Systems and methods for configuring and presenting a display navigation hierarchy in a process plant

A computing device for configuring a layout of an operator display in a process plant, the computing device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a user interface;
• a communication unit;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors, the user interface, and the communication unit, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a graphical display configuration application thereon executing in a configuration environment of a process plant that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing device to:
• present, via the user interface, a graphical user control for selecting one of a plurality of layouts in which display views depicting control elements included in an operating environment of the process plant are presented in an operator application in the operating environment of the process plant, wherein each of the plurality of layouts divides one or more user interfaces into one or more display regions;
• receive, via the graphical user control, a selection of one of the plurality of layouts;
• and
• download the selected layout and a plurality of display views into a user interface device for execution in the operating environment of the process plant to thereby cause a presentation, at the user interface device, of the plurality of display views within the one or more display regions according to the selected layout.