A graphical editor and process visualization system for man-machine interfaces of dynamic systems

The process visualization system of a manmachine interface is presented. It allows human operator(s) to interact with a dynamic technical system, here a thermal power plant. Also, a graphical editor for designing dynamic pictures of the process visualization system is explained. Both new systems have a common architecture and are based on the computer graphics standard PHIGS-2D with extensions for handling non-graphical and graphical information. The hierarchical information structures are manipulated with lists and pointers in a dynamic visual database. The two menu-driven interfaces for designers and for operators are described with their multi-window display layouts. The software of both systems is highly portable to different hardware and to other application domains.