# Visibility in the designer

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition80\
**Created:** [June 4, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555 "2019-06-04T20:55:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![christopher.knapp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@christopher.knapp](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/christopher.knapp)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555/1 "2019-06-04T20:55:44Z")

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Is there a way to force a component to be visible in the designer, but have a binding drive the visibility on the client?

I have certain components that I want turned on/off based on machine options, but when that option isn’t present the component is invisible in the designer as well. I’m afraid that as time goes on, someone won’t realize the work for that option is already done since they cannot see if in the designer.

I know that I can click the checkbox next to the visibility to temporarily force it on, but as soon as it transitions to “false” from the PLC tag driving that binding, it doesn’t show up again.

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**Author:** ![brandon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@brandon1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/brandon1)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555/2 "2019-06-04T21:02:25Z")

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Check this out:

> [@Objects Visible Property in Development Enviroment](http://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/objects-visible-property-in-development-enviroment/15455):
>
> WHILE IN A LIVE SYSTEM, I’m missing how to maintain the objects visibility when in the development Enviroment, when the TAGs bound visibility is only desired to disappear in the client runtime view? Other HMI design packages include a “toggle states” menu button or when in the development mode, don’t turn off the objects visibility? The invisible objects become lost unless you know where to select the hidden object…

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**Author:** ![cmallonee](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/cmallonee/32/6416_2.png) [@cmallonee](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/cmallonee)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555/3 "2019-06-04T22:21:10Z")

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If you’re in Perspective, configure an Expression binding for `Component.meta.visible` a la

```auto
{[tag_provider_name]PathToPLC/relevantValue} || ({session.props.device.type}='designer')

```

I don’t know if Vision has an equivalent means…

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**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 6:36am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/visibility-in-the-designer/25555/4 "2019-06-05T06:36:08Z")

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Vision equivalent isn't quite as clean, but does the trick (from thread linked by @brandon1 above):

> [@Objects Visible Property in Development Enviroment](http://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/objects-visible-property-in-development-enviroment/15455/3):
>
> There is a system tag that holds a bit array of SystemFlags. The lowest order bit is on if you are in the designer and the next bit is on if you are testing in the designer. I usually use an expression like this in the visibility property of a component. It is visible in the designer when not testing but uses the other condition when testing or at runtime. ({[System]Client/System/SystemFlags} & 1 ) // in designer (bitwise and with lowest bit) && // a…