Better clean up of labels on the block diagram

[BrandynMH]

I had a question about how LabView "cleans up" labels added to the block diagram. Is there any way to modify the settings that LabView uses to decide where to put labels? Perhaps like the controls for pixel spacing for wires and such?

More Detail:

When I have a bunch of wires in a close space I use labels to help me visualize where the data is moving. For example, if I have 10 or so voltage signals that all need some sort of computation I will use the label "voltage 1" and point the arrow of the label to any mathematical operation performed on voltage 1. This makes it very easy to see where a wire is going in the rat's nest of wires that often occurs when doing math with LabView.

Now, when I hit the cleanup button the label seems to intentionally go to the worst imaginable place. After cleanup, the rat's nest is more organized and I/O is in a logical place, but the label will be in the bottom right corner of the screen with an arrow stretching all the way to the top left and overlapping pretty much everything on the screen. Right next to the addition operation (the one I was using the label for) there will be a nice neat little blank space that would have been perfect for the label. Now I have to move that label and 27 others into these nice neat little blank spaces manually instead of LabView handling their cleanup with anything that could be described as logic.

[perhult]

I do not think it is possible to modifiy settings for the connected labels. Do you have a screen shot? I usually find that the labels will be in acceptable positions after cleaning up.

Another tip is to label the wires instead (right click on a wire, select Visible Items>Label). Since the label is directly connected to the wire it cannot get lost that much.

[BrandynMH]

Unfortunately I can't provide a screen shot at this time. Although I did not realize you can label wires. This actually helps a lot, and I can use this as a work around. Thank you.

[billko]

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@perhult wrote:

I do not think it is possible to modifiy settings for the connected labels. Do you have a screen shot? I usually find that the labels will be in acceptable positions after cleaning up.

Another tip is to label the wires instead (right click on a wire, select Visible Items>Label). Since the label is directly connected to the wire it cannot get lost that much.

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My memory fails me.  When were wire labels introduced?  LV 2009?

[perhult]

You were almost correct. Labview 2010 😃

https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Add-label-to-wires/idi-p/918140/page/2

I would have guessed 2011, so one off in the other direction 😃

[RavensFan]

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@BrandynMH wrote:

Unfortunately I can't provide a screen shot at this time. Although I did not realize you can label wires. This actually helps a lot, and I can use this as a work around. Thank you.

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What version of LV are you using?

I know in one version (don't remember which but I think it was at least a few back) cleanup was improved to keep free label comments close to the objects they were near rather than throwing them all off to the side.

[BrandynMH]

I have LabView 2010 but I will be upgrading to 2016 sometime this month. Do you know if this feature is in the newest version?

[RavensFan · Accepted solution]

Which feature?  Wire labels or better cleanup on diagrams with labels?  Either way, yes, 2016 still has any improvements that were made in earlier versions.

[billko]

I thought I'd never use the shrink space and array from element in 2015 - until I used them.  I am now so ultra-spoiled that I have a hard time using any version before that.  😉