A project with the same type of component appearing 50 times needs to be set up. It could be pumps, generators or switches, for example. No problem – it should be quick and uncomplicated. But what if changes are necessary afterwards? This can be time-consuming and nerve-wracking. It also increases the potential for errors. Therefore, zenon provides Smart Objects, which can be used to create clusters of related elements.
- The logical step for even greater ergonomics in engineering
- Save valuable time in maintenance with Smart Objects
- Instancing from central templates
- Centrally update released properties
More than an extension of the engineering environment: with zenon version 8.20 and higher, Smart Objects also make it easier to get started with engineering.
An easy intro to project engineering
Smart Objects consist of templates that summarize already known elements. Such a template includes, for example, variables, drivers and symbols, as well as functions, reaction matrices, scripts, interlocks, etc. The individual elements and their relationships are configured in the Smart Object Template. This is a sort of project within the project. The templates can be used to create one or more independent Smart Objects in a specific project.
To use a control element in your zenon project, you only need to create a Smart Object with the desired name. All components predefined in the template are created for your control element in one step. zenon automatically creates all required substitution rules, including all the necessary links. You do not have to worry about how the interaction of the individual components is solved in detail.
Hassle-free maintenance
In practice, as is often the case, some of the 50 components might also need to be colored individually. To facilitate this, features such as color palettes or styles can also be used with Smart Objects. The properties previously released in the templates allow individual adjustments. These properties can also be grouped to combine, for example, display format or alarm color as a new property. This newly defined property can then be adapted individually to each Smart Object. Elements and links are generated automatically by zenon and the user benefits from noticeable time savings.
Each Smart Object also identifies the elements associated with it. If you want to delete all created components again, you only have to delete the Smart Object. zenon removes all related elements from the project, which only leaves components that are actually required, and the project remains lean in the background. Changes to the Smart Object Template itself can be inherited centrally from the linked Smart Objects; imported changes are automatically versioned.