style guideline advice needed

[catsh16]

"Make the block diagram window no larger than the screen size. " 

... I understand the idea, but this is rarely practical in the VI's I am writing:

I am good at compressing my BD size with case structures, and keeping blocks close together. 

  but my main focus is always keeping the BD flowing left to right, parallel actions: Top to Bottom. 

I am currently working on a user interface for machine control,  it will have 5-6 tab pages each with a different set of controls and indicators, which equates to at least 60 I/O s that need to be on the interface.  I can integrate many of them into SubVi's but this is never practical to me when I know the sub-vi will have more than 6 Inputs or outputs(12 connections on the preffered VI connection diagram)

Any thoughts??

cheers,  Kevin

[GerdW]

Hi Kevin,

one way to reduce the number of inputs/outputs on subvis is to use clusters, either directly on frontpanel or bundling/unbundling them in the diagram.
This way your vi reduces to 6 parallel structures (= 6 tab pages), each having one (!?) subvi...

[NI David]

I haven't seen your code, but if you are using a case for each tab, you can also put the controls specific to a tab inside the case structure for that tab on the block diagram.  In other words, if "Boolean 6" is only used on the 6th tab, then you can put Boolean 6 inside the case for the 6th tab on the block diagram.  This way you don't have swarms of inputs into the entire structure while only using some in each case -- inputs would only appear in the case for which they are relevant.

Also, don't forget about the handy "Create SubVI" tool.  It's on the Edit menu of the block diagram -- simply drag a selection box around the applicable code and select Create SubVI.  It doesn't reduce your I/Os, but it will save you the trouble of having to form SubVIs, choose a connector, and specify all the connections manually.  It is also handy if your code primary block diagram is becoming bloated.

Hope that helps.

Message Edited by NI David on 06-28-2007 10:57 AM