Using Existing SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or EcoStruxure Machine Expert Projects

Overview

With EcoStruxure Machine Expert, you can open existing projects that were created with SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert. In the course of this manual, such projects will be referred to as legacy projects.

You can use legacy projects (created with SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert) in different ways:

Open a *.project file
Extract Archive a *.projectarchive file
Source Upload a *.prj file from a controller

Using a project archive is the preferred method for migrating a project because a .projectarchive file contains the following additional information that is not included in a .project file:

Download information file
Libraries
Device description files

When you extract the archive in EcoStruxure Machine Expert, the device and library files can automatically be installed into the corresponding EcoStruxure Machine Expert repositories. For information on extracting project archives, refer to the chapter Creating a Project from a Project Archive in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Menu Commands Online Help.

NOTE: When you extract a project archive that was created with a different version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert, a message is displayed indicating that your environment might get modified.

Update Project Dialog Box

When you open a legacy project, the Update Project dialog box is displayed. It provides an Overview tab and additional tabs, depending on the elements of the project that need to be updated.

The Overview tab provides general information:

Element	Description
Project format version information area	Provides information on the present version of the project format and the new version and indicates whether an Upgrade or a Downgrade is to be performed. Further information on the upgrade or downgrade operation is provided by the information box that is displayed upon mouse rollover on the i symbol.
Project features not supported by your installation area	Provides a list of project features that are not supported by the present EcoStruxure Machine Expert installation on your PC (for example, because a specific Add-on is not installed).
Project categories available for update area	Lists the project categories that need to be updated and provides a short overview. For further information, refer to the tabs specific to each category. By default, the categories are selected for update. To exclude a category from the update operation, deselect the check box.
Check for updates when opening this project option	The Check for updates when opening this project option is by default selected. Deactivate the option to prevent the search for updates when you open the project. To reactivate the function later on, open the Update Project dialog box from Logic Builder by executing the command Project > Open “Update Project” dialog....
Restore recommended update settings button	After you have made modifications on this dialog box, this button is enabled. Click the Restore recommended update settings button to return to the default settings.
Update button	Click the Update button to perform the update according to the settings made in this dialog box. Result: The content of the project will be updated. When a controller is no longer supported and needs to be replaced, it will be converted into a supported device. If no replacement device is available, the device will neither be updated nor converted. It will still be available but it cannot be used in the project in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. NOTE: After you have updated a project or a project archive, you cannot open it with SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
Cancel button	Click Cancel if you do not want to make any modifications to your project. NOTE: If your project contains devices that are not supported by EcoStruxure Machine Expert, you can open the project with EcoStruxure Machine Expert for copying parts of the project into a new project. Nevertheless, compilation of this project is not possible.

The tabs of the Update Project dialog box are displayed if the respective elements of the project need to be updated. Each tab provides an option on top that allows you to consider the specific element for update or to exclude the element from the update procedure. Furthermore, detailed information is provided on the update procedure and allows you to select your preferences.

Compiler Version

The compiler is the software that converts your project into the binary code that is downloaded and executed on the controller. For further information on the compiler version, refer to the chapters General Information and to EcoStruxure Machine Expert/CODESYS Compiler Version Mapping. For a list of compiler messages, refer to the Compiler Errors document.
Devices

Installed devices that require an update are listed with name, type, and version. The suggested update action is listed in the Recommended column.

The Update to / Convert to column allows you to select the target version or target device to be updated to or to be converted to from a list.
- If there is no target device listed in this column, the device has become unsupported and cannot be replaced by a controller for the present EcoStruxure Machine Expert version. The earlier version that supports this device is listed in the Recommended column.
- If another controller is listed in the Update to / Convert to column, the controller has become unsupported and needs to be converted to the target controller.
For further information, see the list of unsupported devices in the Appendix of this User Guide, and refer to the updating devices part or the converting devices part of the online help.

NOTE: If a controller is converted into another controller, the subdevices are not converted. You have to verify them carefully and replace them manually after the project has been converted.

The Status column displays symbols indicating information on the present selection, compared to the Recommended state.
Libraries

For further information on updating libraries, refer to the Functions and Libraries User Guide.
Visualization profile

The Visualization profile defines:
- The names and versions of the Visualization Libraries that are included in the project when a visualization object is created.
- A selection of visualization elements provided by the included libraries.
Visualization Styles

A visualization style is a collection of colors, fonts, images, and values that are defined as style properties. These style properties are available when designing visualization elements in order to help create a uniform, style-dependent appearance.

For detailed information, refer to the Visualization part of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert online help.

After you have confirmed your settings by clicking the Update button, perform a build and a download of the project to the controller for the update to become valid.

NOTE: Errors that are detected during the update process are displayed in the Messages view of Logic Builder.

NOTE: After the update of the project,

You may encounter device firmware compatibility issues,
You will no longer be able to open the project in SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

NOTE: You can still update your project at a later point in time by executing the command Project > Open “Update Project” dialog..., and selecting the Check for updates when opening this project option.

NOTE: You can open projects that contain unsupported devices with EcoStruxure Machine Expert, but you cannot edit them. EcoStruxure Machine Expert requests you to convert to another platform.

NOTE:

If a SoMachine or SoMachine Motion project with HMIs is loaded, it may occur that Vijeo-Designer must be started by the update. In this case, it may occur that Vijeo-Designer is only started in the background.

Vijeo-Designer must be opened manually to continue the update.
If a SoMachine or SoMachine Motion project with unsupported HMIs is loaded, it may occur that Vijeo-Designer is started and you are prompted to enter a reference number.

If the reference number is not available, click No and the device is updated automatically to a preprogrammed type.
If a SoMachine or SoMachine Motion project with unsupported HMIs (with control) is loaded, the HMI is converted in Vijeo-Designer to a supported HMI.

NOTE: Even if you deselect the option Update Libraries, it may occur that some libraries are updated. This is a result of the Update Devices procedure. The libraries referenced by the device descriptions of the devices selected for update are updated automatically if the Update Devices option is selected.

Using Your Legacy Projects

It is possible to install full versions of SoMachine, SoMachine Motion, or EcoStruxure Machine Expert (available via DVD or USB) in parallel.

There is no need to uninstall an existing version before you start the installation of a new version.

If you do not intend to use the latest features and functions of the new EcoStruxure Machine Expert version, open your project with the version it was created with.

Using Your Legacy Projects Without Update in EcoStruxure Machine Expert

If you do not want to modify your project and still want to be able to connect to a controller to which the original project was downloaded, click Cancel in the Update Project dialog box.

NOTE: If your project contains unsupported devices, you can open the project with EcoStruxure Machine Expert for copying parts of the project into a new project. Nevertheless, compilation of this project is not possible.

NOTE: If you do not update your project, the latest functionalities of EcoStruxure Machine Expert are not available. Further, you might encounter that the object code that would be generated by the present version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert would differ from the object code generated by SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert from which the project was originally built. In this case, you will be prompted by a message asking you to confirm that you do not want to update your project.

WARNING
	UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION Always verify that your application program will operate as it had under any previous compiler version within SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or EcoStruxure Machine Expert. Thoroughly test a newly compiled version of your application with the device firmware compatible with the latest version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert. Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

WARNING

UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION

Always verify that your application program will operate as it had under any previous compiler version within SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
Thoroughly test a newly compiled version of your application with the device firmware compatible with the latest version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

To help ensure full compatibility of your original project, use the corresponding version of SoMachine, SoMachine Motion or EcoStruxure Machine Expert (installation may be required). For more information on how to reduce the effect of a new version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert on your projects, refer to the Settings Helping to Preserve Compatibility.

You can log in to your controller without building and downloading the project only if a Download Information Files file (*.compileinfo) was created in the same directory as the project on your PC and with the same major EcoStruxure Machine Expert version.

Refer to Code Generation, Compile Information in the Building and Downloading Applications chapter of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Programming Guide.

Updating / Converting Single Devices Individually

If you click Cancel in the Update Project dialog box, the devices in your project are not updated or converted.

To update or convert single devices individually, refer to the updating devices part or the converting devices part of the online help.

Using Legacy Repositories

To use repositories (for example device repositories, library repositories) of a SoMachine / SoMachine Motion or previous EcoStruxure Machine Expert version installed in parallel to your present EcoStruxure Machine Expert version, proceed as follows:

Step	Action	Comment
1	In EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder, execute the command Tools > Options....	The Options dialog box is displayed.
2	Select Directories (Devices, Libraries, ...) in the list on the left-hand side.	The Directories (Devices, Libraries, ...) dialog box of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder is displayed.
3	Activate the Include legacy repositories check box.	Now you can use the legacy repositories in your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project.

Vijeo-Designer Compatibility

The Vijeo-Designer software has its own rules which are defined in Vijeo-Designer (Help > User Manuals > 3 Before You Begin > 3.2 Compatibility).

Vijeo-Designer can open an application created with an earlier version and can automatically convert this application into the new version.

NOTE: The converted application can no longer be opened with an earlier version of Vijeo-Designer. Consider this when several EcoStruxure Machine Expert versions are installed in parallel on the same PC, or when you provide a project to a user who is working with an earlier Vijeo-Designer version.

EcoStruxure Operator Terminal Expert Compatibility

For compatibility information, refer to the online help of EcoStruxure Operator Terminal Expert.

Projects with External Elements

If you did not follow the migration practices when using SoMachine, SoMachine Motion, or a previous version of EcoStruxure Machine Expert, you may encounter the following concerns with external elements:

A project that contains a device description installed from an EDS file, such that the device cannot be recognized by the new EcoStruxure Machine Expert version. You must install the device in the Device Repository,
A project that contains a library (for example, a library created by the user) that is not part of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert installation, such that the library cannot be recognized by the new EcoStruxure Machine Expert version. You must add the library in the Library Repository.