C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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How to Prevent Unwanted Scroll Bars and Fix Picture Dimension Mismatches in PCS 7 WinCC Runtime

How to Prevent Unwanted Scroll Bars and Fix Picture Dimension Mismatches in PCS 7 WinCC Runtime

In SIMATIC PCS 7 WinCC Runtime, unwanted scrollbars appearing upon opening trend screens or navigating process pictures are caused by picture dimensions exceeding the maximum usable workspace height defined by the OS Project Editor layout. The OS screen divides total monitor height into an Overview Area, a Button Row, and a central Workspace (@1001.pdl). For a 1920x1080 monitor layout, the maximum allowable workspace picture height is strictly 824 pixels (1920x824); for 1920x1200, it is 967 pixels (1920x967). Resizing process pictures and trend controls to fit within these vertical boundaries, enabling full-screen mode, and configuring picture window properties eliminates persistent scrollbars.

Table of Contents

Screen Geometry Architecture in PCS 7 OS Project Editor

SIMATIC PCS 7 manages operator interface ergonomics and screen navigation through the OS Project Editor (OSPE). Rather than treating each display as an unmanaged fullscreen window, OS Project Editor partitions the physical monitor resolution into a standardized three-tier operational layout:
1. Overview Area (Top Header): Hosted in @Overview1.pdl (or multi-screen variants), this banner contains plant hierarchy area navigation buttons, high-priority alarm banners, system time, and operator logon status.
2. Button Row / Alarm Line (Bottom Footer): Hosted in @Buttons11.pdl / @Buttons12.pdl, this section contains picture navigation arrows, split-screen controls, horn silence buttons, and system utility buttons.
3. Working Area / Workspace (Center Screen): Hosted inside the container picture @1001.pdl. This is the designated viewport where all user-created technological mimic diagrams, process pictures, and trend windows are rendered.

Because the Overview and Button rows consume fixed vertical pixel heights, the usable height of the Workspace is significantly smaller than the native monitor resolution.

Root Cause Analysis for Persistent Runtime Scrollbars

When an operator opens a Trend window or navigates across various plant pictures, horizontal and vertical scrollbars frequently appear along the viewport edges. Even after navigating away to other pictures, the scrollbars often persist, obscuring navigation tabs and degrading operator efficiency.

Primary Mechanisms Inducing Scrollbars

  • Picture Height Exceeding Workspace Boundaries: An engineer designing a picture in Graphics Designer may mistakenly set the picture geometry to match the monitor's native resolution (e.g., width 1920, height 1080). When loaded inside @1001.pdl, the 1080-pixel picture overflows the available 824-pixel vertical space, forcing the parent picture window to display scrollbars.
  • Trend Control / OCX Boundary Overflow: In custom Trend pictures, placing the WinCC OnlineTrendControl or auxiliary toolbar buttons outside the picture canvas margins causes the active control bounding box to extend beyond the display boundaries.
  • Incorrect OS Project Editor Configuration: Running OS Project Editor with a selected resolution that does not match the actual physical display monitor or operating system desktop resolution (e.g., configuring 1920x1200 on a 1920x1080 physical display).
  • Missing Runtime Fullscreen Setting: Operating WinCC in a standard resizable window with Windows title bars and borders shifts the coordinate offset, triggering scrollbars.

Step-by-Step Picture Resizing and Configuration Procedure

To permanently eliminate unwanted scrollbars, follow this geometric alignment procedure:

Step 1: Confirm OS Project Editor Resolution

  1. In WinCC Explorer, double-click OS Project Editor.
  2. Navigate to the Layout tab.
  3. Verify that the selected monitor configuration matches the physical display hardware (e.g., SIMATIC Standard 1920*1080).
  4. Click OK to apply and verify that base templates are aligned.

Step 2: Calculate and Apply Correct Picture Dimensions

  1. Open the problematic picture or trend window (.pdl) in Graphics Designer.
  2. Deselect all objects and press Alt+Enter (or right-click blank canvas -> Properties) to inspect picture properties.
  3. Under Geometry:
    * Set Picture Width to the exact monitor horizontal width (e.g., 1920).
    * Set Picture Height to the exact maximum usable workspace height:
    • For 1920x1080: Set height to 824 pixels.
    • For 1920x1200: Set height to 967 pixels.
    • For 1680x1050: Set height to 794 pixels.
    • For 1280x1024: Set height to 768 pixels.
  4. Save the picture.

Step 3: Align Embedded Trend Controls and Visual Objects

  1. Inside the resized picture, inspect the position and dimensions of the WinCC OnlineTrendControl.
  2. Ensure its Left coordinate is >= 0 and Top coordinate is >= 0.
  3. Ensure (Left + Width) <= 1920 and (Top + Height) <= 824.
  4. Ensure no invisible objects, hidden buttons, or off-canvas graphic shapes reside in negative coordinate space or beyond the border.

Step 4: Configure Graphics Runtime Display Mode

  1. In WinCC Explorer, right-click the Computer object and select Properties.
  2. Switch to the Graphics Runtime tab.
  3. Under Window Attributes, verify the following:
    * Check Full Screen.
    * Uncheck Title, Border, and Maximize/Minimize.
    * Verify that Turn off scrollbars is checked if supported.
  4. Click OK and restart Runtime.

Monitor Resolution and Maximum Picture Dimension Reference

The following table provides the exact allowable picture dimensions for standard PCS 7 OS Project Editor layouts:

Native Monitor ResolutionAspect RatioOverview Banner HeightButton Row HeightMax Usable Picture WidthMax Usable Picture Height1920 x 1080 (Full HD)16:9108 pixels148 pixels1920 pixels824 pixels1920 x 1200 (WUXGA)16:10108 pixels125 pixels1920 pixels967 pixels1680 x 1050 (WSXGA+)16:10108 pixels148 pixels1680 pixels794 pixels1600 x 1200 (UXGA)4:3108 pixels125 pixels1600 pixels967 pixels1280 x 1024 (SXGA)5:4108 pixels148 pixels1280 pixels768 pixels

Adhering strictly to these vertical dimensions guarantees that WinCC will render process graphics with zero scrollbars.

Verification

To verify that picture dimensions are properly configured:
1. Activate WinCC Runtime.
2. Navigate directly to the modified Trend picture and technological overview screens.
3. Verify that the picture fills the central workspace smoothly from the bottom edge of the Overview banner to the top edge of the Button row.
4. Confirm that neither horizontal nor vertical scrollbars appear on the screen edges.
5. Navigate through multiple plant areas and open various faceplates; confirm that screen transitions remain clean with zero scrollbar persistence.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Modifying picture dimensions in Graphics Designer does not automatically scale embedded objects; controls must be resized and repositioned manually.
  • Running multiple monitors on an OS Client requires configuring the multi-VGA layout in OS Project Editor (e.g., 2 monitors 1920*1080) rather than stretching a single picture across displays.
  • Never manually alter @1001.pdl to disable scrollbars, as running OS Project Editor during future system maintenance will regenerate the template and discard manual edits.
  • Ensure Windows display scaling (DPI scaling) is strictly set to 100% on all operator stations; DPI scaling (e.g., 125% or 150%) corrupts coordinate rendering in WinCC.

Engineer FAQ

Why does opening a Trend screen cause scrollbars to persist on other screens?

When a picture with oversized dimensions forces @1001.pdl to display scrollbars, the WinCC Picture Window can retain the scrollbar state across subsequent picture navigations until a properly sized picture resets the viewport.

Can I use 'Adapt Picture' on the Picture Window instead of resizing pictures?

While 'Adapt Picture' scales content automatically, it can introduce graphical distortion, blurry text fonts, and increased rendering latency on operator client stations. Designing pictures to exact native dimensions is Siemens recommended practice.

What happens if Windows DPI scaling is enabled on the client PC?

DPI scaling causes Windows to multiply pixel coordinates, effectively making a 1920x824 picture render at 2400x1030, instantly triggering massive scrollbars. Always lock OS stations to 100% DPI.

Technical References

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Related Tags

  • OS_Project_Editor
  • Graphics_Designer
  • Screen_Resolution
  • WinCC_Runtime
  • Scroll_Bars
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