Application manual

ScreenMaker
5.12

Document ID: 3HAC035956-001

Revision: -
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.
The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and should not be
construed as a commitment by ABB. ABB assumes no responsibility for any errors that
may appear in this manual.
Except as may be expressly stated anywhere in this manual, nothing herein shall be
construed as any kind of guarantee or warranty by ABB for losses, damages to persons
or property, fitness for a specific purpose or the like.
In no event shall ABB be liable for incidental or consequential damages arising from
use of this manual and products described herein.
This manual and parts thereof must not be reproduced or copied without ABB's written
permission, and contents thereof must not be imparted to a third party nor be used for
any unauthorized purpose. Contravention will be prosecuted.
Additional copies of this manual may be obtained from ABB at its then current charge.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2009 ABB All rights reserved.

ABB AB
Robotics Products
721 68 Västerås
Sweden
 Table of Contents

Manual overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

1 Introduction 7
1.1 Introduction to ScreenMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 Installing ScreenMaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.4 Development environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2 Managing ScreenMaker projects 25

2.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.2 Managing ScreenMaker projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2.3 Application variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.4 Form designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.5 Data binding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.6 Screen navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

3 Tutorial 45
3.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3.2 Prerequistes for designing FlexArc Operator Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3.3 Designing the screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.4 Building and deploying the project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

4 Frequently asked questions 55

4.1 Frequently asked questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Index 63
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

3HAC035956-001 Revision: - 3
Table of Contents

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

4 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 Manual overview

Manual overview

About this manual

This manual describes how to create FlexPendant Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) using
ScreenMaker.

Usage
ScreenMaker is designed for simplicity of use, and its functionality is basic and intuitive. This
manual describes the background of GUI development, followed by descriptions of the
menus and commands, and followed by a tutorial.

Who should read this manual?

This manual is intended for ScreenMaker users, for example:
• Robot programmers
• PLC programmers
• Robot System integrators

Prerequisites
The reader should have a basic knowledge of:
• RobotStudio
• RAPID
• Working on Windows platform
• GUI development

Organization of chapters
The manual is organized in the following chapters:

Chapter Contents
1. Describes the ScreenMaker development tool, as well as GUI and
FlexPendant concepts.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

2. Describes how to manage projects in ScreenMaker and the various menus

and commands used in the application.
3. Serves as an example and takes you through the steps involved in designing
the GUI screens.
4. Contains a list of frequently asked questions.

References

Reference Document ID
Operating manual - RobotStudio 3HAC032104-001
Operating manual - IRC5 with FlexPendant 3HAC16590-1

Revisions

Revision Description
- First edition. Released with RobotWare 5.12.02.

3HAC035956-001 Revision: - 5
Manual overview

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

6 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 1 Introduction
1.1. Introduction to ScreenMaker

1 Introduction
1.1. Introduction to ScreenMaker

What is ScreenMaker?
ScreenMaker is a tool in RobotStudio for developing custom screens. It is used to create
customized FlexPendant GUIs without the need to learn Visual Studio development
environment and .NET programming.

Why ScreenMaker?
A customized operator interface on the factory floor is the key to a simple robotic system. A
well-designed custom operator interface presents the right amount of information at the right
time and in the right format to the user, as such the training time and downtime (due to
operating errors) are minimal. However, customized user interfaces are expensive and very
time-consuming to develop. Currently, an understanding of some object-oriented
programming languages (such as C, C++; VB and C#) and development framework (.NET,
Visual Studio) are required to develop screens. Since, this is a requirement for IT
professionals and not for the robotics industry whose workforce is generally accustomed to
simple programming languages such as BASIC and RAPID; ScreenMaker is used.

GUI concepts
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

xx080000226

A GUI makes it easier for people to work with industrial robots by presenting a visual front
to the internal workings of a robotic system. For FlexPendant GUI applications, the graphical
interface consists of a number of screens, each occupying the user window area (the blue box

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1 Introduction
1.1. Introduction to ScreenMaker

Continued

in the figure above) of the FlexPendant touch screen. A FlexPendant screen is then composed
of a number of smaller graphical components in a design layout. Typical controls (sometimes
referred as widgets or graphic components) include buttons, menus, images, and text fields.
A user interacts with a GUI application by:
• Clicking a button
• Selecting from a menu
• Typing a text in a text box
• Scrolling
An action such as clicking a button is called an event. Whenever an action is performed, an
event is sent to the GUI application. The exact content of an event is solely dependent on the
graphic component itself. Different components trigger different types of events. The GUI
application responds to the events in the order generated by the user. This is called event-
driven programming, since the main flow of a GUI application is dictated by events rather
than being sequential from start to finish. Due to the unpredictability of the user’s actions, one
major task in developing a robust GUI application is to ensure that it works correctly no
matter what the user does. Of course, a GUI application can, and actually does, ignore events
that are irrelevant.
The event handler holds sets of actions to be executed after an event occurs. Similar to trap
routines in the RAPID program, the event handler allows the implementation of application-
specific logic, such as running a RAPID program, opening a gripper, processing logic or
calculating.
In summary, from a developer’s point of view, A GUI consists of at least two parts:
• the view part: layout and configuration of controls
• the process part: event handlers that respond to events

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

xx0800000227

Modern GUI development environments often provide a form designer, a WYSIWYG tool to
allow the user to select, position and configure the widgets. As for event handlers, typically
the developer must use a special programming language recommended by the development
environment.

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1.1. Introduction to ScreenMaker

Continued

FlexPendant concepts

xx0800000228

Running Windows CE, the ABB FlexPendant has limited CPU power and memory compared
to a PC. A custom GUI application must therefore be placed in the designated folders on the
controller hard drive before being loaded. Once loaded, it can be found in the ABB menu as
seen in the figure above. Clicking the menu item will launch the GUI application.
As the robot controller is the one actually controlling the robot and its peripheral equipment
by executing a RAPID program, a GUI application needs to communicate with the RAPID
program server in order to read and write RAPID variables and set or reset I/O signals.
It is essential for RAPID programmers to understand that there are two different softwares
controlling a work cell: an event-driven GUI application running on the FlexPendant, and a
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

sequential RAPID program running in the controller. These reside on different CPUs and use
different operating systems, so communication and coordination are important and must be
carefully designed.

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1 Introduction
1.2. Installing ScreenMaker

1.2. Installing ScreenMaker

Overview
This section describes installing ScreenMaker application on your computer. It is an add-in
in RobotStudio and is launched from the RobotStudio application.

System requirements
The following are the system requirements to be met:

Software requirements • RobotStudio 5.12 or later with Premium license activated

• Microsoft .NET Compact Framework 2.0
• Robot Application Builder (RAB) 5.12 or later
Hardware requirements For more information on the recommended hardware, see
RobotStudio Release Notes.
Operating system For more information on the supported Operating Systems, see
RobotStudio Release Notes.

Prerequisites
To install and use ScreenMaker, the following requirements have to be met.

Before ... you must ...

installing ScreenMaker ensure that the following applications are installed:
• RobotStudio with Premium license
testing on VC/RC See Testing on Virtual controller/Real controller on page 11.

Installing ScreenMaker
Use this procedure to install ScreenMaker:
NOTE!
You should have administrator privileges on the PC before installing ScreenMaker.
1. Double-click SetupScreenMaker.exe.
The InstallShield Wizard window appears.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2. Click Next and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

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Continued

Testing on Virtual controller/Real controller

RobotWare FlexPendant Interface option is required for ScreenMaker applications.
NOTE: RobotWare PC Interface option is required only when using ScreenMaker for Robots
on a LAN (to get the data from the controller, bind, and deploy). If there is no PC Interface
option, service port can be used to design and deploy screens.

PC Interface option is needed

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PC Interface option is not needed

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© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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1 Introduction
1.3. Terminology

1.3. Terminology

About terms and acronyms

Some terms used in this manual are product specific and crucial for understanding. Moreover,
acronyms, words formed from initial letters, are sometimes used instead of long terms. To
avoid confusion, important terminology are clarified below.

Definitions

Term Description
IRC5 ABB’s robot controller.
FlexPendant ABB’s hand held device, used with the IRC5 robot controller. It
is developed with Microsoft’s technology for embedded
systems, Windows CE and .NET Compact Framework.
Robot Application Builder ABB software tool, which enables the development of custom
operator interfaces for IRC5. Often referred to as RAB.
Microsoft .NET Compact Version of Microsoft's .NET framework providing the run-time
Framework environment for applications running on embedded devices,
such as the FlexPendant. It includes a class library, which is
almost a subset of the rich .NET framework for the desktop.
C++,VisualBasic and C# Programming languages

Acronym Description
GUI Graphical User Interface
OS Operating System
RAB Robot Application Builder
I/Os Input /Output signals
WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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 1 Introduction
1.4. Development environment

1.4. Development environment

Overview
This section presents an overview of the ScreenMaker development environment.

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Parts Description
1 Ribbon Displays group of icons organized in a logical sequence of
functions. See Ribbon on page 14.
2 Project explorer Shows the active screen project and lists the screens that
are defined in the project. For more information, see
Managing ScreenMaker projects on page 26.
3 Design surface Layout to design the screen with the available controls. For
more information, see Form designer on page 35.
4 Output window Displays information about the events that occur during
ScreenMaker development.
5 ToolBox Displays a list of available controls. For more information.
see ToolBox on page 15.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

6 Properties window Contains the available properties and events of the

selected control(s). The value of the properties can either
be a fixed value or a link to an IRC5 data or an Application
Variable. For more information, see Properties window on
page 17.
7 Arrange Displays icons for resizing and positioning controls on the
design surface. See Arrange on page 14.

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1.4. Development environment

Continued

Ribbon
The ScreenMaker ribbon tab contains a group of icons organized in a logical sequence of
functions that facilitates the user in managing SscreenMaker projects.

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The Ribbon is categorized into the following groups:

Group Description
Project Facilitates the user to manage ScreenMaker project. See
Managing ScreenMaker projects on page 26.
Add Facilitates the user to add screen and application variables. See
Managing screens on page 29 and Managing application
variables on page 34.
Build Facilitates the user to build a project. See Building a project on
page 33.
Controller Facilitates the user to connect and deploy to the controller. See
Connecting to controller on page 32 and Deploying to controller
on page 33.
Arrange Facilitates the user to resize and position the controls on the
design surface. See Arrange on page 14.
Close Facilitates the user to close a project.
Help Facilitates the user to open the ScreenMaker help.

Arrange
This toolbar displays icons for resizing and positioning controls on the design surface.
NOTE: The icons are enabled once you select a control or group of controls on the design
surface.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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ToolBox
ToolBox acts a container for holding all the available controls that can be placed on a screen.

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The following table displays the GUI controls that can be dragged on to the design surface.

Control Description
ActionTrigger Allows to run a list of actions when either a signal or rapid data
changes
BarGraph Represents an analog value in a bar
Button Represents a control that can be clicked.
Provides a simple way to trigger an event, and is commonly
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

used to execute commands. It is labeled either with text or an

image.
CheckBox Allows multiple selections from a number of options. They are
displayed as a square box with white space (for unselected) or
as a tick mark (for selected).
ComboBox Represents a control that enables to select items from a list
Combination of a drop-down list and a textbox. It allows you to
either type a value directly into the control or choose from the
list of existing options.
CommandBar Provides a menu system for a ScreenForm
ControllerModeStatus Displays the mode of the Controller (Auto - Manual)
DataEditor Represents a text box control that can be used to edit the data.
Graph Represents a control that plots data with lines or bars.
GroupBox Represents a Windows control that displays a frame around a
group of controls with an optional caption.
Is a container used to group a set of graphic components. It
usually has a title at the top.
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1 Introduction
1.4. Development environment

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Control Description
LED Displays a two states value, like a Digital Signal.
ListBox Represents a control to display a list of items.
Allows the user to select one or more items from a list contained
within a static, multiple line text box.
NumEditor Represents a text box control that can be used to edit a number.
When the user clicks it, a Numpad is opened.
NumericUpDown Represents a spin box that displays numeric values.
Panel Used to group collection of controls.
PictureBox Represents a picture box control that displays images.
RadioButton Allows to select only one of a predefined set of options.
RapidExecutionStatus Displays the execution status of the Controller Rapid Domain
(Running - Auto)
RunRoutineButton Represents a Windows button control that calls a RapidRoutine
when clicked
Switch Displays and lets change a two states value, like a Digital
Output Signal.
TabControl Manages a set of tab pages.
TpsLabel Very commonly used widget that displays text, a label is usually
static, that is, it has nointeractivity. A label generally identifies a
nearby text box or other graphic component.

NOTE!
For more information on using these controls and their properties, see the section Building
the user interface on page 18 and the chapter Using the FlexPendant SDK of the Application
manual - Robot Application Builder.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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Continued

Properties window
A control is characterized by its properties and events. Properties describe the appearance and
behavior of the component, while events describe the ways in which a control notifies its
internal state change to others. By changing the value of a property, the controls have a
different look and feel, or exhibit different behavior.

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Element Description
1 Graphical component name panel Displays the selected component, and lists the
available components of the on the active
design screen.
2 Properties window toolbar
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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1. Organizes table panel in categories

2. Organizes table panel alphabetically
3. Displays Properties in table panel
4. Displays Events in table panel
3 Table panel Displays all the properties or events in two-
columns. The first column shows the property
or event name, the second shows the value of
the property or name of the event handler.
4 Information panel Display information about a property or event.

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1.4. Development environment

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Editing the property value

You can edit the property value of a control from the Properties window in three ways:
1 By typing the numerics, strings and text.
For example, Location, Size, Name etc.

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2 By selecting the predefined values from the

list. For example, BackColor, Font etc.

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3 By entering the values in the dialog box.

For example, Enabled, States, BaseValue
etc.

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© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Building the user interface

This section describes building the GUIs using the following controls from the ToolBox.

ActionTrigger
An action trigger initiates an event, such as making a hidden object visible when an action is
performed using a control. It allows to run a list of actions when the property value changes.
The property value can be bound to a signal, rapid data, or application variable.
ActionTrigger control can also be used to invoke the application from RAPID.
Use this procedure to add an ActionTrigger control::
Action
1 Drag an ActionTrigger control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.

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1.4. Development environment

Continued

Action
2 You can modify the name, set the default value and configure data binding value for
a ActionTrigger control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• You can set the trigger event for an ActionTrigger to any of the event handler
created either from a control or from an Events Manager option. To set up the
events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.

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© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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NOTE: An action is not triggered when the screen is launched for the first time, but is
triggered when there is a difference in the binded value at any point of time. This functionality
is supported only in RobotWare 5.12.02.
Example: Consider a signal being binded to the value property. The value of the signal
changes at runtime on performing a specific action. The event handler configured for
ActionTrigger control gets triggered based on this value change.

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1.4. Development environment

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TpsLabel
TpsLabel is a standard Windows label that displays a descriptive text.
Use this procedure to add a TpsLabel control:
Step Action
1 Drag a TpsLabel control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.
2 You can set the values, setup events, configure data binding values and set the
application values for a TpsLabel control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• To set up the events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.
3 You can set the option Allow Multiple States to true and change the property.
1. Click AllowMultipleStates. The Status Editor dialog box appears.
2. Click the check-box Allow Multi-States, select the properties to change from
Properties For States and click OK.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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NOTE: Button, PictureBox, and TpsLabel controls also support AllowMultipleStates

option.

Panel
Panel is used to group a collection of controls.
Use this procedure to add a Panel control:
Step Action
1 Drag a Panel control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.
2 You can add a group of controls to a panel.

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 1 Introduction
1.4. Development environment

Continued

Step Action
3 You can modify the name, set the default value and binding value for a Panel control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• To set up the events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.

NOTE: Currently only EventHandler, CancelEventHandlers, and MouseEventArgs are

supported.

ControllerModeStatus
ControllerModeStatus displays the mode of the controller (Auto - Manual).
Use this procedure to add a ControllerModeStatus control:
Step Action
1 Drag a ControllerModeStatus control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.
2 You can set the values, setup events, configure data binding values, and set the
application variables for a ControllerModeStatus control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• To set up the events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.
3 You can select the image to be displayed when the controller is in Auto mode and in
Manual mode.
• Click AutoImage in the Properties window and browse to select the image to
be displayed in Auto mode.
• Click ManualImage in the Properties window and browse to select the image
to be displayed in Manual mode.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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RapidExecutionStatus
RapidExecutionStatus displays the execution status of the Controller Rapid Domain
(Running - Auto). This control is used
Use this procedure to add a RapidExecutionStatus control:
Step Action
1 Drag a RapidExecutionStatus control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.
2 You can set the values, setup events, configure data binding values, and set the
application values for a RapidExecutionStatus control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• To set up the events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.
3 You can select the image to be displayed when the Program is running and is
stopped.
• Click RunningImage in the Properties window and browse to select the
image to be displayed when the Program is running.
• Click StoppedImage in the Properties window and browse to select the
image to be displayed when the Program is stopped.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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RunRoutineButton
RunRoutineButton represents a Windows button that calls a RapidRoutine when clicked.
Use this procedure to add a RunRoutineButton control:
Step Action
1 Drag a RunRoutineButton control from the ToolBox on to the design surface.

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Continued

Step Action
2 You can set the values, setup events, configure data binding values, and set the
application values for a RapidExecutionStatus control.
• To set the values of a property, see Properties window on page 17.
• To set up the events, see Setup Events on page 35.
• To configure the data binding values, see Configuring data binding on page
38.
• To set the application variables, see Managing application variables on page
34.
3 You can perform the following RunRoutineButton tasks from the SmartTag:
• Define Actions before calling Routine
• Select Routine to call
• Define Actions after calling Routine

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4 You can perform the following RunRoutineButton tasks from the Properties
window.
• RoutineToCall - RAPID Routine will be called
• AllowInAuto - Indicates if the routine could be called in the Auto mode
• TextAlign - Indicates the alignment of text
NOTE:
• You cannot bind RunRoutineButton to built-in Service routines as only the
user defined procedures without arguments are bindable.
• Set the PP to task before performing action through RunRoutineButton.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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1.4. Development environment

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

24 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.1. Overview

2 Managing ScreenMaker projects

2.1. Overview

Overview
This chapter describes how to manage projects in ScreenMaker. A complete cycle includes
creating, saving, building, connecting, and deploying a ScreenMaker project.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Overview
You can manage a project (create, delete, load, or save) either from ScreenMaker ribbon or
Context menu.

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ScreenMaker Ribbon

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Context menu

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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 2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Creating a new project

Use this procedure to create a new project:
1. Click New from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and select
New Project.
The New ScreenMaker Project dialog box appears.

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2. Enter a new project name and specify a location for the new project.
A default screen MainScreen (main) is added in the tree view.
By default, the new project is saved on C:\My Documents\My ScreenMaker Projects.
3. Click OK.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Loading a project
Use this procedure to load an existing project:
1. Click Open from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and select
Open Project.
The Open Screen Project file dialog box appears.

en0900000562

2. Browse to the location of the project file to be loaded and click Open.
NOTE!
You can also load an existing project using a quick access method.
1. Click Recent from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and
select Recent Projects.
2. Select the project file from the list of most recently opened projects. © Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Saving a project
To save a project, follow this step:
• Click Save from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and
select Save.
To save the existing project with a new name, follow this step:
• Click SaveAs from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and
select Save As.
NOTE!
Project files are saved with the extension .smk.

Closing a project
To close a project, follow this step:
• Click Close Project from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu
and select Close.

Managing screens
This section describes adding, renaming, deleting, and editing a screen.

Creating a screen
1. Click Screen from the ScreenMaker ribbon or right-click Project context menu and
select Add Screen.The New Screen dialog box appears.
2. Enter the name of the new screen in Name text box.
3. Click OK.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

en0900000563

Deleting a screen
1. From the Project tree view, select the screen to be deleted.
2. Right-click and select Delete.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Renaming a screen
1. From the Project tree view, select the screen to be renamed.
2. Right-click and select Rename. The Rename of Screen dialog box appears.
3. Enter the new name in the text box and click OK.

en0900000564

Editing a screen
For information on editing a screen, see Editing a screen on page 35.

Changing the Main screen

You have the option to change the main screen in the project to active.
1. From the Project tree view, select the screen to be changed.
2. Right-click and select Set as Main Screen.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Modifying Project properties

Project properties define the properties of the ScreenMaker project, including how the GUI
is loaded and displayed in the FlexPendant.
Use this procedure to modify the project properties:
1. Right-click Project context menu and select Properties.
The Project Properties dialog box appears.

en0900000394

2. In the Display tab under Texts, enter the text in Caption of the Application to edit the
caption.
The updated caption appears in the ABB menu on the right side.
3. In the Display tab under Images, browse and select the images of ABB Menu and Taskbar
in the respective boxes.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

NOTE!
By default, User default image and User Menu image checkboxes are enabled and the
default image tpu-Operator32.gif is selected.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Connecting to controller
Use this procedure to establish the connection with a controller:
1. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, click Connect.
The Select a Robot Controller dialog box appears.

en0900000581

2. Click Refresh to find a list of all the available controllers.

NOTE!
• By default, the currently connected controller is highlighted and has a small icon
before the row as an indicator.
3. Select the controller to be connected from the list and click Connect.
The connection status is displayed in the Project tree view.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.2. Managing ScreenMaker projects

Continued

Building a project
The result from building the ScreenMaker project is a set of files including DLL file and
images. The ScreenMaker project can be compiled into binary format (.dll) that can be
deployed on a FlexPendant.
Use this procedure to build a project:
1. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, click Build and select Build.
The result is displayed in the output window.

en0900000404

Deploying to controller
Use this procedure to deploy a ScreenMaker project on a real controller or virtual controller:
1. Connect to the controller you want to deploy. See Connecting to controller on page 32.
2. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, click Deploy.
The Download dialog box appears displaying the progress of download. It disappears
once the download is successful.
The TpsViewxxxxxx.dll file is downloaded.
3. Restart the controller.

NOTE!
• If a real controller is used, you can reboot the FlexPendant by moving its joystick three
times to the right, once to the left, and once towards you.
• If a virtual controller is used, you can reboot the FlexPendant by closing the virtual
FlexPendant window.
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2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.3. Application variables

2.3. Application variables

Overview
Application variables, also called temporary variables are created for a ScreenMaker project.
During runtime, they reside in the FlexPendant memory. It is used for data sharing and
performance improvement. It is similar to a RAPID variable and has a RAPID data type.

Managing application variables

To create, delete, and rename an application variable, follow these steps:
1. In the Project context menu, right-click and select Application Variables. The
Project Application Variables dialog box appears.
2. Click Add and define the name, type and value of the new variable.
3. Select the variable, click Delete to delete a variable.
4. Select the variable, click Rename, enter the new name and click OK to rename a
variable.
5. Click Close.

en0900000402

NOTE!
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.
For information on application variable data binding, see Application variable data binding
on page 42.

34 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.4. Form designer

2.4. Form designer

Overview
The Form designer is a tool to edit or design a screen. It allows you to design the screen with
the required controls and the design surface resembles a FlexPendant screen.

Editing a screen
To edit a screen, follow these steps:
1. Drag a control from the toolbox and drop it on the design surface.
The Properties window displays all the properties of the control.
2. Select the control and resize or reposition for configuration.

NOTE!
You can either select a single control or multiple controls:
• Single control : Left-click the control on the design surface or select the control from
the list in the Properties window.
• Multiple controls: Left-click on the design surface, drag the mouse and create a
window selecting all the controls.
3. Click the smart tag on the upper right corner of the control to perform the basic tasks of
configuration. See Configuring data binding on page 38.

NOTE!
You can perform additional configuration by editing the attributes in the of the Properties
window. See Properties window on page 17.

Setup Events
Event handler is a set of actions to be executed after an event occurs. To set up an event,
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

follow these steps:

1. Select the control for which the event handler is to be defined.
2. Open the Events Panel dialog box in any one of the following ways:
• Double-click the control.
• Right-click the control, select Events Manager, click Add, enter the name, and click
OK and close.
• Click smart tag and select the task from the list.
• In the Properties window, click Events icon and select the desired event from the list.
3. Click Add Action to add an action from a predefined list of actions.

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2.4. Form designer

Continued

The following table lists the set of predefined actions:

Screen • Open Screen

• Close Screen

en0900000554

Signals • Set a Digital Signal

• Invert a Digital Signal
• Pulse a Digital Signal
• Read a Signal
• Write a Signal
• Reset a Digital Signal

en0900000555
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.
RapidData • Read a Rapid Data
• Write a Rapid Data

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2.4. Form designer

Continued

Advanced • Call another Action list

• Call .NET method
• Call Cuctom Action

en0900000552

4. Select the action from the left window and perform the following:
• Click Delete to delete the action.
• Click Move Up or Move Down to change the order of execution of actions.
5. Click OK.
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2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.5. Data binding

2.5. Data binding

Overview
Data binding is the mechanism that links a GUI property with an external data source such
that whenever the data source is updated the GUI property will be updated automatically and
vice verse. Databinding has the following three aspects:
• A unidirectional connection means that an update of the data source is reflected by the
GUI, or vice versa; a bidirectional connection means that updates to either are
reflected by the other.
• A temporal connection can be suspended and resumed at any time.
• A convertable connection negotiates between the different data types or formats
between the data source and the GUI property.
A screen has to be linked with data to be useful. There are two ways of linking the data with
the GUI properties:
• Controller object data binding
• Application variable data binding

Configuring data binding

Data binding can be configured in the following two ways:

Using smart tag

Smart tags perform basic configuration tasks like binding default GUI property with
controller data. Controls either display or edit information have a value to represent the
information. Smart tag binds the value to the controller object.
• On the design surface, select the control and click the smart tag. The tasks menu
appears.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

en0900000398

Using Binding menu

1. On the design surface, select the control.
2. In the Properties window, locate the row from the table for binding the value.
3. Select the attribute and click the list to display the Binding menu.

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2.5. Data binding

Continued

en0900000399

Menu Description
Remove actual binding Removes the existing data binding
Bind to a Controller object Select available data in the controller for binding.
Bind to an Application variable Select available data in project temporary data store for
binding.

Configuring data binding for different controls

Almost all the controls defined in the toolbox (except ComboBox and ListBox) have the
following two options for binding values:
• Bind to a Controller Object
• Bind to an Application Variable
Binding to an array can be done to the following controls:
• DataEditor
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

• ComboBox
• ListBox

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2.5. Data binding

Continued

Control Description
DataEditor The default index value is 1. DataEditor is designed in such a way
that the default value of the Rapid array starts with 1 and not 0.

en0900000641

ComboBox and ListBox The default index value is -1. You can enter the appropriate index
value but cannot bind to a controller object or an application
variable.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.5. Data binding

Continued

Controller object data binding

Controller object data binding lets you to select the data in the controller for binding.
Use this procedure to set up a binding with controller object:
1. Select Bind to a Controller Object either using smart tag or binding menu.
The Controller Object Binding dialog box appears.

en0900000400

2. In the Type of object group, select either Rapid data or Signal data.
3. If you select Rapid data, from the Scope group, select a task and module from the list.
4. If you select Signal data, the Scope group is disabled.
5. In the See list, select the desired data.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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2.5. Data binding

Continued

Application variable data binding

Application variables are used for data binding in the same way as controller data. See
Controller object data binding on page 41.
Use this procedure to set up a binding with application variables:
1. Select Bind to an Application Variable either using smart tag or binding menu.
The Application Variables Bind Form dialog box appears.

en0900000403

2. Select an application variable and the field to connect.

3. Click Setup Variables to manage the variables.
The Project Application Variables dialog box appears. See Managing application
variables on page 34.
4. Click OK.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

42 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 2 Managing ScreenMaker projects
2.6. Screen navigation

2.6. Screen navigation

Overview
Screen navigation in ScreenMaker follows a tree structure.
Consider the following example,
• To open screen A1, you first have to open Screen A
• To navigate from screen A1 to screen B1, you first have to close screen A1 and then
Screen A and navigate from Main Screen through Screen B to screen B1.
• Similarly, to navigate from screen B1 to screen C1, you first have to close screen B1
and Screen B and then navigate from Main Screen through Screen C to screen C1.

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2.6. Screen navigation

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

44 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 3 Tutorial
3.1. Overview

3 Tutorial
3.1. Overview

About this chapter

This chapter is designed as a tutorial to take you through the steps involved in designing a
FlexArc Operator Panel, a simple arc-welding cell, whose robots perform three different jobs.
The operator panel will display the following graphic elements:
• Controller Status, including the controller mode and the RAPID execution status
• Part Status, including the number of produced parts, the average cycle time per part,
and a reset button
• Robot jobs and locations, including Produce (for welding parts), Bull’s Eye (for
calibration) and Service (for servicing the welding gun)
• Start and Stop buttons

Workflow
1. Create a station with a system, define the project and create application variables. For
more information, see Prerequistes for designing FlexArc Operator Panel on page 46.
2. Define the controls/graphic elements on the screen. For more information, see
Designing the screen on page 48.
3. Build and Deploy the project. For more information, see Building and deploying the
project on page 54.
The following table shows the workflow involved in designing a FlexArc Operator panel:
Prerequistes for designing For creating a station with a system, defining your project, and
FlexArc Operator Panel on creating your application variables.
page 46
Designing the screen on For defining the graphics of your screen.
page 48
Building and deploying the For building and deploying the GUI.
project on page 54
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

3HAC035956-001 Revision: - 45
3 Tutorial
3.2. Prerequistes for designing FlexArc Operator Panel

3.2. Prerequistes for designing FlexArc Operator Panel

Procedure
Use this procedure to create a station with a system, define the project, and create the
application variables involved in designing a FlexArc Operator Panel:
1. Create a system for the FlexArc Operator Panel.
For more information about creating a system, see Creating a system from layout, in
Operating manual - RobotStudio.
2. Create a station in RobotStudio with the system created in the previous step.
For more information about creating a station, see New Station, in Operating manual -
RobotStudio.
3. In RobotStudio, click ScreenMaker to launch the ScreenMaker application.
For information about ScreenMaker GUI, see Development environment on page 13.
4. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, create a new project and name it as FlexArcGUI, and save
it in the default location.
The new tab MainScreen is added to the Design Surface.
For more information about creating and managing projects, see Managing ScreenMaker
projects on page 26.
5. In the context menu, build and deploy the project by connecting to the controller.
The result is displayed in the output window.
For more information about building and deploying projects, see Managing screens on
page 29.
6. In the context menu, create application variables and configure them with the data in the
following table:

Name Type Value

MyResetValue num 0
JobProduce num 1
JobIdle num 0 © Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

JobBulls num 2
JobService num 3

For more information about application variables, see Managing application variables on
page 34.
7. Create MainModule.mod for the task T_ROB1.
8. Create RAPID variables with the following data:

Name Type Value

partsReady num PERS 16
cycleTime num PERS 5.01645
JobIdle num CONST 0
JobProduce num CONST 1
JobBulls num CONST 2

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46 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
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3.2. Prerequistes for designing FlexArc Operator Panel

Continued

Name Type Value

JobService num CONST 3
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

3HAC035956-001 Revision: - 47
3 Tutorial
3.3. Designing the screen

3.3. Designing the screen

Overview
A major effort in the GUI project development is designing screens. The Form designer in the
ScreenMaker allows you to drag controls from the toolbox to the design surface. Using the
Properties window, you can resize, position, label, color, and configure the controls.
For information on the form designer, see Form designer on page 35.
For information on the toolbox, see ToolBox on page 15.
For information on the property window, see Properties window on page 17.

Designing FlexArc Operator Panel screen

The FlexArc Operator Panel screen is designed using the following controls in the ToolBox:
• GroupBox. For more information, see GroupBox on page 48.
• Status Icons. For more information, see Status icon on page 49.
• Label and Number editor. For more information, see Label and Number Editor on
page 49.
• Picture box. For more information, see PictureBox on page 50.
• Button. For more information, see Button on page 51.

GroupBox
1. Drag a GroupBox control from the General category on to the design surface and set the
following values in the Properties window.

Property Value
Location 14,45
Size 150,100
Title Controller Status
BackColor LightGray

2. Drag another GroupBox control from the General category on to the design surface and © Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.
set the following values in the Properties window.

Property Value
Location 14,170
Size 150,204
Title Part Status

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3.3. Designing the screen

Continued

Status icon
1. Drag a ControllerModeStatus control from the Controller Data category on to the
Controller Status groupbox and set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 19,40
Size 44,44

2. Drag a RapidExecutionStatus control from the ControllerData category on to the

Controller Status groupbox and set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 80,40
Size 44,44

Label and Number Editor

1. Drag a Label control from the General category on to the Part Status groupbox and set
the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 16,30
Size 131,20
Title Parts Produced
BackColor LightGray
Font TpsFont10

2. Drag a NumEditor from the ControllerData category on to the Parts Status: groupbox
and set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 16,56
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Size 116,23
Value Bind to a Controller object
For example, RAPID num datatype.

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3.3. Designing the screen

Continued

3. Drag another Label control from the General category on to the Part Status groupbox and
set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 16,89
Size 131,20
Text Cycle time/part
BackColor LightGray
Font TpsFont10

4. Drag another NumEditor control from the General category on to the Part Status
groupbox and set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 16,115
Size 116,23
Value Bind to a Controller object
For example, RAPID num datatype.

PictureBox
NOTE!
It is not mandatory to use only the images (.gif ) mentioned in the tabel below (for example,
RobotAtBullseye.GIF, FlexArcCell.GIF...). You can use any image (.gif ) of your choice. The
images (.gif) mentioned below are only examples.

1. Drag a PictureBox control from the General category on to the design surface and set the
following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 177,28
Size 284,359 © Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.
SizeMode StretchImage
Image FlexArcCell.GIF

2. Drag a second PictureBox control from the General category on to the design surface
and set the following values in the Properties window.

Property Value
Location 369,31
Size 48,48
SizeMode StretchImage
Image RobotAtBullseye.GIF
Visible Link to DI_RobotAtBullseye

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3.3. Designing the screen

Continued

3. Drag a third PictureBox control from the General category on to the design surface and
set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 237,31
Size 48,48
SizeMode StretchImage
Image RobotAtHome.GIF
Visible Link to DI_RobotAtHome

4. Drag a fourth PictureBox control from the General category on to the design surface and
set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 369,31
Size 48,48
SizeMode StretchImage
Image RobotAtService.GIF
Visible Link to DI_RobotAtService

Button
1. Drag a Button control from the General category on to the Part Status group box. In the
properties window, set the following values:

Property Value
Location 33,154
Size 85,34
Text Reset

Define the following for the Reset button in the Part Status group:
1. Double-click the button or click the Smart tag and select Define Actions when
clicked to open the Events Panel dialog box.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

2. Click Add Action and point to Rapid Data, and then select Write Rapid Data. The
Action Parameters dialog box appears.
3. In the Action Parameters dialog box, define the following values and click OK.

Rapid Data to Write Value to Write

T_ROB1.MainModule.partsReady MyResetValue.Value
T_ROB1.MainModule.cycleTime MyResetValue.Value

2. Drag a second Button control from the General category on to the design surface and set
the following values in Properties window:

Property Value
Location 486,66
Size 116,105

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3 Tutorial
3.3. Designing the screen

Continued

Property Value
Text Start
Font TpsFont20b
BackColor LimeGreen
Enabled Link to DI_RobotAtHome

Perform the following actions on the Start button:

1. Double-click the button or click the Smart tag and select Define Actions when
clicked to open the Events Panel dialog box.
2. Click Add Action and point to Rapid Data, and then select Write Rapid Data. The
Action Parameters dialog box appears.
3. In the Action Parameters dialog box, define the following values and click OK.

Rapid Data to Write Value to Write

T_ROB1.MainModule.JobProduce JobProduce

3. Drag a third Button control from the General category on to the design surface and set
the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 486,226
Size 116,105
Text Stop
Font TpsFont20b
BackColor LimeGreen
Enabled Link to DI_PRODUCE

Perform the following actions on the Stop button:

1. Double-click the button or click the Smart tag and select Define Actions when
clicked to open the Events Panel dialog box.
2. Click Add Action and point to Rapid Data, and then select Write Rapid Data. The © Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Action Parameters dialog box appears.

3. In the Action Parameters dialog box, define the following values and click OK.

Rapid Data to Write Value to Write

T_ROB1.MainModule.JobIdle JobIdle

4. Drag a a fourth Button control from the General category on to the design surface and
set the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 274,246
Size 111,47
Text BullsEye
Font TpsFont14b
BackColor LimeGreen
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3.3. Designing the screen

Continued

Property Value
Enabled Link to DI_RobotAtHome

Perform the following actions on the BullsEye button:

1. Double-click the button or click the Smart tag and select Define Actions when
clicked to open the Events Panel dialog box.
2. Click Add Action and point to Rapid Data, and then select Write Rapid Data. The
Action Parameters dialog box appears.
3. In the Action Parameters dialog box, define the following values and click OK.

Rapid Data to Write Value to Write

T_ROB1.MainModule.JobBulls JobBulls

5. Drag a fifth Button control from the General category on to the design surface and set
the following values in the Properties window:

Property Value
Location 274,324
Size 111,47
Text Service
Font TpsFont14b
BackColor LimeGreen
Enabled Link to DI_RobotAtHome

Perform the following actions on the Service button:

1. Double-click the button or click the Smart tag and select Define Actions when
clicked to open the Events Panel dialog box.
2. Click Add Action and point to Rapid Data, and then select Write Rapid Data. The
Action Parameters dialog box appears.
3. In the Action Parameters dialog box, define the following values and click OK.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Rapid Data to Write Value to Write

T_ROB1.MainModule.JobService JobService

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3 Tutorial
3.4. Building and deploying the project

3.4. Building and deploying the project

Procedure
1. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, click Build.
For more information on building the project, see Building a project on page 33.
2. From the ScreenMaker ribbon, click Deploy.
For more information on deploying the project, see Deploying to controller on page 33.
3. In RobotStudio, press Ctrl+F5 to launch the Virtual Flexpendant and click FlexArc
Operator Panel to open the GUI.

NOTE!
Ensure that you start the RAPID execution and switch the controller into Auto mode.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

54 3HAC035956-001 Revision: -
 4 Frequently asked questions
4.1. Frequently asked questions

4 Frequently asked questions

4.1. Frequently asked questions

How to deploy manually to a Virtual Controller

If for any reason you wish to manually by-pass the Deploy button in RobotStudio and the
virtual controller, the following information describes what files are to be moved.

Actions

Location of output files

The files that contain the FlexPendant application from ScreenMaker are found (for example)
in the bin directory under the My ScreenMaker Projects located in the My documents
directory of the user.
For example, My Documents\My ScreenMaker Projects\SCM_Example\bin where
SCM_Example is the example ScreenMaker project.
The files in the bin directory are to be copied to a location where the Virtual FlexPendant can
read them during the start of the FlexPendant.

Location where the Virtual FlexPendant reads the files

The recommended location for manually copying the ScreenMaker output files is the location
of the virtual controller system.
If the system is created manually from System Builder, it is located in the My Documents
directory.
For example, My Documents\IRB4400_60_SCM_Example\HOME where
IRB4400_60_SCM_Example is the example controller system.
If the system is created by a Pack-and-Go and then restored, it is located in the
RobotStudio\Systems folder.
For example,
MyDocuments\RobotStudio\Systems\IRB4400_60_SCM_Example\HOME where
IRB4400_60_SCM_Example is the example controller system.
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Copy files
Copy the files from the ScreenMaker output to the Home directory of the virtual controller
system.
Restart the Virtual FlexPendant and the new application will be loaded.

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4 Frequently asked questions
4.1. Frequently asked questions

Continued

How to change the application name and image on the FlexPendant

When a ScreenMaker project is created the first time, the caption on the FlexPendant and
image is set by default. You will want to change this.

Actions
Right-click Project and select Properties.

en0900000666

The Project Properties dialog box appears showing how the project appears on the
FlexPendant.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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 4 Frequently asked questions
4.1. Frequently asked questions

Continued

Picture object and changing images due to I/O

The typical user objective is to have an image that changes when an I/O signal changes, this
is common for a digital input to affect the state on the FlexPendant.

Actions
This is accomplished by adding an image and allowing the image to have multiple states.
Set AllowMultipleState to TRUE and set the Image state.

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Create two states and add images for each state:

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The Value property is extremely important. If binding to a digital input then there are two
states for the input, 0 and 1. Set the Value property to the value of the bound variable. 0 and
1 for digital input. It is also possible to bind to RAPID variables and have multiple states and
values for the values in the RAPID variable.
Set the SelectedStateValue property to bind to a controller object:

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Using CommandBar and the menu items

Using CommandBars allow buttons to appear at the bottom of the screen in a controlled and
organized order.

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In the preceding graphic, the CommandBar has three menu items Gate, Conveyor, and
Motor. The objective is to have events trigger when these are clicked.

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Actions
First create the CommandBar and add the menu items (either by editing the menu items
property or by clicking the small arrow on the upper right of the active CommandBar) and
add the menu items.

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To add events to the menu items, go to the Properties dialog and select the menu item from
the drop down list.
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Select Gate menu item. The following dialog appears.

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1. In the preceding graphic, select 4 to add an event when the menu item is clicked.
2. Click the drop-down list to select the event. The events are added automatically
For more information on various ways of opening the Events Panel dialog box, see Setup
Events on page 35.

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CommandBar menu items do not appear

When adding CommandBar menu items, ensure that the Text property is filled, if not nothing
will appear on the CommandBar.
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How to get radio buttons to show state when entering

The objective is to have two radio buttons that controls one digital output. When the screen
is loaded, the buttons should show the current state of the output.

Actions
Create a group or a panel and place the two radio buttons on the group or panel.
For button1, set the property default value to True and bind the property to the value of the
controller digital output signal.
For button1, do not do any changes.
When the screen is loaded, the state of the two radio buttons is established correctly.

Binding to arrays and using the index correctly

While a RAPID index starts with 1 (1 selects the first element), the ComboBox index starts
with 0 (0 selects the first index). You should be aware of this when using ComboBoxes.

How to reboot the FlexPendant after re-deploying

If a real controller is used, you can reboot your FlexPendant by holding the FlexPendant
joystick and performing the following sequence:
Move the joystick three times to the right, once to the left and once down.

© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

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 Index

A NumericUpDown 16
Application Variables 34 Panel 16
create,delete, rename application variables 34 PictureBox 16
FlexPendant memory 34 RapidExecutionStatus 16
RAPID variable 34 RunRoutineButton 16
TabControl 16
C TpsLabel 16
Configure data binding 38
Using Binding menu 38
Using Smart tag 38
Connecting a controller 32
D
Data Binding 38
Application variable data binding 42
Controller object data binding 41
Design surface 13
Development Environment 13
L
LED 16
M
Manage ScreenMaker Project 26
Close project 29
Create project 27
Load project 28
Save project 29
Manage Screens 29
Create screen 29
Delete screen 29
Edit screen 30
Rename screen 30
Managing ScreenMaker Projects
Build project 33
Modify project properties 31
P
Properties Window
Event Help panel 17
Graphical Component Name panel 17
© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.

Properties window toolbar 17

Table panel 17
S
Screen navigation 43
switch 16
T
ToolBox
ActionTrigger 15
BarGraph 15
CheckBox 15
ComboBox 15
CommandBar 15
ControllerModeStatus 15
DataEditor 15
Graph 15
GroupBox 15
ListBox 16
NumEditor 16

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64
Index

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© Copyright 2009 ABB. All rights reserved.