WinCC Unified – TIP’s for Faceplate

Faceplate pop up formatiing and Windows Flags

Hi,

The Faceplate Pop up formatting could be configured by Windows flags parameter.

This could be used, for example, to hide the close button on the title bar.

HMIWindowsFlag parameter is a byte where each bit has a meaning:

None (0): Use default setting of the object
ShowCaption (1 = bit 0): Show title
ShowBorder (2 = bit 1): Show border
AlwaysOnTop (4 = bit 2): Always on top
CanSize (8 = bit 3): Can be sized
CanMove (16 = bit 4): Can be positioned
CanMaximize (32 = bit 5): Can be maximized
CanClose (64 = bit 6): Can be closed
AlwaysInParent (128 = bit 7): The window cannot be moved from the parent window (monitor, faceplate, etc.).

TIP: you can use also system constants to do it and "|" to add different features.

The system constants are:

• AlwaysInParent
• AlwasOnTop
• CanClose
• CanMaximize
• CanMove
• CanSize
• None
• Showborder
• ShowCaption

Here there is an example of system constant use:

po.WindowsFlags = UI.Enums.HmiWindowsFlag.CanClose | UI.Enums.HmiWindowsFlag.CanSize

In this simple sample, the Windows Flag could be didactically set in the main windows and due internal tags passed to the faceplate / faceplate pop up.

Thanks to Ricardo Ferreira for the tip.

Faceplate Pop up – UI data

Hi,

It should be possible to extract some information about of Faceplate Pop-ups using UI object.
In special it is possible to get the number of open Faceplates in Pop-up mode, get their references (index) and the respective names (automatically assigned by the system when they are created).

Note that the Index is a dynamic reference, changes along the time (i.e. when an old opened faceplate is closed, other already opened faceplates could change their respective indexes).

The script principle to get this information are showed here. It was add some code lines to check and avoid to try access information of a nonexistent faceplate.

In this simple sample, the UI information is extract directly on IO fields and buttons uses these indexes to close the faceplates.

Popup Faceplate controlled by UI Data

Hi,

here there is a simple example using the last-mentioned concepts to control the number of open Faceplate Popup.

Here, the “father” Faceplate checks internally if there is an open popup’s faceplate and close it before launch its.

Faceplate's Button dymamic graphic and text

Hi,

in V17 it is not possible to direct dynamise the graphic property of faceplate’s button.

A suggestion in this case is to store the graphics as Types and use it with scripts to change the button appearance, using instructions like:

item.Graphic = HMIRuntime.Resources.Graphics("GraphicCollection.myGraphicName_V_0_0_1").Name;

The follow sample project shows dynamic buttons text and graphics in this way.

(special thanks to Mr. Rainer Uhl for the tip)

Additional TIP for UI Data and PopUp control

Hi,

The FAQ "How do you control pop-up windows in WinCC Unified PC RT and Comfort Panels via script (JavaScript examples)?" https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/ww/en/view/109810540

complements my lasts related posts and shows additional tips about the topics:

1. Prevent a pop-up from opening multiple times

1.1 List open pop-up windows

1.2 Access the instance of a pop-up via its title

1.3 Close all open pop-up windows simultaneously

2. Properties of Pop-up Windows

2.1 Change the properties of the open pop-ups

2.2 Overview: Properties and methods of pop-up windows

3. Implement an operation lock when the pop-up is open

and gives a sample projects

Authorization

Authorization could also be passed as Property interface. This allow to control the user access to individual parts of the face plate.

TIP: up to this current version (V17 up4) it just possible to access "default" user access (User administrator, Monitor, Operate, Remote access).

Sample project 

Hi,

I agree with you: the concept of "Faceplate.OpenFaceplateInPopup", is to inherit the father interface, and the other references would be unavailable in this process.

Possible workarounds (but all with limitations):

• Include the “other variables” in the faceplate interface.
• Use direct access to external variables inside of the faceplate.
• Change of concept to not use "Faceplate.OpenFaceplateInPopup", for example including the popup information in the father faceplate.
• Change of concept to not useUI.OpenFaceplateInPopupto call the father block, for example calling the father faceplate from a “grandfather” faceplate.