LV Bug? - Blink Background color only red after build

[j.masse]

It seems no matter what I choose for a Tools/Options/Environment/Blink Background color during debug (which works perfectly), the color will always revert back to the default of red after I build the application. I realize I can choose the colors but I would like to know why the blink color reverts back to red when the application is built. I am running LV2011 but I have noticed this in many of the previous versions as well. (I have tried changing the color from the project level as well as the debug level.)

[RavensFan]

Not a bug.

Blink color is an attribute set in the LabVIEW .ini file.  To transfer that to a build .exe, you need to add the color to the executable's .ini file

How to change color of blinking LED

[j.masse]

Thanks for the answer. Curious why the build process does not take care of this since it creates the .ini.

[smercurio_fc]

Why would the build process take care of this? It's really your responsibility to provide a modified app configuration file if one is needed. You can specify one in the build spec.

[j.masse]

To smercurio_fc - correct me if I am wrong but there are many things in the Tools\Options catagories that are built into the executable either directly or through the .ini file. It appears to me that the blinking colors are the only thing that doesn't make it into the build or the .ini file. Also, what is this 'build spec' that I may specify the color?

[j.masse · Accepted solution]

While I have found that adding the blinkFG and blinkBG to the .ini file helps, a special note must be added here. THE BLINKING COLORS MUST BE IN HEX FORM AND ALL 8 CHARS MUST BE PRESENT. For example:

// Edge of boolean = Yellow
blinkFG=00F8FF00
// Body of boolean = Violet
blinkBG=008000FF

Failure to do so will result in mostly black color.

[smercurio_fc]

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@j.masse wrote:

To smercurio_fc - correct me if I am wrong but there are many things in the Tools\Options catagories that are built into the executable either directly or through the .ini file. It appears to me that the blinking colors are the only thing that doesn't make it into the build or the .ini file.

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That would be incorrect. There are LOTS of things that are in the labview.ini file that are not in the application's default .ini file. Most (if not all) of the Tools->Options settings are saved in the labview.ini file.

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Also, what is this 'build spec' that I may specify the color?

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I was referring to the "Advanced" page where you can specify a custom .ini file to include. Please read the documentation on the application builder.

[altenbach]

The deeper philosophical question is of course why the blink color is a global program option and cannot be set "per boolean". Most likely this has historical reasons from very early LabVIEW.

The blinking property is a bit old fashioned anyway and can get obnoxious of over-used. I typically toggle booleans or even use a color LED in an independent loop if I really need flashing indicators.

[paul_a_cardinale]

This can be handy for controlling blinking.