From Friday, April 19th (11:00 PM CDT) through Saturday, April 20th (2:00 PM CDT), 2024, ni.com will undergo system upgrades that may result in temporary service interruption.

We appreciate your patience as we improve our online experience.

LabVIEW

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

LV reports

I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am trying to come up with a
way to let users save reports easily from Labview.

I have stayed away from the LV report VI's because they do not support
graphics. What I have come up with is less than optimal in my view. I
am using a front panel as my report template to show the user the data.
I am hiding any control or indicator via attribute nodes that should not
show on the report. Then I am using the Get Panel Image Vi Server
method to grab the front panel and save it as an image file (why isn't
gif format available? Is it the Unisys copyright deal?). This allows
for a user to at least be able to print or save the report to file in a
nicely formatted, 1" inch margin, etc. way. One problem that this is
less than optimal is that the portable network graphic (*.png) format is
not fully supported (without plugins and the like) via common browsers
or graphic viewers.

Another problem I encountered was when merely trying to just print the
front panel programmatically from LV, no matter where I placed my
controls the ones on the left ended up printing right on the left side
of the page leaving minimal page margin. One thing I did try was to
place a trasparent decoration box around the report to give LV the
reference edge I guess it is looking for. However, an unexpected result
with this was that even though the decoration was transparent on the
page it printed with a fine border. Not sure what is going on here.

I also tried using the print to RTF format method and that did not allow
for setting of margins that I could see. It also printed the vi name
and the words "front panel" in the RTF document. Could not find a way
to stop it from doing this which was annoying.

Another attempt was made using the print to HTML method, but this would
mean that the user would have to keep up with the html and image files
that go to make up the report. This creates a potential problem when
the user would like to copy the file or email it because they have to
keep up with all the files both html and image and keep them in their
proper referenced locations (so that the htm file can find its images
unless the end user wants to go in and edit tags.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Don
0 Kudos
Message 1 of 9
(3,671 Views)
> I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am trying to come up with a
> way to let users save reports easily from Labview.
>
> I have stayed away from the LV report VI's because they do not support
> graphics. What I have come up with is less than optimal in my view. I
> am using a front panel as my report template to show the user the data.
> I am hiding any control or indicator via attribute nodes that should not
> show on the report. Then I am using the Get Panel Image Vi Server
> method to grab the front panel and save it as an image file (why isn't
> gif format available? Is it the Unisys copyright deal?). This allows
> for a user to at least be able to print or save the report to file in a
> nicely formatted, 1" inch margin, etc. way. One problem that this is
> less than optimal is that the portable network graphic (*.png) format is
> not fully supported (without plugins and the like) via common browsers
> or graphic viewers.
>
> Another problem I encountered was when merely trying to just print the
> front panel programmatically from LV, no matter where I placed my
> controls the ones on the left ended up printing right on the left side
> of the page leaving minimal page margin. One thing I did try was to
> place a trasparent decoration box around the report to give LV the
> reference edge I guess it is looking for. However, an unexpected result
> with this was that even though the decoration was transparent on the
> page it printed with a fine border. Not sure what is going on here.
>
> I also tried using the print to RTF format method and that did not allow
> for setting of margins that I could see. It also printed the vi name
> and the words "front panel" in the RTF document. Could not find a way
> to stop it from doing this which was annoying.
>
> Another attempt was made using the print to HTML method, but this would
> mean that the user would have to keep up with the html and image files
> that go to make up the report. This creates a potential problem when
> the user would like to copy the file or email it because they have to
> keep up with all the files both html and image and keep them in their
> proper referenced locations (so that the htm file can find its images
> unless the end user wants to go in and edit tags.)
>

Since you have several approaches going here, there are several suggestions
in different areas. First off, the you don't mention trying to use the
margin settings on a VI, set from the VI Setup dialog Execution page. There
are other settings there for hiding various borders, dates, etc. This may
not turn off the Front Panel setting since the RTF printing is really more
for documentation than for reports.

The GIF format is not supported because, you guessed it, licensing. We have
plans to support loading GIFs, and the two seem to be exclusive unless you
want to license the patent. I can't help much with the HTML stuff, but it
might be a good start, then use Word or another tool to import and translate
to something else like pdf, rtf, doc, etc.

Greg McKaskle
0 Kudos
Message 2 of 9
(3,670 Views)
I had almost the same problem as you with the reports, and I couldn't find
any god way to solve the problem inside LV. My solution is to use ActiveX
to export the data to Excel or Word. The ActiveX interface in LV is simple
to use and there are some examples at the NI homepage how to use it. I also
create the graphs directly inside Excel instead of exporting them as a picture
from LW.

One other problem that I dint manage to solve is how to get a decent picture
file out of a graph in LV. You are writing about the gif and png format but
none of these is relay god if you want to include the picture in a document.
Both those formats are pixel built up and I would like to have a vector image
like the wmf format instead. The vector format is scalable and has a bit
better quality. If you right click on a graph and select copy then paste
it into for example Word, you get some kind of object that is scalable and
nice locking but I newer figured out a way to do this by code. Maybe someone
else in the n.g. knows some thing about this.




Don wrote:
>I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am trying to come up with a>way
to let users save reports easily from Labview.>>I have stayed away from the
LV report VI's because they do not support>graphics. What I have come up
with is less than optimal in my view. I>am using a front panel as my report
template to show the user the data.>I am hiding any control or indicator
via attribute nodes that should not>show on the report. Then I am using
the Get Panel Image Vi Server>method to grab the front panel and save it
as an image file (why isn't>gif format available? Is it the Unisys copyright
deal?). This allows>for a user to at least be able to print or save the
report to file in a>nicely formatted, 1" inch margin, etc. way. One problem
that this is>less than optimal is that the portable network graphic (*.png)
format is>not fully supported (without plugins and the like) via common browsers>or
graphic viewers.>>Another problem I encountered was when merely trying to
just print the>front panel programmatically from LV, no matter where I placed
my>controls the ones on the left ended up printing right on the left side>of
the page leaving minimal page margin. One thing I did try was to>place a
trasparent decoration box around the report to give LV the>reference edge
I guess it is looking for. However, an unexpected result>with this was that
even though the decoration was transparent on the>page it printed with a
fine border. Not sure what is going on here.>>I also tried using the print
to RTF format method and that did not allow>for setting of margins that I
could see. It also printed the vi name>and the words "front panel" in the
RTF document. Could not find a way>to stop it from doing this which was
annoying.>>Another attempt was made using the print to HTML method, but this
would>mean that the user would have to keep up with the html and image files>that
go to make up the report. This creates a potential problem when>the user
would like to copy the file or email it because they have to>keep up with
all the files both html and image and keep them in their>proper referenced
locations (so that the htm file can find its images>unless the end user wants
to go in and edit tags.)>>Any help would be greatly appreciated.>>Thanks,>>Don>
0 Kudos
Message 3 of 9
(3,670 Views)
In article <38B3EEB1.A4179C62@hopewelldesigns.com>,
Don wrote:
> I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am trying to come up with a
> way to let users save reports easily from Labview.
>

>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Don

WordVIEW, the MS Word Toolkit for LabVIEW should certainly makes it
easier and faster to solve your problem. You can give it a try by
downloading the demo version from http://www.e-notebooks.com/products/
wordview/demo.html

Let us know if you need any assistance in evaluating this product.

Jean Peccoud

--
e-NoteBooks Ltd
http://www.e-notebooks.com
http://www.sstreams.com


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
0 Kudos
Message 4 of 9
(3,670 Views)
Hi Don,
there is a very cool VI that allows you to create report directly from Word
or Excel based on ActiveX technology. Here the news, you don't have to know
ActiveX you just need to create a macro and than customize the parts that
should be parametric. It's hard to explain here just visit www.easymacro.com
and download an example... you will save your time.
Bye
Andrea

Don wrote:
>I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am trying to come up with a>way
to let users save reports easily from
Labview....
.....
Thanks,>>Don>
0 Kudos
Message 5 of 9
(3,670 Views)
The www.easymacro.com website looks promising. Thanks.

Don
0 Kudos
Message 6 of 9
(3,670 Views)
hi

A lot of us are now starting to use Active X and Words to generate reports,
a couple of companies are supplying LV -> Words report generators, I have
looked at some of the demoes on the internet and are not
impressed.........and the fact that the diagrams are protected stop
necessary further developement and modifications.

Taking into acount how easy it is to write LV ActiveX controls sending
information to Word, I think it would be great if this could be made puplic
LVvis free to everybody. I have been writing LV -> Word2000 vis to generate
reports for my own need and have no problem to share these vis as an as is
basis (does not work on older Word versions)

Hans

Don wrote:
> >I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win 9x platform. I am
trying to come up with
a>way
> to let users save reports easily from
> Labview....
> ....
> Thanks,>>Don>
0 Kudos
Message 7 of 9
(3,670 Views)
Hi Hans,
I'm an EasyMacro developer, you are perfectly right, AcrtiveX is not that
difficult to learn, the hardest part is to know exactly how the ActiveX server
program works (that is, in this case Word). EasyMacro (just one VI) differently
from other programs allows you to run a macro, that is you don't have to
be concerned on ActiveX server but just let Word create the macro for you.
I don't think you have realized the power of that...
otherwise you wouldn't ask for the diagram of this just single VI. Sometimes
saving time (having payed few dollars) is better than develop something of
your own, starting from scratch.
Regards
EasyMacro developer
http://www.easymacro.com
email: easymacro@easymacro.com

"Hans Øhra" wrote:
>hi>>A
lot of us are now starting to use Active X and Words to generate reports,a
couple of companies are supplying LV Words report generators, I have looked
at some of the demoes on the internet and are not>impressed.........and the
fact that the diagrams are protected stop necessary further developement
and modifications. Taking into acount how easy it is to write LV ActiveX
controls sending information to Word, I think it would be great if this could
be made puplic>LVvis free to everybody. I have been writing LV Word2000 vis
to generate reports for my own need and have no problem to share these vis
as an as is basis (does not work on older Word versions) Hans
>> Don wrote:>> >I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win
9x platform. I am trying to come up with>a>way>> to let users save reports
easily from>> Labview....>> ....>> Thanks,>>Don>>>
0 Kudos
Message 8 of 9
(3,670 Views)
Hi

I've studeied some of Your examples, and the idea is great!

Beeing a LV user for a long time I like the 'boxes' using the tasks, and its
simpler for the other people developing our project. But I have also used
the macro recorder in word to learn how to write the activex commands in LV
and to execute predefiened macroes in a LV-template for word......

The great thing with new technology is that we can do the same thing in a
number of ways.....does it make it easier or just more challenging??

Hans


easymacro Team wrote in message
news:38c3b77c@newsgroups.ni.com...
>
> Hi Hans,
> I'm an EasyMacro developer, you are perfectly right, AcrtiveX is not that
> difficult to learn, the hardest part is to know exactly how the ActiveX
server
> program works (that is, in this case Word). EasyMacro (just one VI)
differently
> from other programs allows you to run a macro, that is you don't have to
> be concerned on ActiveX server but just let Word create the macro for you.
> I don't think you have realized the power of that...
> otherwise you wouldn't ask for the diagram of this just single VI.
Sometimes
> saving time (having payed few dollars) is better than develop something of
> your own, starting from scratch.
> Regards
> EasyMacro developer
> http://www.easymacro.com
> email: easymacro@easymacro.com
>
> "Hans �hra" wrote:
> >hi>>A lot of us are now starting to use Active X and Words to generate
reports,a
> couple of companies are supplying LV Words report generators, I have
looked
> at some of the demoes on the internet and are not>impressed.........and
the
> fact that the diagrams are protected stop necessary further developement
> and modifications. Taking into acount how easy it is to write LV ActiveX
> controls sending information to Word, I think it would be great if this
could
> be made puplic>LVvis free to everybody. I have been writing LV Word2000
vis
> to generate reports for my own need and have no problem to share these vis
> as an as is basis (does not work on older Word versions) Hans
> >> Don wrote:>> >I am using LV 5.1.1 on a Win
> 9x platform. I am trying to come up with>a>way>> to let users save
reports
> easily from>> Labview....>> ....>> Thanks,>>Don>>>
0 Kudos
Message 9 of 9
(3,670 Views)