A way to view block diagram without LabVIEW installed?

[Relec]

This might have a very obvious answer, but it doesn't come to me. 

Our department uses LabVIEW and we all have licenses except our manager.  One of his biggest complaints is that he is unable to view our code because he would need to install LabVIEW.  If we converted to a text based language he would be able to view our code in any text editor of his choosing.  Now I know there is the print report option where you can print to an html file or rtf, but this is ugly especially if you are working with 1000+ vi projects.  Is there any viewer type program similar to say eDrawings by Solidworks, where someone can view, but not edit the LabVIEW block diagram?

Thanks.

Relec

[tyk007 · Accepted solution]

Basically - no. Perhaps one of LabVIEW's biggest down-sides is that the code can only be read in the visual form and thus with a proprietary IDE.

[MichaelBalzer]

I don't believe there is a stand-alone block diagram viewer available. There's a discussion here which covers the topic and possible alternatives.

How critical is your manager's need to view the block diagrams? A LabVIEW Base license isn't terribly expensive, and might be cheaper than the time spent in finding a suitable alternative, or the time spent trying to navigate html reports.

[Relec]

We use realtime and FPGA so an initial license is $15,000 Canadian or more and I imagine 3 to 5K a year to keep the license.  From his point of view that is way too expensive just to review our work.  I just thought I would ask as there is currently a push for our new projects to switch to C# and Python from LabVIEW.  The reasons for the move don't seem justified to me (compatibility issues, Having to install runtimes, expensive licenses, can't view the code, blah blah blah, you've heard it all before).  I'm pure LabVIEW and I have barely touched text based code in the past 10 years, other than fooling around or some debugging.  I was hoping there might be a viewer that I wasn't considering.  The .html report option is okay for simple things, but it can get ugly even for a well layed out state machine with dozens of cases. 

Thanks though.

Relec

[tyk007]

It would be interesting to know the architecture that provides both high-speed bandwidth and processing (FPGA) and deterministic operation (real-time) but instead using C# (still running on the CLR) and Python (interpreted language). I would have thought these technologies would not be able to provide any guarantees of those key elements, despite being useful for other applications in their own right.

[Blokk]

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@Relec wrote:

We use realtime and FPGA so an initial license is $15,000 Canadian or more and I imagine 3 to 5K a year to keep the license.  From his point of view that is way too expensive just to review our work.  I just thought I would ask as there is currently a push for our new projects to switch to C# and Python from LabVIEW.  The reasons for the move don't seem justified to me (compatibility issues, Having to install runtimes, expensive licenses, can't view the code, blah blah blah, you've heard it all before).  I'm pure LabVIEW and I have barely touched text based code in the past 10 years, other than fooling around or some debugging.  I was hoping there might be a viewer that I wasn't considering.  The .html report option is okay for simple things, but it can get ugly even for a well layed out state machine with dozens of cases. 

Thanks though.

Relec

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I do not know if this idea is a viable option for your work place and your manager, but why not keep an always running PC with LV at work with any kind of remote desktop enabled on it? I imagine your manager only needs to review some code in your repository time by time. Of course when the manager is logged in, this PC is not available for a programmer for development, but all the other times you have a free seat with licence. 

Benefit is that your manager can view (or even run) code from anywhere anytime, during travel, even using a smart phone or tablet...

[Yamaeda]

This should be able to compile into an Exe, to view diagrams.

Hmm, the snipped is bugged, the event is ofcourse View:Value change.

[Joannick]

Perhaps I am wrong here, but I don't think this can work on a computer where Labview is not installed.

[Yamaeda]

Good point, that won't work. You'll have to Print to paper or pdf, then.

/Y

[Clint1000]

Not a solution but a comment..I had asked this years ago also.  Another issue is I look in Discussions Forum before I post a question.  Sometime people have posted code to try.  I don't have labview at my desk but in the Lab across campus and can't view it.  Its great when they post a snippet.  Added benefit of the snippet is it forces me to look thru the pallets to find the functions I need to recreate the vi.