Operator display switching preview

A user interface device for viewing a first process section in a process plant while simultaneously viewing a preview of a second process section having at least one process parameter that is adjustable via the preview of the second process section, wherein the second process section is a different portion of the process plant with respect to the first process section, the user interface device including:

• a display screen;
• one or more processors coupled to the display screen;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions thereon, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user interface device to:
• present, via the display screen, the first process section depicting a first portion of the process plant including a graphic representation of one or more process plant entities within the first process section, wherein at least one process parameter within the first process section is adjustable, via one or more of touch gestures or mouse clicks, each of the one or more touch gestures or mouse clicks being on the graphic representation of the one or more process plant entities within the first process section;
• provide a navigation tool to navigate to the second process section of the process plant, wherein the navigation tool further includes an indication to navigate and a selection to navigate;
• receive, via the navigation tool, the indication to navigate to the second process section of the process plant, wherein the second process section of the process plant is not depicted in the display screen before the indication is received;
• and
• present, via the display screen, at least a portion of the first process section while simultaneously presenting a preview of one or more portions of the second process section, the preview including a graphic representation of one or more process plant entities from the second process section, in response to the indication to navigate to the second process section of the process plant, wherein the at least one process parameter within the preview of the one or more portions of the second process section is adjustable, via one or more of touch gestures or mouse clicks, each of the one or more touch gestures or mouse clicks being on the graphic representation of the one or more process plant entities from the second process section, of the preview of the one or more portions of the second process section, while the preview of one or more portions of the second process section is simultaneously presented with the at least the portion of the first process section, wherein the indication to navigate comprises a graphical intersection of a selection tool with the navigation tool, wherein the indication to navigate comprises a placement of the selection tool over a graphical depiction of the navigation tool for a threshold amount of time, and wherein selection of the selection to navigate causes the display screen to display the one or more portions of the second process section and not display the first process section.