Can't print front panel graphics

I am unable to print any front panel graphics with either the file>>print function or the print at completion selection. If only text is on the front panel it will print, but any graphics will make the printer say that it is spooling for about 5 min and then say it is printing, but it won't. If I first print to HTML and then print from the webbrowser the printer works fine. Are there any reasons for this and any solutions?

What version of LabVIEW are you using?
What are your LabVIEW print preferences (Standard, postscript, bitmap, color, etc.) and what kind of printer are you using?
LabVIEW Champion . Do more with less code and in less time .

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Printed front panel graphics quality (Print Panel to Printer method vs. Append Front Panel Image to Report.vi)

LV 6.02 (or 6.1)
NT 4.0
I have a vi that the front panel includes all the information I need to print except that it is on different pages of a tab control to conserve screen space. I was attempting to programatically cycle the value of the tab control in a For loop and invoke the Print Panel to Printer method to print 7 pages of the front panel, each with a different tab page selected. The printouts were excellent quality but beginning with the second consecutive Print Panel to Printer method the on screen front panel image of the VI being printed would become jumbled (sometimes, by the time 7 printings were done, the entire front panel image would disappe
ar and a bitmap of the desktop or underlying windows would be visible in the VI's panel frame) yet the subsequent Print Panel to Printer methods continued to print the panel as they should appear. The visible front panel graphics would never return to normal and the only solution was to close the vi (in the dev system) or exe (compiled) and re-launch. I tried a lot of things (like hiding the panel to print before printing and showing it after printing) with no luck. It appears that two or more of these consecutive invoke methods caused the problem regardless of whether the tabs were cycling, or even if there was no tab control and much fewer controls on the panel to be printed than normal. I also had the same problem with LV 6.1.
Finally, I was forced to switch to the report generation toolkit vi's, I cycle through the tab pages and use the Append Front Panel Image to Report.vi to append each image to the report. This is faster and control returns to my program quicker but I a
m unhappy with the printed quality of the graphics of the front panels. They are not as high of resolution as those generated via the Print Panel to Printer method.
Any suggestions?

You might try changing the way the VI is printed by going to tools >> options >> printing. Try the postscript and bitmap settings.
Jeremy

LV8.0 Auto-print front panel doesn't work

On the front panel in VI Properties/Print Options the 'Automatically print front panel every time VI completes execution' is cleared when you exit the VI Properties dialog and return to it. Consequently, you can't get the front panel to print by checking this option.
Brent

Bshu,
You're absolutely right. That functionality is faulty. A work around may be to use the operate>>print at completion function. FYI: if you enable this property, the VI Properties/Print Options the 'Automatically print front panel every time VI completes execution' turns black. R&D is aware of both of these problems. Thank you for you're very valuable feedback and post to let us know if there's anything else we can help out with.
Best Regards,
Chris C
Applications Engineering
National Instruments
Chris Cilino
National Instruments
LabVIEW Product Marketing Manager
Certified LabVIEW Architect

Printing front panel of VI - no borders appear around the indicator box values

Dear readers,
I am using Labview 6.1 on a pentium PC with adequate memory etc. I've been trying to print out the front panel of my VI using a postscript printer and the post script printing options available in the Labview. I notice that the printed front panel doesn't show the rectangular borders that is supposed to surround the values contained in indicators and controls.
Apart from this problem, everything looks good, such as it prints out in the way that I want...with nice white background to not waste ink.
Could someone please advise me on what options to set up in order to print the borders around the indicator box values? Thanks very much for any help.
I noticed that for
an older Labview for the apple Mac, namely Labview 4 for the Mac, you can just print the window of the front panel and everything comes out wonderful....you get the borders around the indicator and control box values.
Thanks again.
Kenny Leong

Hi Mike!
Thanks for replying to my post. Greatly appreciated. Is it possible to set the colours for the indicator edges? I'll attach a screen capture of my front panel, and also a digi-pic of the print out. The printout is ok except there's no borders around the indicator values. I printed it out on a hp laserjet 6MP printer as well as on a hp 4050 printer and the printed panels have no borders around the values. I'll attach my front panel vi too. Thanks a lot Mike.
Kenny Leong
Attachments:
labview_panel_screencapture.jpg ‏129 KB
labview_printout.jpg ‏236 KB
dip_res_resultswindow.vi ‏199 KB

Problem printing front panels from LabVIEW 5.1 using a different O.S.

I have an excecutable that was developed using LabVIEW 5.1 on a Windows NT OS platform. I am attempting to run this executable on a PC using Windows XP. Everything appears to be running just fine until I attempt to run a portion of the program that executes a "print front panel upon execution" function that prints out a table, created from a sub vi running in the code. The print command executes, however, the font sizes that are generated on the hardcopy are not what I had originally intended them to be. Also, sometimes the page breaks are in the wrong place, thus making my printouts quite illegible. I ran the same executable on a workstation running Win2000, using the exact same printer, and everythin
g printed out just fine. Is NI aware of this issue, and are there any possible solutions for it?

The versions of labView that NI supports win XP are versions 6.1, 7.0. and 7.1
You could be seeing an incompatability between version 5.1 and XP
LabView 5.1.1 officially supports windows 95/98/NT/2000

How can you "enable front panel datalogging?"

In the Labview User Manual, it says that "You can create and read datalog files by enabling front panel datalogging." How do you go about "enabling front panel datalogging?"
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

From a LabVIEW only perspective, you can enable control (front panel) datalogging through the menu Operate>Data Logging->. If you bind a log file to the VIs front panel it will generate a binary file with the state of the controls in it, when you execute Operate>Data Logging>Log... (I could not find a way to execute this Log... by VI server programmatically - Maybe someone else?)
From a LabVIEW DSC perspective you can generate a Logos Remote connection to a tag (e.g. with the HMI Wizard). And when you have enabled that this tag has to be logged, the LabVIEW DSC Engine will store/log the value into the Citadel database.
Hope this helps
Roland
PS:
Not updated however maybe helpful:
80E?OpenDocument>Using Enable Database Access to Retrieve Data from a LabVIEW VI's Log File
Front Panel Data Logging and Retrieval (old Example)

HP 6500 wireless ALL-in-one e709n Printer front panel not responding at all

Hi there,
I have got a HP 6500 wireless ALL-in-one e709n printer.
I have been using it with my pc with windows vista on it for nearly 2 years and it has been great.
1 month ago, the front panel of the printer stopped responding, ie, when i press any buttons, the lcd screen on the printer does not change, it always show the ink level.
The printer turns on, shows that its preparing, then goes to idle state with ink level icons on the screen.
If i try to print any documents, it works with ethernet cable connected to my pc (which i used to do it wirelessly) , the cable-connected printing function still works, but wireless printing does not work anymore.
However if i try to scan something, on the pc when i open the hp scan app, it shows that 'scanner is not available'.
Also because the front panel doesnt work, no buttons respond, i cannot scan or copy.
I have tried unplug everything and reinstall all drivers and programs.
No damage to printer or my pc, it just stopped working all the sudden.
Can any one help me out please?
cheers,
Charlie

Hi Charlie,
Try going throgh the steps listed below and check if that may help:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02716803&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=3795406&tmp...
Shlomi
Say thanks by clicking the Kudos thumb up in the post.
If my post resolve your problem please mark it as an Accepted Solution

Print Front Panel/Change Colors?

Unfortunately, the optimal GUI for display on a computer screens does not
work very well for printing. I have a program that has a lot of graphs with
black backgrounds and it really sucks the black ink if it is printed often.
In the past, I solved this issue by having a duplicate screen that I sent my
data to that had white backgrounds. In this case I have a lot of tabs,
controls, and indicators and it would take too long to create all the print
screen scenarios on a separate VI.
Question: Does anyone know of a simple method to invert colors or change
brightness of panel printouts to use less ink?

When using Bill's solution, you can use the "Panel >> Defer Panel Updates" property using Property Nodes. Set it to TRUE, then change colors, print the front panel, reset the color, then set the "Defer Panel Updates" to FALSE.
That way the user will never see the panel color change.
Please see the attached image.
- Philip Courtois, Thinkbot Solutions
Attachments:
PrintWhitePanel.JPG ‏59 KB

Print front panel does strange things

Hi everyone,
I am having some difficulty in printing the front panel of a vi.
It seems to print the panel as it appears when the vi starts, and not as
how it appears at the end of the vi's execution. This is a problem because
new data is loaded into graphs during the execution and this is what I'm
interested in printing.
The vi that does the printing currently doesn't get shown when it runs.
Any suggestions very much appreciated.
Jeff Abell

I think I have a solution for you.
You can press print screen on your keyboard, but make sure that you don't
have any windows open that could get in the way of your Panel.
Then you can import ( paste ) the picture into for ex. "Paint Shop" and
manipulate the picture there.
I hope this will help you print out your VI.
Frode.....
Jeff Abell wrote in message
<01bea1bf$a7da9c60$[email protected]>...
>Hi everyone,
>
>I am having some difficulty in printing the front panel of a vi.
>
>It seems to print the panel as it appears when the vi starts, and not as
>how it appears at the end of the vi's execution. This is a problem because
>new data is loaded into graphs during the execution and this is what I'm
>interested in printing.
>
>The vi that does the p
rinting currently doesn't get shown when it runs.
>
>Any suggestions very much appreciated.
>
>Jeff Abell
>
>
>
>

Print front panel

I have been going through messages for a while but just can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. I need to print a waveform chart that has two plots that update at about 10Hz. Simple enough, right? Problem is that the report vi's have no way I can see to easily enlarge the image. I tried putting a larger chart in a sub vi that prints after executing but the chart only get part of the data when I run it. Then I tried the invoke get image method but can't find an indicator for the image data. Is there a way to print an enlarged waveform chart image? It would be even better if I can just print a front panel of a subvi with the same data on the waveform chart that appears on my top-level VI.
PaulG.
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be insane." -- George Orwell

What I have done in these situations is to have a graphs that is sized to printout the size that I want. I then update the graph from the program data, grab an image of the graph using the Get Image method, and save the image as a jpeg file. I can then either printhout this file or include it in a standard report.
OR you can use Draw Flattened Pixmap.vi to turn it into a form that will go into a picture indicator
OR you can create a VI with the graph on its front panel that is set to print itself when it finishes executing - or which you print programatically
Mike...
Certified Professional Instructor
Certified LabVIEW Architect
LabVIEW Champion
"... after all, He's not a tame lion..."
Be thinking ahead and mark your dance card for NI Week 2015 now: TS 6139 - Object Oriented First Steps

Print front panel by clicking on a boolean button

Hi everyone,
I need that a user can print the front panel just by clicking on a button in the front panel.
Apparently I need to use Report generation ==> Easy print VI panel + a boolean button.
But I have no idea how to make the connections. My code is in a while loop. Where I have to connect the inputs "VI path" or "contents" for example and then how to connect the boolean button ? (I just want to print the front panel)
(I have seen the manuel help on ni.com but it didn't really help me...)
Thanks for your help
Best regards
Solved!
Go to Solution.

You just need to wire a Current VI's path to the Easy print VI panel (VI path input). And that's it. It will print the VI front panel on the default printer.
If you can't use the event structure just place a case structure and wire your Print button to the selector. First make it print on the default printer with default settings and then start to play with things such as contents.

Problem Printing Front Panel

I'm having a problem printing the front panel of a particular VI. When I set the print option to Standard Printing the printer prints nothing. When set to Bitmap Printing it works, but it's not the type of printout that I want. In both cases the Print Preview appears the same. Also, all my other VI's print in Standard Printing mode with no problems.
I've read other posts indicating that the cause may be that the VI is sending a print code to the printer telling it not to print. How can I determine if this is the case? If it is the case, how do I fix it? This VI's front panel has nothing special about it relative to other VI's that print correctly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If it happens using the menu, then it's not that your code sends a "do not print" action to the printer.
Try copying front panel items, one or two at a time, from your wonky VI to a new VI, and print the new VI after every move.
Maybe you can find one item that causes it.
If you're on a Mac, print it to a PDF file, and see if that's OK. If you're on Windows, you can use Print2PDF or something similar to act like a printer and show you what the printout would be.
Steve Bird
Culverson Software - Elegant software that is a pleasure to use.
Culverson.com
Blog for (mostly LabVIEW) programmers: Tips And Tricks

How can i open front panel of a vi and run it

Hi
I have a vi that i call multiple times from another vi, however i want it to open the front panel on some calls and not on others. What is the best way to do this?
I have come up with a way and was wondering if this method was okay or is there another method that might work better escepcially since i am eventually going to create an application out of it and hope that no problems pop up then
Unititled 1 calls Untitled 2 where with one call it opens and runs Untitled 2 while with the other call it simply runs untitled 2.vi
What I did was i changed untitled 2.vi window appearance to dialog but i deselected the show front panel when called, so by simply calling the subvi form untitled 1 it works. Unititled 2 runs but does not open
Now with another call i want to open and run untitled 2.vi so by looking the attached vi you can see what i have done
Again if there is a better method that would make my vi's more efficient i would greatly appreciate it.
Reza Sed
Attachments:
Untitled 1.vi ‏24 KB
Untitled 2.vi ‏10 KB

What you did, in theory, is the correct way to do it. However, you should move the front panel open and close into Untitled2.vi and have a boolean input as to whether to show the front panel or not. This way, your calling code is cleaner, and you don't have to reproduce the code everytime you want to call the subVI and show the panel.
If you were to use Untitled2 in another project, then you woud have to go back and look how to implement the showing of the front panel in your other code. If later, you were to decide you want that VI to be maximized, then you make one change in the VI, and not in every place you ever call it showing the front panel.

Can I control front panel items from a sub VI?

Hi all,
After taking the Intermediate I class, I have been trying to follow the methods of using modular programming, but there's one thing I haven't quite figured out how to do. How can I change a front panel display from within a sub VI? I have a menu selection that I wish to change - can I simply input a reference to it or something like that?
Thanks much,
Jason

All you need to do is to pass a control reference to the subvi, and then, in the subvi, to use a property node to modify whatever you want (well, almost...) on your control. Ask if you have more trouble and need an axample...
CC
Chilly Charly (aka CC)
E-List Master - Kudos glutton - Press the yellow button on the left...

Cannot print front panel

I have tried to print the front panel and the block diagram. The front panel is blank but I do get the block. What is the issue. Tried on another pc and both do not work.
Dg

A little unclear as to how you are doing it
Are you using print option in menu>>File>>Print??
Or, Are you using LabVIEW to programatically print/ 'append to report' your Front panel?
Message Edited by devchander on 09-29-2006 12:34 AM
Message Edited by devchander on 09-29-2006 12:36 AM

Can't print front panel graphics

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