See an exe front panel in another exe front panel

[spaghetti_developer]

Hi to all,

 

I'm able to see a SubVI front panel in a Main front panel using a SubVI object and inserting it into the object.

I have been wondering if I can do the same launching an executable file and looking its user interface inside a main executable, both built using the LabView application builder. Have you ever done a work like this? Have you an idea to advise me, that can help me?

 

Thank you all

[OlivierL]

Never done that but if I had to try, I would likely start by enabling the ActiveX server in the Build properties of the EXE you want to be able to load inside the other.  This assumes that you are in the Windows environment though. 

 

Good luck and let us know if you succeed.  That could definitely be useful one day.

[infinitenothing]

I know someone out there has a tool for handling window's window handles and you can make arbitrary EXEs a child window. I was hoping they'd chime in.

[Yair]

Some potential options:

1. Open a reference to the remote app and to the VI and insert that into a subpanel. I'm pretty sure this won't work, but it's certainly worth a try.
2. Use remote front panels. Haven't done that in a very long time either.
3. Use a copy of the VI and bind the controls and indicators to shared variables.
4. Use the Windows API parenting functions mentioned here, like SetParent. They're fairly easy to use and there are even VIs which use them online (although you should note you can have one copy of the window at a time and there are potential weird artifacts which can happen).
5. Implement a VNC server. I'm not sure how much work that is to implement. Maybe that's what the ancient LabVNC does.

[hooovahh]

Here is a demonstration showing how to insert any arbitrary window into another.  Of course it has some usability issues as mentioned.

 

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/How-to-run-an-exe-as-a-window-inside-a-VI/m-p/3113729#M893102

[Yair]

The SubPanel class also has a private method called Insert Remote VI which takes an address, port and VI name and presumably uses VI server, but it has no documentation and I didn't even notice it until now, so I have no idea if it works, and it certainly won't be supported even if it does.