![Best PI Vision Custom Symbols & Extensions [2026 Guide]](http://www.software-athlete.com/cdn/shop/articles/vision-library-plus-product-hero_a192d7df-f445-4d32-a65c-dbeea3101a4c_1280x1100_crop_center.jpg?v=1787318743)
The best PI Vision custom symbol is the one that closes a real workflow gap. This expanded 2026 guide maps 42 current symbols and controls to dashboard analysis, manual input, Event Frames, navigation, alarms, and daily operational work.
AVEVA PI Vision gives PI System teams a strong foundation for process displays. Custom symbols extend that foundation when a workflow needs display-wide filters, drill-down, asset and period comparison, richer charts, structured tables, operator input, Event Frame analysis, navigation, playback, or clearer response signals.
If you are new to the topic, start with our practical guide to what PI Vision custom symbols are and how they work. This article focuses on the next question: which extensions are most valuable for a particular operational job?
Selection criteria
What makes a PI Vision custom symbol valuable?
A longer feature list does not automatically produce a better display. We evaluate custom symbols by how well they support the work surrounding the PI data.
Operational relevance
Does it help a user answer a recurring question or complete a real task?
PI System context
Does it keep assets, time, events, and process data connected to the workflow?
Usability
Can operators and engineers understand and configure it without unnecessary complexity?
Maintainability
Is it documented, supported, and tested for the PI Vision versions the organization operates?
Best for interactive dashboards
1. Filters, comparison, and operational analysis
For many PI Vision teams, the largest improvement comes from making a display easier to explore. A useful operational dashboard lets users select the relevant asset, shift, time range, or Event Frame, then updates its KPIs, charts, tables, and comparisons around that context. The investigation stays close to the PI System instead of beginning every recurring question with an export.
Asset Select+
Best for: choosing assets from a tree, searchable list, or multistate view while keeping the display context focused.
DateTime Picker+
Best for: giving users practical date and time controls for historical review and repeatable analysis windows.
Combo Chart+
Best for: combining trends, bars, limits, Event Frame markers, and multiple scales in one analytical view.
Event Analytics KPI+
Best for: aggregating event-based results into KPIs that users can filter and investigate.
Asset Comparison Bar Chart+
Best for: comparing production lines, equipment, or operating areas against the same target or calculation.
Period Comparison Chart+
Best for: aligning shifts, days, batches, or operating periods so process behavior can be compared consistently.
Best for operator and lab input
2. Manual data entry inside PI Vision
Not every important value begins in an automated data source. Lab results, operator observations, reason codes, corrections, and shift notes still need a controlled path into the PI System workflow.
Manual Data Entry+ is the strongest general-purpose choice for entering values with timestamps and user context. Manual Input Table+ works well when several readings must be reviewed or entered together, while Quick Input+ suits focused, low-friction updates.
For more structured workflows, Manual Input Form+ supports guided entry, AF Table+ presents Asset Framework data in a table, and Time Series Table+ keeps timestamped records visible beside the process context.
Best for batches, downtime, and process events
3. Event Frame investigation and editing
Event Frames are most useful when users can move from an event list to timing, attributes, process response, and comparisons without losing context.
Events Table+ is a practical starting point for structured review and controlled editing. Event Gantt Chart+ makes duration and overlap visible, Event Comparison Chart+ compares the process behavior around several events, and Playback Tool+ helps teams replay how a critical period developed.
Add Event Filter+ when the whole display should follow a selected event. Use Event Analytics Chart+, Event Analytics Pie+, or Event Analytics Pivot+ when the question is about recurring event categories, totals, duration, or loss.
Best for specialized visualization
4. Charts that answer a specific process question
Use specialized charts selectively. A chart earns its place when its visual structure matches the question better than a standard trend, value, or table.
Combo Chart+
Combine lines, bars, stacked values, limits, and event context when several related measures must be read together.
Heatmap+
Find recurring patterns and changing intensity across time, equipment, batches, or categories.
Box Plot+
Compare distribution, variability, and outliers across assets or operating periods.
Histogram+
Understand frequency and process behavior rather than looking only at averages.
Waterfall Chart+
Explain how gains and losses contribute to a total, variance, or production result.
Period Comparison Chart+
Compare the same process across shifts, batches, days, or other aligned periods.
Asset Comparison Bar Chart+
Rank and compare assets, lines, or operating areas using a shared measure.
Pie Chart+
Show contribution or category mix when the number of slices stays readable.
Sankey Diagram+
Make flow, energy balance, material movement, or loss pathways easier to follow.
Radar Chart+
Compare several normalized variables across assets, products, or operating modes.
Asset Treemap+
Explore hierarchical performance and highlight the largest contributors inside an asset structure.
ProfileView+
Review process profiles where shape and position across a physical path matter.
Duval Triangle+
Support transformer dissolved-gas analysis with the established triangular diagnostic view.
FFT+
Inspect frequency behavior in vibration, electrical, and other periodic signals.
Event Analytics KPI+
Turn Event Frame duration, loss, or count into a compact operational summary.
Best for daily display usability
5. Navigation, context, and display controls
A technically complete display can still be difficult to use. Navigation Menu+ and Navigation Button+ help teams build a consistent route through related displays. Asset Select+ changes the active asset context, DateTime Picker+ improves historical navigation, and WebView+ brings an approved web resource into the working display.
Best for status and response
6. Alarms and current operating state
Status symbols should help users decide where attention is needed. Alarm Table+ provides a structured view of active conditions and response context. Alarm Sound+ adds an audible cue where appropriate, while Linear Gauge+, Radial Gauge+, and Value+ make current values, ranges, and multistates easier to interpret. Map+ adds geographical context when sites or mobile assets are part of the response decision.
Start with the operational job
Seven practical PI Vision symbol combinations
Individual symbols become more valuable when they are combined around a repeatable workflow. These are useful starting points—not fixed recipes.
Self-service operational analytics
Let engineers filter by asset and time, compare performance, and drill into the underlying trend without an export-first handoff.
Operator rounds and shift handover
Keep live process context, manual readings, comments, reason codes, and a focused time window together.
Manual Data Entry+ · Manual Input Table+ · Time Series Table+
Batch review and Event Frame analysis
Review duration, phases, KPIs, and process response without stitching together separate event and trend screens.
Downtime and root-cause investigation
Find the largest losses, isolate the relevant events, compare the response, and replay the critical window.
Production, OEE, and asset comparison
Compare lines, assets, or operating periods against targets and limits, then focus attention where performance is changing.
Lab, quality, and manual sample entry
Enter sample results or observations in a structured view while the relevant asset, batch, timestamp, and trend remain visible.
Alarm visibility and operator response
Make abnormal conditions easier to notice and keep the supporting value, location, and response context nearby.
Current catalogue map
All 42 Vision Library+ symbols and controls
The catalogue below reflects the current 2026 Vision Library+ collection. Use it as a map to the individual product pages; use the workflow recommendations above to decide which capabilities belong together on a display.
Charts & analysis
Visualize trends, distributions, relationships, contribution, flow, and asset performance.
- Combo Chart+Charts, overlays, and limits
- Asset Comparison Bar Chart+Asset and area comparison
- Event Analytics KPI+Event performance summaries
- Box Plot+Variation and outliers
- Heatmap+Patterns across time or category
- Histogram+Frequency and behavior
- Pie Chart+Contribution and mix
- Waterfall Chart+Sequential gains and losses
- Sankey Diagram+Flow and loss pathways
- Radar Chart+Multivariable comparison
- Asset Treemap+Hierarchical performance
- ProfileView+Process profiles
- Duval Triangle+Dissolved-gas analysis
- FFT+Frequency behavior
- Period Comparison Chart+Aligned operating periods
Event Frames & downtime
Investigate duration, timing, categories, KPIs, comparisons, and process response.
- Events Table+Structured Event Frame review
- Event Gantt Chart+Event duration and timing
- Event Analytics Chart+Event trends and downtime
- Event Comparison Chart+Event and batch comparison
- Event Filter+Display-wide event context
- Playback Tool+Historical replay
- Gantt Chart+Timeline visualization
- Event Analytics Pie+Event categories and contribution
- Event Analytics Pivot+Pivot-style event summaries
Data entry & tables
Capture readings, notes, samples, and structured records while operating context stays visible.
- Manual Data Entry+PI values and attributes
- Manual Input Table+Multiple manual readings
- Quick Input+Focused rapid updates
- AF Table+Asset Framework data
- Time Series Table+Timestamped records
- Asset Comparison Table+Structured asset comparison
- Manual Input Form+Guided manual entry
Navigation & controls
Move users through assets, displays, time ranges, and related web context.
- Navigation Menu+Reusable display navigation
- DateTime Picker+Display time selection
- WebView+Related web content
- Asset Select+Asset context switching
- Navigation Button+Focused display actions
Alarms & status
Make conditions, equipment state, location, and response signals easier to interpret.
- Value+Value and ad-hoc trend
- Linear Gauge+Ranges on a clear scale
- Radial Gauge+Targets and multistates
- Alarm Sound+Audible response signal
- Map+Geographic asset context
- Alarm Table+Active alarm conditions
For screenshots, configuration details, demos, and the latest catalogue status, visit the interactive Vision Library+ symbol directory.
Evaluation checklist
How to choose a PI Vision symbol collection
Before deploying a collection, evaluate the product as operational software—not as a folder of attractive widgets.
- Workflow coverage: Does it solve the actual analysis, input, Event Frame, navigation, or response requirement?
- Compatibility: Is the required PI Vision version documented and tested?
- Deployment: Is installation repeatable across production and test PI Vision servers?
- Security: Does the implementation respect your authentication, authorization, and Content Security Policy requirements?
- Configuration: Can PI Vision administrators configure it without maintaining custom source code?
- Performance: Has it been tested with representative data volumes and display complexity?
- Documentation: Can engineers and operators understand both the setup and intended use?
- Lifecycle: Who owns fixes, upgrade compatibility, release notes, and support?
Our current recommendation
Vision Library+ for AVEVA PI Vision
Vision Library+ currently brings together 42 custom symbols and controls across dashboarding, Event Frames, data entry, navigation, alarms, and specialized analysis. The subscription includes the available collection, product updates, new symbols, documentation, and support.
The library is designed to work alongside native AVEVA PI Vision elements, PI points, AF attributes, and Event Frames. It is not a replacement for PI Vision; it is an operational dashboarding and workflow layer for teams that want reusable capabilities without developing and maintaining every extension internally.
Software Athlete publishes the product, so this recommendation is naturally based on our own platform and implementation experience. Apply the evaluation checklist above to Vision Library+ and to any alternative you consider.
Frequently asked questions
PI Vision custom symbol questions
What are the best PI Vision custom symbols to start with?
Start with the workflow causing the most repeated manual effort. Asset and time selection, Combo Chart+, Manual Data Entry+, Events Table+, and Navigation Menu+ address common gaps, but the right first symbol depends on whether the priority is analysis, input, Event Frames, or display usability.
Do we need every symbol in a collection?
No. Use the smallest set that supports the workflow clearly. A focused display is usually easier to operate and maintain than one that demonstrates every available visualization.
Can custom symbols be added to existing PI Vision displays?
Yes. After an administrator installs the extension, display authors can add and configure supported symbols alongside native PI Vision components. Test important displays and workflows in a non-production environment before rollout.
Should we build custom symbols internally?
Internal development makes sense for a unique requirement when the organization can own design, development, testing, documentation, security review, and compatibility over time. A supported library is usually more efficient for reusable capabilities.
Is Vision Library+ a replacement for AVEVA PI Vision?
No. Vision Library+ extends PI Vision with additional symbols and controls. Teams can configure them alongside native PI Vision elements, existing assets, PI points, AF attributes, and Event Frames.
What is included with Vision Library+?
Vision Library+ is offered as a subscription collection. It includes access to the available symbol library, product updates, new symbols, documentation, and support for choosing, configuring, and rolling out the relevant capabilities.
How should we validate a symbol before production rollout?
Test it on a non-production PI Vision server using representative data volumes, display complexity, user roles, authentication, Content Security Policy settings, and the PI Vision version you operate. Document the intended workflow and verify that operators can understand both normal and abnormal states.
