Use the Icon Editor in LabVIEW to create or modify icon templates. Icon templates let you apply consistent icon banners or complete icons across multiple objects in LabVIEW.

The Templates page of the Icon Editor displays all .png, .bmp, and .jpg files in the LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates directory. Save icon templates you create to this directory so that they appear in the Templates page of the Icon Editor.

Use folders within LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates as follows, depending on the type of object:

Object Type Folder
Icon for VIs, custom controls LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates\VI
Library icon for project libraries, classes, XControls LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates\Library

Each of these folders in turn contains two folders:

  • Frameworks—Intended for templates based on LabVIEW files from within your team or organization.
  • 3rd party—Intended for templates based on LabVIEW files from outside your team or organization.

    • You can also create your own folders for icons within LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates.

    If an icon template changes on disk, an icon referencing the template updates automatically when you next display the icon in the Icon Editor.

    To interact with icon templates in the Icon Editor, complete the following steps.

    1. Open the Icon Editor:
      • Double-click the icon in the upper right corner of the front panel or the block diagram.
      • Right-click the icon in the upper right corner of the front panel or the block diagram and select Edit Icon....
    2. Do the following, based on your objective.
      ObjectiveDescription
      Display all available icon templates and glyphs, with locations on disk Select Tools » List Glyph and Icon Templates.

      LabVIEW creates and opens an HTML report on the icon templates in your default browser.
      Locate and import a glyph to use as a template or an icon Select Edit » Import Glyph from File....
      Choose whether to save icons of third-party VIs that you open as icon templates
      1. Select Tools » Icon Editor Properties » Templates.
      2. If desired, specify a different location to save these VIs. The default location is LabVIEW Data\Icon Templates\3rd party.
      Delete an icon template
      1. Delete the template in the file system.
      2. In the Icon Editor, select the Templates tab.
      3. Click the Refresh templates from disk button (Refresh templates from disk button in the LabVIEW Icon Editor.).

        LabVIEW synchronizes the contents of the file system to the Icon Editor.