Spacebar duplicate selected item for placement

[PatrickLye]

It would be nice if we had the ability, without selecting and dragging, to quickly copy repetetive items between:

a.  From a Front Panel to different a point on the same Front Panel

b. From a Block Diagram to a different point on the same Block diagram 

c. From a Front Panel to another Front Panel

d. From a Block Diagram to another Block Diagram

1. Left click an item to select it, not it's label, in any open Front Panel or Block Diagram

2. Find the place in the desired point in a Front Panel or Block Diagram for the duplicate to be laid down

2. Hold down the spacebar (Ctrl, or any other assignable key)

3. Left click the mouse to drop the duplicate item

[crossrulz]

What's wrong with Ctrl+dragging?

[PatrickLye]

@crossrulz

This is easier.

[X.]

Ctrl-C then

Ctrl-V, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-V, etc.

The nice thing is that you don't need to release the Ctrl- key, just move your mouse to a different location and press 'V'.

I'd see a possibility to allow for repeated paste actions at the same location as desirable, but it would potentially be very confusing (hidden objects), so I am fine with moving the mouse instead.

Edit: actually, there is no need to move the cursor when on the BD. Pressing 'V'  (while holding the Ctrl key) will drop staggered copies of the object.

Edit2: it seems Crossrulz's post and mine collided and are somewhat redundant.

Edit3: the only hitch with the Copy/Paste is that local variables and Property Nodes are not behaving nicely. The first create a new FP object for each Paste action, the second are generic PN, not attached to the original FP object. That might need a fix/new feature if found desirable.

[crossrulz]

How is this easier?  Your process is

1. Select Item

2. Go to where want to place it

3. Hold a special button

4. Click

The built in method:

1. Select Item

2. Hold Ctrl

3. Drag the item to where you want it

Or the copy/paste method:

1. Select item

2. Press Ctrl+C (holding down Ctrl)

3. Go to where you want to place it

4. Press V (still holding down Ctrl)

[PatrickLye]

@crossrulz

Well, mostly because dragging stuff around is a pain. It ties up your mouse and you are holding down a key instead of going where you need to go to paste the item(s).

 It is much easier to have LabVIEW know what you have selected, go to the exact position you want to put it, hold down a key, and click the mouse. This allows you to copy and paste to Front Panels and Block Diagrams that aren't even open at the time. When you have several VIs on the monitor, that are as large as the monitor, it is a pain to reposition windows to get an open place that allows the dragging to drop there.

Another instance is when you have a block diagram that is the size of the screen, but set smaller to view the Front Panel with the ctrl drag you copy it to a position that you can get to, and then you have to reposition windows, move scroll bars, etc.. to get it to the final position. This way you aren't holding down your mouse and a ctrl key. You use your mouse to get the exact point that you want, press hold down a key, and click your mouse. Your pasted item(s) drop into place where you want them.

Another way to look at it  is you select an item, let the mouse go, and you're not holding down a ctrl key, you're not dragging, you roll your mouse over the LabVIEW icon, select the Front Panel or Block Diagram that you want to copy to by clicking your mouse, since it is available with this method, find your spot, hold down a a key, and click your mouse.

Having your mouse free to do what you want until you are actually ready to paste is what makes it better.

Just being able to select a new Front Panel or Block diagram without a bunch of ridiculous repositioning to get a drop zone is a huge asset.

[crossrulz]

So let's say I have 2 block diagrams open and each have selections.  How does LabVIEW know which to copy?  And if I do other things in the middle of my copy, I already forgot what I'm trying to copy.  Ctrl+drag is FAST.  If I have to rearrange windows, then copy-paste does the same job.  I see absolutely no reason to add this shortcut.

[PatrickLye]

@crossrulz

"If I have to rearrange windows, then copy-paste does the same job."

This is exactly what I was looking for in the first place.

I haven't tried Ctrl C -> Ctrl V for years. I quit using this early on when learning LabVIEW due to the loss of reference for a property node when I tried to copy it to a SubVI in the early days. Trying this again would have saved me many hours of work that I didn't have to do.

It is times like these that make me thankful for asking for a new feature in order to find that I just need to look at the basics again...

Thanks

[Manzolli]

I bought a programmable mouse with several extra buttons. I configured some for Copy, Paste, Cut, <Ctrl> + H, <Ctrl> + E, etc. Helps with LabVIEW and many other software using different profiles for each.

[Darren]

Any idea that has not received any kudos within a year after posting will be automatically declined.