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Categories provide metadata labels for organizing and classifying objects throughout your solution. They enable filtering, grouping, and standardization across all configuration tables.

Access: Solution → Categories

Parent Page: Solution Settings & Tools (Reference)

Categories Interface

Category Definition Table

Column	Description	Type	Required
Name	Category identifier	Text	Yes
Description	Purpose and usage	Text	No
Color	Visual indicator	Color picker	No
Icon	Associated symbol	Symbol selector	No
Parent	Hierarchical parent	Category reference	No
DefaultSymbol	Auto-assigned symbol	Symbol reference	No

Category Properties

Property	Purpose	Example
Enabled	Active for assignment	Checked
Visible	Shows in filters	Checked
Priority	Sort order	1-999
Scope	Where applicable	All/Specific modules

Category Types

System Categories

Pre-defined categories:

Category	Use	Auto-Applied
System	Platform objects	Yes
Template	Template instances	Yes
Imported	Import wizard items	Yes
Plugin	Plugin objects	Yes

User Categories

Common organizational patterns:

Pattern	Example Categories	Purpose
Functional	Pumps, Valves, Motors	Equipment type
Location	Building_A, Floor_1, Area_North	Physical location
Process	Intake, Processing, Output	Process stage
Priority	Critical, Important, Standard	Importance level
Department	Operations, Maintenance, Engineering	Responsibility

Using Categories

Assignment Methods

Method	Where	How
Direct	Object properties	Category dropdown
Bulk	DataGrid selection	Right-click → Set Category
Import	Import wizards	Category mapping
Template	Template definition	Inherited by instances

Filtering by Category

Location	Method	Result
DataGrids	Column filter	Show only selected
Asset Tree	Category view	Grouped display
Cross Reference	Category filter	Scoped search
Reports	Category parameter	Filtered data

Category Hierarchy

Parent-Child Structure

Equipment
??? Rotating
?   ??? Pumps
?   ??? Motors
??? Static
?   ??? Tanks
?   ??? Vessels
??? Instruments
    ??? Temperature
    ??? Pressure

Inheritance Rules

Rule	Description	Example
Symbol	Child inherits if not set	Pump uses Equipment symbol
Properties	Not inherited	Each has own color
Assignment	Can use parent or child	Tag can be "Equipment" or "Pumps"

Symbol Association

Default Symbols

Categories automatically assign symbols:

Category	Symbol	Applied To
Motors	Motor.svg	New motor tags
Valves	Valve.svg	New valve tags
Sensors	Sensor.svg	New sensor tags

Symbol Rules

Condition	Behavior
Category has symbol	Uses category symbol
Parent has symbol	Inherits parent symbol
No symbol defined	Uses default tag symbol
Multiple categories	Uses first with symbol

Best Practices

Category Design

DO:

Define before creating objects
Use consistent naming convention
Create logical hierarchies
Document category purpose
Associate relevant symbols

DON'T:

Create too many categories
Use overlapping categories
Change after widespread use
Delete without checking usage

Naming Conventions

Type	Convention	Examples
Equipment	Type_Subtype	Motor_AC, Valve_Ball
Location	Level_Area	F1_North, B1_Storage
Process	Stage_Number	Stage_01, Stage_02
Priority	P_Level	P_Critical, P_Standard

Integration

Module Usage

Module	Category Application
UNS Tags	Organization and filtering
Devices	Channel and node grouping
Alarms	Priority classification
Historian	Data categorization
Displays	Symbol assignment
Reports	Data filtering

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Category not visible	Disabled or hidden	Check Enabled/Visible
Symbol not applying	No default set	Configure DefaultSymbol
Can't delete category	In use	Check usage first
Filter not working	Wrong scope	Verify category scope