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Hi!

Maybe this has been already requested elsewhere and I'm missing it....

but it would be useful to have a Wait (ms) with connectors for error in and out.

This can help keeping the BD clean...

Marco

18613iCF039EA34765F743

Typical question in development process: "How quickly does my code execute? What runs faster... Code A or Code B?" So, if you're like me, you throw in a quick sequence that looks like this:

 

TimingDuringDevelopment.png

 

AHHH! What a mess! It's so hard to fit it in, with FP real estate so packed these days!

 

We need this:

ProposedTimingDuringDevelopment.png

 Just like my other idea, and for simplicity's sake NI, I would be PERFECTLY happy even if you had to set up the probes during edit mode, and were not able to "probe" while running.

 

 As a bonus, this idea may be extrapolated into n timing probes, where you can find delta t between any two of the probes.

I spent a good chunk of time yesterday trying to find out why I was getting a Wires Under Objects VI Analyzer failure, and after much paring down of code and fiddling with wires it turned out to be a hidden event data node that was running over a wire.  Below is a simple reproducing example; the second image is identical to the first, except that the event node has been hidden (but not moved).  Both of the images below fail the Wires Under Objects test, and my argument is that the one on the right should not fail that test.

 

Event node visibleEvent node visibleEvent node hiddenEvent node hidden

The point of the feature "hide the event data node" is so that I, as a LabVIEW developer, no longer have to worry about it cluttering my block diagram and it running into/over other items.  However, hiding it ultimately results in me still worrying about where it is hidden because it running into/over other items still turns out to matter when I run static code analysis. From this POV, this is a bug, and the VI analyzer test shouldn't fail.

 

This POV is also consistent with the way that hiding for/while loop iteration terminals operates.  In the images below (again, the second image is identical to the first, where the iteration terminal has been hidden but not moved), ONLY the left image fails the same VI Analyzer test, and this is the behavior I'd like to see with the hidden event node:

 

While with node.pngWhile no node.png

This is not directly a LabVIEW idea, but it is still an idea that impacts many LabVIEW programmers.

 

To keep my distribution small, I distribute my installers without run-time engine and instruct the users to download and install the relevant run-time engine. I provide a link to the run-time download page.

 

Note that these users are NOT NI customers and not interested in any NI products. They are my customers (well, my programs are free) and are only interested getting my programs to work on their PC. They don't even care what was used to develop the program. There is no extra hardware involved. If they already use NI hardware, chances are they already have a profile.

 

My users don't need a NI profile and don't need the follow-up phone call or e-mail from NI, etc.

 

Typical phone exchange yesterday:

 

me: "just click my installer and install the program"

him: "OK, done."

me: "now run it."

him: "OK, ...... error about 2013 run-time engine".

me: "OK, install the run-time engine using the link I sent you in the same e-mail".

him: "clicking the link to go to the run time engine page....

        (..30 second discussion to decide between downloader and direct download...)"

him: "click..(wait for it!)... .it wants me to register..."

me: "OK, let's forget about that. come down to the lab and I will do it for you."

 

End result: more delays (it was late Friday and I was ready to leave), more work for me, more hassle.

 

While gazillions (:D) of registered users sounds good on paper for NI, these are false numbers because many profiles are one-time use and quickly forgotten.

 

I think downloading a run-time engine should NOT require a NI profile. Maybe it should still offer to log in or create a profile, but there should also be a bail-out option similar to "[] I don't want to register at this time, just download the run-time!".

 

 

Note that even better long term solutions have been proposed, but this idea could be implemented quickly and does not even need to involve any LabVIEW developers. 😄

Currently if you right click on a subVI from the block diagram and choose properties, it brings up the Object Properties dialog.  The only options you can change there are label options, which can easily be changed in the "Visible Items" submenu.  I can't think of one time when this has ever been what I wanted out of this action.  Instead, I think this action should open up the VI Properties Window for the VI.  

 

properties1.png

LabVIEW crashes randomly when network functions are used on Linux. This problem appears especially when many connections or files are open.

R&D has identified the issue but is evaluating wheter or not the issue will be resolved in future releases.

 

All the details are here : 

https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/TCP-Allow-files-descriptors-gt-1024/m-p/4297433#M1255356

 

An example is attached.

 

 

 

 

Download All

When a 1 Dimensional array of any type is showing only a single element, LabVIEW forces a horizontal scrollbar. I couldn't find any documentation or reasoning behind it. It's really annoying and ruins UI design that Vertical is the normal scrolling direction for just about everything else ever and LV messes that up for some seemingly arbitrary reason.

The size of the Close Reference VI makes it impossible to draw a proper block diagram.

d.png

 

It is too big!  It does not match with the Property Node vi.

 

Therefore I would propose: --> Make the Close Reference VI smaller!

 

My idea is to have LabVIEW cease and desist it's self-important modal behavior.  Not that I think LabVIEW is anything other than the most important application I run, but I don't think it should force its (many windows') way to the front of the line when I shift focus to a LabVIEW window.  I didn't find any other idea that matched this, but there is this discussion that covers the notion well.

 

An example case:  When chasing efficiency I frequently have Task Manager open to observe CPU usage when I change front panel controls.  I'll run the .vi and load Task Manager, but when I click on a front panel control ALL the LabVIEW windows come to the front and cover Task Manager:Modal.png

 

So, my suggestion is to have only the selected LabVIEW window come to the front.  I get the impression that Ctrl-Tab and Ctrl-e behavior are why LabVIEW controls its own window z-placement, but leaving their function out of it, my suggestion is just to change the modal behavior of LabVIEW windows.

See the picture below for an example of (what I consider to be) a frustrating "feature".

Why delete the elements? Keep the elements and the element style types as is, just convert my cluster to the new style type.

Arrays also do this, but since we tend to spend more time designing clusters, it's far more frustrating than arrays.

 

 

 

ClusterReplace.png

I would like the ability to probe the loop iteration terminal ("i" in For and While Loops) without the need to wire it to something (indicator, edge of structure,...).

It would be nice, if the different kind of LabVIEW windows would have slighty different icons within the windows taskbar. It would be easier to quickly identify BD / FP / project / Ctrl / etc. windows in the taskbar.

 

This suggestion has also been made at

http://www.labviewforum.de/unterschiedliche-Symbole-fuer-Frontpanel-und-Blockdiagramm-in-der-Taskleiste-t13546.html

Here you can find two suggestions for FP & BD-icons.

This drives me crazy...  I've noticed that if I have some code on my block diagram (or controls on my front panel) the scroll bars indicate that there is more stuff outside the view of the window that can't be seen.  It would be nice if the scroll bars only activated if there was actually code outside of the screen to be found.  Every time I see this, my OCD kicks in and makes me try to move my diagram to show the hidden code, only to realize that LabVIEW is just messing with me...

 

Of course an image is worth 1024 words..

 

gotcha.png

Currently in LabVIEW if you build an installer you end up with a hierarchy of files that look like this:

 

singlefile1.png

 

If you want to distribute this installer via the web, you need to use a third party program to zip it up, or create a self-extracting zip file.  Since LabVIEW can already create zip files with no problem, I propose the ability for LabVIEW to create a single file installer that can easily be distributed, like this:

 

singlefile2.png

 

This can be as easy as a checkbox in the current installer Advanced page:

 

singlefile3.png

Today, if we want a FOR loop with a fixed number of iterations, we need to wire a diagram constant to N. We could probably save a few clicks if we could click on N and type in an integer directly. It would also unclutter the diagram. This should of course only work if N is unwired.

 

Of course the N-Box would grow to the right to accomodate all digits

 

To later change the loop back to "normal", we would type N into the box or simply wire something numeric to N from the left.

 

As an example how it could look like, here's a simple cross product implementation (Yes, I know, LabVIEW already has a cross-product, so this is just to show the idea!)

 

Top: current implementation

Bottom: Same code after this proposed idea has been implemented

 

 

 

The default LabVIEW environment option should not show terminals as an icon. 

 

IconTerminals.png

Sometimes we have a need to do some mild synchronization between otherwise parallel tasks. Typically we would use a flat sequence (but there are also exceedingly fancy tools such as "Rendezvous"). Even a flat sequence is often overkill for the given situation: It is a 2D object with it's own diagram and input and output tunnels. We need to decide what should be inside and what should be outside.

 

I suggest to extend the idea to a 1D object: The "Synchronizer Bar". It is basically a flat sequence with zero frames, condensed to a single vertical line (Maybe we could even allow kinks in it???).

 

The function is very simple and immediately intuitive (as anything in LabVIEW should be!!) and can be described in a single sentence:

 

"No data can leave any of the tunnels until all tunnels in the structure have received data."

 

Ideally, we should be able to "free-hand draw" this structure interactively with the mouse and a tunnel will be automatically generated for each wire we cross.

 

Here is a dumb (but illustrative) example (ignore the code itself). That's how it could look like.

(At the moment I simply merged the edges of a flat sequence, but I am open for prettier suggestions ;))

 

ZFF.png

 

 

Overall, it should be closely related to the flat sequence and include certain right-click actions (e.g. Add frame before/after, which would expand it into a flat sequence).

All events have optional event terminals on the left. Signaling events also have e.g. a "discard?" terminal on the right.

 

Hovering over them with the mouse does not generate any relevant context help, and maybe it should. (well, there is a tip string that simply duplicates what is already written on the terminal giving boring redundant information).

 

I suggest that hovering over an event terminal with the context help open should first of all tell us how these terminals are called in general ("Event Data Node", according to the help, but who knows that???), but also give specific information about each terminal under the cursor.

 

For example:

  • if I hover over the "discard?" terminal, it could tell me that wiring a TRUE would ignore the event, etc.
  • if I hover over the "Ctlref" terminal, it could tell me that it outputs a control reference of the control that fired the event
  • if I hover over the "type" terminal, it could tell me a list of possible types and what they mean.
  • etc.

 

 

IDEA: I suggest to add relevant context help to all event data nodes. Thanks!

 

(Note that e.g. the "timed loop" terminal already have context help. This should be similar)

 

 

Same information as the '\' Codes Display but easier to read.

 

Tools like Word and Notepad++ allow you to view the hidden symbols in a string, it would be great if LabVIEW did as well.

 

Normal Style

Normal Style.png

 

'\' Code Style

Code Style.png

 

Symbol Style

Symbol Style.png

I wonder if newly created wire labels should inherit the wire color for better clarity. Labels on array wires (and other thick wire thingies, clusters, objects, etc) could go bold for the same reasons.

 

 

(Of course the programmer can later freely change these label text properties)