Creating Solutions (Reference) : Technical documentation for creating and configuring new FrameworX solutions.
A Solution is a complete application built in FrameworX, stored as a single .dbsln file containing all configuration data including tags, alarms, devices, displays, scripts, and other modules. Creating a new solution generates this file with initial metadata, which you then configure using Designer.
Creating a New Solution
To create a solution, click New... in Solution Center to launch the New Solution Wizard.
Step 1: Product Features
Select the product series and edition for your solution. All series share the same development environment and core technologies — the difference is scale, scope, and visualization capabilities.
Product Series
Product Series | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Enterprise | Full platform, unlimited or scaled by I/O | Plant-wide SCADA, MES, enterprise integration |
MachineHMI | Visualization and control, scaled by I/O | Machine HMI, production cell control, OEM embedded |
EdgeConnect | Edge autonomy with unlimited I/O, two editions | IIoT data gateway, edge panel HMI, remote sites |
EdgeConnect Editions
When you select EdgeConnect, choose between two editions:
Edition | Description | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
Gateway | Headless IIoT edge — data collection, protocol conversion, store-and-forward | No display clients, no historian, no alarms |
Panel | Edge HMI — everything in Gateway plus local operator interface | 2 display clients, 35-day historian & alarms |
Both editions include unlimited I/O, 100+ connectors, MQTT broker and client, OPC UA, scripting (.NET and Python 3), SQL datasets, and reports.
Distributed Systems
For advanced distributed architectures, two specialized server components are available alongside any product series:
Component | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
DataHub Station | Field-level I/O acquisition, alarms, historian, 100+ connectors | Remote I/O extension, standalone process nodes |
Displays Portal | Unlimited display clients, independent user management | Distributed visualization, multi-site operator interfaces |
Community Edition
Solutions run in Evaluation (4-hour runtime timeout) until an appropriate license is activated.
This allows full configuration and testing before purchasing. See Licensing and Activation for details.
Register (Solution Center / License Page) to enabled Community Edition, no runtime timeout for solutions up to 100 tags
Configuration tools are free
You can design, configure, and test solutions in any product series without a license. Production deployment requires a license matching your selected product series and edition.
Step 2: Platform Selection
Platform | Description | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
Windows | Windows-only features (Windows Auth, third-party libraries) | .NET Framework 4.8 |
Multi-Platform | Cross-platform (Linux, Docker) | Cross-platform .NET Desktop Runtime on development and runtime machines: .NET 8 for FrameworX 10.1.4 and earlier, .NET 10 for FrameworX 10.1.5 and later |
Step 3: Name and Template
- Enter solution name
- Review save location (default:
Documents\FrameworX\Solutions) - Select template (optional — defaults to HeaderLayout)
- Click Create New Solution
Product Series Capabilities
The following table summarizes the capabilities available in each product series and edition.
Capability | Enterprise | MachineHMI | EdgeConnect Gateway | EdgeConnect Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Local Tags | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
I/O Scaling | Unlimited or 1,500 / 5,000 / 15,000 | 150 / 500 / 1,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Display Clients | Unlimited | 5 users | — | 2 users |
Alarms & Historian | Full (unlimited retention) | Full (unlimited retention) | — | 35-day retention |
Scripts (C#, VB.NET, Python 3) | ||||
SQL Datasets and Reports | ||||
MQTT Broker and Client, OPC UA | ||||
100+ Device Connectors |
Note: I/O scaling refers to external communication points bound to tags. Local tags (internal variables, calculated values) are always unlimited in all editions.
Solution Templates
Templates provide preconfigured components and settings for faster development.
Built-in Templates
Template | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
HeaderLayout | Standard header navigation | Desktop applications |
TabLayout | Tabbed interface | Multi-screen applications |
MobileLayout | Responsive design | Mobile/tablet applications |
Blank | No pre-configuration | Custom designs |
EdgeConnect Panel
When creating an EdgeConnect Panel solution, consider starting with HeaderLayout or TabLayout — these templates include display navigation that works well with the 2-client limitation. For EdgeConnect Gateway solutions (no displays), use the Blank template.
Adding Custom Templates
Templates are standard .dbsln files stored in:
Documents\FrameworX\Templates\
To add templates:
- Copy .dbsln file to Templates folder
- File appears in wizard on next use
- Modify existing templates by editing files in folder
Creating Templates
- Build solution with desired configuration
- Save .dbsln to Templates folder
- Optionally include:
- Pre-configured tags and templates
- Standard displays
- Common scripts
- Device configurations
Solution Configuration
After creation, solutions contain:
Component | Location | Purpose | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
Solution Settings | Solution → Settings | Product model, platform, metadata | All editions |
Unified Namespace | UNS module | Tag definitions and structure | All editions |
Devices | Devices module | Communication protocols | All editions |
Scripts | Scripts module | Business logic | All editions |
Alarms | Alarms module | Alarm management and notification | Enterprise, MachineHMI, EdgeConnect Panel (35-day) |
Historian | Historian module | Historical data recording | Enterprise, MachineHMI, EdgeConnect Panel (35-day) |
Displays | Displays module | User interface screens | Enterprise, MachineHMI, EdgeConnect Panel |
Solution Files
File Structure
File Type | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
Solution | .dbsln | Active configuration database |
Backup | .dbback | Archived solution |
Published | .dbrun | Read-only production version |
Legacy | .tproj | FactoryStudio 9.x format |
File Locations
Type | Default Path |
|---|---|
Solutions |
|
Templates |
|
Backups |
|
Solution Creator Tool
For bulk solution creation (e.g., deploying multiple EdgeConnect units to remote sites), use the Solution Creator utility.
Use Cases
- Mass deployment to edge devices (EdgeConnect Gateway or Panel)
- Creating variations from configuration files
- Automated solution generation for fleet management
See Solution Creator (Reference) for details.
Best Practices Checklist
Naming Conventions
- Use descriptive names without special characters
- Include version or site identifier
- Avoid spaces (use underscores)
Template Selection
- Start with appropriate template
- Customize rather than starting blank
- Save customized versions as new templates
- For EdgeConnect Gateway (headless), use Blank template
Platform Choice
- Choose Windows only if Windows-specific features needed
- Use Multi-Platform for future flexibility
- EdgeConnect deployments on Linux or Docker require Multi-Platform
- Consider deployment environment early
Edition Selection
- Use EdgeConnect Gateway for headless data collection and protocol conversion
- Use EdgeConnect Panel when local operator visibility is needed at the edge
- Use MachineHMI when full alarms, unlimited historian, or up to 5 clients are required
- All editions can upgrade seamlessly — start small, scale as needed
Aim Hight. Start Simple. Scale without limits.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Template not appearing | Not in Templates folder | Copy .dbsln to correct location |
Cannot create solution | No write permissions | Check folder permissions |
Platform option grayed out | Missing cross-platform .NET Desktop Runtime | Install the runtime that matches your FrameworX version: .NET 8 Desktop Runtime for 10.1.4 and earlier, .NET 10 Desktop Runtime for 10.1.5 and later |
Wizard fails | Corrupted template | Remove problematic template |
Displays module not visible | EdgeConnect Gateway selected (no display support) | Switch to EdgeConnect Panel or higher edition |
Running in Community Edition mode | No license activated | Activate license matching your product series. See Licensing |
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