Table of Contents

Bindings (PA)

This page covers bindings for Project Assist 2.0, version 10, for facilities. For DGLux5 bindings, see Bindings.

As part of configuring the objects in your pages and templates, you create bindings. You create a binding by dragging a binding source and dropping it on a binding target.


Binding Sources

You find binding sources in the Project Assist Binding Dialog. The Binding Dialog is not available in the Image tab of the Page Editor. The following image shows the Binding Dialog.

Binding Sources

The Binding Dialog contains three tabs that hold the following four kinds of binding sources:

Source Type Description
Points (Templates only)

Represents a relativized data metric available to this template. See Device Templates and Relativization.

This binding retrieves a metric that is determined by the template instance.

Auto action: Data Action List.

Project Tree non-device nodes

Represents a page or module in this project.

This binding retrieves a project path.

Auto action: Navigation.

Project Tree device nodes

Represents a device in this project.

This binding retrieves a project path that is determined by the template instance and a metric that is determined by the layer. See also: Device Templates and Relativization, Layers.

Auto action: Data Action List.

Data

Represents an absolute path in the data source.

Retrieves a data node.

Auto action: Data Action List.


Binding Targets

Binding targets can be divided into the following three categories:

Target type Description
Single Metric

Includes zones and callouts, except for the Node List callout.

These targets hold multiple pieces of information about one metric.

A new Single Metric binding overrides the old one.

Series Metric

Includes charts, gauges, and Node List callouts.

These targets have series; they hold multiple pieces of information about one or more metrics.

A new Series Metric binding adds another series.

See also: How to Work with Series.

Property

Includes any single property of an object.

These targets determine a single property based on a single piece of information.

If the target is an object, the binding source value determines the value of the object’s default property. If the target is a property, the binding source value determines the value of that particular property.

Conversion bindings can be created with this kind of binding target.


Typical Binding Behavior

Generally, a binding retrieves information from the source, displays that information in the target, and creates a default action called an Auto action.

You can override default actions by using custom actions. See Actions.

The following image shows an example of a Node List callout that has five metrics bound to it. The Node List callout displays metric information, and clicking a node list item invokes the default action type.

Typical Binding Behavior

The following image demonstrates an example of a binding. Because the binding in this image has a Point source, this binding retrieves the Damper_Position metric for the currently open template and creates a Data Action List action. Because the binding in this image has a Property target, the metric value affects the HVAC tile's default property.

Typical Binding Behavior

The following image demonstrates another binding example. Because this binding has a Point source, this binding will retrieve information for the currently open template, and a Data Action List action is created. Because this binding has a Series Metric target, the metric will be added as a series.

Typical Binding Behavior


Conversion Bindings

If the binding target is in the Property category, you can optionally change that binding to a conversion binding. In a conversion binding, the target value is determined as the result of performing calculation, formatting, or mapping on the source value.

A binding that can be changed to a conversion binding is surrounded by a blue rectangle in the Project Assist Property Inspector, as shown in the following image.

Binding Behavior


How to Open and Close the Binding Dialog or Property Inspector

The Project Assist Binding Dialog is not available in the Image tab of the Page Editor.

The following interactions open or close the Property Inspector. See also: Object Properties.

Note

To display the properties for a different object, you can keep the Project Assist Property Inspector open and select different objects.

The following interactions open or close the Binding Dialog. See also: Object Properties.


How to Create a Drag-and-Drop Binding

See also: Binding Sources, Binding Targets

To create a drag-and-drop binding:

  1. If this is a page, choose a layer group tab, or leave the layer group as Default. See Layers.
  2. In the Project Assist Binding Dialog, select the Points, Project, or Data tab.
  3. Drag the binding source, and drop it on the binding target.

    The binding has been created. You can click Preview in the toolbar to preview it.

The following image demonstrates dragging a binding source to a binding target.

How to Create a Drag-and-Drop Binding


How to Change a Drag-and-Drop Binding into a Conversion Binding

You can change any drag-and-drop binding into a conversion binding, except for bindings where the target is a zone, chart, gauge, or callout. In other words, any binding where the target is of the Property type can be changed to a conversion binding.

To create a conversion binding, first you must create a drag-and-drop binding as described above.

To change a binding into a conversion binding:

  1. In the Project Assist Property Inspector, click the blue dot next to the property, as shown in the following image.

    How to Change a Drag-and-Drop Binding into a Conversion Binding

    This opens the Conversion Binding popup window.

  2. In the Conversion Binding popup window, specify the following:
    • Input Field—This input field is an aspect of the binding source, such as name, status, or value.
    • Conversion—A conversion type. See Conversion Binding Types.
    • The required information for the conversion type—Each type of conversion binding requires different information. See Conversion Binding Types.
  3. Close the Project Assist Property Inspector.

    The conversion binding is created.


Conversion Binding Types

The following are the possible types of conversion bindings:


Conversion Binding Properties

The following are properties that you configure as part of a conversion binding.

Property Relevant Bindings Purpose
Input Field All Specifies the aspect of the input data metric that is used for the binding. For example, this might be Status, Value, or Name.
Binding Path All Specifies the absolute path to the data metric. For templates, if the original binding source is a Point, then when you edit the Binding Path property you change the binding source to an absolute location.
Conversion All Specifies the type of conversion.
Inputs Value Map Specifies each test value to compare with the source value.
Outputs Value Map Specifies each value to assign to the target if the expression with the corresponding Input evaluates to TRUE.
Default Value Map Specifies a value to assign to the target if none of the expressions evaluate to TRUE.
Expression Expression

Specifies the string to use to format the source value. This creates the target value as a formatted string. The Expression can include a number format pattern. See Scripting and Syntax. The Expression can also include other strings, such as units.

Number format patterns must be in square brackets ([]).

The string value enclosed in square brackets becomes the exact source value, as a string.

Offset Number Offset

Specifies the offset operator that is used to modify the target value. The value of the Offset property can be one of the following:

  • add—The source value and Offset Value property are added together.
  • subtract—The Offset Value property is subtracted from the source value.
  • multiply—The source value and Offset Value property are multiplied together.
  • divide—The source value is divided by the Offset Value property. A decimal value is returned.
Offset Val Number Offset Specifies the number that is used to modify the target value.
Input Min Number Scale, Gradient Scale Specifies the lower bound of the original scale.
Input Max Number Scale, Gradient Scale Specifies the upper bound of the original scale.
Output Min Number Scale Specifies the lower bound of the new scale.
Output Max Number Scale Specifies the upper bound of the new scale.
Gradient Number Scale Determines the colors for a gradient. To add colors, click below the track in the dialog box. To delete colors, right-click them in the dialog box.

How to Preview a Binding

To view tooltips that indicate the sources of all bindings, and to preview user interactions with target objects, you can preview the page or template. See How to Begin Previewing Content.


How to Delete a Binding

To delete a series, see How to Work with Series.

You can’t delete a binding to a Single Metric binding target. Instead, you can replace the old binding with a new one.

To delete other bindings:

  1. Click the blue dot next to the property.

    This opens the Conversion Binding popup window.

  2. In the popup window, click Unbind.