# Import PLC tags

You can import PLC tags to an HMI tag database. Tags imported this way are copied into the current HMI project and are not shared with the source database. Changes made to tag configuration in FactoryTalk View will not affect the database they have been imported from.

## To import tags from a PLC database

1. In the Tags editor, select Other Databases from the Edit menu to open the Import PLC Tags dialog box.

   or

   Select the DB tool from the Tags editor toolbar.

   or

   In the right-hand side of the Tag Browser, right click to display the Context menu and then select Import PLC Tags.

2. Type a folder name if you want the tags to be in a folder. If the folder does not already exist in the project’s tag database, it will be created.
3. Specify the RSLinx Classic topic for the location of the imported tags, or the name of the FactoryTalk Linx device shortcut. The tags will be copied into this topic, and each tag's address in the HMI tag database will contain the name of the topic or device shortcut.
4. Type the name and path for the PLC database you want to import tags from or click the Browse button to locate and select the database. The tags from the selected PLC database are shown in the box below the Filter box.
5. If the list of tags is too big to display entirely, or you only want to see certain tags, type a filter string and then click Search to filter the list.
6. Highlight the tag or tags you want to import, and then click OK to add the tags to the current HMI Tag database. If you have already imported a particular tag, you are prompted to change its name if you want to import it again.

   Tip: | The filter allows the '?' wildcard character to stand for any single character and the '*' to represent any multiple characters. The file extension for a PLC database depends on the tool used to create it. The file extensions are: .ctd for RSLogix 5/500 saved as an external database .rss for an RSLogix 500® internal database .rsp for an RSLogix 5 internal database The PLC database browser only shows PLC/SLC addresses that are used in the Address/Symbol editor in PLC programming software. The import operation can handle a maximum of 500 tags per import. If more than 500 tags are to be imported, the operation will have to be repeated until all desired tags have been selected and imported.

## Options

- Import Tags into Folder

  Type the name of a folder if you want the imported tags to be placed in one. If the folder does not already exist in the FactoryTalk View tag database it will be created.

- FactoryTalk Linx Shortcut

  You must specify the RSLinx Classic topic name or the FactoryTalk Linx device shortcut for the location of the imported tags. This name will appear in square brackets before each tag address. For example, if 'bob' is the topic name specified, a tag address might be [bob]tag1.

  If the tag address, including the shortcut or topic name, includes a colon character ':', the tag address will be preceded by the '::' string. An example of a tag address might be ::[bob]N7:0.

- PLC Symbols and Addresses
  - PLC Database

    Type the path and name of the PLC database you want to import tags from, or click the Browse button to navigate to the database. When you choose a database, its tags are displayed in the box below the Filter box.

  - Filter

    Type a string in this box to filter tags that are displayed in the box below the filter. You can also use it to search for a particular tag or set of tags.

    Tip: | Wildcards are not used and you cannot filter beyond a slash. Example: filter of B3/1 will not show B3/10, B3/11, and so on.

  - Addresses and Symbols

    When you click Addresses and Symbols, the filter looks for matches in the address string and displays both the addresses and names for the tags.

  - Symbols

    When you click Symbols, the filter looks for matches in the names of the tags in the selected database and only displays the tag names. Tags that have addresses but not symbol names will not be shown.

  - Use Symbol Name as Tag Address

    Check this box if you want the symbol name for a tag to be used as its address. If no tag name exists, a tag name will be created from the address.

## See also

Rename import tags

Communicate with programmable logic controllers