Improve edit palette functions

[Yamaeda]

Creating a function palette i noticed how horrible the current system is, why can i not:

- R-click and activate scrollbars

- Resize palette window (i have to programatically change the .mnu file to change palette layout)

- Drag'n'drop functions

- R-click and sort functions (i have to programatically change the .mnu file to change palette layout)

- Insert rows

- Insert columns

- Reedit icons (although i use the new editor it gets flattened so if i want to change the icon afterwards it's an old style flat one)

- Get automatic/linked icons (e.g. say "Use icon from this .class file)

I'm sure there are more improvements to be done, but those are from the top of my head.

Basically it should be/work like a normal window and a normal array.

/Y

[GregSands]

There is already an equivalent idea (which is sadly under-supported): http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Better-Palette-Set-Editor/idi-p/943327

[PNR]

I support this idea since it is more detailed than the other one mentioned and I'm also bothered by the most problems that are described above.

@Yameada some of your ideas are already possible:

- You are able to insert columns/rows by right clicking the empty area and select 'insert column' or 'insert row'

- You can reorder your layout by drag-drop the icon you want to move.

There is no need to edit the palette outside of the palette-editor.

That is however in my current version (2011)

I would like to see an more advanced editor that provides functionalities similare to the JKI framework. I actually never understood why you could add a standard palette to your library, but there is no easy way to create one...

It would also be nice to add the editor to the 'Palette Editing' palette (There is only write/read/update).

[Yamaeda]

Yes, i can add rows and columns, but i cant remove them. If i manage to add an icon in the middle of a palette it's a mess to rearrange the rest. Doing so it's easy to get an empty row or column, which i cannot remove. :/ Generally it feels like a very special window and array when it should be a rather standard one. /Y

[Jannis]

With every new version of LV the same trouble editing the palette set to my liking. There goes the evening: Yes, I might be the only one preferring the palette in Tree-view and "Label All Icons". I'm better with texts than icons - we're past the Egyptian hieroglyphs, aren't we? But what I mostly need are the programming functions. And those need an extra drop out from Programming menu - in this view. To save me doing this drop out in 99% of all times I'm opening the palette I'm editing the function palette in every LV-version. I bring ALL of the programming functions to the top level. Now try this with the palette-editor 😞 The build in "Move" is just a joke - as mentioned above. There is absolutely no way to move a sub-palette up or down a level. So I have to check with "Display path to palette file..." the location of the programming functions and insert them manually on the top level as new Subpalette. Tedious job 12times! To top it off: Do a mistake and there is no way of deleting a subpalette from a level. I had some fun using the "Palette Editing VIs" to get the double entries out of my palettes :-} Another awkward thing in the function palette's tree view: opening the palette with right-click in the lower part of the computer screen will open the menu with the last couple of entries missing. e.g. "Select VI...". No down arrow available to scroll to the missing entries. All in all: After 3 years, the edit palette functions still need improvement!

[Mr._Jim]

I know this is an ancient post, but it's still worth contributing to...

My annoyances, to name a few:

• Pressing escape from the palette editor should prompt before discarding changes. Instead it proceeds in blissfully removing all changes instantly.
• There ought to be a way to save the changes in situ rather than having to save, reopen the editor, and then go back to the subpalette being edited prior to the save operation
• The editor ought to retain the last directory a VI was loaded from. (It doesn't. You have to go through the directories every time.)
• Other than selecting a directory of VIs, the "Insert VI(s)" context menu does not allow selection of multiple VIs from the same directory. You must add them one by one.
• Creating palette files for packed libraries is a wonderfully intuitive process.

[Yamaeda]

Thanks for commenting. As for @Jannis, you can actually make a small tool to move/change the palette, that's what i was doing when i got the idea. It's really a workaround that shouldn't be needed, though.

@Mr._Jim good points, though i'm pretty sure the answer will be "no new/changes to standard LV, it'll work better in NXG"

I don't know how things will work in NXG, but seeing how they're using XML a lot i can imaging each palette will have an XML file with a table of links, or something.

[matt.baker]

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@Mr._Jim Other than selecting a directory of VIs, the "Insert VI(s)" context menu does not allow selection of multiple VIs from the same directory. You must add them one by one.

This. So much this.

[matt.baker]

• Dragging sub palettes should move them like it does with functions already on the palette.
• Drag and drop of VIs already on the palette onto a sub palette should prompt for insertion into that sub palette.