I would need a way to visually consolidate very large clusters.

[SCOTT R CLARK]

It would be nice if a Tab like function was integrated into clusters, so that all of the sub-controls could be distributed accross several pages, but I am looking for anything that will work and still allow me to maintain my data structure (i.e. one big cluster)(I have tried to use the Tab Control inside the cluster, but it does not seem to work). Obviously I can just lay one control on top of another, but I would like something more elagant than that. I have many clusters and arrays of clusters imbeded - maybe if I could just Iconize those items. (Fyi I extensively use Type Definitions, even for many of these sub-clusters.)

[chutla]

Hello Scott:

Other than installing a multimonitor display (which is actually a very nice approach to VERY LARGE vi's in an industrial application) I think you're going to be a bit frustrated with huge column lists or cluster displays. No doubt you've experienced the woes of multipage displays.
Is it absolutely necessary that your indicators are in alphanumeric format? Is there any way a graph or a chart may fulfil your needs, at least for a quick observation? Or, you might consider running several concurrent VI's...if it's feasible with your hardware. You could bring up minimized front panels from a variety of VI's with different "zooms" as it were.

Just some thoughts

eric

[SCOTT R CLARK]

Hello Eric,

Thank you for the response, but I am not sure if it was directly related to my intended question. I already have multiple monitors (1920*1200 and 1280*1024). My clusters (when all the controls are laid out and visible) are pushing the size of my large monitor (I have to scroll to see all parts).

I really don't understand what you mean by aphanumeric format. And usage of charts and graphs is not relavant. The cluster actually holds most of the program variables used in my rather large state machine design, which I access in the block diagram using bundle/unbundle "by name" tools (I could have used local variables, but I prefer this method).

[chutla]

Hi again!

Well rather than making your controls smaller, which I suppose you could do by customizing them, I think you've gone about it the best way possible. (Good call on not using Local Variables, too...they really can slow things down!)
What I was getting at before is that numeric or string indicators are a lot larger than points on a graph. Whenever I have a large array to deal with, I can usually plot them as opposed to having indicators. Perhaps a multiline plot could at least make things more compact on the receiving end. Of course, a knob can only be so small. (If you were running Linux, you could actually call up different desktops, each with a different view. Maybe you might want to see if that's an option!)

Can you se
nd me a copy of your VI, so I can see if anything really clever comes to mind?

Take care.

Eric

[Underflow]

Scott,

There really isn't a great way to deal with very large clusters, but there are a couple of options.

-You mention that you have numerous sub clusters. Each of these sub clusters should have a visibility property. You can manipulate this through a property node, hiding and revealing sub clusters at need, and allowing the overall cluster to resize (size to fit, arrange vertically or horizontally).

-If you are using the cluster to store information between states, but don't have any user interaction for it, just define the cluster in a constant on the block diagram. This could potentially speed up your interface as well. Be careful using auto updating typedefs as constants though, removing things from the typedef can cause "insane" errors in LV6.0.2.


-You can separate your clusters on your interface, but create the "supercluster" on the back by bundling all of the subclusters together. This is clumsy, but occasionally useful. Feeding this supercluster into an indicator that is held offscreen can be handy if you happen to need a reference to manipulate.

Good luck.