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Working with Projects

This guide covers the essential operations for creating, opening, running, and managing project versions.

Create a New Project​

Step 1: Launch Project Creation​

  1. Click Create New Project in the top toolbar
  2. Enter a project name in the dialog
  3. (Desktop only) Choose a storage path or use the default location
  4. Click Confirm

📷 [Screenshot: New Project dialog with name field and path selector]

⚠️ Caution: When using the Web client, projects are stored on the server at the default path and cannot be changed.

Step 2: Open the Project​

  1. Double-click the project record in the list
  2. The Editor opens in a new window/tab

💡 Tip: You can edit multiple different projects simultaneously. The same project can only be opened once.

Open an Existing Project​

Add Project to List​

If you have a project file (.cmsproj) on your local machine or need to import one:

  1. Click Open Existing Project (Desktop) or Import Project (Web)
  2. Browse and select the project file
  3. Click Confirm

📷 [Screenshot: File browser dialog for selecting .cmsproj file]

Handle Duplicate Projects​

If a project with the same ID already exists in the list, you'll see three options:

OptionBehavior
Add as New ProjectCreates a new project record; original project remains unchanged
Replace (Keep Runtime Data)Replaces configuration but preserves historical data, alarms, and logs
Replace (Clear Runtime Data)Replaces configuration and deletes all runtime data

📷 [Screenshot: Duplicate project handling dialog with three radio buttons]

Upgrade Legacy Projects​

If the project version is older than your current AI SCADA version:

  1. A prompt appears asking to upgrade the project
  2. Choose whether to keep a backup of the original version
  3. Click Upgrade

⚠️ Caution: Projects from versions prior to 2.0.3 may have compatibility issues with tag publishing and data archiving. Consider manually exporting/importing data or using the matching software version.

Run a Project​

Test in Editor​

After configuring your project:

  1. Click the Run button in the Editor toolbar
  2. Configure runtime settings:
    • Service management
    • Display settings
    • System security
  3. Preview the project behavior

📷 [Screenshot: Editor toolbar with Run button highlighted]

Deploy to Vision​

For production deployment:

  1. Open Vision (the runtime client)
  2. Navigate to Project Settings
  3. Select the project file to run
  4. Click Start

📷 [Screenshot: Vision project selection interface]

Update Running Projects​

To push configuration updates to a running Vision instance:

  1. In Vision, open Service Monitor
  2. Click Update
  3. Select the updated project file
  4. Click Confirm to replace the configuration

⚠️ Caution: The project file version must match the software version, or the update will fail.

Maintain Project Versions​

Create a Project Copy​

Use project copies to maintain configuration versions or test changes safely:

  1. Locate the project in the list
  2. Click Create Copy in the operations menu
  3. Enter a new name (system suggests a default)
  4. (Desktop only) Choose a storage path
  5. Click Confirm

📷 [Screenshot: Create Copy dialog with name field]

Key Points:

  • The copy has the same configuration but a different project ID
  • Copy names must be unique across the project list and server storage
  • Editing one copy does not affect the other

💡 Tip: Do NOT copy project files directly in the file system - this creates two references to the same project. Always use Create Copy in the Project Manager.

Export Projects (Web Only)​

To download a project from the server to your local machine:

  1. Locate the project in the list
  2. Click Export in the operations menu
  3. The browser downloads the .cmsproj file to your default download folder

⚠️ Caution: Exported projects are still the same project (same ID). They only serve as backups if stored on different machines.

Best Practices​

Version Control Strategy​

  1. Always create a copy before major changes
  2. Use descriptive names: FactoryA_v1.0, FactoryA_v1.1_Testing
  3. Back up runtime data weekly (or based on your data retention policy)
  4. Test in Editor before deploying to Vision

Folder Organization​

Organize projects by:

  • Site: Factory_A, Factory_B
  • Line: Line_1, Line_2
  • Status: Production, Testing, Archive

Example structure:

📁 Production
  └─ FactoryA_Line1_v2.3
  └─ FactoryB_Line2_v1.8
📁 Testing
  └─ FactoryA_Line1_v2.4_Beta
📁 Archive
  └─ FactoryA_Line1_v2.2

Next Steps​

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