Configuring the device properties for a specific group of identical or similar devices is the ideal situation in which to
use a template. In this situation, you would make a device template. Do this just after you finish configuring properties
for the first device.
As an example, you are configuring four air handler units (AHUs), one for each floor of a four-story building and the temperature
limits vary from floor to floor. You are using an AHU component that you have already tagged and configured for the first
floor.
The tabs in the Template view allow you to provision the AHU template as follows:
- Components tab: modify the template’s components and links as needed.
- Configuration tab: select and expose the temperature limits.
- Relations tab: define any desired relations between the root component of this template and other components in the station in which
the template is deployed.
- Template I/O tab: set up the required links for the template inputs and outputs.
- Graphics tab: create or modify the graphic views associated with the components in the template component tree.
- Subtemplates tab: manage and provision related sub-templates contained by the parent template.
When finished, save the template. The system saves a new template file (
.ntpl) with the default name or the name you entered on the
Template Info tab, and stores the file in your
Workbench User Home
/templates directory. Once saved, the template is available from the
Template side bar.
Templates that were created in
Niagara 4.13
Workbench and prior versions can be opened and edited in
Niagara 4.14.
As of
Niagara 4.14, the Slot Path Scope information will be added when you save the template. If you do not set a value, no Slot Path Scope value will be applied when the template is deployed.
Using the Device Manager, you can then apply the AHU template to the discovered AHU devices for the remaining floors. During actual template deployment
you are prompted to set the temperature limits and resolve the inputs, outputs, and relations for each device.
NOTE: To avoid future problems, make sure that you tag and configure devices correctly before making a template and using it to
configure other devices. Additionally, you must copy all relevant tag dictionaries (with the exception of the
Niagara tag dictionaries) from the tag dictionaries Service to the tag dictionaries folder in your User Home file space before the
template is first created (or edited), and during template deployment to be successful. Also, the system does not automatically
apply subsequent template changes to the configured devices.