How to install plug-ins that you download

[AristosQueue (NI)]

When you download one of the .llb files for a shortcut menu plug-in, the plug-in will note whether it is an "Edit-Time" or "Run-Time" plug-in (see image below).

If it is an edit-time plug-in, save the LLB here:

• <LabVIEW Data>\PopupMenus\edit time panel and diagram
  

• (WINDOWS) C:\Users\<username>\Documents\LabVIEW Data\PopupMenus\edit time panel and diagram
• (Mac & Linux) See LabVIEW documentation for location of your "LabVIEW Data" directory.
  

If it is an run-time plug-in, save the LLB here:

• <LabVIEW Data>\PopupMenus\run time diagram

• (WINDOWS) C:\Users\<username>\Documents\LabVIEW Data\PopupMenus\run time diagram
• (Mac & Linux) See LabVIEW documentation for location of your "LabVIEW Data" directory.

Plug-ins added to these directories become a part of all versions of LabVIEW from LabVIEW 2015 and later.

Restart LabVIEW for the new plug-in to become part of your editing environment. (This can be done programmatically without restarting LabVIEW using the Refresh Menus application property.)

If you want a plug-in to only appear for a specific version of LabVIEW, you can add it to

• <labview install directory>\resource\plugins\PopupMenus\<choose subdirectory>

To identify where to install a plug-in, look at its tag for either edit-time or run-time location. If a plug-in is untagged, you'll have to contact the author if it is not obvious. As a general rule, most right-click plugins are edit-time.

[X.]

More generally, the LabVIEW Data folder is defined in Tools>>Options>>Paths>>Default Data Directory

I am mentioning this because my Windows 7 install on a Mac (Parallels Desktop) doesn't have a folder like the one described in the notes above.

Instead, the LabVIEW Data folder turns out to be:

\\psf\Home\Documents\LabVIEW Data

Additionally, by default, it appears that none of the mentioned subfolders exist, so you have to create you own PopupMenus folder and corresponding subfolders

User beware.

[X.]

I am trying to fix the Find Events plugin which incorrectly returns events related to the tab control in which the control of interest is located and I am confronted with a locked password protected VI as part of the hierarchy. I don't believe this is a NI authored VI, but even if it were, I am questioning the implied guaranty of safety of a locked VI (let alone a password protected VI) as stated in the introductory statement reproduced below:

USE CAUTION WHEN DOWNLOADING PLUG-INS FROM UNKNOWN AUTHORS. As with any VIs you pull from the web, use caution. Take a moment to glance at the block diagrams of the code and make sure the plug-in does what it is advertised to do. The plug-ins uploaded by NI have been locked so that they can only be edited by NI employees to ensure contents are not replaced by malicious entities.

It is pretty straightforward to spoof a VI as locked by NI and release something that could wreck havoc in a host computer.

I am obviously not saying this is what the plugin I mention above is doing, but the notion that "it is locked by NI for safety purpose" is a big no-no. If you lock it, we cannot check it and therefore it could be hiding malicious code. Staring at a diagram does not allow testing the functionality of this VI. Ever heard about hidden objects and other tricks to obfuscate a diagram?

Openess is a prerequisite of safety (but not a guaranty).

I would urge NI to not only unlock their contributions, but also impose that any plugin published on this site be open source.

[X.]

Works as advertised and big time saver.

It would be a nice touch to call wire clean up at the end (although I managed to hang LV twice when trying that manually).

[carlos_camargo]

No doubt this works but maybe a mention that this method is what should be used for quick drop plugins?

http://labviewartisan.blogspot.com/2009/08/write-your-own-quick-drop-keyboard.html

Also the first comment in the comment thread here is relevant for quick-drop plugins

https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-14469

This was the first plug-in I've installed (I've really been wanting something like this for a long time), and your method didn't make it appear for me, though that is probably a lack of understanding on my part.  Oddly, the "Read This First" at the top of this Folder hierarchy, has instructions more like the first link I posted.  What is the disconnect about?

[Darren]

The instructions on this page pertain to adding custom right-click menu items to the LabVIEW editor in LabVIEW 2015 and later. This is a different editor enhancement system than custom Quick Drop Keyboard Shortcuts, which you can use in LabVIEW 2009 and later, and customize Ctrl-Key combinations while the Quick Drop window is open.

The community for custom right-click menu items is http://www.ni.com/lvmenus.

The community for custom Quick Drop keyboard shortcuts is http://www.ni.com/quickdrop.

[X.]

Would there be a way to have Shorcut Menu plugin items show up in a different color (or with some kind of glyph) in the menus, so that we remember that they might not be available with all LabVIEW installations?

[vishots.com]

What do you mean by: "might not be available"? Not installed, or not version compatible?

Colorful menus and glyphs ain't gonna happen.

But having the plugin simply not show up if it's not compatible would be nice.

[X.]

Both reasons.

Italics maybe? Or with names indicating there special nature (e.g. SC_Copy Data)?

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Michael: If the plug in isn't compatible, it already just doesn't show up.

I'm sure there is a way to do this, X, but I don't agree that it would be a good idea. Any sort of mark like that would call more attention to the items that are custom than to other items, and that kind of interferes with them being just one more item in the list.

[croohcifer]

As an interesting note, it appears that right-click menus don't work if you use a non-default <LabVIEW Data> directory.  I put my PopupMenus folder in "<Public Documents>\LabVIEW Data" and changed my INI file to point to this as the default data directory.  I also cleared my "C:\Users\<username>\Documents\LabVIEW Data" directory.  Other components in "<Public Documents>\LabVIEW Data" like quick drop plugins and templates work just fine, but none of my right click menus work.  If I cut and paste the PopupMenus folder back into "C:\Users\<username>\Documents\LabVIEW Data" WHILE my INI token still points to "<Public Documents>\LabVIEW Data" as my data directory, the right click menus work again, which leads me to think that the mechanism that looks for and loads these plugins does not look for a user-defined data directory.

Is this a bug or an intended behavior?  I'm using LV 2018 64-bit.

[parthabe]

Hi AQ,

I followed the installation instructions, but nothing happened when I selected the Rearrange Cases option, after copying that plugin from https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Shortcut-Menu-Plug-Ins/Rearrange-Cases-llb/tac-p/4014648#M379.

Plugin was placed here - C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2016\resource\plugins\PopupMenus\edit time panel and diagram\Rearrange Cases.llb

Mass-compiled

LabVIEW was closed & relaunched

Opened the VI containing my string CS, selected Rearrange Cases option - nothing happened

Am I missing something? Could you help fix this issue?

[wiebe@CARYA]

@parthabe

Posted a reply in the crosspost. Let's keep the conversation there, as it seems to be a "rearrange cases' problem for now.

[parthabe]

AQ >> When you download one of the .llb files for a shortcut menu plug-in, the plug-in will note whether it is an "Edit-Time" or "Run-Time" plug-in.

How to identify this notation?! 🤔

[AristosQueue (NI)]

Parthabe: I just added an image to the original post to answer your question.

[decarr]

I've downloaded the "STS Bundle RC.llb" plug-in into the following folder:

C:\Users\{me}\OneDrive - NI\Documents\LabVIEW Data\PopupMenus\edit time panel and diagram

Confirmed in Tools>>Options>>Paths my Default Data Directory is:

C:\Users\{me}\OneDrive - NI\Documents\LabVIEW Data

Yet the plug-in is not working. Any other things to check? I'm on LabVIEW 2019 (19.0f2 64-bit).

Thanks!

[wiebe@CARYA]

>Yet the plug-in is not working. Any other things to check? I'm on LabVIEW 2019 (19.0f2 64-bit).

Do they work when you put them in "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 20xx\resource\plugins\PopupMenus\edit time panel and diagram"?

Did you restart LV?

[d.w.b]

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@AristosQueue (NI) wrote:

If/When you review plug-ins, please use the Star rating using the guide described at the top of the community Read This First document.

Please clarify. I cannot find star rating (i.e. 1-5 stars), just kudoing ability.

[Darren]

The star ratings were removed in the latest ni.com redesign. I have removed mention of the star ratings from the document.