Select hidden HMI objects in the editor with cross reference

Why the editor hides an object that simulation shows

Tag visibility is runtime behavior. It decides what the panel draws when the project runs and what simulation draws. The editor canvas draws each object in the state its Object Edit dialog was accepted in: the dialog carries a simulation or preview window on the left, and whatever state the object is in when you click OK is the state the canvas shows while you edit. A button accepted in its hidden state therefore looks missing from the screen, and its visibility condition was never the problem.

The second cause is stacking. Two objects can share the same coordinates, and the object on top takes the mouse click, so the object beneath it cannot be selected even when the canvas is drawing it. Both causes have direct fixes, and neither touches the runtime condition.

Symptoms and what each one points to

• The object toggles in simulation but never appears on the editor canvas. This points to the Object Edit dialog preview state, accepted in the state where the object is hidden.
• A click on the spot selects a different object. This points to overlap: a foreground object intercepts selection. Go to Edit > Order, or select the target from the cross-reference list.
• The object is absent from the cross-reference results as well. This points to scope: the open screen is not the screen that holds the object, or the object was deleted. Confirm the screen before editing anything.
• The hidden item is static text with no visibility tag at all. That is a different fault: see Hide static text on an HMI panel with no visibility tag.

Select the object with Tool > Cross Reference

Cross reference reaches objects a click cannot, and it leaves the screen untouched while you work.

1. Open Tool > Cross Reference.
2. Select the screen that should hold the object.
3. Find the object in the results and confirm the name before you change anything.
4. Click the entry. The editor highlights the object in the edit screen.
5. Open its properties from the highlighted object and make the change.

If the entry is missing, stop here and re-check the screen selection. Editing visibility conditions will not recover an object that is not on this screen.

Reset the preview state in the Object Edit dialog

With the object selected, open its Object Edit dialog. The simulation or preview window sits on the left. Whatever state the object is in when you click OK is the state the canvas shows while you edit, so set the preview to a state where the object is drawn, then click OK and check the screen. Two clicks fix the common case: set the state, click OK.

If you want the states visible in the editor while you work, check your editor's reference manual for a documented show-hidden-items display option before reaching for the cross-reference list.

Clear overlap with Edit > Order

When two objects share coordinates, the top one takes every click. Select the covering object through Tool > Cross Reference, open Edit > Order, and send it backward, or bring the covered object forward. Note the stacking before you move anything: the editor keeps whatever order you leave behind. A temporary move works as well. Shift the covering object aside, edit the target, and put it back where it was. When you finish, click each object in turn and confirm every click selects the intended one.

Example: 3 buttons hidden by 1 switch tag on a 10.4 in screen

Inputs. The screen is a 10.4 in motor-control screen drawn at 800 x 480 resolution, holding 4 objects: 1 on/off switch, drawn on the canvas, and 3 alarm buttons whose visibility condition reads that switch. This is the case this article answers: objects visible only when a certain button is on. The editor draws 1 of the 4 objects; simulation with the switch on draws all 4. The panel itself is a shop-floor unit rated from -10 to 60 °C, so the screen content is identical at the bench and in the cabinet.

Rule. The canvas draws an object only in the state its dialog was accepted in. Simulation draws an object only when its tag condition is true. The drawn count and the simulated count are two different counts.

Arithmetic. Cross-reference entries for the screen: 4 entries. Objects drawn on the canvas before the fix: 1 object of the 4 on the 10.4 in screen. Buttons out of reach of the mouse: 4 objects - 1 object = 3 buttons. Select each of the 3 buttons from the cross-reference list, set its dialog preview to a drawn state, and click OK: 1 object + 3 buttons = 4 objects drawn on the canvas at 800 x 480.

Result. Every object on the screen is selectable by click, and simulation matches the design: switch off, 1 object visible; switch on, all 4 objects visible.

Decision. If the cross-reference list shows all 4 entries, edit from the list and leave the visibility conditions alone, because the running screen is behaving as designed. If it shows fewer entries than the objects you expect on the screen, stop editing: the missing object lives on another screen or is gone, and no visibility change will bring it back.

Verify the screen after the fix

1. Reopen the screen in the editor and click each object. Each click must select the intended one.
2. Run simulation and test both states of the controlling switch. The 3 alarm buttons from the example must appear with the switch on and disappear with the switch off; allow 5 s per toggle so the tag update has time to propagate before you judge the result.
3. If you changed stacking with Edit > Order, confirm the screen draws in the intended order before you save.
4. Download the project to the panel and spot-check the same two states on the hardware.

Recommendation: When an object will not appear in the editor but toggles in simulation, select it from Tool > Cross Reference, set its Object Edit dialog preview to a state where the object is drawn, and click OK. Use Edit > Order only when a click selects the wrong object, and restore the original stacking when you finish. Change the visibility condition only when the running screen itself is wrong.

Questions