How do I delete objects in Lookout 4.5.1

[Ryan.S]

Never mind. In a word, double-click on the connection in "Existing Connections", "Clear" and "Accept".

If you still have problem in deleting objects or get crash after deleting connections, you can upload your process to ftp://ftp.ni.com/incoming, Let me have a look.

[Rexkarz]

Typical attempt:

I see a digital gauge on the screen. I select it and it says at the bottom of the screen DL2.V1610:B it shows nowhere on any of the dialog boxes to edit or whatever.

I create a gauge so I can delete it to practice. Object-create-gauge OK New Gauge. It says Gauge6, I enter in signal DL2.V1600:b

Now, to delete it I click on the item. It says Gauge5.display1

I go Object-delete, select Gauge5 (I still don't know why the previously selected item says DL2.V1610:B instead of naming it as a gauge) I hit OK and "cannot delete due to dependencies" I go to the Object Explorer and the edit connections is grayed out. I go to connection browser.and find Gauge5, right click to show connections. It shows connected to "display1" Panel5ThAveMain.DisplayObject186" and connected to Param1 (0) (0? WTF is that?) DL2.V1600:b I select DL2.V1600:b and it brings up a dialog box of DL2 Connections and I do not see DL2.v1600 listed. Just ranges of memory locations and some assorted aliases. Same with the Existing Connections box. I type in DL2.V1600 hit clear and it says "expression cannot be empty"

Round and round with nothing yet 

[Ryan.S]

Firstly, I'm sorry that I made a mistake. If you have connection pot1.value=pot2.value, you can directly delete pot1. But you need to delete this connection in order to delete pot2, because pot2 is used by pot1. I said something wrong in previous email.

I also missed the display. To delete the object, you need to delete its display besides the connection. You create the gauge and it has a display on panel, that's why you cannot delete it. You need to first delete the display, and then delete the object. It is because the gauge is used on the panel. Once an object is not used by any other things, it can be deleted.

In Connection Browser, you see the output to "Panel5.DisplayObject186", it means the gauge has a display on the panel5. Basically you just need to care the output. So, if you see another output of the gauge, which means another object uses the gauge's datamember or value, you need to delete it. This connection is not defined in gauge's connections, but in that object's connection, or in that object's property. For example, you can set a Pulse object's period = pot1. This is the Pulse's parameter, defined in Pulse's property.

The "DL2.V1600:b" in Connection Browser is under "Input", right? It is not defined in DL2's connections, it is the Gauge's paramter you set. That's why you cannot see it in DL2's "Edit Connections". The "Input" means the gauge receives the value from DL2's datamember. The Input of the Gauge don't need to be deleted in order to delete the Gauge. 

In Connection Browser, you can double click on "DL2.V1600:b", it will go to the connection of DL2. Here you will see the Gauage.Param1 is the output of the "V1600:b". So, if you want to delete DL2, this connection needs to be deleted, because the V1600:b is used by the Gauge. Double click on Gauge.Param1 you will return to the connection of Gauge.

The first "digital gauge" you said may not be a Gauge object. For example, if you click on the DL2's datamember and drag onto the panel, it will create an expression for this datamember. Click on it, you will see the "DL2.xxxxx" at the bottom. You can right click on the display and select "Object Properties", then you will see if it's an expression or other objects.

As a whole, to delete an object, such as a gauge, first go to connection browser, see if it has outputs to other objects. For the outputs to panel's display, go to the panel, and delete the displays on it. For the output to other object, delete the connection in "Edit connections" or the object's properties. Not being connected or displayed on panel, it can be deleted.

[Rexkarz]

OK, so let's say I deleted a bunch of display items from a screen. How do I find these items to delete them from the connections whatever. Do I need to write them down on paper before deleting them? Is there a way to find items that do nothing so I can delete them?

[Rexkarz]

Another question: I have an object that when I click on it, it says at the bottom of the screen "DL2.V10120:6" Instead of an alias. When I click on Display properties it tells me it is a Logical Signal Display. Does this item use my I/O allocation? I'm guessing not, because when I delete it, my I/O used list does not decrease. If so, Why is this? I have found that this is created by Insert-Expression, which gives me a display numeric signal dialog box. How is this different from a gauge?

[Ryan.S]

In Connection Browser, you can see on which panel the display of the object is. Then, go to the panel and find the display. But it doesn't tell you the detailed position on the panel.

We have realized that this is really a problem in the development. We are going to add the feature that helps the developer to find the display on the panel quickly. It will probably be a new feature in next version.

[Ryan.S]

If you click on Object Properties, I guess you will see that it is an expression connected to DL2.V10120:6. So, it reads the DL2.V10120:6 from the device. It will be counted as an Input. Lookout doesn't update the IO immediately. Try to save the process, it will be updated.

If this point is used by two objects, or two displays, it will be counted as 1 input. To delete one of them, the IO count will not decrease.

[BradWH]

I am a recent user myself and made the attached step-by-step word document for deleting, editing and examining object connection data links. This is my first project with LookOut Direct 4.5.1.19. A complete redo of a custom code VB app that was on a Windows98 machine. Since I have to use various SCADA packages and PLC's I make memory adds to help. You know halfhiemers is setting in.

Hope this helps anyone not to have to go through the pain of something that should be very simple. You can only use the delete "object " on the screen then delete the connection link in the "Object Explorer" if the connection link address is correct! Otherwise you must use the attached methodology. Upfront use very good ducumentation and leading name nomenclature as is suggested in the LookOut Direct manual for each object and is connection created