C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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·Publicada en C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)

Selectively Suppressing Automatic Block Icon Generation in PCS 7 Plant Hierarchy Overview Pictures

Selectively Suppressing Automatic Block Icon Generation in PCS 7 Plant Hierarchy Overview Pictures

In SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.0, automatic block icon generation cannot be configured selectively for individual blocks within a single picture—the generation wizard operates on an all-or-nothing basis per picture. To prevent an overview picture from being cluttered with hundreds of subgroup icons, right-click the overview picture in SIMATIC Manager, open 'Object Properties', and uncheck 'Derive block icons from the plant hierarchy'. Then, to display only selected key summary icons in the overview, manually copy the desired icons from the detailed lower-level pictures into the overview picture and delete the '@' prefix from the object's 'Type' property (e.g., change '@MonAnL/1' to 'MonAnL/1') to prevent the compiler from modifying or deleting them.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Designing structured, ergonomically sound Human-Machine Interface (HMI) graphics in SIMATIC PCS 7 requires adhering to multi-level plant navigation standards (such as ASM and NAMUR guidelines). A common design challenge involves top-level Area Overview pictures: while lower-level Unit and Detail pictures require full instrumentation icons for motors, valves, transmitters, and interlocks, the high-level Area Overview picture should remain clean, displaying only major process vessels, summary production KPIs, and critical master alarm icons. However, executing the standard PCS 7 utility Create/Update Block Icons automatically populates the overview picture with every block icon from all nested subgroups and subordinate charts, resulting in an unreadable cluster of overlapping symbols. This technical guide explains how to suppress automated icon derivation and implement persistent, selective icon placement.

Plant Hierarchy Block Icon Generation Mechanics

SIMATIC PCS 7 automates block icon creation through tight integration between the Plant Hierarchy (PH), CFC charts, and WinCC graphic pictures (.pdl). When an engineer executes Options > Plant Hierarchy > Create/Update Block Icons:

  1. The compiler traverses the hierarchy tree from top to bottom.
  2. It inspects all technological blocks with attribute S7_m_c = true (e.g. MotL, VlvL, MonAnL).
  3. It identifies the target picture assigned to the parent hierarchy folder.
  4. If a picture has the attribute Derive block icons from the plant hierarchy enabled, the compiler generates block icons for all blocks residing in that folder and all subordinate subfolders that do not possess their own pictures.

The All-or-Nothing Rule: Picture-Level vs Block-Level Scope

A foundational constraint of the PCS 7 icon generation engine is that filtering cannot be applied to individual technological blocks in CFC (e.g. you cannot flag block A to generate an icon while flagging block B in the same chart to skip generation). The generation switch exists exclusively at the Picture Object Properties level in SIMATIC Manager.

Disabling Derive block icons from the plant hierarchy on the overview picture completely stops the automated wizard from placing any icons into that picture.

The '@' Type Property Protection Mechanism

When the wizard creates a block icon, it populates the WinCC object property General > Type with a prefix character @ (for example, @MonAnL/1 or @MotL/2). During subsequent compilations:

  • The compiler searches for all objects whose Type begins with @.
  • If a block was deleted in CFC, the wizard removes the corresponding @ icon.
  • If an icon was manually modified or moved, the wizard may overwrite its position.

Crucially, if an engineer manually copies an icon into an overview picture and removes the @ prefix (changing Type to MonAnL/1), the compiler ignores the object entirely. The icon remains permanently in the overview picture, fully animated in runtime, without risk of deletion by the wizard.

Block Icon Management and Protection Strategy Matrix

The following table compares configuration strategies for managing block icons in PCS 7:

Engineering ObjectivePicture Property SettingObject Type PropertyCompiler Action on UpdateRecommended Application ScopeAutomated Full GenerationDerive Block Icons = Enabled@<BlockType>/<IconType>Automatically creates, updates, and deletes icons.Detailed Unit & Equipment pictures.Clean Overview (No Icons)Derive Block Icons = DisabledN/A (Empty Picture)Completely skips picture during compilation.High-level Plant Overview / KPI dashboards.Selective Custom IconsDerive Block Icons = Disabled<BlockType>/<IconType> (No @)Compiler ignores object; persists across compiles.Overview pictures with selected summary icons.Temporary Manual EditsDerive Block Icons = Enabled@<BlockType>/<IconType>Overwritten or reset on next full compilation!Invalid practice; causes loss of manual edits.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Clean Overview Pictures

Method 1: Disabling Automatic Derivation on Overview Pictures

  1. In SIMATIC Manager, navigate to the Plant View.
  2. Select the top-level hierarchy folder representing the Plant Area.
  3. In the right-hand pane, right-click the overview picture (Overview.pdl) and select Object Properties.
  4. In the properties dialog, uncheck the box Derive block icons from the plant hierarchy.
  5. Click OK.

Method 2: Manually Placing Protected Selective Summary Icons

  1. Open the lower-level detailed process picture in Graphic Designer where the required technological block already exists.
  2. Select the desired block icon (e.g. Master Reactor Temperature @MonAnL/1) and press Ctrl+C to copy.
  3. Open the top-level overview picture (Overview.pdl) and press Ctrl+V to paste the icon.
  4. Position the icon appropriately over the overview graphic.
  5. Open the Object Properties window for the pasted icon.
  6. Under property group General, locate property Type.
  7. Edit the string to remove the leading @ character (e.g., change @MonAnL/1 to MonAnL/1).
  8. Save the picture. In SIMATIC Manager, execute Create/Update Block Icons; verify that the selective icon remains intact.

Verification

To verify that the overview picture remains clean and selective icons function:

  1. Compilation Stress Test: In SIMATIC Manager, select the OS project and choose Options > Plant Hierarchy > Create/Update Block Icons. Confirm that the compiler finishes without adding unwanted subgroup icons to the overview picture.
  2. Runtime Animation Check: Activate WinCC Runtime. Open the overview picture. Verify that the manually placed icon displays live process values and updates alarm colors.
  3. Faceplate Navigation: Click the selective icon in runtime. Confirm that the standard APL faceplate opens immediately.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Manual Maintenance for Un-prefixed Icons: Because the compiler ignores icons without the @ prefix, if the technological block is later renamed or deleted in CFC, the engineer must manually update or delete the icon in the overview picture.
  • Hierarchy Path Inconsistencies: Ensure that the tag connection string (Tag or TagPrefix) on manually copied icons points to the correct full plant hierarchy path.
  • Screen Resolution Scaling: Maintain consistent icon scaling when copying between pictures with different screen coordinate layouts.

Engineer FAQ

Can I prevent block icon generation for a single CFC block without disabling the whole picture?

No. The PCS 7 block icon generation mechanism is configured at the picture level, not on individual block instances.

Why does the compiler delete my manually arranged icons on the overview picture?

If the icon retain the '@' prefix in its Type property and 'Derive block icons' is active, the wizard deletes or relocates icons that do not match current chart locations.

Does removing the '@' prefix break runtime faceplate opening?

No. The '@' prefix is evaluated strictly by the engineering generation wizard; WinCC runtime scripts and faceplate loaders ignore the '@' character.

Technical References

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