Special objects
TIA Portal comes equipped with two types of special objects: Elements and Controls. Both types of object have a range of pre-built properties and events that relate to their designated purpose.
Both Elements and Controls can be found in the Toolbox window to the right in TIA Portal when a screen is open, as illustrated in the following screenshot:
Figure 9.12 – Elements and Controls in the Toolbox section
These objects have more specific roles than Basic objects. Elements are typically objects that a user may interact with, such as a button or slider. Controls are objects that allow a TIA Portal's Unified environment to make use of a particular function, such as displaying a faceplate or managing alarms.
Elements
Elements are essentially ready-made faceplates that programmers can drop into a project to enable quick visualization of data. You can see an example of an element in the following screenshot:
