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4. Manually Controlling a Scene

Before controlling a scene with an external controller (a PLC, for instance) it's recommended to test it manually. This way you can ensure that the scene layout works as expected. But first, you need to learn what Tags are and how they can be used to control parts.

Any part that is a sensor or actuator has at least one tag. Tags are made of a name and a value and can be of two different types: Sensors Tags and Actuators Tags. They can hold three different data types: Boolean for on/off values, Float for analog values (real numbers) and Integer for specific data.

Tag values can be Forced at any moment, allowing you to play the role of the controller. To control your scene manually, you force the Actuators Tags, simulating a value coming from the controller.

Using the scene created on 3. Creating a Scene, try to transport the pallet to the left conveyor.

  1. Switch to Run mode by clicking the Play button (1).

  2. Show the actuators tags by clicking on the Actuators Tags button (2).

  3. Left-click on a tag to dock it. Once a tag is docked, you can force its value. You can Dock All Tags and Clear Docked Tags on the View Menu.

    docked tag