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LVPROJ : Rename a folder

Hello everybody,

(as suggested I will separate my idea Expand the functionality of Event structures into four seperate ideas to allow giving kudos separately.)

Make it possibly to dynamically register references like tcp/ip, visa, queues, etc. for Event structures. Possible events are "new bytes at tcp/ip", "new bytes at seriel port", or "connection closed". In the case of queues it could be the same function as "Dequeue Element" or "Queue referenced closed". There are certainly a lot more of similar references, which could be registered for catching events, which up to now we have to poll regularly or use other event functions (as in the case of visa -> new bytes at seriel port). Benefits are: no more regular polling of changes, better integration of several functions (like using queues to communicate with GUIs instead of dynamic user events), and in my opinion just better code.

Regards

Marc

After some searching, this ideas was already discussed in the comments of this declined idea. but I think it deserves to stand on its own, so here we go.

We have a nice menu entry "Menu...Edit...Make current values default" that (if nothing is selected) does just that. In 99% of my cases only the controls are important, because all the indicators, while often containing tons of data (graphs, arrays, etc) can be easily re-created from the control values at any time.

So while the control values are useful to be able to run a VI out-of-the-box with reasonable input values, default values for indicators just contribute to VI bloat, increasing the size on disk.

Making indicators default is useful for the rare cases where a forum users want to show what he gets or expects to get, but not in general development. Yes, we can of course select all controls first, but they might be scattered all over the panel and over several tab pages, so that's not a good solution. (We could also request a menu in addition to the "edit...select all" e.g. called "edit...select all controls", but that is probably a different idea.)

In summary, there should be a menu entry that ignores indicators when making values the default.

It should also work if multiple items are selected "Make Selected Control Values Default", in which case it would ignore any selected indicators.

I'm a bit surprised that I could not find this suggestion already...but hopefully then it's not just an oversight by me...:

In the Edit Events dialog you can only add events from one source at a time, it should be possible to select multiple sources and add the same single (OR multiple there as well) events from those sources in one go. The event source selection should filter the events-list so that only the events that are common for the selected sources are shown.

In pictures...you should be able to do what I have imagined(!) doing in the bottom picture here:

As much as I love Quick Drop, I don't love this:

This delay occurs because we have to load all the palette information in the background to be able to drop objects by name. You can choose Tools > Options > Controls/Functions Palettes > Load palettes during launch to front-load this delay during LabVIEW launch, but (1) a lot of you don't really like the longer launch time much better and (2) a lot of users still don't know about this setting.

I'm sure there's a way to solve this problem and make Quick Drop instantly usable, but I don't know enough about the underlying palette code to get it done. Solving this problem, by the way, could have positive side effects on LabVIEW launch time, palette search performance, and maybe some other areas as well.

Subscript and superscript fonts

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Hopefully low hanging fruit? I'm constantly checking the error list when working in a VI that's part of a broken class hierarchy to see if the VI itself has errors or if it's just due to a hierarchy error or dependency error. I often repeatedly check it to confirm if the VI I'm currently working in has the errors and could save a bunch of time if something was different about the broken run arrow and I only had to glance at it to confirm I can move elsewhere in my development as expected, or continue to the error list to see what's really broken.

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Remove Unused Inputs

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Silver Tab Control

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Fix Hidden Strict Reference Stars

Currently in IMAQ Vision, there is a function to convert an image to a standard formatted string (JPEG, PNG, etc.). The contents of the string is exactly the same as the data that is normally written to a file. This is a great function to compress an image and send it over FTP, etc.

The problem is that there is no inverse function available - you can't convert the string directly to an image. The only way to do it is to save the string to a file, then read it as an image, which slows down the process significantly.

I repeatedly see the need for this function. People receive strings from other devices or PCs and want to display them as images.

There are functions to flatten images to/from strings, but they are limited in their scope (JPEG and PNG only, I believe) and they include the image name and other information in the string. The format is proprietary and can't be read by other programming languages (yes, some people still program in languages other than LabVIEW). It is also difficult when you want to unflatten a string and store it in an image with a different name than it was stored with.

Bruce

[Update] Part of this idea for the PNG format was implemented for LabVIEW 2013. Please see this post for details.

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The getting started windows fills with irrelevant entries if we open many VIs and projects from the forum. We probably never want to see them again. Also, if items exist that have the same name, but reside in different folders, they will show with the full (often very long!) path and the filename is not directly visible unless we e.g. hover over it or make the window gigantic. Here we want to remove the stale one, even if a copy still exists on disk.

We can currently do some cleanup by editing labview.ini but it is tedious. (just try it!)

I would like to request a feature that allows us to easily and permanently remove any entry in the list.
(...maybe it could even show for pinned entries?)

IDEA: I suggest to show a special glyph that, when clicked would remove that entry from the list.

It could also be e.g. an "X" (or similar) that shows next to the pin when hovering so we can either pin or thrash an entry.

These are just some suggestions, but there should be a way to easily weed out unwanted entries from the GSW. Of course the actual files will not be touched. We would just go back to the state before we opened that item.

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With a case structure I can place the mouse cursor over the structure and Ctrl + scroll wheel to cycle through the cases without it being active. If I try doing this on arrays it doesn't work.

For front panel arrays the numeric indicator must have focus for this to work. Doesn't work when the array data is selected. I understand that multidimensional arrays would be a problem, but for 1D arrays it would be nice if it cycled through the elements.

For array constant block diagram elements, no scroll action works regardless of what is active. Again it should allow the user to cycle through elements for 1D arrays simply by hovering over the item and Ctrl + scroll wheel.

Not a duplicate of http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Array-scrollbar-quot-scrollable-quot-with-scroll-wheel/idi-p/1009220

[admin edit: Adding animation image at the request of the OP]

Cancel LabVIEW during load

Have you ever accidentally opened LabVIEW? I have multiple versions of LabVIEW installed and pinned to my taskbar. I often open the wrong version since the version number is not included in the icon (see this awesome idea). It would be really nice to be able to cancel the load rather than having to wait until the program fully launches to close it.

Microsoft Office products give you the option of canceling the load from the splash screen:

How about seeing something similar in LabVIEW?

- Becky

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Reduce Impact on the Environment

I am a big fan of LabView! This idea is meant to be a positive suggestion, and I hope it will be taken as such.

I almost wish this post was in jest; it is not. This is a serious suggestion that, in my opinion would improve the NI LabView program, save cost, and be much better for the environment.

I recently purchased Application Builder for LabView (both Great products). I received my Application Builder via FedEx. It comes in a very nice looking heavy mailing package with the bold label "NI LabVIEW 2010 Add-On Software. I think there must have been a FedEx overwrap with the following forms:

-Printed shipping manager page with the FedEx Bar Code

-Printed packing Pick Slip (two pages) with a certificate of conformance on page 1 of 2 and a signed page 2 of 2 by the Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement (I am not making this up)

Now, inside of the envelope is

-The standard folded yellow installation instruction page

-A certificate of ownership! (same serial number as is printed on the outside of the heavy mailing envelope)

-A card which says (really!) "Where is my Media?" The card says: "In an effort to reduce the impact on the environment, National Instruments no longer ships media with these kits.

Now, I assume by this point everyone sees the irony here, and where I am going with this New Idea for LabView!

IDEA: Upon successful purchase and proper payment of a LabView Add-On Software package: Email the serial number to the authorized user.

Optionally (if required by legal), send the paper Certificate of Ownership (one page!) to the authorized user, or if allowed by legal, Email a PDF of the Certificate of Ownership to the authorized user.

Savings:

Beautiful outer envelope and stack of printed pages made in Ireland - Well, not needed (Give them other work, I don't want to see lost jobs)

Shipping cost and impact on the environment (Ireland to Austin) SAVED

Storage cost and space at NI Austin SAVED

Shipping cost and Air Freight Austin to end user SAVED (less jet fuel impact on the environment)

Less paper to be recycled by end user SAVED, positive impact on less energy needed for recycling!

Do you know what happens if you run this code?

Well, the not very useful result looks like this:

What it should look like is this:

So yeah, we can use the Top Row property and make sure we don't go under zero and that we're going in the correct direction, etc., but I don't really see any use for the current behavior, so I say that the listbox should display the selected value automatically, at least as an option.

Incidentallly, this also applies to multicolumn listboxes and trees.

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LabVIEW Idea Exchange

LVPROJ : Rename a folder

Expand Event structure functionality: Register new types of references

Make Current Control Values Default

Make it possible to select multiple event sources when adding an event

Eliminate Quick Drop's Initial Launch Delay

Subscript and superscript fonts

Show a different broken arrow when the VI doesn't have errors itself.

Synchronize "right-click options" with properties dialog.

Remove Unused Inputs

Silver Tab Control

Fix Hidden Strict Reference Stars

Add function to convert string to image

Provide a way in the options dialog to define the default connector pane

Implicit consideration for Index in In Place Element Structure

Let us easily cleanup the Getting Started Window (GSW)

Ctrl + mouse wheel: Scroll through array elements when hovered over

Cancel LabVIEW during load

Reduce Impact on the Environment

Setting the value of a listbox should display the selected value

Probe Watch Window - Last Update - Show milliseconds instead of date