Starting point for minimal GUI for spectrometer

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Is there a simple minimal example of a project in Visual C++ that graphs x-y data?

This is to operate a small spectrometer. I would like a starting point that shows a graph and does little else, to which I can add controls, a thread that reads the data sent asynchronously from the instrument over a COM port and some plumbing to update the graph.

This is an urgent need, it is for underfunded schools, and I need a little help to get a quick start.

Thank you

What I have tried:

Searched forums, code repositories

Posted 28-Jan-24 2:11am

DrMN

Updated 28-Jan-24 2:14am

v2

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0x01AA 28-Jan-24 9:06am

Have a look e.g. here: Chart Control in Windows Forms Application[^]
Simply change the seires type from bar to line in the series property. The example is c#, but it is easy to do the same with c++.

Here something in c++: An easy way to plot in a Visual Studio 2019 C++ program. - Microsoft Q&A[^]

DrMN 28-Jan-24 9:40am

Thank you, but that is .net. I have no experience with .net, only simple c++ and winapi, but it does look simple. Does it do scientific style graphics? The article shows only an excel style chart.

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 9:45am

I really suggest to switch to .net. It is very simple to do a WinForm application.
You simply put a graph onto a form and set e.g. the properties for the graph series in the vs designer.
Yes you can do scientific graphics. Most examples shows bar graphs (don't ask me why). But as mentioned, set the property of a series from bar graph to line series and you can easely show yoour spectral graph e.g. from 360-750 nm

Btw. may I ask you which brand/model of spectrophotometer you are using?

DrMN 28-Jan-24 9:56am

I built it. It is derived from this design https://github.com/drmcnelson/Linear-CCD-with-LTSpice-KiCAD-Firmware-and-Python-Library. The item in question is a little more eloquent, a lower noise front end with a 16 bit diff ADC, and fits inside a handheld size housing.

In case you are interested, this one, with a higher end sensor should be ready soon. I have the boards back from fab. https://github.com/drmcnelson/S11639-01-Linear-CCD-PCB-and-Code

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 10:01am

Wow! Cool!
If you build this, than a .net winform app would be easy for you ;)

DrMN 28-Jan-24 13:01pm

Perhaps, but I have to do it very quickly, and my most recent windows programming was winapi and a long time ago. I have hardly used a windows machine in years

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 10:37am

Some background from my side: I'm working meanwhile for about 35 years with industrial spectrophotometer from Agilent, Datacolor, XRite, Minolta, Hunterlab, Perking Elmer, ...

DrMN 28-Jan-24 13:14pm

Yep, I started building these because of cost, and to be able to record kinetic series with good control over the timing. Few of the commercial instruments do that.

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 12:57pm

A very fast and dirty example in c#. And by the way, I'm also c++, but c# is easy to understand if you are familar with c""


using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.Charting;

namespace WindowsFormsApp1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            chart1.Series.Clear();
            chart1.Titles.Clear();

            Series series = new Series();
            series.Name = "My Series Test";
            series.ChartType = SeriesChartType.Line;
            this.chart1.Series.Add(series);

            //AddXY value in chart1 in series index 0
            //
            for (int ix= 360; ix <=750; ix+= 10)
            {
                chart1.Series[0].Points.AddXY(ix, ix);
            }
            //chart title  
            chart1.Titles.Add("Spectrum Test");

        }
    }
}

DrMN 28-Jan-24 13:10pm

Fantastic! I dont understand it yet, of course.

I see the words threads in the "using" statements, and some routines with click in the names, but I have no clue how a thread is created or how the buttons are connected to something and positioned.

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 13:17pm

In a winform app you simply double click the button in the designer. vs will then create the sceleton where you can implement your code.

DrMN 28-Jan-24 13:23pm

in other words, open vs, create a new project, select winform, and then drop in the above code?

0x01AA 28-Jan-24 13:44pm

Open VS
Create a c# winform application
Drag/drop a chart component from tool->data
Darg/drop a button component from tool-standard
double click the button and copy paste what you see above in the 'button1_Click' method

DrMN 28-Jan-24 13:55pm

Ah, thank you. C# and .net are installing now. I have to run out for a while. Is it possible to reach you if I get stuck getting to the first compile? Thanks again, really fantastic.

DrMN 28-Jan-24 14:14pm

There is a Toolbox, no Tool, no chart

DrMN 28-Jan-24 14:27pm

Okay, disappointing. Microsoft q&a says that chart is no longer in Windows Forms.

0x01AA 29-Jan-24 2:26am

I don't think Chart is not longer available. I just did that with VS2022. Makesure that your Project is Windows Forms App (.NET Framework).

DrMN 29-Jan-24 6:25am

It is Windows Forms, I think net frameworks is the older version? Chart is now part of something that needs to be added to VS. I found this, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1295118/how-to-add-chart-in-my-windows-form-in-visual-stud

DrMN 29-Jan-24 6:43am

Okie dokie, that worked, I have a chart, but it looks like a bar chart, not a graph. I suppose that is just the icon and I need to add something to make it a graph. Okay, anyway that is something. I suppose it is time to find the documentation for it.it. Thank you

0x01AA 29-Jan-24 7:02am

Did you implemented the ButtonClick method I mentioned in the code above?
Then it should be a line series....

In the designer you will see a bar graph by defualt. But you can change that also:
Click the graph
In the property window for the graph there will be a property Series.
Click on that and the series editor will be opened.
Check for the series change the property to 'Line' (SeriesChartType.Line)

0x01AA 29-Jan-24 13:14pm

Did you give up with .NET?

DrMN 29-Jan-24 13:45pm

Not entirely, I have to work on a python class for an instrument this afternoon, hopefully will come back to it tonight.

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CPallini · Answer 1 · 2024-01-28T20:48:00

Solution 1

You know you may search articles, here at CodeProject.
An example of a quick search[^]

Posted 28-Jan-24 20:48pm

CPallini

Comments

DrMN 29-Jan-24 6:30am

Yes, and yet not one of those at least in the first 10 or so, are just a simple 2-d graph. You have bar charts, multiple axes, and on and on. To use any of that, I have to study the code enough to pick it apart and hope nothing extraneous remains or critical was removed. It is not a good starting point to write a program. I understand, developers want to show off what it can do, but to use it easily, we need a maximally simple example to know where to start. It took a long time before the people at matplotlib got that, too. It is crucial if you want someone to use your software.

CPallini 29-Jan-24 6:52am

Well, if you are searching for something minimalist then you may have a look at GDI+ documentation:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/gdiplus/-gdiplus-getting-started-use
There is shown how to use the graphics primitives. Then it is just a matter of scaling and translating points.

DrMN 29-Jan-24 8:38am

Thank you, that is actually a big help. As you noted those are primitives, rather than a minimal example, but the rest is known art. Great.

DrMN 29-Jan-24 6:32am

I did actually search before posting the question, and on other forums as well. The animation one seems to have the write words in the title, but again, I haven't found an easy to use example that is relevant for me.

DrMN 29-Jan-24 6:59am

I looked at the next few pages of them. Wow. One even writes more or less, "it does everything, it is unlimited, but I don't have time to write documentation". The words "memory leaks" appear in the comments. It is really surprisingly difficult to find something that is simple and comes with a simple example that works.

CPallini 29-Jan-24 8:49am

You are welcome.

DrMN 29-Jan-24 9:18am

Being a near newbie to VS2022, how do I get that into a project?

CPallini 29-Jan-24 9:34am

It's been a long time since I... (I have to admit I'm using C# and Windows Forms)
Anyway you might start either a 'MFC App' project or a 'Windows Desktop Application' one.
See, for instance
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/overview/visual-cpp-samples?view=msvc-170&source=recommendations#mfc-samples

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/walkthrough-creating-windows-desktop-applications-cpp?view=msvc-170