Picture Ring Sources

[DL84]

Hi all,

I've got a request to add some visual "Flare" to a program of mine that we use to test batches of product.  Basically the user selects a model, and the requestor would like to see a picture of the one they select.  Ok easy enough for me if I do it hardwired into labview, or if I wanted to open it in say paint or whatever other program.

What I'd like to do is have a portion of the front panel show the picture so its loaded in labview, but I'd like to make it so that it loads the image from a folder on our network that way, everytime they want to add new product they just have to format the name of the photo the same as the assembly they are building and drop it in that folder.  That way I don't have to be pestered with updating a ring of pictures inside the program itself every time.

I've never used a picture ring, but I know of them so maybe this is an easy app, probably has a handy property node I could use - anyone have suggestions?

[TWGomez]

Not sure I see a way to dynamically add pictures to the pic ring

You could just use a regular picbox, and load the file from a path you dynamically create using the static folder location with the item name selected by the user (+ .bmp or whatever).

[DL84]

That way would work to, there isn't much documentation though on that function.  Context help doesnt come up with anything, and nothing on the main help that I can find.

Looks like it takes a refnum in, so just create a refnum to a picture and send it in there and up it comes?  Hmm usually I can just make a constant into a refnum input and feed in a path...this makes a .net refnum...don't have an example of how to use this guy do you?

[smercurio_fc]

Unfortunately, the images in a picture ring are static. I agree that the picture indicator is the way to go with this. There's VIs in the Graphics & Sound palette that will allow you to read in a graphics file, and then you can feed the image data output of these VIs to the Draw Flattened Pixmap VI, which you can wire to the picture indicator:


You may need to have code that will resize the picture indicator if the image you're loading is larger than the indicator, or you can just turn on the scrollbars.


Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 05-02-2008 09:18 AM

[smercurio_fc]

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@leachdor wrote:
That way would work to, there isn't much documentation though on that function.  Context help doesnt come up with anything, and nothing on the main help that I can find.

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To what are you referring?

[DL84]

The picturebox recommendation, seems to be .NET controlled

[TWGomez]

Yup, here you go.

[smercurio_fc]

The .NET picturebox is a different beast. We're referring to the LabVIEW picture indicator. Under Graph -> Controls -> Picture (don't ask as to why it's there - I've never been able to figure it out).

You can get it automatically when you right-click on the Draw Flattened Pixmap output "new picture" and select Create -> Indicator.


Message Edited by smercurio_fc on 05-02-2008 09:24 AM

[DL84]

Ah thanks, to both thats probably enough to get something working...

Just curious though...whats the difference between the two?  (.NET method and the picture indicator...sounds like they both do the same thing)

[smercurio_fc]

The .NET picturebox is part of .NET, which is a Microsoft framework. Documentation on it can be found in MSDN. The LabVIEW picture indicator is built into LabVIEW, and is therefore platform-independent.