It’s almost time for NIWeek 2011!

I’ve looked over the Session Catalog for this year and there are so many great choices that I’m having a hard time narrowing down my list of recommended sessions. So I’ll limit myself to the sessions relating to user interface design with LabVIEW.

First on my list is, of course, my session, co-presented with Simon Hogg: Customizing NI LabVIEW Controls and Indicators, Tuesday (August 2) at 4:45 PM in 13A/B.

You’re probably thinking, “Sounds like things I’ve heard a million times before,” right? I guarantee not! Simon and I will be demonstrating some secret, unpublished features of the Control Editor that are new in LabVIEW 2011. They’re not quite ready for “prime time,” but we’re willing to let a select few start using them!

Other sessions that I recommend include:

• Building Quality NI LabVIEW User Interfaces, Tuesday (August 2) at 1:00 PM in 13A/B. My colleagues Nitin Thomas and Simon Hogg will cover the broader topic of user interface design in LabVIEW, skipping over customizing controls since that will be covered in my session.
• Flexible GUI for Vibration Analysis with NI LabVIEW, Tuesday (August 2) at 2:15PM in 11B. Jeremy Weiss from Mechanical Solutions, Inc. will talk about making UIs designed for rotating machinery vibration troubleshooting, including the usage of tree controls and subpanels.
• User Interface Tips 2.0, Wednesday (August 3) at 4:45 PM in 13A/B. Jonathan Cohn from Bloomy Controls will provide his tips for making the best user interfaces.
• Introducing NI LabVIEW 2011, Tuesday (August 2) and Wednesday (August 3) at 10:30AM in 13A/B. See all the new features of LabVIEW 2011, including a new style of front panel controls!

Did I miss any sessions you think should be on this list? Please post them in the comments!

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to start planning for NIWeek 2011! Here’s a way you can win a free trip…

Submissions are now open for the Graphical System Design Achievement Awards, the National Instruments technical application contest, showcasing the most innovative projects based on NI software and hardware.

Category finalists will be awarded with a free trip to NIWeek 2011 in Austin, Texas, and the Customer Application of the Year will win one year of free NI Training.

For more information on the 2011 Graphical System Design Achievement Awards and how to participate, visit ni.com/gsdawards. Or, submit your paper now.

The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2011.

NIWeek 2010 was the best I’ve seen yet!

The keynote presentations are always among my favorite parts of NIWeek. I love learning about new products from NI and our customers, and seeing inspiring projects from academia. This year, you can watch the video of the day one, day two and day three keynotes (except, of course, for the part by our guest speaker, Dr. Michio Kaku, which NI can’t redistribute). [Links no longer available].

You can also learn more about the products and technologies seen in the keynotes at the day 1, day 2 and day 3 groups on ni.com/Community. [Links no longer available]. Read the rest of this entry »

From NI News: “National Instruments today announced LabVIEW 2010, the latest version of the graphical programming environment for design, test, measurement and control applications.”

Today also marks the beginning of NI Week 2010, with Alliance Day sessions (for NI’s Alliance Partners) and the NIWeek Kickoff Happy Hour. A big Austin welcome to all our NIWeek attendees!

Blake Sunshine interviewed me and some of the other NI bloggers to find out what we are looking forward to most about NI Week 2010. You can see the video of my interview on NI Community. (It’s a short video – even shorter than Darren Nattinger’s!)

Also, Blake is allowing me to share a special social media discount code for NIWeek registration: social2010.

Hope to see you at NIWeek!

For several years, I’ve sent out annual NI Week advice to the LabVIEW R&D team. This year, my tips went company-wide in NI’s internal e-newsletter. This inspired me to make another version for those of you who don’t work for National Instruments.

Here are my tips based on my personal experience and advice from others at NI:

• The convention center is usually very cold. If this might bother you, I recommend bringing an extra layer of clothing. Of course, outside the convention center is the Texas summer heat, so another option is to step outside to thaw as needed.
• Cell reception at the convention center is usually poor and can drain your battery quickly. Consider bringing your charger.
• Keynotes are usually well-attended. If you get there before they start, however, you should be able to get a seat. If you see lots of people standing in the back of the room, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all the seats are taken; NI employees try to leave seats for attendees when the room fills up.
• Info desks at NI Week are staffed by friendly, knowledgeable NI employees. If you need directions, have lost something, or have any other issues at NI Week, just stop by an info desk.
• Wear comfortable shoes. This advice is mostly for the ladies: wear comfortable shoes and bring a Band-aid or two just in case you get blisters.
• If the convention center lunches don’t appeal to you (or if you’re looking for nearby dinner options), there are excellent restaurants a short walk away.
• On Tuesday evening (Aug. 3), you can join the LAVA/Open G crowd for dinner at Scholz Garten for $30. (Space is limited).
• If you have to drive to the convention center, parking in the convention center garages costs $7. Directions, Maps and Parking for the Convention Center
• You may notice specially-marked Smart cars parked around Austin this year. We have a new Car2Go system. If you register for it, you can rent these cars by-the-minute (although I think if you’re traveling with more than one other person, it’s probably cheaper to split a taxi).
• You may also notice a MetroRail train station right next to the Convention center. Because its limited schedule is designed for commuters, however, I doubt it will be useful to NI Week attendees.
• For iPhone or iPad users: check out the Beta NIWeek mobile website. (Apologies to those using other mobile devices; the Beta only targets iPhones and iPads this year).

Community Connections

• Twitter. Follow the NIWeek account for updates, or follow your favorite NI employee or customer who’s attending. You can follow me on Twitter.
• ni.com. Check out the NIWeek 2010 community page for the latest information.
• Videos. Watch the NIWeek YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Do you have your own tips for NI Week attendees? Please post them in the comments!

I just received the finalized schedule for the Software Development Techniques Track at NI Week 2010 and there are some great sessions planned!

Here are the ones I hope to see, and think you might be interested in, too, given that you are reading my blog. Read the rest of this entry »