Hide / Disable Front Panel

[CodeSDz]

Long story, long:

I created a small utility as a VI.  The utility accepts command line arguments, reads a file, outputs (using .NET) to the console, and then should exit.  The front panel is blank, and the program should complete in a fraction of a second.  In fact, I bet the "application" overhead takes more time than the actual program.  I would have coded this in another language, but I can only read the cluster written to a binary file with LabVIEW.

Environment:

Windows XP, LabVIEW 8.2.1, .NET Framework 3.5

Long story, short:

How do I prevent a LabVIEW program from displaying the front panel and showing up in the Taskbar?

[tbob]

How are you calling the VI?  If it is a subvi, then as long as the Windows Appearance is set to not show the front panel, it should not be shown.  If it is a main VI, how will you run it if the front panel is not showing?  You could use a property node and set the front panel to run transparently.  Or you could set it to run transparently in the Windows Appearance screen.

[CodeSDz]

My project has only the main / startup vi.  I build the project to construct the EXE.  I had hoped it would open (without showing the front panel), complete, then exit.

Right now, I put my code inside a flat sequence with a boolean true coming out to a Quit LabVIEW node, but I still see the blank front panel momentarily.

Message Edited by StevenATK on 04-14-2010 09:39 AM

[GerdW]

Hi Steven,

you could:

- move the window outside of the screen

- make the window very small (1×1 pixel)

Every program being run in Windows will show up in the taskbar, and usually they also show a frontpanel/window...

[Rodrigo_Cuenca · Accepted solution]

There is also an option to close just the front panel, try it with the 100% transparently option also

[CodeSDz]

I guess there's no such thing a LabVIEW console application.  Thank you all for the various tips.  I was able to reduce the time the front panel was present and move it out of the way.

[GerdW]

Hi Steven,

your guessing right: the main VI of an executable has to have a front panel.

You may hide VIs when installing them as service, but that won't help you here...