Unified configuration environment for building FrameworX solutions

Platform → Designer | Concept | Tutorial | How-to Guide | Reference

Overview

Designer is the unified configuration component where you build and test complete FrameworX solutions. This page introduce key concepts about the Four Pillars Methodology to build solution and the Designer workspace that enables it. 

Key Concepts

Four Pillars Methodology

It is an optimized methodology for solution development of industrial applications.

It organize the all the necessary core modules for typical projects into four groups:

  • Data Foundation - Unified Namespace Module
  • Industrial Operations - Process Modules: Devices, Alarms and Historian.
  • Business Operations - Application Modules: Datasets, Reports and Scripts. 
  • User Interaction - Operator UI Modules: Security, Displays and Clients UI deployment. 

Designer Workspace

It is the unified environment for all configuration, No need to switch between tools. It includes:

  • Solution Explorer - configuration access to all modules and tools
    • Solution - custom solution settings,  import and export tools
    • Runtime - settings for the execution, diagnostics, and activation commands
    • Modules - configuration UI for all modules
  • Data Explorer - Integrated tool for data discovery and tests
  • Track Changes - built version control system 

How Designer Fits in the Solution Lifecycle

Designer is the configuration workspace in the Solution Lifecycle:

  1. Solution Center - Create and manage solutions
  2. Designer ← You are here (Configure all modules)
  3. Runtime - Execute and monitor

Designer produces the configuration that Runtime executes. Execution Profiles let you validate behavior before publishing to production.

Module Organization by the Four Pillars

Module Organization by Four Pillars

Pillar 1: UNS Foundation

Pillar 2: Process Modules

Unified Namespace - Tags & UDTs

Devices, Field Connections: 100+ connectors

DataExplorer Tools

Alarms, Events, and Audit-trail

TagProvider Services

Historian, time-series data



Pillar 3: Application Modules Pillar 4: Operator UI

SQL Database Connections and Queries

Symbol Library extensions

Scripts and business logic (C#, VB.NET, Python 3)

Displays (Canvas & Dashboard) & UI Security 

Reports, data pub (PDF, CSV, HTML, XML & JSON)

Layouts,  Client deployment settings


Integrated Development Environment

Editor Type

Features

Purpose

C#/VB.NET Editors

IntelliSense, syntax highlighting, debugging

Control logic and system integration

Python Editor

Output playground, interactive execution

Analytics and data processing

SQL Editors

Query builder, visual designer

Database integration

JSON/XML Editors

Schema validation, formatting

Web data exchange

Rich Text Editor

PDF/HTML output

Report generation

Feature Highlights

  • Single environment - All modules in one interface
  • Consistent UI patterns - Same experience across modules
  • Execution Profiles - Run in Development, Validation, or Production modes
  • Online configuration - Modify running solutions
  • Change tracking - See who modified what
  • Version comparison - Track configuration evolution

What's Next

→ Four Pillars Methodology: optimized methodology for solution development.

→ Designer Workspace:  UI for all module configuration and development tools.


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