Announcing DBDOC 10.6

We're delighted to announce that DBDOC 10.6 is now available for download, with major usability improvements, new subsystem support, and of course bug fixes and general enhancements. 

Read on to learn more about some of DBDOC's new features and capabilities.

Error Markers

In Hyperview, you will notice the new error markers right away, flagging locations on documents where DBDOC has detected a possible error situation.

Mouse over a marker to see the detailed error message.  Double click on the marker to bring up the error browser with full error information. 


 

 

You may see error markers that turn out to be flagging harmless situations. If this is the case, just hide the error (or category of errors) in the error browser, and set it to display only "Active" (i.e. non-hidden) errors. The error marker will no longer show up on your document.

Watch Window Navigation Plot 

Managing large datasets in the Watch Window has become much easier with the introduction of the "navigation plot".  This is a birds-eye view of all the data collected in a plot, with a draggable frame showing the part of the plot visible in the main plot area, essentially a graphical scrollbar.  Just drag the frame to view different data collection runs.

 

In addition, there are now automatic markers inserted at the beginning and end of every data run (indicated by small green or flag flags on the plot).  You can jump from marker to marker using the new "Data Run Marker Navigation" buttons below the plot.

 

No More Missing Lines*

* with minor caveats (see below).

Users of Hyperview on remote desktops and certain other situations will be happy to learn that the issue of "missing lines" on CAD sheets and the like has been sorted out once and for all (except for on Win NT 6.0 platforms Windows Server 2008 and Vista, which have different underlying graphics support -- we are still working on those).  If missing lines affect you, most likely in a remote desktop context, switch to the GDI+ graphics library in the View tab of the Options dialog.

Do your lines look like this?

 

Enable GDI+ to fix them.

 

Copy Text from Graphics

For the first time, DBDOC supports the right-click copying and pasting of text from graphics or CAD/CLDs.  You can also directly search the project or the help for text obtained in this manner.

Function Block Hotspots

For the first time, function blocks on configuration diagrams are live "hotspots".  Use them to add all the inputs and outputs for a function block at once to the Watch Window.

Bookmark Sharing

We are continuing to create support for user data sharing in Hyperview. In the last release we enabled the sharing of error information, so groups could collaborate on analyzing and reviewing errors.  Clearly the sharing of error data itself is highly desirable, and we are considering approaches.

In the meantime, bookmark sharing has been added to Hyperview.  No more copying and importing of bookmark files -- simply share them directly and interactively. You will see shared bookmarks right in your bookmarks list.

Chinese, PGP, and PG2

DBDOC 10.6 continues to expand the file types and subsystems supported. Most notably, Chinese language support for Composer and PGP graphics is now implemented (read more). Full HTML text support is on its way. General support for PGP and PG2 graphics has been improved in many ways.

Sibling Projects

DBDOC 10.6 introduces the concept of  "Sibling Projects," a major new capability.  Basically, if you have a huge system, you can break it up into sub-projects, and build each one with the configuration information from the other "sibling" projects, without including all the associated documents and graphics.  So you can get most of the benefit of DBDOC's connection analysis while keeping individual builds to a manageable size (and build time).   Learn more about sibling projects here.

CIUMon Configuration Manager

CIUMon supports more options and run modes with each passing year.  Ports and protocols, collector or relay, logging and statistics: once you have set up a configuration, you won't want to lose it.  Keep track of CIUMon configurations more easily than ever with the new CIUMON Configuration Manager, which makes it easy to store, filter, and retrieve configurations.



These are some of the new features you will encounter in DBDOC 10.6.  We would love your feedback, and to hear your suggestions for improvements in the next release.



DBDOC 10.5.1: What's in it?

DBDOC 10.5.1 has made its appearance this summer, with some major updates to our support for SPlus and PGP graphics, as well as completely reworked 800xA support.  Database tag records are now much clearer and complete than ever before.  And with the addition of Error Data Sharing, the first example of data sharing support for Hyperview users is now complete.


Improved Database Tag Records

One of the first changes you might notice upon upgrading to DBDOC 10.5.1 (download here), is the completely reworked presentation of database tag records in the Hyperview browser.

For historical reasons, tag records displayed in Hyperview used to look like this:

 

 

And now they look like this, which is a lot easier to read:

 

Complete Tag Information from Operate IT and SPlus

In addition, ALL data is now extracted from Operate IT (PPB and 800xA) XML database files, and are now be usefully displayed (and searchable) within DBDOC.  Previously only a limited subset of tag attributes was extracted by DBDOC and presented in the Hyperview browser.

Before:

After:

Error Sharing
 

Another change you might notice, if you were introduced to the Error Browser in the last release, is the appearance of a new checkbox list on the left hand side of the browser window.  This is a list of users on your system who are sharing their error stars and checks, which you can choose to display in your Error Browser.  This makes it easy to review errors collaboratively.   It is planned for future releases to include shared bookmarks, annotations, Watch Window groups, and Watch Window data.  

 

 

 

To participate in error data sharing, use the new Sharing tab of the Options dialog to register for sharing in a specified Shared Data Folder.  Usually the name of the Shared Data Folder will be supplied in the project file, so all you have to do to start sharing is hit OK to register.

 

 

Extended Support for SPlus and PGP Graphics
 

If you have SPlus or PGP graphics, you will notice substantial developments in DBDOC's support for these formats.  Support has been extended past the initial support of systems converted from Conductor VMS systems to include consoles converted from Conductor NT and Process Portal B. Live controller data has been added.

Extended and Reworked Support for 800xA Graphics

The support for 800xA has been completely reworked to make use of data extracted by programs from Assistance Système LD Inc. (ASSYST) giving better images, access to controller data and text searching on graphics, and eliminating the numbers and arrows seen in earlier versions using the previous approach to extracting these graphics for DBDOC.

Other Updates

In addition to the major developments described above, 10.5.1 delivers plenty of minor bug fixes and
improvements.  More DBDOC error types have now been converted to display in the Error Browser.  Live data (notably in the Watch Window) can now be requested every 100ms.  Go To Use right-click navigation in Hyperview now places system uses before DBDOC generated documents.  Timestamp labels can now be hidden in the Watch Window.   CIUMon logging has been improved in many ways.  Command line support for importing DBDOC projects has been implemented, making it much easier to migrate the DBDOC build system to a new computer.  And many more small changes which you may or may not encounter but which increase DBDOC's robustness and usefulness in specific situations.

If you haven't already, take a moment to download DBDOC 10.5.1 and upgrade your system.

Coming soon: DBDOC 10.5.1, with NEW error sharing and improved SPlus/PGP and PG2 support

We're now in the home stretch for getting the next DBDOC release out the door.  DBDOC 10.5.1 includes major expansion of some of the new features introduced in DBDOC 10.5, as well as general bug fixes and feature improvements

There is good news for users of SPlus/PGP graphics.  As we receive feedback and gain experience from client systems using DBDOC 10.5,  support continues to be solidified, especially for systems converted from PPB and Conductor NT.

In addition, there is a whole new approach to 800xA graphics.  Using tools created for DBDOC by  ASSYST (included with your DBDOC installation) it's easy to extract more comprehensive PG2 or VB data for better integration of 800xA graphics into the DBDOC snapshot.

The other major new feature for DBDOC 10.5.1 is the introduction of error sharing.  Really this is just the first step along the road of allowing Hyperview users to share data in general.  Right now, each Hyperview user is relatively isolated, making independent annotation notes on projects, bookmarking significant items, creating and configuring Watch Window groups, and, as of DBDOC 10.5, managing and reviewing system errors in the new Error Browser.  The vision, however, is for all these activities to become more collaborative.  A whole group could take advantage of a predefined set of bookmarks, or view notes made by others.  It takes time to set up Watch Window groups, configured appropriately for monitoring particular situations.  Ideally these groups (and the data collected in them) could be easily shared among multiple users if desired.

So this is the direction Hyperview is heading, and the first example of this sort of sharing actually implemented is the sharing of error information, i.e. the stars and checks added to errors displayed in the Error Browser.

User data is shared via a shared folder accessible to multiple Hyperview users.  Usually this folder will be specified in BuildPlus, when a project is built, and will show up automatically in Hyperview.  To start sharing data with other users, all you need to do is "register" in this shared data folder.  Go to the Options menu in Hyperview, choose the Sharing tab, and (if a shared data folder has been built into your M14), just hit Apply and you're done.  If not, you can manually choose a data sharing folder.

 



When you open the Error Browser in 10.5.1, you will notice a new list on the left, listing all the users that have registered to share their error information.

 

By checking and the boxes next to the names of other users, you can cause their stars and checks to be displayed in your Error Browser.   By setting various filtering options, you have control over which errors you display.  For example, you could display only the errors starred or reviewed by a particular user.  Once the errors are displayed, you could select them all (for example) and hide them, or mark them as reviewed yourself.

 

This functionality is simple but powerful, because for the first time, it really makes it easy and convenient for groups of users to collaboratively review and manage errors.  A typical system will have hundreds of build errors, many of which are not serious in context, but all of which should be reviewed for safety.  The ability to split up and coordinate this error review process is extremely useful, and was requested by a number of early Error Browser users.

 

DBDOC 10.5.1 will be released and available within the next few weeks.  For an early look at the new features still under test, you can download DBDOC 10.5.1 Beta from the GMCL website.