IMAQ vs NI Vision

Question

Hi...  First a question about IMAQ...  I've seen a lot of LabVIEW examples that include IMAQ VI's...  What does one have to own or buy to get access to these IMAQ vi's???  Second, what is IMAQ versus NI Vision???  Is NI Vision a newer name for what used to be IMAQ or is it something else entirely???
I own a Developer Suite license and through that I have numerous versions of LabVIEW Professional Developer Suite (PDS) from LabVIEW 7 through LabVIEW 2011 (don't own 2012).  But I don't own any specific vision/image modules...  All that I really want to do is open a specific .TIF image and display that image on a LabVIEW front panel indicator.  Short of owning any IMAQ or NI Vision vi's, does the main PDS offer the tools I need to perform this fairly simple task???
And again, I'm lost in word soup.  What is IMAQ as compared or contrasted with NI Vision???
thanks... bob...
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Answer 1

Hello Bob,
There is a lot of information to parse through for this question, so lets start at the very top.
NI Vision is the entire vision platform that NI has to offer. This can be broken down into two basic categories; Hardware, and Software. Hardware includes our Smart Cameras, the Embedded Vision Systems, Frame Grabber Cards (PCI, PXI, PCIe, PXIe) and other hardware. The software can be broken down into the Vision Development Module (VDM) and the Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (VBAI). Sorry for throwing in more acronyms but it will save some typing in the long run.
Vision Development Module, is the large overarching toolkit for LabVIEW Vision applications. The Vision Development Module includes several pieces of smaller software. These software include the Machine Vision algorithms and several other processing palettes, and the Vision Acquisition Software (VAS) which can be broken down into three further sections. Here is where we get to the IMAQ VI's, Vision Acquisition Software includes IMAQ, IMAQ I/O, and IMAQdx. IMAQ and IMAQ I/O are free software, and IMAQdx is not.
Here is a quick overview
NI Vision
Hardware solutions
Smart Cameras
Embedded Vision Systems
PC and PXI systems
Software
Vision Builder for Automated Inspection
Vision Development Module
Machine Vision Algorithms
Image Processing VI's
Vision Acquisition Software
IMAQ (free)
IMAQ I/O (free)
IMAQdx (paid)
Now, as to your specific implementation the Vision Development Module is not included with the Developers Suite unless specifically added to your package. However you will be able to acquire and save an image with the basic IMAQ VI's.
IMAQ stands for Image Acquisition, and is a driver package for different camera communication standards as well as several basic image manipulations. With the Free IMAQ driver you will have access to the VI's that are listed in the following KnowledgeBase.
Which VIs are Installed with NI-IMAQ and Vision Acquisition Software?
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/1c4ed6177ee​566d68625794a007ba160?OpenDocument
You can download the latest version of IMAQ here:
http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/2758/lang/e​n
Alternatively you can download a trial version of Vision Acquisition Software, and then allow the paid IMAQdx functions to become disabled at the end of the trial period.
http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/128​92
Once you have the IMAQ VI's installed you should be able to open the .TIF file and display it using the IMAQ ReadFile.VI and a image indicator.
I hope that this clarifies the differences of our Vision solutions, and how you can access the .TIF file.
Cheers,
Joel
Motion PSE
National Instruments