Configure multi-states for table symbols

By setting up multi-state behavior for tables, the background color for cells in the table automatically change based on the values in those cells. Cell colors can help users quickly evaluate a table at a glance. For example, red may be used to indicate that there is a problem. You can configure multi-state behaviors for the entire table or for one or more individual rows.

1. Right-click a table symbol on the display, and then click either Add Multi-State or Configure Multi-State to open the Multi-State pane.

2. At the top of the pane, select whether you want to apply multi-state behavior to the entire Table or individually to one or more specific Rows.

   If you select Table, you configure the values that trigger specific colors throughout the entire table. If you select Rows, you choose a row and configure the values that trigger specific colors in only that row. Once you apply multi-state behavior for a row, you can separately apply multi-state behavior to other rows as needed.

   Note: If a table has rows that contain different data types and you apply multi-state behavior to the entire table, then the cell color triggers for all rows are based on a single set of numeric thresholds.
   For example, consider a table with rows containing different data types where one of the rows provides a speed status of either slow, medium, or fast. If you apply multi-state behaviour to the entire table, the cell color triggers are set with numeric thresholds. Statuses such as slow, medium, and fast each correspond to a numeric value that is configured in PI System Explorer, and you need to know those values to set the thresholds appropriately. Alternatively, if you apply multi-state behavior to each row individually, for the row that provides speed statuses you can simply assign a color for each status (slow, medium, and fast), and you do not need to know the corresponding numeric values from PI System Explorer.

3. The pane shows available states and their associated colors. States correspond to:

   • Traits if the attribute has limit traits

     

     Limit traits for attributes are configured in PI System Explorer. For more information, see the PI Server topic Attribute traits.

   • Digital states if the attribute stores digital state values

     

   • Configurable numeric conditions

     

     The pane shows the available states for the attribute of the first row in the table.

     The Bad data state indicates that a value is either out of range or contains no data, or that the attribute value is incompatible with the configured states. For example, in rows that contain attributes configured for limit traits, attributes without traits always appear in the Bad data state.

4. If the pane lists configurable numeric conditions, set the conditions to define each state:

   1. For each condition, enter the maximum value for the condition.

      The state applies when the value is greater than the previous condition and less than or equal to this value. The units for the values are displayed above the conditions. If the datasource is the symbol and you change the units for the symbol, click Convert units to convert the values to the new units.

   2. To remove a condition, click X next to the condition.

   3. To add a condition, type a maximum value in the empty field below Bad data and then click Add.

5. Set the colors desired for each state:

   1. Select the color to open the color palette.

   2. Select the color for the state. You can also select a transparent fill.

      

   3. Select Hide to hide the cell when the value reaches this condition.

      

      Note: While you are in Design mode, hidden cells remain visible on a display, but are hidden once you exit Design mode.

   4. Select Blink if you want the cell to blink for this state.

      

      Note: Blink is not supported for hidden cells.

Each cell in the selected row changes its color based on the current attribute value and the colors configured for the multi-state. If the units configured for a row are changed, you can either leave the multi-state values as defined or click Convert Units to convert the current values to the new units.

To remove multi-state behavior from a row, select the row in the Multi-State pane and clear the Enable Multi-State check box.