LabVIEW APIs Discussions
How to apply changes from TypeDef
Hey - I have finally found a use for scripting!
Been lurking for years but everything I wanted to do via scripting was a one-off and would take less time to do it manually, than invent a script.
Now I have my first practical use of it.
I have several TYPEDEF'ed clusters, which all need to be the same size, for cosmetic reasons.
I have the attached procedure, which opens up each one, unscrolls the window, moves the cluster to a standard position, sets the window size, sets the cluster size, and saves the CTL file.
Some of these are STRICT typedefs (because I prefer them that way). Some MUST be non-strict, because I need to diddle them at run time (example: Disabling the CUSTOM RTD fields unless the user chooses CUSTOM RTD.
On the STRICT typedefs, this procedure works OK, except for question 1. It does all the things I ask, and the instances within the program automatically update.
On the NON-STRICT ones, it updates the CTL file as expected, but not the instances within the program.
QUESTION 1: Why is it that, if I shrink the STRICT TYPEDEF by say, 20 pixels vertically, the instances of it change their POSITION to increase their margin by 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom? In other words, the center of the new thing remains where it was, but BOTH the top and bottom move inwards?
I see that when doing it manually, so I guess it's not a script fault, but is there a way around it, or do I simply have to re-position all instances of it?
QUESTION 2: When I do this manually, I have to change the CTL file to STRICT, then APPLY CHANGES, then change it back to NON-STRICT and then save it. I don't see a way to set STRICT/NON-STRICT or to APPLY CHANGES, from the scripting tools.
Any advice?
Closing the control VI's window will apply changes.
OK, I added the attached code to basically duplicate what I do manually.
However, if I don't wait long enough after the CLOSE, the changes don't take effect.
In this case, waiting 50 mSec never works and waiting 100 mSec always works, but what does that depend on?
Likely it's the size of the CTL file, the number of instances, the speed of my machine, who knows what all else.
Is there a better way?
After you call FP.Close, call FP.Open again. The open won't happen until the close is fully committed.
That didn't work. The behavior didn't change. (see attached pic).
If I wait 100 mSec before step 22, all is well. If I don't, it just doesn't apply the changes. The CTL file itself is changed, but it doesn't get propagated.
If I single-step thru it, or even run with highlighting on, it works. But at full speed it fails.
This is LV2013, BTW.
For "State", use "Hidden" instead of "Standard" (use that on your first FP.Open call also so you don't get windows flickering).
Yes, that was just so that I could see that it's opening the window.
Ok... I have one last idea to try. Open your scripting VI. Open the VI Execution Properties and change the Preferred Execution System to "user interface", as shown in the picture. Run it without the time delay. Does that work? If it doesn't, I'm out of ideas.
