PDF – Configure and display a document

1. What is the PDF object for?

Use Documents → PDF to provide an operating manual, legend or existing report. The process page shows a title, filename and Open button. The document appears in a separate PamaGlawe window.

The separate Open PDF palette object lets users choose local files during runtime. The PDF object does not generate process reports or edit PDF content.

2. Insert the object and set its properties

1. Save the project first. Document selection requires a saved project path.
2. Insert Documents → PDF and open the object properties.
3. Set the object Name. Text / Initial value sets the visible title, such as “Operating manual” or “pid-legend”.
4. Set X, Y, Width and Height. The example starts at X = 20, Y = 140 with a size of 320 × 96 pixels.

The label is an additional caption; the adjacent checkbox controls its visibility. Use Assign area if required. No PLC address is needed for the PDF display.

Until a file has been assigned, the object shows No PDF selected yet. Configure the object in the editor and open its document in play mode.

3. Select the PDF and store it with the project

1. Click Select PDF document (“PDF-Dokument auswählen”).
2. Select a .pdf file in the file dialog and click Open.
3. PamaGlawe copies the file into the project's Dokumente subfolder. The display uses this project copy.
4. Check the title, confirm the properties with Apply and save the project.

If the title is empty or still “Dokument anzeigen”, the filename without .pdf is suggested as the title. You can set a custom title independently. In the example, “pid-legend” is the title while “PR-20260823-094937-676.pdf” remains the filename below.

When moving or sharing the project, include its Dokumente folder. Changes to the original source file do not automatically update the project copy. To replace it, use Select PDF document again and save.

4. Open the document during runtime

Switch to play mode and click Open on the PDF object. The internal PDF viewer displays the file without requiring an external browser. The button is usable only when an existing document is assigned and the required role permission is available.

The example displays an existing recipe/batch report. The window title comes from the object configuration; its content comes from the PDF file. Close returns to the process page.

5. PDF viewer buttons

‹ Back / Next ›

Go to the previous or next PDF page. Navigation does not move beyond the first or last page.

Page 1 / 1

The current page and total number of pages. The example document has one page.

− / +

Reduce or increase the display size without changing the PDF content.

Fit width

Fit the page width to the available viewing area. Scroll vertically to read long pages.

Print

Open the print dialog for the current document. The PDF permission and the object's print allowance must be available.

Open another PDF

Select another local PDF using a file dialog. This requires a separate role permission. It changes the document in the viewer without replacing the object's configured PDF assignment.

Close

Close the PDF viewer and return to the process page.

The right side of the toolbar shows the rendering resolution in dpi and the filename. Use the scrollbars to view further parts of the page.

6. Required role permissions

When user management is configured, the signed-in user's role determines access. These two entries in Roles and permissions are relevant; their German labels match the screenshots:

Prozessprotokolle als PDF öffnen

Open process reports as PDF. This permission also controls opening configured PDF documents and printing in the viewer. Its scope is broader than the label suggests.

Lokale PDF-Dateien auswählen

Select local PDF files. This enables “Open another PDF” and the separate “Open PDF” object.

You can therefore allow an operating manual to be read without allowing unrestricted file selection on the computer. Assign the permissions separately. See the Users guide for accounts, roles and management during runtime.

7. Checks and troubleshooting

• No PDF selected yet: Assign a file in the object properties.
• Save the project first: Save and reopen document selection.
• Open is unavailable: Check play mode, login/role permission and whether the project copy exists.
• PDF file not found: Check the Dokumente subfolder or assign the file again.
• PDF error: Read the error message. A missing PDF component, an unreadable file or a document with no pages can prevent opening.

Finally, test with the intended operator role: open the configured PDF, use page navigation and zoom, and check that printing and local file selection match the assigned permissions.

8. Administrator access, replacement and risks

An administrator can also view another PDF during runtime. Use Open another PDF in the viewer. Access depends on Select local PDF files (“Lokale PDF-Dateien auswählen”), not merely the role name “Administrator”. This selection changes the open viewer; it leaves the PDF object's assigned file unchanged.

To permanently replace an assigned document:

1. Close the viewer and select ← Edit to enter the editor. This requires Use editor (“Editor verwenden”).
2. Open the configured PDF object's properties and use Select PDF document.
3. Select the replacement, check its visible title and confirm with Apply.
4. Save the project using Save projects (“Projekte speichern”). Restart play mode and verify the configured document with the intended operator role.

The Open PDF object has no fixed file assignment to replace. It always opens file selection. Selecting a file in the viewer therefore does not permanently replace a project document.

Points to watch

• Wrong or outdated instructions: A freely selected file may belong to another machine or be an older revision. Before carrying out work, check the applicable machine, document version and approval status. The configured title alone does not establish that the PDF content is current and appropriate.
• File selection extends beyond the project: With the relevant permission, users can browse other folders accessible through the file dialog and open PDFs. Grant it only to roles that need it. Users intended to view only the assigned instructions should not receive free file selection, including “Open another PDF” in the shared viewer.
• Confidential content and printouts: Accessible PDFs may contain internal information. Assign file access and the separate print permission appropriately. Printed copies may become outdated after a document change.
• Distinguish the project copy from the original: The configured PDF object uses a copy in the project's Dokumente folder. Changing the source does not update that copy automatically. Save after replacement and check the file actually opened.
• Editing exits play mode: Switching to the editor stops virtual PLC objects and resets their outputs; runtime displays and timers for trends, display updates, PID and virtual PLC execution are stopped or switched. Coordinate document replacement with plant operation. Entering the editor is not confirmation that a connected machine has shut down safely.

After replacement, check the title, content and permissions, and ensure the intended document is displayed at the operator station.