What is a UDT?
UDTs (User Defined Types) are extremely important in Ignition. UDTs, also referred to as Complex Tags, offer the ability to leverage object-oriented data design principles in Ignition. Using UDTs, you can dramatically reduce the amount of work necessary to create robust systems by essentially creating parameterized "data templates".
By defining UDTs and using these essentially “data templates”, you can generate Tag instances to rapidly build complex screens. A change to the type definition is then inherited by all instances, drastically saving time when making routine changes.
The UDT data types are fully supported by Vision Templates, which means you can configure templates for your custom data types and take advantage of drag-and-drop binding to rapidly build complex screens.
Primary UDT Features
Object Oriented
Use small or large groups of Tags to create a single object. Create objects that match your real world devices or the existing structures in your PLCs.
Central Definition
Once you define your data type, you can then create instances of it. If at a later time you want to change some aspect of the type, you can simply edit the type definition, and all instances of it are automatically updated.
Parameterized Settings
Define custom parameters on your data type, and then reference them inside some or all of your member Tags. When it comes time to create instances, you can simply modify their parameter values in order to change where the underlying data comes from.
Extendable
Data types can inherit from other data types in order to add additional members or override settings. Instances can also override settings, allowing for flexibility when dealing with irregularities and corner cases.