Dashboard Infrastructure · PI Vision Custom Symbol

How to Add a Navigation Menu to AVEVA PI Vision

Everything you need to get the PIForge Navigation Menu symbol running on your AVEVA PI Vision server — installation, license activation, and a tour of every feature with live video.

What this solves

Installation — 5 steps, about 10 minutes

1. 1

   Download the package

   Purchase the symbol at piforge.app and download the ZIP from your profile. It contains four files: the symbol script (.js), two templates (.html) and an icon (.svg).

2. 2

   Copy the files to the PI Vision server

   Extract all four files into the PI Vision extension folder on the server: %PIHOME64%\PIVision\Scripts\app\editor\symbols\ext\ (create the ext folder if it does not exist yet). Use %PIHOME64%, not %PIHOME% — on a PI server those are different trees and PI Vision is only in the 64-bit one.

3. 3

   Restart the PI Vision application

   Recycle the PI Vision application pool in IIS (or run iisreset), then hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+F5) so the new symbol script is loaded.

4. 4

   Add the symbol to a display

   Open a display in edit mode. The new symbol appears in the symbol palette on the left. Select it, then drag a tag or AF attribute onto the canvas.

5. 5

   Activate the license

   Open Format Symbol, paste the license key from your purchase email into the License field, and save. The watermark disappears immediately — no restart needed.

What you can do with it

No-Code Builder

Build Nested Menus Visually — No JSON, No Code

Add groups and items, pick icons, link displays — all in the Format panel

Construct unlimited menu hierarchies right in the PI Vision Format panel. Add a group, drop items inside, choose an icon from the built-in library and link a display by browsing — the menu on the canvas updates instantly. No JSON, no code.

• Add groups, items and dividers with one click
• Built-in industrial icon picker
• Link any PI Vision display from a browser
• Reorder and nest with the arrow buttons
• Live preview on the canvas as you build

Layouts

Horizontal or Vertical — One Click

Switch orientation, accordion sub-menus, sizing — from the panel

Flip the menu between a horizontal top bar and a vertical side menu instantly. Vertical groups become smooth accordions, and every size, spacing and font setting is right there in the Format panel.

• Horizontal top bar or vertical side menu
• Accordion groups for vertical layouts
• Font, icon size, spacing, corner radius
• Auto icon-collapse when narrow

Auto-Highlight

Drop It on Every Display — Each Page Highlights Itself

The current PI Vision display is detected and highlighted automatically

Paste the same menu on every display. PIForge Navigation Menu reads the current display URL and automatically highlights the matching item — and its parent group — so operators always know where they are. Zero per-display setup.

• Current display auto-detected & highlighted
• Parent groups light up on the active trail
• Works across every screen with one menu
• No configuration per display

Live Status

Your Menu Becomes a Live Plant Status Board

Set a tag + color rules per item — menu lights up from real-time values

Click the ⚠ button on any item to set a monitoring tag and define color threshold rules (≥, ≤, between, outside). Items light up live and parent groups roll up to their most-severe child — a collapsed group still flags an alarm inside.

• Per-item tag + threshold rules (≥ ≤ between outside)
• Red/yellow/green or any custom colors
• Parent groups roll up the most-severe child
• Real-time values, independent of display time
• Dot · Badge · Glow · Pulse styles

Theming

Match Your Brand — Every Color, Font & Animation

Background, accent, transparency, fonts and active-highlight style

Theme the menu to match any plant or corporate brand directly in the Format panel — background, text, hover, active and accent colors with transparency, fonts, sizes, and the active-highlight style: bar, glow, pulse or blink.

• Full color control with transparency
• Font family, size, spacing, corner radius
• Active highlight: bar · glow · pulse · blink
• Live preview as you adjust

Frequently asked questions

Can menu entries show live values or alarm state?

Yes. Each entry can be bound to a tag or attribute so its status colour reflects the area it links to, which is what makes the menu worth reading.

Does it know which display is currently open?

Yes — the active entry is highlighted automatically, so operators keep their bearings when moving through a deep display hierarchy.

Does Navigation Menu work with my PI Vision version?

Yes — PI Vision 2019 R2 through 2023+ are supported. The symbol uses the standard PI Vision extensibility model, so regular version upgrades do not break it, and one year of compatibility updates is included.

Do I need to install anything on client PCs?

No. The symbol is installed once on the PI Vision server; every browser client gets it automatically from there.

How is it licensed?

One license covers one PI Vision server, with unlimited displays and unlimited users on that server. The key is delivered instantly by email after purchase.

Can I try it before buying?

Every feature is demonstrated in live video on the product page, and a free symbol (Combo Chart Free Edition) is available on GitHub to validate the install workflow end to end. If you need a formal quotation or have to go through procurement, use the Request a Quote button on the product page.

Other Dashboard Infrastructure symbols

All PI Vision symbol guides · Browse the marketplace