Real Picture Animation

[EdDickens]

Greetings All,

I've been doing a lot of work with the LV6 picture function to simulate various systems to show how they will react to aid in system development. The animations react in real time to the inputs being provided from the controls under development via serial data or DAQ input.

I've been doing pretty good at showing a basic representation of the systems just using built-in picture functions, but my team lead now wants to use real pictures for the animations instead of just rectangles and circles.

Has anybody tried to animate pictures. What I would basically need to do is this. First, picture a bucket loader on the front a tractor. It's basically 2 pieces, an arm and a bucket. The arm has 1 stationary end, it's pi
vot point, and 1 moveable end where the bucket is attached. The bucket pivots on the end of the arm. To simulate this with real pictures, I would need to draw 2 separate pictures and be able to rotate one end while keeping the other end still to show the lifting motion. As far as I can tell, this can't be done with real pictures, it looks to me that the only movement possible is horizontal and vertical by changing the top-left start point. I've successfully built this simulator using the basic picture functions.

Another problem I see is pictures are all rectangles, so I would not be able to show the real shape of the various parts without having extra dead space around the part. This dead space would cover other parts and ruin the picture.

Maybe something is possible using ActiveX or Flash, but I'm not sure you can input a number and move individual parts of the animation.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
----------------------------------------------
----
Edwin O. Dickens
DISTek Integration, Inc.
On assignment to: John Deere Product Engineering Center
phone: (319) 292-6372
email: edwind@distek.com
Lvl 3, Aisle U, MS83P
--------------------------------------------------

[Matt_R]

Animation can be accomplished in LabVIEW through a number of different methods. The method that seems most applicable to your application is using custom controls. With custom controls you can replace control images with custom images to simulate movement. I have attached an example that replaces the images of a toggle switch with the images of a loader's lowered and raised arm.

Other methods of animation would include using picture controls, or picture ring controls. Documentation about all of these methods can be found in the Developer Zone at http://zone.ni.com.

[EdDickens]

Hello again All,

I thought a bit more explaining was needed on my part, so I've attached the bucket loader I originally built, and a sketch of what the new project is so you would have a better idea what I'm trying to do.

The loader in this example is a bit different than the one used for development in that you can control the position with buttons and in the real one, the position comes from DAQ, but the animation is the same.

If you look at the new project sketch, you'll see it is much more complex having I think 5 interacting, movable arms and a couple hydralic cylinders that also move.

As you can see, the range of motion is much more that just up and down.

I'm pretty sure I can do this in the same manner I did the loader, but I'm suppose to try to
use actual digital pictures for the individual parts instead of the 'Draw Rectangle' and other draw functions.

Thanks again
Ed

[MichaelAivaliotis]

Edwin;

Is this all just a simulation or will you actually be controlling the unit? If it is a simulation, do you want to show a smooth precise degree of motion?

Val.

[EdDickens]

What this will be used for is development of software in a control module that will eventually control the hitch itself, and then be used as maintenance tool. So smooth precise motion is needed. Data will taken from a CAN bus.

I made a second post on this for more explaination and included a bucket loader simulator that I built that this will will be similar to, just more complex. There is also a sketch of the hitch system itself for reference. Just see my second post under this thread for the files.