Zoom block diagram

[Mannie]

Hi, 
how can I view all functions on my block diagram without panning or scrollong. I have to print-screen and I'd like it to show complete on one screen.
I want to zoom it out. How can I do it?
 
 
 
 
Best regards,
Mannie
 


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[tst]

Mannie wrote:
I have to print-screen and I'd like it to show complete on one screen.

Use the <a href="http://forums.lavag.org/downloads-file121.html" target="_blank">Code Capture Tool</a>. It's designed to do this. Just note that if you have large diagrams, it might consume a lot of RAM.
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Another alternative is to select the entire code and copy and paste it into Paint. In 8.x, you can do this using Ctrl+A.

[Dedal]

Zoom block diagram is a problem relative to big resolutions and big monitors. Zoom problem is a icon readability problem.
In fact, 22'', 1680 x 1050&nbsp; or even bigger resolutions and icons with sill size 32x32 &nbsp;pixels makes&nbsp; work let's say uncomfortable.
I dream about Ctrl+Shift+scroll possibility to CAD's zoom in and zoom out.
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If someone will makes bad diagrams, than lack of zoom will be no problem to make long and wide diagrams.
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[TobiasAlte]

"At the end, you don't have "zoom" function either in Visual Studio or Eclipse IDE.... <img src="../../i/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif" border="0" height="16" width="16">" True ... but isn't LabVIEW a "graphical programming" language/tool instead of text editor? The point that NI wants to enforce a certain programming style might be valid, but after all I think it is a pain in the a** to work without a zoom function in a graphical tool.NI should work on this issue for the next major release - hopefully they are! please!!! - and give the user the option to use it if he wants.Best regards,Toby

[JeffOverton]

I have to do a significant portion of my programming on a laptop with 1024x768 max resolution, and if I can do it, I bet you can find a way too :smileywink:

[Dedal]

Yes, but some of new laptops have very sharp resolution.
I still wonder about Shitf+Ctrl+scroll possibility to zoom diagram.

[Dennis Knutson]

What about using the built-in magnification tool in windows? Start&gt;Programs&gt;Accessories&gt;Accessability&gt;Magnifier.

[Dedal]

It's always separated window for viewing. It makes this metod usable for "rescue mission", not for continous works.

I wonder: is this real problem for implementing zoom? It is very difficult to understand this point of view when I look for some features at beta 8.6.
Let's say... fuzzy prioritets. Some solutions in 8.6 in my opinion sould be rather part of individual works than automated solutions.
Most important in my huble opinion is ergonomy of envoirnment.

[smercurio_fc]

Dedal wrote:IIt is very difficult to understand this point of view when I look for some features at beta 8.6. You are not allowed to discuss the beta of 8.6 in a public forum. This has been explicitly stated by the beta coordinators.

[Dedal]

Right. My foult.

[cheeto81]

i want to zoom out, not in

[Dedal]

Zoom out is realised by Nawigation Window (Ctrl+Shift+N) and it is indeed very good tool.
Sure, should be integrated.
So question to NI Men: is there any diagram editor or interpreter problem that makes zoom tool impossible task? Or rather definition LabVIEW environment as "non-CAD" environment?

[TobiasAlte]

The navigation window is indeed helpful but I consider it a work-around and not the best solution. I imagine the zoom to enable me to select large portions of a diagram and move them around without having to scroll for example. I am aware that implementing a zoom function would be no easy task to begin with - especially with the current display engine - but maybe that engine could change in general. Why make the display engine vector based? After all each and every "function" in LabVIEW is made of basic shapes that would be perfect to be vectorized. If the whole display engine is based on vectors than zooming in and out becomes easy to realize.More over, you will always have a fine and crisp display no matter what level of zoom you use. Not to mention that display speeds might even improve as the engine could take advantage of modern graphic cards for the display process. Dot get me wrong, I don't want anything to fancy but I absolutely positive that such a vector based engine would improve the whole LabVIEW user interface.

[tst]

TobiasAlte wrote:I imagine the zoom to enable me to select large portions of a diagram and move them around without having to scroll for example.

I can't check at the moment, but I believe the private methods do allow you to make selections, in which case, you could do the reverse of what the CCT (mentioned in reply #3) does. Personally, I think it would be too much work, because you would have to traverse the diagram to get the position of every object.
&nbsp;
In general, it's considered bad style to have large diagrams. The concept is that you encapsulate functionality into subVIs. That doesn't mean that there aren't cases where large diagrams are required, but they are generally frowned upon.





but maybe that engine could change in general. Why make the display engine vector based?

I'm not sure this is a small undertaking. I think most objects on the diagram are bitmapped and have
an exact size. I'm not sure how hard a transition that would be. That said, I seem to remember NI showing a demo at NIWeek of how system design in LabVIEW would work and that did look like what you want - it was smooth zooming from the system level to the component level.
That demo, however, was just that - a demo of how things&nbsp;might be. It's not going to come out soon and even if it does, it might not affect the LabVIEW diagram at all.

[dsavir]

Hi,
On the one hand, the idea is to encapsulate functionality in subvi's. On the other hand, to save memory (work with large datasets) they specifically tell you to minimize the amount of subvi's. So in a really big program, you cannot have too many subvi's and there is no zoom tool...
Danielle

[Britoa]

dsavir wrote:

Hi,
On the one hand, the idea is to encapsulate functionality in subvi's. On the other hand, to save memory (work with large datasets) they specifically tell you to minimize the amount of subvi's. So in a really big program, you cannot have too many subvi's and there is no zoom tool...
Danielle

NI has a decent number of tutorials and presentations about memory management.&nbsp; If this is the same as the one I saw, it will address your large dataset problems.&nbsp; The end point here is that if you have really large datasets, there are some things you can do to reduce the memory footprint dramatically while calling subVIs.&nbsp; <a href="http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/6831" target="_blank">http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/6831</a>
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[dsavir]

Hi,
Thanks Britoa for the link, I'll check it out, maybe I'll be able to solve some memory problems and clean up the code a bit...
Thanks again,
Danielle

[dsavir]

Hi,
While there are other ways to reduce memory use, all the explanations also advocate large block diagrams. So I stand by my original comment - they put us in a catch 22 with large block diagrams and no zoom.
However, I'll admit the navigation window helps some.
Thanks,
Danielle

[Dedal]

Indeed encapsulated data >>made At 12,1 inch display at 1280x800 icons are let's say...small.I've seen some laptops with larger resolutions and still no more than 15.4''.Diagram readibility is important. Display tendency is sharpest displays with this same size - no more than 15,4''. When it comes to 1600x1050 resolutions icons lose readibility.Conclusion/proposal is to integrate zoom,magnify possibility and Navigation Window.So once again question to NI-Men: any plans or hopes?Message Edited by Dedal on 05-24-2008 04:43 PM

[cheeto81]

<a href="../view_profile?user.id=34996" target="top" class="auth_text" style="font-weight: bold;"> Graziano</a>
, maybe you're response doesn't add any value to this discuission...if i say i am using the software, then i know what it is for, and it is abviously not a CAD tool like autocad.If the problem is not related to mouse buttons, then what is it related to? if it has to do with icon resolution when you zoom out, then just display the icon as a color, or a # for reference, or a black box.&nbsp; lets the user deal with the restrictions.&nbsp; at least give them the option.&nbsp; as someone else stated, labview is a visual program....people keep saying they THEY don't have a use for it...but i'm sure those people don't use labview for every purpose its intended to serve.&nbsp; I'VE never had needed to add a Facet Feature in Pro/E, but that doesn't mean it should be in the program.&nbsp; Apprently enough people have stated they have a use or need for it. I have still not seen a post in this thread that states any programming restrictions as to why there is no zoom feature (aside from icon display which there are multiple solutions for)....if there is another thread anyone is aware of please post...i tried searching and didn't find other results....Thanks

[Kevin Sevcik]

Since this thread isn't quite dead yet... I'll agree on the need for some sort of zoom functionality.&nbsp; I had to implement a pretty hairy coordinate transformation on an FPGA for a project and the block diagram was a complete rat's nest, but I didn't have a choice.&nbsp; The VI barely fit on the FPGA as I'd implemented it (changing a CONSTANT was enough that it wouldn't fit), so I'm certain breaking it into sub-vi's wouldn't have worked.&nbsp; A zoom feature would at least make things livable, though in that particular case, I think i'd prefer a labview equivalent of inline functions.&nbsp; As Danielle said, all of the labview memory optimization constantly harps on reducing sub-vi calls.Also, as to Visual studio not having a zoom feature...&nbsp; That's true, but it does have the ability to change font sizes, code outlining, quick and easy reference look ups, inline functions, and a host of other things that tend to make programming easy.&nbsp; While most of those features can't be directly translated to Labview, you'd think the spirit and reasoning behind them could be.&nbsp; Especially given that this zoom question comes up a rather lot.