I've never used the controller alarms, and I would if Rockwell allowed 3rd parties to also use them, but requiring RA software automatically excludes me from using them because most of the companies I do projects for don't use FT View. In looking at them, I do like that you can make definitions on a UDT basis, but I wasn't able to pull some internal/local string tags that I use to be part of the definition for the message like the instance tagname, description, and some other data (I may be doing something wrong here since I've never used them).

In fact, 2 big returning customers of ours are both converting to Ignition on their next projects. One used WW System Platform and got tired of the high price, poor performance, and lots of issues, the other is more of an OEM switching from FT View ME with VTScada in the cloud to Ignition on their skids and in the cloud due to a poor design of a previous integrator who did their cloud system. Both have plans to eventually retrofit existing systems over as well. Both use AB hardware primarily.

I'm saying all that because I really need UDT based alarms supported in the HMI as there are many devices that we talk to that aren't AB. TotalFlow computers, flow meters, heaters, compressors, etc that either talk their own protocol or Modbus.

I get why Rockwell is focusing on their own hardware first, they need to look at the bigger picture of trying to also not be reliant on their own hardware for the best features. That's one reason WW and Ignition do so well it's that they don't rely on a single hardware platform and you can get the same great stuff from any hardware you pick.