‘Extras’ ‘Keyboard usage’

The use of hotkeys can optimize the pure keyboard operation of a visualization.

In the configuration of a visualization object you can define hotkeys which will cause actions like visualization elements do. For example you could define that ““ if visualization ‘xy’ is active ““ in online mode the hotkey <Strg><F2> will stop the program, which also will happen as soon as element ‘z’ of visu ‘xy’ gets an input (by mouse-click or via touch screen).

Anyway per default the keys <Tabulator> <Space> <Enter> will work in that way that in online mode each element of a visualization can be selected and activated.

The dialog ‘Keyboard usage: set possible keystrokes’ can be called in the menu ‘Extras’ or in the context menu:

Dialog ‘Keyboard usage: set possible keystrokes’

In column Key a selection list offers the following keys to which an action can get assigned:

VK_TAB	Tab-Key
VK_RETURN	Enter-Key
VK_SPACE	Space-Key
VK_ESCAPE	Esc-Key
VK_INSERT	Insert-Key
VK_DELETE	Delete-Key
VK_HOME	Pos1-Key
VK_END	End-Key
VK_PRIOR	Bild-Key (previous)
VK_NEXT	Bild-Key (next)
VK_LEFT	Arrow-Key (to the left)
VK_RIGHT	Arrow-Key (to the right)
VK_UP	Arrow-Key (up)
VK_DOWN	Arrow-Key (down)
VK_F1-VK_F12	Function keys F1 to F12
0-9	Keys 0 to 9
A-Z	Keys A to Z
VK_NUMPAD0 - VK_NUMPAD9	Keys 0 to 9 of the numeric keypad
VK_MULTIPLY	Key* of the numeric keypad
VK_ADD	Key+ of the numeric keypad
VK_SUBTRACT	Key- of the numeric keypad
VK_DIVIDE	Key¸ of the numeric keypad

In the columns Shift and Ctrl you can add the Shift- and/or the Ctrl-key to the already chosen key, so that a key combination will result.

See the possible key combinations for the particular visualization variants ( Possible Key Combinations for \ the particular visualization variants).

In column Action you define what should happen as soon as the key (combination) will be pressed. Select the desired action from the list and insert an appropriate expression. See in the following the available actions and valid expressions, corresponding to those which can be set in the configuration dialog of category ‘Input’:

Action	Meaning	Expression
Toggle	Toggle variable	Variable, e.g.”plc_prg.tvar”
Tap true	Tap variable (set to TRUE)	Program variable, e.g. “plc_prg.svar”
Tap false	Tap variable (set to FALSE)	Program variable, e.g. “plc_prg.xvar”
Zoom	Zoom to Vis.	Name of the visualization object to which you want to jump, e.g. “Visu1”
Exec	Execute program	Name of the executable file, e.g. “notepad C:\help.txt” (notepad will start and open the file help.txt)
Text	Text input of variable ‘Textdisplay’	Number of the element for which the text input is to be configured, e.g. “#2”. Display of element numbers can be switched on in ‘Extras’ ‘Settings’; also see ‘Elementlist…’.

In column Expression you must enter ““ depending on the type of action ““ either a variable name, a INTERN-command, a visualization name of a text string, exactly like you would do in the configuration dialog of category ‘Input’ for the corresponding visualization element.

Use button Add to add another empty line at the end of the table. Use the Delete button to remove the line where the cursor is positioned currently. OK resp. Cancel will save resp. not save the done settings and close the dialog.

The keyboard usage can be configured separately for each visualization object. Thus the same key (combination) can start different actions in different visualization.

Example

The following key configurations have been done for the visualizations VIS_1 and VIS_2:

VIS_1:

Shift	Ctrl	Action	Key	Expression
x		Toggle	A	PLC_PRG.automatic
	x	Zoom	Z	VIS_2

VIS_2:

Shift	Ctrl	Action	Key	Expression
		Exec	E	INTERN LANGUAGE DEUTSCH
	x	Zoom	Z	PLC_VISU

If you now go online and set the focus to VIS_1, then pressing Shift + A will cause that variable PLC_PRG.automatic will be toggled. Ctrl + Z will cause a jump from Visu1 to VIS_2.

If VIS_2 is the active window, pressing key E will cause that the language within the visualization will switch to German. Ctrl+ Z here will cause a jump to visualization PLC_VISU.