Tip strip that shows coordinates while moving (delta) and size when resizing is gone

[jstraub]

I have been using LabVIEW since version 3.  I used to use it full time, but now only part time off and on.

I have a Win XP Professional computer that runs LabVIEW 7Express, and I have a Win 7 Home Premium computer that runs Labview 2013.

I have always used and relied on the little pop-up (tip strip, balloon tips) that shows the coordinates when you move an object on the screen: delta 4, 19 for example; and shows the new size when resizing: 4, 19 by example.  It works my Win XP Professional LabVIEW 7Express machine but NOT on my Win 7 Home Premium LabVIEW 2013 machine (and I need it to work on this machine).

I figure there are 3 places to look:

1) LabVIEW, Tools, Options, Block Diagram: Show tip strips over terminals - "this is checked on both machines"

2) LabVIEW.ini - "I can find similar entries on both machines"

3) MS Windows handling of tip strips - "not sure about this, Win 7 Home Premium is not user friendly with this and the web sites that I found seem to point to keys in regedit that don't seem to be there"

Thanks ahead of time for any help!!!

[altenbach]

Inteersting. I've always seen seen that tip strip. I wonder if there is something wrong with your graphics driver. Try to see if there is an update.

I also assume that you don't have the windows maximised to the screen, because if you do, the strip is outside the visible screen area.

[jstraub · Accepted solution]

Never mind, I figured it out.

My Win 7 machine is dual boot.  On one SSD I have LabVIEW 2013, on the other I have LabVIEW 2012.  I looked at the 2012 side.  I noticed that there are 3 places that you can deal with tip strips under LabVIEW Options: Front Panel, Block Diagram AND UNDER Environment.  That was unchecked on my LabVIEW 2013 side.  I fixed it.

I think I may have unchecked all 3 places when I was trying to stop one of the most annoying things in LabVIEW.  When interacting with Case Structures and Stacked Sequence Structures, that awful pop-up (tip strip) would appear and cover the value of the Case Structures or Stacked Sequence Structures that I was interacting with blocking my view. 

[altenbach]

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jstraub wrote:

I think I may have unchecked all 3 places when I was trying to stop one of the most annoying things in LabVIEW.  When interacting with Case Structures and Stacked Sequence Structures, that awful pop-up (tip strip) would appear and cover the value of the Case Structures or Stacked Sequence Structures that I was interacting with blocking my view. 

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Can you elaborate on that? I've never experienced any problems as you describe (then again I also don't typcally use stacked sequences 😉 I use case structures, though...)

Here's how it looks in LabVIEW 2015. The tip strip never covers the selector label:

[James.M]

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@altenbach wrote:

Can you elaborate on that? I've never experienced any problems as you describe (then again I also don't typcally use stacked sequences 😉 I use case structures, though...)

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 I can get it to somewhat hover over the selector when I come in from the top and stop over the text. This is most annoying when I have an enum or string selection to read.

This is 2014, so maybe 2015 changed that little thing.

[RavensFan]

My guess is that your windows settings are set for large fonts or extra large fonts instead of normal size.

[jstraub]

The pics that James Morris shows is exactly what I was referring too (although my explaination wasn't that well written).  Ok, it doesn't completely cover up the selector, but it's fundamental annoying if you are coding for hours and hours.  It's telling me that I am pointing to a "selector label," which is kinda useless.  Also, I am a huge Mac guy.  I usually can't turn off 'balloon tips' fast enough if I'm forced to use a Windows machine.  Under Windows, in Explorer, when dealing with your files, those pop ups cover what I'm looking at and that has got to be one of the worse computer interface ideas that I've ever seen.

[altenbach]

If the current situation is not satisfactory, somebody should file a bug report so the tip strip can be moved a few pixels down.

[Ben]

Really the worst?

Ben

[tst]

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@jstraub wrote:

When interacting with Case Structures and Stacked Sequence Structures, that awful pop-up (tip strip) would appear and cover the value of the Case Structures or Stacked Sequence Structures that I was interacting with blocking my view. 

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I don't remember offhand whether I still have it or not (probably yes), but your post reminded me that quite a few years back LV's tip strips also annoyed me and I was very happy to find an INI key which disabled them. I most likely still have that key in my file - http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/53940E29491C083E86257103005CE144