Change the color of LabVIEW front panel objects, front panel panes, and the block diagram workspace using the Coloring tool. Use foreground and background colors, system colors, user-defined colors, or transparency to match your VI style.

Some objects have a foreground and a background you can color separately. For example, consider a knob on the Classic Numeric palette:

  • The foreground color of the knob is the color of the main dial area.
  • The background color of the knob is the color of the raised edge.

You can create custom colors, copy colors from one object to another, and create transparent objects.

To change the color of an object, the front panel background, or background of the block diagram workspace, complete the following steps.

  1. Use the Coloring tool to right-click an object or workspace to display the color picker.
    If automatic tool selection is enabled, select the Coloring tool from the Tools palette to disable automatic tool selection.
    Tip Press Shift and right-click to display a temporary version of the Tools palette at the location of the cursor.
    The color picker appears.
    Figure 7. Color Picker
    1. Grayscale spectrum and a box you can use to create transparent objects.
    2. Muted colors that are best for backgrounds and front panel objects.
    3. Colors that are best for highlights.
    4. User-defined colors.
    5. The most recently selected colors and the system colors
    6. Currently selected color. The box displays foreground colors in the left half and the background colors in the right half.
    7. More Colors button: select a specific color using the color utility on the operating system
  2. To select a color and preview the selected color for the object or background you right-clicked, move the cursor through the color picker.

    If the object has foreground and background colors:

    • Preview the color for the foreground: Press the F key.
    • Preview the color for the background: Press the B key.
    • Toggle between previewing for the foreground and background: Press the spacebar.
    As you move the cursor over a color, LabVIEW displays the RGB value of the color at the bottom of the color picker.
  3. Optional: To select a specific color, click the More Colors button ().
  4. Apply the color you chose to the object or background, or cancel the coloring operation.
    • Apply a color: Click the color in the color picker.
    • Cancel the coloring operation: Press Esc.