Custom Palette File

Create and use a custom palette file to store any Spyder object application, macro, device, FBs, IOs from a station. You can use this file to share it across Stations and among multiple users. This custom palette file acts only as a repository but you can not configure an object that exists in the palette.

You can later copy and paste or drag these objects from the custom palette to the station.

Creating a Custom Palette File

To create a custom palette file:

  1. On the Nav palette, browse to the drive where you want to create the custom palette file (Expand My Host > My File System).
  2. Create a new folder on the drive. (Right-click the drive and select New > New Folder. A new folder is created. )
  3. Expand the drive to view folder you just created.
  4. Right-click the folder you have created and select New > Palettefile.palette. The Name for New File dialog box appears.
  5. Enter a name for the palette file and click OK. A new palette file is created.
  6. Expand the folder you have created to view the palette file that you just now created.
  7. On the Palette, click the Open Palette button. The Open Palette dialog box appears.
  8. Select Baja module and click OK. The UnrestrictedFolder in the Baja palette (Palette palette with Baja module selected) is seen.
  9. Drag the unrestricted folder in to the folder with the palette file that you have created. A .bog file appears in the folder which contains the unrestricted folder.
  10. Double-click the UnrestrictedFolder.bog file that was added to the new folder, to open its wiresheet.
  11. Right-click on the folder to rename it. This is the Unrestricted folder where you can store all Spyder objects.

Note: You can double click the folder on the wiresheet and drag the UnrestrictedFolder object from the Palette palette on to the wiresheet. This has the effect of nesting folders within the palette file. This enables you to categorize objects that are stored in the palette file. For example, you can drag an UnrestrictedFolder from the Baja palette (Palette palette with Baja module selected) on to the wiresheet of the palette file and name it Applications. You can then double-click the Applications folder on the wiresheet and drag another UnrestrictedFolder object from the Baja palette and name it VAV Applications. This creates the VAV Applications folder under the Applications folder in a tree structure in the custom palette file you are creating.

Adding Items to the Custom Palette

To add any Spyder object such as a macro, application, IO, Function block to the custom palette:

  1. Browse to the controlprogram you want to save in the custom palette file by clicking Station > Drivers > LonNetwork > LonSpyder > ControlProgram
    or
    Station > Drivers > BacnetNetwork > BacnetSpyder > ControlProgram in the Nav sidebar.
  2. Right-click any Spyder object such as application, macro, device, FB, or IO and select Copy.
  3. Browse to the folder you created under the custom palette file ( Applications or VAV Applications as given in the Note) and right-click it and select Paste.
    or
    drag the object to the wiresheet of the folder (Applications or VAV Applications in the Note) under the custom palette file.
    or
    drag a Spyder object directly on to the folder (Applications or VAV Applications in the Note) under the custom palette file in the Nav sidebar.
  4. The object is saved under the folder in the custom  palette file.
  5. Right-click the file in the custom palette file and click Save.
  6. Right-click the custom palette file and click Close to close the custom palette file.

Closing Palette File

To close the custom palette file, right-click the custom palette file and click Close.

Note: If you close a custom palette file without saving the contents of the custom palette file or close the Workbench without saving the contents of the custom palette file, the newly added contents are not saved and is not available when you access this folder the next time.

You can reuse components from the custom palette file in any application logic you create by dragging the desired object from the custom palette file to the wiresheet of the ControlProgram.

Adding a Device to the Custom Palette File

Adding a device to the custom palette file is similar to adding a Spyder object but it has some specific steps you have to perform additionally. To add a device to the Custom palette file:

  1. Browse to the device you want to save in the custom palette file by clicking Station > Drivers > LonNetwork > LonSpyder
    or
    Station > Drivers > BacnetNetwork > BacnetSpyder in the Nav sidebar.
  2. Double-click the ControlProgram under the device once. It opens the wire sheet of the ControlProgram. This makes sure that ControlProgram is loaded (all device objects are available in memory while copying).
  3. Right-click the device and select Copy.
  4. Browse to the folder you created under the custom palette file (Applications or VAV Applications as given in the Note) and right-click it and select Paste.
  5. Right-click the device and select Enable Saving Control Program.

Note: The Enable Saving ControlProgram option makes the ControlProgram under device non-transient so that it can be saved to the bog file. If this option is not invoked or before invoking this option, you close the bog file or the workbench, the device looses the ControlProgram configuration in the custom palette file. This option appears on device only when device is in the custom palette and the ControlProgram under the device is transient. Once you invoke the option, the next time onwards the same device option does not appear on the that particular device object. This option appears only when required. If it does not appear, it means the ControlProgram of the device is already in a non-transient state. This may happen when copy-pasting/duplicating a saved device within/across palettes occurs or when you copy-paste device object from the Spyder library to the custom palette folder.

  1. Right-click the custom palette file and select Save. The device is saved under the folder in the custom  palette file.