VIs Included With the NI-IMAQ missing

[plainheart]

My Sw packet include Labview 8.2 and NI vision acquisition software 8.0. NI IMAQ 3.5.1 should be included. My camera is NI_MAQ supported. The installation process doesn't give out any error

Measurements and automation software is properly installed. I can get image from the camera with it.

The problem is that: In labview, I cannot find the VIs included with NI-IMAQ.

From my "vision and Motion" palette, there is only "vision utilities" subpalette and "IMAQ 1394"sub palette". There is no "image acquisition" subpalette.

In the  "vision utility"->"Image Management"  sub palette, I have some VIs like "IMAQ create". "IMAQ dispose"...

In the help menu, there is NI-IMAQ for 1394 VI reference, but no NI-IMAQ VI reference help.

It seems that part of the NI IMAQ are installed, the other part is missing. In the installation process, I selected "complete installation"

Could anyone tell me what had happed? Thx

[VuD]

Hello plainheart,

Does the IMAQ driver show up in the Measurement & Automation Software program?  You should be able to locate it by expanding the "software" tab on the left.   Since it sounds like you might have an incomplete install of the Vision Acquisition software, I would suggest uninstalling and reinstalling the driver. If you go to Add/remove programs >> National Instruments Software >> Change, you should find the IMAQ driver in the pop up window which you can either repair or remove.  You might also try installing the most recent version of the IMAQ driver.  I hope this helps.

Vu

[kehander]

I am having this problem too.  This old thread suggests that I should not expect to find these VIs in my IMAQ installation.

I have already tried installing the Vision Acquisition Software from this link on a LabVIEW 8.2.1 installation, and today I just tried installing LabVIEW 8.5 (including the NI Vision components).  I still only have one VI in the Vision and Motion ->Vision Utilities -> Pixel Manipulation palette.

It doesn't make sense to me that I would have IMAQ ImageToArray and not IMAQ ArrayToImage.  Aren't they both just Call Library Function Nodes?

Anyway, what exactly is the difference between what I have and what I might need to purchase?  Is there a page describing this somewhere?

[McCarty]

Hello kehander,

While IMAQ ImageToArray is included in the NI-IMAQ software that comes bundled in the Vision Acquisition Software, IMAQ ArrayToImage is included with the NI Vision Development Module.  You can refer to our KnowledgeBase article entitled VIs Included with the NI-IMAQ Driver Only for more information on which VIs you should have as part of the Vision Acquisition Software.  The NI Vision Development Module can be downloaded for a trial evaluation period, but does ultimately require activation.  You can find out more about NI's vision software offerings by visiting this link.

Best Regards,
T. McCarty

[kehander]

I see... Does that mean that, without the NI Vision Development Module, there's no way to create an "image" data type (for use with, for instance, IMAQ AVI Write Frame) without using some sort of camera I/O ?

(And do IMAQ ImageToArray and IMAQ ArrayToImage in fact call different libraries?)

[McCarty]

Hello kehander,

You can use IMAQ Create to create an image data type that you can use with IMAQ AVI Write Frame.  IMAQ ArrayToImage references the "library name or path" nivision.*, while IMAQ ImageToArray references nivissvc.*.

Best Regards,
T. McCarty

[kehander]

Well, yes, but IMAQ Create only creates an empty image, right?

I should say, without the NI Vision Development Module, is there any way to create an "image" data type that contains meaningful data without using some sort of camera I/O ?  (If not, is there some kind of "null camera device" I could use to supply arbitrary data to the IMAQ VIs?)

[McCarty]

Hello kehander,

IMAQ Create creates a temporary memory location for an image.  You can consider this a blank image, but really it is just a placeholder in memory for an image.

There is an AVI Read Write With Data Example that contains a Sample Data.vi, but this VI includes functions that are only available as part of the Vision Development Module.  I am not aware of any way to create an "image" data type that contains meaningful data without using either some sort of camera I/O or the NI Vision Development Module.  As I mentioned before, you can run the NI Vision Development Module in evaluation mode to temporarily gain the functionality you seek.

Best Regards,
T. McCarty