LookOUT and RSview

G

Thread Starter

Gerald Beaudoin

I am considering RSview for some data acquisition and graphics of what
is going on in the plant. We have about a dozen 5/03 and 5/04 on DH and
DH+ scattered around the plant. I see that many of the features of
LOOKOUT seem to do what I am looking for a substantiallly less cash
outlay........has anybody out there compared these 2 products.....am I
missing something here???? Thanks for any comments.

Gerald Beaudoin
[email protected]
 
Lookout has a lot more to offer on data intensive systems. There are more
options available for displaying and manipulating data. We have found that
RSView is a little easier to implement on non data systems (pushbuttons
and displays). You can add Active X controls to RSView but that is somewhat
limited.

LouY
 
R

Rich Anderson

I use Lookout, I have used FactoryLink, FixMMI, Genesis, Cimplicity. Believe me, get Lookout. It is by far the easiest. And it does everything I have ever needed it to do. I have it talking with AB SLCs and AB PLCs and GE 90/30s.
It’s great. I would be happy to answer a more specific question if you have one.
Cheers,
Rich Anderson
Automation Controls Developer
Anamax
 
J

John O’Beck

I have used both.
I consider RSView to be a Cadillac product. It is very much tuned to the process industries although it will also lend itself very well to batch, discrete or other manufacturing technologies. The product is extremely scalable and I would not hesitate to use it even in very large and complex applications.
Lookout, on the other hand, is a much more limited system. It works and works well, but does not have all of the capabilities of RSView. I would consider it for small systems that do not require a huge amount of flexibility.
I have received excellent support from both companies.
RSView has a very nice drawing editor built in. You will have to use an external program for lookout.
Both have decent database import facilities, RSView is easier to use IMO.
An important consideration is that RSView is built from the ground up for NT and used the Microsoft Foundation Class and Common Dialogs. As such it looks and feels like any other windows product. Lookout on the other hand, minimizes the use of MSF and common dialogs. This leads to some really frustrating user interface shortfalls, but none of them are critical.
Version 3 of lookout has quite a few bugs with OLE and DDE. It basically does not work over a network. It is very frustrating not to be able to do a SQL query of the database from a machine other than the primary MMI. Version 4 was supposed to solve this, but I have not tested it. RSView works well over the network.
The above is only my opinion.
I can try to answer other specific questions if you have any.
J. T. O’Beck
[email protected]
 
P
Rich, I am looking for a simple HMI software package to display a stanby generator set control system. It will need to interface to a device using Modbus-RTU protocol. Would this Lookout work and could you point me to their website?

Thanks
Paul Marot
Virelec


> I use Lookout, I have used FactoryLink, FixMMI, Genesis, Cimplicity. Believe me, get Lookout. It is by far the easiest. And it does everything I have ever needed it to do. I have it talking with AB SLCs and AB PLCs and GE 90/30s.

> It’s great. I would be happy to answer a more specific question if you have one.
 
T
I do not think I would consider RSView to be a 'Cadillac' product. It may work well for stand-alone systems, but it lacks in every detail when it comes to a true enterprise solution as a SCADA system. We are in the middle of very heated discussions with Rockwell about what their product was sold as versus what it can really do. I realize a lot of people use it for a single installation, but this is DEFINITELY not the product that you would want to select for a true SCADA system. I would be delighted to answer any questions concerning implementing RSView and Active Display Server and it's short-comings.
 
P
I'm also looking for detail information regarding Lookout. There is some definite drawbacks in some assignment operations that I don't seem get running. Please send me an e-mail address to set up a conversation.
 
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