Waveform Graph Properties Dialog Box

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LabVIEW 8.5 Help
August 2007

NI Part Number:
371361D-01

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Right-click a waveform graph and select Properties from the shortcut menu to display this dialog box.

Appearance

Use this tab to specify which elements of the object are visible.

Label Visible—Displays the owned label for the object and enables the Label Text text box so you can edit the label. You use the label to identify the object on the front panel and block diagram.
Label Text—Text to use for the label.
Caption Visible—Displays the caption for the object and enables the Caption Text text box so you can edit the caption. You use the caption to display a detailed description of the object on the front panel. This option is not available for constants.
Caption Text—Text to use for the caption. This option is not available for constants.
Enabled State—Sets whether the user can operate the object.
- Enabled—Enables the user to operate the object.
- Disabled—Displays the object in the front panel window, but the user cannot operate the object.
- Disabled & grayed—Displays and dims the object in the front panel window, and the user cannot operate the object.
Size—Sets the size of the object in pixels.
- Height—The height of the object in pixels. You cannot set the height of numeric controls.
- Width—The width of the object in pixels.
Show graph palette—Displays the graph palette.
Show plot legend—Displays the plot legend, which you can use to customize each plot, including plot style, line style and width, point style, and so on.
Auto size to plot names—Automatically resizes the plot legend to the width of the longest plot name visible in the legend.
Plots shown—Sets the number of plots to display in the plot legend.
Show x scroll bar—Displays the horizontal scroll bar.
Show scale legend—Displays the scale legend. You also can use the Scale Legend:Visible property to display a scale legend programmatically.
Show cursor legend—Displays the cursor legend, which you can use to customize each cursor, including cursor style, line style and width, point style, and so on.

Display Format

Use this tab to set the display format for numeric objects or outputs.

Apply to—Sets the component you want to configure.
Type—Type of the numeric object.
- Floating point—Displays the numeric object in floating-point notation.
- Scientific—Displays the numeric object in scientific notation. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 6E+1 in scientific, where E represents the power of 10 exponent.
- Automatic formatting—Displays the numeric object in the format that LabVIEW determines is appropriate for the data.
- SI notation—Displays the numeric object in System International (SI) notation, in which the unit of measurement appears after the value. For example, 6000 in floating-point notation equals 6k in SI notation.
- Hexadecimal—Displays the numeric object in base-16 format. Valid digits are 0 to F. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 3c in hexadecimal. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
- Octal—Displays the numeric object in base-8 format. Valid digits are 0 to 7. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 74 in octal. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
- Binary—Displays the numeric object in base-2 format. Valid digits are 0 and 1. For example, 60 in floating-point notation equals 111100 in binary. This option is not available if the representation of the numeric object is floating-point.
- Absolute time—Displays the numeric object in terms of time elapsed since 12:00 a.m., January 1, 1904, Universal Time. You only can set absolute time with the time stamp control.
- Relative time—Displays the numeric object in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds starting from zero. For example, 100 in floating-point notation equals 1:40 in relative time.
Digits—If Precision Type is Digits of precision, this field contains the number of digits to display after the decimal point. If Precision Type is Significant digits, this field contains the number of significant digits to display. This option is not available if Format is Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary. For single-precision, floating-point numbers, National Instruments recommends that you use values from 1 through 6 in this field if the Precision Type is Significant digits. For double-precision and extended-precision, floating-point numbers, National Instruments recommends that you use values from 1 through 13 in this field if the Precision Type is Significant digits.
Precision Type—Sets whether to display digits of precision or significant digits. Select Digits of precision if you want the Digits field to indicate the number of digits to display after the decimal point. Select Significant digits if you want the Digits field to indicate the number of significant digits to display. This option is not available if Format is Decimal, Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
Hide trailing zeros—Removes zeros at the end of the number. If the number has no fractional part, this option also removes the description part. This option is not available if Format is Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
Exponent in multiples of 3—Formats the number in engineering notation, where the exponent is always a multiple of three. This option is not available if Format is Floating Point, SI Notation, Hexadecimal, Octal, or Binary.
Use minimum field width—Pads any excess space to the left or right of the number with zeros or spaces to reach the minimum width you enter in Minimum field width.
Minimum field width—Width to which you want to pad the number.
Padding—Sets whether to pad with spaces on the left or right or to pad with zeros on the left.
Time Type—Sets the format of the time displayed in the control or indicator.
- Custom time format—Uses the format you configure in this dialog box.
- System time format—Uses the format of the operating system.
- Time unused—LabVIEW does not display time in the control or indicator.
Hour type—Sets whether to use a 12-hour clock with AM/PM notation or a 24-hour clock.
HH:MM or HH:MM:SS—Sets whether to display hours and minutes or hours, minutes, and seconds.
Digits—If you select HH:MM:SS, this field contains the number of digits to display after the decimal point in the seconds.
Date Type—Sets the format of the date displayed in the control or indicator.
- Custom date format—Uses the format you configure in this dialog box.
- System date format—Uses the format of the operating system.
- Date unused—LabVIEW does not display the date in the control or indicator.
Month/day/year—Sets the order in which to display the month, day, and year.
Year—Sets whether to display the year and whether to display it as 2 or 4 digits.
Format string—Format codes to use to format the number. This field appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Format Codes—Displays the format codes you can use in the Format string. Double-click a format code to insert it in the Format string. This field appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Insert into Format String—Inserts the selected format code into the Format string. This button appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Format Code Type—Sets the type of format codes to display in the Format Codes list. This pull-down menu appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Valid—Indicates whether the syntax of the Format string is valid. This LED appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Revert—If the syntax of the Format string is not valid, click this button to revert Format string to the last version with valid syntax. This button appears when you select Advanced editing mode.
Editing mode—Sets whether to edit the format and precision using the default view of the page or using format codes.

Plots

Use this tab to configure the appearance of plots on a graph or chart.

Plot—Sets the plot you want to configure.
Name—Name of the plot. You also can use the Plot Name property to name the plot programmatically.
Line Style—Line style of the plot. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Line Style property to set the line style programmatically.
Line Width—Line width of the plot. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Line Width property to set the width programmatically.
Point Style—Point style of the plot. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Point Style property to set the style programmatically.
Plot Interpolation—Interpolation of the plot. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Plot Interpolation property to specify the interpolation programmatically.
Line color—Color of the plot line. You also can use the Plot Color property to set the color programmatically.
Point/fill color—Color of the point and fills. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Fill/Point Color property to set the color programmatically.
Fill to—Sets the baseline of the fill. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs. You also can use the Fill To property to set the baseline programmatically.
Y-scale—Sets the y-scale to associate with the plot. This option is not available for digital waveform graphs.
X-scale—Sets the x-scale to associate with the plot.
Ignore waveform or dynamic attributes, including plot names—Configures the plot names in the plot legend so they do not adapt to the plot names in the dynamic or waveform data components. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to configure the plot names to automatically adapt to the dynamic or waveform data components. Place a checkmark in this checkbox if you want to enter a plot name in the Name field or change the plot name programmatically. This checkbox is available only for graphs and charts with dynamic or waveform data.

Scales

Use this tab to format scales and grids on graphs and charts.

Scale—Sets the scale you want to configure. You also can use the Active X Scale and Active Y Scale properties to set the scale to configure programmatically.
Name—Name of the scale.
Show scale label—Displays the scale label on the graph or chart.
Show scale—Displays the scale on the graph or chart.
Log—Maps the scale logarithmically. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to map the scale linearly.
Inverted—Reverses the positions of the minimum and maximum values on the scale.

Autoscale—Automatically adjusts the scale to reflect the data you wire to the graph or chart. You also can use the Scale Fit property to configure autoscaling programmatically.

, if you want the scale to display in milliseconds starting at a reference time, set Offset to the reference time and Multiplier to 0.001. If you change Offset, the scale no longer uses 0 as the origin of the plot. You also can use the Offset and Multiplier property to set the offset and multiplier programmatically.

Scale Style and Colors—Style of the marks on the scale.

Major tick—Color of the tick mark.

Minor tick—Color of the minor tick mark.

Marker text—Color of the scale marker text.

Grid Style and Colors—Style and colors of the grid. This option is not available for z-scales.

You also can use the Grid Colors property to change the grid color programmatically.

Major grid—Color of the major grid on the scale.

Minor grid—Color of the minor grid on the scale.

Y-Scale: Name—Name of the scale.

Show scale label—Displays the scale label on the graph or chart.

Show scale—Displays the scale on the graph or chart.

Log—Maps the scale logarithmically. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to map the scale linearly.

Inverted—Reverses the positions of the minimum and maximum values on the scale.

Autoscale—Automatically adjusts the scale to reflect the data you wire to the graph or chart. You also can use the Scale Fit property to configure autoscaling programmatically.

Scale Style—Style of the marks on the scale.

Major tick color—Color of the tick mark.

Minor tick color—Color of the minor tick mark.

Marker text color—Color of the scale marker text.

Grid Style and Colors—Style and colors of the grid. This option is not available for z-scales. You also can use the Grid Colors property to change the grid color programmatically.

Major grid color—Color of the major grid on the scale.

Minor grid color—Color of the minor grid on the scale.

Ignore waveform time stamp on x-axes—LabVIEW sets the beginning of the x-scale to 0 instead of the value specified by t0. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to include the time stamp information from the dynamic or waveform data in the x-scale. This checkbox is available only for graphs with dynamic or waveform data.

Cursors

Use this tab to add cursors to a graph and to configure the appearance of the cursors.

Cursor—Sets the cursor you want to configure. You also can use the Cursor property to set the cursor you want to configure programmatically.
Name—Name of the cursor. You also can use the Cursor Name property to set the name of the cursor programmatically.
Line style—Line style of the cursor. You also can use the Line Style property to set the line style of the cursor programmatically.
Line width—Line width of the cursor. You also can use the Line Width property to set the line width of the cursor programmatically.
Point Style—Point style of the cursor. You also can use the Cursor Point Style property to set the style of the cursor programmatically.
Cursor Style—Style of the cursor. You also can use the Cursor Style property to set the style of the cursor programmatically.
Cursor color—Color of the cursor. You also can use the Cursor Color property to set the color of the cursor programmatically.
Show name—Displays the cursor name on the graph. You also can use the Cursor Name Visible property to display the cursor name on the graph programmatically.
Allow dragging—Allows the user to drag the cursor on the graph.
Cursor lock—Sets how the cursor locks. You also can use the Cursor Mode property to set how the cursor locks programmatically.
Cursor plot—Plot with which to associate the cursor. You also can use the Cursor Plot property to associate the cursor with a plot programmatically.
Add—Adds a new cursor.
Remove—Removes the selected cursor.
Show cursor—Displays the cursor on the graph. You also can use the Visible property to display the cursor on the graph programmatically.

Documentation

Use this tab to describe the purpose of the object and to give users instructions for using the object.

Description—Contains a description of the object. Descriptions for controls, indicators, and constants appear in the Context Help window when you move the cursor over the object. You can enter a description for a VI or function located on the Functions palette but you can only view the description in this dialog box. The description will not appear in the Context Help window. You can format the text in the description to appear bold in the Context Help window. If you want to display a carriage return in the Context Help window, you must separate paragraphs with two carriage returns.
Tip strip—Brief description of the object to display when you move the cursor over an object while a VI runs.

Data Binding

Use this tab to bind front panel objects to network-published project items and to PSP data items on the network.

Data Binding Selection—Specifies the server you want to use to bind the object.
- Unbound—Specifies that the object is not bound to a network-published project item or to an NI Publish-Subscribe-Protocol (PSP) data item on the network.
- Shared Variable Engine (NI-PSP)—(Windows) Binds the object to a network-published project item or to a PSP data item on the network using the Shared Variable Engine.
- DataSocket—Binds the object to a data item on the network using the DataSocket Server, an OPC server, an FTP server, or a Web server. If you want to establish or save a URL for an object, create a shared variable rather than using front panel DataSocket data binding.

Access Type—Specifies the type of access LabVIEW sets for the object you are configuring. You can choose from the following options:

Read only—Specifies that the object reads data from a network-published project item or from a PSP data item on the network.

Note If you are using a network-published Shared Variable node that is configured to read data, you must run each Shared Variable node before the node subscribes and starts receiving buffered values.

Write only—Specifies that the object writes data to a network-published project item or to a PSP data item on the network.
Read/Write—Specifies that the object reads data from and writes to a network-published project item or a PSP data item on the network.

Path—Specifies the path to the shared variable or data item to which you want to bind the shared variable you are configuring. The path to a shared variable in the active project consists of the computer name as it appears in the project, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides and the shared variable name: computer\library\shared_variable. The path to a shared variable in a separate project or on a separate computer consists of the DNS name or IP address of the computer preceded by \\, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides and the shared variable name: \\computer\library\shared_variable. The path to a shared variable in another project consists of the computer name, the name of the library in which the shared variable resides, and the shared variable name: \\computer\library\shared_variable. The path to an NI-PSP data item consists of the computer name, the name of the process in which the data item resides, and the data item name: \\computer\process\data_item.
Browse—Displays a file dialog or the Select Source Item dialog box, from which you can browse to the shared variable or data item to bind the object to. The value you select in the Data Binding Selection field determines which dialog this button launches.