Configuring WinCC Alarm Print Jobs and Message Sequence Reports

Overview

Siemens WinCC exposes message and alarm data through the Alarm Control ActiveX (the Alarm OCX in V6 / Alarm Control in V7) and the Alarm Logging editor. Operators can trigger two distinct print operations from the toolbar: a message report (cumulative, sourced from the archive) and a current view (what is on screen at the moment of the click). For unattended or event-driven printing — for example, the moment a new message arrives — WinCC uses a print job bound to a line layout (*.RP1) or a page layout (*.RPL). The print job named Message sequence report prints only newly incoming messages and is the only job in a stock WinCC installation that targets a line printer.

This reference covers the full alarm-printing workflow from WinCC V6.0 through V7.5 SP2: file layout, designer configuration, runtime activation, line vs page printer selection, C and VBS scripting, the Alarm OCX toolbar buttons, and the typical failure modes that produce an empty PDF. The reference is built from the field-proven procedures documented in the WinCC Alarm Logging and Report Designer manuals and is intended for engineers commissioning or troubleshooting alarm output in operating plants.

Prerequisites

• WinCC V6.0 SP4 or later (V6.2, V7.0, V7.2, V7.3, V7.4, V7.5, V7.5 SP2 all supported).
• Alarm Logging component installed and runtime-licensed.
• At least one configured message class and one wired message tag.
• For line-printer output: a line printer reachable from the WinCC server, or a Windows generic / text-only printer queue mapped to a continuous-form device.
• For page-printer output: any Windows printer queue (office laser, inkjet, or PDF writer) and a configured *.RPL page layout.
• For script-driven printing: Global Script C editor (V6) or the VBS action editor (V7) with write access to the project.
• The Report Runtime option installed and licensed on the WinCC server.

Print Job Architecture

WinCC separates three layers for every printed report:

1. Layout — the visual definition of the printout. Two file extensions are valid: *.RP1 (line layout) and *.RPL (page layout).
2. Print job — the binding between a layout, a printer queue, and a data source. WinCC ships a set of predefined jobs for Alarm Logging.
3. Trigger — the event that starts the job: operator button, scheduled time, or C / VBS script call.

When a print job is opened in the WinCC Explorer under Report Designer > Print Jobs, the file extension tells you the mode:

Standard Print Jobs and Layout Files

WinCC ships with several print jobs under Report Designer > Print Jobs in the Alarm Logging editor. The most common ones for alarm output are:

The Message sequence report is the only job that prints only new messages. It is the correct choice for unattended / event-driven printing where the operator is not on screen. The Short-term archive list job is the correct choice when the operator wants a snapshot of what is currently visible in the Alarm Control. In WinCC V6.0 SP4, the line-layout print job is marked with a yellow sheet in the printer icon in the Report Designer tree; page-printer jobs are not flagged.

Configuring the Message Sequence Report

1. In the WinCC Explorer, open Alarm Logging.
2. Right-click Reports and choose Add/Remove.
3. In the Report Parameters dialog, enable the check box Message sequence report active.
4. Click OK. The print job is created and bound to a default line layout.
5. Open Report Designer > Print Jobs to verify the job was generated and inspect its bound layout.

Activating in the Computer Properties Startup List

The hook that actually turns the message sequence report on at runtime is in the computer properties. The WinCC runtime must start the print job when the OS boots the project. To enable it:

1. Open Computer Properties in the WinCC Explorer.
2. Switch to the Startup tab.
3. Add Report Runtime (or specifically the Alarm Logging print job) to the startup list and set its delay / sequence as required.
4. Confirm that the project is in Activate state; the report runtime starts only when the project runs.

This activation step is what trips up most first-time users. Even with the layout and print job configured, no line is printed unless the report runtime is part of the project startup. The print job icon is yellow in the Report Designer tree to indicate line-printer output mode (WinCC V6.0 SP4); page-printer jobs are not flagged.

Line vs Page Printer Output

WinCC supports two modes for the message sequence report:

To switch between modes:

1. Open the print job's properties dialog from the Report Designer.
2. If a *.RPL page layout is currently selected, the Line Layout for Lineprinter checkbox is greyed out. Set the layout to <NONE> first.
3. Toggle the checkbox on or off.
4. Reassign a layout: *.RP1 if the checkbox is on, *.RPL if it is off.

Alarm OCX / Alarm Control Toolbar Buttons

The Alarm Control exposes two print-related buttons on its toolbar. They look similar but produce very different output:

If the operator sees 62 messages on screen and the resulting PDF is empty, the wrong button was almost certainly pressed, or the underlying print job has no page layout. Print current view requires a paginated page layout assigned to the print job — without one, the print is sent to <NONE> and discarded. Assign an *.RPL layout, retest, and the PDF will populate.

Script-Driven Printing (RPTJobPrint and VBS)

For event-driven printing — firing the print on acknowledge, on priority change, or on a scheduler cycle — use the C-script API in WinCC V6 / V6.2 or the VBScript runtime API in V7.

C-Script (WinCC V6 / V6.2)

The relevant function is declared in the WinCC include apdefap.h:

Example C action attached to a button:

#include "apdefap.h"
void OnClick(char* lpszPictureName, char* lpszObjectName, char* lpszPropertyName)
{
    RPTJobPrint("@Report Alarm Logging - Message sequence report");
}

Notes on the call:

• Pass the exact print job name as it appears in the Report Designer, including the @ prefix for system-supplied jobs.
• The function is blocking on most builds; for high-frequency events add a debounce in your trigger condition.
• If the job name contains non-ASCII characters, wrap it in _T() for Unicode builds.
• On failure, the function returns FALSE; the cause is logged to the WinCC diagnostic window ApDiag.exe.

VBScript (WinCC V7.0 and later)

The WinCC V7 runtime exposes the alarm subsystem through HMIRuntime.AlarmLogging:

HMIRuntime.AlarmLogging.Print "@Report Alarm Logging - Message sequence report"

For a generic print job (not specifically alarm-bound), use:

HMIRuntime.Print "JobName"

To print the current view of a specific Alarm Control on a picture, set its print job property and call its print method:

Dim ctrl
Set ctrl = ScreenItems("Control1")
ctrl.PrintJobName = "AlarmPrint_CurrentView"
ctrl.Print

Printing the Short-Term Archive List

To print exactly the rows shown in the short-term archive list, the script must call the print job that uses the current view data source, not the message sequence report. The message sequence report deliberately ignores filters and prints new messages only — that is its job. If your application needs a snapshot of the filtered list, you have two options:

1. Add a custom print job bound to the Alarm Control's current view data source and an *.RPL page layout. Trigger it with RPTJobPrint or HMIRuntime.AlarmLogging.Print.
2. Use the Alarm OCX's Print current view button programmatically by setting the Alarm Control's PrintJobName property and calling its Print method from a button action.

The current view source reflects whatever the operator has filtered, sorted, and selected at the moment of the print. This is the typical use case for "I have 62 messages on screen, I want a PDF of those 62".

Layout Variables for Alarm Reports

The standard WinCC alarm report layouts expose a number of layout variables that you can use in *.RPL page layouts to dynamically select a time range, message class, or filter. The most commonly used are:

These are evaluated by the Report Designer when the layout is compiled. The variables can be set from a script that calls SetPropChar on the layout object before triggering the print. If substitution appears ignored, reopen the *.RPL, change a value to force a recompile, and save.

Output Targets, Drivers, and Redundancy

WinCC prints to any Windows-installed printer queue. In practice there are three useful target categories:

Redundant and Multi-User WinCC

In a redundant WinCC server pair, print jobs are configured on the master project and replicated to the standby. Alarm messages print from whichever server currently holds the master role. If you need a single point of printing across the pair, bind the print job's Printer field to a network printer queue reachable from both servers; the job will follow the master role automatically.

In a WinCC client / server project, alarm printing executes on the server, not the client. The Alarm Control on the client sends the print request to the server's Alarm Logging runtime, which then dispatches the job. The client never touches the printer driver directly. This is a common source of confusion: configuring a printer on the client has no effect on alarm print output.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Specifications, Limits, and Verification

Verification Checklist

1. Open the WinCC project and confirm the print job is listed under Report Designer > Print Jobs.
2. Confirm the bound layout file exists on disk and the project-relative path resolves.
3. Activate the project; verify Report Runtime appears in the activated services list of WinCC Explorer.
4. Trigger a single alarm; check the configured printer queue for one printed record.
5. Repeat with the Print current view button on the Alarm OCX to validate filtered output.
6. If using a C script, call RPTJobPrint from a debug action and inspect the return code in the WinCC diagnostics window ApDiag.exe (V6) or the GSC diagnostics (V7).
7. Test failover: in a redundant system, force a master switch and confirm the print job continues to fire from the new master.
8. For PDF targets, verify the output file is non-empty and that the page count matches the alarm count.

For ongoing reference, the Siemens Industry Online Support portal hosts the current WinCC manuals and the Siemens WinCC product page lists the supported versions and option packages.

FAQ