Book Contents

Create and add global object displays

You can create or add a global object display using one of the methods listed on the Context menu which is shown when you right-click the Global Objects icon in the Explorer window. These are the same menu items that appear for standard displays and work the same way.

  • New - select this option to create a new global object display in the application you are editing.

    This opens a new global object display in the Graphics editor. Develop the objects on the display just as you would on a standard display. The display is saved in the Global Objects folder.

  • Add Component into Application - select this option to add existing displays from the current or another application into the Global Objects folder.

When you add a standard graphic or library display, all the standard objects on the display become global objects, except for ActiveX controls, which are deleted.

If the display contains reference objects and is being added from the same application, all reference objects are converted to global objects, except those with broken links, which are deleted.

If the display is being added from a different application, all of the reference objects are deleted.

  • Import and Export - this option does not allow you to create or add a display. However, you can use it to import XML information exported from another global object display or a standard display, into an existing global object display. You could use this to add objects to a global object display.

    Tip:

    • When a global object display is open in the Graphics editor, the words Global Objects appear after the name on the title bar.
    • When you copy a global object display into the Library folder, the base global objects become standard objects.
    • When you copy a standard display that contains reference global objects, into the Library folder, when the library display is opened, all reference objects will be deleted. If this leaves an empty grouped object, the group will also be deleted.
    • When you add a standard graphic display into the Displays folder from another application, any reference objects on the display will continue to be reference objects.

However, if the current HMI server does not contain a global object display with a global object that matches the reference object's LinkBaseObject property, the reference object will be shown as a broken link.

  • Global objects displays are saved with the extension .ggfx in \Users\Public\Public Documents\RSView Enterprise\ME\HMI Projects\<Application Name>\Global Objects.
  • All FactoryTalk View graphic objects can be global objects except ActiveX controls. These are unavailable from the Objects menu and Graphics toolbar when you are editing a global object display. When you add a standard display containing ActiveX controls to the Global Objects folder, the ActiveX controls will be deleted.
  • You cannot convert objects on a global object display to wallpaper.
  • The global object displays added to an application do not count toward the maximum displays allowed by the activation.
  • A global object display cannot be used as the initial display in a FactoryTalk View ME application, and cannot be selected from the Component Browser when creating a Display List Selector or Goto button.

See also

About global objects and global object displays

Create global objects

Create new components

Global object parameters