Better/Faster access to data representation configuration when working with fixed point math

[gsussman]

When working with alot of fixed point math (think FPGA development), unless you are content to simply let LabVIEW decide what precision you want in your fixed point data types, it is extremely cumbersome to (right click->properties->Output Configuraton->Uncheck Adapt to source......, close window, move to next function and repeat and repeat and repeat. This is especially true if you end up needing to highly optimize your code.

It would be nice to have something like a floating window that could be opened that would display the output configuration data for the selected function or control and allow editing without the need for multiple mouse clicks. The window would automatically update with the configuration of whatever function or control was currently selected.

[Darren]

If you're changing the same property on all the FXP objects, you can highlight multiple objects on the panel, choose "Properties", and set them all at once.  Is that a suitable solution? Or does your primary use case involve making different settings on many different FXP objects?

-D

[gsussman]

I use the multi selection where possible but often times downstream functions need different settings than the upstream functions.

Along the same subject, it would be nice if a node that is configured for fixed point data would show the output format directly on the block diagram. The old high throughput math functions did a better job of this than the native functions in LV do now.

The little blue dot does not give enough info.

[Darren]

In that case, this idea could be more generalized.  I prototyped something a while back that was a floating window that would provide object-specific configuration information for the selected diagram object(s).  For example, if you had selected some FXP terminals, the window would look similar to what you have in your screenshot above.  If you then selected an "Array to Cluster" function on the diagram, it would switch to a display that let you configure the cluster size.  Another example would be to select one or more Build Array/Index Array/etc. functions and specify the number of input/output terminals they have.  This would basically be a solution to help in all those situations where you've got objects in your VI with either "hidden" configuration options, or options that require a bit of work to change (like your FXP example, or my example of growable functions with a large number of terminals).

-D

[gsussman]

I like the concept. Seems like a good balance between what I originally asked for and what would be good for the general populous.

[Dragis]

i like the idea. since the the fxp type is available on other labview platforms, not just fpga, it might help to move this idea to the more general labview idea exchange and see if it can get more visibility.

[Thoric]

I for one would certainly like to see a Generalised version of this idea, in the form described by Darren above. A dockable dashboard style window that updates to show the properties of whatever happens to be selected at the time, whether it be a numeric constant, front panel decoration, a collection of terminals/property nodes etc. Something for the LabVIEW ideas exchange?