Industrial IDE Navigation With Context-Filtered Editing Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial development platforms are limited in their ability to provide a unified, intuitive interface for designing, programming, and configuring multiple aspects of industrial automation systems, leading to a piecemeal design approach and increased testing and debugging efforts.
Innovation Solution
An integrated development environment (IDE) system that offers a user-friendly interface for configuring and managing automation system devices, allowing users to selectively render or hide editing tools and information, and automatically filtering tools based on the current development task.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a unified integrated development environment is implemented to provide comprehensive programming and configuration capabilities, then the ability to design and manage automation systems is improved, but the interface complexity and clutter increase
Solution Approach 1:
The development interface is segmented into multiple tabs (e.g., Logic Development tab, HMI Development tab, Configuration tab) that organize different programming and configuration functions. Each tab presents a focused subset of tools and options relevant to that specific development task, reducing the visible complexity while maintaining comprehensive functionality when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface dynamically adapts its presentation based on the active development task and selected elements. Tools and options are shown or hidden contextually, and the interface can transform between different views (e.g., graphical programming view versus text editing view) to optimize the working area for the current task while keeping comprehensive capabilities accessible.
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive editing tools and information are always displayed to support multi-discipline programming, then the availability of functions is improved, but the working area is reduced and clutter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is divided into collapsible panels and expandable sections that can be shown or hidden based on current needs. Properties panels, tool palettes, and information displays are segmented into optional regions that do not permanently occupy workspace area but can be accessed when required for comprehensive programming tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface utilizes multiple dimensional organization strategies, including vertical stacking of tools, hierarchical folding of options, and contextual menus that appear on-demand. This allows comprehensive editing functions to be organized in layers and dimensions rather than competing for two-dimensional workspace space.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the interface displays all available tools and options, then the completeness of functionality is improved, but the time to locate desired functions increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the interface provide different densities and types of information based on local context. Frequently used tools are positioned in easily accessible areas, while less frequently used comprehensive functions are organized in structured menus or panels that can be accessed when needed. The interface provides contextual relevance to reduce search time.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface includes integrated search functionality and contextual help systems that allow users to quickly locate desired functions without manually navigating through comprehensive toolsets. The system serves itself by providing intelligent suggestions, auto-completion, and context-aware tool recommendations based on the current development task.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) comprises a development interface that affords a user a great deal of control over the editing tools, workspace canvases, and project information rendered at a given time. The industrial IDE system automatically filters the tools, panels, and information available for selection based on a current project development task, such that a focused subset of editing tools relevant to a current development task or context are made available for selection while other tools are hidden. The development interface also allows the user to selectively render or hide selected tools or information from among the relevant, filtered set of tools. This can reduce or eliminate unnecessary clutter and aid in quickly and easily locating and selecting a desired editing function. The IDE's development interface can also conform to a structured organization of workspace canvases and panels that facilitates intuitive workflow.