13. An apparatus for monitoring a process, comprising: a digital processor coupled to an industrial process via means for encoding values of process parameters and process configuration information, the processor being programmed to control a display device and to present on the display device a diagrammatic display including text and graphics for simulating a condition of the process; a memory coupled to the processor, containing programmed definitions of the text and graphics included in the diagrammatic display during predetermined process conditions, the processor normally formatting the diagrammatic display at least partly as a function of said definitions, the memory further containing alternative definitions of at least a portion of at least a subset of one of the text and the graphics, the alternative definitions being different than the programmed definitions but representing the same said condition of the process; a user operated control input coupled to the processor and operable with the processor to select at least a subset of the information on the diagrammatic display, the processor switching between the alternative definitions and thereby converting the subset of the diagrammatic display from one format to another format during operation of the apparatus for monitoring the process.
13. An apparatus for monitoring a process, comprising: a digital processor coupled to an industrial process via means for encoding values of process parameters and process configuration information, the processor being programmed to control a display device and to present on the display device a diagrammatic display including text and graphics for simulating a condition of the process; a memory coupled to the processor, containing programmed definitions of the text and graphics included in the diagrammatic display during predetermined process conditions, the processor normally formatting the diagrammatic display at least partly as a function of said definitions, the memory further containing alternative definitions of at least a portion of at least a subset of one of the text and the graphics, the alternative definitions being different than the programmed definitions but representing the same said condition of the process; a user operated control input coupled to the processor and operable with the processor to select at least a subset of the information on the diagrammatic display, the processor switching between the alternative definitions and thereby converting the subset of the diagrammatic display from one format to another format during operation of the apparatus for monitoring the process. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the alternative definitions include alternative graphical presentations representing the condition of the process.