1 FOLDERS STRUCTURE

Knowing folder structure of WinCC project is useful for certain settings that can be done only by
entering changes directly into INI files, or in cases where errors can be resolved by recreating some
particular files.

Following are some of main files and folder used:

1.1 PROJECT FOLDER

Contains all files created for the project.

1.2 GENERAL FILES

.MCP – main project file. Starts WinCC and opens the project in the WinCC Explorer.

.MDF – runtime database. Created when you create a new project.

.LOG – reports: setup, system status, error messages.

1.3 SETUP FOLDER

Folder which contains main setup files for HMI application is setup folder. Files that are of main
purpose are :

HMI.INI – File containing Hmi Number, PC Names, etc.

HMI.ALR – File containing alarm filter settings

HMI.MEX – File containing page titles

HMI.INTK – File containing interlock descriptions

HMI.NET – File containing network descriptions

1.4 GRACS FOLDER

Folder which contains all pages .PDL and bitmap pictures .BMP used in project.
2 SETTING HMI APPLICATION IN WINCC EXPLORER

For the first start of HMI applications you need to find and start application in WinCC explorer.
To find WinCC Explorer proceed as follows:
1. Click Windows Start button
2. In „All Programs“ list look for folder Siemens Automation>SIMATIC>WinCC>WinCC Explorer
Finding project in Windows Explorer:
1. Click on File
2. Click on Open

3.Browse for main HMI_Application folder and open it

Selection of main application file:
1. Select wanted HMI_Application folder
2. Select .MCP and click open

In WinCC Explorer appears HMI_Application.

To adjust properly the project:
1.Select Computer on left side of WinCC Explorer tree
2.Double click on Computer name on right side
3.Computer properties are opened. Insert correct “Computer Name” by clicking on “Use Local
Computer Name” button or by entering manually.
After this adjustments HMI_Application is prepared to start in Runtime. Of course additional
adjustment for communication are needed.
3 CONFIGURATION OF COMMUNICATION WITH S7 PLC

As we mostly use communication with Siemens S7 300-400 PLCs we will cover configuration of
communication with S7 PLC.

Configuration of communication on stand-alone or server station

To configure a communication:

1. Open „Tag Management“

2. Right click on TCP/IP
3. Select „System Parameter“
4. On „System Parameter“ panel, tab „Unit“ change the “Logical Device Name” applying the correct
card name installed on PC station. Usually the “(Auto)” is good option.
5.Right click on TCP/IP and create „New Connection“(for new projects).
5. Right click on existing(RHF_PLC) or new connection and select „Connection parameters“.
6. On „Connection Parameter“ panel insert correct IP Address of existing PLC,Rack Number and Slot
Number of CPU on PLC.
4 BASIC SETTING INSIDE HMI APPLICATION

Before we start using HMI Application there are several setting that we need to adjust or to check if
we want to have complete funcionality of application.
Some of main settings are: PC Names in HMI , Users Configuration.

4.1 PC NAMES
It is necessary to update main control pulpit PC names.This list of HMI stations needs to be updated
in order to make correctly work some functions related to plant diagnostics.
The adjustment is accessible by administrator in:
Main icon bar > “Maintenance icon” > “System & Tools” menu > “HMI Configuration” popup window
Here we can set:
1.Set the total number of stations
2.Set the names of servers (if present)
3.Set the names of clients

4.2 USERS CONFIGURATION

On the system a two level user groups are provided:
1.Operators
2.Administrators

The operators cannot shutdown the HMI application and cannot change a number of setpoints.
By default a user for each group is provided: “operator” and “administrator”. The passwords are by
default the same text as the ID.
To change password and manage users it is necessary to access the User Administrator panel
from WinCC Explorer tree.

For every user you can set different „Authorization“ .

By right click on user you can „Change Password“, „Delete User“, „Add User“, etc.
5 BASICS OF WINCC GRAPHIC DESIGNER ELEMENTS

We will cover basic elements of Graphic Designer like:

-Window Maker Interface
-Window Maker Application View(Classic,Project)
-Window Maker Toolbars
-Window Maker Ruler
-Window Maker Status Bar

To start working in Graphic Designer first open WinCC Explorer and from there start Graphic Designer.
5.1 GRAPHIC DESIGNER INTERFACE
Graphic Designer Interface is very user friendly and default configuration looks like on this picture.It consist
of various Toolbars and Status bar. Interface is configurabile, which means that you can show or hide any
of these elements and you can move any of the toolbars to any location whitin Graphic Designer window.
5.2 GRAPHIC DESIGNER PALETTES
Graphic Designer consist of various palettes that can be shown or hiden.

Standard Palette
Mainly the palette that can be found on the File menu.

Object Palette
It contains tools move to back/front, copy/paste properties and flip/rotate of various objects and text.

Color Palette
It contains palette for coloring of various objects and text.

Alignment palette
It is used for alignment of objects.

Font Palette
It is used to manipulate text font by type, size and color.

Layer Palette
Allows selective display of layers and of objects on working window.
5.3 WINDOW MAKER STATUS BAR
Status bar shows object coordinates and object height and width.

5.4 OBJECT PROPERTIES

It is used for setting properties and events of objects.
5.5 STANDARD
Tools for drawing simple and complex objects.
6 WORKING WITH GRAPHICS AND GRAPHIC PROPERTIES

6.1 CREATING NEW WINDOW

To create new window in Graphic Designer proceed as follows:

1. Click on : File>New Window

2. A window with a name „New.Pdl“ will appear and on „Object Properties“ fill the properties of the new
window as demanded in project.
3. After adjusting of properties on new window click on Save and Save As dialog will appear.
4. Now you can change the name of window and save it.
3.If done successfully „New Window“ will appear at the bottom of Graphic Designer windows list.
6.2 CREATING NEW TEXT
To create new text proceed as follows:

1. In Standard Toolbar click on A (Static Text)

2. Click on window and writte a text
To change text font or color proceed as follows:

1. Select the text

2. Click on „Static Text“
3. Use „Font Palette“ or „Object Properties“ to make TEXT font or color adjustments.
6.3 CREATING NEW BUTTON
To create new button proceed as follows:

1. In Standard Toolbar click on Button

2. Click on window and stretch the button
To substitute text in new button proceed as follows:

1. Select button
2. Right click on Button>Configuration Dialog...
3. Writte new text
4. Press „OK“
Other way of changing text:

1.Select the button

2.In „Object Properties“ click on „Font“
3.Change „Text“ in Attribute section
6.4 CREATING NEW OBJECT
To create new object proceed as follows:

1.In Standard Toolbar click on Object (rectangle)

2.Click on window and stretch the object
To change color properties of object proceed as follows:

1.Select the object

2.In „Object Properties“ Click on „Effects“
3.Change „Global Color Scheme“ to „No“
4.Select „Colors“
5.Change „Background Color“ in „Attribute“ section

Or

6.Use „Color Palette“ or „Font Palette“ to change color.

7 GRAPHIC MANIPULATION

7.1 MOVING OBJECTS

To move object manually we can use :
- mouse
- left/right/up/down arrows = 1 pixel
- SHIFT + left/right/up/down arrows = 10 pixel

7.2 ARRANGING OBJECTS

Aligning

From Arrange Toolbar we can align objects by selecting objects and pressing apropriate command.
In this example selecting two objects + „Center Horizontally“.
Rotate and Mirror

From Arrange Toolbar we can rotate or mirror objects by selecting objects and pressing apropriate
command.
In this example selecting object + „Rotate“.
Layering Objects

From Arrange Toolbar we can „Bring To Front“ or „Bring To Back“ object by selecting object and pressing
apropriate command.
In this example selecting object + „Move To Front“.
Group and Ungroup

From Edit>Group>Group/Ungroup or RK on objects we can „Group“ or „Ungroup“ object by selecting

objects and pressing apropriate command.
In this example selecting three objects + „Group“.
Space Horizontal and Space Vertical

From Arrange Toolbar we can „Space Horizontal“ or „Space Vertical“ objects by selecting objects and
pressing apropriate command.Important is to select first and last object and after that the rest of objects.
In this example selecting three objects + „Space Horizontal“.
8 CONNECTING TAGS AND GRAPHICS

8.1 OBJECT PROPERTIES

To set various properties of objects or to insert tag in object and connect with address in PLC we use
„Object Properties“ section.It consist of two tabs, „Properties“ for visualization and „Events“ for
configuration of command button.Inserting proper tag into different fields we can : input value, display value,
fill object, color some object, reshape object or move object.
8.2 COMMANDS
In this section we can define button behaviour.In example we present mainly used function according to
standards.
To insert command tag:
1.Select button
2.Select „Execute on“ (in our example „Mouse Click“)
3.Right click on Action and choose VBS-Action
8.3 VISIBILITY
In this section we define visibility of object inserting Digital_Tag.In example we present mainly used
function.
We can insert tag direct in the „Dynamic“ field.
To do that do as follows:
1.Select object
2.In „Properties“ tab select „Miscellaneous“
3.Set „Display“ as „Yes“
4.Insert tag in „Dynamic“ field
or

We can insert tag using „Dynamic Dialog“.

To do that do as follows:
1.Select object
2.In „Properties“ tab select „Miscellaneous“
3.Set „Display“ as „Yes“
4.Right click on „Display“ bulb and select „Dynamic Dialog...“
5.In Value Range panel insert Tag, Data Type and Display properties „Yes“ or „No“.
8.4 VALUE DISPLAY
In this section we can define Value Display of object inserting proper tag.In example we present inserting
of analog value.
To do that do as follows:
1.Select analog field
2.In „Properties“ tab select Output/Input
3.Adjust „Field Type“ as „Output“
4.Insert tag in „Dynamic“ field
8.5 INPUT VALUE
In this section we can define Input values of object inserting proper tag.In example we present inserting of
input analog value.
To do that do as follows:
1.Select analog field
2.In „Properties“ tab select Output/Input
3.Adjust „Field Type“ as „Input“ or „I/O Field“
4.Insert tag in „Dynamic“ field
9 CROSS REFERENCE
To locate where some tag is used you can use Cross reference. You can find it in
Windows Explorer >Cross Reference
On the left we have „Project objects“ where we can find a status of tag (not Used, Used,Does not exist) and
on the right we have „Place used“ where we can find a window and object where the tag is located.
10 TAG LOGGING

If we want to show some tag in Trend first we need to add tag in Tag Logging list.
To do that proceed as follows:
1.Open ”Tag Logging” from WinCC Explorer tree
2.Right click on created archive name
3.Click “New Tag”

4.Select a tag from tag list

5.Click “OK”
Now the tag is available for trending.