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How to Change the Name of a Firewire Camera in Measurement & Automation Explorer

Primary Software: Driver Software>>NI-IMAQdx
Primary Software Version: 3.0
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: Driver Software>>NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394, Utility Software>>Measurement & Automation Explorer
Hardware: Image Acquisition (IMAQ)>>Compact Vision System

Problem:
How can I change the name of my IEEE-1394 (Firewire) camera in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on my local system or my Compact Vision System (CVS)?

Solution:
Every Firewire camera generates a *.iid file the first time it is connected.  It is possible to change the name of the Firewire camera as it appears in MAX by editing this *.iid file.  Instructions for doing this are given below for either a local system or a remote system, such as a CVS.

Local System
  1. On your local system, navigate to the Documents and Settings/All Users/Shared Documents/National Instruments/NI-IMAQdx/Data or the Documents and Settings/All Users/Shared Documents/National Instruments/NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394/Data folder, depending on which drivers your Firewire camera was installed with.

    • If these folders do not exist at this location, navigate to the NI-IMAQdx/Data or the NI-IMAQ for IEEE-1394/Data folder in your National Instruments installation.

  2. The *.iid file for the Firewire camera will have the same name that the camera has in MAX.  For instance, if a camera appears as cam1: Basler... in MAX, it's *.iid file will be cam1.iid.

  3. Open the camera's *.iid file in a text editor.

    1. Double-click on the *.iid file.

    2. When prompted, choose to Select the program from a list.

    3. In the list of programs, select Notepad or some other text editing utility.

  4. In the *.iid file, rename the InterfaceName field to match the desired camera name.  For instance, if you'd like to rename the camera cam1, change this line to InterfaceName = "cam1".

  5. Close the text editor.

  6. Rename the *.iid file to match the name entered inside of the file.*

  7. After you close and reopen MAX, the Firewire camera should appear with its new name.
            
Remote System
The instructions for changing the name of a Firewire camera on a CVS are the same as for a local system, with the following exceptions:
  • To navigate to a folder on a CVS, you will need to FTP to it.  Please see KnowledgeBase 3409ILOK: How Do I FTP to the Compact Vision System (CVS 145x)? in the Related Links section below for instructions on doing this.

  • On a CVS, navigate to the niimaqdx/DATA folder or the IMAQ1394/DATA folder to find the *.iid files.

  • To edit a *.iid file on a CVS, you will need to copy it to the local folder, make the desired changes there, then copy it back to the CVS.

  • Once you have edited a *.iid file, you will need to reboot your CVS before the changes you have made will be reflected in MAX.  To do this, right-click on the device in MAX and select Reboot.

* Note:  The name of the *.iid file is case-sensitive and must match the name inside of the file exactly.

Related Links:
KnowledgeBase 2ORE3UZO: How can I Programmatically Change the Camera File for my IMAQ Interface?

KnowledgeBase 3EJF9VB1: File Structure of the CVS 1450

KnowledgeBase 3409ILOK: How Do I FTP to the Compact Vision System (CVS 145x)?


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Report Date: 05/12/2006
Last Updated: 01/18/2008
Document ID: 3XBH8THB

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