C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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How to Fix Clipped Faceplate Borders After Migrating PCS 7 from V8.0 to V9.1

How to Fix Clipped Faceplate Borders After Migrating PCS 7 from V8.0 to V9.1

To fix clipped faceplate borders—where the popup window frame is slightly too small on the right and bottom edges after migrating a project from PCS 7 V8.0 to PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 (WinCC V7.5 SP2)—run the OS Project Editor with full picture typical updates and align Windows display scaling to exactly 100% (96 DPI). This rendering clipping occurs because WinCC V7.5 SP2 implements a redesigned picture window rendering engine with hardware acceleration and strict border padding calculations. Migrating directly from V8.0 without running the OS Project Editor leaves obsolete V8.0 @pg_*.pdl faceplate templates and outdated layout scripts in the project's GraCS directory, causing coordinate truncation against modern APL faceplate views.

Table of Contents

Root Cause: WinCC V7.5 DPI Engine and Faceplate Window Changes

In SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.0 (WinCC V7.2), faceplate windows utilized legacy Microsoft GDI rendering where picture window borders were calculated using basic operating system window metrics. In SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 (WinCC V7.5 SP2):
- Redesigned Window Framework: Faceplates are hosted within modernized picture window controls featuring native anti-aliasing, vector styling, and dynamic padding.
- APL Structural Updates: The Advanced Process Library in V9.1 SP2 includes updated @Faceplate.pdl master frames and modernized tab controls (@pg_*.pdl, @pl_*.pdl).
- The Dimension Mismatch: When an OS project retains the older graphic files from V8.0, the inner view dimensions exceed the bounding dimensions calculated by the new WinCC picture window manager, clipping right-side buttons and bottom status bars by 2 to 6 pixels.

The Risk of Multi-Version Migration Skips (V8.0 Directly to V9.1)

Siemens official migration documentation strictly dictates supported migration paths. Jumping across three major versions (V8.0 -> V8.1 -> V8.2 -> V9.0 -> V9.1) in a single step frequently introduces subtle graphic inconsistencies:

Migration StageRequired Intermediate StepConsequence of Direct JumpV8.0 to V8.2Update Project Migrator; convert WinCC Sybase/SQL tables to SQL Server 2014.Table schemas migrate, but graphic scripting headers often fail to convert modern object references.V8.2 to V9.1Update to SQL Server 2017; regenerate OS Project Editor files and APL typics.Direct jump bypasses intermediate script updates, leaving legacy PDLs active in the runtime directory.

While the database engine successfully converts project tables, graphical templates inside the local GraCS folder must be explicitly refreshed to match the active library version.

Windows Desktop DPI Scaling and Font Geometry Conflicts

A secondary contributing factor to faceplate clipping is operating system display scaling:
* WinCC V7.5 SP2 runtime is engineered for native 100% scaling (96 DPI).
* On modern high-resolution operator monitors (such as 4K or QHD panels), Windows 10/11 frequently applies default desktop scaling of 125%, 150%, or custom font scaling.
* High DPI scaling distorts the font metrics used by WinCC to calculate text bounding boxes, pushing button labels outward and causing faceplate frames to render slightly smaller than the enclosed content.

Method: Standardized Procedure to Restore Faceplate Rendering

Follow this step-by-step restoration procedure to update graphic templates and eliminate border clipping:

Step 1: Align Windows Display Scaling

  1. On all ES and OS stations, right-click the Windows desktop and select Display Settings.
  2. Under Scale and layout, set the scale to exactly 100% (Recommended).
  3. Ensure the display resolution matches the configured screen resolution in the OS project (e.g., 1920x1080).
  4. Log off or restart Windows to ensure font scaling changes take full effect.

Step 2: Run the OS Project Editor in SIMATIC Manager

Running the OS Project Editor extracts the authentic, version-matched standard graphic files from the PCS 7 system installation directory into your project:
1. In SIMATIC Manager, navigate to the OS project, right-click, and select Open Object to launch WinCC Explorer.
2. In WinCC Explorer, double-click OS Project Editor.
3. Select the Layout tab and confirm that your target screen resolution and monitor configuration are selected.
4. Select the Basic Data tab:
- In the list of system PDL files, ensure that the option Replace all standard picture files with new ones is checked, or specifically check all @*.pdl files related to faceplates (@Faceplate.pdl, @pg_*.pdl, @pl_*.pdl).
5. Click OK to execute the generator. The editor overwrites obsolete V8.0 graphic templates with pristine V9.1 SP2 versions.

Step 3: Update Block Icons in Graphics Designer

  1. In WinCC Explorer, open any process picture in Graphics Designer.
  2. From the top menu, select Tools -> Connect Faceplates with Process Tags... or run Options -> Update Picture / Typicals.
  3. Alternatively, in SIMATIC Manager, right-click the OS project and select Plant Hierarchy -> Create/Update Block Icons.
  4. Confirm that all block icons are regenerated with updated script interfaces.

Step 4: Recompile the OS Project

  1. In SIMATIC Manager, right-click the OS project and select Compile.
  2. Select Entire Scope for tags and messages.
  3. Once compilation finishes, restart WinCC Runtime.

Verification

To confirm that faceplate rendering is restored:
- In WinCC Runtime, click on multiple different technological block icons (MotL, VlvL, PIDConL, MonAnL).
- Verify that every opened faceplate displays complete outer borders on all four sides with uniform margin spacing.
- Inspect the bottom status strip and right-side command buttons (e.g., Manual/Auto toggles, Interlock buttons): confirm no graphical truncation or clipped text strings.
- Test across various zoom levels or multi-monitor spans to ensure consistent rendering across all operator client stations.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Backup Custom Modifications First: Running the OS Project Editor with "Replace all standard picture files" will overwrite any custom modifications previously made directly to @ system pictures. Back up your project's GraCS folder prior to running the utility.
  • Customer-Specific Typicals: If your facility uses customized block icons stored in @PCS7Typicals<Name>.pdl, do not overwrite your custom file; ensure custom typicals are updated according to the APL Migration Manual.
  • OS Client Projects: On distributed client-server systems, run the OS Project Editor on the OS Server projects first, compile and download server data (packages), and subsequently run the editor on client projects.

Engineer FAQ

Can I fix the clipping by manually resizing @Faceplate.pdl in Graphics Designer?

While manually expanding the picture window dimensions in Graphics Designer might temporarily hide the symptom, subsequent runs of the OS Project Editor or software updates will revert your changes. The correct solution is refreshing the standard templates and enforcing 100% DPI scaling.

Why does the issue affect almost all faceplates instead of just one?

All APL technological blocks utilize the standardized master picture window container (@Faceplate.pdl). A dimension calculation error or font scaling offset at the master container level propagates across all child faceplate views.

Does Windows font scaling affect WinCC WebNavigator clients as well?

Yes. WebNavigator and WebUX clients evaluate client-side browser font rendering. Ensuring the client machine's browser zoom is set to 100% is essential for proper faceplate rendering.

What should I do if custom faceplates still show truncated borders?

Open the custom faceplate PDL in Graphics Designer, inspect the geometry properties (Height and Width), and ensure that internal text elements or ActiveX/.NET components do not exceed the canvas boundary.

Technical References

  • Siemens Industry Online Support: SIMATIC PCS 7 Software Update with Migration Manual.
  • SIOS Entry 109742323: PCS 7 Compendium Part A - Operating System and HMI Infrastructure.
  • SIOS Entry 109809264: SIMATIC Process Control System PCS 7 Advanced Process Library Manual.
  • Siemens Support Guide: Display Issues and DPI Scaling in SIMATIC WinCC V7.x.

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Related Tags

  • Migration
  • WinCC
  • Faceplates
  • PCS 7
  • DPI Scaling
  • Graphics Designer
  • Industrial Automation
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