Create Priority and State Symbols for an Alarms List

Plant SCADA allows you to add dynamic symbols to an alarms list that indicates the priority and state of an alarm.

To achieve this, you need to perform the following tasks.

Create a Genie for each alarm priority that you want highlight with a symbol

The Genie requires a root level object named "Shape".

1. In Graphics Builder, create a new Genie.

2. Add the object you would like use as a symbol.

   A small, simple shape that supports a fill color is recommended.

3. Display the Properties dialog for the object.

4. On the Appearance | General tab, select Filled.

5. On the Fill | Color tab, configure the following:

   • Set the Type to Array.

   • Enter the following Array Expression:

     dspAnGetMetaData(dspGetAnCur(), "State")

   • Specify the Array Colors you want to use for 6 – 9, based to the following states:

     6 = On and Unacknowledged

     7 = Off and Unacknowledged

     8 = On and Acknowledged

     9 = Disabled/Shelved.

     If required, you can configure flashing colors for a state via the Edit Favorite Colors Dialog Box, which is accessible via the Edit button on the drop-down Color Picker.

     Note: Array colors 1 - 4 are reserved for use with the flag on an Alarm Indicator.

6. On the Access | General tab, enter the Name "Shape".

7. On the Metadata | General tab, enter the following items:

   • Name: Equipment; Value: <blank>

   • Name: Label; Value: <blank>

   • Name: State; Value: 0

8. Click OK.

Alarm flag Genies use functionality provided by the Cicode function DspSym. You need to perform the remaining steps to enable DspSym support for the Genie.

9. Display the Page Properties for the Genie. To do this:

   On the File menu, select Properties.

   Or:

   Right-click on the Genie background and select Page Properties.

10. On the Page Properties dialog, select I want to use this Genie with the Cicode function DspSym.

11. Click OK.

12. Save the Genie to a library.

    Note: When saving an alarm flag Genie, use a name that is unique across all included projects that share the same primary project.

Associate a Genie with an alarm priority

13. In Plant SCADA Studio's Setup activity, select Alarming.

14. On the menu below the Command Bar, select Alarm Priorities.

15. Locate the Alarm Priority you would like to associate with a Genie.

16. In the Small Genie Name field, enter the name of the Genie you would like to associate with the alarm priority.

17. In the Library Name field, enter the name of the library that includes the Genie.

18. Click Save.

Add a Priority and State column to an alarms list

To add a Priority and State column to an alarms list, you need to add the display field "{PriorityAndState}" to the alarm format used by the list.

For example, in a project created from a Situational Awareness Starter Project, the parameter [Format]FormatName is used as a project database parameter to define the following alarm formats:

This places the Priority and State symbol in the first column of these alarm lists.

You can edit the alarm formats for a Situational Awareness project in the Setup activity (see Project Database Parameters).

For other projects, see Format an Alarm Display.

A default set of priority and state symbols are provided in the SA_Include project in a library called "sa_priorities" (see Alarms). They represent the top three alarm priorities, and are named as follows:

• Priority 1 – "sa_p1_small"

• Priority 2 – "sa_p2_small"

• Priority 3 – "sa_p3_small".

  Note: The Genie "sa_p4_small" is provided in the "sapriorities" library of the SA_Controls project to represent alarms in the fourth-highest priority. If you would like to use this additional Genie, you need to correctly configure the fourth alarm priority. See Configure Display Properties for a Fourth Alarm Priority.

See Also

Add an Alarms List to a Page

Configure Display Properties for an Alarm Priority