LabVIEW 3D Picture Control Evaluation Software Discussion

[Paul M.]

CC,

I passed your feedback along to the R&D folks, and they really appreciate it.  As you've probably noticed by now, the 3d control has a relatively basic toolset for dynamically creating models, and leaves the extra-complex functions to dedicated applications like AutoCAD.  Most of the complicated models I've seen used in the 3D control have been imported. We will be working to implement more features like the one you mentioned as customer demand evolves. 

Once again, thanks for the feedback.

[chilly_charly]

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Paul M. a écrit: ... the 3d control has a relatively basic toolset for dynamically creating models, and leaves the extra-complex functions to dedicated applications like AutoCAD...

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Paul, thanks a lot for your answer.

That's exactly what I did : the 3D ground surface model was created with a dedicated application (written with LabVIEW  :)), and the data processed further with SurGe. Accordingly, my comments (now and in a near future  ;)) are entirely aimed at the usability of the 3D picture as a visualisation tool.
I understand that the present version is a first result, developped after the prototype released two years ago. The developpers did an impressive job here and we have now something we can really work with.
'll do my best to promote this new tool and of course this implies lot of criticisms 😉

[Paul M.]

CC,

Keep the comments rolling! It looks like we've opened a can of worms (A very tasty one) with this control, and I can't wait to see how it evolves.  I personally would also like to see more advanced geometries implemented - toroids, oblong spheres, triangle meshes, and so on.  And we can stop when we don't need AutoCAD anymore. 🙂

As a recommendation to all, if you have suggestions for features in this new tool for upcoming versions, be sure to use the Product Suggestion Center:
http://digital.ni.com/applications/psc.nsf/default?openform
Which the R&D managers definitely pay attention to, especially for "young" features like the 3d picture control.

Cheers!

[chilly_charly]

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Paul M. a écrit: ... the 3d control has a relatively basic toolset for dynamically creating models, and leaves the extra-complex functions to dedicated applications like AutoCAD.  Most of the complicated models I've seen used in the 3D control have been imported.

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I may have missed something, but it seems that not only the 3D surface but also the 3D parametric plot were missed in the importation process. How could I draw with the new 3D picture control such a nice shape (you probably know that it has a most utterly importance for french people) with such a brilliant simplicity as with the 3D graph ?

Message Edité par chilly charly le 09-06-2006 06:27 AM

[ShawnMahon]

I made a few VI's that can reproduce your snail in the 3D picture control.  It should show how to reproduce a lot of what the ActiveX 3D graph can do using meshes and lights.  I realize its not as simple or elegant as the 3D Graph, but its meant as more of a general tool not just another 3D Graph. 

Basically there was some math to take in your X,Y,Z vectors and calculate the normals, then pass it all out and set up the scene.

Message Edited by Shawn Mahon on 09-06-2006 03:33 PM

[chilly_charly]

Shawn,

Thanks for your work. I have a much better sight of how to use the picture control now. I may have missed something somewhere, but is there any tutorial or help file on the subject ?
Isz there any reason you choosed to use triangle instead of quads ?

I managed to accelerate significantly the overhead time (x20), but the Build normal.vi calculations are still the most time consumming (I'll post the optimized version this evening). Any chance to get an optimized operator to do the job in a near future ?

The real good new is that the picture control is part of the LV 8.2 Macintosh release, works flawlessly, and makes profit of hardware acceleration. I think that Urs will enjoy it !

Thanks to NI for sustaining the Macplatform.

[chilly_charly]

As promised, an accelerated version of the snail picture vi. Could be a base to create parametric plots (pipes for instance)

[Rudi_N]

Chilly,

There a few examples to get you started with 3D picture control, the links to those examples are:

http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361B-01/lvhowto/light_3d_scene/
http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361B-01/lvhowto/create_3d_multiscene/
http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361B-01/lvconcepts/3d_pic_control/

I hope this helps !

Rudi N.

[Fuquey]

Hi everyone,

I just begin to learn 3D picture control on Labview, anyone have tutorial or example code of simple 3D picture control for beginner.

Thank You

[Ben]

Hi CC,

I just installed 8.20.

Were can I find "3d Parametric Picture.VI"

Ben