Apply positioning to a symbol

The
Top
 and
Left
 Parameters for each symbol should be checked and, if necessary, modified in the
Properties
 panel.
Symbols are positioned within a display based on the coordinates of their upper left corner, using absolute or relative positioning.
In absolute positioning, the symbol is positioned relative to the upper left corner of the screen, while in relative positioning, the symbol is positioned based on an offset from its individual bounding box.
Absolute positioning guarantees that the overall configuration of the symbols in a display will match the original configuration created in
FactoryTalk View Studio
.
Relative positioning adds symbols to a display starting at the upper left corner, moving left to right, then down one row when horizontal space requires. Each symbol is positioned within a bounding box that includes the Symbol's height, width, and x and y offsets. Symbols are added to the display in the same order as they were added to the library object in the
Library Object Manager
 application.
IMPORTANT:
Relative positioning is required if multiple instances of a symbol appear in a display; absolute positioning would cause all instances to be stacked on top of each other.
Prerequisites
  • Add the symbol to the
    SE Symbols
     or
    ME Symbols
     folder, selecting all of the position options (Left, Top, Line, and Arc) in the
    Apply Substitutions
     area.
To apply positioning to a symbol
  1. After the symbol has been added, review the XML code in the
    Source
     panel of the
    Properties
     column.
  2. Locate the
    Left
     and
    Top
     Parameters in the XML code.
    • In absolute positioning, the values for the
      Left
       and
      Top
       parameters are numeric. Check that they match the desired display position for the symbol, or modify if necessary.
    • In relative positioning, the values are expressions using the following formats. Check that the left and top offsets are consistent with other symbols in the library object. Modify if necessary.
      left = "
      {Calc([bounding box offset] + {SymbolWidth}*{LeftIndex})}
      "
      top = "
      {Calc([bounding box offset] + {SymbolHeight}*{TopIndex})}
      "
      TIP:
      A small offset value of 5...10 provides the most efficient use of screen space and the most predictable configuration of multiple symbols in a display.
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