So far only a process image, a trend panel
as well as some input dialogs were created. The results were viewed
in the preview of the graphic editor and the preview was clear and sufficient.
Real plants, however, consist of several dozen
or hundred process images so that you need an appropriate form
of navigation and image management. In addition
to the methods for opening dialogs (child panels) described in
the chapter Creating
Process Images - the Graphic Editor, this chapter goes more
into detail and describes the "Window
technics".
In a WinCC OA
system, several user interfaces
can run at the same time on the server. Thereby, it is irrelevant
whether these UI managers run
on the same (for example server) or on different computers. Typically,
a user interface will be configured per
each computer.
Each user interface can display
one or more visualization modules. Thereby, such a module always represents an
own program window regarding
the operating system.
Figure: View of Process States
in several Modules per User Interface
Manager
A so-called root
panel will be opened in each module. This can either be
a process image like the already created panel process.pnl or
a user interface with further embedded
modules in the root panel. In these modules, panels are
opened as root panels.
Moreover, you can open a
further module as an independent window through a module.
If you close the calling (original) module or you change the root
panel shown in that module, the called
(new) module remains open.
NOTE
The use of several modules
is important when specific areas of visualization should remain
open permanent and independent of the rest. In this way, on a
computer with two
monitors, one of the process images could
remain open on the left and the alarm screen on the right. Still only one
user interface manager will be required.
NOTE
Without additional settings,
the window of a module always possesses a tool bar and
menus by default. These are hidden in most cases since the
user should only navigate using the elements of the panels.
Figure: Structure/
Window Technics when using the Panel Topology in the current Example
Further windows
can be opened as child panels
by each root panel. A
child panel belongs to the root panel through
which it was opened. When a root panel is closed,
also the associated child
panels will be closed automatically.
The display of the input dialog for valve V3 is meaningful only
when the process image with the valve view V3 and its environment
is visible.
You can open child panels and modules
in many different ways
depending on the task. |