What is recommended as a 3rd party print-preview formatting, ActiveX

[linnx]

Hi,

I need to create a report tool with a print preview capability and ability to print a very simple report (not html,word or excel) that would print straight to the printer after the user had a chance to preview it and move around the objects dynamically (maybe in the same preview window) and am currently failing to see anything that comes standard with LV8.2. I'm talking about creating a WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) type of report with an ability to rearrange items on the screen and then doing a print preview with movable page borders, zooming, etc. I was thinking of using some .NET classes but am not allowed b/c we'd have to include the framework or make users download it (ppl with win2k machines) which is a problem and cannot be considered.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone can recommend any good 3rd party reporting package that's ActiveX compatible or any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[Herbert]

I'm starting to feel bad about bringing this up all the time, but did you try DIAdem and the DIAdem Report Express VI? Except for the adjustable print-preview you describe, it seems to come with everything you're looking for.

BTW, the Express VI is not password protected. It is also modular enough so that reusing it's subVIs (e.g. for preview or printing) is a reasonable thing to do.

Hope that helps,

Herbert

[crelf]

QUOTE(Herbert @ Feb 22 2007, 09:19 AM)

I'm starting to feel bad about bringing this up all the time...

Don't feel bad Herbert - DIAdem is a great package!

[Chris Davis]

I can think of a couple of options...

1. Create what you want in the picture control... It would be labor intensive for anything but the simplest outputs, but you might end up with something that you could use in other places.

2. Think about setting up predefined templates and printing them as a temporary PDF file that you can display to the user. The downside is your template might get out of control, or your users will want the capability to add thier own templates which could get cumbersome.

3. The DIAdem toolkit mentioned above. If you stop and think about the manhours that could be involved in creating, debugging and adding features to the two options I've mentioned above, DIAdem's price starts to look small.

[Jim Kring]

QUOTE(linnx @ Feb 21 2007, 02:33 PM)

Hi,

I need to create a report tool with a print preview capability and ability to print a very simple report (not html,word or excel) that would print straight to the printer after the user had a chance to preview it and move around the objects dynamically (maybe in the same preview window) and am currently failing to see anything that comes standard with LV8.2. I'm talking about creating a WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) type of report with an ability to rearrange items on the screen and then doing a print preview with movable page borders, zooming, etc. I was thinking of using some .NET classes but am not allowed b/c we'd have to include the framework or make users download it (ppl with win2k machines) which is a problem and cannot be considered.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone can recommend any good 3rd party reporting package that's ActiveX compatible or any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

linnx/romulus,

This is a cross posting, as are nearly all of your postings to LAVA. PLEASE, if you are going to cross post, then put a link to your other post. You are basically asking people to waste their time (asking for unnecessary duplication of effort) and depriving people from useful information (possible answers on the other thread). :!:

For example:

• LAVA :: NI
  
• LAVA :: NI
  
• LAVA :: NI
  

[PaulG.]

Simple is best. I like a 3rd-party windows application called Gadwin PrintScreen. In the entire LV community I have found little in the area of simple print screen functionality. But Gadwin works quite well. I had a client (PhD in physics who was the director of test engineering for a huge sputtering target manufacturer) who loved this program. He had my LV application running, moved his windows around to WYSIWYG, pressed the printscreen function key and he had a printout AND a saved .jpg file if he wanted it. You can set it up to preview, window, etc. He even used these files/printouts as part of his ISO paper-trail. Hope it can help you out.

[linnx]

QUOTE(PaulG. @ Feb 21 2007, 10:40 PM)

Simple is best. I like a 3rd-party windows application called Gadwin PrintScreen. In the entire LV community I have found little in the area of simple print screen functionality. But Gadwin works quite well. I had a client (PhD in physics who was the director of test engineering for a huge sputtering target manufacturer) who loved this program. He had my LV application running, moved his windows around to WYSIWYG, pressed the printscreen function key and he had a printout AND a saved .jpg file if he wanted it. You can set it up to preview, window, etc. He even used these files/printouts as part of his ISO paper-trail. Hope it can help you out.

Thanks a lot Paul! That sounds exactly like what we want/need.

Jim sorry for cross posting, I will make sure to put a link to NI next time. I just feel like this is the best way to get an answer b/c often times NI's forums are non-responsive and sometimes I don't get anything on Lava.

[Jim Kring]

QUOTE(linnx @ Feb 22 2007, 08:11 AM)

Jim sorry for cross posting, I will make sure to put a link to NI next time. I just feel like this is the best way to get an answer b/c often times NI's forums are non-responsive and sometimes I don't get anything on Lava.

linnx: Thank you for expressing your concerns and for working with us to help make the LAVA forums as good as they can be

[linnx]

QUOTE(Herbert @ Feb 21 2007, 06:19 PM)

I'm starting to feel bad about bringing this up all the time, but did you try http://forums.lavag.org/index.php?s=&showtopic=3781&view=findpost&p=23060' target="_blank">DIAdem and the DIAdem Report Express VI? Except for the adjustable print-preview you describe, it seems to come with everything you're looking for.

BTW, the Express VI is not password protected. It is also modular enough so that reusing it's subVIs (e.g. for preview or printing) is a reasonable thing to do.

Hope that helps,

Herbert

How do i modify an express vi's block diagram??

[Herbert]

Right-click the Express VI and select "Open Front Panel", then select "Convert" in the following dialog box. That'll bring up the VI that will be executed at runtime. The VI you see there is a special flavour of reentrant VI called instance VI. It is embedded in the VI you dropped it on and you shouldn't modify it for various reasons. It's main purpose is to contain the settings you make in the configuration page.

The actual functionality of the Express VI is contained in a subVI of the instance VI. That subVI is just a regular VI that you can copy, modify or whatever. For the DIAdem Report Generation Express VI, the VI you're looking for is .\vi.lib\Platform\express\DIAdem Report.llb\Execute.vi.

Hope that helps,

Herbert

[linnx]

QUOTE(Herbert @ Mar 5 2007, 04:33 PM)

Right-click the Express VI and select "Open Front Panel", then select "Convert" in the following dialog box. That'll bring up the VI that will be executed at runtime. The VI you see there is a special flavour of reentrant VI called instance VI. It is embedded in the VI you dropped it on and you shouldn't modify it for various reasons. It's main purpose is to contain the settings you make in the configuration page.

The actual functionality of the Express VI is contained in a subVI of the instance VI. That subVI is just a regular VI that you can copy, modify or whatever. For the DIAdem Report Generation Express VI, the VI you're looking for is .\vi.lib\Platform\express\DIAdem Report.llb\Execute.vi.

Hope that helps,

Herbert

Thanks Herbert!

What i'm really interested in is that little Preview window on Configure DIAdem report VI. Is that accessible and it's not pwd protected, hopefully ;-)

Thanks.