Eliminating Unused Space and Aligning Layouts in WinCC Picture Tree Manager

In SIMATIC PCS 7 WinCC operator interfaces, unwanted empty space or unpopulated button gaps in the Picture Tree navigation bar occur when the Windows operating system display resolution does not match the monitor layout parameterized in the OS Project Editor. Resolving layout mismatches and reclaiming screen space requires executing the OS Project Editor with the correct target aspect ratio and resolution, adjusting the hierarchy container grid parameters in Picture Tree Manager, and configuring the overview frame to scale navigation containers cleanly across wide-screen industrial displays.

Picture Tree Manager Architecture and Layout Generation

The SIMATIC PCS 7 OS client runtime interface organizes supervisory graphics through the Picture Tree Manager and the Plant Hierarchy. The runtime navigation banner—typically situated at the top or bottom of the screen within @Overview1.pdl—presents operators with structured area selection buttons, picture selection keys, and alarm summary banners.

The dimensions, spacing, and button distributions within this navigation frame are not drawn manually. Instead, they are generated automatically by the OS Project Editor based on pre-defined screen templates (such as SIMATIC Standard 1920*1080 or SIMATIC Standard 1680*1050). The Picture Tree Manager maps hierarchy folders into these grid slots. If the physical display resolution or Windows desktop scaling differs from the project template, WinCC generates vacant gray panels or distorts button alignment.

Root Causes of Empty Navigation Space and Display Gaps

Empty space in the Picture Tree navigation area typically arises from two conditions:

Resolution Mismatch: The Windows desktop display resolution is configured to a higher resolution (e.g., 1920x1080) than the layout selected in the OS Project Editor (e.g., 1280x1024 or 1366x768). The navigation controls render at their fixed nominal pixel widths, leaving unused screen margins on the right.
Hierarchy Container Under-Utilization: The Picture Tree Manager is configured with container grids accommodating up to 12 or 16 area buttons per container level, but the plant project contains only 4 or 5 technological areas. The unused button positions remain as empty placeholder panels.

Reconfiguring OS Project Editor Layouts for Wide-Screen Monitors

To eliminate empty gaps and maximize usable process graphic space:

Verify Physical Display Settings: On the target operator station, open Windows Display Settings and confirm the native screen resolution (e.g., 1920 x 1080 at 100% display scaling).
Execute OS Project Editor in WinCC Explorer:
- Open the OS project in WinCC Explorer.
- Double-click OS Project Editor.
- Navigate to the Layout tab.
- Select the layout matching your physical monitor (e.g., SIMATIC Standard 1920*1080 or SIMATIC Server 1920*1080).
Configure Area Button Arrangement:
- Navigate to the Area tab within OS Project Editor.
- Adjust the number of displayable area buttons per row to match your active plant hierarchy count.
Regenerate System Screen Objects:
- Click OK to run the editor. The wizard regenerates @Overview1.pdl, @1001.pdl, and associated frame scripts to fill the selected resolution without margins.
Rebuild Picture Tree: Open Picture Tree Manager, verify that areas occupy the active slots, and click Save to re-index runtime navigation links.

Screen Layout Parameter Configuration Table

The following table details common resolution layouts supported by the OS Project Editor in SIMATIC PCS 7:

OS Project Editor Layout NameResolution (Pixels)Aspect RatioUsable Plant Picture Working AreaRecommended Industrial MonitorSIMATIC Standard 1920*10801920 x 108016:91920 x 87522" to 24" Full HD Industrial MonitorsSIMATIC Standard 1680*10501680 x 105016:101680 x 84522" Widescreen IPC Flat PanelsSIMATIC Standard 1366*7681366 x 76816:91366 x 563Compact IPC / Legacy WidescreenSIMATIC Standard 1280*10241280 x 10245:41280 x 81919" Standard Industrial DisplaysSIMATIC Multi-Monitor 2*1920*10803840 x 108032:9 (Dual)2x (1920 x 875)Dual-Monitor Operator Consoles

Note: In multi-client configurations, all clients sharing a single OS project should ideally utilize monitors with identical native resolutions to avoid scaling distortion.

Verification

Verify layout alignment in WinCC Runtime:
1. Activate WinCC Runtime on the operator station.
2. Observe the header and navigation banner in @Overview1.pdl; verify that area buttons span smoothly across the top of the screen without trailing gray gaps.
3. Open a high-density process overview picture; confirm that the working area utilizes the maximum available vertical and horizontal pixel canvas.
4. Click each area button in sequence; confirm that the picture hierarchy tree updates and navigation paths remain intact.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Essential rules when modifying OS Project Editor layouts:
- Running the OS Project Editor regenerates standard system screens (@Overview1.pdl, @AlarmActive.pdl, etc.); any manual graphical changes made to @-screens without using project templates will be overwritten.
- Modifying screen resolution in the OS Project Editor does not automatically resize existing custom plant graphics (.pdl); process pictures designed for 1280x1024 must be adapted or scaled when migrating to 1920x1080.
- Never use non-standard Windows desktop scaling (e.g., 125% or 150% font DPI); keep Windows display scaling set to exactly 100% to prevent graphic element misalignment.

Engineer FAQ

Can I hide unused area buttons in the navigation bar?

Yes. In Picture Tree Manager, only include active Plant Hierarchy folders. Empty slots can be eliminated by reducing the number of configured button columns in the OS Project Editor Area settings.

Why did running the OS Project Editor reset my customized alarm banner?

System screens with the @ prefix belong to the base PCS 7 template. Customizations to these frames should be configured via the OS Project Editor tabs or applied via project template scripts.

Can I operate different screen resolutions on redundant OS clients?

Yes, but each unique resolution profile requires configuring the OS Project Editor layout on that specific client project or utilizing dynamic picture window adaptation.