Metadata lets you provide additional information about an asset type or a specific asset. For example, you can use metadata to define the capacity of a fuel tank, which may differ depending on the type of vehicle.
A metadata value configured for an asset type acts as the default value for all assets of that type. For individual assets, you can override this default when needed.
Metadata values can also change over time. The value timeline lets you:

• review which metadata values were used in the past;

• see when an asset used its asset type default or a custom value;

• correct metadata values for a historical period;

• schedule a metadata value to become active at a specific time in the future.

This is useful when an asset's properties are not permanent. For example, an asset's capacity, threshold, or configuration may change after maintenance, replacement, or reconfiguration.
By recording these changes in the value timeline, Calculus can use the metadata value that applies to each period instead of assuming that the latest value has always been valid.

You can manage day-to-day changes using the simple view, or open the full value timeline when you need to review, correct, or schedule values.

Adding metadata to an asset type

Click Assets in the navigation menu and open the Types tab.

Select the asset type for which you want to configure metadata.
Open the Metadata tab.
Click Add Asset Type Metadata.

Enter a name for the metadata field, select the appropriate data type, and enter a value.
The value configured here is the default value for every asset of this asset type. It can later be overridden for individual assets.

Save the changes.

Important!

Do not copy symbols such as , or . into the value field. This can cause the value to be interpreted incorrectly by the system.

The metadata field is now available for assets of this asset type.

Metadata on an asset

To view the metadata for a specific asset:

Click Assets in the navigation menu.
Open the asset and go to the Metadata tab.

For each metadata field, you can see its name, description, and current value.
Next to the value, you may also see a DEFAULT indicator, a clock icon with a number, or both.

Understanding the indicators

DEFAULT

DEFAULT means that the asset currently uses the metadata value defined for its asset type.
If DEFAULT is not shown, the asset currently uses a custom value.

Clock icon

A clock icon with a number indicates that custom values have been used for this metadata field.
The number indicates how many periods with custom values are recorded in its value timeline.

This results in three common situations:

• DEFAULT only
  The asset currently uses the asset type default and no periods with custom values are shown.

• DEFAULT + Clock icon
  The asset currently uses the asset type default, but custom values have also been used.

• Clock icon only
  The asset currently uses a custom value.

Note!

It is possible for neither indicator to be shown for metadata values that were overridden before the value timeline functionality was introduced.

To initialise the value timeline, click the edit icon for the metadata field and save it without making any changes. The clock indicator will then become available.

Changing metadata for a specific asset

To change a metadata value:

1. Find the metadata field you want to change.

2. Click the edit icon on the right.

3. Make the required changes.

4. Click Save.

Changes are only applied after you click Save.
To discard your changes, you can:

• click the X in the upper-right corner;

• click Close in the lower-left corner;

• click outside the metadata editor.

The metadata editor opens in the simple view by default.

Simple view

The simple view lets you change the current metadata value without manually managing its entire value history.

Timeline

At the top of the simple view, a compact timeline shows how the metadata value has changed over time.

• Hatched areas represent periods during which the asset type default is used.

• Coloured areas represent periods during which a custom value is used.

Hover over a period to see additional information, such as the value and the time range during which it applies.
The time zone used for the timeline is displayed below it.

Use asset type default

The Use asset type default switch determines whether the asset uses the value configured for its asset type.

• Enabled
  The asset uses the asset type default.

• Disabled

  The asset uses a custom value instead.

New value

When Use asset type default is disabled, you can enter a custom value in New value.
The field cannot be changed while Use asset type default is enabled.

When should this change apply?

After choosing the value you want to use, select how the change should be applied.

Use default from now

Ends the current value period immediately and starts using the newly selected value.
Historical values and values scheduled for a future period remain unchanged.

This is the recommended option when you only want the change to apply from now on.

Use default for the current period

This option replaces the value for the entire current period.
If the period began in the past, the selected value is also applied retrospectively to the elapsed portion of that period.

Note!
The option labels refer to the asset type default when Use asset type default is enabled. When a custom value is selected, the same timing behaviour applies to that custom value.

Full value timeline

For full control over current, historical, and future metadata values, click Open full value timeline.
The full value timeline shows the individual periods that determine which metadata value applies at any given time.

As in the simple view:

• hatched periods use the asset type default;

• coloured periods use a custom metadata value.

Timeline statuses

Periods in the full value timeline can have one of the following statuses:

• PAST: a period containing a value that previously applied.

• CURRENT: the period containing the value that currently applies.

• SCHEDULED: a period containing a value that will take effect at a future date and time.

Showing earlier values

By default, the timeline focuses on the current value.

Click Show earlier values to display previous values and periods.
Click Hide earlier values to collapse them again.

Managing a default period

When a period uses the asset type default, several actions may be available depending on its position in the timeline.

Set a value

Click Set a value to replace the asset type default for that period with a custom value.

Continue previous value

When the current period uses the asset type default and follows a custom value, Continue previous value is available.
This extends the previous custom value into the current period and replaces the current default period.

Extend next value back

When the timeline starts with a default period followed by a custom value, Extend next value back is available.
This replaces the initial default period by extending the following custom value backwards.

Managing a custom value

For a period with a custom value, you can edit or delete that value.

Edit a custom value

Click the edit icon to change the value for that period.

Delete a custom value

Click the delete icon to remove the custom value.
The affected period will use the asset type default instead.

Adjusting periods

Between two consecutive periods, click Adjust to change the boundary between them.
The result depends on the values on both sides of the boundary.

Default followed by custom

The start time of the custom value is changed.
Moving the boundary changes how long the asset type default remains active before the custom value starts.

Custom followed by default

The end time of the custom value is changed.
Moving the boundary changes when the asset starts using the asset type default again.

Custom followed by custom

The boundary between the two custom values is changed.
Changing the boundary simultaneously changes:

• the end time of the first custom value;

• the start time of the second custom value.

Inserting a value

Click Insert value between two periods to add a new custom value.

When inserting a value, you only choose the new metadata value. You cannot select its start or end time when inserting it.
The new period starts at the existing boundary between the two periods and ends halfway through the period that previously followed that boundary. The following period is shortened accordingly.
To change the automatically assigned start or end time afterwards, use Adjust.

Default followed by custom

Suppose a custom value runs from 11:50 to 12:10 and is preceded by a default period.
After inserting a new value:

• the new custom value runs from 11:50 to 12:00;

• the existing custom value is adjusted to 12:00 to 12:10.

Custom followed by default

Suppose:

• a custom value runs from 11:40 to 11:50;

• the following default period runs from 11:50 to 12:10.

After inserting a new value:

• the new custom value runs from 11:50 to 12:00;

• the default period is adjusted to start at 12:00.

Custom followed by custom

Suppose:

• the first custom value runs from 11:40 to 11:50;

• the second custom value runs from 11:50 to 12:10.

After inserting a new value:

• the new custom value runs from 11:50 to 12:00;

• the second custom value is adjusted to 12:00 to 12:10.

Note!
To change the automatically assigned time range, use Adjust after inserting the value.

Scheduling a metadata value

You can schedule a metadata value to start at a specific time in the future.
This is useful when you already know that an asset property will change. For example, you can prepare a new capacity, threshold, or configuration in advance instead of waiting until the change takes place.

To schedule a value:

1. Open the full value timeline.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the timeline.

3. Click Insert value below the last value.

4. Enter the metadata value that should be used in the future.

5. Click Adjust on the boundary directly above the newly inserted value.

6. Set the boundary to the date and time when the new value should start.

7. Click Save changes.

The new value is shown as SCHEDULED until its start time is reached.
Until then, the preceding value remains active. At the scheduled time, the scheduled value automatically becomes the current metadata value.

Note!
The start time cannot be selected when inserting the value. First insert the value, then use Adjust to set when it should take effect.

Changing historical metadata

Historical metadata lets you review and correct which metadata value applied during an earlier period.
This is useful when metadata was entered incorrectly or too late, or when a change must take effect from the date on which it actually occurred rather than from the date on which the metadata was updated.
When a change affects a historical metadata period, a confirmation dialog appears before the changes can be saved.

Dashboards and reports will use the newly configured metadata value for the affected historical period.
However, results that were already calculated using the previous metadata value are not recalculated. Those results remain unchanged.For example, previously calculated conversion results will not be recalculated after changing historical metadata.

To confirm a historical change:

1. Select I understand that existing calculated values will not be recalculated.

2. Click Save changes.

Important!
Changing historical metadata changes the metadata value that dashboards and reports use for that period. It does not recalculate results that were already calculated using the previous metadata value.

Using metadata in the portal

Go to the dashboard where you want to show metadata and open the settings of the widget you want to use.
Activate the switch Calculated measurement. This is only possible with following widgets:

• Chart

• Single Block

• Gauge

• Heat map

• Pie chart

• Timeline

Add the metadata in the following format: [#meta:VARIABLE_NAME#]

For example: [#meta:TankContent#]

Now you can perform a calculation using a sensor value.
For example, to display the remaining fuel level as a percentage:

([vehicle_1|fuel_liters] / [#meta:Tank Capacity#]) * 100

Save the changes.