Modifying Digital Pen Properties
The properties of digital pens that you can change are those shown in the following images. The right-click menu includes all properties that can be switched on or off. The properties dialog includes these plus the properties that are set with a value such as pen width.
A detailed description of each property follows the images. (Be careful with Min and Max, Minimum and Maximum. In one case the words relate to the scale range and in the other, to the legend view. The descriptions will clarify the difference.)
To modify the properties of a pen plotting digital data:
1. In the HDV’s pen legend, select the digital pen whose properties you wish to modify in the legend.
(A rectangle will appear around the pen to indicate that it has been selected.)
2. Right-click the pen.
A shortcut menu is displayed.
3. Depending on whether you wish to change an option that can be toggled on and off or an option that requires a setting:
• Toggle options on and off by clicking on them in the shortcut menu.
• Click on Properties to open the properties dialog, where you can adjust settings.
(Click title to expand text)
Properties dialog only. Set the minimum and maximum scale range values that you want to display on the HDV for this pen. In almost all cases, these should match the available status values of the underlying tag.
Select this option to display the minimum and maximum scale values configured for this analog pen along the y-axis of the graph.
Opens the Select Color palette from which you can select a new color to use for the pen plotting this tag.
VTS will automatically assign colors to your pens, but you may wish to select your own if your application uses color to denote certain types of information (e.g. green for pumps, red for valves, etc.)
Use this spin box to select a new line style with which you wish the data associated with this analog pen to be plotted. There are 5 available line styles from which to choose. A preview of the configured line is displayed below the spin box.
Use this spin box to select a new line width with which you wish the data associated with this digital pen to be plotted. There are 9 available line widths from which to choose. A preview of the configured line is displayed below the spin box.
You can un-select this option if you wish to hide the tag’s data from the plot. This can be useful when you want to focus on the data from other tags without needing to remove this one from the tag selection set.
Select this option to enhance the legend by displaying the description configured for the digital tag.
Select this option to enhance the legend by displaying value of the tag for any selected position in the graph. As you move your pointer across the graph, the value shown will be that matching the time within the graph that the pointer is currently hovering over.
Select these options to enhance the legend by displaying either or both of the tag’s minimum and maximum values as recorded within the displayed time period on the graph.
Select this option to enhance the legend by displaying the average of the tag’s values as recorded within the time period currently displayed on the graph.
Select this option to enhance the legend by displaying the number of transitions from state 0 to 1 or higher during the time currently displayed on the graph.
Select this option to enhance the legend by displaying the total length of time, currently displayed on the graph that the tag was in a non-zero state.
Low Scale Range and High Scale Range
Select these options to enhance the legend by displaying either or both of the tag’s configured low and high scale ranges. Note that these match the values shown in the Min and Max fields at the top of the properties dialog, which are not necessarily the same as the tag’s minimum and maximum scaled process data values.