As with taking notes in a book, you can take and make notes on your trend lines. Context items are "notes" you can link to tags, attributes, and even assets to highlight events that happened.
This document focuses on the use of context items in TrendHub. To learn the basics of context items and the dedicated analysis platform, ContextHub, please read here.
Creating context items on your trend lines gives you the ability to compare and contrast with other context items, share insights with colleagues, and further contextualize information that will strengthen your understanding of your processes.
Context item Menu
The context menu is opened by clicking the context item menu icon, located in the menu bar at the far left of the TrendHub screen.
On the context item menu, you can see an overview of all context items that are present on the focus chart.
On the image above you can see the overview of those context items with some details about the context item type, time of occurrence, to which component the context item is linked, and the symbol of the context item.
In case a context field is enabled as a label, this will be displayed under the context type. Setting labels for specific context item types can be done by your local administrator.
Note: To see context items in the menu, one visible tag (or attribute) is required.
Types of context items
There are currently two types of context items. These types can be created in ContextHub.
Instant item (no workflows)
These are single points on the focus chart indicating a single time stamp of interest (no duration). Mostly set as a remark or as an informational note.
Interval items (with workflows)
These types of context items use workflows to specify various stages in a process. Context items can have multiple "states".
E.g., a starting point ("In Progress"), middle point ("Paused"), and end point ("Ended") in time to specify what is happening in the process.
Note: Workflows are created in ContextHub.
Creating context items
Context items can be created manually using the context item menu, the focus chart, or via search results. By setting up monitors, context items can also be created automatically.
Creation in context item menu
Creating a context item in the menu is done by clicking the blue plus button at the header of the menu. Once clicked a right-side panel appears where you can define the context item.
By default, the first visible tag (or attribute) is selected. You can easily select another tag or attribute if needed by clicking the "Change component" link.
After selecting a type, the "Events" section is revealed where you can specify dates. Depending on the type, one time input is shown (for instant items) or two to enter a start and end date (for interval items).
Note: Component, type, and the events are required fields before a context item can be created.
Creation on chart
Creating a context item on the focus chart has the advantage that the start and end time will be pre-filled based on your selection.
Double clicking on the focus chart adds a data scooter which has an option called "Add context item". Clicking this option starts the context item creation flow as mentioned above.
Creating a selection on the focus chart also reveals the option "Add context item" for the selected period. By clicking this option, the context item creation flow, as mentioned above, is started.
Creation from search results
Creating a context item based on search results is also a possibility.
See here for more information on that topic.
Automatic generation of context items from monitors
Context items can be automatically generated from monitors. The monitor is a very powerful source of contextual information. See here for more information on that topic.
Context item details
By default, context items are visualized on the focus chart. So, make sure that this option is enabled if you are not seeing your context items (see chart configuration in the first screenshot).
Note: You can hide context items on the chart by disabling the context item option. The benefit of this action is the increase in performance of the focus chart (trend and stacked trend).
Details
You can visualize the details of your context items by clicking a context item icon on the chart or clicking on any context item on the context item menu. Doing this reveals the context item details side panel.
The details side panel above reveals all contextual information of that context item. The following details are provided:
- Context item details, including:
- Component on which the context item is created
- Type of context item
- Description
- Timestamp (only for instant items)
- Keywords
- Context fields (if available)
- Events (only for interval items)
- Start date and time
- End date and time
- Duration
- Information about the creator of the context item and time of creation.
- Comment section, where users with the proper rights can add comments to a context item, providing yet further detail.
Attachments
You can also add documents to a context item. To do this, simply drop an item on the attachments tab. All documents can be stored and retrieved in this location.
Context item options
Further context item options can be found behind the options button on the details tab.
Visualize
The first option "Visualize" lets you visualize the period of the context item directly on the focus chart. Clicking this option opens another side panel where you can modify some settings before the actual visualization starts.
Clicking on "LAYERS (1)" reveals the period the focus chart will jump to.
You can also update the tags and/or attributes which will display the period of the context items. By default, all active tags are selected but can easily be removed or even updated.
- One option to add additional tags and/or attributes is by adding them one by one using the "Add tags / attribute" link option.
- The second option is to add all tags and attributes which are included in a saved view using the option "Add tags / attributes from view" link option.
When you do something by mistake, you can easily reset the list using the reset option.
Clicking the confirm button "Visualize" will update your current view with the period mentioned in the layer and all selected tags and/or attributes.
Note: For saved views this will result in unsaved changes.
Edit
With the edit option, users can update a context item. Clicking this option triggers a similar creation side panel, with all current details filled out.
Remove
When a context item is no longer needed it can be deleted using this option. Only users with deletion rights can perform this action.
Note: All users have editing rights to update any context item. To delete a context item, deletion rights must be provided. Although, administrators can delete any context item, even when deletion rights are not specified.
Note: Deleted context items cannot be retrieved.
Important note: Context items can be created on all instances of components (tags, attributes, AND assets). Once a context item is created on an asset, that context item will be visualized on the first child attribute, and visualized on the focus chart.