How to install a Quick Drop Keyboard Shortcut plugin

[Darren]

There are three locations from which LabVIEW loads Quick Drop Keyboard Shortcut plugins. Install your plugin to whichever location makes the most sense based on the criteria below.

Option 1: LVAddons folder

• Location: [Program Files]\NI\LVAddons\[plugin name]\[plugin version]\resource\dialog\QuickDrop\plugins
• Supported LabVIEW versions: LabVIEW 2025 Q1 and later
• Your plugin must install [Program Files]\NI\LVAddons\[plugin name]\[plugin version]\lvaddoninfo.json that contains the following contents: 
  { 
      "AddonName": "[plugin name]”, 
      "ApiVersion": "v[plugin version]", 
      "MinimumSupportedLVVersion": "[version in xx.y format, e.g. 25.1]" 
  }
• Plugins installed in LVAddons are accessible in any LabVIEW version equal to or newer than the MinimumSupportedLVVersion. 
• These plugins are available to any user logged in to the computer.
• The plugin VI(s) must have the 'Separate compiled code from source file' option CHECKED.
  

Option 2: LabVIEW 20xx folder

• Location: [LabVIEW 20xx]\resource\dialog\QuickDrop\plugins
• Supported LabVIEW versions: LabVIEW 2009 and later

• Plugins installed in [LabVIEW 20xx] are only accessible in that version of LabVIEW.
• These plugins are available to any user logged in to the computer.
• Save the plugin VI(s) in this LabVIEW version to improve load time performance of the plugin.

Option 3: LabVIEW Data folder

• Location: [LabVIEW Data]\Quick Drop Plugins
• Supported LabVIEW versions: LabVIEW 2010 and later

• You can use Tools > Options > Paths > Default Data Directory to find out where the LabVIEW Data folder is on your system.
• Plugins installed here are available in any LabVIEW installed on the system that is equal to or newer than the version used to save the plugin VI(s).
• These plugins are available only to the user account that contains the LabVIEW Data folder.

If you are using an installer or NI Package Manager (NIPM) to distribute your plugin with LabVIEW 2025 Q1 or later, NI recommends using Option 1. If you are using VIPM to distribute your plugin, NI recommends using Option 2. If you are manually installing a plugin and want to share it across different instances of LabVIEW, NI recommends using Option 3.

[Guillermo.O]

Hi Daren,

Do you know where are the shortcuts installed? I would like to automate the assignment of each shortcut to the correspondent plugin during the VIPM install. 

Thanks

[Guillermo.O]

Oh never mind,

If someone else is looking for this, check this KB:

Boost labview productivity with quick-drop 

[Guillermo.O]

The keys for each type of shorcuts are:

• QuickDropDiagramShortcuts
• QuickDropPanelShortcuts
• QuickDropKeyboardShortcutMappings