Asset Comparison Table+

Overview

When to use it

Use this symbol when you need to:

• Compare the same attributes across all the assets that match a search, such as every assembly line.
• Group the assets by an attribute, such as running or stopped, and total each column.
• Color values by limits so that out-of-range assets stand out.
• Let operators enter new values, such as setpoints, for several assets and write them with one Save.
• Download the table as CSV, JSON, XLSX or PDF.

Choose Asset Comparison Bar Chart+ when readers compare values by length rather than by exact number. Choose Manual Input Table+ when the rows are timestamps of recorded values rather than assets.

Before you begin

• Prepare AF assets that are based on a common element template, with the attributes you want to compare.
• To enter values, the attributes must be writable and the operators need write permission to them.
• Current shows the value at the display end time. Other value types, such as an average, summarize the display time range.

Add and set up the symbol

1. Select Asset Comparison Table+ in the PI Vision symbol gallery and drag an asset or its attributes onto the display.
2. Right-click the symbol. To load assets by search, select Add Dynamic Search Criteria.... When the symbol already uses a search, select Search Criteria....
3. Expand Asset Name and enter a name. ? stands for one character, so Line ? finds Line 0 to Line 9 (1).
4. Select Refresh (2).
5. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Table.... Under Attributes, select an attribute you do not need and set Hidden Measure to ON.
6. Click an empty point of the display. The table shows one row per asset and one column per visible attribute.

The other Search Criteria fields narrow the search by database, search root, asset type, category, and number of results, and order the assets. Select Refresh after every change.

Common tasks

The screenshots show eight assembly lines. The display time range ends at 9:00 AM on 10/9/2026.

Switch between assets as rows and assets as columns

Use this when you compare many attributes of a few assets, or when the table is wider than it is tall.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Table....
2. Under General, expand Table.
3. Set Orientation (1) to Horizontal.
4. Keep Columns (2) on Fit Table Width to spread the assets over the width, or choose Fit Data.
5. Check the Attribute (3) switch. The first column now lists the attributes, and you can set its title with Label.

Each asset is a column and each attribute a row. An attribute that belongs to another attribute, such as Speed limit under Speed, appears as a child row when Tree is on.

Group rows by an attribute

Use this when operators read the assets by state, line or type. A group header shows the value and the number of assets.

1. Under Attributes, select the attribute you group by, here Active (1 in the first image), and set Hidden Measure (2) to ON if the column is not needed. A hidden attribute is still loaded for grouping.
2. Under General, expand Group and set Enabled (1 in the second image) to ON.
3. Select the attribute in Group By (2), here Active.
4. Keep Sort ON and choose Descending in Sort Order (3) to list True before False.
5. Set Auto Expand (4) and Count (5) as you like.

The table shows one header per value, here True with six assets and False with two. Click a header to expand or collapse its rows.

Add totals

Use this when readers need an average, minimum or maximum next to the rows.

1. Under General, expand Totals.
2. Set Column (1) to ON. Each selected calculation becomes a row above the data.
3. Select the calculations: Sum, Average, Minimum, Maximum and Count. The image uses all except Sum.

The rows show the result for each numeric column.

Set Row (2) to ON to add the same calculations as columns on the right, one result per asset. With both on, Grand Total (3) fills the crossing cells. Row totals mix the attributes of an asset, so use them for attributes that share a unit. Hidden attributes are never totaled.

Color values by limits

Use this when operators must see which assets are out of range without reading every number. This task colors the Formula attribute.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Multi-State....
2. Select the attribute in Current Attributes, here Formula (1).
3. Select Enable Multi-State (2).
4. Set Property (3) to Solid Fill.
5. Under States, enter the upper limit of each state (4) and select its color. Here the limits are 90, 100, 110, 120 and 150.

Each value takes the color of the first state whose limit it does not exceed. Here the values up to 100 are green, the values up to 120 amber, and the values above red.

An attribute that has limits in AF lists them as named states, such as Upper Limit 1, and you choose their colors. Select Apply to Asset to color the asset name with the state as well.

Enter values for several assets

Use this to change setpoints or other attribute values of many assets in one table. Typing only stages a change. Nothing is written until you select Save.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Table.... Under General, expand Editing and set Mode (1) to Edit.
2. Choose the timestamp of the new values in Time (3). Current uses the moment of saving. Custom lets you enter a time.
3. Set Show Input (4) to ON to show the time in the toolbar. Set Require Confirmation (5) to ON to ask before each save.
4. Under Attributes, select the attribute, here Speed limit, and set Allow Edit (1) to ON. Turn it off for the attributes that must stay read-only.
5. To check entries, set Limits (2) to YES, Limit Mode (4) to Custom, and enter Max (5) and Min. Database uses the limits of the attribute instead.
6. Close the pane, click a Speed limit cell, type a value and press Enter.

An edited cell shows the typed value. Undo (5) becomes active, and Save (6) turns on. Time (4) is the timestamp the values will get.

A value outside the limits opens a dialog when you leave the cell. With Hard Limit off, the Limit Warning lets you take the value back with Cancel or keep it with Continue.

With Hard Limit on, the dialog is titled Invalid Value and offers only Cancel. The value is not accepted.

Pasted and imported values get no dialog per value. At Save, a value outside a hard limit blocks the whole save with an error message, and values outside soft limits are listed in one Limit Warning that you confirm. A value you kept with Continue is not asked again.

Important: Save writes the staged values to the data source of each attribute, where other displays and users read them. Check the Time setting before you save.

Use the symbol

• Sort. Click a column header to sort by it, and click again to reverse the order.
• Click an asset. The action depends on Asset Selection: open a trend, set the asset context of the display, open a link, or filter other symbols. In horizontal orientation clicking an asset does nothing.
• Double-click. A double-click on the table opens an ad hoc trend of the visible attributes of every visible asset.
• Tree. With Tree on, an asset that has child assets shows an arrow. Click it to show the children.
• Hidden measure. A hidden attribute is not shown, totaled, exported or copied.
• No data. No Data appears in a cell when the attribute has no value at that time.
• Edit mode. The toolbar adds reload, Upload CSV, undo and redo, the time box, and Save. Ctrl+S also saves.
• Save writes to the data source of each attribute and then reloads the table.

Configure the symbol

The pane has the sections General, Interactivity, Assets, Attributes, Numbers, Style and Export Data. The commands Search Criteria... and Configure Multi-State... have their own panes.

Table

Editing

Header

Tree

Group

Totals

Selection

Toolbar

Filtering

Receives asset filters from other symbols, and publishes the asset you click when Action is Filter. Publishing needs vertical orientation. See Filtering dashboards.

Assets

Shown when the table uses fixed assets instead of a search. Select an asset and set its Label.

Attributes

Select an attribute in the list. Modify Attribute List adds or removes attributes.

Numbers, Style and Export Data

Multi-State

Right-click the symbol and select Configure Multi-State.... See Color values by limits.

Troubleshooting and limitations

Limitation: Editing is available only for attributes whose data source accepts writes and only for users who have write permission.

Limitation: Asset selection and filter output work in vertical orientation only.