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How do I change the default color of free labels?

How do I change the default background color of the free labels? I would rather the color of the label be orange. A color that sticks out more than the default yellow. I know how to manually change the color for every label, but is there a way to change the default so it will always show up as orange on the Block Diagrams?
Message 1 of 14
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@Fuller wrote:
Is there a way to change the default so it will always show up as orange on the Block Diagrams?

This may not quite be what you want because I’m assuming you're talking about the free label in the Strings palette. You can get an orange label by adding a new free label item to a palette a couple of ways:

A) Get the OpenG toolkit from here. It has what is described below on one of its custom palettes and many other useful items; or

B) Make a new VI with nothing but a free label on its block diagram. Colour the background color of the label to what you want, set the font colour to what you want, etc etc.
- Give the VI a nice orange icon and save it with a name like OrangeLabel.vi to LabVIEW’s user.lib directory (Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW\user.lib)
- Go to the Functions palette and press the ‘Options’ button at the top right (useless it’s been moved).
- Choose ‘Edit Palettes’ on the Function Browser Options window that opens.
- Then left click on the User Libraries icon on the Functions palette and you’ll see OrangeLabel.vi’s icon.
- Right click on OrangeLabel.vi’s icon and select Merge VI from resulting popup menu (i.e. make sure there is a check mark beside it).
- Go to the ‘Edit Controls and Functions Palettes’ window which opened a couple of steps ago and click the ‘Save Changes’.

With the Merge VI option on, instead of the subVI itself being added, the subVI’s contents are merged into the user's diagram and front panel. Since OrangeLabel.vi’s contents are limited to a free label with the desired format, that’s what you’ll get when you drag it onto your VI.

A variation of the above in terms of placement on the palettes is given in the KnowledgeBase item How Can I Place the Block Diagram Code Snippets on a Palette?. Personally, I just like keeping my addons in user.lib
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Fading out. " ... J. Arthur Rank on gong."
Message 2 of 14
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Why going the hard way?

  • Place a Free Label on your block diagram
  • Open the Tools Palette from the View menu
  • Select the border and background color at the bottom of the Tools Palette
  • Click on your label

 

Message 3 of 14
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I'm not sure why such an ancient thread was resurrected, but he wasn't asking how to just change the color of a label. He wanted to know how to change the default so that when he put a new label on the diagram it would automatically be that color. The way you described will only change it for that label, Bart.
Message 4 of 14
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Oh... Right.
Message 5 of 14
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Did anyone find a solution to this? Changing the default - since the color of the free label is now the same as the functions the comments don't pop out.
Message 6 of 14
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Hi,

I've filed a product suggestion for this feature. You may do so as well on ni.com by choosing Contact NI and Give us Feedback. Also, have you tried the suggestion by Donald in reply 2? I think this may work out for you. Have a good day!
Amanda Howard
Americas Services and Support Recruiting Manager
National Instruments
Message 7 of 14
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No I have not. For me it is easier to have my set color tool (the paint brush) loaded with my color and use that than drill through and pick out a decoration - even if it were in my favorites. (shift + right click for tool palette is great by the way) Just let us have the ablity to set the default again.
Message 8 of 14
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No I have not. For me it is easier to have my set color tool (the paint brush) loaded with my color and use that than drill through and pick out a decoration - even if it were in my favorites. (shift + right click for tool palette is great by the way) Just let us have the ablity to set the default again.
Message 8 of 14
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Isn't it time to reanimate this request? Still not available in Lv 2011, AFAIK!

Message 10 of 14
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