AutomationView converts your Sequence diagrams into runnable PLC code for your target platform. The translation engine reads your .seq files and produces output in the format your PLC programming software expects.
Translation works by connecting AutomationView to a translation provider. Providers are installed as extensions (for example, the CODESYS extension). Each provider targets a specific PLC brand or standard.
Once a provider is installed, you can:
To translate the currently open sequence:
When a .seq file is open, a Translate button appears in the editor title bar. Click it to translate immediately.
Translation requires a provider extension to be installed. If no provider is available, the command will not appear. See Extensions for available providers.
AutomationView supports the following output formats. The available formats depend on which extensions are installed.
| Format | ID | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PLCopen XML | plcopen-xml |
Standard XML format compatible with most PLC tools |
| IEC Structured Text | iec-st |
Plain text IEC 61131-3 ST code |
| CSV | csv |
Tabular export for analysis or documentation |
| JSON | json |
Structured data export for custom tooling |
Set the default format with the automationview.export.defaultFormat setting.
Watch mode automatically re-translates the active sequence every time you save the file. This keeps your PLC code up to date without any manual steps.
To enable watch mode:
automationview.translation.watchMode to true..seq file to trigger the first translation.To stop watch mode for the current session without changing the setting, run AutomationView: Stop Live Translation from the Command Palette.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
automationview.translation.watchMode |
false |
Enable automatic re-translation on save |
automationview.translation.watchDebounceMs |
500 |
Delay in ms before translation runs after a save |
automationview.translation.openAfterTranslate |
false |
Open the translated file automatically after translation |
To export every sequence in the project at once, use AutomationView: Export All Sequences from the Machine Explorer title bar or the Command Palette. This runs translation on all .seq files and writes the output to the configured export folder.
You can also enable Auto Export to trigger this automatically when any sequence changes:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
automationview.export.autoExport |
false |
Auto-export the full project when sequences change |
automationview.export.autoExportDebounceMs |
2000 |
Delay in ms before auto-export runs |
automationview.export.autoExportOnSave |
false |
Export all sequences as individual files on every save |