Operations & Data Entry · PI Vision Custom Symbol

How to Add a Manual Data Entry to AVEVA PI Vision

Everything you need to get the PIForge Manual Data Entry 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

Entry Grid

A Spreadsheet for Your PI Tags

Timestamp rows × tags — existing values pre-filled

Drop tags on the symbol and get an hourly (or any interval) entry grid over your chosen range. Recorded values appear pre-filled; gaps show as empty cells ready to type — perfect for lab results and shift backfilling.

• Timestamp grid over any PI time range
• Existing recorded values pre-filled
• Gaps highlighted as missing
• Keyboard navigation like a spreadsheet

Write-Back

Values Go to PI — Not Into a Screenshot

Confirm dialog → batched PI Web API write → result banner

Save batches every changed cell into one PI Web API call, executed with the operator’s own Windows account — AF security still applies. A confirm dialog shows exactly what will be written; a banner reports the result.

• One batched write for all changes
• Confirm-before-write (optional)
• Runs as the viewing user — AF security intact
• Per-cell success / failure feedback

Tag List

One Row per Tag for Shift Readings

Last value beside the new entry, grouped by asset

Switch to tag-list mode for daily rounds: each tag is a row with its current value, units and a New Value field, grouped under its AF element. Single shared timestamp or per-row timestamps.

• Rows grouped by AF element
• Last value + units beside the entry
• Single or per-row timestamps
• One dropdown switches grid ↔ list

Validation

Bad Values Never Reach PI

Min/max, type and pick-list rules per tag pattern

Define rules by tag-name pattern: numeric ranges, types, or pick-lists. Out-of-range entries are flagged instantly and Save refuses to send them — the historian stays clean.

• Min / max numeric ranges
• Pick-list (dropdown) options per rule
• Rules match by tag-name pattern
• Save blocks until errors are fixed

Audit Trail

Who Wrote What — And Undo in One Click

Every write logged with old → new; Revert restores

The audit drawer records every write: tag, timestamp, old and new value, status. Fat-fingered an entry? Revert writes the previous value straight back to PI.

• Full in-symbol audit log
• Old → new value per write
• One-click Revert (writes the old value back)
• CSV export of the audit trail

Multistate

Typos Jump Out Before They Are Written

Color rules on the New Value cell + density & styling

Multistate rules color the New Value cell as you type — 92 where 9.2 was meant turns red before it ever reaches PI. Density, visible columns, header colors and fonts are all in the Format panel.

• Multistate color rules on entries
• Also colors the Last Value column
• Comfortable / compact density
• Columns, colors and fonts configurable

Frequently asked questions

How does it write to PI?

Through the standard PI Web API, using the credentials the browser session already has, so writes are subject to the same PI security as any other client.

Can I control who is allowed to enter values?

Write permission is governed by PI point and AF attribute security on the server — the symbol does not bypass it, so an operator who cannot write to a tag cannot write to it here either.

Does Manual Data Entry 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.

Other Operations & Data Entry symbols

All PI Vision symbol guides · Browse the marketplace