X-Control Display Icon (so an .xctl looks good in the Palettes)

[jgcode]

When you create an X-Control the icon that you see is the Library's icon (as the X-Control inherits (indirectly) from Library class)

Usually this is just a banner as your icon is used to "group" and identify Library Member VIs (just like any other Library)

However, in the Palettes and Help it shows up like this: 

Which is very uninformative (the main issue here is the Palettes) and not pretty.

If you were to go back to your X-Control Library and change the icon to a 32x32 image (e.g. something standard to represent the control) then this icon would propagate through your Library and mess-up/hide Member VI's icons!

Therefore, my idea is that, through the X-Control's Properties Dialog Box you should be able to associated the X-Control Library file with a custom icon.

Initially I thought linking to an external file (.ico or .png) would be good but now I think the above is nicer - storing it in the X-Control Library would be the best.

X-Controls are a special case because currently they are the only Library file that is can be added to the Palettes. 

X-Control Properties Dialog, General Settings Subpanel (Concept):

 

Library Icon would then populate all Member VIs and have the same behaviour as any other Library's icon.

Display Icon would be used when viewing the X-Control file visually e.g Help, Palettes etc... 

[tst]

Or maybe just use the icon of the facade VI?

[jgcode]

tst, that is a good idea - the only problem I can think of is that you would be forced to use the X-Control's Library's Banner (which may or may not be an issue for you).

So I would probably prefer full control, with a second 32x32 icon. 

[AristosQueue (NI)]

I like the idea.

As a workaround for now, you could create a VI which has nothing on its panel except the XControl, and put that VI in the palette as a merge VI (i.e., enabled the "Place VI Contents" option in the mnu file). The VI's icon would show in the palettes instead of the XControl's icon.

[jgcode]

AQ, good call. I like that idea for now.

Also, I wonder if it would help with this issue I am having too... (I will have to test it at work today).

[jgcode]

Thanks AQ, that worked as a workaround for the issue I am seeing 🙂

[TCPlomp]

Adding a second icon would also enhance the  visability of the XControl on the block diagram (select 'View as Icon' on the terminal)

[MFGC]

Good idea!

It would be very usefull for me. I would like to show the XControl library icon in the contextual help.

[Darren]

National Instruments will not be implementing this idea. There is no further feature development planned for XControls.