Resolving Missing CFC Charts in Project Tree After Migration from CFC V7.0 to CFC V8.1

When opening a project originally engineered in CFC V7.0 inside a newer workstation equipped with CFC V8.1 SP1 Upd1 and Continuous Function Charts fail to appear in the SIMATIC Manager project tree, the problem is not caused by missing licenses. Automation License Manager (ALM) produces an explicit popup notification for license shortages rather than hiding diagrams. The root cause is a database schema mismatch in the Technological Hierarchy (TH) or missing engineering option packages (such as Technological Hierarchy, SFC, or SCL). Furthermore, major version transitions from V7.0 to V8.1 cannot be executed in a single jump; the project must undergo a formal migration workflow (either passing through the intermediate PCS 7 V7.1 SP4 baseline or running the PCS 7 Migration Wizard) and executing File -> Save As... With Reorganization (Slow).

Technological Hierarchy and Chart Container Architecture in SIMATIC Manager

In SIMATIC PCS 7, Continuous Function Charts do not exist as loose files on a hard drive; they are stored inside a complex relational database container managed by the Technological Hierarchy (TH) and CFC Database Engine. In the Component View, charts reside under the Charts folder of the S7 Program; in the Plant View, charts are organized hierarchically across plant units, areas, and equipment modules.

When SIMATIC Manager opens an S7 program, it queries registered ActiveX components and COM database providers to parse the chart container. If the software environment lacks the required database handlers (such as opening a PCS 7 project in a generic STEP 7 installation that lacks Technological Hierarchy), or if the internal schema of the chart container belongs to a deprecated generation, the chart container fails to enumerate its contents, rendering an empty tree view.

Why Opening Pre-V7.1 Charts in V8.1 Fails (Schema Divergence)

Between CFC V7.0 (2007) and CFC V8.1 (2014), the internal data structures of Continuous Function Charts underwent extensive revisions to support Control Module Types (CMT), chart-oriented runtime groups, and 64-bit Windows operation.

Software GenerationUnderlying Database FormatMigration RequirementCFC V7.0 SP2Legacy 32-bit Sybase/S7 database formatNative format for PCS 7 V7.0; incompatible with direct V8.1 parsingCFC V7.1 SP4Intermediate bridge schema formatMandatory intermediate conversion step for all pre-V7.1 projectsCFC V8.1 SP1Modern relational CMT/APL schema formatDirect migration supported only from V7.1 SP4 or later

Attempting to open a V7.0 project directly in V8.1 bypasses the database upgrade scripts that convert block interface pointers and technological hierarchy attributes. As a result, SIMATIC Manager treats the chart container as unrecognized or corrupted, hiding the charts from the project tree.

Step-by-Step Remediation and Migration Verification

To restore and properly migrate Continuous Function Charts from V7.0 to V8.1, execute the following technical workflow:

Audit Installed Software Packages: In SIMATIC Manager, select Help -> About -> Installed Software -> Display. Confirm that all prerequisite engineering packages are installed:
- CFC V8.1 SP1 Upd1
- TH (Technological Hierarchy) V8.1
- SFC V8.1
- S7-SCL V5.3 SP6 or higher
If TH is missing, charts cannot be rendered in the plant view.
Check Required Software Packages on Project: In SIMATIC Manager, select File -> Open, select the project, and click Options -> Check Required Software Packages. Verify that no missing packages are flagged.
Execute Intermediate Migration (If Direct Opening Fails): If the project was never upgraded to V7.1, transfer the archive to an intermediate engineering station running PCS 7 V7.1 SP4. Open the project, update block types, and save.
Rebuild Database Indices: On the V8.1 workstation, open the project and immediately execute File -> Save As... with With Reorganization (Slow). This triggers the V8.1 database migrator, reconstructing chart indices.
Clean Up Block Types: In the CFC editor, select Options -> Block Types. Select Clean Up to reconcile all block definitions in the chart folder against the Master Data Library.

Verification

Confirm that the CFC charts are fully recovered and compilable using these checks:

Tree View Inspection: Open SIMATIC Manager Component View and Plant View. Verify that all CFC charts appear under their respective S7 program and hierarchy folders.
Chart Opening and Online Test: Double-click a recovered CFC chart. Confirm that the graphical sheet opens, blocks render with complete pin interconnections, and online monitoring functions correctly.
CFC Program Compilation: Execute Chart -> Compile -> Chart as Program -> Scope: Entire Program. Verify that compilation completes with 0 Errors.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

When migrating legacy CFC charts across major software generations, adhere to these operational precautions:

Never Force Direct File Access: Do not attempt to copy files between Windows Explorer folders; all chart data must be managed exclusively through SIMATIC Manager archive and retrieve tools.
Classic Library Preservation: If the V7.0 project utilized classic library blocks (e.g., MEAS_MON, MOTOR), ensure the 'PCS 7 Classic Library' is installed on the V8.1 engineering station before compiling.
Commercial Procurement and Licensing Disclaimer: Upgrading from PCS 7 V7.0 to V8.1 requires commercial Upgrade Packages. Ensure Automation License Manager holds valid upgrade licenses for Engineering and Runtime Process Objects.

Engineer FAQ

Does a missing license cause CFC charts to disappear from the tree?

No. If a CFC license is missing or expired, Automation License Manager generates a persistent trial mode or missing license dialog. It does not hide diagrams from the project tree.

Can I open a CFC V8.1 project back in CFC V7.0?

No. Project migration is strictly a one-way process. Once a project is saved and reorganized in V8.1, backward compatibility to V7.0 is permanently lost.

What is the 'Clean Up' command in Block Types?

The Clean Up command inspects the CFC database, deletes unreferenced block types, and synchronizes instance data blocks with the current Master Data Library.