text: <s>[INST] Optix - How to replicate Function of a Global Object? I have been playing around with Alias in Optix and I think I can make that work for my Base Objects, but I am curious if there is a better way, maybe something with Variables? My Global objects have global definitions, and I am able to do things like assign a single variable to identify, say, an axis number.  My axis is generally pulling information from multiple places and interacting with control tags in a specific group. Many of these tags have a similar layout but when you add in the ones that are outside of the standard it starts to make configuration annoying. Except they are always Identified by a common number format.  Axis 1 will always have a 1 in the tags used, no matter the formatting of the tag. So, I really just need to be able to assign a variable, much like I do in FTStudio. Where #1 is assigned a Value of 3 in the global definitions of each instance of the Object. I feel like we need a whole This FTStudio concept is done this way in FTOptix video series. [/INST] Aliases are a great way to create reusable content within FactoryTalk Optix, especially when you have a single source like a predefined Optix model object or Logix structure. Another capability which can be useful in the case of a variable structure like your axis example is to use a formatted dynamic link.  This capability allows you to format portions of your tag reference as a variable such as the axis number.  You can then bind the variable to a source to pass in the axis number at runtime.  In the example below, {n} is a variable representing the axis number. There are several ways to pass in the axis variable as a source at runtime such as binding it to a spin box value or list box selected item value used to specify the axis to view.\n </s>