Supporting automatic display coordination on layouts

A layout can be configured to support automatic display coordination, which provides a means for operators to maintain situational awareness of the plant's overall view while easily viewing related content. Automatic display coordination is configured through a layout's display frames and applies only to displays included in a workstation's active display set. When configuring a layout for automatic display coordination, you must decide the following for each display frame:

Question	Display frame property where option is configured
What type of frame will this display frame be?	Frame Type
Will this frame have a navigation bar? If using a display set, which levels should appear in the navigation bar?	Enable Navigation Bar Navigation Source Highest Level to show Number of levels to show
Can this frame automatically open displays of a certain hierarchy level? If yes, which level will this frame automatically open?	Auto-open Display Levels Overview, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4
Can this frame automatically change content so that displays hierarchically related to each other appear together?	Auto-Coordinate Higher Levels
Can displays opened from this frame's navigation bar open in other display frames?	Prevent External Coordination
Can displays be allowed to relocate from this frame to other areas of the layout?	Enable Display Relocation Button

The sections below describe each of the above configuration options in more detail.

What type of frame will this display frame be?

Display frames can be either static or dynamic. A static frame prevents the initial display in a frame from being replaced, providing a place in the layout for a permanent display. A dynamic frame allows displays to be replaced by other displays in response to operator actions. A display frame must be dynamic to support automatic display coordination

Will this frame have a navigation bar?

A navigation bar provides operators with tools that help them navigate between the displays available on their workstation. When a workstation has an active display set, these tools participate in the layout's automatic display routing and coordination. A navigation bar is configured on a display frame, so a layout can potentially have as many navigation bars as it has display frames. Each navigation bar can be uniquely configured, if so desired. A layout must have at least one navigation bar enabled.

Can this frame automatically open displays of a certain hierarchy level?

The Auto-open Display Levels option allows you to designate a display frame as the default destination for all displays assigned to a specific hierarchy level. Then, all displays assigned to that level open in that display frame. For example, if you enable Auto-open Display Levels on a display frame and select the Auto-open Level 2 check box, then all Level 2 displays called from interactions within that frame open in that frame.

It is also beneficial to specify one display frame as the default destination for Other Displays. Then, when you open a non-hierarchical display, it opens in this display frame. If you do not configure at least one display frame in a layout for Other Displays, then non-hierarchical displays open as popup windows rather than in a display frame.

A display frame can also be assigned to open all non-hierarchical displays included in the display set by designating the frame for Other Displays rather than for a specific hierarchy level.

Displays that have no home in the current layout behave in the following way:

Displays called from interaction within a frame open in that frame, not as a popup.

Can this frame automatically change content so that displays hierarchically related to each other appear together?

When an operator opens a display, it may sometimes be helpful for him to see all the displays hierarchically related to the opened display. Enabling Auto-Coordinate Higher Levels on the display frames in a layout allows displays that are hierarchically related to each other appear together in the layout.

When Auto-Coordinate Higher Levels is enabled on a display frame, and a display opens in that frame, its parent display opens in another display frame. (If Auto-open Display Levels is enabled, parent displays open in the display frame designated for the parent's level. If Auto-open Display Levels is not enabled, parent displays open as 'other displays.'

For example, assume that a layout has four display frames. Each display frame is designated as the default destination for a different hierarchy level, and all four display frames have Auto-coordinate Higher Levels enabled. When the operator opens a Level 3 display that is in the workstation's active display set, the following occurs:

The opened display opens in the display frame designated for Level 3 displays.
The immediate parent display of the opened display automatically opens in the display frame designated for Level 2 displays.
The grandparent of the opened display automatically opens (if not already open) in the display frame designated for overview displays.
The most recently viewed child display of the opened display automatically opens in the display frame designated for Level 4 displays.

If a display frame does not have Auto-coordinate Higher Levels enabled, then that display frame does not participate in auto-coordinating higher levels. For example, in the scenario above, if the display frame designated for Level 2 displays does not have Auto-coordinate Higher Levels enabled, then the immediate parent of the opened Level 3 display does not open (because its display frame does not have Auto-coordinate Higher Levels enabled).

Can displays opened from this frame's navigation bar open in other display frames?

External coordination allows displays opened in one display frame to open in a different frame. However, preventing external coordination applies only when displays are opened using a display frame's navigation bar.

When external coordination is prevented on a display frame (check box is checked), a display opened using this frame's navigation bar opens that display only in this frame. Displays are prevented from opening in any other frame.

When external coordination is not prevented on a display frame (check box is unchecked), a display opened using this frame's navigation bar allows that display to open in a different display frame.

Because a display frame preventing external coordination blocks displays from opening elsewhere, it can serve as a standalone workspace where operators can open any display. However, allowing external coordination does not apply to Open Display actions from within a display. If an Open Display action specifies that the display open in a certain display frame, the new display opens in the specified frame.

Tip:

Emerson recommends that you disable Display Relocation if you are using automatic display coordination. In other words, if you enable Display Relocation, you should also select the Prevent External Coordination check box.

Can displays be allowed to relocate from this frame to other areas of the layout?

The Display Relocation button provides operators with the ability to move displays from one area of the layout to another, giving operators the flexibility to view their displays in any area of the layout regardless of the layout's configuration. For example, the Relocate button allows operators to capture a 'live snippet' of a display by opening that display in a new window while still retaining its current position in the layout. The Relocate button's copy and swap features also allow operators to move displays to any area of the layout, regardless of the display hierarchy levels for which display frames are configured.

The display relocation button provides three options for moving displays around within the layout. These options are:

New Window ('live snippet') — Opens the current display in a new window while keeping it open in the display frame.
Swap — Swaps the current display with a display in another display frame.
Copy — Copies the current display to another display frame.

The following example demonstrates how operators can use the relocation options to view multiple displays of the same level at the same time.

Assume that you want to view two Level 3 displays at the same time and that you have Auto-open Display Levels enabled on all display frames. The following steps explain one way to accomplish this task:

Open one of the Level 3 displays (L3_1) in the frame designated for Level 3 displays.
Swap the L3_1 display with the display in the display frame containing the navigation bar.
Open the other Level 3 display (L3_2) in the frame designated for Level 3 displays.

Then, if you still want to view the overview display here, you can move the L3_2 display to another frame by doing one of the following:

Copy L3_1 to another frame
Open the OverviewDsp from the display history buttons.

Capture a 'live snippet' of L3_1 (open as a new window)
Open the OverviewDsp from the display history buttons.

Tip:

Enabling a navigation bar on multiple display frames provides further flexibility in relocating displays.