Provide Bulk Column Configuration

The current method for adding columns and changing their Data Content type (value, average, min, max, etc) is clunky and time consuming. You can only change (or add) one column at a time, and you have to wait for the data view to refresh after each change.

Ideally, I would like to have the ability to switch from the default UI (Column headers with real data) to a configuration UI that has a more tabular configuraiton layout or a layout similar to AF.

I want to be able to select multiple data items and change them all to be "Average" instead of "Value". I want to be able to rename one column and then quickly move on and rename another without having to wait for any sort of delay or processing. Ideally, I'd like to be able to export the configuration to JSON or csv, edit it, and then import it as well.

This would greatly speed up the views that I publish that require average values for all of the tag data

23 votes

Rory Byrne-Dugan shared this idea · May 30, 2017 · Flag idea as inappropriate… · Admin →

AdminJoy Wang (Product Manager, OSIsoft) responded · Oct 9, 2018

Correction to earlier comment made by Matt Zieger: PI Integrator for Business Analytics 2018 does not support bulk column configuration. This idea is currently not planned. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss more. Thank you!

6 comments

kbobeck commented · February 22, 2019 6:19 PM · Flag as inappropriate

I agree, trying to edit the columns is a time-consuming task. At the very least, it'd be nice to pause the data auto-refresh while editing. However, a configuration UI would be ideal and could be a new "Configure View," with the current "Modify View" becoming "Preview View" or something. So the workflow would be Select Data > Configure View > Preview View > Publish

I envision the layout of the "Configure View" page as horizontal versus the current vertical layout:
[column name] [data content] [column offset] [uom] [data type] [calculation basis]

Then you could apply your changes as a whole versus column-by-column.
obermec commented · October 17, 2018 7:20 AM · Flag as inappropriate

I deeply agree with the arguments below.
We are planning on 500+ columns (is there actually a limit?) with averages per view. Adding different aggregates or interpolated values to certain tags is unfeasible. Doing the edits in the JSON configuration file is an option but not really a solution. Thanks.
GuillaumeFaure commented · October 10, 2018 3:44 AM · Flag as inappropriate

@JoyWang: Currently our users are using PI Integrator by publishing asset view with 30,40,50+ column with average value. This technical functionality lack is generating a huge time waste. When will it be planned ?
Thanks,
rfesler commented · August 14, 2018 8:25 PM · Flag as inappropriate

this is an absolutely must-have yesterday! that will significantly enhance the capabilities of PI integrator!!
Brent Bregenzer commented · August 14, 2018 7:57 PM · Flag as inappropriate

Agree wholeheartedly! I think the data view refresh issue Rory mentioned has been fixed in the 2018 version, but the painful process of editing one column at a time remains. The import/export mentioned by Matt is implemented as well, but it doesn't cover this use case as the output file is not in a format that is easily editable.
One option might be to build a PI Builder-like tool that lets you pull in each Integrator column configuration as a row in Excel with columns for each setting: Name, Value, Type, etc.
AdminMatt Ziegler (Product Manager, OSIsoft) commented · December 11, 2017 2:47 PM · Flag as inappropriate

This feature will be included in the release after PI Integrator for Business Analytics 2016 R2 SP1 which is currently scheduled for Q1/2018.

It will be via the import/export workflow and text based configuration.