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PhixFlow screens have been designed to provide quick access to the functions you are likely to need from the current view without having to navigate complex menus. This help page provides an overview of the navigation features and key screens in PhixFlow.

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On the left edge of the PhixFlow screen is the Explorer Bar containing icons which when pressed open up slider panes containing lists of all the configured objects represented by the icon. Until you are familiar with the meaning of each icon, you can hover the mouse over the icon to see a description of what it will do when clicked. Note that these descriptions can be found on all PhixFlow icons. The icons are logically grouped e.g. into categories which cover modelling, user administration etc.

Each opened slider pane has a common set of icons. Note that several of these icons are used on other forms to perform the same function:

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Close the pane.

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If the Pin icon is yellow when another Explorer Bar icon is pressed, then the slider pane will be closed and the other slider pane will be opened.

Clicking the Pin icon turns it red indicating that the pane is now pinned. This means that when another Explorer Bar icon is pressed, this pane remains open (in addition to the new pane opening).

Click the icon again to toggle the pinned status (which will also cause the pane to close).

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Open up a grid showing more details about each item. General navigation properties of grids are explained below.

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Delete the selected item or items.

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Refresh the list (e.g. if the list has been updated on another computer by another user).

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Create and insert a new item into the list.

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Context sensitive help.

Note that Image Removed on the Explorer Bar closes all open slider panes.

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Please read Client Application Notes for general advice on mouse and other actions available on the user interface.

On the top left of the PhixFlow screen is the Applications button. Clicking an Applications button opens a list of all Applications available for the user. The user can run the selected one using its default Menu by clicking (right-click allows also opening or right clicking to open in a new tab /window) or use the particular Menu by choosing it from the drop-down list which is shown after clicking on an Applications which contains more than one Menuor window. An application may have more than one menu item which will be displayed after clicking on the application.

The user can also choose an Application and Menu by adding a adding ?application=APPLICATION_NAME-&menu=MENU_NAME to  to the PhixFlow URL where APPLICATION_NAME is the name of the selected application and MENU_NAME is the name of the selected Menu.

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Across On the top right of the PhixFlow screen are the Perspective buttons. Clicking a Perspective button minimises open windows and sets up a standard layout containing the most useful lists and forms for that perspective:

Opens the Default Dashboard defined for the currently logged in user.
Opens up the list of Task Plans and the System Console showing Task Logs, Audit Trails and Archive Logs.
Opens a drop down menu giving access to:
Opens a drop down menu giving access to some high level operations:
  • System Configuration opens the System Configuration Form which defines basic system settings which are generally configured when PhixFlow is first installed.
  • Manage Email Accounts opens the Email Accounts List which shows Email Accounts defined in the system. The user can configure Email Accounts in order to fetch and send emails.
  • Reset Configuration permanently deletes all existing configuration objects (E.g. Streams, Alarm Generators, Analysis Models, Macros, Dashboards, the Control Framework) except for Users, User Groups and minor objects (e.g. Alarm Priorities). Working data (including Stream Data, Stream Sets, Log files and Audit logs) are not deleted.

    Reset Configuration requires the Reset Configuration Privilege.

    You should only run Reset Configuration when so instructed by PhixFlow Support.

  • Export Configuration opens the Export Configuration Form to allow the user to select which objects to export to an XML file which can then be imported into another instance of PhixFlow using the Import Configuration function.
  • Import Configuration imports configuration data from the XML configuration files created by the Export Configuration function.
  • Cleanup Configuration removes orphan objects (e.g. Stream Sets) that can be left behind by failed or incomplete operations.

    Cleanup Configuration requires the Cleanup Configuration Privilege

    You should only run Cleanup Configuration when instructed by PhixFlow Support.

  • Publish Streams checks all Streams for configuration changes and aligns underlying Stream Tables in the PhixFlow Database. Note that from version 3.2 onwards Streams are published automatically and it is no longer necessary to use this function.
  • Purge Streams checks all Streams for configuration changes and removes any underlying Stream Tables in the PhixFlow Database that no longer match the Stream configuration. This function also removes data for any Stream Attributes that have been removed from a Stream.
  • Download Log Files allows you to download server log files and performance files for analysis.
Opens a drop down menu giving access to basic user functions:
  • My User Details opens the User Details Form allowing the user to change his own account settings (including his password).
  • Help opens this online help system.
  • Online Support opens a browser window into PhixFlow's online support desk. Your designated support contacts will have login details.
  • Send Feedback Email opens a new email window.
  • About PhixFlow shows general information about PhixFlow in particular the current version that you are using.
  • Reload Application reloads the PhixFlow application.
  • Switch to Design Mode loads the PhixFlow application in the Design Mode. Visible only in App Mode
  • Switch to App Mode loads the PhixFlow application in the App Mode. Visible only in Design Mode
  • Logout returns PhixFlow to the startup screen so that the user must log back in to resume work.

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If you move your mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen the PhixFlow Form Bar will appear. This bar contains links to all open forms is the User menu, a drop down menu giving access to basic user functions.

My User Details

Opens a User Details Form allowing the user to change their own account settings (including their password).

Online SupportOpens a browser window into PhixFlow's online support desk. Your designated support contacts will have login details.
Send Feedback EmailOpens a new email window.
About PhixFlowShows general information about PhixFlow, in particular the current version that you are using.

Help

Opens this online help system.

Logout

Returns PhixFlow to the startup screen so that the user must log back in to resume work.

When opening PhixFlow in design mode the Repository Browser will open on the right side of the screen. When an object is opened to edit, a property editor form will be opened in a new tab in this pane. If an object is opened for editing when another property editor form is already open, the new property editor form will replace the already opened one, unless the open form contains unsaved data or the tab is pinned.  You can close the property editor by clicking on the white cross on the tab.

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If the Pin icon is yellow when another edit form is opened, then the tab will be closed and the other tab will be opened. If the open tab contains unsaved data then a new tab will be opened.

Clicking the Pin icon turns it red indicating that the pane is now pinned. This means that when another form is opened, this pane remains open (in addition to the new pane opening).

Click the icon again to toggle the pinned status.


The property editor form has a number of icons at the top.  If there is insufficient space on the header bar then some icons may be moved to the hamburger menu which can be accessed by clicking on the hamburger menu icon shown in the table below.

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Save the current details and close the editor


Save the current details without closing the editor.

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Back.  This icon will cause the form to refresh to show the details for the previous object that was in this editor

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Forward.  This icon will cause the form to refresh to the details of the object that was in this editor before the Back icon was pressed.

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Find in Explorer.  This icon will bring the repository browser tab to the front and will close all nodes except those leading to this object.  You may need to scroll the explorer to see the selected object.

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Context sensitive help.

Image AddedThe hamburger menu icon.  This icon reveals a dropdown menu with additional options.  If there is insufficient space to show all of the items above on the header bar of the editor then some items may be moved to the hamburger menu.


The hamburger menu on the top of the property editor form may also contain the following options which are configured to remain in the hamburger menu even if there is space on the header bar:

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Permanently delete the current object

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Close the property editor


Each property editor form may contain a number of sections.  Each section has a header represented by a green bar with a small arrow before the section label which can be clicked to collapse and open the section.  Some sections contain fields whereas other sections can contain grids.  Sections which contain grids may have a number of icons on them to allow you to add and delete records, see a more detailed grid with more columns or refresh the current grid.

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Open up a grid showing more details about each item.

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Delete the selected item or items.

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Refresh the list (e.g. if the list has been updated on another computer by another user).

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Create and insert a new item into the list.

The Windows bar appears in the bottom of the screen if 'Show Windows Bar' is selected from the footer bar. The Windows bar contains links to all open windows (both open and minimised). Click on a link to restore the form window (if needed) and bring the form window to the front of the screen. Each form window link also has a context menu which allows you to close the form it directly.

The task bar is at the bottom of the PhixFlow window. On the far left the number of the Form Bar is an icon which when clicked minimises all open windows.

The control framework allows you to organise your controls, dashboards, forms and reports. See Control Framework for details.currently running actions is shown. There is also the button to show/hide the windows bar. If there are any notifications on screen, they can all be dismissed in one go by clicking 'Dismiss notifications'. This will dismiss the green notification pop ups but not red error/failure messages.

On the right are icons which can be used to access different features:

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Show the System Console. This shows currently running tasks and log messages from processes run in PhixFlow.
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Open Repository Browser. This shows all of the available objects in your PhixFlow instance.
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Administration Menu. Options to Import Configuration, Export Full Configuration or Open Export Pane
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Switch between App Mode and Design Mode