Why an Equipment Hierarchy with Tiers?

When you configure your equipment in AssetWorX, you create an equipment hierarchy that specifies which types of equipment belong at each tier of the asset tree. Doing this controls the structure of the asset tree by preventing you from accidentally assigning certain types of equipment to inappropriate tiers, and it also controls whether an asset level can have multiple tiers of equipment at each level. The equipment hierarchy applies universally throughout the configuration database's asset tree.

 

When you first install AssetWorX, you will find that there are three different equipment hierarchies provided for you to choose from, each with their own predefined tiers. You can alternatively choose to define a hierarchy of your own choosing. Your options include the following:

You can use these levels as they are, rename them, delete them, move them, and add more levels. Do what you need to do so that they suit your enterprise's purposes. The objective you want to keep in mind when doing so is that each tier defines a specific type of equipment that occupies that tier.

 

The remainder of this topic describes the following:

Understanding the Rules of the Equipment Hierarchy

Before you define the tiers of the equipment hierarchy, put together a plan for structuring your company's equipment in a tree-like structure. Then define the tiers of the equipment hierarchy in AssetWorX. You can add iconic images that identify each level.

So that you can do this, it is important that you understand how the hierarchy works.

 

Asset Tree (left) and the Equipment Hierarchy that Controls It (right)

 

Here are a few rules you need to keep in mind when deciding what you want the tiers of the equipment hierarchy to be:

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Defining the Tiers of the Equipment Hierarchy

Use the Equipment Hierarchy tab to identify asset levels in your asset tree, by following these steps:

  1. In AssetWorX, in the Project Explorer navigation tree expand localhost > [the name of your AssetWorX database. In our examples, we've named it 'AssetWorX'] > Product Configuration.

  2. Click on Equipment Hierarchy. This opens the Equipment Hierarchy tab, which looks like this:

Equipment Hierarchy Defines the Tiers of the Asset Tree

  1. If there are assets in the asset tree already, an Override button appears on the tab. You cannot change the equipment hierarchy unless you click the Override button.

  2. From the Equipment Hierarchy drop-down list, select the hierarchy you want to use for this configuration. If you are creating the hierarchy for the first time, choose the hierarchy that is closest to the one you want to use, then follow the steps below to modify it.

  3. To add a new tier to the hierarchy, click on the gray row that says Click here to add new item. The row becomes enabled so that you can define a new tier. Enter the following:

    1. Enter a Name for the new tier.

    2. Choose the Icon to represent the tier in the equipment hierarchy. You can use any .jpg or .png as a placeholder if you like. For help creating and configuring a new icon, refer to the Configuring icons for the equipment hierarchy section, below in this topic.

    3. Enter a Description.

    4. If more than one level of equipment can be created in the asset tree for this tier, put a check mark in the Nested column. If only one level of this tier can be created in the asset tree, leave the check box empty.

  4. Click Apply to save the new tier.

  5. Now, with the tier still selected, click the down arrow at the right of the table to move the tier to the position where it belongs in the hierarchy. Click the up and down arrows to position the new tier in the hierarchy. Note that the new tier cannot be inserted above any tier that has equipment in it in the asset tree.  

  6. Repeat these steps to define additional tiers.

  7. To remove a level, select the level and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

  8. Click Apply to save the change, or click Apply & Close to also close the tab.

If you need additional help using this tab, refer to the Equipment Hierarchy Node topic.

 

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Configuring Icons for the Equipment Hierarchy

Tiers in the equipment hierarchy and equipment in the asset tree are represented by small, iconic images that have been configured in the AssetWorX.  If you are adding a new tier to the equipment hierarchy, you must choose an icon in AssetWorX that will represent the tier in the hierarchy. You can use any image as a placeholder until you have finalized the images you will be using.

Uses

Icons in the equipment hierarchy are used by default for each tier in the asset tree. You can, however, use icons for each individual type of equipment which you select at the time you add equipment to the asset tree. For example, you can use the icon of an office building for the Building tier of the hierarchy, but when you add a warehouse, select the warehouse icon instead. If you are using Energy AnalytiX, you can create a separate set of icons that identify meters and utility sources.

 

You can create icons that represent:

Strategies

Plan out the icons you intend to use. How you use them and set them up will be determined by your enterprise, the complexity of your asset tree, and the needs at your organization. Keep in mind that the icons in the asset tree will be used not only by the personnel who configures providers in the the Workbench, but also by runtime user who are viewing charts and reports. For this reason, you might want to set strategies in place for colors and shapes that you use in the asset tree, to make equipment in the asset tree easy to identify.

 

AssetWorX comes to you with some default images in place. You can use these images or create your own. If you want to use your own, then you must configure them in AssetWorX by following the steps provided below. The images must be saved to a file in a .JPG or .PNG format.

Steps

To Configure an Icon for Use in a Tier of the Equipment Hierarchy:

  1. Open the Workbench, and click the AssetWorX provider button in the Project Explorer.

  2. Expand localhost > [the name of your AssetWorX database. In our examples, we've named it 'AssetWorX'] > Product Configuration.

  3. Right-click on the Images node and select Edit or Edit on New Tab. This opens the Images tab, which looks like this:

Configure Icon Images for Use in the Equipment Hierarchy

  1. Click on the gray row that says Click here to add new item. The row becomes enabled.

  2. Click the ellipsis button [...] in the Image column to choose the image as it will appear in the asset tree. This opens an Open dialog where you must navigate to the .jpg or .png file created for this purpose. Select the file and click the Open button; the dialog box closes and file image appears in the Image column.

  3. Optionally, in the 16x16 Icon column you can choose a 16-pixel by 16-pixel version of the icon. If you leave this column empty, the icon in the Image column is used by default.

  4. Optionally, in the 32x32 Icon column you can choose a 32-pixel by 32-pixel version of the icon that appears on the Equipment tab when you are modifying equipment values. If you leave this column empty, the icon in the Image column displays on the Equipment tab.

  5. Enter a Name and Description for the new tier.

  6. Move it to the correct location in the hierarchy by clicking the up and down arrow buttons at the right.

  7. Click Apply to save the change, or click Apply & Close to also close the tab.

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See also:

Images Node

Strategies for Building the Asset Tree