Patent ID: 8127241

Claim:
A method of providing a user interface for a process plant, the method comprising the steps of: executing in a processor a process graphic display stored in a memory, the process graphic display (a) depicting on a display device process plant elements of the process plant, (b) operable to display on the display device each of a plurality of content layers, and (c) implementing one or more smart process objects, each of which smart process objects includes information for the plurality of content layers, wherein the information for the plurality of content layers of the process graphic display includes: (1) a set of graphic display elements common to each of the content layers, the set of graphic display elements illustrating a set of interconnected plant equipment to be illustrated in each of the plurality of content layers and (2) a set of information to be displayed in conjunction with the common set of graphic display elements for each of the different ones of the content layers, the set of information unique to the content layer; generating information for the plurality of content layers; determining a content layer of the plurality of content layers to display via the user interface; and, displaying via the user interface the determined content layer of the plurality of content layers, wherein each of the different ones of the content layers is customized for a different type of user.