Animation Commands

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This sections shows the Animation Commands in SysCAD 9.2. Refer to Graphics Commands -- Annotation for the equivalent commands in SysCAD 9.1.

This is a subset of the graphics commands which are used to draw and manage SysCAD flowsheets. Note that SysCAD must be in the Edit mode (stopped) for most of these commands to be accessed.

Other related commands are:

Contents

Insert Annotation Table

Command Button Image:User Guide image242.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Insert Annotation Table

This command will allow a user to insert a table into a SysCAD flowsheet. The table displays of models, such as pipes, tanks, heat exchangers, etc, and measured variables in each model, such as Flow, Temperature, Duty, etc.

When the user clicks on the Insert Annotation Table command a 'Insert Annotation' dialog box is displayed:

Image:insertAnnotation.png


Step Description Notes
A Select the unit operation TAG(s) 1. This can be typed in, separated by spaces, or selected by single left clicking on the unit operation(s) on the graphics window. (If a unit appears on a different Graphics Window, the tag must be typed in.)
2. You can start with just ONE unit operation tag to first create the table, the rest can be added later using Update Annotation.
B Define the variable list. 1. These variable names are separated by spaces, NOT commas.
2. You can start with just ONE variable tag to first create the table; the rest can be added later using Update Annotation.
3. The variable entered MUST NOT contain engineering units.
C Annotation Scale The default scale of the annotation block is rather small. Therefore, change the scale size to a larger number (4 or 5 is usually good).
D Insert Annotation 1. The Annotation table becomes visible on the graphics window and the mouse pointer changes to a X with 'POS' and a table and the 'Insert Annotation' button changes to 'Position Selected'. The user can now left click with the mouse button on the Graphics Window to position the table to a more appropriate position.
2. The placement point of the annotation block is top left-hand corner of the table.
3. The user may continue clicking on the graphics until they are happy with the position of the table.
4. When the user is happy with the table position, press OK to close the 'Insert Annotation' dialog box.
E Editing Annotation Table 1. After the annotation block is created, it can be moved with the Move Entity Command.
2. The annotation block cannot be resized using the Scale/Rotate command. To change or update the annotation block, the Update Annotation command must be used.

Insert Fill Area

Command Button Image:User Guide image230.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Insert Fill Area

This command allows you to add dynamic fill animation to a graphics symbol. It is commonly used to observe parameters such as vessel level or temperature. To do this, the dynamic fill animation block needs to be added to a graphics symbol. On the dynamic fill dialog box:

Image:User Guide image231.gif


Step Description Notes
A Select Variable The most common variable used is Level, Lvl, for a tank. However, the user could type in T, for Temperature, or any other measured variable.
B Range Define the Minimum and Maximum values.
For example, for a tank level Min = 0 and Max = 100%.
For Temperature the minimum and maximum would be defined by the user based on the expected temperature range.
C Colour Box This box allows the user to select a preferred colour. To change the colour click on the box and select a colour from the pallet.
D Apply to all identical entities 1. If this tick box is enabled then all of the existing symbols for the same model on the same Graphics Window will have a dynamic fill added.
2. This only applies to existing units on the same Graphics Window. If you add a unit with the same symbol AFTER you have added the fill annotation, it will not have the fill included.
E Select UNIT Once information is provided in the dynamic fill dialog box, the user may select the unit by clicking on the required unit in the graphics window.
The mouse cursor will display UNIT when moved over the Graphics Window.
F Select POINTS Once the UNIT has been selected the mouse cursor then changes to POINT. Click the mouse button to draw points to form a block. Note that lines do not snap to horizontal or vertical lines, and diagonal lines are allowed so that a cone can be drawn if required. Press OK on the dialog box to accept the dynamic fill or press Cancel to start again.

NOTES: 1. We recommend that you zoom into the unit to which the FILL is being added so that you can accurately follow the unit lines.
2. To delete the dynamic fill, use Update Fill Area

G Running The dynamic fill will be animated when run is started. Check configurations option in Tools - General Options - Graphics.

WARNING: Before using the Fill command, make sure the correct Graphics Window is the active window. If a dynamic fill is applied to a unit, changing the unit name will result in a loss of the dynamic fill information.


Insert Dynamic Bars

Command Button Image:User Guide image236.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Insert Dynamic Bars


This command will insert bar(s) with animation to indicate changing variables. The variables could be Levels, Temperatures, or user defined pgm variables.

Image:insertDynamicBar.png


Step Description Notes
A Select the unit operation TAG(s) This can be typed in, separated by spaces, or selected by single left clicking on the unit operation(s) on the graphics window. (If a unit appears on a separate Graphics Window, the tag must be typed in.)
B Define the variable list. 1. These variable names are separated by spaces, NOT commas.
2. You can start with just ONE variable tag to first create the Dynamic Bar; the rest can be added later using Update Dynamic Bars.
3. The variable entered MUST NOT contain engineering units.
C Range Define the Minimum and Maximum values.
For example, for a tank level Min = 0 and Max = 100%.
For Temperature the minimum and maximum would be defined by the user based on the expected temperature range.
The Min and Max ranges and scale can be specified now or later using Update Dynamic Bars.
D Text Scale The scale can be changed now or later using Update Dynamic Bars.
E Colour Box This box allows the user to select a preferred colour. To change the colour click on the box and select a colour from the pallet.
F Insert Dynamic Bars 1. The Dynamic Bars graphic becomes visible on the graphics window and the mouse pointer changes to a X with 'POS' and the 'Insert Dynamic Bars' button changes to 'Position Selected'. The user can now left click with the mouse button on the Graphics Window to position the Dynamic Bars to a more appropriate position.
2. The placement point of the Dynamic Bars is bottom left-hand corner of the Dynamic Bars.
3. The user may continue clicking on the graphics until they are happy with the position of the Dynamic Bars.
4. When the user is happy with the Dynamic Bars position, press OK to close the 'Insert Dynamic Bars' dialog box.
G Adding More Dynamic Bars When the position of the previous Dynamic Bars is finalised, you can press OK to finish or Position selected to start creating another Dynamic Bar entity.
H Editing Dynamic Bars 1. After a Dynamic Bar is created, it can be moved with the Move Entity Command.
2. The Dynamic Bars cannot be resized using the Scale/Rotate command. To change or update the Dynamic Bars, the Update Dynamic Bars command must be used.

WARNING: If a dynamic bar is applied to a unit, changing the unit name will result in the loss of the dynamic bar information.

Insert Toggle

Command Button Image:User Guide image251.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Insert Toggle

The procedure in creating a toggle is similar to that of Insert Dynamic Bars.

NOTES:

  1. A Toggle is used to animate variables that are only True or False and can thus be switched On or Off by a toggle. This is commonly used for valve open and close or pump on and off.
  2. Once inserted, double clicking on the toggle graphics can toggle the variables.
  3. The Toggle is always RED, you cannot change the colour.
  4. If you have more than one tag on a toggle entity, double clicking on the graphic entity will toggle all tags in the same entity.
  5. If a toggle is applied to a unit, changing the unit name will result in the loss of the toggle animation information.


Update Annotation Table

Command Button Image:User Guide image246.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Update Annotation Table

Once an annotation table is in place, it can be updated.

Image:UpdateAnnotation.png

  1. You can assign a label to a tag as well as to a variable. These labels will be used in the annotation table.
    For example, if the tag name is FT_4, you can label it FlashTank4. The label FlashTank4 will appear as the column heading in the table.
    Similarly, you can label the variable name FlashT as Flash_Temp, this will then be the row heading for the table.
  2. You can also customise the displayed numbers' format and conversion units in the update annotation dialog box.


Update Fill Area

Command Button Image:User Guide image233.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Update Fill Area

Once a fill area is in place, it can be updated using the Update Fill Area command.

Image:User Guide image234.gif

  1. Move the mouse over to the Graphics Window and the mouse cursor will display UNIT, click on the fill area you wish to update, and the fill area dialog box will open, this time it has an extra button delete.
  2. You can change the variable and minimum/maximum values as per inserting a fill area.
  3. A fill area can be removed by pressing delete.
    Notes:
    • If the Apply to all identical entities option is on, all fill areas for that unit type will be deleted.
      The graphics for the fill area block will not be deleted.
  4. If you have pressed update fill area and could not find a fill area, you can exit out of the option by either right clicking on the Graphics Window or choosing another option like redraw.


Update Dynamic Bars

Command Button Image:User Guide image239.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Update Dynamic Bars

Once a dynamic bar is in place, it can be updated using the Update Dynamic Bars option.

Image:UpdateDynamicBar.png


  1. Move the mouse cursor over to the graphics page and click on the dynamic bars entity you wish to update. This opens the Update Dynamic Bars dialog box.
  2. To update an entry, highlight it in the list and change the variable in the editing boxes towards the bottom, just above the scale box. Tags can be added or deleted.
  3. To add a new entry, click on an existing tag, press add, edit it to represent the new tag, and then click on the tag list section to accept the tag in the list.
  4. The order of the tags can be adjusted using the move up and move down button.
  5. The size of the dynamic bar entity can be changed by adjusting the scale. The scale must be the last thing changed before pressing OK for it to register.
  6. Each tag on the dynamic bar list can have a different colour, to change the colour, just click on the tag, then change the colour box on the bottom right hand corner. Once ready, press OK to update the colour.
  7. User can use the X and Y Scales to size the width and height of the Dynamic bars.
  8. Sizing is also done relative to a Text Scale, based on the text required (width of sum of characters) and the text scale it then sizes the graphics. Because of this, Dynamic bars with different length of text string would appear in different sizes even though the text scale is the same for all of them.
  9. The Display Option can be used to not display the labels, which results in a more compact graphical symbol.
  10. The Dynamic bar is a graphics entity and it can be repositioned using the Graphics - entities - Move function.


Update Toggle

Command Button Image:User Guide image253.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Update Toggle

Once a toggle entity is in place, it can be updated. The procedure in updating the toggle entity is as per updating the dynamic bars.


Refresh Annotation

Command Path Graphics - Animation - Refresh Annotation

This command updates the annotation table on the active Graphics Window.


Refresh All Annotation

Command Button Image:User Guide image249.jpg
Command Path Graphics - Animation - Refresh All Annotation

This command updates all annotation tables on all Graphics Windows.

Retrieved from "http://help.syscad.net/index.php/Animation_Commands"
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