Hiding the subpanel

[MartinG]

Hello. Since info-labview is down, I'll try this forum out.

The new subpanel control must be unique in the sense that it is not represented by a node on the block diagram. This has one funny consequence:

If you select "Hide control" and then delete the invoke node, there is virtually no trace of it at all. You could link a property node to it and make it visible that way, but you'd never be reminded that it's there. A potential source for hard-to-track bugs?

[Jim Kring]

The new subpanel control must be unique in the sense that it is not represented by a node on the block diagram.

Yes, this seems to be the only control that doesn't have a terminal on the block diagram. I can't understand why they didn't just do what they did for ActiveX Controls -- have the value of the subpanel be the Reference of the contained object, in this case the VI reference that is subpanelled. (of course you wouldn't be allowed to write the value, only read it, because the subpanelled VI is set with the "Subpanel VI" method). Now that I think of it, I don't think there is a way to find out the reference of the VI that is being subpanelled.

More food for thought: Decorations can't have explicit references, or property/invoke nodes on the diagram. Decorations can also be hidden on the front panel, travelling around in VIs undetected.

This has one funny consequence:

If you select "Hide control" and then delete the invoke node, there is virtually no trace of it at all. You could link a property node to it and make it visible that way, but you'd never be reminded that it's there. A potential source for hard-to-track bugs?

What we need is an UI that gives an inventory of the object on the front panel of a VI. You can use VI server to do this. Just get a reference to the VI and then get its 'Panel::All Objects" property.

Take a look at the Copy-Paste Boolean Attributes project at OpenG.org. It uses this technique to operate on FP controls.

http://www.openg.org/projects/project.cgi?ID=7

-Jim

[Michael Aivaliotis]

I guess a nice feature to have would be a "show hidden objects" switch available from the menu. Then the objects would appear in a different color to indicate that they are actually hidden (greyed out?).

[Rolf]

There is already one function to at least see hidden controls. Just use Edit->Set Tabbing Order. You can't interact in that mode with the hidden control but at least see that it exists.

Rolf Kalbermatter

[Michael Aivaliotis]

I think NI anticipated that subpanels should not be hidden from a right-click option because it is NOT there. They can be hidden via a property node though. I wonder if this is intentional...

It wouldn't be too hard to build a utility that would reveal all hidden subpanels if they exist. It would be nice to have a utility that would list all the hidden objects and then you could selectivly perform actions on them. Once an object has been selected from a list, you could run a subvi in your utility to reveal it (or do other stuff on it).

Here's some code to display a visible subpanel.

[MartinG]

I only have the evaluation pack, but it sure is there (Hide control under Advanced on the right-click menu).

For the next version, I'd like to see proper references to decorations as well. Having to index by order of appearance or search for properties is too cumbersome and unreliable.

[Michael Aivaliotis]

I only have the evaluation pack, but it sure is there (Hide control under Advanced on the right-click menu).

That's interesting, it's not in my full version... Anyone else to confirm this?

Since we're on the topic of hiding controls. I think I found a related bug that will cause other problems. You can create a strict-type control, save it, and then place it on the diagram. Now if you goto the diagram you can right-click on the strict-type control and select>advanced>hide control. You will see that the control cannot be hidden, it is still there but you cannot select it or right-click on it either. The image is there only...

[Jim Kring]

I only have the evaluation pack, but it sure is there (Hide control under Advanced on the right-click menu).

That's interesting, it's not in my full version... Anyone else to confirm this?

It's not is my Professional version either :wink:

Since we're on the topic of hiding controls. I think I found a related bug that will cause other problems. You can create a strict-type control, save it, and then place it on the diagram. Now if you goto the diagram you can right-click on the strict-type control and select>advanced>hide control. You will see that the control cannot be hidden, it is still there but you cannot select it or right-click on it either. The image is there only...

Too bad that you can't get a block diagram reference and unhide your objects like you did for hidden SubPanels :roll:

There I go again with the crazy talk!