Copying a shortcut to built-in function to a different palette

[PaigeT]

I often find myself right-clicking the output of an array and looking for the "Empty Array?" function even though I know it lives in the Comparison Palette, not the Array Palette. Same with strings. I already know how to edit the palettes and add my own custom functions to relevant locations. What I haven't figured out is if it's possible to copy a built-in item to another palette. I'd like to make it so "Empty Array?" will show up in the Array Palette (and "Empty String?" will show up in the String Palette), but I don't want to remove it from the comparison palette - I'd like to see it in both places. 

Does anyone know if this is possible? It's kind of a minor thing, but I find myself doing it so often that I think my LabVIEW experience would be ever-so-slightly improved if I could do it. The reason it bothers me so much is that instead of right clicking on a string wire and going directly to String Palette>Empty String? in the shortcut menu, I have to click on a blank portion of the block diagram and navigate to the Comparison Palette - there's no shortcut for "All Palettes" when you right click on a wire, it only sends you to the specific palette for that data type (unless you are inserting something, which is a different issue - I usually don't want to insert an "Empty Array?" and break my wire because now I'm wiring a boolean output into a string indicator). And I make the same mistake every single time. And clearly I'm not going to learn my lesson, so I'd like to force LabVIEW to do it for me. 🙂 

[crossrulz]

I just use Quick Drop for items that you have mentioned.

[PaigeT]

I know about quick drop, but it isn't helpful here. I want to be able to right click on a string or array wire, navigate to the string or array palette, and select the corresponding "Empty?" comparator. In this case, since I do actually know where those functions live, and I'm already using my mouse to right click on the wire, typing ctrl-space to open quick drop and then typing in the function name is actually more work than navigating to it in the palette. It would just be nice to have it on hand in the location I naturally go to look for it the first time. 

[GovBob]

What about putting them in the Favorites Palette Category? Would that make you more productive?

[PaigeT]

No, the issue is not that I don't know where to find these items in the palettes. The favorites palette does not appear as a shortcut menu item when right-clicking on a string or array wire. 

Maybe I am not being clear with what I'm actually looking to do. Maybe the following image will help. 

I am not really looking for alternate solutions other than what I have asked. I am aware of all the various ways to navigate to the function I am looking for. I only want to know how to move or copy a built-in function from one palette to another. 

[AKA_TG · Accepted solution]

There might be a workaround to give you the functionality you are seeking

I will try to explain

Lets assume the add primitive.\

First wrap the add primitive with a vi and save it to a 'Snippets' subfolder of your User.lib folder

THen make sure each VI has its icon edited to hold a pic representation of the node you want to use so that it can be seen on the pallete.

In our case we copy the add primitive from the BD then paste it into paint. (You can copy paste to paint and then recopy into clipboard to get the bitmap image of the add primitive.) Place this into the VI Icon.

AFter the VI is ready you can insert it into the pallete

Go to  Tools Advanced Edit Pallete sets

Go to each position you want to populate with your wrapped function, insert it and then select 'use VI Contents'

Im pretty sure you will get what you want out of this, but it is a bit tedious to set up.

[PaigeT]

This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you! I did not know how to add VI contents to the palettes. 

[PaigeT]

Also, instead of copying the primitive and pasting it into paint and repasting it into the icon editor, you can just copy and paste it from the block diagram directly into the icon editor. 

[Hooovahh]

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@PaigeT wrote:

I know about quick drop, but it isn't helpful here. I want to be able to right click on a string or array wire, navigate to the string or array palette, and select the corresponding "Empty?" comparator. In this case, since I do actually know where those functions live, and I'm already using my mouse to right click on the wire, typing ctrl-space to open quick drop and then typing in the function name is actually more work than navigating to it in the palette. It would just be nice to have it on hand in the location I naturally go to look for it the first time. 

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I don't agree with this work flow.  Right hand on mouse, left hand on home keys.  Pressing CTRL + Space is done with the left hands, and then you could assign "ea" to "Empty Array" both of which is accessible with the left hand.  Darren posted a bunch of great shortcuts for the right handed developer.

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-20453

This is much faster than waiting for any right click menu navigation, even if it is found in the suggested subpalette.

[PaigeT]

OK, but it's still not what I was asking. I know how to use quick drop, I know how to set up quick drop shortcuts. I use them frequently. Having quick drop shortcuts is not going to stop me from right-clicking a string/array wire or output looking for the Empty String?/Empty Array? function. My problem is, as I mentioned, that I often look for those functions in the string or array palette even though I know they're not going to be there. You can do things however you want, I prefer to do it this way. 

And depending on when I have my palettes load, no, it's not necessarily faster than bringing up the right click menu.