LabVIEW Idea Exchange

In LabVIEW 2009, the programmatic API for shared variables and I/O variables was introduced. This allows you to reference a variable by name, rather than dropping a static node on the diagram.

Some of the benefits are: iterating over many variables with looping structures, creating modular code, and dynamically accessing variables based on names in a config file for example. 

Programmatic access to single-process shared variables would also be useful.

(Single-process variables are effectively global variables (not network published), but use the same static node as the shared variable and are contained in project libraries.) 

The problem: Free Labels may take too much space on BD to hold all information.

Idea 1: Allow Label to have help. With this simple change, the programmer puts the essential information in the label and the details in the help.

Idea 2: Create an option to current Free Labels or create a new kind of Free Label, that has a behavior which a hidden part of the information is shown, in a drop-down "flap", when the user hover over the Free Label. The label could have two fields, one for the permanent information always shown (current bahaviour), the other for the additional information that will be shown when the user hover over the Free Label.

When installing a new version of LabVIEW, I always find myself resetting all of the options I previously changed from the default settings in the Tools -> Options menu. This means I have to spend my time remembering what options I changed and where in the Options menu I need to change them. It would be nice if a newer installation of LabVIEW looked at the older version's Options settings and then applied those settings to the new installation.

The same idea applies to how I configure the palettes on the block diagram. It would be nice if newer installations looked at how I configure my palettes and then set them up the same way. 

With these changes transitioning to a newer version of LabVIEW might be even more seamless for users that change their settings from the default settings. 

Many users already talked about adding new controls and revamp the current ones. In this topic I will address many issues that I have about the Meter control. Even though I like it a lot, it would be nice if it has more flexibility to customize. Here some ideas:

1) Color ramp issues:

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  • Is asymmetric: there is a hidden color in the right most side, that can be only be seen when you change what you think is the last color (red). With the “Interpolate color” option off it is very hard to see and change it;

  • Has a limited fixed number of color steps to customize the ramp looks;

  • Cannot be customized in properties window;

  • Strange correlation between the modes on and off of the “Interpolate color” option:

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  • Enabling an option, the ramp could appear progressively follow the needle:

2) When resizing, it would be nice to be possible to change the control's aspect ratio making all internal elements proportionally follow the change.

3) The user could have an option to rotate it in 90 degrees steps, allowing four positions: normal (0 degrees), right (90 degrees), upside down (180 degrees), left (270 degrees):

(The numbers on the scale should be rotated and appropriate 3D shadows should be applied)

4) The needle course could have a parameter to determine the curvature. A positive number will give the current aspect, let's say convex. Zero will make the needle become a slider. The nice thing of this is that you can start with something looking as a Gauge (very convex), passing to a Meter (slightly convex), to end with a Slider (strait). I doubt that a concave look, with the needle pointing to the center will be useful because the idea is to make the reading as much clear as possible.

I'm Sorry I didn't made pictures to illustrate this case because I have no enough skills do it. I tried to be as clear as possible in the text. If anybody needs any additional information, please let me know.

 Since there is a lot of space we can have a save button which will save a click to save the vis. Another addition is to greyout the button when the save is done or an action is reverted back.

 With save button

With save button disabled.