Resolving Empty WinCC Areas and Picture Hierarchy Warnings During PCS 7 OS Compilation

During SIMATIC PCS 7 project migrations or Service Pack upgrades—such as updating from V7.1 to V7.1 SP3—an OS compilation warning stating that the system area cannot be created because no picture has been configured causes WinCC Runtime to display blank overview screens. This error occurs when the Plant Hierarchy (PH) folders lack assigned WinCC process pictures (.pdl). In PCS 7, the OS Project Editor builds the runtime area navigation hierarchy exclusively from hierarchy folders containing valid graphics. Inserting valid pictures into each folder and recompiling the OS restores complete runtime area buttons.

The Relationship Between Plant Hierarchy and WinCC Runtime Areas

In SIMATIC PCS 7, the graphical human-machine interface (HMI) is generated automatically from the technological Plant Hierarchy (PH) configured in SIMATIC Manager:

Technological Hierarchy Levels: The Plant Hierarchy organizes the plant into logical tiers (e.g., Level 1 = Site, Level 2 = Unit/Area, Level 3 = Equipment Phase).
Area Derivation: The top hierarchy level designated as an OS Area (configured in Plant Hierarchy properties) dictates the generation of the primary area buttons in the WinCC runtime header (@Overview1.pdl).
Picture Assignment Mandate: For an area button to be generated in WinCC, the corresponding Plant Hierarchy folder must contain at least one configured WinCC process picture (.pdl). If a technological folder has CFC charts and block instances but lacks an assigned picture, the OS compiler cannot link the area navigation path.

Root Causes of the Missing Picture Compilation Warning

During project retrieval, version upgrades, or service pack migrations (such as moving from PCS 7 V7.1 to V7.1 SP3), engineers frequently encounter this compilation log warning:

operator station oscontainer: ***warning(s)*** cannot create the system area because no picture has been configured.
It is possible that blocks in this area cannot be selected in WinCC runtime.

When runtime is launched, the screen header displays empty grey area buttons, and process faceplates cannot be called up from alarm lists. This occurs because:

Unassigned Process Graphics: A technological folder in the Plant Hierarchy contains control blocks but no WinCC picture (.pdl) was inserted or assigned to that level.
Accidental Deletion During Migration: During project cleanup or conversion, empty pictures were removed or failed to convert across SQL Server schema upgrades.
Hierarchy Setting Misconfiguration: The Plant Hierarchy folder property was configured as an "Area", but the actual process display resides in a sub-folder that is not flagged to generate pictures for the higher area.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Restore Picture Hierarchy and Area Buttons

Follow this standardized procedure to resolve the warning and restore WinCC area visualization:

Step 1: Audit the Plant Hierarchy in SIMATIC Manager

Open SIMATIC Manager and switch to the Plant View (View -> Plant View).
Expand the Plant Hierarchy tree for the affected project.
Right-click the root hierarchy folder and select Plant Hierarchy -> Settings....
Confirm the number of hierarchy levels and identify which level is designated as the OS Area (typically Level 2).

Step 2: Identify Folders Missing Pictures

Inspect each folder at the designated Area level.
Check the right-hand object pane:
* A healthy area folder must contain at least one WinCC Picture object (.pdl).
* If an area folder contains only CFC charts, SFC charts, or sub-folders without a picture, it triggers the compilation warning.

Step 3: Insert and Assign Process Pictures

Right-click any area folder lacking a graphic and select Insert New Object -> Picture.
Name the picture appropriately (e.g., Area_Boilers.pdl).
Right-click the newly inserted picture and select Object Properties.
Check the option Derive picture hierarchy from the plant hierarchy.
Repeat this step for all technological area folders across the multiproject.

Executing the OS Project Editor and Full OS Compilation

Once all hierarchy folders contain assigned pictures:

Open WinCC Explorer:
* Open the target WinCC OS project from SIMATIC Manager.
Execute OS Project Editor:
* In WinCC Explorer, double-click OS Project Editor.
* Under the Layout tab, confirm the target monitor resolution.
* Under the Areas tab, verify that all technological areas are listed.
* Click OK to re-generate the base navigation scripts and @Overview1.pdl.
Execute Full OS Compilation:
* In SIMATIC Manager, right-click the OS project and select Compile.
* Under Scope, select Entire OS and check With memory reset.
* Run the compilation.
* Review the compilation log: confirm that the warning "cannot create the system area because no picture has been configured" has disappeared.

Verification

Confirm that the WinCC runtime interface is fully restored:

WinCC Runtime Activation:
* Activate WinCC Runtime on the OS server or client.
Area Navigation Button Verification:
* Verify that the top header bar displays all configured plant area buttons with their technological names.
* Click each area button; confirm that the assigned process picture opens smoothly in the main workspace.
Faceplate Loop-In Check:
* Open the alarm journal list.
* Select an active or historical alarm from the area.
* Click the Loop-In Alarm button; confirm that the screen navigates directly to the correct picture and highlights the faulting equipment block icon.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Avoid Creating Empty Unused Folders: Technological folders that contain no equipment and no pictures should not be flagged as "Area" in Plant Hierarchy settings.
Standard Screen Naming Conventions: Never rename system pictures starting with @ (e.g., @Overview1.pdl, @Screen.pdl); these are managed exclusively by the OS Project Editor.
Service Pack Migration Sequence: When migrating from PCS 7 V7.1 to V7.1 SP3, ensure that WinCC Migrator and project reorganization are executed prior to compiling the OS.

Engineer FAQ

What causes the OS compile warning 'cannot create the system area because no picture has been configured'?
A technological folder designated as an OS Area in the Plant Hierarchy contains automation blocks but lacks an inserted WinCC picture (.pdl).
Why are area buttons blank in WinCC Runtime after migrating a project?
Because the OS Project Editor could not generate navigation links for hierarchy folders that had no assigned process graphics during compilation.
What setting defines which Plant Hierarchy level generates WinCC area buttons?
In SIMATIC Manager under Options -> Plant Hierarchy -> Settings, the 'Level for OS Area' parameter defines the area tier.
Can I resolve this issue without creating new graphics?
Yes, by inserting an empty WinCC picture (.pdl) into each affected area folder and recompiling the OS, area buttons will generate immediately.
What does 'Derive picture hierarchy from the plant hierarchy' do?
It links the picture navigation hierarchy in WinCC Runtime directly to the folder structure defined in SIMATIC Manager.
How does the missing picture warning affect alarm handling?
If an area has no picture, alarms from blocks in that folder cannot execute the 'Loop-In Alarm' function to jump to the equipment graphic.
Is it necessary to run OS Project Editor after adding pictures to hierarchy folders?
Running the OS Project Editor updates the internal screen navigation layouts and ensures newly added areas are integrated into the overview header.
Can a Plant Hierarchy folder contain both CFC charts and multiple pictures?
Yes, a folder can contain multiple CFC charts and multiple process pictures, but one picture should be designated as the primary area overview.
Does fixing this warning require an AS controller download?
No, this issue resides entirely within the engineering Plant Hierarchy and WinCC OS database; controller programs remain untouched.
What happens if a picture is moved from one hierarchy folder to another?
Moving a picture changes its technological path; a subsequent OS compile updates the navigation hierarchy and block icon links accordingly.

Technical References

Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) Portal: Software Update with Migration from PCS 7 V7.1 to PCS 7 V8.2 / V9.0 (Entry ID: 109742323).
SIMATIC PCS 7 Plant Hierarchy Configuration Manual, Siemens AG.
SIMATIC PCS 7 Operator Station OS Project Editor Manual, Siemens AG.

Related Tags

PCS 7, WinCC, Plant Hierarchy, OS Compile, Area Buttons, OS Project Editor, Migration, Troubleshooting

Resolving Empty WinCC Areas and Picture Hierarchy Warnings During PCS 7 OS Compilation