Explain this line width option please

[WNM]

For graph cursors the line width property:
"Specifies the width of the line used to display the active cursor. Valid values are 0-4, as shown on the shortcut menu of the plot legend and on the Cursors tab of the Properties dialog box ordered from top to bottom."

When I look at the widths available, the first one (#0) shows as a horizontal line with two short vertical ticks on it.

What does this mean?

How does it differ from #1 which does not have the vertical tick marks?

I don't see any difference in the appearance of the cursor when I switch between style #0 & style #1.

Is this documented anywhere?

[DavidBoyd]

I'm working from memory, and an incomplete understanding, so beware...

The line with the hash marks across it specifies a 'hairline'. This implies that the line will be rendered with the thinnest possible representation, regardless of the output device resolution. (Think of what happens when your LV front panel is rendered to a printer, which typically offers much higher resolution than your CRT device.) I believe the second choice (a thin line without the hash marks) will also be rendered as single-pixel width on your display, but 1/72nd of an inch (a standard printer's 'em'?), when you put real toner on real paper. (IOW, assuming you haven't specified output rescaling, a LV object that's 72 ticks in size prints out to an inch.)

Ah well. Hopefully someone from NI who REALLY understands the rendering process will chime in here.

Best regards,

Dave

[WNM]

Thanks Dave, that's good enough for me.

In the course of fooling around with this I decided it would be useful to define some Typdef'd text/pict ring controls that I could subsequently use as constants (or controls or indicators for that matter) to control the properties rather than the less descriptive decimal numbers that LabVIEW defaults to.

I've attached the set (as an LLB) in case anyone else might find it useful.

[Ben]

Great thread!

Ben

[WNM]

I've updated the attached file to correct an error in the "cursor style" controls.

[bienieck]

From LabVIEW upgrade note 321780A-0: "Setting Line Width for Graph Plots—With the Line Width option, you can make a line thicker than the default one pixel or change the line to a hairline width if your printer supports hairline printing."