism applies for all Y-tags. If one of the tags is a Custom or ODBC data set and the selection mechanism is Interpolated or Synchronize, the selection mechanism will be Recorded or Match respectively for that tag only.

Scale Box In the Scale Box, set the scale ranges for all tags.

Single Y Scalecombines all Y tag value ranges onto one scale. Multiple Y Scalesprovides a separate scale for each Y tag. This choice does not change the scale min and max values, but allows them to be configured independently by selecting each Y tag and making changes.

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Regardless of your selection, you may independently configure the X scale tag.

MaxAutorange uses the maximum value plotted. You may enter an absolute value here as well. Default is Autorange. Database uses the zero plus span value of the tag in the PI Server to determine the max. Database with a data set plot uses the maximum value plotted. MinAutorange uses the minimum value plotted. You may enter an absolute value here as well. Default is Autorange. Database uses the zero value of the tag in the PI Server to determine the min. Database with a data set plot uses the minimum value plotted. FormatSelects the number format of the Y scale, legend entries, cursor values, and ToolTip values: DatabaseDatabase format uses the displaydigits PI Point attribute to determine how many decimal places to show. If the length of the number exceeds the displaydigits value, scientific notation is used. PI ProcessBook trims trailing zeroes that follow a decimal point. The Database format option is intended for use with PI Tags only. GeneralShows all significant digits for a number except trailing zeros. If the absolute value of the value is greater than 1e+7 or less than 1e-5, the format will switch to use scientific notation. ScientificMost useful with very large numbers. The scientific format used for trends displays in the format: 0.00E+00. Custom (#,##0.00, 0%)Allows you to enter your own number format. See the Table of Format Values for examples.

Plot Time You can set the time for each tag as it is highlighted in the Tags in Plot box. If a Y tag is selected and its selection mechanism is not Recorded or Interpolated, then these boxes are disabled.

StartThe start time of the selected tag. The list includes *-1h (minus one hour), *-4h, *-8h, *-1d, *-7d. The default is *-8h. EndThe end time of the selected tag. The list includes *, *-1h, *-4h, *-8h, *-1d, *-7d. The default is * (current time). IntervalThis field is enabled when the retrieval method is Interpolated. It provides a sampling interval for data.

When you have completed configuring the fields on the General tab, click the Display Format (page 96) tab. Add a Data set to an XYPlot 1. In Build mode, click Draw > XYPlot, -orOn the Drawing toolbar, click the XYPlot button .

2. Drag a rectangle on the display to create the boundaries.

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3. Release the mouse button. The Define XYPlot dialog opens with the General tab open. 4. Click the arrow next to the Tag Search button. 5. Select ODBC or PI Calculation to see the corresponding Dataset Details or PI Calculation Data configuration dialog. 6. When you have completed the configuration, click OK to exit the configuration dialog. The data set name appears in the Tags in Plot box. 7. In the Define XYPlot dialog, click OK to see the plot.

Display Format Tab Use the Display Format tab to select options to show for an XY Plot legend and display.

Legend

Tag NameLists the entries in Tags in Plot. Selected by default. Srvr NameSelect this check box to prepend the tag name with the server name. Cleared by default. DescriptionThe tag description may be displayed on the legend. Selected by default. ValueThe last value of the tag plotted may be displayed. For digital and string tags, a string value is shown. Selected by default.

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Engineering UnitsSelected by default. If the tag does not report units, they are not shown on the legend for that tag. Correlation CoefficientA check indicates that the correlation coefficient should be calculated and displayed on the legend. Selected by default. Plot TitleSelected by default. Vertical Scale Inside AxisCheck this box to show the vertical scale to the right of the Vertical Axis, inside the plot area. Selected by default. GridsCheck this box to include vertical and horizontal grid lines. Selected by default. On the Plot Format Page, you can configure the appearance of the major and minor grid lines. Linear Correlation LineCheck this to show a linear regression line. The default is cleared, which does not draw a line. Connecting LinesCheck this box to show the paired points connected with straight lines in the order they are plotted. Selected by default. Clear the box to configure a scatter plot with points only, no lines.

Display

The Sample area displays a sample XYPlot with the options you have selected. When you have completed the Display Format page, click the tab for the Plot Format page.

Plot Format Tab Use the Plot Format tab of the Define XYPlot dialog to select colors and styles for the various elements of your plot.

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Plot Elementdrop-down list of the elements you can configure, such as major and minor gridlines, background colors, text font, etc. Pens correspond to the X-and Y tags listed in the order in the Tags in Plot box on the General tab. Element FormatAfter you select an element in the Plot Element drop-down, available formatting options appear. A drop-down arrow is grayed out if the option is not configurable. For example, text has color but no line style options. Line StyleDetermines the line style for the selected element. Line WeightDetermines the line weight for the selected element. If the selected element does not have a line weight property, this field is disabled. Marker ShapeDetermines the marker shape for pen elements. ColorDetermines the color for the selected element. Pen elements apply the color to the line and marker. Last Marker ColorAllows selection of a different color for the last marker for a pen. If Match Trace is true (selected), this field is disabled. If the selected element does not have a marker, this field is disabled. Next To Last Marker ColorAllows selection of a different color for the secondto-last marker for a pen. If Match Trace is true (selected), this field is disabled. If the selected element does not have a marker, this field is disabled. Match TraceDetermines whether all marker colors match the trace color (true) for a pen. If set to false, the Last Marker Color and Next To Last Marker Color fields are enabled so the marker color can be changed for those two plotted pairs. By default, this field is selected (true). If the selected element does not have a marker, this field is disabled.

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SampleProvides a preview of your formatting changes.

Ad hoc XYPlots You can draw an XYPlot in Run mode on an ad hoc basis. Click the XYPlot button begin, and follow the steps described in Drawing an XYPlot (page 91). to

XYPlot Statistics The XYPlot Statistics dialog allows you to view and export raw data values and statistics, such as the mean and standard deviation of each tags data. You can also view these statistics in the Details Window (page 127) in PI ProcessBook. 1. In Run mode, double-click the XYPlot symbol. The Statistics dialog appears. 2. In the Options drop-down list, select Raw Data or Statistics.

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3. (optional) To save this data to a text file, click the Save Data to File button. The data is saved to the file in the following format: Tag, <tag name> Start Time, <start time> End Time, <end time> Count, < number of points paired> Mean, <mean> STDEV, <standard deviation> Data Type, <data type> Index, Time, Value, Status <index>, <time>, <value>, <status> <index>, <time>, <value>, <status> Tag, <tag name> Start Time, <start time> End Time, <end time> Count, < number of points paired> Mean, <mean> STDEV, <standard deviation> Correlation, <correlation coefficient>

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Slope, <slope> Intercept, <intercept> Data Type, <data type> Index, Time, Value, Status <index>, <time>, <value>, <status> <index>, <time>, <value>, <status>

Linear Regression by Least Squares


The best-fit linear regression line is a straight line that attempts to summarize the trend of the plotted pairs. This line may be shown on the XYPlot. The best-fit line has the formula:

Where m is the slope and b is the offset. To calculate m, we use the following equation:

To calculate b, the following equation is used:

Once m and b are known, the value of y that intersects the best-fit line can be calculated.

Correlation Coefficient
The Correlation Coefficient (r) varies between -1 and +1. Positive values indicate that as X increases, Y also increases. Negative values indicate that as X increases, Y decreases. A value of zero indicates no correlation in the way the sets of values vary. The Correlation Coefficient for a set of points is calculated using the following formula: (n is the number of points, s is the standard deviation). You can display the correlation coefficient in the plot legend.

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Note: Bad data points are not included in this calculation.

Standard deviation(s) is calculated using the following formula:

The mean is the arithmetic average.

Interpreting an XYPlot
In PI ProcessBook the XYPlot is a dynamic symbol. It has specialized characteristics, such as its statistical calculations, which are described in the following paragraphs.

Point Properties Data may be retrieved from PI or from independent data sets. Use the Tag Properties button or the right mouse menu Properties item to determine the attributes of the points in your XYPlot. Scroll Feature Scrolling is available from the ProcessBook toolbar. When time scrolling is used on an XYPlot symbol, all tags time ranges are changed to support the scroll duration. Plot Values In a typical XYPlot, the current name for the X tag appears below the plot. The current names for the different Y tags appear at the upper right. Below each one is the correlation coefficient for that XY pair. The dots and lines on the plot are colored to match the tag names. Plotted pair values appear in a ToolTip over the plot when the mouse cursor is hovering over an actual plotted point pair. The following illustration shows an example.

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In the figure above, if there had been more than one Y tag, each one would be displayed on a different line. The X tag information is placed at the bottom. For digital or string tags, the text value is displayed in the ToolTip. You can also view plot values by double-clicking the title bar and choosing the Raw Data option, rather than the Statistics option in the Statistics dialog.

Zoom/Revert Functions
You can enlarge a portion of an XYPlot by using the Zoom feature.

Enlarge the whole plot to fill the display window 1. In Run mode, double-click the plot. 2. To reduce the plot to its original size, double-click it again. It does not update while enlarged.

Enlarge a small area of the plot 1. Place the mouse cursor on the upper left corner of the area to be zoomed. 2. Hold the left mouse button down while dragging a rectangle to cover the appropriate area. When you release the mouse, this area is enlarged to the borders of the original plot.

Original plot

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Drag Zoom Completed

Note: The zoom area must be smaller than the plot area and cannot include the outer 20 percent of the plot. If the mouse is dragged past the plot boundary, the zoom rectangle stops at the border until the mouse reappears within the boundary. If the mouse is dragged off the plot symbol boundary, the zoom is canceled.

Revert 1. Click Undo to return the plot to its state directly before the zoom occurred. 2. Click the Revert button to return the plot to its configured appearance.

Change Time Range Feature


1. Click View > Time Range. -orOn the Time Range toolbar, click the Change Time Range button The Change Time Range dialog opens. 2. Enter new values in the Time Span box. All tags are affected when you change the range in this dialog box. 3. Click the Revert (page 64) button on the Time Range tool bar its configured appearance. to return the plot to .

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XYPlot Cursors
The cursor for an XYPlot includes both a horizontal and a vertical line. The mouse cursor is at the cross point of both cursor lines. You must be in Run mode to use the XYPlot cursor. To create a cursor, place the mouse very close to either the X- or Y-axis. Drag the cursor onto the plot. In the XYPlot below, you can see an XYPlot cursor at the Y axis that is not yet intersecting any points on the plot.

You can also see an XYPlot cursor that was dropped on a point. The X and Y values appear in small boxes outside the axes. Using the mouse, you may position and release the cursor over any pair on the XYPlot. If the cursor is dropped on an area that contains no points, the cursor snaps to the nearest pair.

Move the XYCursor from Point to Point Once you have dropped an XYCursor on a point, use the arrow keys to move from point to point in time order. For example, pressing the right arrow key moves the cursor to the pair that is plotted immediately after the current pair in the same series. The left arrow moves the cursor to the pair that is plotted immediately before the current pair in the same series. The up arrow moves the cursor to the first pair in the previous series. The down arrow moves the cursor to the first pair in the next series. The cursor looks the same when it is dropped. The information on the XYCursor point pair is shown in a box on each axis. If the tags are digital or string, the text value is shown in the box rather than a numeric value. Placing the mouse cursor over one of the cursor boxes shows the time of the event.

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Bad Status Indicators


If a single point of a pair contains a bad status, an X appears on the axis of the good point at its value. If both points of a pair contain bad statuses, an X appears at the origin of the plot. The XYPlot symbol supports Questionable, Annotated, and Substituted indicators.

Out of Range Indicators


When a point on the XYPlot falls above or below the X or Y scale range, it is not visible. This may be because the plot is zoomed or because the scales have been set within a certain range that does not cover the actual data. In order to indicate there is a point outside of the visible area, an X is used. By default, a straight line connects the points in the order that they are plotted. This line attempts to connect hidden points as well. An X is placed at each position where this line crosses the top or bottom of the plot area.

Too Many Points


When an X Tag has too many points to show on the plot, you receive and error message and no points are shown. The maximum number is 10,000 points.

Examples of XYPlots
For these examples, the X-axis represents one of the values in the pair and the Y-axis represents the other. The configuration of these axes regarding minimum and maximum values and interval (or unit) settings is left to you.

Example 1: Create an XYPlot on a display in PI ProcessBook to compare values for two PI tags 1. On the Drawing toolbar, click the XYPlot button and drag to form the bounding rectangle for the plot. The Define XYPlot dialog appears. 2. Enter a title for the plot and select 2 tags to be entered in the Tags in Plot list. 3. Click an option button to select one tag to be the X tag. 4. Use the default settings for time range, scale, and retrieval method. 5. Click the Display Format tab and check the box for the regression line. 6. Select the Plot Format tab and accept the default values. 7. Click OK and the plot appears.

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Example 2: Compare different tags to help optimize equipment performance For example, suppose an engineer has just completed some optimization work on Boiler1, one of the four boilers in the plant. He wants to optimize the other three boilers (Boiler2, Boiler3, and Boiler4) so that they perform at the same level. After adjusting the three boilers, he wants to see how closely they perform to the optimized Boiler1. Assume that all four boilers run identical processes. 1. Plot the temperature of Boiler1 (the B1Temp tag) on the X-axis of an XYPlot and the temperatures of the other three boilers (B2Temp, B3Temp and B4Temp) on the Y-axis. 2. Use the same time range for all four tags. 3. Select a single scale so that the Boilers 2, 3 and 4 are compared directly against Boiler1. 4. Configure the plot to show the correlation co-efficient for each of the boilers. By viewing how far from the regression line each of the boilers falls, you can determine how closely their performance matches and which boilers you should continue to adjust. When all three boilers have an acceptable correlation coefficient, you know the work is complete.

Example 3: Lab Comparisons An engineer wants to compare lab results from his lab to those of another lab for the same sample of material. The plant's quality assurance lab has instituted some new testing procedures. In order to gauge the validity of the new testing procedures, an engineer wants to compare results from the new process against data from an outside lab that is known to have valid testing procedures. 1. Put the results from the in-house lab into a data set. 2. Place the results for the same test from the other lab into another data set. 3. Selects each data set as a tag in the plot, and select which one to be the X-axis. 4. Choose Recorded as the retrieval mechanism for each data set so that the results are not skewed by minor timestamp differences. If the XYPlot shows the results from the new process are well correlated with the outside lab's data, the new test procedure is validated.

Example 4: Comparing a Batch Run to a Standard An engineer wants to compare sample measurements taken from one Batch run and compare them to a fixed set of measurements he knows to be desirable. 1. Select the fixed set of measurements by choosing the appropriate tag or data set and indicating it is to be used for the X-axis. 2. Select the appropriate tags for the comparison batches, entering their specific time ranges. 3. Use Recorded values for all retrieval mechanisms.

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The data points are paired according to their position in the events list. The XYPlot shows how closely the results are correlated by how closely the pairs fall on a linear regression line. Pairs that fall outside this line may indicate problems with the batch run.

Example 5: Comparing Two Time Ranges An engineer wants to compare the performance of a Boiler unit over two time ranges. He needs to determine whether a boiler's performance has degraded over time or whether there are specific problems with the equipment. To do this, he creates an XYPlot that compares the temperature tag data from two different time ranges. 1. Enter the tag twice and assign one instance as the X tag. 2. Enter separate time ranges for each tag. 3. Set the match mechanism to be recorded or interpolated so that values are paired by their position in the list. If the pairs fall close to a linear regression line, you can assume the boiler's performance is at least steady. If some pairs are far from the line, it may indicate that the equipment has a specific problem.

Additional Dynamic Symbols


Values

A Value is the reading obtained for a data stream at the end time of a display. It is shown as a number or a digital state string. The tag name and time stamp may also be shown. The time stamp is the time stamp from the PI System that matches the event value shown.

Add a Dynamic Value 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Value button -orClick Draw > Value. The mouse pointer changes to the Value pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want the value to be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Define Value dialog is displayed. .

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4. In the Server drop-down list, select the PI Server to use. If a tag name is manually entered in the Tag box, it is expected to be on the selected server. If both server and tag name are entered in the Tag box, this field is updated with the entered server name. This field has no effect for non-PI data. 5. In the Tag box, type the name of the tag you want to display in the value box. -orClick the Tag Search button to locate a tag, or Click the Tag Search arrow to see more search options:

Tag Search (page 151) PI Calculation (page 161) (data set) ODBC (page 164) (data set) AF2 (page 174) - launches the Select AF Attribute dialog box, from which you can search an AF database for elements and attributes. Element Relative - launches the Element Search dialog box from which you can search an AF database for elements.

Note: The Sample area shows how the value will look.

6. In the Format drop-down list, select a number format:

DatabaseDatabase format uses the displaydigits PI Point attribute to determine how many decimal places to show. If the length of the number exceeds the displaydigits value, scientific notation is used. PI ProcessBook trims trailing zeroes that follow a decimal point. The Database format option is intended for use with PI Tags only.

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GeneralShows all significant digits for a number except trailing zeros. If the absolute value of the value is greater than 1e+7 or less than 1e-5, the format will switch to use scientific notation. ScientificMost useful with very large numbers. The scientific format used for trends displays in the format: 0.00E+00. Custom (#,##0.00, 0%)Allows you to enter your own number format. See the Table of Format Values for examples.

7. In the Tag drop-down list, select the location of the tag name in the value box (None, Left, Right, Top, or Bottom). 8. In the Time stamp drop-down list, select the location of the time stamp in the value box (None, Left, Right, Top, or Bottom). 9. Click OK to add the value to the display.
Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

Button

You can add a button to your drawing that: Opens an independent display (.pdi)

For example: Create a drawing that shows the first part of a general process and add a button that opens a more detailed process in a separate display. Create a link to a related display in a different ProcessBook. Create a drawing and add a button that opens a PI DataLink spreadsheet to show a report. Create a drawing and add a button that opens an independent PI ProcessBook display (.pdi file) on a web site. Note: You need to enter the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address that points to the location of the specific .pdi file on a web server. Create a VBA script called AddTrend that inserts a trend on a display. Add a button to the display and configure it to use the AddTrend script (macro) as its Action.

Opens a ProcessBook (.piw) Executes an operating system command

Executes a VBA script

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Add a Button 1. In Build mode, open a display. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Button button Click Draw > Button. The mouse pointer changes to the Button pointer. 2. Click in the display where you want to add the button and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the button will be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Define Button dialog appears. 3. In the Text box, type the name of the button.
Note: The name should be no more than one or two words, and should describe the action the button performs when clicked.

, or

4. Click the Browse button, or Click the Browse arrow to see more options. The Open dialog appears. 5. Browse and locate the item that you want to be the button action and then click the Open button.
Note: If you know the file or macro name, then you can type this directly in the Action box.

The name of the selected item is displayed in the Action box. 6. Click the Browse button to the right of the Working folder box.
Note: The Working folder box allows you to specify the working folder for operating system commands. It is ignored if the Action refers to a document type supported by ProcessBook. If you know the name of the working folder for this application, then you can type this directly in the Working folder box.

The Browse for Folder dialog appears. 7. Browse and locate the folder that you want to specify for the operating system command, and then click OK. 8. Leave the appropriate Options check box selected if you want to:

Open a linked display in a new window. This option is selected by default. Use the relative path before the absolute path.

Note: By default, ProcessBook attempts to open a linked display from its relative path first. If the relative path fails, then the absolute path is attempted. Clearing this box reverses the order in which the paths are resolved. For new displays, this option is checked by default.

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Ignore the default shell command for recognized file types (for example, SVG).

Note: If the file type is supported by ProcessBook (either natively or through an addin), then it is opened directly. For example, an .svg file is opened using the .svg File Converter in ProcessBook, even if you have Adobe SVG Viewer installed. Clearing this check box disables this behavior, so the default shell command is always used to open a file.

9. Click OK. The button is added to your display.

Bars

A Bar shows the current value of a tag as compared to a specified range of values. For example, a bar may be used to create the effect of a vessel filling and emptying, as the value changes. The range of values can be the maximum and minimum values specified in the point attributes, or, a bar can be designed to show a specific range of values. For example, if a tags specified value is between 0 and 100 but it typically falls between 0 and 30, a bar can designed to show that range. However, if the value is outside the range of the bar, the bar will appear the same as a value right at one of the limits of the bar. The start of the bar may be within the limits of the bar. This lets you display deviations from a standard or target value. Bad values are shown with hash marks across the entire bar.

Add a Dynamic Bar Creating a bar for a value allows you to see how the current value compares to the possible range of values. Since bars are dynamic, they are updated as the information changes from the PI Server. Bars may also be used to display the result of a data set query. String and timestamp data is not supported on Bar symbols. You can draw a bar using the current line style, line color, and fill attributes. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Bar button Click Draw > Bar. The mouse pointer changes to the Bar pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the bar and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the bar will be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Define Bar dialog appears. , or

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4. In the Server drop-down list, select the server to use for manually entered tags. If the server and tag name are both entered in the Tag box, this field is updated to show the new server name. This field is ignored for non-PI data. 5. In the Tag box, type the name of the tag you want to display on the bar, or Click the Tag Search button to locate a tag, or Click the Tag Search arrow to see more search options:

Tag Search (page 151) PI Calculation (page 161) (data set) ODBC (page 164) (data set) AF2 (page 174) - launches the Select AF Attribute dialog box, from which you can search an AF database for elements and attributes. Element Relative - launches the Element Search dialog box from which you can search an AF database for elements.

6. From the Upper and Lower drop-down lists, select the maximum and minimum values you want to use for the bar. Enter a constant, or choose Tag Zero() or TagZero()+TagSpan() for either or both values.
Note: If you choose a maximum value that is too small, the bar will be fully colored but there will be no warning that it has exceeded the maximum.

7. From the Start drop-down list, select the point on the bar from which you want to start drawing the bar. Enter a constant, or select TagZero()+TagSpan() or Tag Zero().

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8. Under Orientation, select one of the options to display the bar either vertically or horizontally. The Upper and Lower drop-down lists are renamed Right and Left when you select Horizontal orientation.
Note: The Sample area shows how the bar will look.

9. Under Scales, select Show Scales to show data values and scale tick marks on the bar symbol. When you select Scales, the Scales Inside and Number Formats are enabled. See Bar Scales (page 114) for information on working with scales. 10. Click OK to add the bar to the display.
Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

Bar Scales The options under Scales control how the bar symbol shows scales. Defaults The default is to show scales inside the bar symbol in General number format for symbol bars created with PI ProcessBook 2012 or later. For earlier versions of PI ProcessBook, Show Scales is not selected, and scales do not appear on the symbol bar. The scale values for the bar symbol are the Upper and Lower or Right and Left values in the Define Bar dialog box for both tags and datasets, including AF. The default font is the font of the display. Digital tags show the value of the digital state rather than the numeric value of the state. Compatibility Bars created in PI ProcessBook 2012 are backward compatible with previous versions of PI ProcessBook. When a PI ProcessBook 2012 file is opened in a previous version, bar symbols appear as they did in the previous version. If the display is saved and reopened in a newer version, the scale settings are retained. A display created in version 3.2 or earlier of PI ProcessBook defaults to ShowScales not selected.

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Tick Marks For vertical bars, the tick marks and values are shown on the left hand side of the symbol. For horizontal bars, the tick marks and values are shown on the bottom of the symbol. You can draw the scales inside or outside the bar symbol.

Vertical Bar with scales (outside and inside)

Horizontal Bar with scales (outside and inside)

The lengths of major and minor tick marks is a percentage of the height or width of the bar, depending on the bar orientation, as described in the following table.
Horizontal Minor Tick Major Tick 4% of Height 8% of Height Vertical 4% of Width 8% of Width

For vertical bars, the tick marks and values are automatically turned off if the height of the bar becomes less than two times the height of the text used to write the scale values, or if the width is less than the width of the longest text used to write the scale value plus a small offset. For horizontal bars, the tick marks and values are automatically turned off if the width of the bar becomes less than two times the width of the longest text used to write the scale value, or if the height is less than the height of the text used to write the scale values plus a small offset. For both bar orientations, given the range of scale values, the scale increment values are rounded numbers, as close to integers as possible.

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The maximum number of major tick marks is nine; eleven counting the maximum and minimum values. The number of tick marks shown is a function of the size of the font and the size of the bar symbol. The number of major tick marks decreases as the size of the bar is decreases. The minor tick marks are shown at the half way point between major tick marks. There are major tick marks for each digital state, if the string value for the digital states fits in the width of the bar. There are no minor tick marks for digital tags. Format Appearance To change the appearance of the bar symbol, right-click the bar.

Click Format Font to change the font for the bar symbol. Click Format Color to change the color of the bar symbol. The color for the tick marks and values is the same as the bars line color. Click Format Line Style to change the style of line for the bar symbol.

Multi-State Symbols

Some symbols support a multi-state configuration, which allows their colors to be altered based on a dynamic data value. Colors are assigned to ranges of values to create conditional formatting states. Any symbol except a trend, XY Plot, graphic, button, or OLE object can have a Multi-State configuration. String and timestamp data cannot be used to configure multi-state behavior. You determine the number of value ranges, the maximum for each range, and the colors assigned to each range. As the value of the tag changes, the Multi-State symbol changes color to reflect the current value state. You can make a symbol seem to disappear by setting a state color to the background color or to a color of none. For alarms or other purposes, you can set a state color to blink. For example, you may have a symbol showing two states. State 1 has a value range from 0 to 50 and a color of blue assigned to it. State 2 may have a range from 50 to 100 and have red assigned to it. When the reading is 50 or below, the symbol appears blue. Above 50, the symbol appears red. A color and sometimes a blinking attribute are assigned for data in bad status (for example, the interface becomes disconnected). For digital point types, a different color may be assigned to each digital state. The following symbols support multi-state formatting:

Value Bar Rectangle Ellipse

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Line (or Connector) Text Polygon Polyline Arc Symbol Library

Create Dynamic Multi-State Symbols


You can create a Multi-State symbol after you have drawn a symbol or copied one from the Symbol Library dialog. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. Click the symbol that you want to use for creating a Multi-State symbol. On the Formatting toolbar, click the Multi-State Symbol button Click Edit > Multi-State. 3. The Multi-State Symbol dialog appears. , or

4. In the Server drop-down list, select the server to use for entered tags. If a server and tag are both entered in the Tag box, this field is updated with the new server name. This box does not apply to non-PI data. 5. In the Tag box, type the name of the tag you want to assign, or Click the Tag Search button to locate a tag, or Click the Tag Search arrow to see more search options:

Tag Search (page 151)


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PI Calculation (page 161) (data set) ODBC (page 164) (data set) AF2 (page 174) - launches the Select AF Attribute dialog box, from which you can search an AF database for elements and attributes. Element Relative - launches the Element Search dialog box from which you can search an AF database for elements.

6. In the Number of States box, select the number of states to use. If the number of states is not entered, the number defaults to 2. (For digital tags, the number of states is automatically set to the number of defined states for that tag.) 7. From the Color for Bad Data drop-down color palette, select a color that will be used when the information is in bad status. You may also select the Blink check box to call attention to the symbol when data is bad (optional). 8. In the State box, select 1. 9. In the Values box, type in a new maximum value for the state.
Note: The Values boxes display a range of values for each state. The total range of the tag is automatically divided by the number of states. For digital tags, the state name is displayed in these boxes. For other tag types, an estimate is made based on the span of values for the tag.

10. From the Color drop-down color palette, select a color that will be used for the state. You may also select the Blink check box (optional). 11. Repeat Steps 9 and 10 for each state in the symbol. Your choices and the relative range of values are displayed on the bar at the bottom of the dialog box. 12. Click OK.
Note: You can remove a Multi-State symbol definition by clicking the Convert to Static button, which breaks the link between the symbol and the multi-state configuration. Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol. See Add or Edit Placeholders (page 167) for details.

Static Symbols
Text Symbol

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The text symbol allows you to put one line of text on a display. Multiple lines of text are not supported. When this symbol is first added to the display, a text box with a blinking text cursor is displayed. You can add or edit text by double-clicking the Text symbol while in Build mode, which provides the text cursor. Unlike most other ProcessBook symbols, this symbol is not sized by dragging an area on the display. Instead, the symbol is sized to accommodate the text within. When text is added, the symbol grows in size and when text is removed the symbol size shrinks. The size of the font used also affects the size of the symbol. You can format the text symbol for font and color. Text symbols have all the functionality of other static symbols except rotating and flipping.

Add Text to a Display Use the Text tool to add text to a display. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Text button Click Draw > Text. The mouse pointer changes to a text pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the text. 4. Type the text in the text block. (You can only type the text on one line. It will not wrap.)
Note: Text block refers to the text area associated with a shape that appears when you click the shape with the text tool or select it with the pointer tool.

, or

5. When you finish typing, press ESC or click outside the text block.

Edit a Text Box 1. In Build mode, open a display and double-click the text block you want to edit. 2. Click where you want to add or edit text. 3. Type to add text or edit the text. 4. When you finish typing, press ESC or click outside the text block.

Move a Text Block 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. Click the text block you want to move, drag it to the new location, and then release the mouse button.

Line Symbol

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Lines within a drawing can be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical. Attributes you can change include line color and whether a line is dotted or dashed, thick or thin, and with or without arrowheads.

Draw a Line 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Line button Click Draw > Line. 3. The mouse pointer changes to the line pointer. 4. Point to where you want to start the line. 5. Drag to draw the line. Press the SHIFT key while drawing to constrain the line to a horizontal or vertical line. , or

Rectangle, Square, Arc, Ellipse, and Circle Symbol

Using the drawing tools, you can create these simple shapes:

Rectangle, Square Arc Ellipse, Circle

Draw a Rectangle, Square, Arc, Ellipse, or Circle 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Rectangle Click the appropriate tool. The mouse pointer changes to a tool pointer. The appearance of the pointer indicates the type of tool you have chosen. 3. Click the display to place the upper left corner of the shape, and drag down and to the right to create a shape of the desired size. Press SHIFT while drawing to constrain the object to a square, circle, or circular arc. 4. Release the mouse button to complete a Rectangle, Square, Ellipse, or Circle. -or5. If you used the arc tool, one quarter of the shape is drawn. Click on it and resize it to the desired shape. Click and drag the end of the arc to change the angle.
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,or Ellipse button

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Press SHIFT to change the angle in 15-degree increments. When the arc is first drawn, the handle for reshaping the angle is just inside the resize handle.

Example of an arc

Polygon Symbol

The Polygon tool draws irregular shapes. When you select the polygon tool the mouse pointer changes to a polygon pointer. Polygons are drawn using the current color and line style attributes.

Draw a Polygon 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Polygon button Choose Draw > Polygon. The mouse pointer changes to the Polygon pointer. 3. Click inside the display where you want to start drawing the first point of the polygon (point "a" in the example below). 4. Drag to create the first side (point "a" to point "b" in the example below). 5. Release the mouse button to position the second point of the polygon (point "b" in the example below). 6. Click at each of the remaining points of the polygon (points "c" through "g" in example below). Lines are drawn between the clicks. , or

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7. To close and fill the polygon, double-click to place the last point in the polygon (point "g" in the example below). This action draws a line from the last point to the first point (point "g" to point "a" in the example below).

Example of a Polygon

Polyline Symbol

A Polyline is a set of line segments that you can draw using the Polyline tool. It uses the current line style attributes. Once you add a Polyline symbol, you may edit it in the same manner as the existing Polygon symbol. You can move or resize the entire symbol, as well as move the individual endpoints to create any desired arrangement.

Draw a Polyline 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Polyline button The mouse pointer changes to the Polyline pointer. 3. Click inside the display where you want the starting point of the first line segment. 4. Drag to the location of the second point to make the first line. Each time you click the mouse button again, a new line is drawn from the location of the previously plotted point to the current location of the mouse pointer. 5. To finish the Polyline drawing, double-click. Press ESC to cancel the line altogether.
Note: Press the Shift key while you draw to create Right Angle Polylines. Similarly, pressing Shift during editing manipulates a point orthogonally in relation to the next endpoint.

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Graphic Symbol

In PI ProcessBook you can:


Include a graphic file from another application, such as Microsoft Visio or CorelDRAW. Use a drawing or picture as the background for your display, then add symbols to it. This can reduce the amount of time you take to create a drawing. Rotate or flip a picture. Add an illustration to a display, and store it within the display or link it to the original graphic file. (Linking means that if the original graphic is edited or moved, it affects the appearance of the display as well.) Load an image in one file format and later save it in a different format.

Note: A drawing is display resolution dependent, which means it may look different from one monitor to another. Test the drawing on each monitor to see how it will look.

PI ProcessBook supports the following image formats. Note that PI ProcessBook draws using raster graphics, so vector graphic formats may not appear exactly as expected.
BMP CUR EMF ICO JPEG Windows Bitmap file; standard, non-compressed bit-mapped graphic A file that contains an image that defines the shape of a cursor on the screen. Enhanced Metafile Format; 32-bit Microsoft Windows Metafile vector format that also supports raster images. A file that contains a graphic to be used as an icon. Joint Photographic Experts Group - Refers both to the standard for storing compressed images and a graphic stored in that format. Note that this format is prone to lose resolution when it is repeatedly saved. Portable Network Graphics - graphic image format that utilizes lossless compression. Tag Image File Format graphic image. The Windows Metafile Format - the original 16-bit native vector file format for the Microsoft Windows operating environment.

PNG TIFF, TIF WMF

Add a Graphic 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Graphic button Click Draw > Graphic. The mouse pointer changes to a graphic pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the image and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the graphic will be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Define Graphic dialog is displayed.
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4. Click the Browse button to locate the graphic drawing. -orIn the File Name box, type the path and file name of the graphic you want to insert. 5. Under Image Location, select:

Embed if you want to update the graphic within the display file. Link if you want to store the graphic separately from the display file.

6. Under Format, select the appropriate option.


Note: Stretching the image to fit the bounding rectangle may distort the appearance of the graphic.

7. Click OK. 8. A copy of the graphic is added to the display.

Symbol Library

A large selection of images is available in the Symbol Library. Many of these images have characteristics such as color, fill type, orientation, or background, which you can modify. On the installation CD, OSIsoft provides several other commonly used images in the ProcessBook file SYMLIBRY.PIW. You can cut and paste these images into a display. You can also add frequently used drawing components (for example, company logos) to this PIW file for later reuse. This file is usually installed here:
C:\Program Files\ProcessBook\ProgramFiles\pipc\Procbook\SYMLIBRY.PIW

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Add an Image from the Symbol Library 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Symbol Library button -orOn the Draw menu, click Symbol Library.The mouse pointer changes to the Symbol Library pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the image and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which to place it. When you release the mouse button, the Symbol Library dialog appears. 4. Under Categories, click the type of image you want to use, such as Boilers, Controllers, Valves, etc. .

5. Click Options (page 125) to modify the image. 6. Click OK to add the image to your display. Configure Symbol Library Options 1. In the Symbol Library (page 125) dialog, a selection of images is displayed in the righthand side of the dialog box, click the appropriate symbol, and then click the Options button. -orRight-click the image and click Symbol Options. The Symbol Options dialog appears.

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Configure the following options:


Fill ModeControls the way the image is drawn. Options include Original, Shaded, Solid or Hollow. Fill ColorClick the color box to change the fill color. FlipSelect Horizontal, Vertical, or Both to change the orientation of the image. The default setting is None. This setting returns the image to its original position. RotationSelect 90, 180, or 270 to turn the image by 90 degree increments. The default setting is 0. This setting returns the image to its original position. TransparentCheck this box if you want a transparent background. Background ColorIf the Transparent check box is not selected, you can click the color box to change the background color.

Note: Change the image fill and background color directly on a display by using the Fill Color and Background Color Formatting toolbar. buttons on the Symbol

2. Click the Defaults button if you want to revert to the default settings. 3. Click OK to accept the changes and return to the Symbol Library (page 125) dialog.

Symbol Properties If you right-click an image in the Symbol Library, the focus box at the upper left reflects that image. A small dialog appears; you can choose either Symbol Options or Properties. If you choose Properties, you see a Symbol Properties dialog, which displays the Symbol description, Data size, Type, and Handle information. This information could be used in VBA automation of PI ProcessBook.

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Details and Annotations
The Details docking window is available to show data from dynamic symbols. The window is only available in Run mode and initially appears along the right side of your ProcessBook window; however, you can click and drag it anywhere inside the PI ProcessBook application. The PI Annotations editor is located at the bottom of the Details window.

Details Window
To view data in the Details window, click a symbol in your display. Moving a plot cursor changes the rows highlighted to show the range of data around the cursor time. By default, the window remains open when a different display symbol is selected. The Details window is hidden when you switch to Build mode. You cannot open the Details window while in Build mode. The Details window contains the following components:

Data ItemThis field allows you to choose a data item, including datasets and PI tags in the selected symbol (by default, the first trace or main data source for the selected symbol is shown). The Show All entry shows data for all the data sources in the selected symbol.

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Note: The Show All option only displays the first 3,500 values. This value can be increased by adding the registry key HKCU\Software\PISystem\PI ProcessBook\DetailsAddin\MaxPoints (type DWORD) and setting it to the maximum number of points desired.

OptionThis field allows you to toggle among three different types of information about your data source.

Datashows recorded values for a selected symbol's time range. By default the table is sorted on the timestamp column in descending order. Questionable (Q): The event value is unreliable or the circumstances under which it was recorded are suspect. Annotated (A): An annotation has been made to the event to include further information or commentary. You can add annotations (page 129) to PI tags using PI ProcessBook, if you have permission to write to that tag on the PI Server. Substituted (S): The event value has been changed from the original archived value. Statisticsshows a table of available summary values available, for example, Average, Minimum, and Maximum. Selecting this option disables the PI Annotation Maintenance controls. Available statistics vary for each symbol type. Point Attributesshows an alphabetized list of PI point attribute values (page 154). This option is only available for PI tags. Selecting this option disables the PI Annotation Maintenance controls.

Each view option provides the following controls: <Symbol Name>The name of the symbol selected on the display is shown above the data table. Refresh Refresh data in all tables. Data shown does not automatically change after a symbol is first selected. You must use refresh to view any updates in the Details window. Enlarge/Shrink Font number of visible rows. Makes the text size bigger or smaller. This may reduce the

Copy to Clipboard Allows you to copy the data table to your clipboard. You can then paste this data into another location such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Note: Use the pin icon to lock the docking window to your screen. Click the pin icon again to unpin the window and minimize it along the border of your PI ProcessBook window. When a docking window is unpinned, a button appears along the side of the screen. Hover over it to re-expand the window.

Open Details Window Click View > Details to display the Details window (page 127). Alternatively, you can select the Show Details and Annotations command from the Context Display Menu. The Details window is only available in Run mode.

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PI Annotations Maintenance
Annotations allow you to associate related information (such as text comments and other binary data) with any archive value. The PI Annotation Maintenance group at the bottom of the Details window (page 127) allows you to easily annotate values on your dynamic symbols.

Annotations can be added, edited or viewed, provided that:


The selected data item points to a PI Tag The target PI Server can read and write annotations You have permission to write annotations on the target PI Server A row representing an event is selected in the Data table

If the target PI Server (or collective) is unavailable or cannot accept edits from the current user, the control is disabled. If the PI Server becomes unavailable while you are entering an annotation and you then click the Save button, you will receive an error.
Note: If you select Show All from the Data Source drop-down box on the Details (page 127) window, the Value and Value Type fields in the PI Annotation Maintenance group are disabled.

Add Annotations 1. Open the Details (page 127) window 2. In Run mode, select a dynamic symbol on your display. 3. Select the event of interest in the Data table. 4. Click inside the Value text box and enter the information you wish displayed in your annotation. 5. Select a value from the Value Type drop-down box. 6. Click the Save button at the top of the PI Annotations Maintenance group. An annotation icon appears on the dynamic symbol if it is showing the annotated event. Hover over this icon to read your annotation. A record of the annotation also appears on the Details window when the Data option is selected.
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Note: You need to be running a PI Server 3.4 or higher for annotations to work correctly. Otherwise, it is possible that an annotated event will not only be marked as annotated, but will also be marked as substituted.

Data Favorites
The Data Favorites add-in provides a way to configure symbols by dragging a PI tag name (or other data item) from a list onto the symbol. The add-in can be unloaded or set not to load at startup by changing the options in the Add-in Manager (page 8) dialog. When the Data Favorites add-in is first loaded, its window appears in the upper left corner of the PI ProcessBook application window. The window is only accessible in Build mode. If the window is closed, in Build mode, click View > Data Favorites. There are two panels within the Data Favorites window:

Search (page 130) Favorites (page 131)

Each panel can be collapsed if it is not needed.

Select a Default Symbol


The Default Symbol button controls which symbol is created when data items are dropped on an empty area of the display. To set the default symbol, click the Default Symbol button and select an option from the drop-down list. Available symbols:

Bar (page 112) Trend (page 71) Value (page 108) XYPlot (page 90)

Note: If the selected symbol type does not support the data type of the dropped data item, a value symbol is drawn instead.

Search for Data Favorites

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Data Favorites

Use the Search panel to search for PI tags and other data items. To search for data items, use the Search Mask text box or click the Tag Search button to launch the Tag Search dialog. Tags selected using the Tag Search dialog automatically populate the Data Favorites Search list. The Search Mask field searches for tags matching the entered string on your default PI Server. To save a data item to your Favorites, either drag and drop it into your Favorites list, or right click the data item in the Search list and click Add to Favorites.
Note: Use the pin icon to lock the docking window to your screen. Click the pin icon again to unpin the window and minimize it along the border of your PI ProcessBook window. When a docking window is unpinned, a button appears along the side of the screen. Hover over it to re-expand the window.

Favorites Panel

The Favorites panel provides controls for manipulating the list of data favorites (page 130).
Note: The Favorites list is saved per user, so when a different user opens PI ProcessBook on the same machine, their list may be different.

Use Favorites 1. In Build mode, click View > Data Favorites to launch the Data Favorites docking window. 2. Select a default symbol for Data Favorites. Any favorites dragged onto a display take the form of this symbol.

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3. In the Favorites panel, drag and drop any listed favorite to an existing trend or XYPlot symbol, or to a blank area of a display. The data item is permanently added once the display is saved.
Note: If the dropped selection contains multiple data items (for example, multiple tags) and the Bar or Value symbol is selected, a symbol is created for each one, slightly offset from each other, in cascading layout.

Import or Export Data Favorites To import data favorites: 1. Right-click in the Datasource list in the Favorites panel, and click Import Favorites. 2. Select a text file to import. To export data favorites: 1. Right-click in the Datasource list in the Favorites panel, and click Export Favorites. The Save as dialog appears. 2. Name the export file to save.

Drag Data Between PI ProcessBook and Other Applications The Data Favorites (page 130) add-in supports dragging a list of tag names in the following formats:

One row of tags separated by either a semi-colon or tab delimiter Multiple rows (row delimited by a new line) of at least two columns which are delimited by either a tab or a semi-colon. Only one delimiter is used, and while there can be more than two columns in the dragged rows, only the first two columns are used. The first column must be the tag name, the second column may be an optional tag descriptor.

Drags can come from any application that supports the text clipboard format, for example, Microsoft Word or Excel.

Select and Move a Symbol


Before you can apply commands to display objects you must select them. You can select single or multiple items on a display. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. Click a symbol in your display. Small squares appear around the bounding rectangle of the symbol. 3. If you want to move the symbol, drag the symbol to the desired location within your display. Press the Tab key to toggle among different symbols in your display once a symbol is selected. When you press the Tab key you deselect the current object and select the next
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object in the tabbing order. The tabbing order follows the stacking order (page 134) on the display (by default, the order in which objects were added to the display). To cancel a selection on any one object press SHIFT while clicking the object to deselect. To cancel selection of all objects on a display, click on the display background (in a spot where there are no symbols).
Note: ActiveX controls on the display do not react to tab order like other ProcessBook symbols because they are treated as separate windows within the display.

Select Multiple Symbols


You can perform many of the editing and organizing functions on more than one symbol at a time. For example, once selected, you can move multiple symbols to a new location, edit the color of lines and fill for multiple symbols, or even flip and rotate multiple symbols. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. Do one of the following:

To select all of the symbols in a drawing area, click Edit > Select All. To select individual symbols, press SHIFT while clicking each symbol. Selection handles display around each selected item. To select several symbols at the same time, click near a symbol, and then drag to create a rectangle that includes all the symbols you want to select. To select symbols that are stacked on top of each other, click the top symbol. Selection handles appear. Continue clicking the top symbol to select symbols located under the top symbol.

3. Click the symbols you want to change or move. The selected symbols display handles.

Rotate a Symbol
You can rotate a drawing symbol in 15 or 1 increments. You cannot rotate text, graphics, or OLE objects. Symbol Library images can only be rotated in 90 increments. 1. Select the symbol you want to rotate. 2. Click Arrange > Rotate. A rotation object appears in the center of the symbol. 3. Click a selection handle and drag in the direction that you want to rotate the symbol. The symbol is rotated in 1 increments. -orPress SHIFT while dragging to rotate in 15 increments.

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Flip a Symbol
You can create a mirror image of a symbol by flipping it. You cannot flip text, graphics, or OLE objects. 1. Select the symbol you want to flip. 2. Click Arrange > Flip > Horizontal to flip the symbol from right to left or Vertical to flip the symbol from top to bottom.

Delete a Symbol
When you want to delete a drawing symbol or group of symbols: 1. Select a symbol or multiple symbols that you want to delete. 2. Press DELETE, -orClick Edit > Clear.

Stacking Order
Each symbol you add to a drawing occupies its own space in the drawing. The layers, and therefore the symbols, are stacked on top of each other. By default, the first symbol you draw is at the bottom of the stacking order and the last symbol you draw is at the top of the stacking order. Using the stacking commands, you can move a symbol forward or backward within the stack. Depending on the number of objects between top and bottom, you may need to repeat a stacking command several times to move the symbol to the desired location within the stack.

Move a Symbol Forward or Backward in the Stack


1. Select the symbol you want to order.

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2. On the Arrange menu, choose the direction you want to move the symbol:

Click Forward to move it up one level (on top of something else). Click Backward to move it down one level (below something else). Click Bring to Front to move it to the top of the stack (on top of everything). Click Send to Back to move it to the bottom of the stack (below everything).

Align Multiple Symbols


You can align drawing symbols (page 53) with each other. Use this feature to align symbols along their tops, bottoms, sides, or centers (either vertically or horizontally). The first symbol you select is the symbol to which others are aligned. When two or more value symbols are aligned, the text justification for each matches the alignment rule: left, center, or right. 1. Select the symbols you want to align. 2. Click Arrange > Align. The Align submenu is displayed.

3. Click the alignment options you want. All the selected symbols are aligned to the symbol you first selected, along the axis you specify.

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Examples of Alignment Options

Group, Ungroup, or Regroup symbols


When creating or manipulating complex shapes, it is sometimes easier to combine individual symbols into one. You can group two or more symbols together, or you can group several groups. Once grouped, any commands that you apply affect the composite symbol as if it were a single symbol. If you want a group of symbols to remain together, but you need to continue modifying the components separately, you can attach the symbols (page 140) instead of grouping them. Select the symbols you want to group and from the Arrange menu choose one of the following:

GroupThe symbols combine into one composite symbol with selection handles around the entire group. UngroupThe group is disassembled into its component symbols. RegroupYou do not need to re-select all the components to regroup a previously grouped set of symbols. This command is only enabled when it applies.

Connectors
Connect Symbols

Connect two symbols to each other using the connector symbol. A connector remains attached to other symbols regardless of how you move them. A connector is intended for modeling and automation purposes. Connection points on each symbol define where a connection occurs. You can add, delete, or move connection points on a symbol.

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Connectors try to avoid objects as they are being connected between two symbols. As connectors are drawn, they are orthogonal to the display, meaning that they go horizontally or vertically. There are no diagonal connectors. Each end of a connector attaches to a connection point on another symbol. If you have not already created a connection point on a symbol, a connection point is built automatically as you draw the connector across a bounding line of the symbol. To connect two existing symbols on a display: 1. Click the Connector button -orClick Draw > Connector. 2. Click the first symbol, called the source, and drag the mouse into the second symbol, called the destination. The connector arrow has a flow direction from the source to the destination. Connection points appear on both symbols. We recommend that you not move connectors by dragging and dropping them. Instead, use the Connectors dialog to rearrange connectors.
Note: You can use the Undo and Redo commands with connectors.

Connection Points
Connection points on each symbol define where a connector may connect. Connection points are visible in Build mode only and appear on symbols as small x marks. When you select one with your cursor, it changes to an x within a bounding circle. A connection point is created automatically when a connector is dragged into a symbol. This point is created at the midpoint of the nearest edge of the bounding rectangle of the symbol. The end of the connector is moved to the connection point. You may add connection points and move them to specific locations. A connection point can be used for either the start of the flow or the end of a flow. The same connection point can be used for both. A flow can be bi-directional. If a second connector is dragged over a symbol, it either moves to the existing connection point or creates a new one. For irregular figures, connection points are placed near the midpoint of the side of the bounding rectangle of the figure, as shown in the illustration below, rather than inside the figure itself. You can adjust the position of the connection point to touch the actual figure.

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Connector with Connection Point on the Bounding Rectangle

Note: If a symbol is placed in front of another, the connection points on the hidden symbol cannot be selected. You can solve this problem by placing the two symbols on different layers of the display.

Add Connection Points To add a connection point: 1. In Build mode, select the symbol. 2. Click Edit > Connection Points > Add. A point appears at the upper left of the symbol. 3. If you wish, drag the new connection point to a different location.
Note: After you select one connection point, you can press C on the keyboard to cycle through any additional connection points on that symbol.

Disconnect a Connection Point


To disconnect a connection point from a connector:

1. In Build mode, click the connector connected to the connection point you want to disconnect. 2. Move your pointer over the connection point you want to disconnect. The point turns into a +. 3. Click and drag the + sign to disconnect the connection point.

Delete Connection Points To delete a connection point from a symbol: 1. Select the connection point. 2. Click Edit > Connection Points > Delete.

Move Connection Points Connection points may be moved to a new position within a symbol. To do this, click on a connection point in Build mode and drag it. For very fine adjustments, you can move connection points on a symbol. 1. In Build mode, click on a connection point. 2. Click Edit > Connection Points > Move. The Connection Point Placement dialog appears, where you can edit the width and height ratios in comparison to the X and Y axes of the symbol.

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Determine the Identifying Number of a Connection Point In Build mode, if you place your mouse over a connection point, a ToolTip shows the connection point number. The following illustration refers to connection point 2 on Rectangle 1. Connection point numbers are used on the Connectors Dialog Flow tab (page 141).

Connection Point Numbering

In other words, connection points have identifying names that are derived from the symbol name. For example, for a rectangle named Rectangle2, two connection points would be named <Rectangle2 : 1> and <Rectangle2 : 2>. If you are using a symbol from the Symbol Library, the connection point is named <TBSymbolx : n>, where TBSymbolx represents the specific name of the symbol.

Attach a Symbol to a Connector


You can attach a symbol, such as a text box or a meter, to a connector. Attaching is different from connecting. An attached symbol moves with a connector but does not account for flow direction. To attach a symbol to a connector: 1. Click Edit > Display to open the Display Properties dialog. 2. Be sure the Enable Connector Attachments option is selected. Click OK. 3. Create the subordinate symbol and drag and drop it across the connector. The subordinate attachment is attached to the connector. The placement is snapped either left/right or top/bottom depending upon the orthogonal direction of the connector at the position where the attachment has been placed.

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Note: To remove an attached symbol from a connector, click the symbol and drag it away from the connector.

Attach a Symbol as an Adjunct to Another Symbol You may want to attach two or more symbols so that they move together but do not become a composite symbol. For example, you might attach a text label symbol to a pump symbol. The text symbol is subordinate to the pump symbol and follows the pump symbol if the latter is moved. The advantage of this method of attachment is that each symbol in the group retains its identity and can be acted on individually for automation purposes. 1. Select at least two symbols. This enables the Symbol Attachments icon 2. Click the Symbol Attachments icon, or Click Edit > Symbol Attachments, or On the right-click menu, click Symbol Attachments. The Symbol Attachments dialog appears. The symbols you selected appear as master or subordinate symbols. The first symbol selected becomes the master, the subsequent ones are subordinates. .

3. Select the Master Symbol. As you change the master, the title of the dialog changes also. 4. Place a check mark for the subordinate symbol or symbols and click OK. 5. Repeat the process for each master symbol. The Detach All bar at the top can be used to remove all attachments from the currently selected symbol in the Master box. To detach only one attachment, clear its check box. 6. Click OK. When you move a master symbol, any subordinates move with it.

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Connectors Dialog

Use the Connectors dialog to rearrange connections. To reach this dialog: Click the Connectors toolbar button. -orClick Edit > Connectors. -orOn the right-click menu, click Connectors. The Connectors dialog affects connector symbols only. It cannot be used to attach one symbol to another symbol without a connector. The Connectors dialog has two tabs, Flow (page 141) and Attachments (page 142). Each connector is identified by a unique name, which is revealed by a ToolTip in your display.

Configure the Flow of a Connector The Connectors Dialog, Flow tab specifies the source and destination of each connector from one symbol's connection point to another symbol's connection point. The dialog is available whenever a Connector exists on a display. The Flow tab shows two tree diagrams, Source and Destination, where you can change the connection points for the connector shown in the Connector drop-down box. There is also a Flow Direction drop-down box associated with the connector that appears in the Connector drop-down box. The Auto Avoid option is checked as a default, so that connectors route around other objects in the display.

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1. In Build mode, open the Connectors dialog (page 141). The Flow tab is in focus.
Note: Hover over any symbol or connector on a display for a ToolTip to identify the connector you wish to rearrange.

2. In the Connector drop-down box, select a Connector. Connection points for the selected connector appear highlighted in the Source and Destination boxes. 3. [optional] Modify the Flow Direction. 4. Click a new Connection Point on the Source tree to change the source connection point. 5. Click a Connection Point on the Destination tree to change the destination connection point.
Note: As you adjust connection points in the Connectors dialog, the corresponding connector in your display also provides visual indicators to help you see how your changes will appear.

6. Click Apply. This changes the display. 7. Repeat these steps for all connectors on the display that you wish to modify. 8. Click OK.

Configure Attachments to a Connector For very complex displays, it may be helpful to attach or arrange connector attachments through the Connectors Dialog, Attachments tab.

1. In Build mode, create a connector.

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2. Create the auxiliary symbol to be added to the connector. 3. Open the Connectors dialog (page 141), and select the Attachments tab. 4. Choose a connector from the Connector drop-down box. Unattached symbols on the display are listed in the Unattached Symbols box. Symbols that are already attached to the connector appear in the Currently Attached box. Existing source and destination symbols that are connected to connectors are not listed. 5. Highlight a symbol in the Unattached Symbols box that you want to add and click Add. The symbol now appears in the Currently Attached box.
Note: The Unattached Symbols box does not include Connectors or symbols attached to other symbols.

6. Adjust the position and placement of the attached symbol as needed.


To move the symbol closer to one end of the connector, double-click the specified % and change it. To move the symbol from the top of the connector to another placement, double-click the default Top and choose Left, Right, or Bottom.

7. Click Apply and select another connector to adjust. 8. If you need to remove an attachment, highlight the attachment in the Currently Attached box and click Remove. 9. When you are finished adjusting, click OK.

Detect Connections and Attachments


To see whether connectors or attached symbols exist for a particular symbol click the symbol or connector and hold down the mouse button.

If there are existing connectors, all connectors with attached symbols for that symbol are highlighted and display in a different color (for example, white for black or yellow for blue). If there are no connectors, nothing happens.

Reroute a Connector Path


When you move a symbol, its connectors shift automatically to stay connected to the moved symbol and avoid overlapping other symbols in the display. Connectors can overlap each other. If a drawing becomes complex, you can request that all connectors be rerouted by clicking the Reroute button. If you select specific connectors and click Reroute, only those connectors are rerouted. Connectors crossing each other may be unavoidable but should be minimized. Do not move connectors manually. The object avoidance feature in PI ProcessBook can either ignore or take connectors into account when looking for the shortest path from the source to a destination. This behavior is
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controlled by the ConnectorsAvoidConnectors setting in ProcBook.ini (page 211).


Note: Object avoidance does not occur after you drag and drop a connectors line segment. If you modify the position of a connector manually, the center point and end points on the connector change from green to red, indicating that automatic object avoidance is turned off and you are responsible for all further updates to that connector.

Rerouting can consume significant system resources (CPU and Memory) to solve complex problems. Factors that can increase complexity include:

A very large display Large numbers of Connectors on a single display Large numbers of symbols to be avoided A high number of "Lines per Screen Unit" (set in "Arrange", "Grid Size", "Lines per Screen Unit"1 equals the largest cell size; 30 gives the smallest cell size) Routing multiple displays on the same PC

Item Definition

Use the Item Definition button in either Build or Run mode when you want to see what tags and formatting options were used in any symbol that uses a dialog box for basic configuration. It is the same as double-clicking on the item with the Build mode pointer. If the symbol does not have a definition dialog box, the button is dimmed. You can change the selections and save the new definition. This button does not open any of the formatting dialogs (for example, Font or Color).

Display or Change Item Definition


1. In either Build or Run mode, open a display. 2. Double-click the dynamic symbol whose definition you would like to change (such as a value, bar, trend, or button). -orClick the symbol, then on the Formatting toolbar, click the Item Definition button. A definition dialog box displays that corresponds to the symbol you selected:
Note: If the Item Definition button appears dimmed the symbol you selected may not have a definition dialog box.

3. In the appropriate dialog box, make your changes to the item's definition, and then click OK. These changes are saved with the symbol.
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Status Report for Dynamic Symbols


The Status Bar at the bottom of the PI ProcessBook application shows whether dynamic symbols in a display are updating normally. The Status icon is a green circle when there are no errors. It is a blue circle containing a question mark (?) if the display shows questionable data or a yellow arrow for substituted data. It contains an X in a red circle if a dynamic symbol is reporting bad data (or shutdown status). As you shift focus from one display to another, the icon may change. If you shift back to the Table of Contents, the status icon remains from the last display in focus. or The Status Report dialog appears when you have a display in focus and double-click the Status icon. This report lists all the symbols in a display that have data associated with them. You see the tag to which the symbol is connected and, if there is an issue, the error message appears. You can sort the list by any of the column headings.

For troubleshooting purposes, the Message Log button shows you the SDK Log file. You can save this report as a .csv file by using the Save to File button.
Note: The Status Bar can be displayed or hidden from the View Status Bar item on the View menu.

Status Flags for Data


In addition to the Error indicator shown in the Status Bar (page 145), PI ProcessBook has three types of flags to indicate that the data is valid but additional information is available. Each dynamic symbol can display an icon when there is additional status information
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available. When move your pointer over a flagged symbol, a ToolTip appears with the status message. In trends, status messages appear to the right of the tag values in the legend if the status is associated with the last value on the plot. The icons are shown below:

Questionableindicates that there is some reason to doubt the accuracy of the value. Substitutedused to indicate that the value has been changed from its original value. This value is set only by the PI Server when an existing value is changed. Annotatedindicates that there is a comment about a value. Text annotations are shown in symbol ToolTips. Use the Details window (page 127) to view and add annotations.

If a tag has more than one flag, the highest priority status will be shown. The priority from high to low is: Questionable, Substituted, Annotated. To view all the flags associated with a PI Tag on the display, use the Details window, Data option. If you clear the Show Value Attributes check box in your Start Preferences, you do not see these icons. Consider disabling the icons to improve ProcessBook performance if you have very high speed sub-second data.

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Chapter 7

PI System Data
PI ProcessBook allows you to view PI System data from a variety of sources, including PI Points, PI AF element attributes, and PI Calculation data sets (expression or summary).

About PI Data
PI ProcessBook retrieves and helps you visualize data from your PI System and other systems that support different business functions and provide access to diverse information. You will likely work with PI data stored in:

PI Server PI Asset Framework (PI AF)

You will typically use these items to specify the information you want to see: PI Points/PI Tags A PI point is a stream of real-time data from a defined source, and is described by a corresponding tag name and other attributes. PI points are frequently referred to as PI tags, and the terms are used somewhat interchangeably. However, a tag is simply a reference name for a PI point. PI AF Assets PI AF Assets are the building blocks of PI AF (like modules in MDB) and can represent either physical or logical entities in your process, such as a physical device, piece of equipment, storage container, or representative section of a process. PI AF Attributes PI AF attributes represent data that is associated with an element. They can contain configuration information for the element, or measured or calculated process data that provides the information necessary for getting and setting its value to and from a data stream. Conceptually, a PI AF attribute replaces the PI aliases and PI properties that were used in the PI Module Database. PI AF attributes are children of PI AF elements. Different types of data perform different functions: Time Series Data PI Server data is collected and stored in the form of points, each of which represents a timeseries data stream from a particular source, such as a temperature or pressure sensor. A tag is a reference name for a PI point. Calculated Data
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Statistical calculations allow you to view Averages, High and Low values, and measures of variance. These all provide critical information about data events over a period of time. Contextual Data Contextual data is a method of associating PI points and their properties with their business use, location, service or role. A content creator can configure contextual data to reflect the structure of the information, making data and its presentation more logical and accessible. A PI point tag name is an example of contextual data. PI points also have various configurable properties associated with the data, called point attributes. However, this information is presented largely in language relevant to data processing, not in measurements or standard business terms that are easily accessible to users outside the Operations department. PI AF provides a holding place for contextual representations of all data used in your PI System. Elements and attributes can reference PI points and attributes or data in other systems, including relational databases and web services.

PI Time
PI Time abbreviations and PI Time expressions allow you to specify times and time ranges for data using constants, variables, and short expressions. PI Time Abbreviations An interval is a unit of time that can be used in time entries. Intervals that support fractional values are listed below. For intervals where the Fractions column indicates No, fractional amounts cannot be used in time strings.
Name second minute hour day month year week weekday yearday Short name s m h d mo y w wd yd Plural name seconds minutes hours days months years weeks weekdays yeardays Member names no no no no yes (for example, December) no no yes (for example, Tuesday) no Fractions yes yes yes no no no no no no

You can spell out month and weekday names, or enter the first three letters (for example, Dec, Tue). PI Times can also be expressed using certain constants:
Constant * Today or t Result The current time. 12:00 am of the current day.

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Constant Yesterday or y Sunday or sun

Result 12:00 am of the previous day. 00:00:00 (midnight) on the most recent past Sunday (in reference to the PI Server).

PI Time Expressions PI allows three types of time expressions: relative time, combined time, and absolute time:
Expression Relative Time Description Relative time expressions specify a number of days, hours, minutes, or seconds with either a leading plus sign or a leading minus sign. In the absence of a reference time (such as * or an absolute time) in either the start or end time strings, the end time is calculated relative to current clock time and the start time is calculated relative to the end time. Combined Time A combined time expression is a specific reference time followed by a relative time expression. Examples +1d -24h -3m +24s

*+8h 18-dec-02 3m t+32s * 14-Dec-97 11-Nov-96 2:00:00.0001 t y

Absolute Time

An absolute time expression is any time expression that is neither a relative nor a combined time expression.

When using PI times, follow these guidelines:

Use absolute or combined time expressions. Avoid using relative time expressions. Multiple relative time expressions in a time range may cause an incorrect start time or an error message, depending on the context of the expression. Relative and combined time expressions contain only a single operator: either a single plus sign (+) or a single minus sign (-). Additional operators can lead to unpredictable results. For example, the following are not valid time expressions:
*+1d+4h T-1d+12h

The name or short name for an interval used to denote PI time is not case-sensitive.

PI Time String Examples Time Syntax Examples


PI Time String 06-dec-91 15:00:00 * 25 Meaning 3:00:00 pm on December 6, 1991 Current time (now) 00:00:00 (midnight) on the 25th of the current month 149

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PI Time String 25-aug-92 8: 25 8: t y sun, mon, tue, wed, thu, fri, sat *-1h t+8h y-8h mon+14.5h sat-1m

Meaning 00:00:00 (midnight) on August 25th, 1992 08:00:00 on the current date 08:00:00 on the 25th of the current month 00:00:00 on the current date (today) 00:00:00 on the previous date (yesterday) 00:00:00 on the most recent Sunday, Monday, ... Saturday One hour ago 8:00:00 am today 4:00:00 pm on the day before yesterday 2:30:00 pm last Monday 11:59:00 pm last Friday

Time Interval Examples In interval expressions, a positive or unmarked interval is based on the starttime, and a negative interval is based on the endtime of a time expression. For example, if starttime is y, endtime is t, and interval is +5h for a Sampled Data function, then interpolated values are generated at y, y+5h, y+10h, y+15h, and y+20h. If the interval is -5h, the interpolated values are generated at y+4h, y+9h, y+14h, y+19h and t.
PI Time String 1.5h 32m 49s +5h -5h Meaning One and one-half hours Thirty-two minutes Forty-nine seconds Five hours added to the time beginning with the starttime Five hours subtracted from the time beginning with the endtime

PI Tags (PI Points)


A PI point is a stream of real-time data from a defined source, and is described by a corresponding tag name and other attributes. PI points are frequently referred to as PI tags, and the terms are used somewhat interchangeably. However, a tag is simply a reference name for a PI point.

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PI Server
The PI Server is a time-series database that collects, stores, and retrieves numerical and string data. The PI Server resides on a host computer and is connected to PI ProcessBook through your network. When you open a display containing dynamic symbols, PI ProcessBook retrieves data from the PI Server. PI ProcessBook also notifies the PI Server that it would like to receive data whenever the readings for the dynamic symbols change. Each time a reading changes for points in the display, the information is recorded in the PI Server. This new information is sent to your displays and all the new values are added to trend traces. This is true even if you reduce the display to an icon (page 49).

Updates to PI Data
When a display is opened, current values of PI tags are used for dynamic elements other than trends and XY plots. For trends and XY plots, the time scale is configurable on a plot-by-plot basis. Displays are updated whenever values change. Every five seconds, PI ProcessBook displays any new values for tags in open displays from each PI Server. You can modify the update rate in the procbook.ini file. For trends, new values are added to the trend traces. This update by exception algorithm has two benefits:

Values that do not change are not sent over the network at every update. This can be a significant efficiency improvement over traditional scanning. Values that change more than once within five seconds are shown accurately on trends because all of the changes are delivered to PI ProcessBook.

Values from PI calculations and custom data sets are also updated dynamically.

PI Tag Search
The Tag Search dialog is used to locate PI tags. To launch this dialog: On the Standard toolbar, click the Tag Search button -orClick the Tag Search button in any of the following dialog boxes:

Define Value Define Bar Define XYPlot Multi-State Symbol Define Trend
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The Tag Search dialog box provides three types of searches:


Basic Search allows you to create a tag mask by specifying PI point attributes. The mask is used to find a list of tags on the server with matching attributes. Advanced Search provides a query-building interface with access to more point attributes for complex searches. Alias Search provides a logical tree view of a PI Server through the PI Module Database, which you can use to select tags by their descriptive aliases.

To search for tags: 1. Click a tab to choose a Basic, Advanced or Alias search. 2. Enter the required search criteria and click Search. Use '*' or '?' as wildcard characters to search for tag names and attributes. For example, the tag mask Tem* returns all point names that start with Tem while Tem? returns only points that start with Tem and end with another single character. All point mask fields are case insensitive. You can also click Favorites to access previous searches. 3. Tags returned from a search appear listed in a search results panel. Select the desired tags in the results panel, and click OK.

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Click column headers in the search results panel to sort the results. Ctrl-click or Shift-click to select multiple tags. For more information on PI tags click the Help button from any Tag Search dialog in PI ProcessBook to launch the PI SDK Controls and Dialogs user help.

View Point Attributes


The configuration information for a PI point is stored as a list of attributes. You can display this list of properties for any dynamic symbol. See PI Point Attributes (page 154) for a complete list of attributes and their descriptions. The Point Attributes dialog displays the attributes and snapshot values of PI points. 1. Using either the Run mode or Build mode pointer, click a dynamic symbol. 2. On the standard toolbar click the Tag Properties button in Run mode, click Tools > Point Attributes. The Point Attributes dialog appears.
Note: You can also view Point Attributes in the Details Window (page 127).

, or

click the Pt. Attr. (Point Attributes) button if you are in the Tag Search dialog, or

The tag for which the properties are displayed is shown in the Point Name drop-down list at the top of the dialog box. If a trend has several tags, select each tag from the drop-down list or use the up and down arrows on your keyboard to scroll through the tags. The Point Properties dialog contains the Categorized tab and the Alphabetic tab. The Categorized tab displays the attributes categorically. The following categories are always displayed:

Archive Classic Display Overview Security System

These categories include all the attributes from the Base PointClass. The Base PointClass attributes are common to all PI Points. If the PI point that is being displayed is not from the Base PointClass, there is one additional category. This category is given the name of the PointClass to which the displayed PI point belongs. The PointClass-specific attributes are displayed in this category. The Alphabetic tab displays the attributes alphabetically.

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PI Point Attributes
Attribute Descriptor Exdesc typicalvalue Units Zero Span digstartcode dignumber pointtype pointsource location1 location2 location3 location4 location5 filtercode squareroot scan excdev excmin excmax archiving compressing Res compdev compmin compmax totalcode convers displaydigits instrumenttag sourcept taglong tagshort creator createdate Explanation 26-character tag descriptor 80-character extended tag descriptor Typical value Engineering unit string Zero Span Code for the first digital state string for the tag Number of digital states minus 1 Point type character Point source character Location parameter 1 Location parameter 2 Location parameter 3 Location parameter 4 Location parameter 5 Filter code Square root flag Scan flag Exception deviation in percent of span Exception minimum time in seconds Exception maximum time in seconds Archiving flag Compression flag Resolution code Compression deviation in percent of span Compression minimum time in seconds Compression maximum time in seconds Totalization code Conversion factor for postprocessed points Controls the format of numeric values on terminal-based PI screens Tagname for value in another system; used by some interfaces Tagname for output to other systems; used by some interfaces Long tagname (up to 80 characters) 12 character tagname Creator of the tag Creation date of the tag

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Attribute changer changedate pointnumber pointid

Explanation User who modified the tag's attributes Change date of the tag ID number reused upon deletion of a point Unique internal ID number not reused upon deletion of a point

PI Server Data Types


PI ProcessBook handles a full range of PI Server data types, as shown in this table:
Point Type Digital How It Is Used Used for points whose value can only be one of several discrete states, such as ON/OFF or Red/Green/Yellow. Nearest equivalent to the PI 2.x Digital type. PI ProcessBook supports these as integers. Used for points whose values are 15-bit unsigned integers (0 to 32767). Nearest equivalent to the PI 2.x Integer type. Negative integer values are supported. Used for points whose values are 32-bit signed integers (- 2147450880 to 2147483647). PI reserves some values. Used for floating point values, scaled. The accuracy is one part in 32767. Nearest equivalent to the PI 2.x Real type. Used for single-precision floating- point values, not scaled. PB Support Supported

Int16

Supported

Int32

Supported for positive and negative Integer values

Float16

Supported Use the displaydigits attribute to determine the precision to display. Supported Use the displaydigits attribute to determine the precision to display. Supported On plots, each string event represents an ad-hoc state in a series; not supported on logarithmic traces, multi-state configurations, or bar symbols. Not supported Plotted as seconds over a given range. Not supported for logarithmic traces, multi-states, or bar symbols.

Float32

Float64 String

Used for double-precision floating- point values, not scaled. Each string event represents an ad- hoc state in a series. Used to store string data of up to 976 characters.

Blob Timestamp

Binary large object Used to store any type of binary data up to 976 bytes. Plotted as seconds over a given range. Not supported for logarithmic traces. Used to store values of type Timestamp. Any Time/Date in the Range 1-jan-1970 to 1-Jan-2038

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Element Relative Display (ERD)


Element Relative Display (ERD) is an add-in that replaces the hierarchical, Module Database (MDB)-based Module Relative Display add-in from earlier versions of PI ProcessBook with an asset store based on PI AF elements and their associative attributes. This approach allows you to organize and structure PI System and other data according to objects users are most familiar with, and then visualize that data in a PI ProcessBook display. PI ProcessBook allows you to search a PI AF database for elements and their attributes. You can then add these data items to dynamic symbols to graphically display this data in realtime. For more information on PI AF and elements, see About PI Data (page 147), and the PI AF User Guide. Note: In order to convert a legacy Module Relative Display to an Element Relative Display you must first migrate modules in the Module Database to elements in the PI AF database. MDB to AF migration (page 206) is handled upon upgrade to PI Server 2010. See the PI MDB to AF Transition Guide for further details.
See Also Migrate a Module Relative Display (MRD) to an Element Relative Display (ERD) 208

Connect to a PI AF Database
Use the Select Database dialog to find and connect to PI AF databases.

Click File > PI Systems. The Select Database dialog appears.

Use the System drop-down list to connect to a PI AF server that contains a PI AF database you wish to use. The (...) button launches the Systems dialog, where you can connect to other PI AF servers.

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Once you select a PI AF server, search for a PI AF database using the Databases search box. Select a database and click OK. The database you select is used by the Element Relative Display (page 156) add-in, where you can populate symbols with PI AF elements from the database.

Add Element Relative Data to a Dynamic Symbol


Use the Select Attributes dialog to add PI AF elements and PI AF attributes as data items to dynamic symbols on a display. 1. In Build mode, double-click a dynamic symbol. This opens the Define <symbol> dialog. 2. Click the arrow next to the Tag Search button. A drop-down menu appears.

Note: If you plan to work with an element that does not have multiple contexts you can instead click AF2. This brings up the Select AF Attribute dialog, and gives you another way of searching for AF data.

3. Click Element Relative. The Select Attributes dialog appears.

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The active elements in the Elements of Interest pane on the Element Relative Display docking window appear in the top pane of this dialog under Current Element of Interest. If an element has attributes, those attributes are available to add to a dynamic symbol.
Note: If there are no active elements in the Elements of Interest pane, the Element Search dialog appears instead of the Select Attributes dialog, allowing you to do a new search to populate the Elements of Interest pane.

4. Click attribute names to select from the Attributes for the selected element list. 5. Click the button to add the selected attributes to the Selected Attributes list. Apply the following option if desired:

UOMallows you to select a unit of measure for a given attribute.

6. [Optional] Click the Add Element Name button to add the element name of the current context to the symbol. Select the Use Full Path checkbox to show the full path of the current context instead of just the element name. 7. Click OK to add the selected attribute(s) to your dynamic symbol.

PI AF Context Path
A context path relates a PI AF attribute to a parent element within a PI AF database. An attribute added as a data item to a dynamic symbol can point to different underlying PI points, depending on its context path. Use context paths to drive displays created in PI ProcessBook and other PI client applications. Displays that utilize context paths in this manner are referred to as elementrelative because the data displayed for the attribute at any time depends on the context path that links the attribute to a parent element. Context paths are used most frequently to change the data displayed by a symbol based on user selection. For example, based on the selection of PI AF elements or attributes that represent assets in a plant, a display may present data from parallel assets in a single plant or in different locations. For example, assume Tanks 1-5 in a plant are all described by the same measurement attributes of temperature and pressure. Each tank is represented as an element in the PI AF database with corresponding temperature and pressure attributes. A display that references the temperature attribute could display data for each tank in turn by allowing the user to specify the context path to any particular tank element.

Change PI AF Element Context


Configure a dynamic symbol with element relative data by adding attributes from a specific element to a display. You can dynamically change the context for the selected element on your symbols by clicking an element name in the Elements of Interest pane on the Element Relative Display window. The attribute data that appears on your dynamic symbol

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corresponds to the active element you choose. If the attributes you select are not available for a selected element, you see No Data on the display when that element is selected. To use the Element Relative Display window: 1. Click View > Element Relative Display. The Element Relative Display window appears.

2. In the Search Mask text box enter a search query, and click the green arrow, or a. Click the Element Search button you can use advanced search fields. to launch the Element Search dialog, where

b. Enter your search query and click the Search button. The Search results list is populated with your results. c. Click any element(s) from the Search results list. d. Click OK. Any new items are added to the Elements of Interest list in the Element Relative Display docking window. 3. Search results appear in the Elements of Interest pane.

Click a column heading to sort results by that heading. Use the Filter text box to filter out unwanted entries. Access previously used filter expressions by clicking the small triangle at the end of the text box. Select the Group by check boxes to group your search results by template. Hover over an element to display a ToolTip that show the element's full path.

4. Click an item from the Elements of Interest pane. If there is a corresponding attribute in your display, that attribute's data will refresh with the new element context.

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Note: Use the pin icon to lock the docking window to your screen. Click the pin icon again to unpin the window and minimize it along the border of your PI ProcessBook window. When a docking window is unpinned, a button appears along the side of the screen. Hover over it to re-expand the window.

Data Sets
In PI ProcessBook you can build dynamic symbols using data retrieved from data sets just as you can from specific points in the PI Server. A data set is basically the set of results of a query that addresses a specific data source. You can use placeholders to link PI tags and ODBC data within a query. Data sets are defined at the Book level so that they can be defined once and then shared among different displays within that ProcessBook. If you create an independent display (a .PDI file), the data set is defined only for that display. Trends including data sets can be manipulated, saved, moved, and copied in the same fashion as other trends. Whenever a display is updated, if a trace or value using a data set is configured using relative times, then the trace or value is updated. No updates occur if the data set is configured using absolute times. You can edit an existing data set, either from the Tools menu or from a symbol that uses the data set. However, if you have attached the data set to more than one symbol, editing the data set affects all the symbols. If you move a PI ProcessBook display containing a data set to another machine, you may need to reconfigure the data set or the machine's connection to the data source.

Three types of data sets are available to provide data to displays:

PI Calculation (page 161) data sets (including PI Expression and PI Summary data sets) from PI Servers using PI Performance Equation syntax. These expressions provide summary data, such as averages, minimums, maximums, etc., or calculations such as the sum of two PI point values.

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ODBC (page 164) (Open Database Connectivity) data sets obtained from a relational database. Custom (page 166) data sets built as COM objects supplied by Visual Basic or C++ programs as Add-Ins to PI ProcessBook.

PI Calculation Data Sets


PI Calculation Data Sets include PI Summary Data Sets and PI Expression Data Sets. These are drawn from the PI Server and plotted dynamically. Use the PI Calculation dialog to create, edit, or delete data sets. You can select predetermined calculations or create your own expressions. A similar dialog is used to configure ODBC data sets (page 164).

PI Summary Data Sets PI Summary Data Sets enable you to use pre- determined functions to retrieve aggregated PI data for a tag.

The AVG function calculates the average of the tag values for each interval. The Count function is the sum of event count over the time range when calculation basis is event-weighted, sum of event time duration over the time range when calculation basis is time-weighted. The MIN function selects the minimum of the tag values for each interval. A timestamp associated with the minimum value is also available. The MAX function selects the maximum of the tag values for each interval. A timestamp associated with the maximum value is also available. The PCTGOOD function determines the percentage of time for each interval, when the tags archived values are good (that is without errors, such as out of range errors or shutdown flags). It is not applicable for digital tags. The PSTDEV function calculates the population or sample standard deviation of two or more values. The RANGE function calculates the difference between the tags maximum and minimum values for each interval. The STDEV function calculates the population Standard Deviation of the tag values for each interval. The Total function is the total over the given time range.

These functions are fully described in the Performance Equations chapter of the PI Server Applications User Guide.

PI Expression Data Sets PI Expression Data Sets enable you to create your own function or expression in PI Performance Equation syntax. These expressions can include tag variables with mathematical and logical operations as described in the Performance Equations chapter of the PI Server Applications User Guide. This syntax is also documented on the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, http://techsupport.osisoft.com (http://techsupport.osisoft.com), under the hierarchy Support > Downloads > Documentation for the PI Server.

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Create a PI Calculation Data Set 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears.
Note: You can also create a PI Calculation data set by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the Tag Search button in the Define dynamic symbol dialogs. By accessing the PI Calculation Data dialog this way, you have the additional option of selecting a previously created PI Calculation Data set, as well as the ability to create a new one as outlined below.

2. Click New > PI Calculation. The PI Calculation Data dialog appears.

3. Enter values for the following fields:


ServerSelect a PI Server. NameEnter a name for your data set. The name must be unique for the current .piw or .pdi file. PI Tag or ExpressionEnter a tag name or a PI expression. Use the Tag Search (page 151) button to search for PI Tags. If you choose to type an expression, be sure to use PI Performance Equations syntax, such as one of these:
sinusoid * 2 (cdt158+sinusoid)/2 log(cdt158) (sinusoid)/tagspan(sinusoid)

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DescriptionThis description appears on trends of this data set in the tag descriptors area. Calculation IntervalThe interval (minutes, hours, days) for the calculation. Interval Sync TimeThis is the absolute time of day at which the periodic calculations are done. For example, if the Interval Sync Time box is set to 12:00:24 PM and the time in the Refresh Interval box is set to ten minutes, then the calculation for each period is executed at the following times: 12:10:24, 12:20:24, 12:30:34, etc. Value Column NameThe name that represents the value column of the calculated data rather than the time stamp column. Refresh IntervalThe interval at which you want to automatically update the data set. You can also type a number between 0 and 999. If you select 0, data is not automatically updated. Stepped PlotSelected by default. Clear the check box if you want a point-to-point plot.

4. Click OK to save your changes.


The data set name must be unique for the current .piw or .pdi file. The node name and tag name must be valid. The interval must be a valid PI time. The sync time must be a valid PI time.

5. Your new data set appears in the Data Sets dialog.

Intervals and Time Value The calculated value for each interval is plotted at the start of the interval. For example, if the tag "t_min" has the following time-value pairs in a 10 minute interval, then the calculated value for this interval would be plotted at time 1:00:00. 1:00:00 1 1:01:00 2 1:02:00 3 1:03:00 4 1:04:00 5 1:05:00 6 1:06:00 7 1:07:00 8 1:08:00 9 1:09:00 10 1:10:00 11 The calculated value for the AVG, STDEV, and PCTGOOD functions includes the tag value at the lower interval boundary time and excludes the tag value at the upper interval boundary
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time. For the example above, the tag value "10" at time 1:09:00 is excluded in the function calculation, therefore the calculated value for AVG is 4.5 and the calculated value for STDEV is 2.872281. The calculated value for the MIN, MAX and RANGE functions includes the tag value of both the lower and upper interval boundary times. For the example above, the calculated value for MIN is 1, the calculated value for MAX is 11 and the calculated value for RANGE is 12.

Plot a Moving Average in a Trend You can plot additional statistics in a trend using data sets derived from PI tags. For example, you can plot both a tag and its moving average to show a smoothed version of the same curve. The moving average is built from the source tag using a data set that recalculates an average point value over recurring intervals. To create a moving average in a trend: 1. In Build mode, double-click on the trend to open the Define Trend dialog. 2. Click the Tag Search arrow and choose PI Calculation to create a data set based on a tag. 3. Click New to add the data set and specify a Name and Description for the data set that calculates the moving average. 4. Click Tag Search and select the tag you want to use as the basis for the calculation. 5. In the Interval field, choose the calculation period for the average. A new average tag value is computed at each interval over the plotted time range. 6. Click Average in the Columns panel to select an average calculation, and click OK. 7. Click OK to close the Define Trend dialog.

ODBC Data Sets


PI ProcessBook uses the term ODBC data set for the concept of an ODBC query that retrieves data from a relational database outside of the PI System to produce a group of data values organized into rows and columns and used to build a trend or other element in a ProcessBook display. A data set is identified within a ProcessBook by a unique name. The data set name refers to the combination of an SQL query statement and an ODBC Data Source with which to execute the query. The results of the SQL query are organized into rows and columns. You may select any column of the results for a display. For example, in a trend, each column in the data set that you select appears as a different trace. A SQL query statement may be written so that it executes based on other data in a display, such as PI tags or the start or end time. This is done using SQL placeholders (parameters); a tag, time, or text string is then substituted for each placeholder at run time.

Create an ODBC Data Set 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears.
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2. Click the New button, then select ODBC. The ODBC Data dialog appears.

3. In the Name box, type a name for the data set. 4. In the Description box, type a description if you like. This text is displayed in the Description legend for the trace, if configured. 5. In the Refresh Interval list, enter the interval at which you want to automatically update the data set. -orType a number between 0 and 999.
Note: The default for the Refresh Interval is zero minutes. This means the data set only refreshes when the trace is first drawn or when you click the Revert Time Ranges button on the standard toolbar. If a tag placeholder is used, the Refresh Interval box list is disabled and the data is refreshed whenever the PI Tag value changes,.

6. From the Data Source drop-down list, click the appropriate ODBC data source. If you do not already have an ODBC Data Source configured on your computer (using the Control Panel), click the Setup button to create or modify one. 7. Click the Design button. The Microsoft Query application is displayed.
Note: If Microsoft Query is not installed, then the Design button is disabled. You can key in the query manually. You can also copy and paste a query from another query building tool.

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8. Choose your ODBC data source and design your query.


Note: Click the Help button, if necessary, and follow Microsoft's instructions for completing the query.

9. Click OK to return to the ODBC Data dialog box. To verify if the query can be understood by the ODBC data source, click the Check Syntax button. 10. Click OK. 11. If you want to use placeholders in the query, enter the appropriate WHERE clause, use question marks (?) to denote the location of placeholders, and click the Placeholders button. Placeholders are defined in the order in which they are encountered in the SQL statement. Clicking the Placeholders button causes the syntax of the query to be checked. If the syntax is not valid, the invalid query message is displayed. 12. Click OK.

Custom Data Sets


A custom data set is one provided through a VBA add-in to PI ProcessBook. It is a COM object or a .NET object with a COM wrapper that acts as an interface between PI ProcessBook and the custom data provider. The source of data could be a data store (like MS SQL Server) or a data calculation engine. PI ProcessBook requests updates to the data every few seconds and adjusts its display accordingly. Before you can access custom data sets in a display, the Data Set add-in must be installed and loaded through the Add-In Manager dialog. Later, as you build a display, you select the data set and column to be used for a symbol on a display through the symbol definition dialogs. Once a custom dataset is loaded, it is available throughout the application. These data sets are not display- or ProcessBook-specific. Information on building a custom data set is beyond the scope of this user guide. It is discussed in Creating a Custom Data Set, a white paper available through the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site (http://techsupport.osisoft.com), or in the OSIsoft vCampus (http://vCampus.osisoft.com) library.

Placeholders
A Placeholder in an SQL query identifies a value that is to be provided when the query is run. You can validate a query before the actual values are provided. The standard SQL placeholder character is (?). Placeholders are numbered in their order of appearance, from left to right, in the query statement. For example, the following query statement has two placeholders, one for a text string for a sample ID and the other for a sample time.

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Select value, sample_time from Lab_data where sample_ID=? and sample_time>? PI ProcessBook allows text, start times, end times, or tag values as substitutes for placeholders.

Processing of Placeholder Queries Text placeholder values are substituted into a query when it is run. Start and End times are determined when a display is opened and are substituted into queries at execution. PI tag Placeholder Queries You can also use PI tag values as placeholders. With a PI tag placeholder, a join is processed between the ODBC data source and the PI data source. When a display is opened, PI ProcessBook obtains PI tag values between the start and end time and substitutes these values into the SQL query, one at a time (in effect, executing the query for each PI tag value returned). The use of a tag placeholder is shown in the SQL query statement below: Select target from specs where product_code=? In this example, the values of the tag in the PI System that records the current product code are retrieved. The result set of the ODBC query is built by executing the query once for each placeholder value. In the case of this example, that would be one query execution for each product code found between the start and end times of the symbol.

Design Placeholder Queries Placeholders can be customized for a symbol. You can create an ODBC data set with a set of default placeholders. When that data set is attached to a specific symbol, the querys placeholders can be customized for that symbol without affecting the placeholders defined for any other symbol using that data set.

Add or Edit Placeholders To open the Placeholders dialog, click the Placeholders button in the ODBC Data Sets (page 164) dialog, or click the Custom Placeholders button on a symbol definition dialog. In this dialog box, you can rename placeholders, change their type or specify values.
Note: PI ProcessBook allows you to create custom placeholders for a symbol based on a summary Data Set or a PI Tag placeholder in an ODBC data set. Placeholders are not allowed for expression Data Sets. The Custom Placeholders button in symbol definition dialog boxes allows you to specify different PI Tags for a PI Summary Data Set or ODBC data set with a PI Tag placeholder. The change applies only to the configured symbol.

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1. In the Placeholder Name box, select the parameter you want to configure. The parameters are in the same order as found in the data set query. The list is limited to the number of parameters found in the query. 2. In the Placeholder Properties group, select the Type for the selected parameter. There are four possible types, Text, PI Tag, Start Time, and End Time. You can optionally change the name of the placeholder to make its purpose clear. 3. Selecting a type transforms the dialog to allow you to enter the settings for the selected type, if any. If the query uses:

Text inputType the replacement text value in the Text field. Tag valuesType a node ID and tag name or click the Tag Search button to open the Tag Search dialog. Start and/or end timesNo additional configuration is used.

4. Click the Set button. 5. To configure another parameter, select it and repeat the previous steps. 6. Click OK.

Verify a Data Set is in Use


Before you modify a data source or data set, it is important to determine whether it is being used in another display or symbol. PI Calculation data sets and ODBC data sets are established for an entire ProcessBook (or an independent display). Custom data sets are installed with the PI ProcessBook application and are available to any display that you open. 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets dialog appears.

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2. Under Data Sets, click the data set name, then click the Show Use button. The Data Set Use dialog appears and displays where the data set is being used.

Data Set Details


Each Data Set is initially determined from a Data Source that must already be configured. If the Data Source you need is not listed, click the Setup button to add it. Once the Data Source is selected, add the query. If the Design button is unavailable you must type in the query. If MS Query is installed correctly, the Design button will not be unavailable. Click it to design the query. You can check syntax after you add the query. Including question marks (?) in the query allows placeholders to be defined. If you wish to use placeholders from PI in your query, establish them by clicking the Placeholder button and completing the process on the Placeholder dialog.

Add a Data Set to a Trend


Just as you would add PI tags in defining a trend, you can add columns chosen from a data set. Each column is plotted as a separate trace, however, the data set columns that appear on your trend do not appear in the Point Properties dialog. If the query returns a null value, the trace displays the discontinuity. On the same trend you can plot information from more than one data set, or from more than one column from the same data set. The trend assumes the first time column found in the data set provides the time stamps for the column(s) selected for trending. You can manipulate trends containing data from data sets just as you would other trends, by using functions such as:

Trend Zoom Scrolling Trend Cursor Time Range Revert Time Ranges Autorange Markers

To add a data set to a trend: 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Trend button .

3. Click in the display where you want to add the trend and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the trend will be placed. 4. When you release the mouse button, the Define Trend (page 75) dialog appears.
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5. Click the Tag Search arrow, and then click PI Calculation. 6. The PI Calculation Data dialog appears.
Note: If you want to display the ODBC Data dialog instead of the PI Calculation Data dialog, then click the Tag Search arrow, and then select ODBC.

7. Under Saved Data Sets, click the data set you want to add to the trend. 8. Under Data Set Columns, select a column(s) to be plotted in the trend (use the SHIFT or CTRL keys to select more than one column). Value - value of the expression for the calculation interval and type as of the timestamp. In the case of summary data sets, this column holds the value of the tag. Total - the totalized value (time integral) of a tag over a given time, according to values stored in the archive. Average - average value of the expression for the calculation interval and type. Minimum - minimum value of the expression for the calculation interval and type. Maximum - maximum value of the expression for the calculation interval and type. PctGood - the time percentage, over a given range, when a tag's archived values are good (not digital states). Range - the difference between a tag's maximum and minimum values during a given time, according to values stored in the archive. StdDev - the time-weighted standard deviation of a tag over a given time, according to values stored in the archive. PStDev - the standard deviation of two or more arguments, where those arguments represent the whole population. Count - the number of events for a point over a given time. 9. Click OK.
Note: Until you select a data set and at least one column, the OK button is dimmed.

10. The selected data set/column(s) is now listed under Tags in Plot in the Define Trend dialog. Select tags as desired and format the trend. If you wish to see or edit the definitions of placeholders, click the Custom Placeholders button in the Define Trend dialog. 11. Click OK. Data displays on the trend.
Note: If you select the Description check box, on the Display Format tab in the Define Trend dialog, then the description of the data set is taken from the PI Calculation Data dialog and repeated for each column that is plotted. There are usually no engineering units for a data set column.

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Time Intervals for Plotting Tags and Data Sets


The Start and End plot times on the Define Trend (page 75) dialog are used to determine the time range for plotting tags. However, a data set may have different time boundaries than the plot time start and end for the tags. If the time range for the data set starts later than the time range for the tags, the data set traces begin with X marks.

Refresh a Trend Containing a Data Set


In a display containing only data from data sets, the data is refreshed based on the Data Set Refresh Interval, which is configured in the data set. The trend does not update again until the Data Set Refresh Interval has expired, at which time it requests another set of values and redraws itself. A PI tag in a display, on the other hand, receives exception notifications from the PI System and is updated on the display whenever the polling period elapses (every five seconds by default). If both PI and data set data are to be plotted on the same trend, then the latest data set value is continued toward the end time axis with changing PI exception data points until the refresh interval expires and new data are received from the data set. If a data set has a PI Tag placeholder, then the data set is refreshed every time a new value is received for the PI Tag placeholder.

Add Data Sets to Bars or Values in a Display


A single value from a data set may be added to a display as either a Value or a Bar. In general, queries can return many rows of results. The Value or Bar uses only the data from the last row of the results for the column you select; the rest of the results are discarded. In many cases, you can use an order by clause to control which rows are returned first. For example, the following query guarantees the most recent sample appears in the ProcessBook Value field: Select lab_val from Lab_Data where last_ID = BW Order by Sample_time asc

Run PI ProcessBook When Data Sets Are Included


When you start PI ProcessBook and open an updating display, it connects to your PI System and remains connected until you close PI ProcessBook. If you have configured data sets in a ProcessBook, PI ProcessBook connects to a data source as soon as you open a display using data set results. The first time you use a particular data source, the external database may ask you for login information through a login dialog. After a successful connection, PI ProcessBook retains this information for use throughout the session. When you close the session, PI ProcessBook does not store your password locally because it would be a security risk to store a password

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locally. If your data source is configured to use Windows Authentication, then your network credentials are used to gain access to the data and you are unlikely to be prompted.

Edit a Data Set


You may change the Data Source, the Data Set Refresh Interval, the Description, or the query. However, when you change a data set, you may affect other queries that use the same data set. 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. 2. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears. 3. Under Data Sets, click the data set you want to edit, and then click the Edit button. 4. Either the PI Calculation Data dialog or the ODBC Data dialog displays depending upon the data set you selected. 5. If the PI Calculation Data dialog displays, then make your changes in the appropriate fields. 6. If the ODBC Data dialog displays, then do the following:
Note: To determine if Microsoft Query is installed, the application checks your MSDOS path for the existence of msquery.exe)

If the Design button is enabled, then: 1. Click the Design button. An instance of Microsoft Query is started using the current data source and query. 2. Edit the data set in the MS Query environment. 3. Click File > Return to ProcBook when you are finished.
Note: Microsoft Query cannot edit query statements that contain placeholders.

If the Design button is disabled, then: If Microsoft Query is not installed, the Design button is disabled; however, you can type the query in the query text box. You can also copy and paste a query from another query building tool. 1. Add or edit the appropriate WHERE clause in the query to edit a placeholder data set or existing placeholders (question marks represent placeholders in the query statement). 2. Click the Placeholders button. This action causes the syntax of the query to be checked. 3. If the syntax is valid, then the Placeholders dialog displays with the current placeholders. If the syntax is invalid, then an invalid query message is displayed. 4. Click the Check Syntax button, to complete a syntax check of your query. The status of the query is returned. 5. When you have finished modifying the data set, click OK. If the data set is in use in a display, the Confirm Data Set Modification dialog displays.
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6. If you wish to proceed, click Continue. The Data Sets dialog appears. 7. Select the column(s) to be used and click OK to return to the dialog.

Delete a Data Set


Before you can remove a data set from the PI ProcessBook list, you must remove it from any symbols that use it. If the Data Set is a custom data set, which is a COM object, remove it through Add-in Manager dialog box. Otherwise, use the following steps to delete a data set first from all displays in which it is used and then from the ProcessBook altogether. 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears. 2. Under Data Sets, click the data set name, and then click the Show Use button to determine if any display or symbol is using the data set. 3. Close the Data Sets dialog. 4. Open each display in which a data set is being used and delete the data set from the appropriate dialog box, such as the Define Trend or Define Value dialog. 5. Save each display. 6. Reopen the Data Sets dialog. 7. Under Data Sets, click the data set you want to delete, and then click the Delete button. 8. The data set is removed from under Data Sets in the Data Sets dialog. If the data set is in use, then the Can't Delete Data Set dialog appears.

Copy a Data Set to Another ProcessBook


While data sources are configured for a computer, data sets are established for only one ProcessBook or independent display file. 1. Open the new or target ProcessBook or independent display file. 2. Open the old or source ProcessBook or independent display file. 3. From the Tools menu, select Data Sets. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears. 4. Under Data Sets, click the data set you want to copy, and then click the Copy button. The Copy Data Sets dialog appears.

5. From the To Open Workbook drop-down list, select the correct target, and then click OK.
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Loading Custom Data Sets


Before you can access a custom data set in a display, you must create a data set add-in and install it on your computer. Then you must select it through the PI ProcessBook Add-In Manager (page 8) dialog.

Configure a Symbol with an AF Attribute


The AF2.x data set provides access to the AF database allowing you to configure a PI ProcessBook symbol with an AF attribute. From any symbol definition dialog box, click the Tag Search button and select AF2 to open the Select AF Attribute dialog box. If AF2 is not in the drop down list, it might not be loaded. Load it from Tools > Add-In Manger. To select an AF attribute:

1. Connect to an AF database. 2. Select an AF element. 3. Select an AF attribute from the drop down list or click Search to search in the AF database.

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4. Select a unit of measure in which to display the attribute.

Configure the AF2.x Data Set


To configure an AF dataset: 1. Click Tools > Data Sets to open the Data Sets dialog box. 2. Select AF2 dataset from the list. 3. Click Edit to open the AF 2.x DataSet Configuration dialog box. 4. Enter a Refresh Interval. 5. Select Do not retrieve AF Data in Build Mode to prevent data refresh while in build mode. Retrieving data might have a negative impact on performance while you are configuring a PI ProcessBook symbol.

ODBC
ODBC client capability means that without writing vendor-specific code, you can access data from certain relational databases outside the PI System and include that data in your PI ProcessBook displays. The outside data source must be ODBC-compliant; for example, it must provide an ODBC Driver. An outside ODBC data source might include laboratory results, cost tables, or other sets of information that can be obtained through SQL queries. Since access to ODBC sources is configured on a particular computer, moving a display file that uses an ODBC data set may require the data source to be configured on the new computer. The data source has to have the same name on the new computer, or the data set will need to be reconfigured in the display.

ODBC Driver Manager


PI ProcessBook sends queries to a standardized interface from Microsoft called the ODBC Driver Manager. The Driver Manager forwards ODBC queries to appropriate vendorprovided drivers, which access the outside databases and return the requested data to your ProcessBook display.

ODBC Drivers
Each DBMS (database management system), such as Microsoft SQL Server, requires a specific ODBC Driver, provided by the vendor of the DBMS or a third party. Each driver is a Dynamic Link Library (.dll) that implements a set of subroutine calls to retrieve data from a particular database. The Microsoft ODBC Driver Manager is included as a part of PI ProcessBook installation.

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ODBC Data Sources


An ODBC data source identifies a database a user wants to access and the information needed to connect to that data. Examples of ODBC data sources are:

A SQL Server database, the server on which it resides, and the network protocol used to access that server. An Excel spreadsheet on a file server. A directory containing a set of dBASE files you want to access.

ODBC data sources have an explicit name, are configured for a particular computer, and may be used by any ODBC- compliant application installed on that computer.

ODBC Data Access


PI ProcessBook stores relational queries in data sets within ProcessBook files. The data sets are created, stored, and accessed by name. PI ProcessBook symbols can then access the data sets. The columns in the data set make up the items that can be assigned to the trend, value, or bar. The SQL needed to retrieve data for PI ProcessBook can be configured once and used by many displays and symbols. PI ProcessBook must return a time and value pair(s) for display within a symbol (trend, value, or bar). Placeholders act as parameters to an SQL function call. They are evaluated at run time. Placeholders can take three forms: text, start/end times, or a PI tag name. Use the start and end time placeholders when the time limits of the query should be determined from the trend symbol where the query is used. The PI tag name placeholder can be used to join PI data with relational database data. A PI Value is retrieved for the PI tag and then substituted into the query. Using ODBC requires that you install the Microsoft ODBC Driver Manager and drivers (most operating systems already have the Driver Manager and some standard drivers installed). You must then configure data sources (page 177) for ProcessBook and define individual queries, called data sets.

ODBC Data Source Administrator


1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Data Sources (ODBC). The Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog appears, or Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets (page 160) dialog appears. 2. Click the New button, and then click ODBC. The ODBC Data Sets dialog appears. 3. Click the Data Source drop-down list to see what ODBC data sources you have already configured, if any. 4. Click the Setup button.

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The Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog appears.

Prepare for ODBC


In order to use ODBC within your ProcessBook, you must install an ODBC driver and configure the corresponding ODBC data source on your computer. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (page 176) and click the Drivers tab to view the ODBC drivers that are already installed on your system. See your System Administrator if you require additional ODBC drivers.

Configure the ODBC Data Source


Once any necessary ODBC drivers are installed, you need to configure the ODBC data sources available to the computer. 1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (page 176) dialog. 2. On the User DSN tab, under User Data Sources group, click the name of the ODBC data source you plan to use and then click the Configure button. The Setup dialog box for the data source you selected displays. 3. Add the ODBC data source.
Note: Click the Help button, if necessary, and follow Microsoft's instructions for completing the dialog box.

4. When you have completed configuring the data source, click OK to return to the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog.

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Note: To create data sources for any user of the computer, use the System DSN tab instead of the User DSN tab. You can set up data sources on the System DSN tab that are available to all users on the computer, but you must have elevated permissions on the computer.

Use MSQuery to Build Data Sets


You can use Microsoft Query (MS Query) for writing queries. It is not distributed with PI ProcessBook, but if you click the Design button in the ODBC Data dialog, then PI ProcessBook searches the registry in your computer to locate MSQry32.exe when the ODBC data sets dialog is opened.
Note: The MS Query application does not work with an ODBC query that includes placeholders. Consequently, the Design button in the ODBC Data dialog may be disabled.

Assumptions about Timestamps and Data Sets


When a trend receives data from an ODBC data source, it receives the data as a Time / Value pair. The Value is generated by the query. The Time, however, may be obtained in one of two ways:

If a Tag placeholder (page 166) is used, then the time will be the time returned by the Tag. This time will supersede any timestamps returned by the query. One or more of the columns returned by the query may contain a date and/or time. If more than one timestamp column is returned, the first one as ordered by the SQL query is used.

Stored Procedures in Queries


Stored procedures can be used in ODBC data sets. They may contain placeholders as long as your database accepts the stored procedures call as a text string. The common syntax for this is: execute procname ('arg', 22, ?) Check the documentation of your database management system for details. Stored procedures generally return results in rows and columns, just as a normal SQL query does. The only way to determine the columns returned by a stored procedure is to perform a test execution. When you are building the data set, because ProcessBook needs to know the columns returned, it executes the procedure. If the procedure call includes placeholders, the following defaults are used:
Text Actual text placeholder string

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StartTime EndTime Tag

Current time Current time 0

An ODBC data set is created with a set of default placeholders. When it is attached to a specific symbol, the query's placeholders can be customized for that symbol, without affecting the placeholders defined for other symbols using that data set. For example, you can create a query for a database of laboratory data using a text placeholder for the sample name. You can then use a different sample name for every trend, bar, or value, rather than defining a new data set query for each sample name.

Troubleshoot ODBC Data Sets


Data sets may be added, deleted, copied, or edited by selecting the New, Delete, Edit, or Copy buttons in the Data Sets dialog. Columns are defined by the data set query. To see the columns returned by the query, select the dataset when configuring a symbol to use it. The dialog shown from the Data Sets dialog opened from the Tools menu does not show the columns. The Show Use button opens a dialog that indicates what displays and symbols include data from this data set.

Trace ODBC Calls


The ODBC Driver Manger provides an option for recording a log of all calls to the Driver Manager from all ODBC clients. The default options for ODBC are set to omit tracing and logging ODBC calls If you choose to trace ODBC calls, you may suffer some degradation in system performance.

Initiate Call Tracing 1. Click Tools > Data Sets. The Data Sets dialog appears. 2. Click New. Click ODBC. The ODBC Data dialog appears. 3. Click Setup. The ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog appears. 4. Select the Tracing tab. 5. To change the file where tracing is logged, choose a new file path in the Log File Path text box. Use the Browse button to search for files. 6. To initiate tracing, click the Start Tracing Now button. The label changes from Start Tracing Now to Stop Tracing Now, and the Log File Path text box becomes unavailable. 7. To stop tracing, click the Stop Tracing Now button.

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Delete an ODBC Driver


If you have deleted all data sources using a particular driver, you may uninstall it from your system. To do this, you must use the setup program for the ODBC driver.
Note: If you delete the wrong driver you need to reload it from the vendor.

Delete an ODBC Data Source


If you remove data sources while they are in use, displays that use them fail to retrieve data. Consequently, before you remove a data source, remove all data sets in which it is being used. PI ProcessBook cannot prevent users from removing a needed data source from the computer. 1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (page 176) dialog. 2. On the User DSN tab, under User Data Sources, click the name of the ODBC data source you want to delete and then click the Remove button. A confirmation message is displayed. 3. Click the Yes button to delete the data source. 4. Click OK to close the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog, then close the ODBC Data dialog. The data source is removed from under Data Sets in the Data Sets dialog.

Edit an ODBC Data Source


Occasionally you may want to use a different computer to access an existing ProcessBook display. If the display contains data from a PI Calculation Data Set, the display works correctly unless the new machine does not point to the same PI Server as the previous one. If this display contains data from an ODBC data set, you will need to reconfigure the correct ODBC data source on the new computer. Essentially this means establishing the same ODBC data source name that was used on the original computer. Follow the steps under Installing ODBC Drivers, and Configuring the ODBC Data Source (page 177). If the display contains data from a custom data set, then you must install that PI ProcessBook add-in on the new machine.

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PI Notifications in PI ProcessBook
PI Notifications provides PI System users the ability to configure rules that deliver notifications by email and other delivery channels when certain conditions are met. These conditions are configurable and are normally dependent on a number of data inputs. Additionally, PI Notifications can be configured to deliver various content types to the notification contact, such as an attached PDI file or a path to a PDI file. For further information, see the PI Notifications User Guide. PI ProcessBook includes a PI Notifications add-in that retrieves notifications subscribed to from your PI System, and lists them in a window. This add-in also supports viewing and managing Contacts, which allows users to communicate and collaborate with other users from within PI ProcessBook without having to launch a separate application.

Launch PI Notifications
Note: The add-in only loads in PI ProcessBook if the appropriate PI Notifications client software is already installed separately.

Click View > Notifications to manually open the Notifications window. The Notifications window is automatically opened at startup if it was left open when you previously shutdown PI ProcessBook. You can also launch PI ProcessBook to view a notification by opening a PDI file attached to a notification email.

About the Notifications Window


The Notifications window provides controls for viewing PI Notifications in PI ProcessBook.

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The title bar displays the number of active, open notifications. This number appears in parentheses to the right of the Notifications window title, for example Notifications(2). Use the controls at the top of the Notifications window to receive notifications (page 182) and view notifications (page 183). A Notification rule is a set of conditions that leads to the creation of notifications. Notification rules and their associative notifications appear in the bottom half of the Notifications window. For more information on how to create Notification rules, see the PI Notifications User Guide.
Note: Use the pin icon to lock the docking window to your screen. Click the pin icon again to unpin the window and minimize it along the border of your PI ProcessBook window. When a docking window is unpinned, a button appears along the side of the screen. Hover over it to re-expand the window. The size and position of the Notifications window is saved so that it opens the same way the next time you open PI ProcessBook.

Receive Notifications
In order to receive notifications in PI ProcessBook you need to connect to a PI System where notification rules are established. To change the default PI System connection in PI ProcessBook, click File > PI System. Use the icons at the top of the Notifications window to begin, pause, or resume receipt of notifications.

Play icon

indicates that incoming notifications are halted.

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Pause icon indicates that you are receiving notifications. Click this icon to stop receiving new notifications.

For more information on configuring notifications, see the PI Notifications User Guide.

Filter Notifications
PI Processbook only shows notifications for which you are subscribed. These are shown in the Notifications window. You can filter this list with the controls available at the top of this window. 1. In the View Notifications drop-down list, click one of the following options:

Activedisplays all open notifications. You only receive new notifications when this option is selected. Timerangeselect either the Start Time or End Time text box and enter a PI Time (page 148) string. Click the corresponding drop-down arrow to launch a calendar to help you find a specific date. Recententer a time period to search within the last x-number of seconds, minutes, hours, or days. to view your list of filtered notifications.

2. Click the Go button

Open Displays Associated with a Notification


Click the Open Display icon -orRight click a notification and click Open Associated Display(s). This opens or creates displays for the content associated with the notification(s) selected in the list. The displays are opened and have the union of the selected time ranges applied to each symbol contained therein. This button is enabled if the selected notification items do not have all their associated content already open in PI ProcessBook; otherwise it is disabled. in the Notifications window (page 181),

Work with Notifications


Click a notification in the Notifications window (page 181) to have its time range applied to the active display. Right click a notification to see a context menu providing the following options:

Acknowledge Instance to acknowledge that action has been taken regarding the notification, and that no further escalation is needed. Acknowledge Subscription to acknowledge receipt of a notification you are subscribed to. Add Comment to comment on a notification.

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Show Contact Events to toggle the display of contact events for each notification. Show TimeSelector to toggle the display of filter options. Expand All/Collapse All to expand or collapse a notification grouping. View Notification Rule Summary to display the properties of the notification rule that triggered a selected notification. Set Time for All Displays sets the time range of all open displays to the time range of a selected notification, or union of time ranges for multiple selected notifications. Set Time for Associated Displays sets the time range of displays associated with the notification rule to the time range of the notification. Open Associated Display(s) opens the displays corresponding to the selected notifications and applies the union of the selected time ranges to each.

Contacts Window
The Contacts window allows you to view and manage contacts from within PI ProcessBook. It is split into two panes and provides the following:

Notification Contacts (page 184) MS Office Communicator Contacts (page 185)

You do not need PI AF or PI Notifications to use most features of Contacts. However, to view the Contacts window you must have Office Communicator installed and be logged in at the time you launch PI ProcessBook. See the Microsoft Office Communicator home page for further information.
Note: Use the pin icon to lock the docking window to your screen. Click the pin icon again to unpin the window and minimize it along the border of your PI ProcessBook window. When a docking window is unpinned, a button appears along the side of the screen. Hover over it to re-expand the window.

Open Contacts Window


Click View > Contacts to open the Contacts docking window. The Contacts Toolbar is located at the top of the window and displays:

User Statusdisplays your full user name and current availability. This field cannot is not editable from within PI ProcessBook. Connection buttondisplays your connection state to Office Communicator.

Notification Contacts
The Notification Contacts panel displays the list of contacts that are subscribed to the notification you have selected in the Notifications window (page 181).

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Contacts are grouped according to type: Escalation Group, Group, and Individual. The group heading displays the icon associated with its type in PI AF. This contact list is not sorted, but appears in the order listed in PI AF to preserve the escalation order for an escalation group. The first entry in the escalation list has the highest priority. A contact's presence (page 186) is shown with an icon to the left of the contact name.

MS Office Communicator Contacts


The MS Office Communicator Contacts panel displays your contacts from MS Office Communicator. Groups are sorted alphabetically. Contacts are sorted alphabetically within groups. Offline contacts are placed at the end. A contact's presence (page 186) is shown with an icon to the left of the contact name.

Filter MS Office Communicator Contacts

Enter text in the Contacts Filter text box to search for contacts. Filter results appear in this panel. Click the Clear button to clear your filter parameters.

Work with Contacts


Right click a contact to bring up a context menu that enables you to:

View calendar availability (not available with MS Office Communicator 2005) Send an instant message (page 186) Send email (page 186) Sort contacts (page 186) View contact information (page 186)

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Send an Instant Message to a Contact Right click a contact in the Contacts window and click Send Instant Message. This launches an MS Office Communicator conversation window with the selected contact(s). Multiple contacts are not supported with Office Communicator 2005.

Send Email to a Contact Right click a contact in the Contacts window and click Send Email. A new email message for the selected contact is composed. A submenu provides the following options:

No attachmentscreates a blank email. Display Screen Captureattaches a screen capture of the active display. Any changes made to the display while it has been open are included in the screen capture; you do not need to save the file first.

Note: You must have Microsoft Outlook XP or greater installed on your machine to send email to a contact.

Sort Contacts Right click a contact in the Contacts window and click Sort. A submenu provides the following options:

Alphabetically By Availabilitysorts contacts by contacts' presence (page 186). Selected by default.

View Contact Information Right click a contact in the Contacts window and click View Contact Card. The Office Communicator Contact Card window appears where you can view contacts from MS Office Communicator.

Contacts Presence
The PI ProcessBook PI Notifications add-in allows you to view personalized presence attributes from Office Communicator while working in PI ProcessBook. For more information on presence, see the Microsoft Office Online Help.

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Chapter 9

Embedding and Linking


PI ProcessBook provides the capability to use Microsoft's OLE linking and embedding technology. You can embed or link OLE objects from other Windows applications into a ProcessBook display. The data might be derived from a wide variety of OLE-compliant applications, such as spreadsheets, documents, and graphics.

Overview of Microsoft OLE Compound Documents


ActiveX is Microsoft technology used for developing reusable object oriented software components. Container applications are those that can contain ActiveX objects. Compound Documents are documents that contain parts from more than one application. The parts may be spreadsheets, word processing documents, ProcessBook displays, etc. A compound document consists of a container document plus sub-documents that are 'served' by other applications. PI ProcessBook compound document functionality has two aspects:

ProcessBook displays can be containers for objects from other applications, such as databases, spreadsheets, or documents. ProcessBook displays may be used to exhibit dynamic data within other container applications. In this case, the ProcessBook or display is considered an object.

OLE Automation in PI ProcessBook


OLE Automation of PI ProcessBook means that an application or program outside PI ProcessBook can manipulate PI ProcessBook objects such as displays or symbols. Currently, applications with OLE capability include Microsoft Excel, Access, and Visual Basic (VB), among others. A specific set of properties and methods are associated with each object type. Data from PI ProcessBook can be retrieved or manipulated according to scripts originating outside PI ProcessBook. For example, with the proper scripts in place, you could:

Obtain a PI ProcessBook object, such as a display, from PI ProcessBook and print it in an Excel spreadsheet. In fact, you can write the script to retrieve the display only when certain tag values or other conditions are met. Write a Visual Basic program to start PI ProcessBook, assess a particular display, and then alter it in some way. Click a button in ProcessBook to make an Excel spreadsheet show the average and raw data of the current trend in ProcessBook. Then you could change the time range of the
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ProcessBook, click the button again, and see the Excel spreadsheet update with the new time range. Although Automation scripts are not required to use a dialect of Visual Basic, at the present time, that is the most common approach. OSIsoft is using Visual Basic as the standard testing language for OLE Automation. For more information on how to write Visual Basic scripts for use with PI ProcessBook, click Help > PI Processbook VBA Language Reference.

Embedded Objects
Embedded objects are copied from an existing file or created and then stored as an integral part of the container application, such as PI ProcessBook. Using an embedded object increases the file size of a ProcessBook significantly. Formats not natively supported by PI ProcessBook, such as Windows metafiles, can be pasted from the Windows clipboard as objects in a ProcessBook display. When you paste an object into a display it becomes embedded. To change the contents of an embedded file, double-click it. The source application software is invoked, and you can edit the object with the source application's commands. PI ProcessBook is a time-based application. When a ProcessBook is used as an embedded object, it updates dynamically whenever you double-click it. If you rename a ProcessBook or move it to another directory, drive, or PC, you can still change any embedded objects in displays as long as your system can locate the appropriate source application software.

Embed in PI ProcessBook
Objects may be created within a PI ProcessBook display by the source application and then stored as embedded objects. Alternatively, you may create objects from existing files or parts of files. In addition, you can embed an object by dragging or pasting it from another application. You must be in Build mode in order to insert a new object. Click Insert > Object to launch the Insert Object dialog.

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Embed an Existing File in a Display


Note: You can also embed images by using PI ProcessBook's graphic symbol (page 123). The graphic symbol is a built-in symbol that is specifically designed to display images, and therefore may offer you more control then embedding an OLE object.

1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click Insert > Object. The Insert Object dialog appears. 3. Select Create from File. 4. Click the Browse button. The Browse dialog appears. 5. Browse and locate the file you want to embed and then click the Open button. The file name is displayed in the File box, or In the File box, type the path where the file is located. 6. If you want to display an icon rather than a graphic, click the Display as Icon check box. 7. Click OK. The object appears on your display. Embed a New File in a Display 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click Insert > Object. The Insert Object dialog appears. 3. Leave Create New selected (the default position). 4. Under Object Type, click the type of object you want to embed.
Note: If you want to display an icon rather than a graphic, select the Display as Icon check box.

5. Click OK. The object appears on your display.


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6. Adjust the size and positioning of the object. 7. Commands for the source application are available on the menus. Create the contents of the new object and click elsewhere on the display to return to ProcessBook. 8. Save the display.

Edit the Contents of an Embedded Object


You cannot edit an embedded object by opening the source application first because the embedded object is not a separate file. Instead, open the source application from within the embedded object in the PI ProcessBook display.

Share ProcessBook Displays with Other Applications


You can embed a display within another OLE application, or you can link an entire ProcessBook. In embedding, the display is called a PI Display Document. Although applications with OLE functionality use similar commands, they are not exactly alike. The following general procedure uses examples from an Excel spreadsheet.

Embed an Existing Display in Another OLE Application 1. Open the display you want to embed. 2. Open the container application. For example, open a spreadsheet and select a cell in which you want to place a ProcessBook display. 3. In Build mode, click Edit > Select All, and drag the objects in the display into the other application. 4. Save the file.
Note: When you activate the dragged contents, the entire original display is drawn, regardless of which objects were dragged to the new container.

Embed a New Display in Another OLE Application 1. Open the container application. For example, open a spreadsheet and select a cell in which you want to place a display. 2. Click Insert > Object. The Object dialog appears. 3. On the Create New tab, under Object type, click PI Display Document.
Note: If you want to display an icon rather than a graphic, select the Display as icon check box.

4. Click OK. 5. The display is embedded in the container application.


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Linked Objects
Linked object information is not stored as a part of the destination application. Instead, the destination file stores only the location of the linked source file. No matter how many links it has, only one version of the linked file is stored and maintained. Using a linked file increases the file size of a ProcessBook less than using an embedded object. In establishing an OLE link, you may update the:

Contents of the object dynamically whenever the source file changes Update the object only by manual command

To change the data in a linked file, such as which tags you have selected, you switch to the source application and open the file. Changes are then reflected in the container display according to the update method you selected. Alternatively, if you double-click the object, the source application and the actual file open, allowing you to edit the object. If the source application supports in-place activation, you can edit within the container window; otherwise a source application window opens. If you rename a ProcessBook or move it to another directory, drive, or PC, any links from displays to source files can break. These broken links need to be re-established if you wish to continue using them.

Link a File to a Display


You can create a link from a ProcessBook display to an existing file. The linked object appears in a rectangle within your display. It is updated whenever the source file changes, unless you change the link setting from Automatic to Manual. You must be in Build mode to insert a linked object, however you may move or resize linked objects in either Build or Run mode. You may also edit the contents of a linked object, but you are actually editing the original source file, not simply the image in the ProcessBook display. 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click Insert > Object. The Insert Object dialog appears. 3. Select Create from File. 4. Click the Browse button. The Browse dialog appears. 5. Browse and locate the file you want to embed and then click the Open button. The file name appears in the File box, or In the File box, type the path where the file is located.
Note: If you want to display an icon rather than a graphic, select the Display as Icon check box.

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6. Select the Link check box. 7. Click OK. The object appears on your display. 8. Adjust the size and positioning of the object.

Dynamic and Manual Updates of a Linked Object


The default setting for a link is automatic updates, meaning that whenever the source data are changed, the data in your display changes. You can change this updating frequency to manual through the Links dialog. Manual updates are also initiated through this dialog.

Edit, Update, or Break Links


If you have created an automatic link to another object, it updates whenever you open the entry. If you have created a manually updated link, use the Update Now button on the Links dialog to update your linked object. When you move a display, you may need to change the sources for linked objects by breaking the links and re-establishing them. 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click Edit > Links. The Links dialog appears. 3. Click the link you want to change.
Note: You can select several links at once by pressing the CTRL key and clicking each link.

4. Choose one of the following options:


Select ManualUpdates the linked data manually Click Update NowUpdates the linked data immediately Click Open SourceEdits the linked data Click Break LinkPermanently breaks the link. The object is converted to a picture (metafile).

5. Click OK.

How Links Are Stored


When you establish a link between a ProcessBook display and a source file, the link is stored in two ways, the relative path for the link, and the absolute path for the link. The relative path is the relationship between the location of the source file and the location of the target file in the directory tree. The absolute path includes the drive, directory, and file name of the source file.

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Select a New Source Link


When you move a ProcessBook or display that contains links to source files, if both the absolute and the relative paths change, you need to reestablish the links. To reestablish these links: 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click Edit > Links. The Links dialog appears. 3. Click the Change Source button. The Change Source dialog appears.

Edit the Contents of a Linked Object


To edit the contents of a linked object, either double-click the object or open the source application and make changes. These are immediately reflected in the ProcessBook display if it is open; otherwise the changes appear the next time you open the ProcessBook display.
Note: When editing a linked object file, remember that the file may also be an object in other applications besides PI ProcessBook.

In addition, you can reach the source application through the Links dialog. 1. Click Edit > Links. The Links dialog appears. 2. Click the appropriate link. 3. Click the Open Source button to open the source file.

Link a ProcessBook to Another Application


1. Open the container application. For example, open a spreadsheet and select a cell in which you want to place a display. 2. Click Insert > Object. The Object dialog appears. 3. Click the Create from File tab. 4. In the File name box, type the path. -orClick the Browse button and locate the ProcessBook file (.piw) that you want to link to. 5. Select the Link to File check box. 6. Click OK. The ProcessBook icon is displayed in your application.
Note: If you select the Display as Icon check box, then the Object Packager icon is used by default, rather than the ProcessBook icon.

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Should You Link or Embed?

EmbedIf you want to update the object data within the target document or if you want to store all the source data within the container application. This option is also better if you plan to link files to different locations. LinkIf you want the data to update dynamically or when you need to minimize file size. The source application and linked files must continue to be available.

Note: When you link to a ProcessBook container, there is a risk of accidentally changing the source file.

Example of Embedded and Linked Objects in a ProcessBook Display


In the example below, a ProcessBook display includes a process schematic, an embedded list of equipment parts, and a link to lab results.

The equipment parts list is stored with the ProcessBook display. If your PC has an installed copy of MSWord, you can peruse or modify the list at any time simply by double-clicking it. The lab results are stored by the source application, not in the ProcessBook display. The display can be set to update lab data dynamically whenever the results in the source application changed, or it can be set to update lab data when you click an Update Now button on the Edit Links dialog.

Add an Active X Control


You can insert ActiveX controls that are installed on your PC into PI ProcessBook displays. If you move the displays to other machines, then you must also install the controls there.

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Some ActiveX controls are self-contained and will work without further scripting. Most require additional VBA code before they function correctly. 1. In Build mode, open a display. 2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Control button Click Draw > Control. The mouse pointer changes to a control pointer. 3. Click in the display where you want to add the control and drag the pointer to form a rectangle into which the control will be placed. When you release the mouse button, the Insert Control dialog appears. 4. Under Controls, click the appropriate control, and then click OK. For example, if you add a calendar control to a display, it might look like this: , or

In Run mode, a user could change the month and date. A programmer could incorporate the calendar into scripts associated with the display.

Work with OLE Objects


Icons vs. Graphics
You may choose to have embedded or linked objects displayed either as graphic representations or as icons. An icon uses the minimum area of your display and would be appropriate for reference material, such as definitions. The icon for the source application appears unless you select another one. Choosing an icon to represent a linked file results in a slightly smaller ProcessBook file size. Choosing icons for embedded objects does not reduce ProcessBook file size.

Convert Objects to Icons To save space on a ProcessBook display for a linked object use an icon, rather than a graphic representation of the data. You may select to display an icon when you are creating the object by selecting the Display as Icon check box in the Insert Object dialog. Later, you can switch between an icon and a

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graphic representation of the object, as described below. If you have made the graphic representation other than a square shape, the icon may be distorted. 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, click the object you want to change. 3. Click Edit > Object (at the bottom of the menu) > Convert. The Convert dialog appears.

4. Select the Display As Icon check box 5. Click OK. The object switches from a graphic to an icon.
Note: To switch from an icon to a graphic, clear the Display as Icon check box.

6. To select the icon to use, click the Change Icon button. The Change Icon dialog appears.

If you want to return to the default icon, then select Default. If you want to select a new icon from the available group, select From File and choose a new icon. If you want to select a new file to provide the icon, click the Browse button.

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If you want to change the name of the label that displays beneath the icon, then type the new name in the Label box.

7. Click OK to return to the Convert dialog. 8. In the Convert dialog box, click OK.

Windows Drag and Drop


Use the Windows drag and drop feature to move or copy an object from another OLE application or display into a ProcessBook display or vice versa. To move an object, simply drag it. To copy an object, press CTRL and drag it. PI ProcessBook must be in Build mode to successfully have an object dragged or dropped.
Note: if you open a display and drag an object elsewhere, the display is permanently changed, regardless of whether you save it or simply close it.

Edit the Appearance of an OLE Object


Once an OLE object appears in a display, you can resize it, move it around on the display, or copy it. There are, however, a few differences in how OLE objects respond to PI ProcessBook commands, compared to native objects such as symbols. Although you must be in Build mode to insert an OLE object or edit links, you can edit OLE objects from either Run mode or Build mode. When you select an OLE object, switching modes does not cancel the selection.
Note: It is not possible to disable the ability to move, resize, edit, or copy an OLE object. This behavior is built into the underlying Microsoft OLE technology, and not governed by PI ProcessBook.

Commands That Ignore OLE objects


Command Select All Zoom/Fit All Symbols Align Forward Backward Location Edit menu View menu Arrange menu Arrange menu Arrange menu Action Does not include OLE objects. Ignores OLE objects. Does not work because you cannot select more than one OLE object at a time. Does not work because you cannot select more than one OLE object at a time. Does not work because you cannot select more than one OLE object at a time.

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Command Group Rotate Flip

Location Arrange menu Arrange menu Arrange menu

Action Does not work because you cannot select more than one OLE object at a time. Does not work with OLE objects. Does not work with OLE objects.

Placement of OLE objects


OLE objects appear to obscure other elements of the display, such as text or symbols, if the OLE objects were created before the native symbols. The most recently created OLE object appears on top of older OLE objects and native symbols. Active X controls and OLE objects are not really part of a display, but rather sit on top of it. They therefore do not participate in the regular Z-order of display items. This fact also limits the ability to use the Tab key to select OLE objects in a display.

OLE Object Colors


You may wish to use a background within an OLE object in a contrasting color to the display. To change the colors used in an OLE object, go to the source application. ProcessBook Color Preferences do not apply to OLE objects.

Edit Contents of OLE objects


Some source applications permit in-place activation, which means that if you double-click the OLE object, the source application opens, displays its menus and commands through the ProcessBook menu bar, and permits you to edit the object in place within PI ProcessBook. Other source applications open a new window for editing when you double-click the OLE object. 1. Open the display. 2. In Build mode, double-click the OLE object you want to edit. 3. Refer to the following table:
If The source application permits in-place activation, menus and commands for the source application appear on your screen, temporarily replacing ProcessBook menus. The source application does not permit in-place activation, a new window containing the source application appears. Then Edit the object. Save it if it is a linked file. Click elsewhere on the display to return to ProcessBook or press the ESC key. Edit the object. Save it if it is a linked file. Close the window and return to ProcessBook.

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Delete an OLE Object from a Display


1. In Build mode, click the OLE object you want to delete. 2. Click Edit > Clear.

OLE Container/Server
A ProcessBook display may be shown in another application. For example, you could include an updating trend in an incident report produced in a word processing application such as Microsoft Word. Or, you could prepare a presentation for a group by using Microsoft PowerPoint to prepare slides and including embedded displays from PI ProcessBook. To do this, use the Insert Object command in the second application and insert an object of type PI Display Document.

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Appendix A

Visual Basic for Applications in PI ProcessBook


OSIsoft licenses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) from Microsoft in order to provide an integrated development environment. This is the same VBA that is used in Microsoft Office, Visio, AutoCAD, Great Plains Dynamics, and many other applications. In PI ProcessBook, each display has a VBA project associated with it. You can write scripts that execute in response to events in PI ProcessBook, either from user actions or data updates. Also use VBA to automate routine tasks or to cause changes in a display when data changes. The Visual Basic toolbar includes three command buttons (page 201): Visual Basic Editor, Run Macro, and Design Mode. Use of VBA in PI ProcessBook is documented in the VBA language reference. Click Help > PI ProcessBook VBA Language Reference to open this reference guide. You can find existing custom VBA scripts, and other related resources available at the OSIsoft vCampus (http://vCampus.osisoft.com/) Web site.

VBA Commands
Access VBA through the VBA toolbar, or by clicking Tools > Macro:
Visual Basic Editor Run Macros Design Mode Switches to VBA Editor window Opens the Macros dialog, which provides a way to select, debug, and run existing VBA scripts Stops any scripts that may be running or may start running. Useful for debugging

ActiveX Automation
ActiveX Automation refers to the technology of placing ActiveX controls (independent software modules) within applications and using scripts to manipulate the application and/or the controls.

What You Can Do with ActiveX Automation in PI ProcessBook


Data from PI ProcessBook can be retrieved or manipulated according to scripts originating either within or outside PI ProcessBook. For example, with the proper scripts in place, you could:
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Visual Basic for Applications in PI ProcessBook

Obtain a PI ProcessBook object, such as a display, from PI ProcessBook and print it in an Excel spreadsheet. In fact, you can write the script to retrieve the display if and only if certain tag values or other conditions are met. Write a VB program to start PI ProcessBook, access a particular display, and then alter it in some way. Click on a command button in ProcessBook to make an Excel spreadsheet show the average and raw data of the current trend in ProcessBook. Then you change the time range of the ProcessBook, click the button again, and see the Excel spreadsheet update with the new time range. Use a mouse click within a PI ProcessBook display to initiate updates or adjustments in the display. Update a PI ProcessBook display by typing new tag names into a spreadsheet.

Although Automation scripts are not required to use a dialect of Visual Basic, at the present time, that is the most common approach.

Automation Vocabulary
Understanding OLE automation requires some technical vocabulary. Terms used in the PI ProcessBook VBA Language Reference Guide are defined below.
Automation ActiveX Automation Server ActiveX Automation Container Object Property Method Event Accessing an object in an application and changing it or using it without using the user interface. The application that provides data. PI ProcessBook is an OLE Automation Server. It provides access to its internal objects from other applications. The application that initiates changes through scripts. PI ProcessBook is an Automation container, as are Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and a few other commercial products. A specific item that may be manipulated by a script. For example, a ProcessBook, a display, or a symbol may be the object of a VB or VBA script. An attribute of an object. An object with read-write properties can have variable information assigned to it by the script. A read-only property cannot be changed. An action that can be performed on an object and may or may not return a value. Sometimes called a function. A procedure that executes whenever a particular action occurs, such as a mouse click.

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Appendix B

System Administrator Notes


Installation
Detailed information on installing PI ProcessBook is available in the PI ProcessBook Release Notes, which are available on the OSIsoft Tech Support site (http://techsupport.osisoft.com).

System Requirements
For up-to-date system requirements, see the OSIsoft Tech Support site: http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Products.htm (http://techsupport.osisoft.com/Products.htm)

64-bit Operating Systems


PI ProcessBook is a 32-bit Windows application that runs on either 32- or 64-bit Windows operating systems. For 64-bit operating systems please note the following:

The default install location for OSIsoft 32-bit applications: C:\Program Files (x86) Registry settings are located under the Wow6432Node branch. For example references to: ...\SOFTWARE\PISystem\PI ProcessBook\... will be found under: ...\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\PISystem\PI ProcessBook\...

Upgrade from a Previous Version of PI ProcessBook


If you have a previous version of PI ProcessBook installed on your computer, you should upgrade that version rather than uninstall it. During the installation of PI ProcessBook, your previous version of PI ProcessBook is removed; however, .ini file settings are retained. If you have created or edited displays and ProcessBooks with other versions of PI ProcessBook, those files will still work.

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Note: if your existing version is significantly older, you may need to migrate the displays through intermediate versions to ensure successful migration.

Compatibility with Other PI System Client Products

If you have other client products, such as PI DataLink, the same root path is used for installation, often C:\Program Files\PIPC. Otherwise, incompatibilities in the .dll files shared by the applications could occur. If you have PI BatchView installed on your system, Setup installs a PI ProcessBook Batch group symbol that is compatible with the current version of PI ProcessBook. You can also install PI BatchView after installing PI ProcessBook, and the correct Batch Trend symbol is loaded. PI SQC is installed with PI ProcessBook.

Silent Installation
You can install PI ProcessBook with the Windows silent installation feature. Sometimes called an unattended installation, silent installation requires no feedback during the setup process. System administrators with an automated software distribution application might use silent installation to deploy software automatically to large numbers of corporate desktops. To launch a silent install, type:
Setup.exe f silent.ini

The silent.ini file is included in the setup kit. You can make site-specific alterations to the file as needed. See the PI SDK setup.ini file for further information and descriptions of available arguments.

Installation Test
You can view the results of the installation process by examining the setup log:
PIPC\DAT\SetupProcessBook.log

This log also contains information pertaining to the directory structure, node, .dlls, user name, and installation of various PI ProcessBook files. If the log file is not found in the \PIPC\Dat folder, look in the root directory of your system drive (e.g., C:\). Once you install PI ProcessBook, you can see the words PI System on the Windows Start menu under Programs. At this point, you are ready to use PI ProcessBook. Call OSI Technical Support (page 229) if you experience problems with your software.

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Installed Files
Upon completion, Setup installs PI ProcessBook under the root directory \PIPC. Setup also installs online help files and Release Notes. See the Release Notes (readme.htm) for a complete list of files. The Release Notes are normally installed at:
C:\Program Files\PIPC\procbook\en\ProcessBook.pdf

You can look at SetupProcessBook.log in the Dat directory of your PI ProcessBook installation to see a list of files installed by PI ProcessBook's Setup on your computer. SetupProcessBook.log does not show the files installed by VBA.

High Availability Configuration Settings


On workstations where PI ProcessBook is used to write data or access data that is not available on secondary members of a collective, a configuration setting has been provided that modifies the default connection preference. By editing the procbook.ini file you can configure the preference for a particular collective. Entries of the form <collective name>=<preference> in the [COLLECTIVE PREFERENCE] section of the procbook.ini file control how ProcessBook establishes a connection to a server in a particular collective. The value represented above by <collective name> represents the name listed for the collective in the PI Connection Manager. The value represented above by <preference> must be one of the following values:

PreferPrimarythe primary server in the collective is preferred but not required RequirePrimarythe primary server is required Anyany server in the collective is acceptable

Note: For PI ActiveView, connection preferences are configured in acview.ini.

In general, if the advanced feature requires a primary server to operate correctly, specifying PreferPrimary connects you to the primary member whenever it is available. When the primary is unavailable, a secondary server is used and all features of ProcessBook that don't require the primary server continue to function. If the use of ProcessBook on a workstation requires access to the primary, then specifying RequirePrimary forces the application to only connect to a primary member and fail when such a connection cannot be completed.

Recommended Connection Preference Setting


Most ProcessBook displays do not write data to the PI Server and therefore work equally well against primary and secondary member servers. A setting of Any is sufficient and supports the static load balancing configured in the PI SDK.

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A setting of PreferPrimary also works well but does not allow the workstation to participate in load balancing when running ProcessBook. If you use RequirePrimary, and the primary is unavailable, the application behaves as it did without High Availability when the server is unreachable. When this occurs during the opening of a display, the error returned by the connection attempt is displayed in the Status Report dialog box for each tag on the server. Typically, the message reads:
The requested server in not currently available. Primary.

Dynamic symbols on the display are presented in the same manner as any other symbol attached to a disconnected server, though there is no recovery unless the primary server comes back online.

Status Report Dialog

If this occurs after the display is already open, ProcessBook detects the loss of connection, as described previously, and tries to reconnect to the server. This call fails, generates the same error as in the previous case (The requested server in not currently available, Primary), and updates the Status Report dialog.

MDB to PI AF Migration
PI ProcessBook 2012 converts Module Relative Displays (MRD) created with earlier versions of PI ProcessBook into displays that are compatible with PI AF. The first time you open an MRD display in PI ProcessBook 2012, it is automatically upgraded to an Element Relative Display (ERD) in memory. If you save the display, you cannot revert the display to an MRD. PI ProcessBook does not migrate data from the Module Database (MDB). The data migration is a separate process that occurs when you upgrade to PI Server 2010. We recommend that you:

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MDB to PI AF Migration

Upgrade to PI Server 2010, which automatically converts your MDB data to PI AF Back up all of your displays before upgrading to PI ProcessBook 2012 Allow PI ProcessBook 2012 to automatically upgrade MRD displays to use the ERD instead

Module Relative Display Add-in


The Module Relative Display Add-in, included in PI ProcessBook v3.2 and earlier, allows you to show data from a Module Database module on dynamic symbols in PI ProcessBook. This feature does not support PI AF data and is discontinued in PI ProcessBook 2012. Installing PI ProcessBook 2012 uninstalls MRD add-in. You must use an earlier release of PI ProcessBook or download and install the MRD add-in from the Technical Support Web site to view the following:

MDB data from earlier versions of PI Server Batch displays MRD displays

Considerations for Multiple-Versions of PI Server or PI ProcessBook


You must take special precautions when your PI System includes more than one version of PI Server or more than one version of PI ProcessBook. Consider that:

PI ProcessBook 2012 does not automatically support MRD displays. You must download and install the MRD add-in to access data in MRD displays from PI ProcessBook 2012 even if you have earlier versions of the PI Server. When you attempt to open an MRD display that references an older server with PI ProcessBook 2012, you get an upgrade error and no data is displayed. You can use PI ProcessBook 3.2 or earlier to view MRD displays from earlier versions of PI Server and PI Server 2010. PI Server 2010 has a synchronization feature that allows you to view data with MDB-based tools. After you upgrade a PI ProcessBook display from MRD to ERD, the display will only show data in PI ProcessBook 3.2 or later.

Matrix of Display Behavior


The following table describes what happens with MRD displays and ERD displays depending on the version of PI System and the version of PI ProcessBook.
PI Server 2010 or later Pre PI Server 2010

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PI Server 2010 or later PI ProcessBook 2012 The first time you open an MRD display in PI ProcessBook 2012 the ERD add-in attempts to upgrade it. Symbols on converted displays receive data from PI AF. Installing PI ProcessBook 2012 uninstalls MRD add-in.

Pre PI Server 2010 Attempt to open MRD fails with Element Not Found or Attribute Not Found error messages.

PI ProcessBook 2012 + previously installed MRD add-in

Installing PI ProcessBook 2012 uninstalls MRD add-in.

PI ProcessBook 3.2

PI ProcessBook 3.2 supports both MRD and ERD. You must manually uninstall the MRD Add-in from the computer to migrate exiting MRD displays to ERD. PI ProcessBook 3.2 supports both MRD and ERD. See tech support article on When to use MRD and ERD (http://techsupport.osisoft.com/support+ solution/8/kb00298.htm). ERD is not available. PI Server 2010 supports MRD though a two-way synchronization that makes PI AF elements available as Modules. This is not the recommended path forward. We recommend that you upgrade to PI AF.

You can continue to open MRD displays.

Pre- PI ProcessBook 3.2

You can continue to open MRD displays.

Migrate a Module Relative Display (MRD) to an Element Relative Display (ERD)


When an MRD is opened in PI ProcessBook 3.2 or higher, the ERD add-in attempts to map the stored MDB paths to the new paths in PI AF created by migration to a PI Server 2010 or later. Any errors are reported in the Migration Status window. After this upgrade, if you have saved the display, it is no longer compatible with earlier versions of PI ProcessBook, which do not have ERD. Follow these steps to migrate your Module Relative Displays to Element Relative Displays: 1. In PI ProcessBook, open an MRD display. The display is shown and the migration process occurs at the point where the display would normally retrieve data. Once the migration process is complete, the ERD docking window appears with a status icon in the title bar notifying you whether or not the migration completed successfully. The display successfully migrated.

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Playback Toolbar Setting Defaults

The display successfully migrated, but there were some issues. The display was not migrated and will not work.
Note: In the case of a partially successful migration, the symbols and/or contexts that could not be migrated are left the way they were. If you save your display and then reopen it, the migration is reattempted. Following a successful migration you may see a dynamic symbol display No Data. This occurs when the Module database is migrated to a PI AF database, but the element corresponding to the module cannot be found on the PI AF database.

2. Click the icon to display the Migration Results dialog.

3. (Optional) Click the Save to File button to save the results as a tab-delineated file that can be exported into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel. This file contains additional migration information.

Playback Toolbar Setting Defaults


The values for Scroll Period, Display Range, and Speed default to the settings they had when you closed PI Processbook. Default settings do not change from display to display. Start time, end time, and display range values default based on the user and locale. This avoids issues when a user enters a locale dependent dynamic time string such as *-8 stunde that would only be recognized by the PI System when running under the same locale. Units for speed in the Playback Options window are localized for region.
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System Administrator Notes

DEP Security
Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a setting introduced with Windows XP SP2 and is available in subsequent Windows operating systems. The setting prevents malicious code attacks. PI ProcessBook works correctly when this setting is enabled.

Read/Write Data Access for Users


Although most data features in PI ProcessBook require read-only access (writing annotations (page 129) from the Details add-in being one notable exception), the PI System Administrator can configure a user's setup for read-only, read/write, or no access. For more information, refer to PIBuild:PIServer.txt on your PI Server node. If you want to restrict read and/or write access to PI data, make changes in the CLIENTACCESS section of the file pisysdat:piserver.dat. For example:
[USERDATABASE] DEFAULT=PI [CLIENTACCESS] DEFAULT=RW DYAN=R ERIC=R JOHN=NONE

The above entries in piserver.dat result in:


The machines named DYAN and ERIC have only read access to PI data. The machine named JOHN does not have any access to PI data. All other machines have both read and write access to PI.

The value for the DEFAULT entry is initially set to RW. Otherwise, existing PINet nodes will not function properly. If you want to restrict write access from PCs, set the default CLIENTACCESS to R and add entries to accommodate your PINet Nodes. For example:
[USERDATABASE] DEFAULT=PI [CLIENTACCESS] DEFAULT=R BRIAN=RW

The preceding entry allows the PINet node BRIAN to read and to write data to the PI System. All other nodes have read- only access. TCP/IP node names are case-sensitive. In addition, the values for the entries in the CLIENTACCESS section (for example, R and W) are also case-sensitive.

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Machine Address

Machine Address
Because PI ProcessBook is a client/server application, the communication setup is essential. The machine address, which allows the PI System to recognize your machine, is a key item. Often, the address may be found as an alias in the TCP host file. The Network Administrator should resolve any questions or difficulties regarding the network and addressing.

PROCBOOK.INI
The PROCBOOK.INI file contains configuration and preference settings for PI ProcessBook. This file generally resides in two places, the user's default location, C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\PISystem\PIProcessBook\<language>, and the PIPC\DAT\<language> directory (on the local drive where PI ProcessBook is installed). When PI ProcessBook is installed on an individual PC using SETUP.EXE, the procbook.ini file in PIPC\DAT\en is created (for the base, English installation). The file in C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\PISystem\PI-ProcessBook\<language> is only created once settings are changed in the PI ProcessBook Preferences dialog for the first time. The values in C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\PISystem\PI-ProcessBook\language override the values in PIPC\DAT\<language> unless an administrator creates Registry entries to override userspecific settings. The following is a list and brief explanation of the most significant sections and keywords in the PROCBOOK.INI file. The settings used are examples and not necessarily the default values.

Startup Section
Initializations for startup of PI ProcessBook Possible entries: StartupProcessBookSpecifies file (with full path) to be opened on start of the application. May be blank. DefaultFileLocationBy default, clicking File > Open displays the local user's My Documents directory. Specifying a different directory in this entry changes the File > Open and File > Save commands to start with a different folder when ProcessBook starts. ModeBiasR=run-mode, B=build-mode RetainAspectRatio1=preserve aspect ratio for displays, 0=do not Symbol LibrarySpecifies a workbook that is opened by selecting the Book of Symbols button from a customized toolbar. MakeBackupFile1=make backup files while using ProcessBook, 0=do not make backup files
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AuthorSets the default author for created displays and workbooks ToolTipsEnabledSetting this entry equal to Y enables ToolTips on dynamic symbols. Setting equal to N disables them. The default (if this entry is not in the .ini file) is Y. This setting has no effect on toolbar ToolTips. International Date FormatSpecifies date/time format. 1=Windows format, 0=PI Time format PromptForConversion1=prompt user when opening a file created with an earlier version, asking whether or not to convert to new format, 0=do not prompt (default) MaxUndoStackSizeMaximum number of elements in the Undo stack (default is 200) Build/Run Scroll ModeFor each mode, set the scrolling: 0=off, 1=on, 2=automatic. GridSizeSets the Grid Size, in lines per screen unit. Default is 12. File Access EntriesFileAccessTimeout and FileAccessInterval entries, described below, the common INI file (in \PIPC\Dat) is checked first for these settings as opposed to the private INI files. FileAccessTimeoutNumber of seconds PI ProcessBook attempts to open a locked file (default is 5 seconds) FileAccessIntervalNumber of intervals, in tenths of seconds, between attempts to open a locked file (default is 1/10 of a second) COMTimeOutThis is the number of seconds that the ProcessBook container waits before showing a timeout dialog. The default is 30 seconds. RunSelectorColorRed, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255, sets the color of the selector rectangle in run mode. MacroProtectionLevelSpecifies how ProcessBook handles macros per display. Possible settings: Level 0No macro protection (default if entry is not defined) Level 1Prompts user to disable macros when VBA code is opened Level 2Prompts user as in Level 1, except when macros are disabled, VBA code is opened and locked in design mode Level 5Same as Level 1, except no dialog appears when display is opened (can toggle between run and design modes) Level 6Same as Level 2, except no dialog appears when display is opened (locked in design mode) Toolbar Configuration EntriesTypically the toolbar INI file (PBToolbarConfig.ini) is generated by ProcessBook in the same folder as the private PROCBOOK.INI file, and is persisted there. However, you can assign toolbar configurations to other INI files by setting the entries below (in order of precedence, from first to last): TBFilePathLocation and filename that the user's toolbar configuration data will be persisted (this file must have both read and write access). This will also be the first location looked for when loading the toolbar configuration.

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UserDefaultTBRead-only location and filename of a toolbar configuration that is searched for, when the file in TBFilePath is not found. This could be a default company, or group, configuration. PBDefaultTBRead-only location and filename of a toolbar configuration, used only when the two entries above are not found, and there is no toolbar configuration data persisted in the Windows registry. ReferencesFilenames or paths to VBA references, separated by semicolons (;) URL HomeSpecifies the website navigated to when a user clicks the ProcessBook icon in the Help\About box. Default link is to the OSIsoft Website (http://www.osisoft.com/) MaxBitmapMBMaximum file size (in megabytes) that bitmap images may be loaded in displays. If embedded bitmaps are larger than the specified maximum, ProcessBook scales the images down to lower resolutions. The current default maximum is 16.0 MB. ServerTimeZone1=Show times and time spans based on the time zone of the server where the tags originate, 0=Show times and time spans based on the time zone of the local machine. 1 is the default. ProcessBookSetting this value equal to PRIMARY allows users to view ProcessBooks, but not change them. The user has access to the Standard toolbar, including the trend displays command to create instant trends, but cannot save an instant display. EnableScreenSaverIndicates whether the platform's screen saver should be displayed while ProcessBook is running. A value of 1 enables the screen saver and is appears if it is defined at the operating system level. A value of 0 prevents the screen saver from appearing while ProcessBook is running, even if the screen saver is enabled at the operating system level. The default value is 1. If this entry is not in procbook.ini, the application assumes a value of 1. ConnectUsingAPI0 = (default) do not connect on startup using the PI API, only use the PI SDK. 1 = connect using the PI API (and the PI SDK). This setting is used to support legacy VBA code in displays/add-ins. Show Value AttributesIndicates whether value attribute flags (substituted, questionable, annotations) are shown for tags. 1 = Yes (default setting) 0 = No PB2TraceCompatibilityIndicates whether all snapshot values are retained for trend traces or discarded when a new archive event is received on updating trends. 1 = Yes. Do not replace snapshot values when a new archive event is received. This setting may result in a jagged trace that gets smoothed when the trend is reverted. 0 = No. Use snapshot value filtering/removal logic so that only archive values and any snapshot values since the last archive event are shown on the trend. EnableConnectorAttachmentscontrols whether symbols drag and dropped on top of a connector are made into connector attachments 1 = true - allow 0 = false - do not allow

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ConnectorsAvoidConnectorscontrols whether connectors are treated as obstacles to be avoided when performing object avoidance 1 = true - connectors are avoided in object avoidance 0 = false - connectors are not avoided in object avoidance AutoEnableScriptingwhen set to True, new dynamic symbols are automatically enabled for scripting. If set to False, new dynamic symbols are not automatically enabled for scripting. The False setting may improve performance for very complex displays with many symbols.

Startup Example
[Startup] Startup ProcessBook=PIDEMO.PIW DefaultFileLocation="C:\Program Files\PIPC\Procbook" ModeBias=R Retain Aspect Ratio=0 Symbol Library=SYMLIBRY.PIW PromptForConversion=[PB_PROMPTFORCONVERSION] Show Value Attributes=1 PB2TraceCompatibility=0 MakeBackupFile=0 ToolTipsEnabled=Y Author= International Date Format=1 MaxUndoStackSize=20 Build Scroll Mode=1 Run Scroll Mode=1 GridSize=12 FileAccessTimeout=5 FileAccessInterval=1 COMTimeOut=30 RunSelectorColor=0,0,0 MacroProtectionLevel=0 TBFilePath= UserDefaultTB= PBDefaultTB= References= URL Home="http://www.osisoft.com/" MaxBitmapMB=16 ServerTimeZone=1 Processbook=PRIMARY EnableScreenSaver=1 ConnectUsingAPI=0 EnableConnectorAttachments=1

ProcessBook View Section


The ProcessBook View section of the .INI file should be modified through the Tools > Preferences dialog and should resemble this example:
[ProcessBook View]

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PROCBOOK.INI

BookView = 1

BookView controls the view in which a ProcessBook is displayed when opened (0 = Outline, 1 = Book). To change the font for the tabs in book view, add a section similar to this example:
[BookTab_Font] Height=-13 Weight=0 Italic=0 Underline=0 PitchAndFamily=0 FaceName=Arial

The FaceName should be a True-Type font so that it can be rotated.

Conversion Section
The Conversion section of the .INI file identifies resources for importing other file formats and resembles this example:
[Conversion] Import0 = PIDisDIFF Files, impd32.dll, dat Import1 = PI-Graphics Files, impp32.dll, dat

ImportN identifies the file types used when converting VAX-formatted trends or graphics. N increments by one for each file type. The second field is the name of the file type to be imported and will appear in the List Files of Type drop-down box in the Import File dialog box. The third field is the DLL used to import the file type. No path is necessary, since the files reside in the same directory as Procbook.exe. The fourth field is the default extension for the file type. You may have more than one extension for each import type, separated by semicolons.

Data Manager Section


The Data Manager section of the .INI file should be added by the System Manager and should resemble this example.
[Data Manager] TIMER = 5000

TIMER sets the poll timer, in milliseconds, for checking whether PI ProcessBook should perform any time-related task. Time-related tasks include retrieving exception reports from PI and re-querying sources. (60,000 is the maximum setting; the default is 5000.)

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System Administrator Notes

Trend Definition Section


Trend definitions control the default behavior applied to new trend symbols and instant trends. These settings correspond to settings on the Trend and Trend Elements tabs of the Preferences dialog. Autoscale1=yes, 0=no Value/Description/Plot Title/Grids/Scale Inside Axis/Tag Name/Eng Units/Correlation Coefficient/Linear Correlation/Connecting Lines1=enable feature, 0=disable feature Background Null1=sets to have no background color, 0=have background color specified under Elements Start Time/End TimeDefault start and end time range (must be a valid PI string) UpdateTimeRangeMaximum time period, in seconds, to support updates. The default is 604,800 seconds, equal to 7 days. If the time range is greater than this value, the trend does not update automatically even when the end time is '*'. Note that the maximum update range is different from the update rate, which is the frequency with which the computer displays new data from the server, typically every 5 seconds. MarkerWarningProcessBook has the option of showing a warning dialog whenever a trend has found too many marker values to display them on the plot. 1=enables this option, 0=disables this option. Default value is 1. RequeryThresholdFactorBase the max values for each trace on a "factor" of the interval RequeryHoldoffTimeoutMinimum time for re-query since last requery in milliseconds Max Tracesthe maximum number of traces per trend. ElementThese 16 entries are the main drawn properties of trends. For each of 16 trend elements, you can change the color and shape properties. This is the entry format: ElementX = Name, Color, LineStyle, MarkerStyle ColorDecimal conversion of the color to draw the element. ex. Pen 1 has a color of 65280, this converts to 0x00ff00 in hex -->00ff00 = 0 red, 255 green, 0 blue ==> Green LineStyleLine style of the element. Key is as follows: -1=no line, 0=solid, 1=dashed, 2=dotted, 3=dash-dot, 4=dash-dot-dot MarkerStyleMarker style of each trace. Key is as follows: -1=no marker, 0=closed circle, 1=open circle, 2=closed diamond, 3=open diamond, 4=closed square, 5=open square, 6=closed triangle, 7=open triangle, 8=cross Tag Name/Server Name1=show on legend by default, 0=do not show on legend by default Example:
[Trend Definition] Autoscale=1 Value=1 Description=0

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PROCBOOK.INI

Markers=0 Plot Title=1 Grids=1 Scale Inside Axis=1 Tag Name=1 Server Name=0 Eng Units=1 Background Null=0 Start Time=*-8 Hour End Time=* MarkerWarning=1 UpdateTimeRange=604800 ;MaxValues=2000 RequeryThresholdFactor=6 RequeryHoldoffTimeout=300000 Max Traces=50 Element1=Horz. Axis,0,0,-1 Element2=Background,8421504,-1,-1 Element3=Horz. Major Grid,0,0,-1 Element4=Horz. Minor Grid,0,0,-1 Element5=Pen 1,65280,0,0 Element6=Pen 2,16776960,0,1 Element7=Pen 3,65535,0,2 Element8=Pen 4,16711935,0,3 Element9=Pen 5,255,0,4 Element10=Pen 6,16777215,0,5 Element11=Pen 7,16711680,0,6 Element12=Pen 8,0,0,7 Element13=Text,16777215,-1,-1 Element14=Vert. Axis,0,0,-1 Element15=Vert. Major Grid,0,0,-1 Element16=Vert. Minor Grid,0,0,-1

Colors Section
Defines the 16 colors in the ProcessBook palette. Parameters: ColorX = Red, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255 Example:
[Colors] Color1=255,255,255 Color2=255,0,0 Color3=0,255,0 Color4=0,0,255 Color5=0,255,255 Color6=255,0,255 Color7=255,255,0 Color8=0,0,0 Color9=192,192,192 Color10=128,0,0 Color11=0,128,0 Color12=128,128,128 Color13=128,0,128 Color14=0,0,128
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System Administrator Notes

Color15=128,128,0 Color16=0,128,128

Time Range Scroll Section


Possible entries: TimeRangeMin/TimeRangeMaxset the minimum/maximum time that can be scrolled using the time range scroll bar (must be valid PI time strings) PageScrollNonlinearitysets the factor by which clicking on and holding the mouse button down in the page scroll area will increase the speed that the thumbwheel of the scrollbar moves. A value of 0 indicates no acceleration. LineScrollNonlinearitysets the factor by which clicking on and holding the mouse button down in the line scroll area will increase the speed that the thumbwheel of the scrollbar moves. A value of 0 indicates no acceleration. ThumbScrollNonlinearitysets the factor by which clicking and holding the thumbwheel of the scrollbar will increase the speed that the thumbwheel moves Example:
[Time Range Scroll] TimeRangeMin=*-100d TimeRangeMax=*+10d PageScrollNonlinearity=20 LineScrollNonlinearity=100 ThumbScrollNonlinearity=20

ProcessBook Level Section


Font settings for book levels in outline view. Possible entries: Underline1=underline, 0=no underline FaceNameFont for specified level HeightHeight of the font (almost equivalent to font point size) WeightBoldness factor of the font Italic1=italic, 0=no italic
[PB Level 1] Underline=0 FaceName=MS Sans Serif Height=-16 Weight=700 Italic=0 PitchAndFamily=34 [PB Level 2] Underline=0 FaceName=MS Sans Serif Height=-13 Weight=700

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PROCBOOK.INI

Italic=0 PitchAndFamily=34

Display Colors Section


These settings control the default behavior for new displays and symbols. DisplayBackgroundColorRed, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255, sets the background color for any newly created display SymbolFillColorRed, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255, sets the fill color for newly created symbols SymbolLineColorRed, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255, sets the line or text color for newly created symbols SymbolBackgroundColorRed, Green, Blue, values can range from 0 to 255, sets the background color for newly created symbols, for example, the empty portion of a bar symbol takes on this color. Example:
[Display Colors] DisplayBackgroundColor=192,192,192 SymbolFillColor = 0,0,255 SymbolLineColor = 255,255,255 SymbolBackgroundColor = 192,192,192

XYPlot Definition Section


Modify this section to determine the default formatting of an XYPlot. Autoscale1=yes, 0=no Value/Description/Plot Title/Grids/Scale Inside Axis/Tag Name/Eng Units/Correlation Coefficient/Linear Correlation/Connecting Lines1=enable feature, 0=disable feature Background Null1=sets to have no background color, 0=have background color specified under Elements Start Time/End TimeDefault start and end time range (must be a valid PI string) UpdateTimeRangeMaximum time period, in seconds, to support updates. The default is 604,800 seconds, equal to 7 days. If the time range is greater than this value, the trend does not update automatically even when the end time is '*'. Note that the maximum update range is different from the update rate, which is the frequency with which the computer displays new data from the server, typically every 5 seconds. ElementThese 17 entries are the main drawn properties of XYPlots. For each of 17 XYPlot elements, you can change the color and shape properties. This is the entry format: ElementXName, Color, LineStyle, MarkerStyle ColorDecimal conversion of the color to draw the element. LineStyleLine style of the element. Key is as follows: -1=no line, 0=solid, 1=dashed, 2=dotted, 3=dash-dot, 4=dash-dot-dot
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System Administrator Notes

MarkerStyleMarker style of each XY pair. Key is as follows: -1=no marker, 0=closed circle, 1=open circle, 2=closed diamond, 3=open diamond, 4=closed square, 5=open square, 6=closed triangle, 7=open triangle, 8=cross

Macro Protection
The primary purpose of the macro protection feature is to prevent misbehaved VBA event code from executing. Whenever a ProcessBook display (either standalone .pdi file or table of contents entry) is opened, ProcessBook determines whether the display has any VBA code present. MacroProtectionLevel may be set in the [STARTUP] section of Procbook.ini at one of the following levels:
Value 0 1 2 5 6 Description Display is opened with macros enabled. User is prompted when display is opened; project is set to design mode if user selects <Disable Macros>. User is prompted when display is opened; project is opened with macros disabled if user selects <Disable Macros>. User is prompted when display is opened; project is always set to design mode when opened. User is prompted when display is opened; project is always opened with macros disabled.

The default value for this setting is 0, so that if it is not present at all in the .ini file, then PI ProcessBook always executes macros.

View Only Mode


Installations of PI ProcessBook can be configured so that users on a network may only view ProcessBooks and not change them. The user has access to the Standard toolbar, including the Trend Display feature, but cannot save an ad hoc display. To put PI ProcessBook into view-only mode, add the line
ProcessBook=Primary

to the Startup section of your ProcBook.ini file. Alternatively, if you use Windows Authentication security, you could set the file permissions to read-only for those users who should not modify ProcessBooks. Those users could make a copy of the file locally and modify it.

INI Security
You can use your system registry to override many strings or integer values in PROCBOOK.INI:

220

IMPPIGP.INI

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PISystem\PI - ProcessBook\Security

Under this key there is a key for the INI file section where you can override values. Many string or integer INI setting can be overwritten this way. The only exceptions are the HA Collective setting, which cannot be overridden. For example, to override the EnableScreenSaver setting in the STARTUP section of PROCBOOK.INI, create a DWORD value EnableScreenSaver with a value of 1 in HKLM\SOFTWARE\PISystem\PI ProcessBook\Security\Startup. Security registry settings override local PROCBOOK.INI settings. Moreover, local PROCBOOK.INI settings override global PROCBOOK.INI settings. The PI ProcessBook setup kit does not create these registry keys; it is up to each site administrator to create the keys if they want to override the PROCBOOK.INI settings. These registry keys allow a PI System administrator to lock down a system configuration so that users cannot make changes.
Note: Registry paths may differ on 64-bit operating systems (page 203).

IMPPIGP.INI
The IMPPIGP.INI file contains configuration settings used by the Import utility in PI ProcessBook. The file generally resides in the PIPC\DAT directory. As with other .INI files, SETUP.EXE creates this file with default settings. When you import VAX-formatted graphics and graphics that include trends, the import utility uses the settings found in this .INI file to convert items such as color, line style, and fonts. You can edit the .INI file if you want to change these default settings. Before you edit this file, you should make a backup copy so you can restore PI ProcessBook to its original settings.
Note: The settings in this .INI file affect graphics and trends included in graphics only. When importing trend displays, the format specified in the Trend Preference setting is used.

The following is a list of the keywords in the IMPPIGP.INI file. The values shown are examples and not necessarily the default settings shipped with PI ProcessBook: The Color section of the .INI file maps VAX colors to PI ProcessBook colors:
[Color] Clear=0,0,0 Black=0,0,0 White=255,255,255 Red=255,0,0 Green=0,255,0 Blue=0,0,255 Cyan=0,255,255 Magenta=255,0,255 Yellow=255,255,0

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System Administrator Notes

Orange=255,128,0 GreenYellow=128,255,0 GreenCyan=0,255,128 BlueCyan=0,128,128 BlueMagenta=0,0,128 RedMagenta=255,0,128 DarkGray=128,128,128 LightGray=192,192,192

The values shown to the right of the equal sign are the red, green, blue values. Refer to Creating Your Own Colors in the Windows documentation for more information on changing these values. The Line Style section maps the VAX line format to the PI ProcessBook line format:
[Line Style] Supress=5 Solid=0 XShortDash=2 DotShortDash=3 LongDash=1 XLongDash=1 TwoDotDash=4 LongDotDash=3 ShortDash=1

The PI ProcessBook values to the right of the equal sign represent:


0 1 2 3 4 5 = = = = = = solid dash dot dash dot dash dot dot suppress

The Font section maps the VAX supported fonts to PI ProcessBook fonts:
StandardFont=35,400,0,0,34,Arial SmallVector=-29,400,0,0,34,Arial MediumVector=-52,400,0,0,34,Arial LargeVector=-77,400,0,0,34,Arial Note: These default values are based on resolutions for VT340 terminals. If you are using a terminal other than these, appearances may be different.

The values to the right of the equal sign represent these font characteristics.
Position 1 Font Characteristic Height Definition Specifies the height of the font. If the value is greater than zero, it specifies the cell height. If the value is less than zero, it specifies the character height, which is the cell height minus the leading. Specifies the weight of the font (for example, light, medium, bold). Values can be from 0 to 900 in increments of 100. 100 equals the lightest; 900 the darkest.

Weight

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IMPPIGP.INI

Position 3 4 5

Font Characteristic Italic Underline Pitch and Family

Definition Specifies an italic font if the value is not zero (for example, 0 = non-italic; 1 = italic). Specifies an underlined font if the value is not zero (for example, 0 = non-underlined; 1 = underlined). Specifies the pitch and family of the font. Pitch can be fixed, variable, or default. Font families, such as Old English, describe the look of a font in a general way. They are intended for specifying fonts when the exact typeface desired is not available. Specifies the typeface name of the font.

Face Name

The Marker section of the .INI file maps the VAX trend markers to the markers provided in PI ProcessBook:
[Markers] NoMarker=9 Dot=0 SmallPlus=6 LargePlus=7 Asterisk=0 Circle=1 LargeX=8 Box=5 Diamond=3 BoxWithDot=4 DiamondWithDot=2 BoxWithDiamond=4

The values to the right of the equal sign represent these marker types in PI ProcessBook:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = = = = = = = = = = filled circle open circle filled diamond open diamond filled square open square filled triangle open triangle cross none

The Display section in the .INI file specifies the supported terminals in PI ProcessBook:
[Display] Terminal Type=VT340

Keywords for supported terminals are shown below. The horizontal and vertical dimensions are also shown.
VT340 = 800 x 500 Reflection = 800 x 500 Tektronix = 4095 x 3130 X1024 = 880 x 640 X800 = 560 x 448

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System Administrator Notes

If your terminal is not included in the list of keywords, you can create your own. The syntax is:
Terminal Type=Custom,X,Y

where X equals the horizontal dimension and Y equals the vertical dimension.

SETUPProcessBook.LOG
This log tracks the setup of PI ProcessBook on your system and holds information pertaining to directory structure, user-entered information for Node, .DLL, and User name, and the installation of the various ProcessBook files.

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Appendix C

Troubleshooting Tips
Display Can't Find Data
When a display does not receive data, the problem may be one of the following:

The network is down. A display has been moved from one PC to another and Node Identifiers to the Server(s) need to be re-established through the Connections dialog (page 4). An ODBC Data Source may have been altered, causing the dataset to fail to return data. An ODBC database might have been restructured, invalidating your dataset.

Trend Cursor Does Not Appear


If the trend is part of a display, select it. If that doesn't enable the Trend Cursor (page 81), the trend is probably too small. Double-click to make the trend larger.

Trend Legend Does Not Appear


Make the trend larger. If that doesn't help, check the default Trend Format settings.

Cant Change or Save a Display


If your PI ProcessBook is part of a View-only installation, you are unable to save any ad hoc trends or alter displays or ProcessBooks. If you cannot alter a display or ProcessBook, you may be in either View mode or Run mode. If you are in View mode, you have only one toolbar. If you are in Run mode, the Run mode button on the Drawing toolbar is depressed. Switch to Build mode .

Is an XYPlot Updating?
When an XYPlot is updating, the updating tags are shown with an arrow indicator in the legend. An XYPlot is updating if the following conditions exist:
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Troubleshooting Tips

The end time for the X tag is indicated as the current time (by using *) or is in the future (*+N) At least one of the Y tag end times is indicated as the current time (by using *) or is in the future (*+N) and is not synchronized or matched with the X tag (if X is not updating).

If both the X tag and the Y tag are updating, an arrow indicator is shown in each legend entry. Updates for retrieval methods Recorded and Interpolated are received from an event pipe that provides the application with snapshot values. For this reason, when a tag is using recorded values, you may see many more values while the plot is updating than are actually recorded. Once the plot is regenerated or reverted, only recorded values are shown. When using the interpolated retrieval method, values on the plot are interpolated using the snapshots coming in through the event pipe.

Is an OLE Object in a Display Linked or Embedded?


To determine if an object is linked or embedded, look at the border around it. Linked objects are surrounded with dashed lines; embedded objects are surrounded with solid lines. Depending on the colors used, sometimes the border of an object is difficult to see. If so, select the object and click on the Edit menu. The last entry in the menu appears as: xx object for embedded objects or Linked xx object for linked objects where xx is the object type, such as document, spreadsheet, etc.

Linked Object Data Isn't Updating


If your linked data doesn't update when you open a display, click Edit > Links.

If the Edit > Links choice is unavailable, the link is permanently broken and your object has become a picture. It can't update from the source. Re-create the object. On the Links dialog, if the file is set to Manual Update, click Update Now, and the file should update. On the Links dialog, if the entry for the file says Unavail, the source file is not where the application expects to find it. Use the Change Source button to locate the file and reestablish a path for the link.

Missing ODBC Trace


If no values are found for one of the selected columns in a query, the trace will not be drawn and the value in the legend reads No Data.

226

Missing ODBC Data Sources

If the necessary time value is not defined in the query, either by a date/time column or by a placeholder tag, the trace is drawn as a straight line using one value.

Missing ODBC Data Sources


Occasionally, an ODBC data source cannot be found. This can occur because the data source was deleted or because the ProcessBook .piw file has been moved to a machine that does not have the same data source defined. To resolve the problem, re-define the data source. The following figure shows what happens when a Trend attempts to display a trace for which the data source no longer exists.

Trend Display after a Data Set failure

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227

Appendix D

Technical Support and Resources


You can read complete information about technical support options, and access all of the following resources at the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site: http://techsupport.osisoft.com For information on programming and integration with OSIsoft products see the OSIsoft vCampus Web site, or the OSIsoft vCampus section at the end of this document.

Before You Call or Write for Help


When you contact OSIsoft Technical Support, please provide:

Product name, version, and/or build numbers Computer platform (CPU type, operating system, and version number) The time that the difficulty started The log files at that time

Help Desk and Telephone Support


You can contact OSIsoft Technical Support 24 hours a day. Use the numbers in the table below to find the most appropriate number for your area. Dialing any of these numbers will route your call into our global support queue to be answered by engineers stationed around the world.
Office Location San Leandro, CA, USA Philadelphia, PA, USA Johnson City, TN, USA Montreal, QC, Canada Sao Paulo, Brazil Frankfurt, Germany Manama, Bahrain Singapore Perth, WA, Australia Access Number 1 510 297 5828 1 215 606 0705 1 423 610 3800 1 514 493 0663 55 11 3053 5040 69 951 555 333 973 1758 4429 65 6391 1811 86 021 2327 8686 61 8 9282 9220 Local Language Options English English English English, French English, Portuguese English, German English, Arabic English, Mandarin Mandarin English

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Technical Support and Resources

Support may be provided in languages other than English in certain centers (listed above) based on availability of attendants. If you select a local language option, we will make best efforts to connect you with an available Technical Support Engineer (TSE) with that language skill. If no local language TSE is available to assist you, you will be routed to the first available attendant. If all available TSEs are busy assisting other customers when you call, you will be prompted to remain on the line to wait for the next available TSE or else leave a voicemail message. If you choose to leave a message, you will not lose your place in the queue. Your voicemail will be treated as a regular phone call and will be directed to the first TSE who becomes available. If you are calling about an ongoing case, be sure to reference your case number when you call so we can connect you to the engineer currently assigned to your case. If that engineer is not available, another engineer will attempt to assist you.

Search Support
From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click Search Support. Quickly and easily search the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site's support solutions, documentation, and support bulletins using the advanced MS SharePoint search engine.

E-MailBased Technical Support


techsupport@osisoft.com When contacting OSIsoft Technical Support by e-mail, it is helpful to send the following information:

Description of issue: Short description of issue, symptoms, informational or error messages, history of issue. Log files: See the product documentation for information on obtaining logs pertinent to the situation.

Online Technical Support


From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click My Support > My Calls. Using OSIsoft's Online Technical Support, you can:

Enter a new call directly into OSIsoft's database (monitored 24 hours a day) View or edit existing OSIsoft calls that you entered View any of the calls entered by your organization or site, if enabled See your licensed software and dates of your Service Reliance Program agreements

230

Missing ODBC Data Sources

Remote Access
From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click Contact Us > Remote Support Options. OSIsoft Support Engineers may remotely access your server in order to provide hands-on troubleshooting and assistance. See the Remote Support Options page for details on the various methods you can use.

On-Site Service
From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click Contact Us > On-site Field Service Visit. OSIsoft provides on-site service for a fee. Visit our On-site Field Service Visit page for more information.

Knowledge Center
From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click Knowledge Center. The Knowledge Center provides a searchable library of documentation and technical data, as well as a special collection of resources for system managers. For these options, click Knowledge Center on the Technical Support Web site.

The Search Support feature allows you to search Support Solutions, Bulletins, Support Pages, Known Issues, Enhancements, and Documentation (including user manuals, release notes, and white papers). System Manager Resources include tools and instructions that help you manage archive sizing, backup scripts, daily health checks, daylight saving time configuration, PI Server security, PI System sizing and configuration, PI trusts for interface nodes, and more.

Upgrades
From the OSIsoft Technical Support Web site, click Contact Us > Obtaining Upgrades. You are eligible to download or order any available version of a product for which you have an active Service Reliance Program (SRP), formerly known as Tech Support Agreement (TSA). To verify or change your SRP status, contact your Sales Representative or Technical Support (http://techsupport.osisoft.com/) for assistance.

OSIsoft Virtual Campus (vCampus)


The OSIsoft Virtual Campus (vCampus) Web site offers a community-oriented program that focuses on PI System development and integration. The Web site's annual online subscriptions provide customers with software downloads, resources that include a personal development PI System, online library, technical webinars, online training, and communityoriented features such as blogs and discussion forums.

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Technical Support and Resources

OSIsoft vCampus is intended to facilitate and encourage communication around PI programming and integration between OSIsoft partners, customers and employees. See the OSIsoft vCampus Web site, http://vCampus.osisoft.com (http://vCampus.osisoft.com) or contact the OSIsoft vCampus team at vCampus@osisoft.com for more information.

232

Index
.
.piw 37 section of the imppign.ini file 225 Trend Element Preferences tab 21 COM object 168 Compound Documents 191 Configuring the Data Source 162, 177, 182 Connection Points 136, 137 Add 138 Delete 138 Connections 136, 137 Connectors Dialog 141 Failure 5 Connector Symbols 136 Container 191 Continuous trace 86 Convert 200 VAX-formatted trends and graphics 89 Copy 36 a data set to another ProcessBook 175 Correlation Correlation Coefficient for XY Plot 102 Cursors 81 Missing 229 Custom Data Sets 168 Custom Menus 9 Custom Toolbars 9

A
ActiveX Control 191 Ad Hoc Trend 87, 88 Create 88 Save 88 Add-In Manager 8 Add-Ins 7, 8, 185 Aligning Multiple Symbols 135 Annotations 127, 129 Add 129 Arc command 120 Archive 152 Assign Layers dialog 68 Attributes Changing 54 Color 55, 56 Font 55 Line 57 Autorange 83, 84

B
Background color 56 Bar 112 Create a bar 112 Book View 31, 32, 33, 34 Preferences 17 Section of Procbook.ini file 215 Browser Toolbar 10, 11 Build Mode 7 Button Adding a Button 111

D
Data Data Manager in Procbook.ini file 215 Not in Display 229 Data Archive 152 Data Set 162, 163, 166, 171, 173, 174, 175 Adding to a column 171 Adding to Bars or Values in a Display 173 Copying a 175 Custom 168 Edit a 174 Is it in Use? 170 ODBC 166 PI Calculation 163 Running in ProcessBook 173 Data Source 166, 178 Configuring the 179, 182 Definition of 166 Delete a 182 Edit a 182 Default
233

C
Call Tracing 181 Cascade 47 Circle 120 Close a ProcessBook 37 Color 18, 55, 56, 77, 225 of plot elements 77 Pen 21

PI ProcessBook User Guide

Index

Preference settings 14 Trend Format 75 Delete 37, 75, 175, 182, 203 a Data Set 175 a Plot within a Trend 75 an Entry 37 an ODBC Data Source 182 an ODBC Driver 182 an OLE Object 203 Deselect a Symbol 132 Design Mode, VBA 205 Details Window 127, 128 Open 128 Digital values 108 Disabling macros 224 Discrete trace 86 Display 6, 45 as an Embedded Object 194 Can't Find Data 229 Connection Failure 5 Data sources for 3 Elements of 93, 97, 98 Manage multiple displays 47 Point Attributes 155 Reducing to Icon 49 Resizing 47 Saving 49 Display Entry 26 Linked Display Entry 27 Text or Display 27 Displaying an Item's Definition 144 Drag and Drop Embedding 201 Draw 52, 53, 92, 120, 121, 122 Drawing Area 53 Drawing Grid 53 Drawing Tools 52 Free-form Objects 121 Line 120 Polylines 122 Rectangle, Square, Arc, Ellipse, or Circle 120 XYPlot 92 Driver Manager 177 Dynamic Symbol 45, 71, 112, 116, 144, 196 Bar 112 Button 110 definition of 144 Multi-State symbol 116 Status of 145 Trend 71 Value 108

XYPlot 90

E
Edit 174, 182, 201 a Data Set 174 a text box 119 an ODBC Data Source 182 Element Relative Displays 157 Migrate from Module Relative Display 212 Ellipse 120 Embed 194 Example of 198 Existing ProcessBook Display in Another OLE Application 194 ProcessBook Display in Another OLE Application 194 vs. Link 198 Entries 26, 31, 36 Arranging 31 Change the Name of 34, 36 Creating 26 Placement in ProcessBook 26 Rearranging 36 Types of 34 ERD 210 Expanding a Trend 80

F
File How to Import 42 Sharing 42 Flags for Data 146 Flip command 134 Floating Point values 108 Font 55 Font section of the imppign.ini file 225 Format 54, 55, 56, 57 Color 55, 56 Editable Formatting Attributes 54 Font 55 Line 57 Trend 75, 76, 77, 78 Formatting Paintbrush 57 Full Screen 48 Full Timestamp 85 Future Trends 66

G
Graphics 89, 123

234

Convert from VAX to PC 89 Graphic Symbol 123 Icons vs. Graphics 199 Grid 53 Grid Lines 83 Size 54 Group Symbols 136

H
Handles 132, 133 Horizontal flip 134 How Trends Refresh 82

Weight 57, 77 Linear Correlation Line 97 Linear Regression by Least Squares Method 101 Link 195, 196, 197, 198 Existing File into a ProcessBook Display 195 ProcessBook to Another Application 197 Re-establishing 197 vs. Embed 198 Linked Displays or ProcessBooks 27 Add 28 Logarithmic scales 72, 83

M
Macros 205, 224 Markers 19, 87 Shapes 21 Menu 8 Minimize 47 Missing Data Sources 178, 231 Missing Trace 230 Mode, Run and Build 7 Move 29, 43, 69, 75 a Display to another PI Server 69 a Plot 75 a ProcessBook to another PC 43 MRD 210 MSQuery 180 Multiple Objects 133, 134, 135, 136 Align Multiple Symbols 135 How to Select 133 Stacking Order 134 Ungroup 136 Multi-State Symbol 116, 117

I
Icons 49 Graphics vs. Icons 199 impg32.dll 215 Import 42, 89 Files 42 VAX-formatted trends and graphics 89 imppigp.ini 225 Independent Display files 47 Saving 49 Installation 208 Testing 208 Integers 108 Interpolated data retrieval method 92, 93 Interval 92, 93 Invisible line on a trend 21 Item Definition 144, 145

K
Keyboard Shortcuts 12, 14

L
Layers 51, 66, 67, 68, 69 Adding a Layer 67 Assign symbol to 68 Composite symbols 69 Working with 66 Z Order 67 Layout tab 74, 78 Legend 92, 93, 97, 98 Level of an Entry 34 Line 21, 57, 77, 120, 225 Draw 120 Ends 57 Style 19, 21, 57, 77
PI ProcessBook User Guide

N
Name 25, 34, 67 a ProcessBook 25 of a layer 67 Network Connections 3, 4, 5, 6 Network Errors 5 New 6 ProcessBook 25 NUM 51

O
ODBC 166, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 230, 231 Data Access 178 Data Sets 166

235

Index

Data Sources 178, 182 Driver Manager 177, 178 Drivers 178, 182 Preparing to Use 179 Troubleshooting 230, 231 OLE 191, 192, 194, 195, 197, 198, 201, 202, 203, 230 Edit 194, 196, 197, 201, 202 Embed 192, 193 Link 195, 196, 197 Overview 191, 192, 195, 198 Troubleshooting 230 Open 37, 46, 47 a Display 46 Independent Display Files 47 Multiple entries 47 ProcessBook 37 Several Displays at Once 47 OpenVMS Trends and Graphics 89 Organizing Symbols 53, 54, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136 Out of Range Indicators 106 Outline View 34, 35, 36

File Sharing Capability 42 Import Files to 42 Open 37, 38 Outline View 34, 35, 36 Overview 6 Properties Dialog 38, 39, 40 Save and close 37 Properties 38, 39, 126 Display 39 of a ProcessBook or Display 38, 39, 40 of Symbols in the Symbols Library 126

Q
Queries 169, 180 Questionable Data Flag 146

R
Rectangle 120 How to Draw 120 Re-establishing Links 197 Refresh Interval 82, 166, 173 Refresh Timer section of Procbook.ini file 215 Regrouping a Composite Symbol 136 Relative paths 197 Relative Timestamp 85 Remove a Trend Cursor 81 an Entry 37 Reset 64 Resize 33, 47 a Display 47 a ProcessBook Window 33 Retain Aspect Ratio 215 Rotate a Symbol 133 Run 46 Entry 46

P
Pages 33 Turning in Book View 33 Partial Timestamp 85 PI Data Archive 152, 153 PI ProcessBook 1, 3 PI Server 3, 4, 5, 6, 152, 153 Connect/Disconnect 4 Updates to 153 Pisysdat 214 Placeholders 168, 169 Playback 58, 61, 62 Plot 72, 74, 75, 93 Plot Title 92, 93 Point 71, 152, 153, 155 Polygon 121 Preference Settings 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21 General Preferences 15 Trend 19 Trend Elements 21 Preserve aspect ratio 47 Print 22, 23 Procbook.ini 215 ProcessBook 6, 25, 26, 31, 37, 38, 42, 43 Basic Steps to Build a 25 Book View 32, 33, 34 Entries 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

S
Save 37, 49, 88 Ad Hoc Trend Display 88 ProcessBook 37 ProcessBook Displays 49 Scripting 205 SCRL 51 Scrollbars 51, 64, 65, 66, 82 Search 48, 153 for a Specific Display 48 for a Tag 153 Selection handles 52, 75, 127, 133, 136

236

Server 3, 4, 5, 6 Connect to a 4 Server Time 51 Client Time 51 Setup procedure 23, 215, 228 setup.exe 215 setup.log 228 Single Scale for the Vertical Axis 84 Snap to grid 53, 54 Span 83 Square 120 How to Draw 120 Stacking Order 134 Starting PI ProcessBook 3 Startup section of Procbook.ini 215 Static Symbols 45 Status Indicator Toolbar 51 Status Report 145 Stored Procedures in Queries 180 Substituted Data Flag 146 Summary Information 38 Symbol Attachments Dialog Box 140 Symbol Library 215 Symbols 45, 108, 119, 125, 127 Connect 136, 139 Delete 134 Details and Annotations 127, 128, 129 Dynamic 45 Flip 134 Rotate 133 Select 132, 133 Stacking 134 Static 45 System Administration 207, 214, 215, 225, 228

T
Tags 152, 153, 155 Text Symbol 119 Tile Windows 47 Time 64, 65, 66 Time Forward and Back 66 Time Range Toolbar 64 Time range 64, 65, 66 Changing 64 Revert 64 Toolbar 64 Timestamp 85 Title

of a trend 83 of ProcessBook or Display 38 Too Many Points 106 Toolbars 8, 9 Add Buttons to 9 Customize 9 ToolTips 18, 58 Trace 77, 86, 87, 181 Definition of 86 Hiding 86 Markers 87 Missing 230 Trace ODBC Calls 181 Trend 19, 21, 71, 72, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 87, 88, 89, 171, 219, 229 Ad Hoc 87, 88 Analysis tools 80 Cursors 81, 229 Data Sets in 171 Default Format 75 Default Preferences 19 Definition section of procbook.ini 215 Delete a Plot 75 Expand 80 Formatting a 75 Grid Lines and Labels 83 Horizontal Scale Grid Lines 85 Importing VAX-Formatted 89 Invalid data 5 Multiple Plots 74 Preferences 19 Refresh rate for data 82 Refreshing data from a data set 173 Tool 74, 88 Zoom 2x In or Out 80 Trend Scale Grid Lines 85 formatting 77 Troubleshooting 228, 229, 230 Cant save a display 229 Display Has No Data 229 Legend Missing on Trend 229 Setup.log 228 Trend Cursors Missing 229 Troubleshooting Icon 51 Updating Linked Objects 230

U
Ungroup Symbols 136 UOM 176

PI ProcessBook User Guide

237

Index

Updates 196, 230 Break Links 196 by Exception 153 for Future Trends 66 for Trend data 82 Links 196 to Linked Objects 196 to PI Data 153 Troubleshooting 230 Upgrades 208

V
Value 108 Value Scale 19, 72, 83, 84, 85 VAX 42, 89, 219, 225 VBA 3, 205, 206 View Only Mode 224 Views 31, 32, 34 Book 32 Outline 34 Visible Layer 66, 67 VMS 89

W
Workspace 6

X
XY Plot 90, 92, 93, 97, 98, 99, 101, 102, 105, 106 Change Time Range 105 Draw 92 Examples 106, 107, 108 Interpreting 102 Legend 92, 93, 97, 98 Plot Format Tab 92, 93, 98 Plot Title 92, 93

Z
Zoom 47, 80, 103 2x 80 Display Size 47

238

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