Customise Cluster Frame

[MartinMcD]

Hello,

I'm struggling to change the frame of my cluster.  I have read around on the forums and followed the guidance so I know roughly what I'm doing. The problem is this:
- I select the cluster frame from the Parts Window and copy it to the clipboard.
I can then do what I like with the frame but it is now a bitmap.  So, if I create a thin border for example but then drastically resize the cluster on the front panel, the border size changes.  I've tried copying into Powerpoint etc but it always is just a bitmap. 
Please can somebody help me to understand how to get at the vector image so the border size is independent of cluster display size?

Thank you for your help,


Martin
LV8.2

[smercurio_fc]

When you do a Copy to Clipboard you get a bitmap. That's a limitation. You may want to consider an alternate approach, which is to make the border transparent, and then add your own border as a separate front panel object. Perhaps one of the decoration items is more suitable? Not elegant, but it might work for you.

[Ben]

"When you do a Copy to Clipboard you get a bitmap. That's a limitation..." that can be avoided.

I have used PowerPoint to save wmf files that can in turn be used to customize the control by using the "import image from file...". This avoids the clipboard completely.

I am not sure what version of LV first support the wmf file format.

Ben

[smercurio_fc]

Ben, I was referring to the LabVIEW->clipboard direction. I believe that you always get a bitmap when you do that, or can you actually get something else?

What you're saying is to not copy the border out of LabVIEW in the first place, but go to customize the control and then import the graphic for the border, right?

[Ben]

Yep!

See attached (LV 8.5) example were I grabbed a jpg, dropped it in PP presentation, then saved the image as "wmf".

In the Control editor I did the import from file.

Have fun!

Ben

[smercurio_fc]

7 MB!

There doesn't seem to be a way to limit it to the border, though. That seemed to replace the entire cluster background. If you want to replace the cluster border with a fancy border, the border seems to be fixed in width, so you could create a textured border, but there doesn't seem to be a way to replace the border with, say, a "frilly" border.

[Ben]

"7 MB! "

It took me three tries to post that reply before I realized how large it was.

You're pushing my knowledge envelope with your follow-up Q's.

I can specify a transparent color in PP before saving to wmf. So I beleive I should be able to create you frilly border and make the background/interior transparent to acheive what I think you are asking how to do.

Ben

[smercurio_fc]

Couldn't get it to work. But that's probably because I don't really know how to use PowerPoint. Must mean I'm not a manager.

Oh well, maybe I'll look at it again later.

[Ben]

Here you go!

This zip has a very crude curly border along with the final results after importing the wmf file. This is only intended to illustrate the idea.

Ben

Message Edited by Ben on 05-08-2008 03:15 PM

[smercurio_fc]

Well, got a chance to look back at it, and it turns out that I was doing it right - mostly. I just wasn't making the inside of the cluster transparent.