I'm just starting to use LabVIEW and have only done a few small and relatively easy projects. My current project didn't seem that difficult either but I'm encountering some 'challenges'. In this project we have 40 test stations where we test composite items by putting them in some aggressive fluids, at a certain temperature and under a specific load and then wait till the test item breaks. I've made a quick GUI to demonstrate what needs to be measured, see attachment. We measure and log the load, temperature, displacement and a pressure values at each test station. If the test item breaks the load will change rapidly and the background of that test station needs to become red. If a test item breaks it will be replaced and the new test item will be tested in the same test station but with a different load and temperature. The challenge is that these test items do not break at the same time so we kind of need 40 individual log-files and also 40 individual start and stop controls to .... start and stop a test at a specific test station. My first 'challenge' is how to handle all the start and stop events from the GUI. I can make an event-structure and put all 'value change' events from the start and stop buttons in there but there must be a better solution for that as this becomes kind of messy. What I would want is just two event cases (one for the stop buttons and one for the start buttons) and where the result would be something like a index number of the test station were the button was pressed. What I've tried so far is to combine all controls and indicators from a single test station in a cluster so the number of controls and indicators is reduced and put the cluster in an array. The problem here is that in a cluster the combination of controls and indicators is not possible (right ?). There are some possibilities to use property nodes to change a value of a control but I'm not sure if this is the way to go. I also tried to do something with references and put these in an array in the beginning of the program but but this also seems to get messy. So I didn't really figure it out how to do this I hope somebody can point me in the right direction of how to handle this in a proper way. Oh, and sorry for the long text.

Use arrays, regardless if this is the final UI design. Even if you are using listboxes, subpanels, or other ways of presenting the data. You don't know when the size of your stations, or monitor resolution will change and now you need more or less columns or rows. Attached is a version that I think is close to what you want. Once a second it updates the values for 30 stations (as an array) and then displays them in 3 separate but duplicate arrays that show 10 stations each. Each is offset by 10 so the first array shows 1 through 10, the next 11 through 20. When there is a value change on any of the 3 arrays we find which index changed, and what button was pressed and show a dialog for the appropriate station. I left the index display visible on each of these three arrays to show but they can be hidden later. The only issue with this design is every element in an array must have the same properties. This means the same font in each control, the same color etc. The only thing that can change is the value. So in this case I put a color box behind all the controls and can change it's value from red to grey as needed.

LabVIEW

How to handle 40 of the same little GUI's

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Yes, the frequently quick response on these forums is one of the features that make them great. Remember, when you are getting out of work, where ever you may be, someone else who is a forum member, is getting up, half way around the world. I have had the same experience as you, posting a question, having my customer say "but its late in the afternoon, who will respond" and having an answer when I checked in before heading to bed.

Putnam
Certified LabVIEW Developer

Senior Test Engineer North Shore Technology, Inc.
Currently using LV 2012-LabVIEW 2018, RT8.5

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How to handle 40 of the same little GUI's

Re: How to handle 40 of the same little GUI's