Appearance Page (Properties Dialog Box)

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Updated2025-07-30
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Use this page of the Properties dialog box to specify which elements of the object are visible.

This page includes the following components:

Note Some of the components in this list do not apply to all objects. Also, the following types of objects have components specific to their type: Structures, numeric display objects, slide objects, rotary objects, color box objects, Boolean objects, radio buttons, mixed checkbox objects, string objects, path objects, array objects, cluster objects, listbox, table, and tree objects, graph and chart objects, ring and enumerated type objects, panes, tab controls, subpanel controls, analog waveform objects, digital waveform objects, and the Feedback Node.


Option	Description
Label	Specifies the owned label for the object. You use the label to identify the object on the front panel and block diagram. Visible— Displays the owned label for the object and enables the Text text box so you can edit the label. Text— Text to use for the label.
Caption	Specifies the caption for the object. You use the caption to display a detailed description of the object on the front panel.This option is not available for constants or panes. Visible— Displays the caption for the object and enables the Text text box so you can edit the caption. Text— Determines the text to use for the caption.
Enabled State	Sets whether the user can operate the object. This option is not available for panes. You also can use the Disabled property programmatically to indicate if a control can be operated. This option is not available for panes. You also can use the Disabled property programmatically to indicate if a control can be operated. Enabled—The user can operate the object. Disabled—The object appears as normal on the front panel, but the user cannot operate the object. Disabled & grayed—The object appears dimmed on the front panel, and the user cannot operate the object.
Size	Sets the size of the object in pixels. This option is not available for panes and reference numbers. Height— Sets the height in pixels to which you want to resize all the selected objects. Width— Sets the width in pixels to which you want to resize all the selected objects.
Position	Sets the position of the object in terms of the left and top coordinates. Left— Sets the left coordinate of the object in pixels. Top— Sets the top coordinate of the object in pixels.
Structures	The following component is available for structures: Subdiagram label visible— Displays the subdiagram label for the structure.
Numeric Display Objects	The following components are available for numeric display objects: Show radix— Displays the radix for the object, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically.
Slide Objects	The following components are available for slide objects: Slider or Needle— Sets the slider or needle you want to configure. You also can use the Active Slider property to select the slider programmatically. Colors—Sets the colors for the selected slider. Slider— Foreground color of the selected slider or needle. You also can use the Slider Colors:FG Color Property property to change the foreground of the selected slider programmatically. Fill— Color to use to fill in the selected slider. You also can use the Fill Color property to specify the color programmatically. Fill style— Style to use to fill in the selected slider. You also can use the Fill Style property to specify the style programmatically. No Fill—Eliminates the fill. Fill to Minimum—Fills from the minimum value to the slider value. This is the default. Fill to Maximum—Fills from the slider value to the maximum value. Fill to Value Below—Available for slide objects with more than one slider. Fills from the slider you right-clicked to the slider below. If a slider does not exist below the slider you right-clicked, this option fills to the minimum value. Fill to Value Above—Available for slide objects with more than one slider. Fills from the slider you right-clicked to the slider above. If a slider does not exist above the slider you right-clicked, this option fills to the maximum value. Show digital display(s)— Displays the digital display of the object, which displays the numeric value of the object. Show radix— Displays the radix for the object, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically. Show value tip strip— Displays the value of the numeric control as you move the slider or needle. Use the Show Value Tip Strip property to disable value tip strips programmatically. Use the Show Value Tip Strip property to disable value tip strips programmatically. Add— Adds a new slider or needle. Delete— Deletes the selected slider or needle.
Rotary Objects	The following components are available for rotary objects, such as knobs, dials, gauges, and meters: Slider or Needle— Sets the slider or needle you want to configure. You also can use the Active Slider property to select the slider programmatically. Needle color— Foreground color of the selected slider or needle. You also can use the Slider Colors:FG Color Property property to change the foreground of the selected needle programmatically. Lock at minimum and maximum— Locks the knob or dial. Locking prevents the knob or dial from jumping from minimum to maximum or maximum to minimum values. Disabling this behavior might cause unintended jumps between values. This option is not available for meters or gauges. This option is not available for meters or gauges. Snap to mouse— Snaps the object to where you click the mouse. Show digital display(s)— Displays the digital display of the object, which displays the numeric value of the object. Show radix— Displays the radix for the object, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically. Show value tip strip— Displays the value of the numeric control as you move the slider or needle. Use the Show Value Tip Strip property to disable value tip strips programmatically. Use the Show Value Tip Strip property to disable value tip strips programmatically. Add— Adds a new slider or needle. Delete— Deletes the selected slider or needle.
Color Box Objects	The following component is available for color box objects: Allow transparent— Allows the user to select the transparent (T) box in the color picker. You also can use the Allow Transparent property to programmatically allow the user to select the transparent box.
Boolean Objects	The following components are available for Boolean objects: Colors—Sets the colors of the Boolean object in the TRUE and FALSE states. You also can use the Colors [4] property to set the colors of the Boolean object programmatically. On— Sets the color of the Boolean object in the TRUE state. Off— Sets the color of the Boolean object in the FALSE state. Show Boolean text— Displays text on the Boolean object to indicate the state of the object and enables the On text and Off text text boxes so you can edit the text for each state. Lock text in center— Displays the text that indicates the state in the center of the Boolean object. You also can use the Lock Boolean Text in Center property to lock the Boolean text programmatically in the center of the Boolean object. Multiple strings— Allows you to display text for each state of the object. Place a checkmark in this checkbox to display both the text in the Off text and the On text text boxes on the object. On text— Text to display on the object when its state is TRUE. Off text— Text to display on the object when its state is FALSE. Text color— Color of the text that indicates the state of the Boolean object.
Radio Buttons	The following components are available for radio buttons: Autosizing— Sets how to arrange the elements in the control. None—The elements appear in the object as you place them. Size to fit—The object resizes to fit its contents. Arrange horizontally—LabVIEW arranges the elements horizontally in the object. Arrange vertically—LabVIEW arranges the elements vertically in the object. Allow no selection— Gives users the option of selecting none or one of the Boolean controls in the radio buttons control. You also can use the Allow No Selection property to give users the option not to select any Boolean control in the radio buttons control programmatically.
Mixed Checkbox Objects	The following components are available for mixed checkbox objects: Show Text— Displays text on the object to indicate the state of the object and enables the Off text, On text, and Mixed text text boxes so you can edit the text for each state. Multiple strings— Allows you to display text for each state of the object. Place a checkmark in this checkbox to display both the text in the Off text and the On text text boxes on the object. Off text— Text to display on the object when its state is FALSE. On text— Text to display on the object when its state is TRUE. Mixed text— Text to display on the object when its state is MIXED. Text color— Color of the text that indicates the state of the object.
String Objects	The following components are available for string objects: Display Style— Sets how to display the string in the control or indicator. Normal—Displays all characters as typed. Backslash (\) Codes—Instructs LabVIEW to interpret characters that immediately follow a backslash (\) as a code for non-displayable characters. Password—Displays an asterisk () for each character you enter. Hexadecimal—Displays the hexadecimal value of the character instead of the character itself. Display Style Visible— Displays the current style of the string object. Limit to single line— Prevents the user from entering a carriage return in the control. Wrap at word breaks— Enables word wrapping. Remove the checkmark to disable word wrapping, wrapping at line breaks instead. You also can use the Enable Wrapping property to disable word wrapping programmatically. Update value while typing— Updates the value of the control as the user enters characters instead of waiting until the user presses the <Enter> key or otherwise ends text entry. Show vertical scroll bar— Displays the vertical scroll bar. You also can use the Visible Items:Vertical Scrollbar Visible property to display the vertical scroll bar programmatically Show horizontal scroll bar— Displays the horizontal scroll bar. You also can use the Visible Items:Horizontal Scrollbar Visible property to display the horizontal scroll bar programmatically. Size to text*— Resizes the control, indicator, or constant vertically to show all text. You also can use the Size to Text method to resize the control programmatically.
Path Objects	The following components are available for path objects: Scrollbar Visibility— Displays or hides the scrollbar. Path too long to fit— Specifies how to display a path that is too long to fit in the path object. LabVIEW applies this setting only if the scrollbar is hidden. Abbreviate path—Abbreviates the path with an ellipsis (…) to ensure that the beginning and end of the path are visible. Clip path—Displays as much of the path as can fit in the path object. Show browse button— Displays a browse button that allows you to navigate to a path in a file dialog box. You also can use the Browse Button:Visible property to display the browse button programmatically. Size to text— Resizes the control, indicator, or constant vertically to show all text. You also can use the Size to Text method to resize the control programmatically.
Array Objects	The following components are available for array objects: Show index display— Displays the index display for the object, which you use to navigate elements in the object. Show vertical scroll bar— Displays the vertical scroll bar. You also can use the Vertical Scrollbar Visible property to display the vertical scroll bar programmatically. Show horizontal scroll bar— Displays the horizontal scroll bar. You also can use the Horizontal Scrollbar Visible property to display the horizontal scroll bar programmatically.
Cluster Objects	The following component is available for cluster objects: Autosizing— Sets how to arrange the elements in the control. None—The elements appear in the object as you place them. Size to fit—The object resizes to fit its contents. Arrange horizontally—LabVIEW arranges the elements horizontally in the object. Arrange vertically—LabVIEW arranges the elements vertically in the object.
Listbox, Table, and Tree Objects	The following components are available for listbox, table, and tree objects: Rows— Number of rows to display. If you set this option to 0, LabVIEW displays the topmost row. You also can use the Number of Rows property to set the number of rows programmatically. Columns— Number of columns to display. If you set this option to 0, LabVIEW displays the leftmost column. You also can use the Number of Columns property to set the number of columns programmatically. Show vertical scroll bar— Displays the vertical scroll bar. You also can use the Visible Items:Vertical Scrollbar Visible property to display the vertical scroll bar programmatically. Show horizontal scroll bar— Displays the horizontal scroll bar. Displays the horizontal scroll bar. You also can use the Visible Items:Horizontal Scrollbar Visible property to display the horizontal scroll bar programmatically. Show column headers— Displays the column headers. You also can use the Visible Items:Column Header Visible property to display the column headers programmatically. Show row headers— Displays the row headers. You also can use the Visible Items:Row Headers Visible property to display the row headers programmatically. Show vertical lines— Displays the vertical lines that separate columns. You also can use the Visible Items:Vertical Lines Visible property to display the vertical lines programmatically. Show horizontal lines— Displays the horizontal lines that separate rows. You also can use the Visible Items:Horizontal Lines Visible property to display the horizontal lines programmatically. Show symbols— Allows you to display symbols next to items in a listbox, table, or tree object. If you select this item in a listbox, the listbox adds an extra column to the left side of the list for symbols. By default, items do not include symbols. You can add symbols by using the shortcut menu or a Property Node. You also can use the Visible Items:Symbols Visible property to display symbols programmatically. Show index display— Displays the index display for the object, which you use to navigate elements in the object. You also can use the Visible Items:Index Visible property to display the index display programmatically.
Graph and Chart Objects	The following components are available for graph and chart objects: 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. Update mode— Update mode of the chart. You also can use the Update Mode property to change the update mode of a chart programmatically. Strip Chart—Shows running data continuously scrolling from left to right across the chart with old data on the left and new data on the right. A strip chart is similar to a paper tape strip chart recorder. Scope Chart—Shows one item of data, such as a pulse or wave, scrolling partway across the chart from left to right. For each new value, the chart plots the value to the right of the last value. When the plot reaches the right border of the plotting area, LabVIEW erases the plot and begins plotting again from the left border. The retracing display of a scope chart is similar to an oscilloscope. Sweep Chart—Works similarly to a scope chart except it shows the old data on the right and the new data on the left separated by a vertical line. LabVIEW does not erase the plot in a sweep chart when the plot reaches the right border of the plotting area. A sweep chart is similar to an EKG display. Stack plots— Displays multiple plots on the chart by using multiple vertical scales. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to overlay the plots and display multiple plots on the chart by using a single vertical scale. Show digital display(s)— Displays the digital display of the chart, which displays the numeric value of the chart. You also can use the Digital Display(s) Visible property to programmatically set whether the digital displays for the chart are visible. Show optional plane— Displays a Nyquist plane, Nichols plane, S plane, or Z plane on an XY graph. You also can use the Optional Plane:Plane Type property to display a plane programmatically. You also can use the Optional Plane:Plane Type property to display a plane programmatically. Cartesian lines— Shows or hides the Cartesian plane lines. You also can use the Cartesian Lines:Visible property to show or hide the Cartesian plane lines programmatically. You also can use the Cartesian Lines:Visible property to show or hide the Cartesian plane lines programmatically. Optional plane labels— Shows or hides the labels of the Nyquist plane, Nichols plane, S plane, or Z plane. You also can use the Optional Plane:Labels Visible property to show or hide the plane labels programmatically. Plane lines must be visible to show optional plane labels. You also can use the Optional Plane:Labels Visible property to show or hide the plane labels programmatically. Optional plane lines— Shows or hides the lines of the Nyquist plane, Nichols plane, S plane, or Z plane. You also can use the Optional Plane Lines Visible property to show or hide the plane lines programmatically. You also can use the Optional Plane:Lines Visible property to show or hide the plane lines programmatically.
Ring and Enumerated Type Objects	The following components are available for ring and enumerated type objects: Show digital display— Displays the digital display of the ring or enum, which displays the numeric value of the selected item in the ring or enum. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically.
Panes	The following components are available for panes: Width— Width of all tabs in pixels. This field is available only if you select Fixed Tab Size from the Tab Size pull-down menu. Height— Height of all tabs in pixels. This field is available only if you select Fixed Tab Size from the Tab Size pull-down menu. Set to Current Pane Size—Sets the Width and Height to the dimensions of the current pane (in pixels).
Tab Controls	The following components are available for tab controls: Tab Size— Sets the size of the tabs. You also can use the Tab Size property to set the tab size programmatically. Size tabs to contents—Sets the size of each tab to its contents. Size all tabs to largest tab—Sets the size of each tab to the size of the largest tab. Fixed tab size—Uses a fixed size for each tab. If you select this item, you can set the size of all tabs in the Height and Width fields, or you can use the Positioning tool to resize each tab. Justify— Stretches each row of tabs to fill the entire width of the tab control. You also can use the Justify Tabs property to stretch the rows programmatically. Height— Height of all tabs in pixels. This field is available only if you select Fixed Tab Size from the Tab Size pull-down menu. You also can use the Fixed Tab Dimension:Height property to set the height programmatically. Width— Width of all tabs in pixels. This field is available only if you select Fixed Tab Size from the Tab Size pull-down menu. You also can use the Fixed Tab Dimension:Width property to set the width programmatically. Show page selector— Displays the tabs of the tab control. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to hide the tabs but display the pages of the tab control. You also can use the Page Selector Visible property to display or hide tabs programmatically. Allow multiple rows— Arranges any tabs that extend beyond the width of the tab control into an additional row of tabs. Remove the checkmark from this checkbox to display navigation buttons on the upper right of the tab control. Use these navigation buttons to scroll through tabs that are not visible. You also can use the Allow Multiple Rows property to allow multiple rows programmatically.
Subpanel Controls	The following component is available for subpanel controls: Make panel transparent— Draws the background of the front panel in the subpanel control as transparent. You also can use the Panel Transparent property to set the background as transparent programmatically.
Analog Waveform Objects	The following components are available for analog waveform objects: Waveform component— Sets the component of the waveform you want to configure. Visible— Displays the component in the waveform. Show radix— Displays the radix for the object, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation. This option is not available for the start time (t0) component. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the object, which you can use to change the value of the object. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically. Enabled State— Sets whether the user can operate the object. This option is not available for panes. You also can use the Disabled property programmatically to indicate if a control can be operated. Enabled—The user can operate the component. Disabled—The component appears as normal on the front panel, but the user cannot operate the component. Disabled & grayed—The component appears dimmed on the front panel, and the user cannot operate the component.
Digital Waveform Objects	The following components are available for digital waveform objects: Waveform component— Sets the component of the waveform you want to configure. Visible— Displays the component in the waveform. Show radix— Displays the radix for the component, which you can use to change the data to decimal, hexadecimal, octal, or binary format, or SI notation. This option is not available for the start time (t0) component. Show increment/decrement buttons— Displays the increment and decrement buttons for the component, which you can use to change the value of the component. You also can use the Increment/Decrement Visible? property to show increment and decrement buttons programmatically. Enabled State— Sets whether the user can operate the component. Enabled—The user can operate the component. Disabled—The component appears as normal on the front panel, but the user cannot operate the component. Disabled & grayed—The component appears dimmed on the front panel, and the user cannot operate the component.
Feedback Node	The following components are available for the Feedback Node: Header Appearance— Enabled State (disabled)--This option is not available for panes. Arrow only— Displays the Feedback Node with only the arrow that indicates the flow of data along the wire. Z-transform and arrow— Displays the Feedback Node in z-transform view and displays the arrow that indicates the flow of data along the wire. Arrow Direction—Specifies the direction the arrow on the Feedback Node faces. You can change the direction of the arrow to indicate the flow of data along the wires. Changing the arrow direction changes only the cosmetic appearance of the Feedback Node and the wires connected to it on the block diagram and does not change the direction of the flow of data. Arrow points left— Displays the arrow as pointing to the left on the Feedback Node. Arrow points right— Displays the arrow as pointing to the right on the Feedback Node.

LabVIEW Programming Reference Manual

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Appearance Page (Properties Dialog Box)

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