Resolving 'Import Not Possible for a Locked Design' When Modifying WinCC Color Palettes in PCS 7

The error 'Import not possible for a locked design' in SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 (WinCC V7.5 SP2) occurs when attempting to import a custom color palette into a system-locked design such as 'WinCC 3D' or 'WinCC Classic'. In WinCC V7.5 SP2, default factory designs are permanently write-protected. To resolve this, create and activate a new custom design by duplicating an existing template, unlock its editing properties, and apply SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 Update Collection 02 (UC02) or WinCC V7.5 SP2 Update 11, which fixes a known software defect where newly created user designs inherited write-protection flags.

Executive Summary

In SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 and WinCC V7.5 SP2, the Central Color Palette and Design Editor allow engineers to maintain standardized visual schemes across all process displays. However, engineers migrating projects or importing custom color palettes frequently encounter the modal dialog error 'Import not possible for a locked design'. This error stems from design protection mechanics introduced to safeguard factory-certified APL styles, compounded by a confirmed bug in early releases of WinCC V7.5 SP2 where user-created custom designs were erroneously flagged as locked. This guide explains the design locking mechanism, details the resolution via official Siemens Update Collections, and provides step-by-step procedures to import color schemes.

Architectural and System Mechanics

WinCC Graphics Runtime visual design architecture separates style definitions from individual process objects:

Central Color Palette: Defined in Project Properties -> Color Palette. It assigns index numbers (0 to 99) to RGB color values, ensuring consistent color coding for alarms, piping, and equipment states.
WinCC Designs: Located in Project Properties -> Design. Default templates (WinCC Classic, WinCC Simple, WinCC 3D, WinCC Ocean) define shadows, borders, hover states, and font rendering.
Locked Design Flag: Default designs are hardcoded with a write-protection attribute in the project database to prevent corrupting standard APL library faceplates.
Software Defect in WinCC V7.5 SP2: In base versions prior to UC02, copying or creating a new design retained internal binary lock flags, preventing color palette XML/PAL imports even on newly created user profiles.

Step-by-Step Engineering and Implementation Procedure

Step 1: Install SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 UC02

Download and install Update Collection 02 (UC02) for SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 (or the equivalent WinCC V7.5 SP2 Update 11+). This update resolves the internal database schema bug that propagates write-protection locks to custom designs.

Step 2: Create a Dedicated Custom Design in WinCC Explorer

Open WinCC Explorer on the Engineering Station.
Right-click the project root and select 'Properties'.
In the Project Properties window, select the 'Design' tab.
Select an existing template (e.g., 'WinCC 3D') and click 'Save as...'.
Enter a custom name (e.g., Plant_Custom_Design) and click OK.

Step 3: Activate the Custom Design as the Active Design

In the 'Active Design' drop-down list, select your newly created Plant_Custom_Design.
Click 'Apply'. The design editor now treats the custom scheme as an editable user profile.

Step 4: Import the Color Palette

Still within Project Properties, navigate to the 'Color Palette' tab.
Click 'Import...'.
Browse to the exported palette file (*.pal or XML palette configuration).
Confirm the replacement of color indices. The palette imports successfully without triggering the lock violation.

Verification

To verify proper palette import and design functionality:
1. Check the Color Palette grid in Project Properties; confirm that imported custom colors and index labels appear correctly.
2. Open Graphics Designer with an existing process picture.
3. Insert a static shape or button, inspect the 'Colors' property, and verify that the palette reflects the imported custom RGB values.
4. Start WinCC Graphics Runtime and verify that objects referencing dynamic color indices display the expected colors.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Operational precautions:
- Never attempt to manually edit system PDL files or system database tables to bypass design locks, as this corrupts WinCC project integrity.
- Modifying standard color indices utilized by APL block icons (such as alarm colors red, yellow, and blue) may cause non-compliance with ISA-18.2 / IEC 62682 alarm management standards.
- Applying updates must be followed by a full OS compilation and server project download to ensure all runtime stations receive the updated design definitions.

Engineer FAQ

Q: Why are default WinCC designs locked?

A: Siemens locks default designs to preserve standard APL faceplate aesthetics and ensure visual consistency across standard software updates.

Q: Can I import a color palette without creating a custom design?

A: No. WinCC requires an unlocked, user-defined design profile before modifying or importing color palette files.

Q: Does installing PCS 7 V9.1 SP2 UC02 require an OS Server restart?

A: Yes. Installing Update Collections updates WinCC core runtime binaries, requiring a full system reboot.

Q: Are color palettes shared across multiple WinCC clients automatically?

A: Yes, once imported on the OS Server and downloaded, client stations referencing the server package display the unified color scheme.

Q: Where are exported color palettes stored?

A: Palette files can be saved to any accessible local or network directory as .pal or .xml files via the Export dialog.

Technical References

Related Tags

WinCC Design, Color Palette, Locked Design, PCS 7 V9.1 SP2, Graphics Designer

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Resolving 'Import Not Possible for a Locked Design' When Modifying WinCC Color Palettes in PCS 7