How to Bring the Front Panel in Front of All Desktop Windows? -Batch File Method

Updated Oct 26, 2023

Environment

Software

  • LabVIEW Professional
  • LabVIEW Base
  • LabVIEW Full

Operating System

  • Windows

This article will guide through the process of setting the Front Panel window in front of all desktop windows. The Front Panel property IsFrontmost, which is showed in the image below, sets the Front Panel only in front of all LabVIEW windows, and it has no use itself when you have multiple non-LabVIEW applications open.
propery node.png
The following method will help you overcome this problem.

You can use the attached batch file which is sending keystrokes to LabVIEW. Sending an empty keystroke makes LabVIEW the active application similarly as selecting one of the windows manually with the mouse. If you have multiple LabVIEW windows open the Property Node method mentioned above can make sure the desired Front Panel will be on top of all desktop applications. Please follow the listed steps:
  1. Download the attached VI. This VI is bringing its Front Panel in front of all application in Windows every 3 seconds.
  2. Download the attached sendkeys.bat batch file to the same directory as the VI.
  3. Open the block diagram.
  4. In the string that contains “C:\Batch File\”, make sure that you replace it with the path in which you saved the batch file.
  5. Observe that sendkeys.bat is called by the System.Exec.vi, the first argument in the quotation mark is the target application, the second is left empty because we are sending an empty keystroke just to activate LabVIEW.
system exec.png
  1. Observe the Property Node mentioned before which makes sure the desired Front Panel opens when you have multiple LabVIEW VIs open,
this vi.png
  1. Run the VI
  2. Open non-LabVIEW applications such as browsers, File Explorers, etc. Observe every three seconds the selected LabVIEW Front Panel pops us above any application.
 

Attachments

sendkeys.bat
Batch File Method.vi

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