Function Panel Editor
This section describes how to create and modify instrument driver function panels using the Function Panel Editor.
To create a new function panel, you must invoke the Function Panel Editor.
The following items appear on the function panel:
- The Instrument Name and Function Panel Name appear in the title bar of the Function Panel window.
- The Function Panel Editor menu bar appears at the top of the screen above the function panel.
- If you have enabled the toolbar, the toolbar appears under the menu bar.
- The Function Name appears in the title bar of the function panel.
- The Function Name appears with an empty argument list in the generated code window, below the Function Panel Editor window.
- By default, grid lines are enabled for the Function Panel Editor. Use grid lines to align controls. If you want to disable grid lines, select Options»Grid Line Options.
- The context menu that appears depends on the surface you click.
Right-clicking a control displays a menu with the following options:
- Control Help—Opens the Help Editor window.
- Edit Control—Opens the Edit Control dialog box for the selected control.
- Change Control Type—Opens the Change Control Type dialog box.
- Customize Control—Opens the Customize Control dialog box, in which you can provide input selections for the control.
- Cut Control—Removes the selected control(s) from the function panel and places the control(s) on the clipboard. The contents of the clipboard stay in place when you change panels.
- Copy Control—Copies the selected control(s) and places the control(s) on the clipboard. The contents of the clipboard stay in place when you change panels.
Right-clicking the panel displays a menu with the following options:
- Function Help—Opens the Help Editor window.
- Edit Function—Opens the Edit Function Panel dialog box in which you can modify the function name and qualifier. You also can specify the function position, if you have multiple function panels, and whether or not to disable the function.
- Input—Creates an input control.
- Slide—Creates a slide control.
- Binary—Creates a binary control.
- Ring—Creates a ring control.
- Numeric—Creates a numeric control.
- Output—Creates an output control.
- Return Value—Creates a return value control.
- Global Variable—Creates a global variable control.
- Message—Creates a message control.
- Paste—Pastes the contents of the clipboard onto the function panel.