Weather example: Create PI AF elements and attributes

Use an element template to create PI AF elements with attributes designating various aspects of weather.

Note: For information on creating element templates, elements and attributes in PI AF, see the PI System Explorer User Guide.

1. Using PI System Explorer, create an element template called WeatherByLocation with weather attributes such as:

   • Current Temperature

   • Predicted Temperature

   • Predicted Precipitation

   • Predicted WindDirection

   • Predicted WindSpeed

   • Sunlight

   • Predicted Weather

2. Assign appropriate value types to the various element attributes such as "degree Fahrenheit" for Predicted Temperature or "percent" for Predicted Precipitation.

   You can effectively use the "enumerated set" type, for example, to configure an enumerated set of weather codes for Predicted weather such as:

   • 113

     Sunny

   • 116

     Partly Cloudy

   • 122

     Overcast

     Similarly, you can configure an enumerated set of directions on a 16-point compass for the "Predicted wind direction" attribute.

     Note: You must have created PI points corresponding to the weather attributes before performing the next step.

3. Create data references for each attribute.

   Link historical PI point attributes like "Current Temperature" to the corresponding historical PI point, and future PI point attributes like "Predicted Temperature" to the corresponding future PI point.

4. Create a few elements from the WeatherByLocation element template.

   The elements should correspond to the geographical locations where you want to monitor predicted weather conditions.