Intro to Properties
In MyStacks, ‘properties’ are used to define attributes of dashboards, widgets, tags, and more. These attributes control how these elements behave, interact, and display information. For example, renaming a dashboard simply updates it’s ‘name’ property with a new value. Whether you’re adjusting incoming data from watts to kilowatts, defining high and low thresholds for a machine’s ‘On’ state, or renaming a dashboard to simplify navigation, properties ensure consistency and accuracy across your organization.
This article will focus on how to access, browse, and edit tag properties. A comprehensive list of properties and how to use them is available in the properties by category article.
Why use properties
Using properties to define how incoming data is handled for each tag will apply those settings anywhere the tag is used, across all dashboards and widgets. This keeps data handling consistent throughout your organization, regardless of whether you have two devices or two hundred.
It also minimizes time spent on configuration, which is why ‘Use Tag Properties’ is selected by default throughout MyStacks. For example, if a sensor sends data in Celsius and you want to show it in Fahrenheit, you can either:
- Do the conversion once at the tag level for all widgets and dashboards, or
- Enter the conversion as a custom setting for every individual widget you create that uses that tag
We strongly recommend that you define properties at the tag level as often as possible to streamline configuration and maintain a consistent view of your data.
Accessing tag properties
There are two ways to access and configure tag properties: Using a shortcut from any widget’s Configure Widget panel, or centrally from the Stack Management Widget.
The Configure Widget panel allows you to jump directly to any tag that the widget is currently displaying, making this the fastest option if you have a specific tag in mind. With the dashboard unlocked, hover your mouse over the widget and click the Configure Widget (
) icon to open the panel. Then click the jump icon (
) to go directly to that tag’s properties and make changes. You will only be able to view a single tag at a time using this method.
The Stack Management widget provides a comprehensive view of every tag associated with a stack, making this the more powerful option. For example, use this option if you want to quickly duplicate properties across several tags. Add a stack management widget to any dashboard, click the three-dot menu under Actions, and select Manage Tags to open the tag browser.
Navigating the tag browser
Scroll through the list of tags associated with this stack, or use the type-ahead search function to filter and find the tags you need as demonstrated below.
As you select tags from the list, they will be added as tabs. Within each tab you can configure various properties of each tag, grouped by category. Properties configured here will apply across all dashboards and widgets unless overridden by custom settings while configuring a widget. Click the left-hand arrow to open or close each category of property. A comprehensive list of properties and how to use them is available in the properties by category article.
Copying and pasting properties
Sets of properties can be copied and pasted from one tag to another. This is particularly useful when setting up new tags that share many fields, such as sophisticated States properties as demonstrated below.
Note that once a set of states has been stored in the clipboard, it can only be pasted into a valid set of matching fields. The paste button will not appear at an invalid paste destination.