Some basic questions

[neramdaman]

Going through the forums I can see that there are a lot of knowledgeable people out there.

I am running Ignition 7.2.11 on a linux openSUSE 12.3 desktop platform, 64 bit.

I am just getting started, and trying to learn how to run ignition on my own time. I have a few very basic questions that I assume lots of people know the answers to, but being a new guy, I may need some help to get started. I have done my best to look through the FAQs and search the forums, but it seems most people are a little more advanced than I am.

First of all, I would like to know, how much python do I need to know if I want to get really good at using the designer?

Ok, here are my other questions. If I should ask these separately in another forum, please let me know.

1. Is there a good tutorial for learning to use the designer? I have opened up the designer, and started with a simulator plc, and put in some tank levels, toggle switches, and things like that. I can get a circle to change color by attaching it to one of the plc tags and clicking a toggle button. However, something really basic, like getting a circle to flash when a boolean tag is at state 1 instead of 0 is beyond me. I tried to add a dynamic property with blinking color, and bind the background color to it, but I could not get it to work. So, are there any tutorials available that will show how to do things like that? Going through the manual so far has helped, but it doesn’t seem to be giving me all the information.

2. Are there any sample projects out there that I could download for the designer? When I used to program in Citect (before it was bought by Schneider Electric), I was able to get sample projects that other people had done, and this really helped me figure out the basic way to configure graphic objects and some of the programming script. If there are similar things available here for Ignition, that would be great. I did download the online demo, and for example there is the really cool graphic of a rotating fan when it is turned on. I tried to figure out how to do that in my designer, but I just don’t have the skills yet to make something like that happen. Yet if I could see how something like that was configured in the designer, I might be able to figure it out and make it work.

3. I have very limited experience in SQL. The system I put together before was able to direct input plant data into an excel spreadsheet, and we didn’t have a need to go beyond that. How important is it to know how to program in SQL in order to really make Ignition work? I mean, I know it would help if I learned SQL, but do I need to become an expert in it in order to design a whole system?

Thanks for your patience.

[onestank]

1. Is there a good tutorial for learning to use the designer? I have opened up the designer, and started with a simulator plc, and put in some tank levels, toggle switches, and things like that. I can get a circle to change color by attaching it to one of the plc tags and clicking a toggle button. However, something really basic, like getting a circle to flash when a boolean tag is at state 1 instead of 0 is beyond me. I tried to add a dynamic property with blinking color, and bind the background color to it, but I could not get it to work. So, are there any tutorials available that will show how to do things like that? Going through the manual so far has helped, but it doesn't seem to be giving me all the information.

If you make a circle and then have it highlighted you will see in the lower left corner of the designer a Property Editor tree and in this tree you will see things like background color. If you drag and drop a tag onto the background color in the property editor a small window will pop up and ask you 0=color and 1=color. Set what color you want for which state and your are done.

2. Are there any sample projects out there that I could download for the designer? When I used to program in Citect (before it was bought by Schneider Electric), I was able to get sample projects that other people had done, and this really helped me figure out the basic way to configure graphic objects and some of the programming script. If there are similar things available here for Ignition, that would be great. I did download the online demo, and for example there is the really cool graphic of a rotating fan when it is turned on. I tried to figure out how to do that in my designer, but I just don't have the skills yet to make something like that happen. Yet if I could see how something like that was configured in the designer, I might be able to figure it out and make it work.

Check out inductiveautomation.com/downloads/extras about a third of the way down you will see a demo project.

3. I have very limited experience in SQL. The system I put together before was able to direct input plant data into an excel spreadsheet, and we didn't have a need to go beyond that. How important is it to know how to program in SQL in order to really make Ignition work? I mean, I know it would help if I learned SQL, but do I need to become an expert in it in order to design a whole system?

Depending on where you plan on taking Ignition is the answer. Most functions we do don't require much knowledge about SQL and we have some functions that are very elaborate SQL queries. Hard questions to answer.