Industrial plant comprising - a first control device, in which a first user program runs, - a second control device, in which a second user program runs, - a plurality of drives (A1, A2), which are controlled and/or regulated by the user programs (AW1, AW2), wherein objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) are assigned to the drives (A1, A2) in the user programs (AW1, AW2), wherein synchronous relationships exist between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3), wherein the user programs (AW1, AW2) have a plurality of different flow structures, which have an influence on the synchronous relationships between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) such that a synchronous operation is either an active synchronous relationship (GBa) or an inactive synchronous relationship (GBi), characterised by an apparatus for graphical representation of synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3), which has an analysing tool which is designed to analyse the user programs (AW1, AW2) in respect of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) and the synchronous relationships between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) via data link and is further designed to obtain a first data record relating to the used objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) on the one hand and a second data record relating to a temporal relation between active and inactive synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) on the other hand from the analytically determined data, wherein a preparation means exists for representation on a display which is designed to graphically represent the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) with their active and or inactive synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) on the basis of the determined first data record and the determined second data record, wherein the apparatus has a recording means which is designed to install a first read service on the first control device and a second read service on the second control device, wherein the read services (LD1,LD2) are designed to carry out a tracing of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) in the first user program or in the second user program and in the process to record a temporal assignment to status data (Stat), synchronisation data (Sync) and operating mode data (Moti) of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) in a first trace file or a second trace file, wherein furthermore the preparation means is designed to indicate on the display with the aid of the recorded trace files (T1, T2) of the control devices (1,2) a course of the active synchronous relationship (GBa) between two objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) which are disposed on different control devices (1,2). - a first control device, in which a first user program runs, - a second control device, in which a second user program runs, - a plurality of drives (A1, A2), which are controlled and/or regulated by the user programs (AW1, AW2), wherein objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) are assigned to the drives (A1, A2) in the user programs (AW1, AW2), wherein synchronous relationships exist between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3), wherein the user programs (AW1, AW2) have a plurality of different flow structures, which have an influence on the synchronous relationships between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) such that a synchronous operation is either an active synchronous relationship (GBa) or an inactive synchronous relationship (GBi), characterised by an apparatus for graphical representation of synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3), which has an analysing tool which is designed to analyse the user programs (AW1, AW2) in respect of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) and the synchronous relationships between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) via data link and is further designed to obtain a first data record relating to the used objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) on the one hand and a second data record relating to a temporal relation between active and inactive synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) between the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) on the other hand from the analytically determined data, wherein a preparation means exists for representation on a display which is designed to graphically represent the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) with their active and or inactive synchronous relationships (GBa, GBi) on the basis of the determined first data record and the determined second data record, wherein the apparatus has a recording means which is designed to install a first read service on the first control device and a second read service on the second control device, wherein the read services (LD1,LD2) are designed to carry out a tracing of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) in the first user program or in the second user program and in the process to record a temporal assignment to status data (Stat), synchronisation data (Sync) and operating mode data (Moti) of the objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) in a first trace file or a second trace file, wherein furthermore the preparation means is designed to indicate on the display with the aid of the recorded trace files (T1, T2) of the control devices (1,2) a course of the active synchronous relationship (GBa) between two objects (TO1, TO2, TO3) which are disposed on different control devices (1,2).