The visual Sequence editor is the centerpiece of AutomationView. Open a .seq file and start building your automation directly on the interactive canvas - AutomationView generates the Python code for you.
When you open a .seq file, AutomationView launches the visual editor by default. Build your Sequence diagram interactively by adding steps, transitions, and actions using keyboard shortcuts or the toolbar. Every visual edit automatically generates the correct Python code behind the scenes.
You can also switch to the text editor to write Python directly - the diagram updates in real time. For a full list of editor commands, see the Editor Commands reference.
Steps represent the states of your automation sequence. Each step can contain one or more actions that execute while the step is active.
| Type | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Step | I | Starting point of the Sequence (double border) |
| Normal Step | S | Standard execution step |
| Macro Step | M | Contains a sub-Sequence - click to expand |
| Enclosing Step | E | Encapsulates child Sequences |
Transitions connect steps and define when the program moves from one step to the next. Add a transition by pressing T.
Transitions evaluate boolean conditions using your variables:
AND, OR, NOT>, >=, <, <=, ==, !=You can also use divergences to create parallel or alternative paths between steps.
Actions execute when their parent step is active. Press A to attach an action to a step. Each action has a qualifier that controls its timing behavior - see the Qualifiers Overview for all available types (N, S, R, D, L, P, and more).
Press C to add an annotation comment to your diagram. Comments are not executed and serve as documentation.
Learning the keyboard shortcuts below will dramatically speed up your Sequence editing. All shortcuts work when the editor canvas is focused.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| I | Add initial step |
| S | Add step |
| T | Add transition |
| A | Add action |
| M | Add macro step |
| E | Add enclosing step |
| C | Add comment |
| Ctrl+C | Copy selected |
| Ctrl+X | Cut selected |
| Ctrl+V | Paste |
| Enter | Navigate into macro step |
| Backspace | Navigate back to parent |
| Delete | Delete selected elements |
For additional commands available via the Command Palette, see Editor Commands.
Double-click or press Enter on a macro step to dive into its sub-Sequence. A breadcrumb bar shows your current depth in the hierarchy and lets you navigate back quickly.
This enables clean, hierarchical program organization - break complex sequences into manageable sub-programs. Learn more about the Sequence hierarchy in the Hierarchy concept page.
The editor keeps the visual diagram and Python code perfectly in sync:
The visual editor is the recommended workflow for most users. Advanced users can switch to text editing when needed, or mix both approaches freely.
During emulation, the editor provides real-time visual feedback:
Press F5 to start the emulation or F10 to single-step through it. See PLC Emulation for full details.