How do you open a vi programamtically?

[adrianT]

Hi

When the user presses a button, the vi should open. How do you do this?
Thank you.

[Jim_Kring]

You can use the "Open VI Reference" function, and then set the VI's "Front Panel Window::Open" attribute.

[waldemar.hersacher]

Hi adrian,

if the VI is a sub-VI then in the sub-VI go to VI Properties >> Window apperance. Here you can set attributes regarding to the window.

Waldemar

[ian_fung]

Help menu > Examples..> Advanced > Customizing Controls and VIs > VI Properties Exmaples

You will find useful information from the above path.

[EdDickens]

There are a couple ways to do this.

The first would be to set the VIs properties so the front panel opens when called (VI Properties>Window Appearance>Customize>Show Front Panel When Called) and Run When Opened (VI Properties>Execution>Run When Opened). Then place the VI in a Case Structure and have the button switch to the Case with the VI in it to open and run it.

The better way would be to use Invoke Nodes. Follow the steps below to set it up.

1. From the Functions palette, drop an "Open VI Reference" function from the "Application Control" menu.


2. On the "vi path" input, build a path the VI you want to open.


3. On the "VI Reference" output, right click and navigate the menu to "Create > Property > Front Panel Window > Open". C
   onnect the "VI Reference" output to the "Reference" input of the property node. Right click on the property node and select "Change All to Write". Create a True boolean constant on the FP.Open attribute.


4. On the "Duplicate VI Reference" output of the property node, right click and navigate the menu to "Create > Method > Run VI". Connect the VI Reference terminals. Here you'll have to make a decision. The "Wait Until Done" attribute will cause your main VI to stop executing until the called VI is closed. If you have LabVIEW 6.1 or 7, the "Auto Dispose Ref" attribute will automatically close the VI reference for you. Any other version and you'll need to drop a "Close Reference" function from the "Application Control" palette to clean up the reference.

Using the references is far more flexible since you can input any VI path and open any VI with the same bit of code. The first method would have to repeated for every VI that you need opened.

Ed