System Not Finding Imaqdirectshowdll.dll

[zoogie]

Hi There,

I was building a usb camera particle tracker vi and sent it to my personal computer to continue working on. When I tried opening the file Labview 2009 could not locate imaqdirecshowdll.dll. Thus I didn't have the NI-imaqdx functions in my palette and my vi wouldn't run anymore. 

I tried looking online to see where I could download/install this dll to no avail. I also went to a NI training seminar where the guys there gave me the 2011 evaluation CDs. I installed all the drivers again and my system still can't locate this dll.

How should I go about finding the imaqdirectshow.dll?

Thank you very much!

[Drew_H]

Hi zoogie,

We offer two distinct software packages for our vision products. The Vision Development Module contains all of the image processing functions, but does not handle camera communication with the device. The camera communication is handled by the Vision Acquisition Software which installs drivers that allow you to interface with a number of camera buses. Starting with Vision Acquisition Software 2009, DirectShow imaging was included as a part of the NI-IMAQdx driver. However, it does not appear as if this ImaqDirectShowDll.dll is a part of that driver. Instead it is a part of an older driver, the NI-IMAQ for USB Cameras which was in use prior to 2009.

Since you are using LabVIEW 2009, you will probably have to use the following tool for 2009 or later compatibility:  Upgrade IMAQ for USB to LabVIEW 2009

Once you install the NI-IMAQ for USB Cameras to your computer the ImaqDirectShowDll.dll will be located in the machine's system directory, typically C:\Windows\system32.

Please note that although NI-IMAQ for USB Cameras comes with documentation, it is not officially supported by National Instruments.  Furthermore, it does not inherently work on Windows 7, although it appears some workarounds have been posted in the comments on the NI-IMAQ for USB Cameras page.  I hope this helps!

[zoogie]

Hi Drew,

I tried running the exe and this error shows up

"Possible reason(s):

LabVIEW:  File not found. The file might have been moved or deleted, or the file path might be incorrectly formatted for the operating system. For example, use \ as path separators on Windows, : on Mac OS, and / on Linux. Verify that the path is correct using the command prompt or file explorer.
=========================
NI-488:  Nonexistent GPIB interface.

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.6\vi.lib\imaqUSB"

Regarding main.vi

How should I go about this?

Thanks!

[Drew_H]

Hi zoogie,

What operating system are you using?  It sounds like the files did not install to the directory specified by the converter.  If you have a folder that has the proper files in it, you can just create a new folder at the location specified by your error code and copy/paste the files into that location.

[zoogie]

Hi Drew,

I'm using windows 7 64 bit. I've searched for the file in my computer and so does labview when I try to open my vi, but I don't think it's there. Is there anywhere I can download the files needed and copy it into the correct location?

Thanks!

Lawrence

[Drew_H]

Hey Lawrence,

I was able to successfully extract the files manually by following one of the comments on the NI-IMAQ for USB Cameras page:

Solution for Windows 7
I had the same Problem with Windows 7. Manually extracting the files worked for me. Just execute "ni_installer_....exe /x" from cmd and select the files to extract. 
- Mar 3, 2010 

However, I'm not sure if that will work on a 64-bit operating system or if at some point you'll need to move things into the Program Files (x86) directory.

[zoogie]

Hi Drew,

I apologize for not being very tech-savvy. But how do I go about doing this? And what is the specific command I want to run?

Thanks!

Lawrence

[Drew_H]

Hi Lawrence,

You'll need to go to Start -> Run... and then type cmd into the box and click OK. Then you'll need to switch to the directory in which you saved your install file and type "ni_imaq_usb_installer_86.exe /x" without the quotes. From there you can choose to extract whichever files you like from the installer. I'm not sure which version is which, but you can look at the modified date of the files and it appears that the bottom version of IMAQDirectShowDLL.dll is the latest. Extract whatever files the 8.6 to 2009 converter is asking you for and put them in the directory in which it's searching.

Again, this is completely unsupported and I'm not even sure if it will work on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine. Your best bet is to just use our newest version of the NI Vision Acquisition Software and use our NI-IMAQdx drivers to acquire from any DirectShow compatible USB camera.

NI Vision Acquisition Software: Software to Acquire, Save, and Display Images
https://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/product/vision-acquisition-software.html