minimize and restore error

[checkers18]

I have been using Labwindows CVI for about 6 months now. I started with version 7.1 and have installed the patch for 7.1.1. I originally used Windows 2000 and am now using Windows XP.

The same problem occurs on both operating systems. When I 'minimize' Labwindows and then 'restore' the window, Labwindows does not re-paint all of the screen. (window buttons are missing, the project tree is missing, etc.) To get it to paint correctly I have to 'Restore Down' and then 'Maximize'. It doesn't matter if I use the icons in the upper right corner of the window or the menu on the taskbar, the results are the same (as expected).

Am I the only one who has this trouble? Not likely, since I have experienced this with two different IBM laptop PCs and two different Windows operating systems. (a T-20 and an R32).

Can you fix this problem?

[checkers18]

Here is a .pdf of two screen shots for reference.

[bilalD]

We have had reports of this issue from other users, but we have not been able to reproduce this problem consistently in-house. If you can provide more information about the systems where this problem occurs, and the steps you take to reproduce this problem (what the state of CVI is before the problem occurs), that would definitely help us track this problem down.

Thanks for your help.

[checkers18]

I will do what I can, but I am not a Windows programmer.
I chose CVI because I can't stand MFC.

The reason that I posted this was so that NI could put some effort into the problem, as you said
"but we have not been able to reproduce this problem consistently in-house".
Well, if I could reproduce it consistently I know that you would have fixed it by now.

You just need to dig through the MFC crap and find out how to re-paint the screen on a complete set of Window's events. You are just missing one or two of them.

I could give you a list of other 'bugs' that I believe are worthy of fixing, but we'll just fix one at a time.

Don't you have any kind of SW quality control at NI?

For over $1000 per license, NI owes the user community 'bug free' software.

[cosmo]

Hey checkers,
I've seen the problem as well--it happens to me about 5% of the time when I am debugging, and checking variables, etc. Sometimes I get the CVI window title bar (with minimize buttons) but the menu and tool bars are white (no text). Sometimes the CVI source window is all white and sometimes I see my code. Regardless, I always see something like you showed in the PDF where the project and library trees are not drawn at all (and some other window shows thru). I also discovered the minimize/maximize trick to get it to redraw properly.

I certainly have my personal share of complaints about the CVI 7 IDE, and it is extremely frustrating when development software misbehaves because, well, it makes our job hard or impossible. But one thing that you will learn about working with NI is that once they reproduce the problem, they put 'boots' onto the problem to get it fixed. Every software and hardware has bugs, but it is the support follow-thru that makes me happy to work with NI.

The next time I see the problem, I'll make some notes and start a SR ticket. You should do the same, along with any others out there that see it.

Good luck,
Orlan

[checkers18]

Ok, What is an R ticket and how do I submit one?

This problem is a whole lok bigger than a 5% problem for me. I see it every 15 minutes. I've attached another 'display' example.

It is a wonder that this is the only application that behaves this way. I would have to think that NI owns a Windows development set and they probably pay for MS support.

Maybe it is time that they hired a third party expert windows developer to solve this problem.

[bilalD]

Hello

I understand this can be frustrating. But we do take bug reports very seriously and any additional information (what steps are needed to see this happen on your machine, video drivers and system specs, how often it happens )you can provide us about this occurs on your systems would really help us resolve this issue.

You can get in touch with our applications engineers using this link.

Thanks for your help

[checkers18]

Ok, I have a 100% repeatable situation on my laptop.

It is an IBM R32 with 756Meg of RAM and no other modifications.

1 Start up the Labwindows.CVI application.
2 Minimize the application window.
3 Maximize the application window.
result: It does not repaint correctly.

I may mention that the last time I closed the Labwindows/CVI application
I had a project open and the CVI window was moximized. It seems to remember
this state and restores it the next time I start up CVI.

It does not matter if I have just re-booted the laptop or not.

I hope you guys can duplicate this. I had the same trouble with an IBM t20 laptop.

[Ian.W]

I occasionally get this problem too, though less than 5% of the time. Here is a clue that might help:

When CVI was not re-drawing the full screen, I progressively closed the other apps that were running (Excel & IE). This left me with only CVI open (full screen), but with only the constrained source code window re-drawn. My app had been run in debug mode earlier, but execution was finished.

To get it to re-draw the display, I minimized CVI and it went down to a small bar *over* the left side of the task bar, just like CVI 6.0 used to(!). I then restored CVI and minimized it again, and it went down to the task bar only this time.

Hope this difference in minimizing behavior helps you figure it out.
--Ian

[checkers18]

Sure, that works as a 'temporary fix', but NI needs to find the root cause and fix that.