The Solution Center (Tutorial)
...
Created by admin, last modified on Sep 16, 2025
Solution Center (Tutorial) teaches you to:
...
walks you through the primary interface for managing FrameworX solutions. Learn to navigate the Solution Center, create and organize solutions, manage licenses, and prepare solutions for configuration in the Designer. These hands-on exercises establish the foundation for your entire development workflow, teaching you how to efficiently manage solutions before moving to configuration.
Prerequisites:
...
- Solution created in Solution Center
- Getting Started (2 min)
- Create Your First Solution (3 min)
- Organize Solutions (2 min)
- Connect to Remote Server (3 min)
- License Management (2 min)
- Diagnostic Tools (3 min)
- Multi-User Setup (3 min)
- Backup and Recovery (2 min)
- Best Practices
- Troubleshooting
Manage multiple solutions from one place
Master centralized solution administration. Solution Center provides:
- Multi-solution management dashboard
- Version control and deployment
- License management
- User administration across solutions
- Template and library sharing
- Import/export operations
- Solution migration tools
Key Skills:
- Solution organization
- Template management
- Bulk operations
- Cross-solution configuration
- Administrative workflows
Table of Contents |
---|
maxLevel | 2 |
---|
minLevel | 2 |
---|
indent | 10px |
---|
exclude | Steps |
---|
style | none |
---|
|
Getting Started (2 min)
1. Launch Solution Center and Explore Interface
Start Solution Center
...
...
- Double-click FrameworX desktop icon
- Or navigate to Start Menu
...
- → FrameworX → Solution Center
...
...
???????????????????????????????????????
? FrameworX Solution Center (?) ?
???????????????????????????????????????
? Server Info | License | About ?
???????????????????????????????????????
? [New] [Edit] [View] [Run] [Manage] ?
???????????????????????????????????????
? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?
? ?Tank ? ?SCADA? ?Demo ? Solutions ?
? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?
???????????????????????????????????????
Status: Connected to Local Server
Navigate each section:
- Title Bar: Note the help icon (?) for documentation
- Navigation Panel: Click through "Server Information", "Your License", "About FrameworX"
- Action Buttons: New, Edit, View, Run and Manage
- Solution List: Currently empty or showing example solutions (you can change between "List", "Cards" and "Table")
2. Create Your First Solution
Create New Solution
- Click New button
- In the New Solution Wizard, select the Product Edition FrameworX and click on Next
- Choose Multiplatform and click Next
- Fill the required information:
- Name: MyFirstSolution
- Description: Solution Lifecycle Tutorial
- Template: Select "Blank"
- Location: Note the default path (Documents\FrameworX\Solutions)
- Click Create New Solution
Observe Results
- Solution appears in the list
- Note the .dbsln file created in the folder
- Designer automatically opens (close it for now - we'll use it in the next tutorial)
3. Navigate Solution Views (2 min)
Change Display Modes
Test each view using the toolbar buttons:
- Card View: Shows thumbnail previews
- List View: Compact text listing
- Table View: Detailed properties in columns
Explore Solution Properties
In Table View, observe:
- Name column
- Modified date
- Size (in KB)
- Status indicators
Right-click your solution to see context menu options
4. Check License Status (2 min)
- Click License in Navigation Panel
- Review your license details:
- License Type (Development/Runtime/Combined)
- Tag limit (e.g., 5000 tags)
- User limit
- Expiration date
- Current status
Understand License Impact
Note which features are available:
- Development license = Can edit in Designer
- Runtime license = Can run solutions
- Combined = Both capabilities
5. Organize Solutions in Folders (3 min)
Create Folder Structure
- Open Windows Explorer to Documents\FrameworX\Solutions
- Create these folders:
Solutions/
??? Development/
??? Testing/
??? Archive/
Move Solution to Folder
- In Windows Explorer, cut MyFirstSolution.dbsln
- Paste into Development folder
- Return to Solution Center
- Click Refresh (F5)
- Solution now appears under Development folder
Test Organization
Create two more test solutions directly in different folders:
- TestSolution1 in Testing folder
- BackupSolution in Archive folder
6. Use Search and Filter (2 min)
Basic Search
In the search box, try:
- Type "My" - filters to MyFirstSolution
- Clear and type "Test" - shows TestSolution1
- Clear search to show all
Advanced Filters
Try these filter patterns:
- Status filter: Type
:stopped
to show only stopped solutions - Date filter: Click filter icon and select "Modified: Today"
7. Export and Import Solutions (3 min)
Export Solution
- Select MyFirstSolution
...
Verify Connection:
- Check status bar: "Connected: Local"
- Green indicator = Ready
Create Your First Solution (3 min)
Step-by-Step Creation
Click New Button
Configure Solution:
Name: MyFirstSolution
Template: HeaderLayout
Product: FactoryStudio
Location: Default folder
Description: Learning Solution Center
Click Create
- Solution appears in list
- Designer launches automatically
Exit Designer (we'll use it later)
- File → Exit
- Return to Solution Center
Try Different Templates
Create three practice solutions:
Solution Name | Template | Purpose |
---|
SimpleHMI | BlankCanvas | Basic display |
TankMonitor | HeaderLayout | Navigation structure |
DataLogger | Tabs | Multi-page setup |
Exercise: Create each solution, note the differences in templates
Organize Solutions (2 min)
Folder Structure
Create Organization Folders:
Move Solutions:
- Drag MyFirstSolution.dbsln to Development folder
- Click Refresh in Solution Center
- Solution appears under Development
Change View Modes
Toggle between views using toolbar:
- Card View: Visual thumbnails
- List View: Compact text
- Table View: Detailed properties
Tip: Use Table View to compare solution sizes and modification dates
Connect to Remote Server (3 min)
Setup Remote Access
Configure Server (on host machine):
- Click Server Information
- Set AccessKey:
Demo123
- Note IP address: (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
Connect from Client:
- Click Server Information
- Enter Server:
192.168.1.100
- Enter AccessKey:
Demo123
- Click Connect
Verify Connection:
- Status shows "Connected: 192.168.1.100"
- Remote solutions appear in list
Web Access
Access from browser:
http://192.168.1.100:10108/solutions?accesskey=Demo123
Security Note: Always use AccessKey for remote connections
License Management (2 min)
View License Status
Click License Panel
Review Information:
Type: Development
Tags: 5000
Users: 5
Expires: 2025-12-31
Status: Active ?
Activate New License
Online Activation:
- Enter Product Key
- Click Activate
- Confirmation appears
Offline Activation:
- Get Site Code
- Send to vendor
- Load License File
Monitor Usage:
- Tags Used: 234/5000
- Users Connected: 2/5
- Days Remaining: 105
Diagnostic Tools (3 min)
Property Watch
Monitor live tag values:
- Start a solution (Run button)
- Click Manage → Property Watch
- Browse to Tags
- Select tag to monitor
- View real-time values
- Modify value (if permitted)
Trace Window
Debug system messages:
- Click Manage → Trace Window
- Select modules:
- Set Level: Info
- Watch messages flow
Module Information
Check system health:
- Click Manage → Module Information
- Review status:
TServer: Running ?TWebServices: Running ?Device Channel 01: Connected ?Database: Online ?
Exercise: Start TankMonitor solution and use Property Watch to monitor a simulated value
Multi-User Setup (3 min)
Enable Collaboration
Solution Properties:
- Select solution
- Right-click → Properties
- Enable: Multi-User Editing
User 1 - Open for Editing:
- Select solution
- Click Edit
- Status: "Editing - User1"
User 2 - Join Session:
- Connect to same server
- Select same solution
- Click Edit
- Choose: Join Existing Session
Collaboration Features
Test these multi-user scenarios:
User 1 Action | User 2 Sees | Result |
---|
Add new tag | Tag appears | Real-time sync |
Modify display | Changes show | Immediate update |
Save solution | Save prompt | Coordinated save |
Note: Changes sync immediately between users
Backup and Recovery (2 min)
Manual Backup
Export Solution:
...
- Right-click → Export
- Save as: MyFirstSolution_backup
...
Verify Backup:
...
- Note the .dbback file created
Import Solution
...
...
- Browse to your .dbback file
...
- Rename to: MyFirstSolution_Restored
- Click Import
Auto-Backup Setup
Configure in solution:
Backup Interval: Daily
Keep Versions: 7
Location: \Backups\Auto\
Best Practice: Backup before major changes and test restore monthly
Best Practices
Solution Naming Convention
[Project]_[Type]_[Version]_[Date]
Examples:
- PlantA_HMI_v1.2_2025-09
- TankFarm_SCADA_Dev_2025-09
- Line3_DataLogger_Prod_2025-09
Folder Organization
Solutions/
??? Development/ (Active development)
??? Testing/ (QA validation)
??? Production/ (Released versions)
??? Archive/ (Old versions)
??? Templates/ (Reusable bases)
Security Checklist
- ? Set unique AccessKey
- ? Change default passwords
- ? Limit folder access
- ? Regular backups
- ? Monitor connections
- ? Close unused sessions
Troubleshooting
Common Issues and Solutions
Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
---|
No solutions visible | Wrong folder path | Check Server Information paths |
Can't connect remotely | Firewall blocking | Open port 10108 |
Designer won't launch | No dev license | Check License panel |
Solution locked | Open elsewhere | Close other instances |
Backup fails | Disk space | Check available storage |
Quick Fixes
Reset Solution List:
1. Close Solution Center
2. Delete %TEMP%\FrameworX\*
3. Restart Solution Center
4. Click Refresh
Force Close Solution:
1. Task Manager
2. End FrameworX.exe
3. End TServer.exe
4. Restart Solution Center
Validation Checklist
Complete these tasks to validate your learning:
- ? Created 3 solutions with different templates
- ? Organized solutions in folders
- ? Connected to remote server
- ? Checked license status
- ? Used Property Watch on running solution
- ? Setup multi-user editing
- ? Created and restored backup
- ? Changed solution view modes
- ? Used Trace Window for debugging
Key Takeaways
? Solution Center is your control hub - All solution management starts here
? Single-file architecture - Each .dbsln contains everything
? Multi-user ready - Collaborate in real-time
? Built-in diagnostics - Troubleshoot without external tools
? Flexible deployment - Local, remote, or web access
Next Steps
Now that you can manage solutions:
→ [Designer (Tutorial)] - Build your solution
→ [Runtime (Tutorial)] - Deploy to production
→ [High Availability] - Setup redundancy
Additional Resources
- [Solution Center (Concept)] - Architecture details
- [Solution Center (How-to)] - Task procedures
- [Solution Center (Reference)] - Complete feature list
- [Video: Solution Management] - Visual walkthrough
Quick Reference Card
Shortcut | Action |
---|
Ctrl+N | New solution |
Ctrl+O | Open solution |
Ctrl+E | Edit solution |
F5 | Run/Refresh |
Ctrl+M | Manage tools |
Delete | Remove solution |
- New solution appears in list
This demonstrates backup/restore workflow
8. Connect to Remote Server (3 min)
- Click Server Information
- Note your current server: "localhost"
- For remote connection, you would:
- Enter IP address or server name
- Add AccessKey if required
- Click Connect
Understand Connection States
- Green indicator = Connected
- Yellow = Connecting
- Red = Connection failed
- Check firewall for port 10108 if issues
Key Takeaways
You've learned to:
- Navigate the Solution Center interface efficiently
- Create solutions with proper naming and organization
- Use different view modes for solution management
- Verify license status and capabilities
- Organize solutions in logical folder structures
- Search and filter to find solutions quickly
- Export/import for backup and sharing
- Understand remote connection setup
Productivity Tips Discovered
- Ctrl+N for quick solution creation
- F5 refreshes the solution list
- Right-click menus provide quick actions
- Folder organization keeps projects manageable
- Export regularly for backups
Troubleshooting
Can't see solutions?
- Click Refresh (F5)
- Check Server Information for correct path
- Verify .dbsln files exist in folders
Designer won't open?
- Check Development license is active
- Verify solution isn't already open
- Close any running Designer instances
Connection issues?
- Verify TWebServices is running
- Check Windows Firewall for port 10108
- Confirm server address is correct
License not working?
- Check expiration date
- Verify license type matches your needs
- Restart Solution Center after activation
In this section...
- Solution Center (Tutorial)
...
- [Designer (Tutorial)]
- [Runtime (Tutorial)]
...