How can I use normal Button object as a navigation button with the alarm priority icons?

Hello Minerva, I would create a new SA project, include your project, fix the Topology. Then process all the pages and apply the pagecontent template to it (I use some GBA vba scripts for that), create a menu configuration. Compile and run. Depends a little on what resolution your pages are created, these are sometimes bigger than the size of this pagecontent template. You could alter the master page for that.

new SA project or can I include the SA Project to my current project? Unless what you are trying to say is that the button without the alarm priorities is only available in SA projects. Unfortunately, I cannot make a huge change such as changing the complete layout with a massive MOC. For example, I do not think they are prepared with the faceplate/alarm/interlock layout of SA project to be adopted. The current project is using a graphic pop-ups for faceplates. I do not think this is the standard faceplate.

*without a massive MOC

Hi Minerva,

The short answer is it would be a substantial amount of work to replicate the SA style buttons in a non SA based project. There is a lot of code you would have to understand and then duplicate in your own project.

As for Bas' suggestion. This for sure is the quickest path to getting the functionality you want.
You cannot just include the SA_Include. Unfortunately, you really need to start a new project, and use the SA_MultiRes starter project. The starter project gives you the various extra bits like labels, parameters and default pages.

You would then copy over the bits from your project you need. The complexity of this task will be based upon what your project was based on, what functionality it used from the previous style project (e.g. CSV_Include etc)

Note: Although we connect the "SA_Include" with Situational Awareness", it can be used for traditional projects as well. The SA_Include really should have been called "Workspace" which is the new way we guide engineers to build their HMI (essentially a layout with separate pages for the various areas). For all new systems I would only recommend starting from it.

The default master page you get when creating the project can be completely changed, and you can come up with your own system. Some customers have created their own "Nav Zone" which is just a row of buttons like what you mentioned. Others don't use the Nav Zone concept at all and have put menus in, others drive the entire plant via the Equipment model. You can get rid of the faceplate and alarm zones if you want and just use popups, traditional alarm banner and/or page. It is really up to you. So what I am saying is that you can replicate your existing layout if you want. The main job is then converting your original pages across to content pages. This involves creating a new page content page, and then copying the content across and re-positioning it to fit. 

ok...how about, can I create a new SA Project in parallel to what site is using now? So I can do a side-by-side commissioning of the pages? I know I can only have one active project, but can I have 2 citect studios that has 2 different active projects accessing the same PLC? Hopefully I do not need 2 servers for this? Is it going to cost me much? hardware-wise? oh my heart aches...I'm sorry, i guess you can consider me new to CITECT, the last time I used CITECT was in 2000, first PLC job and I was just of course a systems engineer then. now I have to architect ...no...renovate these things :( 

You can only have one instance of citect studio on a single machine, so you would need to run vms or additional hardware with a second copy of plant scada running on it.

In terms of two systems accessing the same PLC, yes this can be done, however you must make sure you do not overload your PLC(capacity etc) and network. Some of the engineers on here will be able to provide much more real-world advice on approaches to getting new versions of systems up and running - though they would need a lot more information like, what PLC (and how many) net work, server architecture, are you expecting an offline or online upgrade etc).

Unfortunately standing upon another system will require licenses. If you are an OpsCtrl customer, then that won't be a problem.