Tips and Tricks to Speed LabVIEW Development
Useful Nuggets to Save You Time
ni.com/labviewzone
Background of Dan Shangraw, P.E.
• Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
from Western Michigan University
• Licensed Professional Engineer State of Michigan
• Certified LabVIEW Developer
• 10 Years of Experience Developing Custom LabVIEW applications
• Owner of Automated Software Technology LLC.
Automated Software Technology
• Licensed Engineering Company that develops custom
test, measurement, and control systems specializing in
LabVIEW software design.
• Specialize in short term project from a few hours to 1
month.
• Part of the National Instruments Alliance Program
• Located in Lansing, MI
Agenda
• 15 Tips and Tricks for NI LabVIEW Development
– Beginner: Simple tricks to save time
– Intermediate: LabVIEW tips you probably didn’t know about
– Advanced: Useful nuggets to put you ahead of the game
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1
15
Automatically Select the Right Tool
• Avoid manually switching among many tools
Operate Value Tool
Position/Size/Select Tool
Auto Tool
Edit Text Tool
Connect Wire Tool
5
2
15
Switch Terminal Wires Easily
Hold Down Ctrl
and Left-Click on Input Terminal
Note: This works only for functions with two inputs when both
inputs have already been wired.
Demo
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3
Easily Scroll Through Structures
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• You can use Ctrl + Mouse Scroll to scroll through:
–
–
–
–
Case Structures
Event Structures
Stacked Sequence Structures
Diagram Disable Structures
Ctrl + Mouse Scroll Wheel
7
4
15
Quickly Find the Right Palette
• Right-click on a block diagram object for a palette shortcut
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5
15
Easily Navigate Arrays
• Right-click on an array and select Visible Items >> Horizontal Scrollbar
• To view last element, select Advanced >> Show Last Element
• Both horizontal and vertical scrollbars available (depending on view)
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6
15
Removing Many Breakpoints
• Select Edit >> Remove Breakpoints from Hierarchy
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7
15
Easily Add Enumeration Items
• Press Ctrl while over Enum to use the Edit Text Tool
• Use Shift + Enter to repeatedly add items
Shift + Enter
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8
15
Quickly Open a VI Reference
(next to current file on disk)
• LabVIEW automatically searches in current directory
• Right-click on VI and select Call Setup to call it dynamically
Good
Better
Best
12
9
15
Automatically Create Control References
• Simply drag a control into a Control Refnum
• Automatically creates a class-specific, type-specific
reference
Demo
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10
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•
•
•
15
Drag and Drop to Save Time
Drag an image into your Front Panel icon
Select a file and drag into a path constant
Take a URL from Internet Explorer and drag into a string constant
Drag items from disk or Project Explorer into a LabVIEW block diagram
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11
15
Quickly Browse Properties and Methods
• View >> Class Browser
• Drag a property or method
directly into your VI
• Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + B
Demo
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15
Perform Advanced File I/O Tasks
• New File I/O VIs in LabVIEW 8.20
Recursive File List
Check If File or Folder Exists
Get File Extension
Compare Two Paths
Generate Temporary File Path
MD5 Checksum File
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13
15
Implement a For Loop Progress Bar
• Place Progress Bar VI inside for loop
• Opens automatically after a specified amount of time
• Download sample code from:
(http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=192115)
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14
15
Automatically Analyze Your VIs
• Tools >> VI Analyzer >> Analyze VIs
– Check performance, style, UI, documentation, and more
– Save VI Analyzer settings for later use
Demo
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15
15
Change the Windows File Dialog
(to contain recently used folders in LabVIEW)
• Add LabVIEW.ini token
“MRUFolders = TRUE”
• Maintain easy access to the
last 5 directories used in
LabVIEW
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Other Resources
• ni.com/info - Use info code “nugget” to download
presentation
• Weekly LabVIEW Nuggets (click here)
• LabVIEW Style Guide (click here)
• LAVA: Favorite Tips and Shortcuts
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Courses
Experienced User
Advanced User
LabVIEW Basics I
LabVIEW Intermediate I
LabVIEW Advanced I
LabVIEW Basics II
LabVIEW Intermediate II
New User
Skills learned:
• LabVIEW environment navigation
• Basics of application creation
using LabVIEW
• Basics of data acquisition and
instrument control
Skills learned:
• Modular application development
• Structured design and
development practices
• Interapplication communication
and connectivity techniques
Skills learned:
• Large application design
• Advanced development
techniques
• Multideveloper project
implementation
Certifications
Certified LV Associate
Developer Exam
Skills tested:
• LabVIEW environment knowledge
Certified LabVIEW
Developer Exam
Skills tested:
• LabVIEW application development
expertise
Certified LabVIEW
Architect Exam
Skills tested:
• LabVIEW application development
mastery
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Thank you for attending!