Deployment utility is not removing absolute path

[Bill_Simmons]

I'm using the deployment utility in TestStand 3.5 to create an image.  When I run the imaged sequence file I get an error  because TestStand tries to load a vi that is already loaded.  This only seems to happen with VIs that have absolute paths defined in the original test sequence.  My understanding was that TestStand removed dependencies on absolute paths during the build.  Do I need to remove the absolute paths in the original sequence file before using the build function?

[RayFarmer]

Hi Bill,

The thing with the deployment tool, all the VI's that are called direct from your TestStand seuquences are placed in a folder. All the VI's that support the Top Level VI's call are placed in a LLB in the same folder as the top level VI's.

Therefore if you call one of these Support VI's direct from TestStand, then you will have two copies, one in the LLB and one in the main folder.

What you have to make sure is you never call a support VI direct.

Hope this is clear.

Regards

Ray Farmer

[Bill_Simmons]

Ray,

thanks for the information.  Unfortunately, my problem is not as you described.

My original sequence file uses an absolute path to a VI (say...p:\UUT_Control.vi).  When I build the image using the deployment tool, the sequnce file and VIs are copied to another drive (say...c:\image\test\UUT_Control.vi).  When I run the sequence file from the image folder, TesStand tries to load the VI from the absolute path (p:\UUT_Control.vi), but c:\image\test\UUT_Control.vi is already loaded, which causees an error.  It was my understanding that during the build process, TestStand removed all absolute path information form the sequence files.  It does not seem to be doing that. 

Any help with this would be appreciated.

[RayFarmer]

Hi Bill,

How has the VI got to the state where its already been loaded if its path is still p:\UUT_Control.vi.

There must be another location in your Sequencefile(s) that has loaded it from c:\image\test\UUT_Control.vi or another VI has loaded it.

As to your question about removing all absolute path information, I believe the deplayment tool tries to make a relative path to the current sequence file and if not will make it relative to the installation path.

I always try to make the VI's relative to start with, then when its deployed, it has a better chance of working with out having to manually changed the path setting.

Regards

Ray

[Bill_Simmons]

Ray,

the UUT_Control.vi is loaded from in another sequence step as you suggested (the first call to UUT_Control does not use an absolute path) .  I also found the following info in the users manual :

The TestStand Deployment Utility also performs processing on sequence

files in order to remove absolute paths. ....

The deployment utility corrects this potential problem by changing

absolute path references in sequence files to relative paths that initiate from

one of the following search directories:

• Current sequence file directory

• TestStand installation directory

•

Windows\System32 directory

•

Windows directory

If the target file is located outside of these directories, TestStand uses a path

that is relative to the installation directory and then adds the installation

directory to the list of default search paths during the installation.

My target file is outside the directories and I'm not creating an installation directory, just an image, so that is probably why TestStand is leaving the absolute path reference.

Thanks for the help

Bill