Finding Custom Block Icons in PCS 7 @PCS7Typicals PDL Files

Problem: Locating a Custom Block Icon Variant in PCS 7 WinCC

A standard PCS 7 operator picture references a block icon variant, for example OpDi01/100, that does not exist in any of the typicals files shipped with the project. The faceplate is still being rendered on the OS, but the engineer cannot trace it to a @PCS7Typicals*.pdl source. This typically happens when a third-party engineering house copy-pasted a custom block icon from another project and never delivered the supporting .pdl file with the library. The symptom on the OS side is often a faceplate that opens, but the underlying block icon graphic on the plant overview is missing, mismatched, or has a fallback shape from a lower-numbered variant such as OpDi01_01..OpDi01_04.

The root constraint is architectural: PCS 7 does not expose a "search for block icon" function in the WinCC Explorer. Resolution of a block icon is performed at OS compile time by reading the typified picture files in the OS project, in a deterministic order, and by taking the first graphic whose Type attribute matches the block instance. Understanding that mechanism is the only reliable way to recover a missing variant.

How PCS 7 Resolves a CFC Block to a Block Icon

When the OS is compiled, the "Generate/Update Block Icons" step iterates the CFC chart and, for every block that carries a block icon, performs the following lookup:

1. Read the block icon's Type attribute (e.g., OpDi01_100).
2. Enumerate all @PCS7Typicals*.pdl files in the OS project directory (default: \GraCS).
3. Sort the enumerated files in reverse alphabetical order.
4. For each file, in that order, scan the placed objects for one whose Type property equals the requested block icon name.
5. Use the first match. All later matches are ignored.

This is why a higher-numbered typicals file (for example @PCS7TypicalsAPLV8_Customer.pdl) can override a base @PCS7TypicalsAPLV8.pdl: the customer file sorts after the base file in reverse alphabetical order, so the customer variant is found first.

The Reverse-Alphabetical Search Order Explained

Reverse-alphabetical ordering is a deliberate Siemens design choice so that the integrator or end-customer can layer their own faceplates on top of the Siemens defaults. The naming contract is:

• Use a leading prefix that sorts after APL in ASCII order to override the Siemens APL defaults.
• Examples that work: @PCS7TypicalsX_Project.pdl, @PCS7TypicalsZ_PlantNorth.pdl, @PCS7Typicals_SiteSpecific.pdl (underscore sorts after letters in ASCII 95 vs 90).
• Examples that do not override: @PCS7TypicalsA_Customer.pdl (sorts before APLV8 in the typicals enumeration when file system collation is case-insensitive on Windows; this is a frequent cause of "my new faceplate is not being picked up" tickets).

When debugging a missing variant, always inspect the filename first, not the contents. A custom faceplate dropped into a file whose name sorts before the Siemens base will silently lose to the Siemens base during the reverse-alpha scan.

Standard PCS 7 Method: Chart Reference Data

Before touching the picture files, identify which CFC instance the OS is rendering. The OS compile log is the authoritative source.

1. Open the CFC editor for the affected plant unit (S7 program → Charts).
2. Menu Options → Chart Reference Data (also available from the SIMATIC Manager menu bar in older PCS 7 versions).
3. In the Reference Data window, switch the view to Block Icons or Block ICONs by Type, depending on the PCS 7 service pack.
4. Filter on the block type (e.g., CTRL_PID, MOT_SPEED, or your custom block). The result column Block Icon shows the Type string the OS is asking for, e.g., OpDi01_100.
5. Cross-reference the Chart column to find the S7 source chart; the Block column gives the instance number; the Picture column gives the OS process picture where the icon was placed.

Process Object View: Locating Block Icon Variants

The Process Object View (POV) is the second canonical search path. It indexes every block instance, its associated picture, and its block icon number.

1. Open WinCC Explorer → Process Object View (or from the OS project editor, double-click Process Objects).
2. In the filter row, type the block type, e.g., OpDi01 (the type family; the numeric suffix is the variant).
3. Right-click the column header and enable Block Icon and Picture columns.
4. Sort the result set by Block Icon. Any block instance whose Block Icon column shows 100 (or another non-standard number) is a candidate for the missing variant.
5. The Hierarchy Path column reveals the unit → chart → instance; the Picture column reveals the OS process picture that contains the block icon graphic.

At this point you know what the OS is asking for and where it is rendered, but not where the graphic lives. That requires a direct inspection of the typified picture files.

Browsing the @PCS7Typicals*.pdl Library Files

Open each @PCS7Typicals*.pdl in the OS project's GraCS folder with the WinCC Graphics Designer. Each picture exposes an object list in the upper-right corner of the design surface. That list is the only built-in search facility for the contents of a .pdl.

1. Open Graphics Designer.
2. File → Open → navigate to \<OS project>\GraCS → filter on @PCS7Typicals*.pdl.
3. Open @PCS7TypicalsAPLV8.pdl (or APLV9 for V9 projects).
4. Click the object list toggle (icon at the top-right of the drawing area, looks like a small table). The list shows every placed object with Name, Layer, and Type.
5. Sort by Type and look for OpDi01_100. If present, you have located the source file. If not, close and open the next file in reverse-alpha order.

If the object list is empty or the picture appears blank, the file may have been archived to \GraCS\Archive or moved to a master data library folder outside the OS project. Search the entire engineering station:

dir /s /b @PCS7Typicals*.pdl "%ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\PCS7\"
dir /s /b @PCS7Typicals*.pdl "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Siemens\"

On a clean PCS 7 V9.0 engineering station, expect to find between 6 and 14 such files, including @PCS7TypicalsAPLV9.pdl, @PCS7TypicalsAPLV8.pdl, @PCS7TypicalsAPL_PCS7V9.pdl, and any project-specific @PCS7TypicalsZ_*.pdl files.

Identifying a Copy-Pasted Block Icon

If the search across every @PCS7Typicals*.pdl comes up empty, the most likely cause is that the original integrator copy-pasted the block icon graphic directly into a process picture (for example Plant_Unit_Overview.pdl) and connected it to the CFC block via the Dynamic Wizard. The graphic is then a local object inside the picture, not a typified object inside a typicals file. Symptoms:

• The block icon renders correctly in the process picture.
• It does not appear in any @PCS7Typicals*.pdl object list.
• Editing the CFC block's block icon property and re-running Generate/Update Block Icons does not modify the on-screen graphic (because the OS re-runs the reverse-alpha scan, finds nothing, and the existing local object is left untouched).
• The block icon property in the CFC chart references a Type string that has no matching object in any typified file (e.g., OpDi01_100 with no OpDi01_100 defined anywhere).

To confirm, open the process picture that contains the icon (the Picture column from the Process Object View step) and inspect its object list. Look for an object whose Type is OpDi01_100 and whose name begins with the CFC instance name. If you find it, you have a copy-pasted faceplate.

Recovery Procedure: Recreating the Missing Variant

Once confirmed, choose one of three recovery paths based on the long-term library strategy.

Option A: Promote the pasted icon to a typified file (recommended)

1. Open the process picture that contains the pasted icon.
2. Cut the icon object (Ctrl+X) and any associated VB / C script actions on the object.
3. Open (or create) a project-specific typified file named @PCS7TypicalsZ_<PlantName>.pdl in \GraCS.
4. Paste the icon into the new file. Place it on the standard Siemens positioning grid (default origin 0,0).
5. Set the object's Type property to OpDi01_100 via the object's properties dialog (right-click → Properties → Miscellaneous → Type).
6. Save and close.
7. Delete the original pasted object from the process picture (otherwise the local copy continues to render and will mask the typified version).
8. Recompile the OS (Generate/Update Block Icons → full regeneration).

Option B: Bind to an existing standard variant

1. Decide which standard variant the icon should map to (typically OpDi01_01 for a standard digital operator).
2. Open the CFC chart, select the block, and open its Object Properties → Block Icon dialog.
3. Change the block icon Type from OpDi01_100 to the chosen standard variant.
4. Apply, save, and recompile the OS.

This option loses any custom graphic but is the lowest-risk path and is the correct choice if the variant number 100 was an arbitrary integrator convention with no functional meaning.

Option C: Ask the original integrator for the source .pdl

If the custom graphic carries important operational meaning (e.g., a 10-state valve where the standard variant only supports 4 states), request the original integrator to deliver the missing @PCS7Typicals*.pdl with the full object definition, including any associated C scripts, status displays, and authorization checks. Import the file into \GraCS, recompile, and verify.

Verification Checklist

After any recovery, run the following checks before sign-off.

Library Hygiene and Preventive Measures

Missing @PCS7Typicals*.pdl files are a symptom of weak library version control. The following practices prevent recurrence.

• Single source of truth: Maintain a project master @PCS7TypicalsZ_<Project>.pdl in version control (SVN, TFS, or the PCS 7 version crossover). Never allow ad-hoc copy-paste into process pictures.
• Block icon naming convention: Document the reserved variant range (e.g., variants 1–50 Siemens, 51–90 integrator, 91–100 plant-specific) in the project engineering guidelines.
• OS compile gate: Fail the project build if the OS compile log contains block icon type not found warnings. This is reachable as a return code in OSCompile.exe automation.
• Library handover: When an integrator delivers a project, require the full \GraCS folder, the master data library export, and a signed-off block icon mapping table. See the SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Configuration Manual for the supported handover artifacts.
• WinCC Explorer Backup: Use the WinCC Explorer → Project → Backup function to capture the OS project state before any picture edit. See the WinCC V7.5 / PCS 7 V9.0 Backup and Restore manual.

Cross-References and Related PCS 7 Mechanisms

Understanding the @PCS7Typicals*.pdl mechanism requires familiarity with the surrounding OS compile pipeline.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Firmware and Version Compatibility

The reverse-alphabetical search order has been consistent since PCS 7 V6.1 and remains in PCS 7 V9.0 SP7 (the most recent V9 service pack at time of writing) and in the V10 release. The naming convention @PCS7Typicals*.pdl and the Generate/Update Block Icons tool are unchanged. The Process Object View has gained columns over the years (most notably the dedicated Block Icon column in V8.2) but the workflow described above applies to all supported versions.

For the exact menu paths and dialogs in your installed service pack, consult the SIMATIC PCS 7 Operator Station (OS) Configuration Manual and the PCS 7 Programming and Operating Manual - CFC for S7. For WinCC Graphics Designer specifics, refer to the WinCC V7.5 SP1 / PCS 7 V9.0 Graphics Designer Manual.

Frequently Asked Questions