Patent ID: 7680546

Claim:
A graphical support layer system to support graphic display and data structure needs of functional areas of a process plan by presenting a visual depiction of a plurality of physical or logical process elements associated with the process plant to a user via a display device, the graphical support layer system comprising: a computer readable memory; and a plurality of display objects corresponding to the process elements, stored on the computer readable memory, and executable by a processor, each display object including: any number of properties or parameters associated with the process element; and a multiplicity of graphic visualizations of the process element, wherein one of the multiplicity of graphic visualizations is displayed on the display device as a graphic representation of the process element when the display object is executed by a processor; a graphic display stored on the computer readable memory, the graphic display corresponding to a depiction of an interaction of the plurality of process elements and adapted to be executed on a processor, the graphic display including: references or copies of the plurality of display objects; and indications of which of the graphic visualizations to display on the display device during execution of the graphic display; wherein the system enables display of selected graphic visualizations of the plurality of display objects when displaying the graphic display; the graphic visualizations enabling the same display object to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices or in displays designed using different graphical styles.