VI of the Day (11/6/2009) - Create Mask VI

[Darin.K]

Well, today is the 50th VIOTD so I could have done a clip show, but instead I chose one of my most-used picture VIs, "Create Mask".  This VI does a lot of work for you, give it a picture, tell it the color you want to me transparent, and it calculates the mask for you.  What can you do with this?  A few things, like spruce up your boring shape fills with some nice gradients.

 

Or, if you want something a little more psychedelic 

Or how about adding a little zip to drab text

Not too shabby.  As you see in the example code, all of these involved the same basic trick.  Draw your boring shape in all black and pass it to Create Mask.  Generate your background bitmap (you can use an image as well), and substitute masks in the image data.  Usually you will invert the mask so the part outside your shape is transparent.  Enjoy.

VIOTD groundrules here. 

P.S.  50 was one of those nice, round numbers I had in my head when I started this.  If I am back here on Monday I guess I will have signed on until the next one.  Maybe 75, 100,1000?  Who knows. 

[altenbach]

Well, you just missed an apportunity. "Create Mask" would have been great for a Halloween VIOTD. 😄

[Darin.K]

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altenbach wrote:
Well, you just missed an apportunity. "Create Mask" would have been great for a Halloween VIOTD. 😄

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How did I miss that?  Oh that's right I was in Vegas for Halloween.  If I had brought my laptop along, and my wife had caught me posting to this forum on our vacation.  Ouch, that may not have ended well.... 

[johnsold]

VOITD for the next trip: Keep the Wife Happy.vi

Lynn 

[GregFreeman]

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How did I miss that?  Oh that's right I was in Vegas for Halloween.  If I had brought my laptop along, and my wife had caught me posting to this forum on our vacation.  Ouch, that may not have ended well.... 

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well my boss doesnt like when i post at work but i do it anyways...then again i dont have to live with him..

Message Edited by for(imstuck) on 11-06-2009 10:17 AM

[Ben]

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for(imstuck) wrote:

...well my boss doesnt like when i post at work but i do it anyways...then again i dont have to live with him..

Message Edited by for(imstuck) on 11-06-2009 10:17 AM

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 Same here and your post insiped me.

I'm shunned from posting to the web,

Under normal or under neB.

But if they find LabVIEW doesn't work,

They will be looking for this jerk.

Ben

[tst]

Congratulations. You've managed to recreate WordArt, not an evil creation in itself, but one which has allowed many many things which should not have seen the light of day to be unleashed on the world.

Come to think of it, that sounds like a lot of the features in LabVIEW. 😉