# Quick start steps for developing an application

In FactoryTalk View Studio, you create the software application to monitor and control your plant processes. These steps explain how to get an application up and ready to run.

Step 1: Create an application

Create the application that you will run. An application is a folder on your hard disk that contains, among other things, the application file (*.med).

Step 2: Set up communications

Establish communications between FactoryTalk View Studio and the hardware and devices you are using. You can use only Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control (OPC) communications. The default OPC server installed with FactoryTalk View Studio is FactoryTalk® Linx™. These steps assume you are using FactoryTalk Linx.

Create device shortcuts that point to the devices.

Step 3: Specify project settings

Specify how you want the project to look at run time, including setting the graphic display type and size, background color, highlight color, and other properties.

Step 4: Create graphic displays

Create graphic displays that operators will use to monitor and control plant processes.

Step 5: Select tags

Once you have established device shortcuts, the tags on your network will be available through the Tag Browser. Assign these tags to the objects in your displays as needed.

Step 6: Set up alarms

Set up alarms to notify the operator when a dangerous or critical condition occurs.

Step 7: Set up data logging

Set up data logging to record what is happening when your system is running.

Step 8: Set up run-time message displays

Set up displays to give the operator additional information at run time. You can use displays to give the operator information messages, local messages, and information about system activity.

Step 9: Configure startup settings

Set up what components the project will use when it starts. This includes settings like what macros will run when the project starts, what the initial display will be, and what data log model to use, if any.

Step 10: Secure your system

For 3.20 and earlier applications and users, set up user access to specify which parts of your application different operators can use. For 4.00 and later applications, security is handled by FactoryTalk Security, which authenticates users and verifies their permission to perform specific actions within the system. For more information, see FactoryTalk help.

Step 11: Create a run-time file

Once you finish creating the application, create a run-time file.

## See also

Quick start steps for running an application

About FactoryTalk View Machine Edition

Keywords: develop, create, application