Navigation Windows

Navigation Strategy

Setting up a navigation strategy allows you to navigate between different windows in the runtime Client. Ignition provides several different types of runtime navigational strategies you can choose from when designing your project. Before selecting the proper navigation strategy for your project, there are several things to consider.  These considerations will help you determine the best navigation strategy to use for your project and your users.  Once you address these considerations, then you can choose the best navigation strategy from the types below.  

• Does your project have a lot of windows?
• How complex is your project structure?
• Is your project structure organized?
• What types of things are you doing?
• Do you want to use navigation windows or fill the screen?

Types of Navigation Strategies

To help you select the right strategy that fits your project structure, here is a brief description of each navigation strategy that Ignition provides.  Keep in mind your project structure, size, organization, and types of things you are doing while you are reviewing these strategies so you can select the best runtime strategy for your project. 

• Tab Strip - is a simple strategy used for small structures regardless of how organized your project is.  It lends itself perfectly to only having a few windows and showing all of them on a navigation window.  Having too many tabs does not work well with the Tab Strip because of size limitations.  You want your users too see all the navigation tabs immediately on the first screen. The Tab Strip works by clicking to swap one main window for another. 

• 2 Tier - is similar to the Tab Strip, but is good for small and regular size project structures where windows are grouped. It contains a second level of tabs allowing you to navigate around various areas of your project.  This strategy has a docked window that contains tabs that are always open to do navigation, and the main window which fills the rest of the space.  

• Tree View - is excellent for large project structures.  You can view the entire project structure at a glance allowing you to navigate to any structure within the multi-tier Tree View component. 

• Back and Forward Buttons - this strategy is perfect if you have a small process with ordered steps.  It is one big main window that has Back and Forward buttons to step through each process step or operation one right after the other. 

• Drill Down - is ideal if you have different geographical locations, whether it's in a local facility or facilities sprinkled around the world.  The project opens with an overview that has areas on the that correspond to specific locations/areas in your facility.  With the Drill Down strategy, you can select a specific area representing the facility, and the client swaps windows to display details pertaining to that specific area.