Tutorial: Generating a hotel visualization using the template engine

Starting with version BMS Platform R2 Build 2071, the visualization editor includes a template engine that can be used to generate visualization projects automatically. Within this tutorial, it is shown how a visualization for a hotel project can be generated and used.

1 Create a Core Server project
2 Creating a new visualization project using a template
3 The hotel visualization project
4 The Core Server project

Create a Core Server project

First of all, a new Core Server project is generated. Open the Core Studio and create a new, empty workspace. Within this example, the workspace name “Hotel” is chose – of course you can use any name.

Create a new Core Serer workspace

Creating a new visualization project using a template

As next, a new visualization project is created. Open the visualization editor and create a new workspace. Within the dialog, select a workspace template – in this tutorial we will use the template “HOTEL_GRMS”.

Create a visualization using a template

After connecting to the Core Server and logging in, the configuration parameters for the selected template must be chosen.

Configuration parameters of the visualization template

The following parameters can be defined:

Hotel image: here a user-specific hotel image that is used at the start page can be selected.
Project root path: this parameter cannot be changed. Reserved for future use.
Project name: the name of the hotel can be defined here. It is used in the visualization as well as in the item tree structure.
Building ID: ID of the building. It is used in the item tree structure.
Buildings: this parameter cannot be changed. Reserved for future use.
Floors: number of floors in the hotel.
Rooms: number of rooms at the each floor.
Enable dashboard: if activated, a separate dashboard will be generated.
Generate Virtual Items definition file: if activated, the template engine will generate the required virtual items in the definition file nxaVirtualItems.VT.40.dat. This file will be transferred to the Core Server automatically. Since it is a separate file, it will not influence the common nxaVirutalItems.40.dat file.
Generate XCommand Event definition file: if activated, the template engine will generate the required XCommand definitions in the definition file nxaXLogicEvents.VT.dat. This file will be transferred to the Core Server automatically. Since it is a separate file, it will not influence the common nxaXLogicEvents.dat file.

After having pressed “Ok”, the visualization project will be generated and the two definition files (when option is enabled) are transferred to the Core Server. Then, the starting page of the visualization project is shown:

Start page of visualization project

The hotel visualization project

The visualization project uses variables to create the starting page, the floor and room pages as well as general pages like the dashboard. After starting the visualization, the user can choose between three different views and the dashboard (if enabled within the template wizard).

Start page

Each view has a building page which shows the state of all floors. For the reception view, this building page looks as follows:

Building page of reception view

After selecting a floor, the state of all rooms of the selected floor is shown:

Floor page of reception view

Here, information like the status of the HVAC system (current temperature, setpoint, …) and information about the room status (occupied / unoccupied, DND, MUR, guest name, …) are shown. For other views (e.g. housekeeping or engineering view), different information is shown.

When a room is selected, the room details are shown:

Room page of reception view

Again, the shown information depend of the view.

All pages are fully customizable. If you want to use a different background image for your room, just open the floor page in editor mode and change the image control element.

Multiple languages are supported too. As default, English and German are supported. However, additional languages can be added easily using the concept of visualization variables.

Language selection

The Core Server project

When selected within the template wizard, a virtual item structure is generated. This virtual item structure consists of virtual item definitions and XLogic event definitions that provide functionality like providing building- and floor-wise status information like number of occupied rooms, room with activated MUR state, …

These definitions are stored in separated file and transferred to active Core Server workspace automatically. The virtual item definitions are stored in:

C:\Program Files (x86)\NETxAutomation\BMS Platform\Core\Workspaces\<workspace name>\DataFiles\nxaVirtualItems.VT.40.dat

The XLogic event definitions are stored in:

C:\Program Files (x86)\NETxAutomation\BMS Platform\Core\Workspaces\<workspace name>\EventFiles\nxaXLogicEvents.VT.dat

Since these definition files are independent of the original virtual item and XLogic event definition files, they do not overwrite each other.

The virtual item structure in generate within the sub-tree NETx\Module:

Virtual item structure

This virtual item structure must now be linked to the physical data points like KNX items. For that, the V-Link definition file can be used or the linked item can directly be added within the nxaVirtualItems.VT.40.dat file.