Fixing WinCC Flexible 2008 Graphic View Not Displayed in Runtime

Problem Overview

Engineers commissioning SIMATIC panels with WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 frequently encounter a defect in which a configured Graphic View screen object is visible inside the engineering tool but does not render when the project is transferred and executed on a target runtime device such as the SIMATIC MP377 19" Touch (6AV6 644-8AB10-1CA1, 6AV6 644-8AC10-1CA1 and equivalent variants). The screen element occupies the correct layout coordinates, accepts mouse and touch focus, and is reported as present by the runtime buffer inspection, yet the displayed frame remains blank or transparent.

The same symptom has been reproduced on the MP277 10" and MP377 15" variants and is independent of the connected PLC program. The defect also reproduces in Runtime simulation when launched from the engineering PC, which isolates it from the panel firmware loader and from the Ethernet / PROFIBUS HMI tag database.

Affected Products and Versions

The defect is documented as an internal HMI generator fault and has been observed on Engineering installations of WinCC flexible 2008 Standard and WinCC flexible 2008 Advanced when the project database becomes inconsistent after repeated Rebuild all cycles, multi-user editing, or after restoring a project from a partial backup.

Root Cause Analysis

The Graphic View object in WinCC flexible 2008 is generated by the internal component GeneratorHmiScreen. The generator produces a unique GUID for every screen item (for example c4d8f840-a905-43ed-b1e7-5f5c1bc17099) and stores the binary representation in the project's .hmi container. When the project file becomes internally inconsistent, the generator emits an object but cannot allocate the matching descriptor table that the CE / Windows CE 5.0 runtime (on the MP3xx panel) requires to draw the bitmap referenced by the Graphic View.

Two failure modes have been observed:

1. Generator / project database corruption. The .hmi file contains orphan references and the Rebuild all routine reuses stale GUIDs. The panel runtime executes the screen successfully but no graphical handle is associated with the SCREEN_ITEM entry, so the polygon is drawn with a transparent fill. This is the most common mode on WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 builds earlier than Update 12.
2. Bitmap dimension overflow. The imported bitmap (JPG, BMP, PNG) exceeds the panel's displayable memory region for the target screen size. The runtime silently suppresses the bitmap but keeps the Graphic View container. This mode can be triggered on a clean project by importing an image larger than 4096 x 4096 pixels or by importing a 24-bit BMP that exceeds the panel's color depth ceiling for the active screen.

Both modes are characterised by the same red and blue generator warnings and by a blank Graphic View at runtime. Resolution differs: Mode 1 requires engineering-side patching (Update / reinstall), Mode 2 requires image-side adjustment.

Pre-Diagnostics

Before applying a corrective patch, gather the following information so the failure mode can be classified.

1. Capture the exact WinCC flexible build number from Help > About. Confirm whether the installed build is Update 11, Update 12, or earlier.
2. Locate the panel firmware version using Project > Device > HMI Device > Diagnosis or by reading the version from the panel's Control Panel > System > Device menu.
3. Open Options > Settings > Working directory and record the path. Identify the temporary folder (%TEMP%\Siemens\WinCC flexible 2008) that will be cleared during a rebuild.
4. Run a Rebuild all from Project > Compiler > Rebuild all and capture the entire warning trace. The presence of the red GeneratorHmiScreen warning confirms Mode 1.
5. Reduce the imported bitmap to a 640 x 480 pixel, 256-color BMP and re-transfer. If the Graphic View now renders, Mode 2 is confirmed.

Solution 1 - Apply WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 Update 13

The first confirmed workaround for Mode 1 was provided in the Siemens internal hotfix track that culminates in Update 13 (HF13) for WinCC flexible 2008 SP2. Update 12 partially mitigates the issue but projects may still fail on the second rebuild.

1. Close all instances of WinCC flexible 2008.
2. Download the cumulative update from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal. Navigate to Support > Product Support > SIMATIC HMI > Software > WinCC flexible and select WinCC flexible 2008 Service Pack 2 / Updates. Identify the package titled HSP for WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 Update 13.
3. Extract the package to a local folder and run Setup.exe as Administrator.
4. Select Repair installation. This replaces the HMI generator library GeneratorHmiScreen.dll and patches the screen compiler.
5. Reboot the engineering PC and verify the build string in Help > About ends with SP2 Update 13.
6. Open the affected project, run Project > Compiler > Rebuild all, and confirm that no red GeneratorHmiScreen warning is emitted.
7. Transfer the rebuilt project to the MP377 panel and verify the Graphic View renders.

The official Siemens knowledge base entry describing this fix chain is published at support.industry.siemens.com under entry ID 50268445. Always download the HSP from the official Siemens portal to ensure signature verification.

Solution 2 - Reinstall WinCC flexible 2008 SP2

If the update path is not authorised or not available (for example on isolated engineering stations or where the customer licence does not permit upgrade), a full repair install using the original CD-ROM media restores the engineering-side DLL set and clears the corrupted local cache. This procedure has been confirmed to resolve the GeneratorHmiScreen fault when Update 13 cannot be deployed.

1. Insert the original WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 installation media.
2. Run Setup.exe with administrative privileges.
3. Select Repair rather than Remove. The repair routine re-registers all COM components, refreshes the screen generator assemblies, and rebuilds the FlexRT cache.
4. After completion, reboot the engineering station.
5. Open the project, perform Options > Delete temporary files, then Project > Compiler > Rebuild all.
6. Re-transfer to the panel.

Solution 3 - Project-Side Remediation

If a reinstall is not possible, the project itself can be sanitised using the following procedure. The procedure works by forcing the generator to assign fresh GUIDs and to discard orphan descriptors.

1. Open the project in WinCC flexible 2008 SP2.
2. Choose File > Save as and save under a new project name. The new .hmi file is re-indexed and orphan GUIDs are removed.
3. Open the new project, delete the original temporary folder (%TEMP%\Siemens\WinCC flexible 2008), and run Rebuild all.
4. Test the project in Runtime simulation. If the Graphic View appears in simulation but still fails on the panel, the panel image must be refreshed (see Solution 4).

If the defect persists on a clean project (no prior warnings, no imported bitmaps), the engineering installation itself is corrupted and Solutions 1 or 2 must be applied.

Solution 4 - Refresh the Panel Image

The MP377 panel image may itself contain stale graphic descriptors from previous transfers. Use ProSave to re-image the panel.

1. Install or update ProSave to V13.0.1 or later.
2. Connect the panel via Ethernet or USB and put the panel into Transfer mode.
3. Launch ProSave, select Restore, and choose the correct panel image file (typically MP377_19_Touch_Vxxx.img or MP377_19_Touch_Vxxx.upd) provided by Siemens.
4. Confirm the operation. The panel will reboot automatically when complete.
5. Re-transfer the rebuilt project from the engineering station.

Solution 5 - Bitmap Hygiene

When Mode 2 is suspected, the imported graphic must be reduced to a size and color depth compatible with the panel's runtime.

To import correctly:

1. Open the bitmap in an image editor.
2. Resize the canvas to match the target screen resolution exactly. Avoid using images that exceed the screen canvas.
3. Reduce color depth to 16 bpp.
4. Export as 24-bit BMP or 32-bit PNG. Avoid JPG for screen backgrounds because JPG artefacts accumulate during recompile.
5. Import into WinCC flexible via Project > Graphics > Import.

Verification Procedure

After applying any of the solutions above, perform the following verification sequence.

1. Run Project > Compiler > Rebuild all. Confirm no red or blue GeneratorHmiScreen warning is produced.
2. Start Runtime > Start runtime simulation. Confirm the Graphic View renders in the simulator window.
3. Transfer the project to the panel via Project > Transfer > Transfer to device using MPI / PROFIBUS / Ethernet as appropriate.
4. On the panel, navigate to the affected screen. Confirm the Graphic View, including any imported bitmap, is rendered.
5. Touch the Graphic View (if it has a touch event configured) and verify the configured behavior executes.
6. Reboot the panel and re-enter the screen. The rendering must persist across a cold start.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Edge Cases and Field Notes

The defect can re-emerge after the following operations. Apply Update 13 before attempting any of these:

• Multi-user editing. When two engineers edit the same project over a network share and one performs Save as, the GUID pool may collide. Resolve by exporting the project to a local drive, merging, and re-importing.
• Project migration. Projects migrated from ProTool / WinCC flexible 2007 may carry obsolete descriptors. Run Project > Compiler > Rebuild all after migration and confirm no generator warnings remain.
• Cross-platform transfer. A project compiled for a MP377 should not be transferred to a MP270 / MP277 panel without recompilation. The descriptor table differs between WinCE versions.
• Graphics library corruption. If a customer-specific Siemens HMI Symbol Library (.dll) is loaded and the library file is corrupted, the Graphic View may not render. Verify by removing the library reference from Options > Library and recompiling.

Related Issues on Other Platforms

The Graphic View disappearing at runtime is not unique to WinCC flexible 2008. Comparable defects have been documented on adjacent HMI / SCADA stacks. Engineers migrating between platforms can leverage the same diagnostic logic.

The recovery pattern is identical: identify the descriptor / generator warning, refresh the runtime image, and confirm in a clean simulation environment.

Safety and Commissioning Notes

• Always validate the operator screen sequence on the actual panel after any HMI update. Do not rely on the engineering simulation alone.
• Maintain a project backup prior to any Update 13 / reinstall operation. The repair routine does not modify the project file, but a rollback policy is required for validation environments.
• When the panel is connected to a safety PLC (for example a SIMATIC F-CPU), confirm that the F-runtime is unaffected by the HMI re-transfer. The HMI re-transfer does not touch the F-runtime but the operator must not assume otherwise.

Document References

• Siemens Industry Online Support - WinCC flexible 2008 Service Pack 2 updates (search ID 50268445)
• SIMATIC HMI WinCC flexible 2008 - System Manual (A5E00917866)
• SIMATIC MP377 Touch / Key - Operating Instructions (A5E00349842)
• Microsoft Q&A - Graphical Issues since December Update
• Rockwell Automation - Unable to Open a ME Runtime Application Graphics File
• AVEVA documentation - About graphics visibility during runtime