Step 2.2. Enter Virtual Point Advanced General Properties

The available selections on the General tab depend on what point type you are configuring. The following procedure begins with entries for any point type and continues through entries for the analog/Boolean point types only.

There are several general choices you can make to add to your virtual point's configuration. They include:


1	Resource ID
2	Enable point, Enable alarm, Enable Enterprise
3	(Analog and Boolean points only) Trend history
4	Log to database
5	Log to Historian
6	Safety point
7	Availability trigger
8	Invert
9	Attribute set
10	Extra info
11	Level


1	Resource ID

Select an existing or create a new resource.

Users who have the selected Resource ID assigned to their Role ID will be able to see any alarms generated for this point on their Alarm Viewer screens.


	Opens the Select a Resource browser to select an available resource.
		Displays a Popup menu to: Open A New Resource dialog box. The Resource dialog box for a selected resource The Select a Resource browser. Select a recently selected resource.


2	Enable point, enable alarm, Enterprise point

Check any of the following.


Enable Point	Enables the point at runtime
Enable Alarm	Enables the point's alarm
Enable Enterprise	Allows data to be exported to the Enterprise server so it will be available to other projects. Important: To see the alarms in the local project when enterprise point alarms are being collected, configure the: Same resources in the local project that are configured for the point's source project. Local resources to be visible to the local project's authorized users.


3	(Analog and Boolean points only) Trend History


Check box/Field	Description
Max Duration	(Checked box activates fields.) The amount of most recent time to be saved. Select one of the following: Seconds Minutes Hours Days
Max samples	(Checked box activates field.) The number of n values to be saved. Takes precedence over Max Duration in determining the number of values saved in the buffer. Point buffering lets you allocate a buffer for a point and save a number of the most recent values. This feature is currently being supported only for the Trending option.
	Example
	Point ABC is scanned every 5 seconds
	If you define a:
	Max Duration	1 minute. The buffer contains the 12 most recent values for ABC at any given time.
	Max Count	10. The buffer contains the 10 most recent values (that is, the values for the last 50 seconds).
	Max Duration and Max Count	The buffer contains the 10 most recent values.


4	Log to database

Note: The Log to database checkbox displays only if Database Logger is enabled on the General tab in the Project Properties dialog box.

When checked, logs data to the default CIMPLICITY DATA_LOG. You can apply more specifications in the Database Logger.

Setting a point value can require authorization that produces an audit trail.


5	Log to Historian

When you select the Log to Historian check box, data is logged to Historian.

Note:

The Log to Historian check box is displayed only if Historian is installed/licensed and is enabled on the General tab in the Project Properties window.
When the project is not running, if you delete a point configured for Historian logging, data continues to be logged to Historian.


6	Safety point

Status controls whether or not a setpoint is permitted.

The point can be:

Digital or analog (but not REAL)
Device or virtual


	Opens the Select a Point browser to select an available point.
	Displays a Popup menu to:
		Open: The Select a Point browser. The Point Properties dialog box for a selected point. A New Point dialog box. Select a recently selected point.

During runtime if the:


Safety Point is	Setpoint on the Point is
Available and evaluates to a non-zero value	Permitted
Available and evaluates to zero	Not permitted
Unavailable	Not permitted


7	Availability trigger

Determines the validity of the point you are configuring and provides a "device healthy" signal for points that are tied to intermediate devices during runtime.

Can be digital or analog.


	Opens the Select a Point browser to select an available point.
	Displays a Point Popup menu.


8	Invert

Check or leave blank based on the desired behavior, as described below.


At runtime if:	Invert is Not Checked	Invert is Checked
Availability Trigger:	Configured Point is:	Configured Point is:
Evaluates to a non-zero value	Available	Unavailable
Evaluates to zero	Unavailable	Available
Is Unavailable		Unavailable


9	Attribute set

Sets of point attributes that use up to 32 bits each out of 64 available bits and can be applied to one or more points in a project.

All of the attribute fields in the selected attribute set will be available to associate with the point in any expression that takes a Point ID.


	Opens the Select Attribute Sets browser to select an available attribute set.
	Displays a Popup menu to:
		Open: A New Attribute Set dialog box. The Attribute Set dialog box for a selected attribute set. The Select Attribute Sets browser. Select a recently selected attribute set.


10	Extra info

Any 32 bit number you want to enter.

You can access it as a point attribute and do with it what you want.


10	Level

A positive or negative number.

Specifies a security level for the point to restrict setpoint access; the higher the number, the more restricted the setpoint access.
Level security affects all writable attributes of the point, e.g. alarm limits, quality attributes and raw value.

Result: When point level setpoint security is enabled a project user can set the point only if the user's assigned role has a corresponding level that is equal to or higher than the point level.

Tip: Enable point level setpoint security in the Point Setup dialog box.