# Import tags with scalemode and alarms

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [April 20, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044 "2020-04-20T03:55:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AnthonyF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AnthonyF](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AnthonyF)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/1 "2020-04-20T03:55:19Z")

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Hi all,  
Trying to update a large number of tags that are configured with alarms, based off the configuration they had in the SCADA package we are converting from.  
I’ve already partially configured the alarms and need to update this, but no matter what changes I make in my JSON file (constructed from a excel spreadsheet of a CSV export of the old SCADA package) they don’t come though. There are no errors in the JSON file, the import completes without any complaints if I set it to Overwrite.  
This is also occurring when trying to change the scaleMode property for the tags to set to BitInversion.

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**Author:** ![PRAMANJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pramanj/32/66935_2.png) [@PRAMANJ](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/PRAMANJ)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 5:24am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/2 "2020-04-20T05:24:20Z")

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Which version of ignition are you trying to import in to?

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**Author:** ![AnthonyF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AnthonyF](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AnthonyF)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 5:45am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/3 "2020-04-20T05:45:08Z")

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8.0.10

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**Author:** ![PRAMANJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pramanj/32/66935_2.png) [@PRAMANJ](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/PRAMANJ)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/4 "2020-04-20T06:10:09Z")

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Can't say, depends upon your format. Are you configuring only alarms thru JSON file or importing tags as well from the JSON file along with alarms. Also not clear what type of Tags do you have, only memory or OPC etc? Also what types of alarm limits do you have? Perhaps try importing from XML after checking proper format from an exported XML file?

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**Author:** ![AnthonyF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AnthonyF](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AnthonyF)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 6:18am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/5 "2020-04-20T06:18:38Z")

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This is one of the alarms I a trying to change:  
“valueSource”: “opc”,  
“scaleMode”: “BitInversion”,  
“opcItemPath”: “ns=1;s=[31MC01]B11:0/14”,  
“datatype”: “Boolean”,  
“name”: “ID\_CR\_30BG01\_FTC\_ALM”,  
“tagType”: “AtomicTag”,  
“opcServer”: “Ignition OPC UA Server”,  
“alarms”: [  
{  
“setpointA”: 0,  
“name”: “Alarm”,  
“Group”: “Crushing”,  
“label”: “Radial Stacker Bogie Fail to Start”  
}  
],  
“documentation”: “Radial Stacker Bogie Fail To Start”,  
“tooltip”: “Radial Stacker Bogie Fail To Start”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PRAMANJ](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pramanj/32/66935_2.png) [@PRAMANJ](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/PRAMANJ)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/6 "2020-04-20T16:25:12Z")

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Can IA comment on this? I think the tag XML file format is not very well documented, or please point to the documentation page where it can be found.

I found the documentation page [https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC80/Exporting+and+Importing+Tags](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC80/Exporting+and+Importing+Tags)

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**Author:** ![diat150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@diat150](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/diat150)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/7 "2020-04-20T17:30:54Z")

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id definitely look at using the tag add/edit scripting options instead of using files. it is much more powerful.

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**Author:** ![AnthonyF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AnthonyF](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AnthonyF)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/import-tags-with-scalemode-and-alarms/34044/8 "2020-04-20T23:06:24Z")

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I’ve had a look at importing the changes so scaleMode, alarm labels and alarm associated data via XML. That looks to be bringing the changes through on an import.  
I guess there is an issue with the JSON import feature. Now to rebuild my spreadsheet to output XML ☹