developing an avionics UI using the picture control

[robosys]

Hello All,

This is my first post to the UI forum, I have spent a few days investigating how to develop an avionics display for the project I am working on. I decided to use picture controls as I need to combine several dial & Indicators into a single display. I thought picture controls would allow me to integrate these 'instruments' well. I started trying to develop a compass first and managed to generate the lines formed around a circle ok. I then tried to rotate the letters for N S E W around the compass lines but I have found the quality of the lines and especially the text reduces maing them appear fuzzy. I also need to rotate the whole display which further adds to the missing erratic pixels of the image.

I have tried downloading a few toolkits but havent seen much that can help me. I am considering scrapping the picture control idea and use the front panel rotary indicators with modified images. I think the main issue is caused when I convert the pic ctl to an image while processing. It appears the swop from pic ctl > image > pic ctl is lossy. I couldnt figureout any other way to rotate the text.

Have I missed something?

Advice Appreciated.

Regards

Chris

[Thoric]

Rotation of bitmapped images will always produce unattractive results, it's much better to 'draw' your lines and curves as you need them - in the rotated coordinates. If you need anti-aliasing to smooth the look of those non-perpendicular lines then you're out of luck unfortunately, these features aren't included in the basic drawing tools.  Take a look at the BitMan toolkit, it's free. I'm not familiar with it but it might contain some useful bitmap manipulation functions.  Alternatively, if you're feeling brave, there's the 3D picture function. With this you can build a true three-dimensional scene and render it. It's pretty quick, and will handle rotation natively, but isn't simple to grasp.

[Barp]

Another option is to use the Compass available in the Robotics Module.

If you can't, then what you can do is avoid rotation the letters and just 'draw' on the specific location, but up right.

Please look at the examples related to 2D and 3D picture control, specially in 2013. The examples in this version are improved considerably. Use the example finder to find those examples.

[NJKirchner]

You may want to contact

jevecar@etsii.upv.es

based off of the information seen here

https://projects.ardrone.org/boards/1/topics/show/2963

It might not be exactly what you're looking for, but it might get you partially there

Also, if you're just looking for an attitude indicator w/ a picture control. Here is one I did a Long time ago.

It's not perfect, but a good starting point

Attitude.llb http://www.screencast.com/t/jgXBq7prt1

[FabiolaDelaCueva]

I know these were published somewhere in this group, but I can't find them, here is the link to the forum post:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/customizing-artificial-guages-of-cockpit/m-p/1123358/highlight/false...

Fab

[Barp]

This constrols that Fabiola pointed are pretty good.... They did all the 'static' fancy work elsewhere (Photoshop?) and then use the needle to rotate. They also used composition of pictures, and controls overlapping.

If you want to understand the rotation, we have something similar as a shipping example:

C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\LabVIEW 2013\examples\Graphics and Sound\2D Picture Control\Rotating a Picture.vi

Maybe you want to check this out too....