A VI that creates VIs

[Enrique]

Hi all!

In a demonstration I saw IMAQ Vision Builder in action. After the user select the steps for processing an image (and the software can even show a preview of the result, but I am not interested in going that far), this application actually write the LabVIEW code that do it.

Is it possible to write a VI that create VIs in that same fashion? Note that this is not the same as assigning default values to controls in a template VI (which is the option I am currently considering: the template include all the processes. The user then select which one to do and the options not selected are "selected-out" using a boolean case structure. Note that in this option the order can not be
changed, which is ok in my situation, but may include code the user will never use.)

Regards;
Enrique

[Labviewguru]

Enrique,

I'm saving up to bribe some people at NI to get the code to open the diagrams to these VIs...

I have been keenly interested in this myself, as one of the types of applications I have developed quite often was where this would have been extremely helpful.

I have looked at the VIs to try to figure out if there was a way that I could use them to create VIs myself, but haven't been able to figure them out.

Scripting (as I have heard this called) is something that just doesn't seem to be available to anyone but NI Developers. Still, if we all keep asking about it, we may get a version for ourselves.

Keep an eye open, and maybe something will pop up in the future. In the meantime, keep pestering NI. We are more likely to see this (as it al
ready exists) than we are to see my dream, being able to create compact executables in LabVIEW (without need for the runtime engine.)

Thanks for starting the conversation, I was afraid I was the only one looking into this.

And for NI, don't worry, I'm not going to reverse engineer anything and release it, that would be wrong...

[Ben]

Add my name to the list.

Ben

[wiebe@CARYA]

Enrique,

This would be a great feature!

I have ofter thought about building 'wizards'.

We make a lot of pilot plant. A VI that asks for information, and build the
code from it would become possible, just like that! Instant code...

Labviewguru, have you got any clue which vi (or libray) does the magic?
Sounds like a cin or dll to me. Do you know for a fact that the vision
builder is made in LabVIEW?

Regards,

Wiebe.

"Enrique" wrote in message
news:5065000000080000007F550000-1027480788000@exchange.ni.com...
> Hi all!
>
> In a demonstration I saw
> href="http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?cid=1303〈=US">IMAQ Vision
> Builder in action. After the user select the steps for processing
> an image (and the software can even show a previ
ew of the result, but
> I am not interested in going that far), this application actually
> write the LabVIEW code that do it.
>
> Is it possible to write a VI that create VIs in that same fashion?
> Note that this is not the same as assigning default values to controls
> in a template VI (which is the option I am currently considering: the
> template include all the processes. The user then select which one to
> do and the options not selected are "selected-out" using a boolean
> case structure. Note that in this option the order can not be changed,
> which is ok in my situation, but may include code the user will never
> use.)
>
> Regards;
> Enrique

[Scott Seidman]

Labviewguru wrote in news:5065000000050000008C920000-
1027480788000@exchange.ni.com:

> I'm saving up to bribe some people at NI to get the code to open the
> diagrams to these VIs...
>
> I have been keenly interested in this myself, as one of the types of
> applications I have developed quite often was where this would have
> been extremely helpful.
>

This is high on my wish list as well.

--
Scott
Reverse first field of address to reply

[Labviewguru]

Wiebe,

I am not sure if Vision Builder was built in LabVIEW, but I do know for certain that the VI Scripting Wizard was, at least in part. The program that does it is in the folder "program/ext" in Vision Builder. You can go to one of the VI Libraries and actually open a front panel or two, one of which is a wizard front panel. Everything else is either locked or doesn't have a diagram, which means we don't need to be digging around, I guess. I just wish I knew how to use this program, it's really nice.

I was told by an ex-NI employee that he had the codes for all of their software, and knew how to use the scripting. I think this was outside the legal limits of his contract with NI, but I will contact a friend at NI to see for sure. He moni
tors this board, so he may just contact me. Either way, I will see what I can find out about scripting.

Cross your fingers guys...

[Greg_McKaskle2]

....


Vision builder is built in LV. It is capable of building VIs, and so
are a few other NI tools. So where is this feature documented? Well,
that is the problem. It isn't. It isn't documented, and it isn't
finished. Tools like vision builder and the team developing them are
acting as guinea pigs, providing feedback on a very early feature which
will be made available when the feature is ready. Curiosity is healthy,
but hounding NI employees, ex or otherwise is taking it a bit far, isn't it?

If you are going to be at NIWeek, perhaps you can learn a bit more about
it, but don't be too disappointed if you just have to wait like the rest
of the nice LV users. We are all excited about this, but lets keep
things civil.

Greg McK
askle

[Labviewguru]

Okay, a little update, and some advice.

First off, I am not hounding anyone. The information was offered to me by a less than ethical ex NI employee (ex employee for a reason...)

I did ask a friend at NI about this, and he indicated that NI likes to hear feedback about these sorts of things. He is passing along the interest in this idea to the developers. Who knows, we may see this feature available soon, but I suspect it will be an expensive add on (I'd charge for this feature...and I'd pay for it too, but not more than $395, if you're listening there NI...)

Bottom line: It's not available, there is talk of making it available one day, possibly, maybe, we'll see. And also, NI does like to hear this kind of input.

[wiebe@CARYA]

Greg,

Labviewguru and I are both very happy LabVIEW users. But if someone comes up
with a limitation, we just got to resolve it!

Knowing that a limitation is solved by others (e.g. NI), is a great
encouragement to try even harder. For me, that means I dig into the VI code,
LabVIEW code, etc. In general it means going through all lengths to get
result. Ethics must be considered (and should be followed), I agree.

Last months I've noticed an effort of NI to get more feedback
(questionairies, a lot of NI engineers in the newsgroup, etc.). Next thing
that would be nice is information. Knowing that NI is working on a scripting
module for LabVIEW, makes a big difference. Deadlines and new features,
status of them, etc. will keep use from making it ourself. As a company, we
could even plan to use features (e.g. making wizards).

The motivation of use trying to 'hack' into this, is the potential it has.
It's all positive energie! Resolving these kind of problems (I'm guessing
putting LV structures in the LV clipboard, and sending paste messages to LV
windows... Or the misterious ObjectCreate object? Never mind.) is a sort of
sport. Plus, it is a great way to learn.

NIWeek is a bit to far for me to visit, but I will read the presentation
sheets about it (if available).

Regards,

Wiebe.


"Greg McKaskle" wrote in message
news:3D51C751.5080603@austin.rr.com...
> ...
>
>
> Vision builder is built in LV. It is capable of building VIs, and so
> are a few other NI tools. So where is this feature documented? Well,
> that is the problem. It isn't. It isn't documented, and it isn't
> finished. Tools like vision builder and the team developing them are
> acting as guinea pigs, providing feedback on a very early feature which
> will be made available when the feature is ready. Curiosity is healthy,
> but hounding NI employees, ex or otherwise is taking it a bit far, isn't
it?
>
> If you are going to be at NIWeek, perhaps you can learn a bit more about
> it, but don't be too disappointed if you just have to wait like the rest
> of the nice LV users. We are all excited about this, but lets keep
> things civil.
>
> Greg McKaskle
>

[Greg_McKaskle2]

It is probably time to point out again that I have worked on the LV development team for 12 years. I'm not trying to be stealthy, I just prefer to answer these from home.

Anyway, I was trying to answer the question and give out the information we are comfortable with. Unreleased software, which is what this is, means that it isn't ready in some way to be distributed to paying customers. Usually it isn't safe, it isn't supportable, or it isn't complete.

As I said, this is a technology we are quite excited about. We are working hard to finish it and make it customer ready, but these things take time. Until then, I would gladly share other good VI generation techniques if I had any. We developed this feature for the s
ame reason you want it, wizards, assistants, etc. We couldn't find acceptable solutions using templates, automated copy and paste, or other quicker and easier solutions. If you find one, we would love to hear abouut it, but in the meantime, we will just try to finish this as best we can.

Again, sorry for the confusion.
Greg McKaskle