Why Faceplate Designer Was Removed in PCS 7 V9.0 and How to Build Modern APL Faceplates

In SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 SP1, the classic Faceplate Designer utility (FpDesigner.exe) is absent because Siemens permanently deprecated and removed it from the WinCC distribution. Faceplate Designer was a legacy 32-bit tool engineered for classic Standard Library faceplates, which do not comply with modern widescreen resolutions, ergonomic alarm concepts, or Advanced Process Library (APL) standards. In modern PCS 7 releases, custom faceplates are created directly inside WinCC Graphics Designer as modular pictures (@PG_.pdl and @PG__Standard.pdl) using standard APL templates, Customized Objects, and C-actions complying with the official PCS 7 APL Style Guide.

Evolution of PCS 7 Faceplate Technologies: Classic vs. APL

In early versions of SIMATIC PCS 7 (V5.x, V6.x, and V7.x), the Human-Machine Interface relied on the PCS 7 Standard Library. Standard Library faceplates were constructed using a dedicated utility named Faceplate Designer (FpDesigner.exe), which generated proprietary WinCC graphic objects and specialized C-scripts (@Fp_*.pdl).

With the introduction of the Advanced Process Library (APL) in PCS 7 V7.1 and its universal standardization across V8.x and V9.x, Siemens fundamentally redesigned the HMI user experience. APL established high-performance operational standards complying with NAMUR NE 107, ISA-101, and ergonomic alarm philosophies. APL faceplates abandoned the proprietary Faceplate Designer engine entirely, standardizing on pure WinCC Graphics Designer pictures organized into modular view containers (@PG_<Type>.pdl). Consequently, in PCS 7 V9.0 SP1, the obsolete Faceplate Designer utility was completely removed from the installation media.

Why the Classic Faceplate Designer Was Phased Out

Technical evaluation highlights why Siemens eliminated Faceplate Designer:

Fixed Resolution and Aspect Ratio Incompatibility: Faceplate Designer generated rigid 4:3 aspect ratio dialogs with hardcoded pixel dimensions. Modern plant control rooms utilize high-definition widescreen monitors (16:9 and 16:10), where legacy faceplates appear distorted, microscopic, or unreadable.
Lack of Multi-Tier View Separation: Modern APL faceplates separate technological tasks into discrete views: Standard View, Limit View, Parameter View, Ramp View, Maintenance View, and Preview. Classic Faceplate Designer could not handle multi-view dynamic container switching.
64-Bit Operating System Transition: Faceplate Designer relied on 16/32-bit legacy COM wrappers incompatible with 64-bit Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB and Windows Server 2016.

Classic Faceplate Designer vs. Modern APL Faceplate Architecture

The following table compares legacy Faceplate Designer artifacts with modern APL faceplate design:

| Architectural Feature | Classic Faceplate Designer (Legacy) | Modern APL Architecture (PCS 7 V9.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authoring Tool | FpDesigner.exe (Standalone utility) | WinCC Graphics Designer (GraCS) |
| File Naming Standard | @Fp_<BlockType>.pdl | @PG_<BlockType>.pdl (Top window) |
| View Modularity | Single monolithic window | Modular views (_Standard, _Maintenance, etc.) |
| Ergonomic Standards | Legacy 1990s industrial design | Compliant with NAMUR NE 107 / ISA-101 |
| Tag Interconnection | Manual script tag bindings | Dynamic dot-syntax (.PV_Out#Value) via TagPrefix |
| PCS 7 V9.0 Status | Completely Removed | Native Supported Framework |

Step-by-Step Procedure to Construct Custom Faceplates in PCS 7 V9.0

To build a modern custom faceplate in PCS 7 V9.0 SP1 without Faceplate Designer:

Select an APL Base Template:
- In WinCC Explorer on the Engineering Station, open Graphics Designer.
- Locate an existing APL faceplate that closely resembles your custom block (e.g., @PG_MotL.pdl for a discrete actuator, or @PG_OpAnL.pdl for analog setpoint manipulation).
- Save @PG_MotL.pdl as @PG_CustomFB.pdl (where CustomFB matches the exact name of your SCL/CFC block).
- Save @PG_MotL_Standard.pdl as @PG_CustomFB_Standard.pdl.
Configure the Top-Level Faceplate Frame (@PG_CustomFB.pdl):
- Open @PG_CustomFB.pdl in Graphics Designer.
- Select the main picture window object (ViewWindow).
- In Object Properties, set the default picture property to @PG_CustomFB_Standard.pdl.
- Configure the overview header toolbar to display relevant view selection buttons (Standard, Maintenance).
- Save and close @PG_CustomFB.pdl.
Customize the Standard Operational View (@PG_CustomFB_Standard.pdl):
- Open @PG_CustomFB_Standard.pdl.
- Remove unneeded motor graphic elements; insert I/O fields, bar graphs, or buttons.
- In all dynamic tag bindings, specify only dot-prefixed relative tag names (e.g., .PV_Out#Value, .SP_In#Value, .Status1).
- Never hardcode static chart names, as the WinCC faceplate engine supplies the TagPrefix dynamically at runtime.
- Save and close the picture.
Link Block Icon to Faceplate:
- In your project typical file (@PCS7Typicals_Project.pdl), configure your block icon Customized Object with property type := @CustomFB/1.
- On the mouse click event of the block icon, ensure the action calls: APL_OpenFaceplate(lpszPictureName, lpszObjectName);.
- Compile the OS and test in WinCC Runtime.

Verification

Verify custom APL faceplate functionality:
1. Launch WinCC Runtime on an OS client; click the custom block icon in the process graphic.
2. Confirm that @PG_CustomFB.pdl opens instantly as a floating dialog window with the correct tag prefix populated in the title bar.
3. Verify that analog values and status indicators update smoothly in real time.
4. Toggle manual setpoint adjustments; confirm that the commands propagate to the S7 controller instance DB and log operator messages in Alarm Logging.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Never Re-introduce Legacy DLLs: Do not attempt to copy FpDesigner.exe from old PCS 7 V6/V7 CDs into PCS 7 V9.0; doing so corrupts the WinCC Graphics Designer registration.
Style Guide Compliance: Custom faceplates must strictly follow the PCS 7 APL Style Guide regarding colors, font sizes, and button margins to maintain ergonomic consistency for plant operators.
Multi-Monitor Testing: Test custom faceplates across all client display resolutions to ensure floating windows position correctly on active monitors.

Engineer FAQ

Where can I find Faceplate Designer on the PCS 7 V9.0 DVD?

It is nowhere on the DVD. Siemens officially discontinued and removed Faceplate Designer in favor of the modern APL Graphics Designer architecture.

Can I still open legacy Faceplate Designer PDLs in PCS 7 V9.0?

While legacy PDLs may render basic shapes, their internal C-scripts and active controls will fail. They should be redesigned using APL templates.

What makes APL faceplates superior to Faceplate Designer dialogs?

APL faceplates support widescreen scaling, modular views (Standard, Limit, Maintenance), integrated alarm locking, and compliance with ISA-101 ergonomic standards.

How do APL faceplates know which PLC instance to display?

When an operator clicks a block icon, the APL_OpenFaceplate script passes the block's instance tag path as the 'TagPrefix' to the faceplate picture window.