Export/Import the System Configuration in NI MAX

I have several channels and/or tasks in NI MAX that I want to be able to either:

• export
• move
• migrate
• backup

How can I save my NI MAX configuration so that I can use it on another system or keep as a backup?

To Save NI-DAQmx Devices, Tasks, and/or Channels:

1. Select File » Export from the pull-down menu.

2. In the National Instruments Configuration Export Wizard dialog box, select which system you want to export from. Then select the location where you wish to save your file. If you do not use the default file name, you must type a name that ends with the appropriate extension. Available file types include NI Configuration Export File (.nce), NI-DAQmx INI File (.ini) and NI-DAQmx Tab Delimited Text File (.txt). Refer to the following table to determine which file type to use for the export/import configuration process in NI MAX. Select Next.

3.  Select the tasks, global channels and any other settings you wish to export. You can select each item individually or you can select items by clicking the Check All or Check By Product button.

4. Select Export.
5. A pane displays a report on the status of the export. This report may be edited and saved but this is not required.

6. Click Finish.

Note: If you have a DAQ device configured to be "Device 1" on one computer and you want it to be "Device 2" on another computer, NI MAX will automatically change its name for you. There is no need to change it manually.

 To Use Saved NI-DAQmx Devices, Tasks and/or Channels:

1. Select File » Import from the pull-down menu.
   • Note: If you want to import specific device names and configurations, clear the configuration database first so that the import doesn't duplicate information. 
2. Type or browse the path to the directory containing the configuration file. Then select the system to import to. Select Next.
3. An abbreviated configuration tree displays all devices, channels and tasks saved in the configuration file. Check the checkbox next to each item you wish to import.
4. Click Import.
5. A pane displays a report on the status of the export. This report may be edited and saved but this is not required.
   • Note: If you get an error importing a .nce file, try exporting as .ini or .txt and importing that instead.
   • Note: If you receive an error saying the configuration file is not recognized, try uninstalling and reinstalling your drivers.
6. Click Finish.

Note: This can also be done programmatically in LabVIEW 8.0 and later. Using the Copy Configurations VI, all the settings from NI MAX can be exported to a local or remote machine.

To Save Traditional NI-DAQ Virtual Channels:

1. Open NI MAX and select Tools » Traditional NI-DAQ Configuration » Save Configuration As from the pull-down menu.

2. Save your current configuration to a file and close NI MAX.

Note: When you launch NI MAX it searches for the name of the last active configuration file and uses that file as the new data source. Any changes you make in NI MAX are automatically saved to the file. Saving the configuration file also sets the new file as the active configuration file. If you do not want to use your saved configuration file the next time you open NI MAX, you can either change the active configuration file the next time you open NI MAX or simply rename the file you just saved. If you choose the second option, NI MAX will not find the last active configuration file and will create a new configuration file.
Note: When saving .daq files, they are not forward compatible with DAQmx. These will need to be constructed from scratch.

To Use Saved Traditional NI-DAQ Virtual Channels:

1. Open NI MAX and select Tools » Traditional NI-DAQ Configuration » Set Active Configuration from the pull-down menu.
2. Browse and select the saved file.

Note: When you set the active configuration to a saved file, remember that NI MAX will use that file as its new source until you use another configuration file or change the file name. Make sure that your configuration file is on the local machine, otherwise NI MAX could not load the configuration correctly.