[Discuss] In-Window Popup

[LAVA 1.0 Content]

Name: In-Window Popup

Submitter: LAVA 1.0 Content

Submitted: 03 Jul 2009

Category: User Interface

LabVIEW Version: 8.2

Version: 1,0,2

License Type: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

Potentially make this available on the VI Package Network?: Undecided

The inspiration for this VI came from a popular web javascript image viewer that darkens the background and popups a box in the current browswer window. This is also a great concept for a user interface that forces the user's attention onto what you want them to see.

Summary & Features:

• Uses a tab control and a cluster with a constant, semi-transparent PNG image to display inline poup box
• Uses any type and number of controls you place in the tab control
• Dynamically sizes and recenters to fill up the front panel window
• Stops execution and removes popup from view when specified controls reaches a desired value
• Returns the values of all controls on the page being displayed

Planned Future Revisions

• Selectable color for overlay
• Popup effects

This is my first submission! Enjoy!

Instructions:

1. Put these two controls anywhere on the FP of the VI you will use them in. Both the tab control and the overlay are automatically sized to fit and centered within the FP window bounds.

2. Rename the controls to whatever you would like. The default names are "Popup" for the tab control and "Overlay" for the overlay cluster. Don't forget to hide the labels on these controls and to hide the tabs on tab control.

3. Add pages to the tab control and add your own controls inside each page. You can place as many as you need.

4. To use popup, call this VI. Wire in the references to the tab control and overlay cluster. Selectively show which tab you want the user to see with the "Tab to Show" string control. Use the controls on the tab control as normal.

5. You can handle control value changes either with a event structure or let this VI stop executing when a control reaches a certain value. For the latter, wire "Control to Wait For" cluster witht he reference of the control you are waiting for and the desired value. This VI uses an event structure with a 50ms timeout to wait for the control value change and then returns an array of all controls on the page specified in "Page to Show."

6. If you do not wire "Control to Wait For" cluster, you must use the "In-Window Popup Destroy.vi" to remove the popup.

Click here to download this file