Designer Reference

Explore the full Designer workspace and tools.

Reference → Solution → Designer | Concept | Tutorial | How-to Guide | Reference

The integrated development environment (IDE) for configuring industrial automation solutions, providing a unified workspace for all configuration tasks.

Related Topics:

Designer (Concept) - Understanding the IDE
Configuring Solutions (Guide) - Step-by-step procedures
Solution Center (Reference) - Solution management

Access Methods

Method	Entry Point	Result
Solution Center	Edit button	Full editing mode
Solution Center	View button	Read-only mode
Direct Launch	Designer.exe	Opens last solution
Web Browser	ClickOnce	Remote editing

Main UI areas

Area	Purpose	Location
Solution Explorer	Module navigation	Left panel
Main Workspace Area	Active configuration	Center area
Find Results Panel	Object settings	Right panel
Output Panels	System messages	Bottom panel

Module Organization

Category	Modules	Purpose
Foundation	Solution, Runtime	Core settings
Data Model	Unified Namespace	Tags and assets
Process	Devices, Alarms, Historian	Real-time processing
Application	Datasets, Reports, Scripts	Data handling
Interface	Displays, Security	User interaction
Tools	Data Explorer, Track Changes	Utilities

Key Features

IntelliSense

Automatic completion and validation for:

Tag names
Object references
Script code
Expression syntax

Refactoring

Automatic reference updates when renaming:

Tags
Display names
Script classes
Any named object

Multi-User Support

Feature	Description	License Required
Concurrent Edit	Multiple users, same solution	Engineering users > 1
Auto-merge	Automatic conflict resolution	Included
Change Tracking	Who changed what	Included

Auto-Save Options

Mode	Frequency	Use Case
On Close	Document close	Default
Every 5 min	Automatic	Active development
Every 10 min	Automatic	Standard editing
Every 15 min	Automatic	Review mode
Manual	User triggered	Critical changes

Quick Navigation

Icon	Target	Description
Home	Welcome page	Solution home page
Tags	Unified Namespace	Asset tree management
Draw	Display editor	Graphical design
Runtime	Execution control	Process monitoring

Main Toolbar

Action	Function	Shortcut
Undo/Redo	Revert/restore changes	Ctrl+Z/Y
Cut/Copy/Paste	Standard editing	Ctrl+X/C/V
Delete	Remove selected	Delete
Find Elements	Cross-reference search	Ctrl+F
New Tag	Create tag	Ctrl+T
Export Document	Save to Git folder	-

Solution Configuration

Configuration Storage

Content	Storage Method	Encryption
Tags	Embedded SQL	AES-256
Displays	Embedded SQL	AES-256
Scripts	Embedded SQL	AES-256
Images	Binary storage	AES-256

Export Formats

Format	Extension	Purpose
CSV	.csv	Spreadsheet editing
JSON	.json	Version control
XML	.xml	External tools

Temporary Folders

Solution-specific temporary data stored in SolutionName-Designer folder:

Folder	Usage
Git	Configuration exports when auto-export enabled
NetCompiler	Intermediate compiler files and debug info
Settings	User preferences and grid states
TagsUsage	Debug mode tag usage reports
TraceLogs	Solution-specific logs when enabled

Basic Workflows

Data Definitions

Define tags in Unified Namespace
Create data templates
Build asset tree
Connect tag providers

Process Configuration

Setup device connections
Configure alarms
Enable historian
Map communication points

Application Development

Create datasets
Build reports
Write scripts
Design displays

Deployment

Configure security
Test in development mode
Validate functionality
Deploy to production

Typical Procedures

Action	Location	Description
Create Tags	Unified Namespace → Tags	Define or paste from spreadsheet
Import Tags	Solution → Import Tags	Import from external sources
Connect Providers	Unified Namespace → TagProviders	Dynamic data sources
Create Templates	Unified Namespace → Data Templates	Asset modeling
Design Displays	Displays → Draw	Create HMI screens
Configure Devices	Devices	Setup communications
Define Alarms	Alarms	Configure alarm conditions
Setup Historian	Historian	Time-series data
Configure Security	Security	User access control

Performance

Resource Usage

Component	Typical RAM	CPU Impact
Base IDE	200-500 MB	Low
Large solution	500-2000 MB	Medium
Draw environment	+200 MB	Medium
Code editor	+100 MB	Low

Optimization Tips

Close unused document tabs
Use filtering in Solution Explorer
Disable auto-save for large solutions
Regular solution compacting

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem	Cause	Solution
Slow loading	Large solution	Compact database
Can't edit	Read-only mode	Check permissions
Changes lost	No auto-save	Enable auto-save
IntelliSense missing	Cache issue	Restart Designer

Log Files

Log Type	Location	Content
Designer	Logs\Designer\	IDE errors
Configuration	Logs\Config\	Save errors
User Actions	Logs\Audit\	Change log

Child Pages

Workspace Components:

Designer Workspace (Reference) - UI elements and panels
Solution Explorer (Reference) - Module navigation

Configuration Areas:

Working with DataGrids - Table editing
Find Results Panel - Cross-references
Keyboard Shortcuts - Quick commands

Shortcut		Description
	Home	Redirects users to the Solution Designer home page.
	Tags	Takes the user to the Asset Tree within the Unified Namespace. It is where your assets can be viewed and managed.
	Draw	Navigates users to the Draw section on Displays. It is where users can create, edit, or visualize graphical representations or designs.
	Runtime	Directs the user to the Startup section of the Runtime. It is where users can initiate, run, or monitor processes or applications.
	Navigation back	Allows users to go back to the previous page or section they were on.
	Navigation forward	Lets users navigate forward if they've previously used the back button.
	Navigation history	Presents users with a list of their recent navigation actions, allowing them to quickly jump to a specific page or section they visited earlier.

Top Main Toolbar

At the top of the page, you have buttons that allow users to undo or redo actions, manipulate rows or objects with cut, copy, paste, and delete functions, and interact with Git for document synchronization. There are also functionalities for searching and navigating references, handling database tags, editing tag properties, and directly accessing documentation or providing feedback.

The table provides a concise reference for the commands and their associated functionalities.

Action		Description
	Undo	Undoes an operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
	Redo	Redoes a previously undone operation/change. This button is available until you save changes.
	Cut	Cuts a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing). This command will delete any select row or object in order to paste it somewhere else.
	Copy	Copies a selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing).
	Paste	Pastes a row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing) that was copied or cut previously.
	Delete	Deletes selected row (DataGrid) or objects (Drawing).
	Print	Prints current table (DataGrid) or display (Drawing).
	Export Document	It saves the selected object to the Git folder located at the following path: Path: C:\Users\User\Documents\Framework\Solutions\Solution\SolutionData\Git\<Module>\<Configuration interface>\
	Find Elements	The Find Elements button on the toolbar accesses the object cross-reference, which lets you find where objects are used in the Project and go directly to each location.
	Next Reference	Navigates to the subsequent reference or item in a given list or sequence.
	Previous Reference	Navigates to the preceding reference or item in a given list or sequence.
	New Tag	Allows the creation of a new tag in the real-time database.
	Tag Properties	Shows the properties of the tag selected in the text box.
	Object Selection	Enables the user to choose a specific item from a set of objects or elements within the interface.
	Open a New Window to the Selected Document	Opens the document or file currently selected in a new window, allowing for parallel viewing or editing alongside the current content.
	Feedback	Give your opinion in the feedback tab of the Tatsoft website.
	Documentation	Access the documentation on the website.