Moving Indicators with Shift Arrow in LabView 8.20 has Problems

[crazycliffy]

Hello LV Users or NI Apps.

I often use the Move Indicators and controls using the Shift Up or Shift Down keys (Shift-Arrow keys Moves selected objects several pixels at a time ) to rearrange my controls/indicators around my frontpanel.  When I select my indicators and move it up/down the indicators become off pitch and snap into some other grid point where I don't want it to go. 

I've noticed this problem only when when the "Options"->"Alignment Grid"->"Enable panel grid alignment" option is enabled. 

Is there a work around to this without disabling the above feature? Usually I push on the keyboard the "G" key to disable the auto grid alignment but I can't do that at the same time push the Shift Up / Down keys.

Thanks..

crazycliffy

[Marc_A]

This is because holding shift while using the arrow keys to move an object on the front panel snaps is to the next alignment gridline in that direction. Doing this with multiple objects selected just snaps each of them to the next gridline. You can probably turn off the alignment grid to get the functionality you want, but then you wouldn't have the grid. If I want to move a group like in your picture, I would select them all, hold shift, and drag them down. Holding shift causes them to only move in one direction.

[crazycliffy]

thanks for the suggestion, I'll use the shift and drag feature.  But at times, I really need precise control by moving a few pixels at a time with the keyboard.  With the mouse, you don't get that precision.  For example, if I want to make some front panel changes, I temporarily move the indicators exactly 13 pixels to the side, make some changes to some control I want to edit, and then move it back 13 pixels.  With the mouse, you can't do it that precisely.

[wildcatherder]

This is a particularly annoying "feature" for me, as well.  Many is the time I have my objects nicely aligned, then have them "scrambled" by a larger "nudge" using "Shift-Arrow", requiring individual repositioning of half the objects. The impression I got from the manuals I studied was that Shift-Arrow is just Arrow movement in larger increments.  If it is going to snap to the grid in Shift-Arrow mode, it would make more sense for it to just snap one arbitrary object to the grid and leave the relative positions of the grouped objects alone.  It does this with arrow movements, no problem.  I haven't reached that stage yet, but older users prefer keyboard for fine and medium placement of objects because a mouse is not as accurate; this is not a mouse problem but a muscle control problem.  Plus, it is just plain inconsistent.  I have never seen this type of "object scrambling" in other graphic-oriented software.

[Stephen_S.]

Hi wildcatherder,

On the front panel, you can group objects together by clicking on the circular arrows icon on the right of the toolbar and selecting Group. This will correct the problem that you are seeing so that the entire group moves together.

However, this does not work for the block diagram because the Group function does not work on the block diagram. I would suggest that you file a product suggestion for this, and I will do so as well, which will go to LabVIEW R&D.

Regards,

Stephen S.