How do I open front panels as minimised windows in a built application?

[herbert.niesler@emsolutions.com.au]

I have a built application (LV2009) that has numerous vi front panels in it.  Most of them I want to be minimised when the application loads, with one of the front panels opening normally, i.e. visible to the user.  I don't want the other front panels cluttering up the screen, yet still have then available for perusal when the user needs to.

Have not been able to find a suitable setting in the VI setups or the app builder to achieve this.  Also searched this forum (my particular way!) and haven't seen any relevant postings.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[ian_fung]

Set Property: Front Panel Window:State

1. Open VI Reference (vi path = Current VI's Path)
2. Set Property Node: Front Panel Window:State to Minimized
3.  Close Reference

[herbert.niesler@emsolutions.com.au]

Hi Ian, thanks for the suggestion.  That means I will have to write a vi that executes after the application loads and it has a list of all the vi's with front panels that I want to minimise.  Seems do-able as long as I can be sure the vi does its work after all the vi front panels have loaded.  Maybe a time delay before getting into the nitty gritty work of shutting front panels, will do that.  Cheers.

[MikeS81]

Hi herbert,

how do you load all the vi's? Normally shouldn't be visible, except you have changed the vi settings to "open when called".

Mike

[ian_fung]

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herbert.niesler@emsolutions.com.au wrote:

Hi Ian, thanks for the suggestion.  That means I will have to write a vi that executes after the application loads and it has a list of all the vi's with front panels that I want to minimise.  Seems do-able as long as I can be sure the vi does its work after all the vi front panels have loaded.  Maybe a time delay before getting into the nitty gritty work of shutting front panels, will do that.  Cheers.

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Hi Herbert,

Assuming that you already know which are the VIs that will be loaded with FP, by placing and setting that Front Panel Window:State property in each of those VIs (as first portion of code to be executed; could be made into an sub-vi), those VIs shall minimize themselves at when loaded (and run).

Hope I am correct up to this point of time as for my existing projects, only one FP has to be minimized 😉

Cheers!

[herbert.niesler@emsolutions.com.au]

Hi Mike, I have not ticked the "open when called" option for the vi's that I want to have their front panel available after application load.  I have set them as startup vi's and also stopped them from running on application load by deselecting the "run when opened" option in the "Source File Settings" area of the projects build specifications.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Hi Ian, I think your idea is fine, except in my case I do not want the vi's running, so doing it as a separate vi that minimises the front panels seems the best option.  In my case there is one vi I want front and center and running when the application loads, but all the others (with front panels I require) should be minimised and not running.

I will have to see if it is possible to control the order in which the front panels load when the application starts up.  If you have any insights on this process, please let me know.

     Thanks for the suggestions.

[herbert.niesler@emsolutions.com.au]

Ok, I have implemented it and it works.  The front panels load and then get minimised and then I close the front panel of the minimiser vi.  The minimiser loads in the middle of all the other front panels that get loaded and it comes up with the execution arrow showing, but clearly doesn't start executing till all front panels are loaded.  So it all works nicely now and I don't end up with a cluttered screen, with the main vi buried in amongst a stack of front panels.

 Thanks for the suggestions.  They helped me figure out my options and possible solutions.