Thanks for looking. I've included a few screenshots... one of the working toy example and one of the same code (i think ) that does not work in a flat sequence in my larger program. The function of this VI is to open an .lvm file, process it, and display the important data. Interestingly enough, I ran the program once with a bad .lvm file and the poperty node worked fine -- the graph read time [sec]. I am forced to conclude that somehow opening an .lvm file trumps redefining the property node, regardless of where the property node gets redefined.
thanks
Eamon