Screens¶

Screens are the central element of data visualization in the DataPortal system. They allow you to present current values, alarms, and device states in the form of synoptic screens — graphical boards that reflect real processes and objects. Screens let you monitor parameters and alarm states in real time, display measurement results, and control executive devices.

Screens are assigned to projects and can be grouped into folders, which makes them easier to organize and makes them accessible to users with different permissions.

Screen overview¶

The Screens module (available from the main menu on the left) presents a list of all screens available to the logged-in user in the form of a table. Each row contains:

Screen name — unique within the project,
Description — an optional text field making it easier to identify the screen,
Project — the project the screen belongs to,
Folder — the screen folder within the project,
Thumbnail — an optional preview of the screen's content (more about thumbnails in the Screen preview section).

Project and screen folder tree¶

On the left side of the Screens module is a navigation tree that differs from the tree available in other modules of the system. In addition to projects, it also displays screen folders — structures grouping screens within a given project. This lets you quickly narrow down the list of displayed screens to a selected project or folder, without having to search through the entire table.

Screen folders only in the Screens module

Screen folders are visible only in the navigation tree of the Screens module. In other modules of the system, the project tree does not include this structure.

Screen details¶

Clicking a selected row in the table opens the Screen details window, which contains two tabs: INFO and PREVIEW.

INFO tab¶

The INFO tab presents basic information about the screen:

Publication date — the date the screen was first published,
Update date — the date of the last modification,
Project — the project the screen belongs to,
Folder — the screen folder the screen is placed in.

Action buttons are also available from this window:

EDIT — lets you change the name, description, and the screen's assignment to a project and folder,
DESIGN — opens the screen in the DataPortal Designer module,
DELETE — removes the screen from the system.

Screen preview¶

The PREVIEW tab displays a screenshot showing the screen's content. The preview is created automatically when the project is saved in the Designer.

Limitations of the automatic preview

Some screen elements — such as charts or data tables — may be invisible or empty in the automatically generated preview. This happens because the data for these widgets is only populated in animation mode (during the system's actual operation), not in design mode. In such cases, it's worth creating your own screenshot — how to add one is described in the Custom screenshot section of the introduction to screen design.

Clicking the preview image displays it enlarged.

If the user has added their own screenshot, an additional RESTORE DEFAULT PREVIEW button appears in the details window. Clicking it removes the image added by the user and restores the automatically generated preview.

Creating and editing screens¶

A new screen can be created from the Screens tab in the project panel:

Go to the Screens module and select the New screen command from the add menu .

Tip

You can also add a new screen from the context menu on the project and screen tree, by right-clicking a selected folder.
In the dialog box, enter the screen name and an optional description.
Select the project you are creating the new screen for, and the screen folder.
Save the screen to add it to the project and automatically switch to the Designer.

New screen in the Designer module

A new screen can also be created directly in the DataPortal Designer module, about which you can find more information in the Design Basics chapter.

Editing a screen¶

A screen is edited by selecting it from the list and clicking the Edit button in the screen details window. You can then change its name, description, and assignment to a project and screen folder.

Designing a screen¶

The actual editing of a screen's content takes place in the DataPortal Designer module.

You can switch to design mode in several ways:

In the Screens module, click the selected screen, then click the DESIGN button in the details window;
In the Screens module, hover the cursor over the selected screen, then click the button with the icon that appears in that row;
Right-click the selected screen in the project tree and select the Design command from the context menu;
or
In animation mode for the selected screen, click the Go to design button visible in the top right corner of the screen, next to the button for exiting animation mode.

Switching screens in DataPortal Designer

Once the Designer is open, you can switch between screens by clicking a selected screen in the tree. You don't need to exit design mode to move on to another screen.

Grouping screens in folders¶

Screens can be organized into folders, which makes it easier to organize large projects. Folders can be created with multiple levels, forming a logical structure corresponding to, for example, locations, device types, or system functions.

Example structure:

Project: Central Warehouse
├── Temperature sensors
│   ├── Cold store 1
│   └── Cold store 2
├── Synoptic screens
│   ├── Cold store monitoring
│   └── Emergency power supply
└── Periodic reports

Creating a screen folder¶

To create a screen folder, in the project tree in the Screens module, select a project or an existing screen folder within that project, and from the context menu () select the New screen folder command to create, respectively, a top-level folder or a subfolder of screens within the given project.

Moving screens between folders¶

To move a screen, select it in the project tree in the Screens module, then choose the Move command from the context menu. This opens a dialog box in which you can specify the target screen folder. The same window also lets you change the entire project the given screen is assigned to.

Start screen¶

The start screen is the default screen launched for a given project - it is the one displayed first when the project is opened or started. Only one start screen can be defined per project in the system.

The screen serving this role is marked with a special icon - a screen with a small play button symbol. This marker is visible both in the project tree and in the screens table, making it easy to identify without having to go into the project's details.

The start screen can be set in two ways:

From the project/screen tree – select the desired screen, then choose the Set as start screen command from the context menu.
From project editing – a field is available in the project's own settings where you can select the screen that will act as the start screen.

Both methods are equivalent and lead to the same result - a change made in one place is automatically reflected in the other.

Screen permissions¶

Access to screens is controlled by the permissions system:

Integrator and Administrator — can create, edit, and delete all screens in the project.
Operator — has access only to viewing (running) synoptic screens, with the ability to control executive devices, if any have been placed on the screen.
Observer — can view screens, but without the ability to edit them or control anything.