Dashboards

    Watch a video that shows how to use dashboards.

    If you frequently work with a set of parameters, you can create a dashboard that contains the parameters. A dashboard can combine parameters from several menus. You view and change parameters on a dashboard exactly as you would when working with parameters on a menu.

    Note: Dashboards are useful when developing applications in projects. However, dashboards are not stored in projects, but are exported to files. To use a dashboard in a Programmer session, you import the dashboard file.

    The following dashboard contains two writable parameter and two read-only parameters:



    You can change parameter values by using the controls to the left of the columns, selecting enumerated values from dropdowns, and entering values in the Device Value column.

    Dashboards can also be viewed as gauges; the Dashboard Style button at the bottom of the dashboard toggles between grid and gauge views. The following dashboard is displayed as a set of gauges:


    The text above the gauges shows the selected parameter’s name and the name of the menu that contains the parameter. In the dashboard above, the selected parameter is named Forward Map and is contained by the Throttle menu.

    You can change a writable parameter with the controls on the gauge’s bottom, by typing over the value, and by selecting an enumerated value from a dropdown. In addition, you can use controls on top of a gauge to drag the gauge to a different position and to apply a different gauge style:

    • Click  to drag the gauge to a different position. When you click , the gauge’s controls are temporarily disabled and the cursor changes to a crosshair shape:

      After you drag the gauge, the gauge’s controls are enabled.

    • Click  to change a gauge’s style. Clicking displays a dropdown list that provides gauge styles to choose from:


    The following example shows gauges displayed with the Numeric, HBar, VBar, and Circular styles, respectively:

    Create a Dashboard

    To create a dashboard, take the following steps in the Programmer application:

    1. Select View » Dashboard or click .

      The result depends upon whether you’ve imported the dashboard in the current session. If you’ve imported a dashboard, it displays; otherwise an empty dashboard displays.

    2. If a dashboard exists and you would like to add a new one, click , which is on the top right of the dashboard.

    3. Name the dashboard by taking the following steps:

      1. Click , which is on the top right of the dashboard.

      2. Specify the dashboard name and description.

      3. Click OK.

    4. Repeat the following steps for each parameter to be added to the dashboard:

      1. Open the menu containing the parameter.

      2. Click the parameter to add it to the dashboard.

    5. To export the dashboard to a file, take the following steps:

      1. Select File » Export » Dashboard.
      2. Specify the filename and path, then save the file. (Dashboard files have a file extension of .pcfg.)

    6. To view the dashboard as a set of gauges, toggle the Dashboard Style button.

    Note: To return to menu view, select View » Menu or click .

    Import a Dashboard

    1. Select File » Import » Dashboard.

    2. Navigate to and select the dashboard file, then click Open.

    3. Select View » Dashboard or click .

    4. To view the dashboard as a set of gauges, toggle the Dashboard Style button.