How to Detect Edit Mode in PI Vision Custom Symbols

Custom symbol development in PI Vision allows for highly interactive and tailored data visualizations. As a developer, you might want to adjust the appearance or behavior of your custom symbols when the display is in "Edit" or "Modify" mode—such as providing visual cues or enabling configuration elements exclusive to editors.

A common question arises: Is there a straightforward way to detect when a symbol is being edited?

The Solution: Using this.scope.layoutMode

When developing custom symbols in PI Vision, the framework provides a useful property: this.scope.layoutMode. This boolean value indicates whether the display is currently in an editable state.

• When this.scope.layoutMode is true, the display is in "Edit" or "Modify" mode.
• When it's false, the display is in viewing mode.

How to Use It

Within your custom symbol code (typically inside your symbol's controller or logic function), you can use this property as follows:

if (this.scope.layoutMode) {
    // The symbol is in edit mode
    // Provide editing UI cues or behaviors
} else {
    // Standard viewing behavior
}

Example Use Cases

• Show handles or drag/drop interfaces only in edit mode
• Display configuration buttons or tooltips to guide editors
• Hide sensitive or distracting elements during display configuration

Tips for Developers

• Always check for the existence of layoutMode on the scope, as the symbol's lifecycle might briefly present undefined states.
• Use AngularJS $watch when you need to react to edit mode transitions dynamically:

$scope.$watch('layoutMode', function (newVal) {
    if (newVal) {
        // Just entered edit mode
    } else {
        // Returned to view mode
    }
});

Conclusion

Leveraging this.scope.layoutMode is the recommended way to detect and respond to "Edit" or "Modify" mode when creating custom symbols for PI Vision. This simple technique enables you to make your symbols more interactive and user-friendly for both editors and viewers.

Happy symbol development!