Asset Select+

Overview

When to use it

Use this symbol when you need to:

• Let operators switch an asset-relative display to another asset without opening the PI Vision asset menu.
• Show the assets of an AF search as a tree that follows the AF hierarchy, or as a flat list.
• Show a live value next to each asset, such as the current speed of every line.
• Color each asset by its state, so a line outside its limits stands out.
• Save display space with a drop-down list that shows the selected asset.

Choose Asset Filter+ to narrow the assets that other symbols show, instead of changing the display's asset context.

Before you begin

• Build the display from asset-relative data sources: symbols that use attributes of an AF element, such as a trend of Speed. Only these symbols follow an asset pick.
• Have the assets you want to list in one AF database, under a common parent asset, ideally based on one element template.
• To show values or states, use AF attributes with a data reference, such as a PI Point reference.

Add and set up the symbol

1. Select Asset Select+ in the PI Vision symbol gallery and draw the symbol on the display.
2. Right-click the symbol and select Search Criteria....
3. Under Search Root, enter the name of the parent asset (1), for example Assembly Lines. Keep Return All Descendants selected (2) to include assets at every level.
4. Under Asset Type, select the element template of the assets (3), for example Assembly Line.
5. Select Refresh (4). The symbol lists the assets.

1. Click an asset. The Asset box in the PI Vision toolbar shows it.

Note: To list a fixed set of assets instead of a search, drag the assets from the PI Vision Assets pane onto the symbol. The Assets section of the configuration pane then lets you give each one a label.

Common tasks

Switch the display to the asset an operator clicks

Use this to turn the symbol into the asset selector of the display. Other symbols must use asset-relative data sources.

1. Click an asset in the list (1). In a tree, a click on a parent row opens or closes it, unless you turn on Allow Selecting Parent Nodes under View.
2. Look at the Asset box (2). It shows the clicked asset.
3. Look at the asset-relative symbols (3). They now show the data of that asset.

Under Context, Display Context is ASSET by default: the click replaces the current asset of the display. ROOT applies the click as the root asset of the display instead.

Limit and sort the assets of a search

Use this when the list is too long, or when you want only some assets.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Search Criteria....
2. Under Asset Name, enter a name or a pattern with * as a wildcard, for example Line 1.* (1).
3. Under Number of Results, enter the largest number of assets to list (2).
4. Optionally, under Asset Order, choose the attribute to sort by and Ascending or Descending.
5. Select Refresh (3).

The symbol lists only the matching assets, at most the number you entered.

If assets you expect are missing, raise Number of Results, and check that Return All Descendants is selected under Search Root. Asset Category narrows the list to one AF category.

Show a value next to each asset

Use this to let operators see which asset needs attention before they pick it.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Select....
2. Under Attributes, select the attribute in Current Attributes, for example Speed (1).
3. Set Show to ON (2).
4. Under Value, choose Current or a summary such as Average or Maximum (3).
5. Under General, open View and set Column Headers to ON to label the value column.

Each asset row shows the value at the display end time, or the summary over the display time range.

To use an attribute for sorting or state colors without showing its value, turn on Hidden Measure. To add attributes to the list, select Modify Attribute List.

Color assets by state

Use this to make an asset outside its limits visible in the list. The attribute needs limits, such as AF limit attributes, or a multi-state definition.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Multi-State....
2. Select the attribute in Current Attributes (1).
3. Select Enable Multi-State (2).
4. Under Property, choose Fill to color the background, or Text to color the text (3).
5. Select Apply to Asset to color the asset name and the whole row, not only the value (4).
6. Under States, change the color of a state, such as Lower Limit 1 (5).

With Text, each asset is drawn in the color of its state. The first image of this article uses Fill.

Use the symbol as a drop-down list

Use this when the display has little room. The symbol shows one line with the selected asset and opens the list when clicked.

1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Select....
2. Under General, open Layout. For Type, select COLLAPSIBLE (1).
3. Set Collapse on Select to ON so the list closes after a pick (2). Set Start Expanded to ON to open the list when the display loads (3).
4. Open Header, and for Text select ASSET, so the header shows the selected asset.

Collapsed, the symbol shows the selected asset in its header.

Click the header to open the list. The search box and the assets drop down over the display.

Use the symbol

• Click an asset to switch the display to it. The click changes what asset-relative symbols show. It writes nothing to the PI System.
• Follow the display. When someone changes the asset in the PI Vision Asset box, the selected row moves to that asset.
• Search. Type part of an asset name. The list keeps the matching assets and their parent assets. Use * as a wildcard, as in Line 1.1*. The ? wildcard is not supported. Clearing the box shows every asset again.
• Hover a row to see the path of the asset. With Description on, the description also shows.
• Empty list: no asset matches the search criteria, or the search text. Clear the search box first, then check the search criteria.
• Filters: the symbol receives asset filters from other symbols and shows the number of assets left. It does not publish a filter. See Filtering dashboards.

Configure the symbol

Right-click the symbol and select Configure Asset Select... for the groups below. Search Criteria... and Configure Multi-State... are separate commands on the same menu. The pane groups are General (Layout, Context, View, Style, Header, Search), Interactivity, Assets, Attributes, and Numbers.

Search criteria

Layout, context and view

Style, header and search

Interactivity

Assets and attributes

Multi-state options are in the Configure Multi-State... pane: Enable Multi-State, Property (Fill or Text), Apply to Asset, and the States colors. See Color assets by state.

Troubleshooting and limitations

Limitation: The symbol switches the asset context for the whole display. It cannot keep different symbols on different assets.