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Build your own Product Application ​

Give customers a branded operating surface for hardware that does not match a shipped application. This walkthrough uses the fictitious PolarVend PV-2407, a refrigerated vending machine with cabinet temperature and stock readings, two operator settings, a test-vend action, service records, and an actionable vend alert.

Finished PolarVend device Controls page with cabinet temperature, stock remaining, temperature history, target temperature, display brightness, and a test-vend action
The finished Controls page combines live-looking readings, durable settings, history, and a bounded device action.

The same route works for your own device category: define its Device Class, design Controls, then build the records and workflow your customers need in a custom Product Application.

1. Define the device I/O ​

Create a PolarVend Refrigerated Vending Machine Device Class. Add the contract that every machine in this class implements:

  • Cabinet temperature: metric stream in °C with retained history
  • Stock remaining: metric stream in percent with retained history
  • Service door: live boolean stream
  • Target temperature: number setting from 1–8 °C
  • Display brightness: number setting from 20–100%
  • Run test vend: trigger action with operator confirmation

Use stable, machine-readable keys such as cabinet_temperature, target_temperature, and test_vend. The device software publishes streams and handles setting and action messages against those keys.

PolarVend Device Class I/O page listing cabinet temperature, service door, stock remaining, one action, two settings, and six widgets
The Device Class is the reusable I/O contract for every PolarVend machine.

2. Design Controls ​

Open UI Designer and arrange the customer-facing device page:

  1. Put cabinet temperature and stock remaining at the top.
  2. Add a wide temperature-history chart.
  3. Place target temperature and display brightness together.
  4. Put the confirmed test-vend action last.

Keep diagnostics and product workflow separate from the controls a device operator uses frequently.

PolarVend UI Designer with metric, chart, setting, slider, and test-vend tiles arranged for the customer device page
UI Designer turns the class contract into the Controls page shown at the start of this guide.

3. Create your own application ​

Open Developer > Product Applications, choose Create application, and start with an empty draft. Do not apply a starter kit for this route.

Name the application PolarVend Operations, then open Build:

  1. Under Hardware, connect the PolarVend Device Class as the machine role.
  2. Add Service visits as a customer data model.
  3. Give it machine, technician, work-completed, and completed-at fields.
  4. Allow customer create, edit, and delete for service visits.
  5. Add Stock batches with machine, product-line count, and loaded-at fields.
  6. Add list pages for both models.
PolarVend Product Application Build Hardware section with its vending machine Device Class bound as the machine role
The binding lets records and commands target a machine from the connected Device Class.
PolarVend Product Application Customer data section showing Service visits and Stock batches models
Customer data models become generic record lists and detail forms in the portal.

4. Add a command and customer action ​

Under Behaviour > Commands, create test_vend and map it to the Device Class action with the same key. Expose a portal operation named Run test vend that asks for a machine, confirms the request, and invokes that command.

The action remains bounded by the Device Class contract; the vending-machine controller owns local safety and the physical dispense sequence.

PolarVend Product Application Commands section showing the test-vend command mapped to the machine role
The application command connects customer workflow to one approved hardware action.

5. Publish and attach ​

Review the draft, publish version 1 under Release, then open Attached portals and attach that version to the intended customer portal. The customer receives an isolated PolarVend application instance.

PolarVend Product Application Attached portals section showing the published application attached to its customer portal
Publishing freezes a version; attachment makes that version available to the selected customer.

6. Place and operate the machine ​

In the customer portal:

  1. Open Networks and create the installation place.
  2. Open Devices and assign the PolarVend machine to that network.
  3. Open the device and verify its class-designed Controls page.
  4. Confirm the PolarVend application name and its record pages appear in the sidenav.
Central Station Concourse network page containing the PolarVend vending machine
Networks keep the machine attached to its real installation place.
Customer Devices page listing the PolarVend PV-2407 vending machine
Devices remains the fleet inventory and entry point to each machine.

7. Work with alerts and records ​

Open the PolarVend application overview. The generic landing surface brings active alerts, application actions, and the first customer record model together. Operators can read and acknowledge the failed-vend alert, run a test vend, create a service visit, or open an existing visit.

PolarVend application overview with a failed-vend alert, acknowledge action, test-vend action, and Service visits table
Custom Product Application alerts open on a working page beside the records and actions used to respond.

The record detail honours the model permissions configured in the application. For Service visits, customers can edit or delete; Stock batches remain non-deletable.

PolarVend Service visit detail with machine, technician, completed work, timestamp, Delete, Cancel, and Save actions
A generic record detail gives operators the fields and actions allowed by the published model.
PolarVend Delete record confirmation with Cancel followed by a red Delete action
Deletion requires confirmation, with the quiet Cancel action before the destructive Delete action.

What this route provides ​

Your own application provides:

  • the application name in customer navigation
  • Device Class Controls with streams, settings, charts, and actions
  • generic customer record lists and detail forms
  • permission-aware create, edit, and delete
  • readable and acknowledgeable application alerts
  • the standard Networks and Devices workflows

It does not add kit-specific Analysis or HVAC schedules views. Use a starter kit when the product matches one of the shipped application workplaces and you want its purpose-built models, navigation, and operating screens.