Patent ID: 8448076

Claim:
A graphical editor stored in a memory and including instructions executed by a processor for use in a process plant to configure animations and events for operator interface displays, the editor comprising: a library of graphical items stored in the memory, wherein each graphical item includes a plurality of user-configurable properties associated with a physical or a logical entity within the process control plant; a first section displaying a graphical item in response to execution of an instruction; a second section hierarchically displaying the user-configurable properties corresponding to the graphical item in response to execution of the instruction; and a third section displaying a plurality of user-selectable functions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to change an arrangement of the user-configurable properties hierarchically displayed in the second section, which correspond to the graphical item displayed in the first section, in order to facilitate completion of a graphical item configuration task; wherein one or more of the plurality of user-selectable functions are configured to determine a degree of change from an original default setting for each of the displayed user-configurable properties and sort the displayed user-configurable properties within the second section based on the degree of change from the original default setting, and the first, second, and third sections are displayed simultaneously.