How to Open a PCS 7 Faceplate from a Button in a Process Picture

A PCS 7 process-picture button can open a block faceplate without relying on the standard block-icon click. In the documented PCS 7 Operator Station V7.1 workflow, connect the button to the process tag with the Dynamic Wizard's “Picture selection via process tag” function, select the button's operator event, choose the matching tag structure and process tag, and set the faceplate display type. Check the procedure against the project's installed PCS 7/WinCC version.

When to Use a Picture-Object Trigger

If the goal is to open a technological block's faceplate from a button or another object in a process picture, PCS 7 V7.1 documents a direct WinCC method: connect the picture object to the process tag with the Dynamic Wizard's “Picture selection via process tag” function, then choose the operator event. This is separate from creating a custom APL block icon.

Prerequisites

The procedure below is documented in the PCS 7 Operator Station V7.1 Configuration Manual, 03/2009, §9.2.10. The process picture must contain the button or other picture object, the OS project must contain the target process tag and compatible faceplate, and the engineer must know the tag's structure type. Confirm the corresponding wizard and terminology in the exact installed PCS 7 release before applying the steps.

Method: Connect a Button to a Process-Tag Faceplate

Open the process picture in WinCC Graphics Designer and select the button or other picture object that should open the faceplate.
If needed, enable the Dynamic Wizard toolbar through View > Toolbars, then select Dynamic Wizard.
In the wizard toolbar, select the Picture functions tab and double-click Picture selection via process tag.
Advance to Select trigger and choose the operator action associated with the selected object, such as its mouse-click event.
In Set options, select the structure type matching the target technological block.
Browse the matching process-tag list and select the intended process tag.
Select the desired faceplate display type. PCS 7 V7.1 describes loop display for multiple views and group display for one active view at a time.
Review the wizard summary and click Finish.
Save the process picture and compile the OS data using the site's approved engineering workflow.

Verification

At runtime, the configured operator action should open the faceplate connected to the selected process tag. Confirm its identity and live values correspond to the intended measurement point, and that the display type suits the screen. If the wrong faceplate or values appear, check the configured tag structure and selected process tag before changing the picture script.

Alternative: Use a Standard or Custom Block Icon

PCS 7 standard block icons include the faceplate call and are the normal method for showing a measuring point with its status. In the V7.1 manual, a manually inserted APL block icon should be copied from @TemplateAPL.pdl and connected to its process tag; do not alter the original @PCS7TypicalsAPL.pdl, since updates overwrite changes. A project-specific APL-style icon is a separate engineering task: use the style guide and version-matched library rules rather than treating it as necessary for a simple picture-object button.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The menu names and wizard capability described here are from PCS 7 Operator Station V7.1 (2009). The ticket does not state the installed PCS 7, APL or WinCC version, so verify compatibility and current wizard labels before deployment. A faceplate can enable operator control as well as display; enforce the station's access controls and test the selected tag and event in an approved non-production or commissioning workflow.

Engineer FAQ

Must I create a custom APL block icon? No, not for the documented V7.1 method: another picture object can be connected directly to a process tag's faceplate.

Can the trigger be a mouse click? Yes. The manual's wizard lets the engineer select an operator event to trigger picture selection.

What prevents an update from erasing custom work? Do not modify the installed original typicals file. Use the documented template or a project-specific file for custom icon work.

Technical References

Siemens, Process Control System PCS 7 Operator Station (V7.1), Configuration Manual, 03/2009, A5E02122464-01, §9.2.1 and §9.2.10, pp. 166 and 173: https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/551/36194551/att_56631/v1/ps7phosb_en-US.pdf