The Designer is the integrated development environment (IDE) for configuring industrial automation solutions. It provides a unified workspace for all configuration tasks, from tag definition to display creation.
Related Topics:
- Designer (Concept) - Understanding the IDE
- Configuring Solutions (How-to) - Step-by-step procedures
- Solution Center (Reference) - Solution management
Access Methods
| Method | Entry Point | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Solution Center | Edit button | Full editing mode |
| Solution Center | View button | Read-only mode |
| Direct Launch | Designer.exe | Opens last solution |
| Web Browser | ClickOnce | Remote editing |
Architecture
Core Components
| Component | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Solution Explorer | Module navigation | Left panel |
| Design Canvas | Active configuration | Center area |
| Properties Panel | Object settings | Right panel |
| Output Windows | System messages | Bottom panel |
Module Organization
The Designer organizes functionality into logical modules:
| Category | Modules | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Solution, Runtime | Core settings |
| Data Model | Unified Namespace | Tags and assets |
| Application | Devices, Alarms, Historian | Real-time processing |
| Process | Datasets, Reports, Scripts | Data handling |
| Interface | Displays, Security | User interaction |
| Tools | Data Explorer, Track Changes | Utilities |
Key Features
IntelliSense
Automatic completion and validation for:
- Tag names
- Object references
- Script code
- Expression syntax
Refactoring
Automatic update of references when renaming:
- Tags
- Display names
- Script classes
- Any named object
Multi-User Support
| Feature | Description | License Required |
|---|---|---|
| Concurrent Edit | Multiple users, same solution | Engineering users > 1 |
| Auto-merge | Automatic conflict resolution | Included |
| Change Tracking | Who changed what | Included |
Auto-Save Options
| Mode | Frequency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| On Close | Document close | Default |
| Every 5 min | Automatic | Active development |
| Every 10 min | Automatic | Standard editing |
| Every 15 min | Automatic | Review mode |
| Manual | User triggered | Critical changes |
Solution Configuration
Configuration Storage
All settings stored in single .dbsln file:
| Content | Storage Method | Encryption |
|---|---|---|
| Tags | Embedded SQL | Yes |
| Displays | Embedded SQL | Yes |
| Scripts | Embedded SQL | Yes |
| Images | Binary storage | Yes |
| All configs | Single file | AES-256 |
Configuration Export
| Format | Extension | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | .csv | Spreadsheet editing |
| JSON | .json | Version control |
| XML | .xml | External tools |
Navigation Methods
Quick Access
| Shortcut | Target | Icon |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Welcome page | |
| Tags | Unified Namespace | |
| Draw | Display editor | |
| Runtime | Execution control |
Search Features
| Type | Scope | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Module Search | Configuration sections | Top of explorer |
| Object Search | All objects | Ctrl+F |
| Cross-Reference | Usage locations | Find Results |
Security Integration
User Permissions
| Level | Can Access | Cannot Access |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | View all* | Protected items |
| Operator | Runtime only | Configuration |
| Engineer | All modules | Security settings |
| Administrator | Everything | Nothing |
*Default configuration - can be restricted
Protected Operations
Operations requiring authentication:
- Security configuration
- Runtime users
- License changes
- Critical settings
Performance
Resource Usage
| Component | Typical RAM | CPU Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Base IDE | 200-500 MB | Low |
| Large solution | 500-2000 MB | Medium |
| Draw environment | +200 MB | Medium |
| Code editor | +100 MB | Low |
Optimization Tips
- Close unused document tabs
- Use filtering in Solution Explorer
- Disable auto-save for large solutions
- Regular solution compacting
File Management
Working Files
| Type | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Solution | User-defined | Main .dbsln |
| Temp | %TEMP%\Designer | Working files |
| Backup | Solution folder | Auto-backups |
| Export | Git subfolder | Version control |
Git Integration
Automatic export to Git folder structure:
Solution/
??? SolutionData/
? ??? Git/
? ??? Tags/
? ??? Displays/
? ??? Scripts/
? ??? [Other modules]/Troubleshooting
Common Issues
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Slow loading | Large solution | Compact database |
| Can't edit | Read-only mode | Check permissions |
| Changes lost | No auto-save | Enable auto-save |
| IntelliSense missing | Cache issue | Restart Designer |
Log Files
| Log Type | Location | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Designer | Logs\Designer\ | IDE errors |
| Configuration | Logs\Config\ | Save errors |
| User Actions | Logs\Audit\ | Change log |
Temporary Folders
When editing and designing a solution, temporary folders and data are automatically created to store information like user UI settings, code compiler output, trace logs, and other types of temporary data connected to a specific solution. They will be stored in a SolutionName-Designer folder, located on the same path as the solution in question. In general, the user doesn't need to be aware of these folders, and they can be deleted at any time, as they don't hold any solution configuration. However, in advanced scenarios, it may be useful to know about these folders and the type of data they contain.
Solutions-Designer Folders | |
|---|---|
Folder | Usage |
Git | Store exports of the Solution configuration, when the 'Automatically Export Changes" is set on Designer Home Page. |
NetCompiler | Use by the .NET code compiler to store intermediated compiler file and debug information. |
Settings | Used to store users preference, and states for the Grids, when using the Designer. |
TagsUsage | When Runtime / Build and Publish option is setup to Debug, text files are created in this folder with information of all tags used on Scripts-Tasks and Displays. |
TraceLogs | Used to store specific solution logs, when enabled at Runtime / Startup and Runtime / Build And Publish. |
Child Pages
Workspace Components:
- Designer Workspace (Reference) - UI elements and panels
- Solution Explorer (Reference) - Module navigation
Configuration Areas:
- Working with DataGrids - Table editing
- Find Results Panel - Cross-references
- Keyboard Shortcuts - Quick commands
See Also
- Solution Center (Reference) - Solution management
- Configuration Workflow (Reference) - Best practices
- Runtime (Reference) - Testing solutions
Now for the Designer Workspace (Reference) page:
Designer Workspace (Reference)
This reference provides detailed technical documentation for all Designer workspace elements, panels, and navigation features.
Parent Page: Designer (Reference)
Related Topics:
- Solution Explorer (Reference) - Module navigation
- Working with DataGrids - Table editing
- Keyboard Shortcuts - Quick commands
Quick Navigation Icons
The Quick Navigation bar includes the following shortcuts:
Shortcut | Description | |
| Home | Redirects users to the Solution Designer home page. |
| Tags | Takes the user to the Asset Tree within the Unified Namespace. It is where your assets can be viewed and managed. |
| Draw | Navigates users to the Draw section on Displays. It is where users can create, edit, or visualize graphical representations or designs. |
| Runtime | Directs the user to the Startup section of the Runtime. It is where users can initiate, run, or monitor processes or applications. |
| Navigation back | Allows users to go back to the previous page or section they were on. |
| Navigation forward | Lets users navigate forward if they've previously used the back button. |
| Navigation history | Presents users with a list of their recent navigation actions, allowing them to quickly jump to a specific page or section they visited earlier. |
Top Main Toolbar
At the top of the page, you have buttons that allow users to undo or redo actions, manipulate rows or objects with cut, copy, paste, and delete functions, and interact with Git for document synchronization. There are also functionalities for searching and navigating references, handling database tags, editing tag properties, and directly accessing documentation or providing feedback.
The table provides a concise reference for the commands and their associated functionalities.
Action | Description | |
| Undo | Undoes an operation/change. This button is available until you save changes. |
| Redo | Redoes a previously undone operation/change. This button is available until you save changes. |
| Cut | Cuts a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing). This command will delete any select row or object in order to paste it somewhere else. |
| Copy | Copies a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing). |
| Paste | Pastes a row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing) that was copied or cut previously. |
| Delete | Deletes selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing). |
| Prints current table (DataGrid) or display (Drawing). | |
| Export Document | It saves the selected object to the Git folder located at the following path: Path: C:\Users\User\Documents\Framework\Solutions\Solution\SolutionData\Git\<Module>\<Configuration interface>\ |
| Find Elements | The Find Elements button on the toolbar accesses the object cross-reference, which lets you find where objects are used in the Project and go directly to each location. |
| Next Reference | Navigates to the subsequent reference or item in a given list or sequence. |
| Previous Reference | Navigates to the preceding reference or item in a given list or sequence. |
| New Tag | Allows the creation of a new tag in the real-time database. |
| Tag Properties | Shows the properties of the tag selected in the text box. |
| Object Selection | Enables the user to choose a specific item from a set of objects or elements within the interface. |
| Open a New Window to the Selected Document | Opens the document or file currently selected in a new window, allowing for parallel viewing or editing alongside the current content. |
| Feedback | Give your opinion in the feedback tab of the Tatsoft website. |
| Documentation | Access the documentation on the website. |
In this section: