Tools Menu

Requires: Base Development System

The Tools menu contains items for configuring LabVIEW, your projects, and your VIs.

Note  Some menu items are available only on specific operating systems, with specific LabVIEW development systems, when an item in the Project Explorer window is selected, or when a VI is selected. Also, the source control operation items are not available on the Tools menu of a clone VI of a reentrant VI.

• Choose Environment Settings displays the Choose Environment Settings dialog box, which you can use to switch between LabVIEW environments if you have certain LabVIEW add-ons installed, such as the LabVIEW Robotics Module.
• (Windows) Measurement & Automation Explorer accesses Measurement & Automation Explorer, which you can use to configure the instruments and data acquisition hardware connected to your system.
• Instrumentation accesses tools for finding or creating instrument drivers.
  • (Windows, Linux) Find Instrument Drivers displays the NI Instrument Driver Finder, which you can use to search for and install LabVIEW Plug and Play instrument drivers.
  • Create Instrument Driver Project displays the Create New Instrument Driver Project wizard, which you can use to create a new instrument driver.
  • NI I/O Trace launches NI I/O Trace, which you can use to capture instrument I/O calls and their results while LabVIEW VIs run.
  • Advanced Development displays options for advanced development in LabVIEW using instrument drivers, including:
    • Show Driver Guidelines displays the Instrument Driver Guidelines from the Instrument Driver Network in a Web browser.
    • Other Resources displays Development Tools and Resources from the Instrument Driver Network in a Web browser.
  • Visit Instrument Driver Network launches the Instrument Driver Network in a browser.
• (MathScript RT Module) MathScript Window displays the LabVIEW MathScript Window, which you can use to edit and execute mathematical commands, create mathematical scripts, and view numerical and graphical representations of variables.
• Compare accesses the comparison functions. This item is available only with the Professional Development System. Compare includes the following items:
  • Compare VIs displays the Compare VIs dialog box, which you can use to compare two VIs.
  • Show Differences displays the Differences dialog box, which you can use to display the results of a VI comparison. This option is available only after you select two VIs to compare in the Compare VIs dialog box.
  • Compare VI Hierarchies displays the Compare VI Hierarchies dialog box, which you can use to compare two VI hierarchies.
• Merge accesses the merge functions. This item is available only with the Professional Development System.
  Merge includes the following items:
  • Merge VIs displays the Select VIs to Merge dialog box, which you can use to merge the changes of two VIs.
  • Merge LLBs displays the Select LLBs to Merge dialog box, which you can use to merge the changes of two LLBs.
• Profile accesses the profiling functions. Profile includes the following items:
  • Performance and Memory displays the Profile Performance and Memory window, which you can use to acquire and display data about the execution time and memory usage of VIs.
  • Show Buffer Allocations displays the Show Buffer Allocations window, which you can use to identify specific areas on the block diagram where LabVIEW allocates memory.
  • VI Metrics displays the VI Metrics window, which you can use to gain a rough measure of the complexity of the application.
  • Find Parallelizable Loops displays the Find Parallelizable Loops Results window, which you can use to analyze a VI for For Loops you can parallelize.
• (Windows) Security accesses security functions. Security includes the following items:
  • Login displays the NI Security Login dialog box, which you can use to login to LabVIEW.
  • Change Password displays the NI Security Change Password dialog box, which you can use to change the password for the current user in a domain.
  • Logout logs the current user out of LabVIEW.
  • Domain Account Manager accesses the Domain Account Manager, which you can use to create and destroy a local domain, export and import a local domain, enforce domain policies, and manage user and group accounts within domains locally or remotely.
• User Name displays a User Login dialog box you can use to set or change your LabVIEW user name.
• Build Application from VI displays the Build Application from VI dialog box, which you can use to create a new stand-alone build specification that adds the open VI under the Startup VIs tree on the Source Files page of the Application Properties dialog box. This item is available only with the Professional Development System or Application Builder.
• Source Control accesses the source control operations. This item is available only with the Professional Development System. Source Control includes the following items:
  • Get Latest Version copies the latest version of the selected file from source control to the local directory to synchronize the two versions. The latest version of the file in source control overwrites the version in the local directory.
  • Check In checks the selected file into source control. A new version with the changes you made replaces the previous version in source control.
  • Check Out checks out the selected file from source control.
  • Undo Check Out cancels a previous check-out operation and restores the contents of the selected file to the previous version. Any changes you made to the file are lost.
  • Add to Source Control adds the selected file to source control.

    Note  This operation is available after you save a file.

  • Remove from Source Control removes the selected file from source control.
  • Show History displays the source control history of the selected file.
  • Show Differences displays the differences between the local copy of the selected file and the version in source control.
  • Properties displays the source control properties for the selected file, including its check-out status and modification dates.
  • Refresh Status updates the source control status of the files in the LabVIEW project, or of the VI if you are working outside a LabVIEW project.
  • Run Source Control Client launches the file management client of the source control provider.
  • Configure Source Control displays the Source Control page of the Options dialog box, which you can use to configure source control for a third-party source control provider and set source control options in LabVIEW.
• VI Analyzer accesses tools from the LabVIEW VI Analyzer Toolkit. This option is available only if you install and activate the LabVIEW VI Analyzer Toolkit, or if the LabVIEW Data\VI Analyzer Tests directory contains tests.
• LLB Manager displays an LLB Manager window, which you can use to copy, rename, and delete files in VI libraries. You also can mark a VI as a top-level VI in a library. You cannot undo changes you make in the LLB Manager window.
• Import accesses functions to manipulate .NET and ActiveX objects, shared libraries, and Web services. Import includes the following items:
  • .NET Controls to Palette displays the Add .NET Controls to Palette dialog box, which adds .NET controls to the Controls palette for later use. By default, LabVIEW places .NET controls on the .NET & ActiveX palette.
  • ActiveX Controls to Palette displays the Add ActiveX Controls to Palette dialog box, which adds ActiveX controls to the Controls palette for later use. By default, LabVIEW places ActiveX controls on the .NET & ActiveX palette.
  • Shared Library displays the Import Shared Library wizard, which you can use to create wrapper VIs for shared library files.
  • Web Service displays the Import Web Service wizard, which you can use to import the methods in a Web service and create a library of VIs.
• Shared Variable accesses shared variable functions.
  • Register Computer displays the Register Remote Computer dialog box, which you can use to register a computer that is not on the local subnet. You can specify the computer name or the IP address of the computer. You then can bind a shared variable to the computer.
• Distributed System Manager displays the NI Distributed System Manager, which you can use to edit, create, and monitor shared variables outside of the project environment.
• Find VIs on Disk displays a Find VIs on Disk window you can use to search for a VI by filename in a directory.
• Prepare Example VIs for NI Example Finder displays the Prepare Example VIs for NI Example Finder dialog box, which you can use to prepare example VIs you create to appear in the NI Example Finder.
• Remote Panel Connection Manager monitors all client traffic to the server.
• Web Publishing Tool displays a Web Publishing Tool dialog box you can use to create HTML documents and embed VI front panel images.
• (Windows) Add-on Licensing Tool displays the Add-on Licensing Tool dialog box, which you can use to license toolkits that you create in LabVIEW. This menu item appears only if you install the Add-on Licensing Toolkit.
• (Windows) Find LabVIEW Add-ons launches the JKI VI Package Manager (VIPM) software if it is installed, which you can use to access LabVIEW add-ons and other code distributed on the LabVIEW Tools Network at ni.com/labview-tools-network. If the VIPM software is not installed, clicking this option launches the LabVIEW Tools Network.
• Control and Simulation accesses tools for PID and Fuzzy Logic VIs.
  • Fuzzy System Designer displays the Fuzzy System Designer dialog box, which you can use to design and test fuzzy systems.
• Advanced accesses advanced LabVIEW functions. Advanced includes the following items:
  • Mass Compile displays a Mass Compile dialog box, which you can use to compile or recompile a directory of VIs or an LLB. You also can use the Mass Compile method to load and compile all the VIs in a directory programmatically.
  • Clear Compiled Object Cache displays the Clear Compiled Object Cache dialog box, which you can use to clear compiled code from either the User object cache or the Application Builder object cache. You also can use the Clear Compiled Object Cache and Clear Application Builder Cache methods to clear all files stored in these object caches programmatically.
  • Edit Error Codes displays the Error Code Editor dialog box, which you can use to create or modify an error code text file.
  • Edit Palette Set displays the Edit Controls and Functions Palette Set dialog box, which you can use to edit a palette set.
  • Create or Edit Express VI displays the Create or Edit Express VI dialog box, which allows you to create, edit, rename, move, or validate an Express VI.
  • Export Strings allows you to export VI strings to localize a VI. You also can use the VI Strings:Export method to export the strings of a VI programmatically.
  • Import Strings allows you to import VI strings to localize a VI. You also can use the VI Strings:Import method to import the strings of a VI programmatically.
• Options displays an Options dialog box you can use to customize the LabVIEW environment and the appearance and behavior of LabVIEW applications.
• Datalogging and Supervisory Control accesses tools from the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module on systems that have the module installed.
• Real-Time accesses tools from the LabVIEW Real-Time Module on systems that have the module installed.
• IMAQ Vision accesses tools from the IMAQ Vision Module on systems that have the module installed.