Creating Controls and Indicators on the Block Diagram

You can create controls and indicators on the block diagram. Position inputs, or controls, on the left side of the VI, function, or Express VI on the block diagram. Position outputs, or indicators, on the right side.

If you display subVIs or Express VIs as expandable nodes, resize the node to view the terminals to make wiring easier. If you display subVIs or Express VIs as icons, display the terminals to make wiring easier.

Complete the following steps to create a control interactively on the block diagram.

  1. Right-click the input terminal of a VI, function, or Express VI on the block diagram.
  2. Select Create»Control from the shortcut menu to create a control of the correct data type. LabVIEW creates the control and wires it to the input terminal you right-clicked.

Complete the following steps to create an indicator interactively on the block diagram.

  1. Right-click the output terminal of a VI, function, or Express VI on the block diagram.
  2. Select Create»Indicator from the shortcut menu to create an indicator of the correct data type. LabVIEW creates the indicator and wires it to the output terminal you right-clicked.

Right-click a dynamic data type output terminal of an Express VI, VI, or function on the block diagram and select Create»Graph Indicator from the shortcut menu to display the data in a graph or select Create»Numeric Indicator from the shortcut menu to display the data in a numeric indicator.

Select File»VI Properties and select Editor Options from the Category pull-down menu to change the style of the control or indicator LabVIEW creates when you right-click a terminal and select Create»Control or Create»Indicator from the shortcut menu. Select Tools»Options and select Front Panel from the Category list to change the style of the control or indicator LabVIEW creates in new, blank VIs when you right-click a terminal and select Create»Control or Create»Indicator from the shortcut menu.