| Re: Embedding IDL visualization routines in C/C++ apps [message #10545] |
Wed, 17 December 1997 00:00 |
davidf
Messages: 2866
Registered: September 1996
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Senior Member |
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Mark McGillion (mm@fs1.co.umist.ac.uk) writes:
> I would like to know if it is possible to embed IDL/PV-Wave
> visualization routines within a C/C++ application such that 2D/3D data
> can be visualized easily, i.e. without having to
> write the visualization routines in C/C++.
Yes, it is possible to embed IDL or PV-Wave routines within
your C/C++ application. This is the whole purpose of the
"callable" IDL interface. At least in the IDL case (and I
presume PV-Wave as well) you will have to live with some
limitations on how you interact with IDL. IDL was not designed
to be a callable application. Rather, it was designed to be
a stand-alone application. Thus, it has some restrictions
on exactly how you interact with it. Often these
restrictions are easily accommodated by calling programs.
> For example, can this be done
> by compiling IDL/PV-Wave routines into a DLL which could then be
> distributed with the C/C++ application?
Again, the answer is yes, IDL can be incorporated into a DLL
which can then be distributed with your application, but perhaps
not in the way you hoped. IDL must be licensed separately.
(You could, for example, obtain a run-time license for it.)
This is often more expensive than people expect.
And the DLL you create will (at this time) include *ALL* of
IDL, not just the 3-4 routines you wanted to use. This makes
it a rather large DLL. I've heard RSI has plans to "modularize"
IDL in the future, so you can load only that portion you
really need, but I don't know when this might happen.
Cheers,
David
-----------------------------------------------------------
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Phone: 970-221-0438
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
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