Use of OpenGL with LabView

[Dr. Eutonium]

We are considering using LabView for an upcoming application and need to handle digital I/O and video graphics programming from within the same program. Can LabView do this? for example, I'd like to use an OpenGL library for the video control. Is this possible?

[Wiebe@CARYA]

Hi,

Digital I/O is definitely possible. This is what LabVIEW was made for (I/O in general).

The OpenGL question is a bit more difficult. You say you are going to use an OpenGL library. Do you mean a library (*.dll) that uses OpenGL, or OpenGL32.dll itself?

LabVIEW 7.1 has (very limited) OpenGL support build in. You can also call the OpenGL API directly, but this won't be very intuitive to do in LabVIEW. A 3d party api (or a self made wrapper) could make things easier, but if it requires callback functions or pointers to strings in clusters it will be difficult. I've made some reusable solutions for this, so let me know if you need it. If the 3d party dll has mangled c++ names, I don't think it will be possible to use te api directly from LabVIEW (I've only seen this once or twice).

Regards,

Wiebe.

"Dr. Eutonium" <x@no.email> wrote in message news:181234@exchange.ni.com...
We are considering using LabView for an upcoming application and need to handle digital I/O and video graphics programming from within the same program. Can LabView do this? for example, I'd like to use an OpenGL library for the video control. Is this possible?

[vicky]

Hi,
I am also trying to use OPENGL in labview,so could plz help me in this.
Cheers
vicky

[vicky]

could you plz attach the code you are talking about

[Dr. Eutonium]

Vicky,
Sorry, no code at this point. We are trying to select options for a project. At the moment, we are stalled since the story seems to be that there are no LabView drivers/applications
for OpenGL. We've pretty much decided not to go this route. If you or anyone else knows of successful use of OpenGL with LabView, please let me know.

[falkpl]

I have been long interested in using openGl as well on Labview. I have unsuccessfully in the past tried to get a device context for the front panel so I can render directly to the front panel, this would be cool. There are some wrappers for activeX and .net which could be used but these are difficult as well. Unfortunately I am using 7.0 and have not made the switch to 7.1 so the limited support is not available. I have some interest in an open source labview native wrapper for the openGL32.dll for windows but haven't found others interested, if this is even possible to do. A simple API for labview would be great. You can create a GLUT program in C++ and call it from labview but this is not an elegant solution and is not upto the simplicity that us labview regulars are used to. I am interested to hear from anyone else with similar interests. Having the ability to do true 3D rendering on labview would be a good step in the right direction (allowing for 3D models and realtime data to work together native in labview). Sorry this is probably not much immediate help though.

-Paul

[Wiebe@CARYA]

Hi,

I have code that enables LabVIEW to use callbacks. If you want it, just send me an email (remove capitals from my email address). It's not very easy though...

I don't have OpenGL code ready for shipping right now. I am working on a GLUT implementation that uses LV events to handle GLUT events, but it is not very good jet. And it won't get good soon unless we get a paying customer for it...

If you have any specific problem with opengl/lv, I'd be happy to help you out.

Regards,

Wiebe.
"vicky" <x@no.email> wrote in message news:187942@exchange.ni.com...
could you plz attach the code you are talking about

[Wiebe@CARYA]

Dr. Eutonium,

What do you want to do with OpenGL? Is it windows only? Whis is it you want to display? I have working code with opengl in LabVIEW, but in a seperate window. Do you need interaction with the window (e.g. picking)?

One you have an OpenGL rendering context, the main problem is what to draw in it. This is an OpenGL issue, not a LabVIEW issue.

If you can live with an external OpenGL window, there are solutions to get OpenGL working in LabVIEW.

Regards,

Wiebe.


"Dr. Eutonium" <x@no.email> wrote in message news:187989@exchange.ni.com...
Vicky,<br> Sorry, no code at this point. We are trying to select options for a project. At the moment, we are stalled since the story seems to be that there are no LabView drivers/applications<br>for OpenGL. We've pretty much decided not to go this route. If you or anyone else knows of successful use of OpenGL with LabView, please let me know.

[arolin]

Wiebe.

I wonder if you still hapove and are willing to share the GLUT/LabVIEW solution you spoke of.

I have tried to call a GLUT application as a DLL in LabVIEW before. If I remeber corectly I could not get stopping the application to keep from exiting LabVIEW.

I gave it up at the time but would very much like to try agiain.

Thanks,

Amaury 

[DFooz]

So, is it possible to use opengl/openscenegraph(OSG) in labview  or in labwindows window? Not in another window as dll.