Create parameters sheet in Vision Builder

[simonerom]

I'm using Vision Builder AI (Trial), and I found it very interesting.
But, while you can configure complex vision inspection, it seems you can't
set-up one or more parameters sheets to for the user to change some treshold
or some min/max limit.

I saw this example: http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/1705

but it uses Labview to create the form:
1 - I don't want to pay for the labview license only for some parameters settings
2 - The window is continuosly flickering during the execution,so it is very difficult to resize, move,oeven change someting in it!

So,is there any way to set some parameters sheet to let the user easly change inspection tresholds during the execution?

Thanks,
Simone.

[JordanRandall]

Greetings Simone,

Thank you for contacting National Instruments. I have opened up the example you mentioned and I’m not sure exactly what you are looking for. VBAI is a very powerful too, but is also very structured. The User Interface options in VBAI (which will run while a part is being inspected) is limited.

Would you please clarify exactly what functionality you are looking for? I think you might be wanting a list of parameters that the user can pick from but I’m not sure what you mean by this?

The result of the initial threshold is a binary image, but you must first start with either a color image or a grayscale image and provide the threshold algorithm with a number, so that all values above the number are changed to 0 or 1 (once again depending on how you have it setup). As of now, there is not a way to display a list of possible threshold values for an end user to select from a list during execution.

Hopefully, this shines some light on your application and feel free to send us another post if you need further clarification.

[simonerom]

Hi Jordan, many thanks for your answer.

In the past I worked for an important french computer vision company. They have a powerful proprietary embedded vision system, it was very powerful in the 3D too, but not so user friendly as Vision Builder AI 3.0 is on the other hand it was an embedded fpga based system!). Anyway, in this system, during the configuration of the inspection, I could create a "parameter sheet", exactly as the "Global variable" tool in Vision Builder AI, but the great difference was that this parameter sheet (whose values I used in the configuration as tools fields like minimum area in particle filter, or any other field where I could insert a value) was accessible to the user during the inspection! Also the user could create and save different parameres sheets, loadable in eny moment without stopping the production process! I think this is a (fundamental) missing feature in Vision Builder, very useful expecially during the initial phase after the installation of the system.

Hope I have been clear enough,

Greetengs,

Simone,

IT/Vision Engineer
Champs srl - Milan - Italy

[JordanRandall]

Hey Simone,

Yes, your explanation does clear things up. I think you can achieve what you are looking for using User Input steps in VBAI 3.0 and you could do this by creating an overlay on a black image. The interface would not be very nice and clean though. The only way to do it without the awkward interface is that I recommend purchasing LabVIEW.

If there are only a few parameters you would like to be able to change, then doing it in VBAI 3.0 would be really simple and very clean. Now to have an entire sheet of parameters would be a little overwhelming. Are you familiar with “User Input”? There are ways to save the data acquired but no way to open the data once it has been saved inside an inspection. I would recommend checking out the User Input step, but remember that without LabVIEW you will not be able to open previously saved settings from a file.

This most recent release of VBAI was huge (we added the state diagram functionality) and we are always looking for ways to improve the software. I really like your suggestion and would love for you to create a product suggestion.

Kind regards,

Jordan

[simonerom]

Yes, I think VBAI is a great vision software now (with a good industrial pc you can get great applications, extremely fast, in less then 10 minutes!).
I've seen the User Input tool, but it seems that the window is "modal", so that the user has to clicka the OK button at every cicle to let the cicle continue itself!?
But maybe I've to look at this tool more in depth!!

I've discovered Vision Builder just two weeks ago, first looked at the 2.6 version, then I downloaded the AI 3.0, discovering all the great new features that make it a very useful software now (really a great step foreward). I'll be happy to give some improvement sugestions (as I've some free time!).
Anyway some days ago I've also submitted a VBAI iussue (see below) to the NI tech support but without an answer: maybe you are interested in it (I think it's just 1 row missing in the source code).

Simone.

---------------------------------

Support Question:
I'm using Vision Builder AI 3.0 30 days evaluation.
I found VB AI has the very useful function to parametrize tool settings
with results of previous tools/calculations. Now, I need to create an annulus ROI
with inner radius and outer radius depending on previous calculations. While the
ROI (x,y) position can be set as the results of other blocks, this isn't possible
for the inner/outer radius: i.e. if I set some_variable as the inner radius, it works
only once, but the setting isn't stored in the block (if you double click on the
block again you will find the numeric value for the inner radius, instead of the
some_variable you set before).



Software Details:  Vision Software (IMAQ, OCR, etc.)  version 3.0
NI Hardware :  Select one if your issue is related to hardware device
Driver Version :
Operating System:  Windows XP

[JordanRandall]

Hey Simone,

We are trying to keep individual questions per discussion post for documentation purposes. This helps when users of the discussion forums search by "message subject" they are able to find an answer relevant to their question.

What was the message subject of your other post? I will see if I can add some light to the subject or find someone who will! 🙂

Thanks!

[simonerom]

Sorry, I think I don't understand your question very well, did you mean the subject of this thread? It is obviously "Create parameters sheet in Vision Builder", in other words "How to let users change global variables during the inspection". Regarding to the "User input tool", the question is "How to create a user input dialog that do not stop the execution of the inspection, but that only display itself and let the user update the values and apply them when needed" (this could be a half-solution, because the user can't save the values).

Tanks,

Simone

[simonerom]

Ops! You were talking about the support post!? Sorry!

The subject was "Using variable values in inner and/or outer radius of the CREATE ROI toolbox"

Regards,

Simone

Message Edited by simonerom on 11-08-2006 07:44 AM

Message Edited by simonerom on 11-08-2006 07:44 AM

[aljuboori]

Hi,

I used NI Vision Builder Version 3.5, I need to build flexible mouse selection for ROI (Region of Interest) inside Vision Builder.

Please, How can I use Create Region of interest step or any other steps to achieve selection of ROI by mouse?

Waiting your generous replay

Thanks

haider