Dashboard Infrastructure · PI Vision Custom Symbol

How to Add a Datasheet to AVEVA PI Vision

Everything you need to get the PIForge Datasheet symbol running on your AVEVA PI Vision server — installation, license activation, and a tour of every feature with live video.

What this solves

Installation — 5 steps, about 10 minutes

1. 1

   Download the package

   Purchase the symbol at piforge.app and download the ZIP from your profile. It contains four files: the symbol script (.js), two templates (.html) and an icon (.svg).

2. 2

   Copy the files to the PI Vision server

   Extract all four files into the PI Vision extension folder on the server: %PIHOME64%\PIVision\Scripts\app\editor\symbols\ext\ (create the ext folder if it does not exist yet). Use %PIHOME64%, not %PIHOME% — on a PI server those are different trees and PI Vision is only in the 64-bit one.

3. 3

   Restart the PI Vision application

   Recycle the PI Vision application pool in IIS (or run iisreset), then hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+F5) so the new symbol script is loaded.

4. 4

   Add the symbol to a display

   Open a display in edit mode. The new symbol appears in the symbol palette on the left. Select it, then drag a tag or AF attribute onto the canvas.

5. 5

   Activate the license

   Open Format Symbol, paste the license key from your purchase email into the License field, and save. The watermark disappears immediately — no restart needed.

What you can do with it

Getting Started

Drag PI Tags from AF Tree — Cells Bind Instantly

No scripting, no configuration dialogs — drop a tag, get live data

Open PIForge Datasheet in PI Vision, expand the Asset Framework tree, and drag any attribute directly onto a cell. The cell binds to the tag immediately and starts showing live values. Repeat for every row in your table.

• Works with any PI AF attribute or PI point path
• Drag from the PI Vision AF tree panel directly onto the cell
• Blue dot indicator confirms the cell is bound to a live PI stream
• Status formulas evaluate automatically once a tag is bound
• No property dialogs or code — drop and done

Live Monitoring

Real-Time Values with Automatic Status Alerts

Tag values refresh continuously — status cells change color the moment a threshold is crossed

Once tags are bound, PIForge Datasheet refreshes live data on every PI Vision update cycle. The status column uses =IF formulas combined with Conditional Format rules: cells flip from OK (green) to HIGH (red) or LOW (amber) the instant a value crosses its threshold.

• Values update on every PI Vision data cycle — no manual refresh
• Multiple parameters monitored simultaneously
• HIGH / LOW / OK status driven by =IF(PIVALUE(n)...) formulas
• Color changes fire automatically via Conditional Format rules
• Suitable for real-time process overview and operator displays

PI Formula Wizard

Sampled History Fills Down 10 Rows — Sparkline in One Cell

Click [DL] · choose Sampled · Apply → time-series expands automatically

The PI Formula Wizard (DL button) builds PI DataLink formulas without typing. In Sampled mode, one click fills a Timestamp column and a Value column with 10 historical readings at your chosen interval — exactly as PI DataLink does in Excel. Sparkline mode drops a live SVG trend chart into any single cell.

• Sampled mode: fills 10 rows of Timestamp + Value from PI history
• Interval, start, and end time all configurable in the wizard
• Grid expands automatically to fit the output range
• Sparkline mode: renders area/line/bar mini-chart inside the cell
• All 4 modes: Current, Archive, Sampled, Sparkline

Formulas & Conditional Format

=IF Formulas + Conditional Format = No-Code Status Logic

Formula bar shows the expression · CF rules drive the color · all live

Select any status cell to see its =IF formula in the formula bar. Open the Conditional Format panel to inspect or edit the rules that control cell color. As values animate through HIGH and LOW states, the cells respond in real time — no scripting, no separate alarm system required.

• =IF(PIVALUE(n)>threshold,"HIGH","OK") — readable, no-code logic
• Conditional Format panel shows all rules for a cell in one view
• Rules: ==OK → green · !=OK → red — first match wins
• Multiple cells can each have independent CF rule sets
• Formula + CF together replace custom AngularJS scripting

Excel Import & Export

Load Any .xlsx Template — All 5 Sections, Then Download Back

↑Excel loads your ops report structure · ↓XLSX exports the live grid

Click ↑Excel to import a daily operations report template. PIForge Datasheet preserves the full structure — section headers (Key Process Values, Alarms & Events, Production Summary, Quality Results), column headers, and all row labels. Once PI tags are bound to the live columns, click ↓XLSX to export the populated grid back to Excel.

• Imports the full report structure: 5 sections, 39 rows, 7 columns
• Section headers rendered with dark navy background for clarity
• After import, bind PI tags to value cells via drag-and-drop
• ↓XLSX exports the current live grid snapshot back to .xlsx
• Round-trip: Excel template in → live PI data → Excel report out

Display Controls

Grid Lines, Font Size, Decimal Precision, Grid Resize

One symbol — adapt to status tiles, operator dashboards, and full reports

Toggle grid lines for structured or clean tile layouts, scale the font for your display distance, and adjust decimal precision for the right level of detail. Resize the grid from a 3×3 quick-look tile to an 8×6 full parameter report — all without rebuilding.

• ShowGridLines: structured table or clean KPI tile
• FontSize: 8–32px — scale for control room or office display
• Decimal places: 0 for overviews, 2–3 for precision measurements
• Grid resize: 1×1 to 50×26 cells — reflows instantly
• All controls in the PI Vision configuration panel — no code

Configuration

PI Vision Properties Panel — All Settings in One Place

Rows, columns, font, grid lines, decimal places — live preview as you type

Every PIForge Datasheet property is exposed in the standard PI Vision configuration panel. Change Rows or Columns and the grid reflows instantly. Adjust Font Size, toggle grid lines, or set Decimal Places — the symbol updates in real time without leaving the panel. The License row confirms the symbol is activated.

• LAYOUT: Rows and Columns — grid reflows immediately on change
• APPEARANCE: Font Size, Show Grid Lines, Decimal Places, colors
• DATA: Update Rate, Border — control refresh and frame style
• LICENSE: Key and Status — confirm activation at a glance
• Standard PI Vision panel — no custom UI, familiar to all PI Vision users

Frequently asked questions

How many tags can one datasheet hold?

It is built for the tag counts a unit summary needs — dozens of rows updating live — rather than for a handful of values that a value symbol would cover.

Does it need any server-side configuration?

No. It reads through the same data layer as every other symbol; configuration is done in the display editor.

Does Datasheet work with my PI Vision version?

Yes — PI Vision 2019 R2 through 2023+ are supported. The symbol uses the standard PI Vision extensibility model, so regular version upgrades do not break it, and one year of compatibility updates is included.

Do I need to install anything on client PCs?

No. The symbol is installed once on the PI Vision server; every browser client gets it automatically from there.

How is it licensed?

One license covers one PI Vision server, with unlimited displays and unlimited users on that server. The key is delivered instantly by email after purchase.

Can I try it before buying?

Every feature is demonstrated in live video on the product page, and a free symbol (Combo Chart Free Edition) is available on GitHub to validate the install workflow end to end. If you need a formal quotation or have to go through procurement, use the Request a Quote button on the product page.

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