LV Picture Control

[Ben]

This thread can serve for discusion of the LV Picture control and how it can be used or abused.

As mentioned in the "First Message" thread found here

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=BreakPoint&message.id=2&jump=true

(see message from tst and myself)

The LV Picture control is a powerful tool that lets you "break rules" with LV FP's.

Let me first start by thanking Paul Austin, Principal Architect, LabVIEW R&D who invented the picture control and hold the patent on same.

When combined with the event structure and an "invoke node >>> Get image" virtual controls can be realized.

Notes:
1) If you have a control that can only take on a limited number of states (green, red) you can get the image at start-up time and just insetert the appropriate image when required.

2) A controls "bounds" will define the "sweet spot" for the control once you correct ofr it location in the picture.

Ben

[EdDickens]

I've used the picture control to make a few custom controls that were not possible with the standard controls by just customizing them.

The attached library is a fancy demo version of a slider I needed several years ago. The slider needed to act more like a potentiometer and output values that were in between the current value and the selected value. The standard slider will jump directly from the current value to the selected value with nothing in between. This caused a problem for the controller we were sending the values to.

So I came up with a slider using the picture control and some code to ramp the value up and down. I then made this demo version just to see how far I could take it. It adds settable min/max range and displays the scale, the ability to have the slider return to center/min/max when the mouse is released or stay put and you can change the displayed colors.

This was written (and saved) in 6.0.2, but runs fine in anything higher than that.

Ed

[Ben]

Hi Ed,

I like this example!

Molly found the original thread where JP suggested using an invoke node to get an image that is latter inserted were required.

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=24151

His example is something that blew me away when I first saw it and realized that this saves me a lot of work.

Ben

[Ben]

Just for the record (and to help future browsing), I have posted an example that uses the picture control to move a bunch of booleans around in a "random walk" manner in this thread. The example is "Obfuse_Picture".

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=BreakPoint&message.id=5&jump=true

Ben

[BJD1613]

Ben,

How is the hierarchy tool coming along. Did you solve the complexities of using the picture controls?

BJD1613

[Ben]

Hi BJD,

That is secret!

It's nice to know you are well enough to prowl the Exchange.

Watch the Model railroad thread for an update this evening.

Ben

[chilly_charly]

Hummmm...
To prowl...
That's again a word I ignored before. I'll add it to tst's "disgruntled" to start a nice collection. If any of you want to improve his French, just to maintain some symetry in the exchange, don't hesitate...

CC

[BJD1613]

I think Parose is a better word... not prowl. I am sure that it is probably close to being done so someday I will have to see it!!! Take care.

BJD

[Ben]

OK BJD.

Nagging is good. I will get back to that project soon. The math was just starting to make my eyes cross, so I switched to something easier, i.e. the the 3-d railroad.

please look here

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=BreakPoint&message.id=296#M296

Ben

[Ben]

The below link is to a discussion of the performance of guage controls with digital indicators.

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=120315#M120315

In it PJM posted a concept VI that uses a picture control to give the impresion that a guage is on the FP.

Ben