System overview
This page is a map of Theseus. Start with a tutorial when you are new. Return here when you are unsure which resource owns a requirement or where a task should be completed.
When to use this page
- You are unsure what a Page, Object, Graph, Variable, or Query is responsible for.
- The editor shows a new version, but the runtime target still behaves like the old version.
- You need to decide whether AI, an engineer, or a site operator owns a task.
- You are preparing to deliver an App from a development machine to a Runtime target or Player.
Four working surfaces
| Surface | Primary users | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop editor | Integrators and automation engineers | Create and inspect Apps; manage Pages, Objects, Graphs, data, and modules |
| AI Command Center | All engineering users | Explain, create, change, and diagnose the current App; results return to the editor for review |
| Runtime target | Engineers and administrators | Receive a runtime package and execute Run, Debug, device communication, and runtime management |
| Runtime page / Player | Operators and site staff | Use the HMI of a deployed App without engineering authoring tools |
The desktop editor remains the local design source of truth. Selecting another Runtime target changes only the execution target; it does not move the editor, Git, Files, or AI workspace to the remote machine.
Core resource reference
| Goal | Resource |
|---|---|
| Design an operator screen | Page; use a Component for repeated cards or list items |
| Express equipment and business capabilities | Object; add a Script when the capability does not exist yet |
| Coordinate order, conditions, waits, and errors | Graph |
| Store small runtime state | Variable; use a Recipe for named parameter sets and RecordStore for local row data |
| Call MES, ERP, or another HTTP service | Query |
| Manage images, models, and uploaded files | Asset |
| Manage runtime language and access roles | i18n and App users / roles |
| Use motion, engineering interlocks, PLC, or visual inspection | Pulsar / Safety, PLC, and Vision |
The common relationship is: a Page shows Object and Variable state; an operator action calls an Object, Query, or Graph method; a Graph controls the sequence and error paths across multiple actions. See Apps and core resources for the definitions.
From requirement to runtime
- You or AI changes resources in the current App.
- Review Resources, properties, and Problems in the editor.
- Run Build after Graph, Script, or PLC changes. Run and Debug also prepare required build outputs as needed.
- The desktop deploys the runtime package to the Runtime target selected in the Navbar.
- Use Run for normal operation and Debug for breakpoints, pause, and workflow diagnosis.
- Operators use the deployed version from a runtime page or Player.
Save, Build, deployment, and runtime are different stages. Theseus does not replace the current object tree while an App is running, debugging, or paused. Stop first, then Run or Debug to apply a new runtime model. See From editing to runtime.
Key rules
- A Page is for operators. Page methods handle UI interaction; they should not own device protocols or unbounded waits.
- An Object expresses equipment semantics. Pages and Graphs should call capabilities such as Home, Start, and Read status instead of repeating low-level address logic.
- A Graph expresses a workflow. Put multi-step sequences, branches, waits, timeouts, and recovery paths in a Graph, then validate them with Debug.
- A Query centralizes an external HTTP call. Pages and Graphs reuse the same contract.
- AI accelerates engineering but does not replace acceptance. Responsible people confirm device addresses, process order, permissions, external writes, and Safety.
- Safety is not a certified safety system. Engineering interlocks do not replace an emergency stop, safety relay, or safety controller.
- The three account domains are separate. Editor Qixin, Runtime target accounts, and App users protect different entry points.
How to verify your understanding
- You can identify the relevant Page, Object, Graph, Script, or Asset in Resources.
- You can say whether a change exists only in authoring or has been built, deployed, and loaded at runtime.
- You can confirm the selected Runtime target and the active account permission.
- You know to use Problems for design and build errors and Console for current runtime information.
- You can identify which result AI produced and which result an engineer or operator must accept.