large city-like vi

[Mic_Scale]

Hello,

I have gotten an already built vi by other people. The problem is that the VI is huge in its block diagram, not because it has too many functions but because there are unbelievably wide spaces not used inside structures such as cases and while loops. It's very frustrating to work like this, and rearranging it is a very hard work, thinking that all this time could be focused on actually working on the application.

Is there some way to tell Labview to minimize a vi as possible or at least something to make my work somewhat easier ?

Moreover, when I work in the block diagram and create objects from there, it places them on the front view, very far from the panel I'm working on. It's as if Labview has lost focus and limits, it places wherever it wants.

Is there a way to tell it to focus to a certain area on the front view and not being so messy ?

I appreciate your help.

[altenbach]

I feel your pain. Sometimes it seems that everybody else programs on a 4000x8000 dual monitor setup. 😉 I've seen diagrams here where you have to scroll three screens up just to switch to a different case of a case structure while editing.

There is no good way to "deflate" diagram that contain mostly hot air. If the diagram is well arranged, it is relatively easy to shrink structures manually, but if things are a mess it gets much more difficult.

Don't forget the navigation window, it will help you move around.

What is your LabVIEW version? The placement of created FP objects has been improved dramatically with LabVIEW 8.0. Quote from the new features:

"In LabVIEW 8.0, when you copy front panel controls from the block diagram and paste them onto the block diagram of a new VI, the front panel placement will differ from that of the original VI. The front panel objects will be placed in the upper left corner to avoid overlapping or appearing in a non-visible region."

(Similarly, it seems to also act more reasonable when creting FP objects from the diagram).

Message Edited by altenbach on 05-01-2006 12:46 AM

[tst]

If you're really desperate, you could try going to the LAVA forums and checking out the scripting board. You can use scripting to make the structures in your diagram size to fit their content, but actually writing a program which will "compact" your diagram is a lot of work and may not be worth it. Another option may be to use the Edit>>Create SubVI option. It takes a selected block of code and turns it into a subVI, which might help you. The code itself will stay the same size, but it will now be inside another VI, where you can't see it.

As for the placement of the new objects, I believe LV remembers the placement of the rightmost and the bottommost objects in your VI, even if they don't exist anymore. I would try copying the code for the entire VI and pasting it in an empty VI or using the Controls[] property to go through all the objects in the FP and see if there is an object in the bottom right area (maybe even a hidden one).