Are there missing properties when a type def is created?

[RobCole]

Here's the problem that I'm having...

LabVIEW 2011 on a Windows 7 computer.

I have a slider that I modified to not have a blocky pointer after increasing its size. I made it a type def since there is a multiple of these sliders on screen.

They have different maximums on the scales of the sliders.

I noticed that all of them have a maximum of 40. The scale goes higher, but the slider will not.

No problem, I thought. Until I right clicked and found that the Data Entry was not in the menu. I opened the properties and found no way to change was the maximum data was.

We confirmed this behavior on another computer.

I have included the type def and a front panel only program with the slider and one from the silver palette on it.

The one in this example can go past 40, but the question is - How can I set the maximum value and increment on this control? I can not change it even in the Type Def.

I can change the limits programmatically, but I shouldn't have to.

Is this a bug in LabVIEW?

Give it a try.

[ben64]

I can't open you vi (I'm using LV2009) but are you sure you created a Type Def and not a Strict Type Def? With a Strict Type Def you can't change the scale maximum value and don't have access to the data entry and display format menus.

Ben64

[RobCole]

Good thought, but, no. It is not a Strict Type Def.

Even with a Strict Type Def we should be able to change the range in the Type Def itself. But not with this one.

     Rob

[aeastet]

When I use your vi's and control I can change the reange with no problems

[RobCole]

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@aeastet wrote:

When I use your vi's and control I can change the reange with no problems

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I can always change the properties programatically. I want to change the properties from the front panel. Right click on the Type Def'ed control and try changing the maximum and minimum. The tab for setting the limits does not exist on the left control.

Rob

[SteveChandler]

I right clicked on the silver one and selected make-typedef. I then right clicked on it again and it has the data entry item. I disconnected the other one from it's typedef and still the data entry is not in the right click menu. It is strange - I cannot wait for the answer so I can learn something new. But maybe the control is somehow corrupted. Can you try to recreate the typedef? Just open it and change it to a simple numeric and save it. Then open it and replace the numeric with a slider again and set it up how you want it.

[RobCole]

I will attempt to reproduce the problem. Once we know how to do it, we can work out the why and how not to do it.

On the one I had that was locked to no more than 40 (no matter what the scale said), I was able to disconnect from the type def, change the scale and move the pointer full scale. I created a new type def for it and can still move the pointer full scale. I can not get to Data Entry from the right click menu though.

I will keep trying to reproduce.

     Rob

[RobCole]

So far, I found a few things out.

If you have a numeric (just number entry) with a type def that has an upper limit that is coerced, you can still get to the Data Entry tab by right clicking on the control. Not so for any "graphic" data entry (like tanks, sliders, knobs). The graphic controls have the Data Entry tab missing. I would think that the Data Entry tab should be consistent for all numerics.

I tried making a new type def by copying the control with the missing tabs, but LabVIEW does not like a type def that contains nothing but another type def. Although I'm pretty sure I managed to do this at one point - copying a type def from one project to another one. Maybe I'm just mis-remembering.

I will keep trying to reproduce it.

     Rob