Displays List Reference

Manage the list of available displays.

Reference → Modules → Displays → UI →  Client Settings | Draw | Images | Layouts | List | Localization | Symbols | Themes | Units Conversion

List Interface

View Modes

• Grid View - Tabular display with sortable columns
• Card View - Visual preview thumbnails. The thumbnail shown for each display is generated when the display is saved — edits made in Draw are not reflected in the preview until the display is saved.
• Toggle using buttons in top-right toolbar

Navigation Bar

Use the breadcrumb navigation in top-right to quickly switch between:

• List (current)
• Draw
• Layouts
• Client Settings

No need to use left-side tree navigation when working within Displays section.

Navigating to Draw Editor

Multiple methods to open a display for editing:

Solution Explorer Toggle

When Draw opens:

• Left panel auto-collapses for more drawing space
• Click ? (three bars) icon to expand/collapse Solution Explorer
• Useful when frequently switching between List and Draw

Creating Displays

From Display List

1. Navigate to Displays → List
2. Click + Add New button
3. Configure in dialog:
   • Name - Display identifier
   • Description - Purpose documentation
   • Rendering Engine - Target platform
   • Template - Starting layout from library
4. Click OK

Template Library

• Use predefined templates for consistency
• Canvas or Dashboard base types
• Industry-specific starting points

Special Pages

MainPage (ID 0)

• Cannot be deleted - Always exists
• Cannot be renamed - ID 0 is the fixed Solution Center preview / home anchor. Because display references are by internal ID, a rename technically succeeds and the build stays green - but it silently detaches the preview anchor and orphans the canonical home name. Never rename MainPage.
• Solution Center preview - Shows as project thumbnail
• Best practices:
  • Small apps: Use as main workspace
  • Large apps: build your main workspace as a separate page and point the Startup layout's Content region at it - but leave MainPage in place (a static placard is enough) so it still renders the Solution Center thumbnail. Do not rename MainPage onto the workspace page.

Predefined Pages

These affect Rich Client development mode menus only.

Display Properties

Core Properties

Note: the per-element align locks (IsWidthAlign / IsHeightAlign / IsLeftAlign / IsTopAlign) are properties of individual drawing elements, not DisplaysList row properties. They are set per element in the Properties panel and are honored only when the display's OnResize is Responsive — see Display Settings Reference and the control reference pages.

Engine Types

System automatically promotes WPF to Portable when compatible during upgrades.

Navigation Flag

• Navigate checkbox - Used by DisplaySelection control
• Filters which displays appear in navigation lists
• Can be used in custom navigation logic

Build Status

What Gets Compiled

• CodeBehind scripts
• Expressions in graphical objects
• Dynamic bindings

Status Indicators

To fix errors:

1. Check BuildMessage column for details
2. Open in Draw → CodeBehind tab
3. Review expressions in visual elements

Security Settings

Organization

Categories

Group displays logically:

• Process Areas
• Equipment Types
• User Roles
• Functional Groups

Levels

Hierarchy indication:

• Top Level - Main screens
• Mid Level - Area displays
• Detail Level - Equipment views

Important Behaviors

Safe Renaming

• All references use internal ID, not name
• Rename displays anytime without breaking configuration
• Runtime continues working with new names
• Exception - reserved pages (MainPage / ID 0). Because refs are by ID, renaming MainPage also "succeeds" and builds green - but it detaches the Solution Center preview anchor and orphans the canonical home name. Never rename MainPage; see Special Pages above.

Development Tips

• Use WPF Rich Client for testing even when targeting web (faster)
• Development mode includes File/Security menus
• WebAssembly ensures consistent behavior across platforms

Display Preview

The preview thumbnail shown in Card View and in the display selector is generated each time the display is saved. Edits made in the Draw editor are not reflected in the preview until the display is explicitly saved — if you edit a display and want the updated thumbnail to appear, save the display first.

Lock Management

Lock States

• Unlocked - Available for edit
• Locked - Being edited by user
• LockOwner - Shows current editor

Managing Locks

csharp

// Check lock status
bool isLocked = Display.IsLocked;
string owner = Display.LockOwner;

// Force unlock (admin only)
Display.ForceUnlock();

Best Practices

1. Start with MainPage - Use for initial development
2. Use Templates - Consistent starting points
3. Name Meaningfully - Include area/function
4. Set Navigate Flag - Control navigation visibility
5. Monitor Build Status - Fix errors promptly
6. Use Portable Engine - Maximize compatibility
7. Configure Security - Set appropriate access

Troubleshooting

Build Errors:

• Check BuildMessage column for specifics
• Open in Draw editor
• Review CodeBehind tab
• Check expressions in elements

Display Not Opening:

• Verify RunSecurity permissions
• Check build status is Success
• Review client type compatibility
• Test with different user account

Navigation Issues:

• Use Preview column for double-click
• Check if display is locked
• Verify Navigate flag if using DisplaySelection
• Try pen icon or Draw shortcut

Metadata Tracking

All internal references use ID, making renaming safe at any time for user-created displays (see the MainPage exception above).

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