New Year, New ZomB Dashboard

ZomB Dashboard System 0.7 Beta 1 Released
The ZomB Dashboard System has helped you create custom dashboards before, but now, 0.7 is almost here and it is even better! ZomB 0.7 builds on 0.6 in a few areas, but is completely new in others.
Visual ZomB
Visual ZomB (or ViZ for short) enables you to build a custom dashboard quickly and easily without having to use bulky Visual Studio. It has a drag and drop interface, dynamic toolbox loading, plugin support, build to standalone exe, snap lines, and many other features
ZomB Control Collection
The core ZomB controls have been remade in WPF to enable many more advanced features and better performance on hardware acceleration enabled computers. Also new: force feedback/rumble
Installer
ZomB Dashboard System 0.7 now has an installer that will automatically set everything up for you.
Robot Side Bindings
With support for C++, Java and now LabVIEW, all with TCP communication both to and from the dashboard, debugging your code and displaying data has never been easier.

ZomB 0.7 also has numerous other improvements: Release Notes 0.7 (work in progress)

Download the beta, report any bugs, give feedback, and I’ll (hopefully) release the final 0.7 next Wednesday. Also, If you are interested in helping develop ZomB, please feel free to contact me.

Download Installer
(almost) Complete Guide to ZomB](http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/docman/do/downloadDocument/projects.zombdashboard/docman.root/doc1047)
Using the Bindings
FIRST Forge site: http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/projects/zombdashboard

And by the way, ZomB recently passed 3000 downloads! (its currently at 3100) Thank you for all the downloads!

ZomB Dashboard System 0.7 Released
The ZomB Dashboard System 0.7 is here and it is even better! ZomB 0.7 fixes a few small bugs with the beta, a missing file and an issue when loading multiple targets
Feature Video
http://thecatattack.org/ZomB

ZomB 0.7 has numerous improvements since 0.6: Release Notes 0.7 (work in progress)

Download, report any bugs, give feedback, and have fun. Also, If you are interested in helping develop ZomB, please feel free to contact me.

Download Installer
(almost) Complete Guide to ZomB](http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/docman/do/downloadDocument/projects.zombdashboard/docman.root/doc1047)
Using the Bindings
FIRST Forge site: http://firstforge.wpi.edu/sf/projects/zombdashboard

Oops, I forgot to post the source for 0.7, so I just posted it on FIRST Forge now. Its in the 0.7 package.

Download Installer
Download Source
Download Both

I know I am being a huge pain in the arse saying this, but could you please make a version that is mono-friendly? I know you have the static dashboards mono-goodwise, but I would love to see the dynamic ones mono-happy.

Possibly SDL would be a good enough replacement for WPF

I would try to make it Mono friendly, but alas: http://www.mono-project.com/WPF_Notes
If you want to port it to SDL or another framework, go ahead, and if its not missing critical features, i’ll post it

I haven’t tried, but if you have wine, you should be able to install it (make sure you install the reall .net 3.5 framework also)

On a another note, has anyone experienced a flood of undefined symbols when downloading ZomB.out to the robot? if so, does http://thecatattack.org/NUfiles/ZomB.zip fix it?

IMPORTANT FIX - v0.7.1.350
This release fixes a few critical bugs:

  • Missing symbols error causing it to be unusable is now fixed
  • You can see the WPILib camera again due to a threading fiasco
  • streaming from the camera directly should be supported, enter the ip address in the params box
  • Now prompts you for your team number, migitating the missing team number issue

Download

Team 997 is thinking ZomB might help us create the custom Dashboard we require this year. Just to confirm my understanding, is it legal to use ZomB as your Dashboard at competitions?

Did The Cat Attack use ZomB at their regionals last year? Did it cause any issues?

It is legal, but it can also be illegal. Right now, the using the TCP communication setting is illegal during a match, but I am working on making it legal (easy port switch) (and you can use it during development though)

We used it last year with great success, we even saved almost all our match videos: http://thecatattack.org/media/2010/RobotEye%20Videos/ and played them back in the pits using ZomB Eye. There was usually a crowd!

Are you referring to the source section of the Dashboard Data Hut? Should this be set to DBPacket? I’d really appreciate exact instructions here.

Wow! Video evidence even. If you were able to record video, I’m guessing you didn’t have any issues with ZomB slowing down your robot. Impressive.

yes, DBPacket is 100% legal, TCP will be 100% legal after the next release, RemoteData (TCP2) may be legal, but probbably not by ship, but it is nice for debugging

ZomB has a new guide: Quick Guideto help you setup your ZomB dashboard, complete with a few troubleshooting tips.
Legal ports will be included in the next ZomB build

Thanks again so much for all your work on ZomB Dashboard. The Quick Guide is great, and we are getting data from our robot to a custom ZomB dashboard, which is very exciting.

Any progress yet on making ZomB legal for FRC competitions by using legal ports? Robot Ship is in 11 days, we have all of our dashboard eggs in the ZomB basket, and we won’t have time to switch to a different dashboard solution at this point. We anxiously await the next ZomB release. Thanks again for this cool software and for making it available to other teams!

Sort of, I should get a release posted late tomorrow or Sunday. (just need to actually test it, you can use the stuff in svn now if you want)

BE LEGAL, USE v0.7.1.350

  • Optionally use 1180 for TCP and be legal (see below)
  • updated for cRIO image v27 and v28
  • MJPEG camera support fixed (attachment to switch directly)
  • AutoListen support (kind of like SmartDashboard)
  • Bluetooth transfer control
  • Faster run support
  • C++ and Java can now directly add a ParticleAnalysisReport
  • Now using VLC 1.1.7

and a few other things

Being legal over TCP (DBPacket is always legal):

  1. Don’t use a camera on port 2, it will also broadcast on 1180
  2. In C++ or Java, initialize ZomB with the arguments (TCP, true)
  3. In Visual ZomB, in the property editing window, click the …] button next to Sources, and remove /TCP2, and select /TCP, and change it to custom, and add port 1180 (ex: zomb://.yourteamnumber:1180/TCP)

Download

Just something to look into for the next version:
My team is currently having trouble running both the camera and the meters on the dashboard at the same time. When we try, the camera has a delay of about four seconds and the meters are off by about two. We were not sure if just too much info is being sent to the dashboard so we tried using a remote dashboard and everything was fine. On a side note, the meters and the camera work fine independently.

is this on the classmate? and using DBPackets? I’ve experienced the exact opposite when using DBPackets sometimes (slow on other computer, fast on driver)

EDIT: I can’t believe I forgot to announce
ZomB 0.8

  • Java bindings now follow convention - update your code
  • compiled against cRIO v28

Download

Yes this is on the classmate but we are actually using TCP instead of DBPackets. When we try DBPackets, NetConsole gives us this message: >>>>Fatal error “When packing data to the dashboard, too much data was packed and the buffer overflowed.” in Printf() in C:/windriver/workspace/WPILib/Dashboard.cpp at line 283

EDIT: We are currently sending 9 floats which souldn’t be too many. Also we are using ZomB version 0.8.

odd, i’m assuming this is not just once? if so, would you mind sending me your code, i’ve never seen this before.

what is the wait in the main loop? 0.005? try a larger number (like 0.02) and see if its better. i’m also assuming you are using if (z.CanSend())

ZomB v0.8.1.386

  • MJPEG improvements, should go on and on and on now
  • ZomB button improvements: restart works, Move added (grab it like the titlebar)
  • Build button autofocused, just hit enter

Download

And, thanks to all your support, ZomB has now been download over 4000 times!