get or set control value on clone

I cannot get or set a control value on a clone VI (created by opening a ref to a re-entrant VI with the x08 flag and invoking the the Run method and opening the front panel).  I can open a ref to the clone vi by using it's clone name (parent.vi:1, for example) and get some properties back (like whether or not it's a clone VI with the "Is Clone VI" property) but the Control Value:Get methods (both variant and flattened string) return nothing - no error, just no data.  Is this expected behavior?  The LV Help for the Control Value:Get doesn't say anything about it not working on clones. I can start my reentrant VI with the run button (not as a clone) and I can read and write to the controls just fine.  Thanks, Mark  BTW - this is LV 8.5.1Message Edited by mesmith-nm on 08-13-2008 09:42 AM

Hi Mark,i think it is because of the selected option. The helps says you can´t edit this instance. Why do you need it? Could using vi template a solution for you? Hope it helps.Mike 

Mike, Thanks for the response, but I don't think this is the issue - I'm not trying to edit the VI (you are correct - a clone cannot be edited), I'm just trying to get the data displayed in a front panel control by opening a VI reference and using the Control Value:Get method thru an Invoke node.  I don't know if using a VI template would work here or not - my situation is one where the reentrant VI should work great.  I launch as many copies of a monitor display as the user desires to monitor different data streams.  Also, I have a work-around using the reentrant model that's meeting my needs.  What I really hope is that someone in the know (hint-hint - LabVIEW R&D?) will chime in and tell us whether or not I'm doing something illegal or whether the Control Value:Get method just isn't working as intended.  That would be great to know for future application development. Also, it doesn't matter whether I try to get the value using the VI Reference generated when I spawn the clone or whether I open a VI reference with the clone's name and the Open VI Reference function - I get the same behavior either way.  One thing that is kind of weird is that I for a while I still can use the clone's name and still open a reference when the clone VI is stopped and the front panel is closed - does it take LabVIEW a while to get the clone's name out of memory - does it wait to be garbage collected?  If I use the VI ref captured when the clone is spawned it behaves as expected and as soon as I close the clone the ref goes invalid.  BTW, the Run method used to spawn the clone has Auto Dispose Ref set to TRUE. Mark  Mark 

Hi Mark,can you show us your vi. Your are right, it´s not the option. I made an example in 8.5 like i understand what you want and it works for me. Hope it helps.Mike


main.vi:
http://forums.ni.com/ni/attachments/...9208/1/main.vi


sub.vi:
http://forums.ni.com/ni/attachments/...49208/2/sub.vi

Mike, You have interpreted my question correctly and you are correct - your example works exactly as I would have expected.  And this morning, when I re-booted my computer and checked my VI with the issue, it worked as expected.  So I have no idea what was going on.  All I know is yesterday, I got nothing - no error but no data and now after nothing more than a shutdown and reboot, it works.  Go figure. Thanks for your effort to create the example and confirm that this approach should work - it's useful information. Mark