HMI · Free
HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME
What an HMI is and how to design one well, then two mainstream tools end to end: Siemens WinCC in TIA Portal and Rockwell FactoryTalk View Machine Edition on PanelView Plus, with WinCC flexible for the legacy base.
Inside the course
From the lessons
What an HMI Is and How to Choose One
RealPars
Siemens Screens and Animation
PCC
Siemens Users, Scripting, Libraries, Languages
PCC
WinCC flexible 2008 Legacy
TechJourneyHub
FTV ME: Displays, Navigation, Runtime, Communications
Rockwell Automation
FTV ME: Global Objects, Languages, Remote Access, Trends, Parameters
Rockwell Automation
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Explain what an HMI is and what high-performance design means, build a WinCC project from template to transfer with alarms, trends, recipes, users, scripting and languages, read a WinCC flexible project, and build a FactoryTalk View ME application with displays, navigation, communications, alarms, animation, global objects, security and 21 CFR Part 11, recipes, ActiveX, macros, firmware, backup and troubleshooting, with a look at FactoryTalk View SE.
- Design a high-performance HMI: grey ground, colour for abnormal, screen hierarchy
- Build a WinCC TIA project with templates, connection, tags, screens, animation, text lists, pop-ups
- Configure alarms, trends, recipes, users, scripts, libraries and languages in WinCC
- Read and maintain a WinCC flexible 2008 legacy project
- Create a FactoryTalk View ME application, displays, navigation, runtime file and terminal communications
- Add alarms, animation, global objects, language switching, trends and parameters in ME
- Implement security, 21 CFR Part 11, recipes, ActiveX and macros
- Maintain PanelView Plus terminals: firmware, backup, restore, conversion, troubleshooting; know when SE fits
For you
Taking HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
- Siemens and Rockwell is one of the automation brands most widely installed across the Americas, so this is a skill plants and integrators near you ask for.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project · about 20 hours
110 MLD water-treatment plant: ISA-101 redesign of a cluttered 2012 HMI, with a measured before and after
Redesign the operator interface of a 110 MLD municipal water-treatment plant from a 2012 P&ID-replica HMI with 412 alarms to an ISA-101 high-performance HMI: a philosophy and style guide, a four-level hierarchy, a Level 1 overview an operator reads in ten seconds, analog indicators with normal bands, faceplates, and an alarm system rationalised to ISA-18.2. You deliver the displays in WinCC or FactoryTalk View, your own style guide, your own alarm rationalisation of forty alarms, and a before-and-after usability test with real numbers. The sample pack shows what an HMI consultant hands over.
Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario
- URSUser Requirements: Operator Interface Redesign, Ring Road WTP
- HMI specHMI Philosophy, Style Guide and Screen Specification: Ring Road WTP
- Alarm philosophyAlarm Philosophy: Ring Road Water-Treatment Plant
- Tag listHMI Tag List and Naming Convention: New Displays against the Existing S7-300 Data Blocks
- Alarm listAlarm List, Rationalised: Ring Road WTP (with the 2012 'before' list)
- FATFactory Acceptance Test Record: Redesigned HMI, Ring Road WTP
- Test reportUsability and Alarm Performance Report: Before and After the HMI Redesign
- Training recordOperator and Chemist Training Record: Redesigned HMI
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
16 modules · 82 lessons · 10h 21m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01What an HMI Is and How to Choose One3 lessons24m
- 02Siemens WinCC: Project, Templates, Connection, Tags5 lessons37m
- 03Siemens Screens and Animation5 lessons26m
- 04Siemens Alarms, Trends, Recipes3 lessons24m
- 05Siemens Users, Scripting, Libraries, Languages4 lessons28m
- 06Siemens Transfer, Media, Cross References, Analog5 lessons40m
- 07WinCC flexible 2008 Legacy4 lessons60m
- 08FactoryTalk View: Install, Tour, Activation, First ME Application7 lessons53m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Beginner to intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
- Software
- TIA Portal with WinCC (21-day trial). FactoryTalk View Studio ME is paid: it runs 7 days without activation, then in two-hour demo sessions What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None. Both tools simulate the panel.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Required
- 01Free trial: 21 days
SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial
Siemens
- Runs on
- Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
- Account
- A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
- Size
- about 8.1 GB for the main ISO, plus an optional 3.1 GB DVD 2 with hardware support packages
Siemens lets registered users download the V21 trial of STEP 7 (Basic and Professional), STEP 7 Safety and WinCC and test it for 21 days. The same package is used for the full product; after 21 days you need a purchased licence to keep working.
Steps
- 1.Open the Siemens trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in with your Siemens Industry Online Support account.
- 2.Download TIA_Portal_STEP7_Safety_WinCC_V21.iso (8.1 GB).
- 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the same page: PLCSIM is a separate download.
- 4.Right-click each ISO, choose Mount, and run Start.exe as administrator. Install STEP 7 and WinCC first, then PLCSIM.
- 5.Follow the setup, accept the licence terms and restart the PC when asked.
- 6.Open TIA Portal V21 and create a new project to confirm it runs.
- Install from a local drive with plenty of free space; Siemens lists 20 GB free as the minimum and the ISOs alone are over 10 GB.
- You only need DVD 2 if you want extra hardware support packages.
- If you cannot install locally, Siemens also offers a 21-day TIA Portal Cloud trial in the browser (one-hour sessions, not in every country).
Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.comAlternatives
- TIA Portal Cloud trial: 21 days free in a cloud virtual machine, no install. Sessions are limited to one hour and it is not available in every country.
- 02Paid only
FactoryTalk View Studio (Machine Edition and Site Edition)
Rockwell Automation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit, or Windows Server 2019/2022/2025
- Account
- A Rockwell Automation account and a product serial number from a purchased licence
FactoryTalk View is paid software with no public trial. If a licensed install cannot find its activation it runs for a 7-day grace period; after that FactoryTalk View ME runs only in a demo mode that allows two hours of use. Rockwell says FactoryTalk View SE should be downloaded with a server or station serial number.
Steps
- 1.If your employer or college has a FactoryTalk View licence, ask for the serial number.
- 2.Sign in to the Product Compatibility and Download Center and search for FactoryTalk View.
- 3.Download FactoryTalk View Machine Edition or Site Edition using your serial number.
- 4.Install it as administrator and activate it with FactoryTalk Activation Manager.
- 5.Open FactoryTalk View Studio and create a new Machine Edition or Site Edition application.
- Demo mode is meant for evaluation only and stops after two hours, so it is not a practical way to follow a full course.
Rockwell Automation product pagerockwellautomation.comLegitimate free routes
- FactoryTalk Optix Studio Standard: Rockwell's free HMI design tool; applications run on the development PC without a runtime licence.
- Connected Components Workbench Standard Edition: Free; Rockwell describes it as one tool to program, simulate, configure and visualize small systems.
- Rockwell Automation training: Instructor-led FactoryTalk View courses, or use an employer licence.
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME at a glance
HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation and control. It has 16 modules and 10h 21m of video lessons by PCC | A GCG Company, TechJourneyHub, Rockwell Automation and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation and control
- Format
- 16 self-paced modules, 10h 21m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. PLC basics assumed.
- Brand
- Siemens and Rockwell
- Software
- TIA Portal with WinCC (21-day trial). FactoryTalk View Studio ME is paid: it runs 7 days without activation, then in two-hour demo sessions
- Hardware
- None. Both tools simulate the panel.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- PCC | A GCG Company, TechJourneyHub, Rockwell Automation, PLCprogrammer, RealPars, PCC, PLCGurus.NET, OnlineAutomationClass.com, Dan Staifer, PLC Automation Training, James Cash, IIOT+, Ranjithkumar Karuppiya, Shane Welcher SR (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
HMI · FreeSiemens TIA Portal HMI: KTP and Comfort Panels with WinCCEvery screen a plant operator touches, built in TIA Portal: tags, buttons, symbols, numeric input, bar graphs, navigation and templates, trends, alarms, recipes, faceplates, pop-ups, users and languages.
HMI · FreeWeintek HMI with EasyBuilder ProThe HMI on thousands of machines worldwide: EasyBuilder Pro from install to macros, PLC communication, windows and objects, data sampling and trends, alarms, recipes, security, remote access, Modbus, OPC UA, MQTT and SQL, cMT with CODESYS, and the diagnostic utilities.
HMI · FreePro-face HMI with GP-Pro EXThe Schneider/Pro-face HMI on Japanese and European machines worldwide: GP-Pro EX from first project to parts, keypads and animation, PLC drivers and Allen-Bradley data, ladder logic inside the HMI, alarms and data sampling, security and languages, transfer, web server and remote tools.
HMI · FreeFactoryTalk Optix HMI and EdgeRockwell's new HMI platform from the first screen to the edge: Optix Studio, communication, containers and responsive design, object-oriented graphics, aliases and UDTs, faceplates and libraries, alarms, datalogger, recipes, reports, users and languages, Micro800, Modbus, Siemens and REST drivers, MQTT and OPC UA, sizing and View SE integration.More free courses: Free Siemens PLC courses · Free Allen-Bradley PLC courses · Free HMI design courses
Learning paths with this course
- Rockwell engineer path · 5 coursesRSLogix 500 for the MicroLogix and SLC base, Studio 5000 for CompactLogix and ControlLogix, the Micro800 with CCW, and FactoryTalk View for the panels.
- PLC foundations · 4 coursesOne PLC from scratch, the networks it talks over, the HMI on the door and the panel it lives in. The four things a maintenance engineer meets on day one.
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Do I need panels?
No. WinCC runtime simulation and FactoryTalk View's test mode run every exercise on the PC.
Why two vendors in one course?
Because the design principles are the same and many plants run both. Learning both makes the principles visible and doubles your employability.
Which versions?
TIA Portal V16 to V19 with WinCC Comfort/Advanced; FactoryTalk View ME v10 to v13. Older versions are close enough for the material.
Is the HMI Design and Programming course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a Siemens or Rockwell qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a Siemens, Rockwell or any vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the HMI Design and Programming course?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the HMI Design and Programming course take?
Plan on about 18 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the sixteen modules at your own speed.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for HMI Design and Programming: Siemens WinCC and FactoryTalk View ME
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- PCC | A GCG Companythe Siemens WinCC TIA Portal HMI training series
- TechJourneyHubthe WinCC flexible 2008 and WinCC TIA tutorials
- Rockwell Automationthe official PanelView Plus and FactoryTalk View ME videos
- PLCprogrammerthe FactoryTalk View Studio lessons and HMI fundamentals
- RealPars4 lessons in "What an HMI Is and How to Choose One" and "Final Assessment"
- PCC20 lessons in "Siemens WinCC: Project, Templates, Connection, Tags", "Siemens Screens and Animation", "Siemens Alarms, Trends, Recipes", "Siemens Users, Scripting, Libraries, Languages" and "Siemens Transfer, Media, Cross References, Analog"
- PLCGurus.NET3 lessons in "FactoryTalk View: Install, Tour, Activation, First ME Application"
- OnlineAutomationClass.com2 lessons in "FactoryTalk View: Install, Tour, Activation, First ME Application"
- Dan Staifera lesson in "FTV ME: Hello World to Alarms and Animation"
- PLC Automation Training2 lessons in "FTV ME: Security and 21 CFR Part 11" and "FTV ME: Firmware, Backup, Restore, Conversion, Troubleshooting"
- James Casha lesson in "FTV ME: Security and 21 CFR Part 11"
- IIOT+a lesson in "FTV ME: Recipes, ActiveX and Macros"
- Ranjithkumar Karuppiyaa lesson in "FactoryTalk View SE and Newer ME Features"
- Shane Welcher SRa lesson in "FactoryTalk View SE and Newer ME Features"
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.