preserving run time menus

[vxvxvxvxvx]

The problem is that applications do not preserve custom run time menus applied to graphs or controls once the executable is run on another machine, or an installation is built and installed on another machine. I have tried advice from this board about saving .rtm to alternate llb's, to the same destination/support, opening from within development vi and saving to the same path as development vi.

Surely the concept that you want to define a custom menu for a control and have your customer see this one when he installs is not a foreign concept within Labview. How can this be done?

[Jarrod_S.]

This is a known issue (CAR# 3T2E57V2) that is currently under investigation. The workaround is to save the custom run-time menus in the control itself, instead of to a separate file. When you edit the run-time menu, you have the option of where to save the menu. Menus built into a control will still work when run in a built executable, and you won't need to package any additional files for the control menus.

Another workaround that requires more work would be to code the run-time shortcut menus in the block diagram code itself. You can register for a Shortcut Menu Activation? event in an Event Structure for the control of interest. The event case for this event provides you with a Menu refnum that you can wire into the Menu VIs available in the User palette. You can use these VIs to configure run-time menus dynamically. Look for examples in the Example Finder.

Hope this helps.

[vxvxvxvxvx]

This app probably has 100+ controls, graphs etc on various tabs. There are 3-4 custom menus across this set of controls. is there a way to globally put these in the control??, otherwise you must edit each one which is a very painful process and typically other settings get screwed-up by labview in this process.

[Jarrod_S.]

Here's how the two workarounds would play out in this situation:


In the first workaround, you'd have to open the run-time menu editor for each control individually and choose to save the run-time menu to the control instead of the file. I don't think this is a very risky procedure, but it would be tedious. One thing to keep in mind is that in order to get the prompt to save the menu to the control or to a file, you'll need to make some small change to the menu. For instance, you could press the add button to add a temporary item and then the delete button to delete it. Then when you close the menu you'll see the option to save the menu to a control. I suppose this step is the only real risk in the process

In the second workaround, you'd have to create 3 or 4 new event structure cases, one for each of the different run-time menus you want to display. Then you'd have to register each separate event for all the controls that correspond to that particular menu. This seems a little more risky, because the new code might induce bugs into your system, or you might forget to register the event for a control, or register the wrong event for a control.

[vxvxvxvxvx]

Is there a timeline for fixing this issue?

Can I get on a notification list for when it is patched?

Thanks

[Jarrod_S.]

I don't have any information on what the timeline is for this specific bug, but it is under investigation. In general NI doesn't release information in advance about bug fixes because of the volatile nature of software development. But I have added this forum post to the notification list for the CAR listed above. When the issue is resolved, a message should be posted here. Make sure you are subscribed to responses to this post.

[LabVU_Dog]

Hello,

I think I am seeing the same issue, but since I am developing on XP and deploying onto Vista, I assumed that was the problem. My issue is with a table control; the custom RTM does not work when saved as an external file. It does work in the development environ and EXE on the development machine (XP in my case). After reading this I tried saving with the control. Now my app works on XP and when installed on a Vista machine.

I sent it by email to NI as a tech support issue, but if they regard it as an installation/EXE problem rather than a change in OS problem, my comment is redundant.

Hope this helps others.

Derek

[QFang]

I realize this is a thread resurrection, here is my justification:

So, I seem to have this issue as well. The posted work-around of making then undoing a small change in the RTM editor and choose to save the menu with the control instead of a file still works.

My reasons for resurrecting this thread is that I want to know if CAR 3T2E57V2 was ever closed at some point and this is a new issue that should be given a new CAR, OR if this is the same issue and it was just never resolved?

Thanks,

Q 

[JaymeW]

Hi Q,

This CAR is still open and has not yet been resolved.  Is the workaround provided sufficient for you?

[QFang]

yes it is, once i found it. must be a hard nut to crack 😉