Controls UI modernization

Hi Mathieu,

This is a great topic!

I have also struggled with the user input components in Industrial Graphics witch leaves a lot to wish for.
Personally I have spent years on nagging product owners, tech support and people of interest with comments such as yours and still I must say that I'm waiting for a noticeable improvement.

InTouch and OMI are not only used for simple Scada any longer and the expectation of the user has also changed over the years.

I have had so many projects where operators complain the need to press enter to commit, asking why the input field is so small, and how to use tab to go to the next input field as one would expect from using other windows or web based interfaces.

But I understand the struggle of Aveva to make changes to components that has to work not only in the desktop program but also in the Web Browser (InTouch Web/OMI Web), and also I'm aware of their initiative to make a common graphical engine that works across platforms and software.

The issue with this is that waiting for all these things to align leave us with no improvements at all, in the meantime. Witch is also an issue.
I actually have examples of customers that choose to look for alternatives since the requirement for input of data is not only a setpoint here and a texbox there, or all can be controlled using a slider . We have used OMI as MES Interfaces where input forms are quite demanding from a UX perspective.

With all this said, and I know I could come off as negative, (but the struggle is real).

I do have some pointers or alternatives that I have used in projects.

First of all, turn off Halo, this can be done an results in a more modern feel.

Use Action Scripts for On Mouse Over and On Mouse Leave to control hover functions (and animations), this gives you a much better feedback on clickable elements.

Below example uses a simple Transparency solution to provide hover feedback on a rectangle, but the options are many.

Use Editbox over User Input Animation, (as mentioned).

I have also chosen to replace Radiobutton with a Industrial Graphics based Alternative.

Industrial Graphics can be used for many interacting components

For Date selection or Calendar, I have actually created a Industrial Graphics alternative, to be able to get a better look and feel, it also enables additional calendar features in some scenarios, not only date selection.

Sorry for the blurs, but I did not have a good 'lab' example ready.

Some years back we also replaced all user input components with the ones from Microsoft Windows Forms Library, and this is still an option, if you use InTouch, but not an alternative for use with OMI or InTouch Web since .Net User Controls are not supported in the same way.

But the Winforms controls gave a much better control of input and behavior, but since we try to use OMI in all new projects its not a valid option any longer. And they typically don't scale well in different resolutions.

Some examples of Textbox features I would say is needed. 

• Text validation (such as length)
• Force all caps/all lowercase (used when creating batch numbers etc.)
• Force number (analog input AND Aveva as to acknowledge that other regions might use , as decimal)
• Focus by scripts (i.e. used to avoid the need to click in the field when a symbol is opened)
• Tab control
• Conditional formatting/Digit grouping (I.e.. 123456.7 vs 12 345.7)
• Decimal point enforcement (. vs , )
• Leave focus to commit (do not require enter!)
• Bonus feature! Autocomplete (I have made this in a Winforms solution witch was very appreciated)

As an alternative we have started to look in to WebWigets, and it can work, but I do not personally see this as a sustainable solution. At least not for a simple thing as a text input, (put challenges to visibility control, tab behavior, scaling among other things), not to mention maintaining the code for it.

A Web Widget would be better for complex graphical components as a calendar, or a Video player, Datagrids and so on.

And I would like to avoid creating web based input forms just to embed them in a web browser to get specific input screens.

I would welcome a continued discussion.
And if the AVEVA santa would just give me a working textbox I would be a happy man!

Hi Mathieu,

This is a great topic!

I have also struggled with the user input components in Industrial Graphics witch leaves a lot to wish for.
Personally I have spent years on nagging product owners, tech support and people of interest with comments such as yours and still I must say that I'm waiting for a noticeable improvement.

InTouch and OMI are not only used for simple Scada any longer and the expectation of the user has also changed over the years.

I have had so many projects where operators complain the need to press enter to commit, asking why the input field is so small, and how to use tab to go to the next input field as one would expect from using other windows or web based interfaces.

But I understand the struggle of Aveva to make changes to components that has to work not only in the desktop program but also in the Web Browser (InTouch Web/OMI Web), and also I'm aware of their initiative to make a common graphical engine that works across platforms and software.

The issue with this is that waiting for all these things to align leave us with no improvements at all, in the meantime. Witch is also an issue.
I actually have examples of customers that choose to look for alternatives since the requirement for input of data is not only a setpoint here and a texbox there, or all can be controlled using a slider . We have used OMI as MES Interfaces where input forms are quite demanding from a UX perspective.

With all this said, and I know I could come off as negative, (but the struggle is real).

I do have some pointers or alternatives that I have used in projects.

First of all, turn off Halo, this can be done an results in a more modern feel.

Use Action Scripts for On Mouse Over and On Mouse Leave to control hover functions (and animations), this gives you a much better feedback on clickable elements.

Below example uses a simple Transparency solution to provide hover feedback on a rectangle, but the options are many.

Use Editbox over User Input Animation, (as mentioned).

I have also chosen to replace Radiobutton with a Industrial Graphics based Alternative.

Industrial Graphics can be used for many interacting components

For Date selection or Calendar, I have actually created a Industrial Graphics alternative, to be able to get a better look and feel, it also enables additional calendar features in some scenarios, not only date selection.

Sorry for the blurs, but I did not have a good 'lab' example ready.

Some years back we also replaced all user input components with the ones from Microsoft Windows Forms Library, and this is still an option, if you use InTouch, but not an alternative for use with OMI or InTouch Web since .Net User Controls are not supported in the same way.

But the Winforms controls gave a much better control of input and behavior, but since we try to use OMI in all new projects its not a valid option any longer. And they typically don't scale well in different resolutions.

Some examples of Textbox features I would say is needed. 

• Text validation (such as length)
• Force all caps/all lowercase (used when creating batch numbers etc.)
• Force number (analog input AND Aveva as to acknowledge that other regions might use , as decimal)
• Focus by scripts (i.e. used to avoid the need to click in the field when a symbol is opened)
• Tab control
• Conditional formatting/Digit grouping (I.e.. 123456.7 vs 12 345.7)
• Decimal point enforcement (. vs , )
• Leave focus to commit (do not require enter!)
• Bonus feature! Autocomplete (I have made this in a Winforms solution witch was very appreciated)

As an alternative we have started to look in to WebWigets, and it can work, but I do not personally see this as a sustainable solution. At least not for a simple thing as a text input, (put challenges to visibility control, tab behavior, scaling among other things), not to mention maintaining the code for it.

A Web Widget would be better for complex graphical components as a calendar, or a Video player, Datagrids and so on.

And I would like to avoid creating web based input forms just to embed them in a web browser to get specific input screens.

I would welcome a continued discussion.
And if the AVEVA santa would just give me a working textbox I would be a happy man!