I completely disagree with this. It's incredibly easy to make a UI look great in Perspective, since it's so easy to change with perspective styles (CSS). The style GUI has enough properties to get you started, but then there are a select few other important props like gap
that are essential to know. Compared to Vision where you have to pixel-align everything and apply styles manually with few options, it's a lot harder to make things look nice and consistent imo.
There's definitely a learning curve with Perspective if coming from traditional scada, but once you grasp the concepts, the sky's the limit (Nader is a perfect example of this)
Also, not sure what you mean by not being able to import custom SVGs?
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I really wish style classes had a custom css sheet. gap
is the perfect example of something I have to add manually to my containers even though they share the same style class for border, padding, etc.
I still have no clue how styles work in vision... and I tried :X
I think he meant you should use svg
s to make good looking UIs in perspective.
I disagree with that, but I believe that's the point he wanted to make.
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You could easily add this into the Perspective Style though using CSS injection:
E.g. backgroundImage value: ;gap: 5px
Or alternatively (but less transparently), adding it via the stylesheet:
.psc-Style\/Class\/Name{
gap: 5px;
}
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I know I could, but...
Well, I'm working on a 1.17 project right now, which doesn't have the stylesheet. And I've discussed injecting css with coworkers, they don't like it very much.
I also don't have access to the prod machine, so I can't use themes either (something I learnt after setting up themes on my dev machine :X).
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I would actually still prefer using injection when props relate to PStyles, since then all config is stored inside of the PStyle and viewable within the GUI. If you start modifying stuff elsewhere, then it's not going to be your first thought and you'll be spending time trying to work out where something is getting the CSS styling from. I don't think there's any issue whatsoever with using CSS injection
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I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who would be asking the question of which is better and assuming they don't know CSS or how to make good looking SVGs that they can import.
I'm not in that camp but we all start somewhere.
It's very easy to make templates that look nice in vision without using external applications. You have to learn things outside of Ignition to do it in Perspective. Once you learn those things and build libraries of CSS and SVGs it is very easy to make good looking perspective apps but that's not the perspective of someone who is asking that question.
I don't know what you mean by "not being able to import SVGs". I said that you really want to import custom SVGs if you intend to make good looking screens.
My general point is that there's a learning curve but I prefer perspective.
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Yes, that is what I meant. I specifically prefer custom SVGs if I'm drawing a specific machine or device. "good looking" is objective.
You can certainly do good looking data dashboards without any imported SVGs. I use SVGs for P&ID screens.
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In related fields, the tension between native apps that have full access to the hardware vs browser based apps that are easier to develop (for the broader community) and deploy has been addressed with a custom browser ("Industrial Browser" or whatever) that gives access to the important hardware (voice, RFID, ...) and locks down other things (url input, back button, ...). My sense is that these haven't been all that successful because browsers move too fast for the custom browser company to keep up. But maybe that's confirmation bias and they are very successful in their niche.
That's precisely what Perspective Workstation and Perspective Mobile are. Which is why some of the "gaping holes" will be filled at some point. The ones that can be done securely.
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I have no idea what words I read, but it wasn't what you actually wrote
The reason why we are talking about this is because IA have slowed down enhancing Vision in favor of adding features to Perspective.
Not every application needs a web browser application, especially if it will be used in an HMI screen.
1 Like
Honestly not even sure which comment of mine you're replying to.
Sorry Ryan, It wasn't directed to your comment; I was commenting on the issue of Perspective vs Vision and when to use either of them.
Thanks
If the web browser is packaged up into a purpose-built desktop application though for displaying Perspective, there's very little difference between a Java app and a web app from an operator's perspective, aside from the much nicer look and feel of web tech (for most things, apart from the power chart).
There are many other desktop apps that simply display a webpage packaged up inside of them
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can you please share some details when comparing power chart in vision and perspective? my understanding is that vision version has more features - is it right?