Using and adding open source graphics libraries

[DanielB33]

I hope this question is pretty basic...I have not created separate libraries and classes and added them to my app. Rather than creating custom controls from scratch, I would like to use some of the open source ones. Nothing I have to design at the moment is very unique in terms of graphics.

I need LED displays, gauges, etc.

I have downloaded open source libraries and used them, but they were for parsing data. Not adding objects as graphics. What I don't understand is how to get the graphics from a library on my form? I don't see anything in my toolbox after adding?

I would really like to use http://www.genlogic.com/ for libarries. This is the most diverse and largest I can find - and looks like it has everything I will be needing over the next 6 months. I did install the libraries but...I have no clue what to do after that!

Sorry for being so vague...but I don't really know what I am doing here if you can't tell lol. I have been coding in .NET as about 15% of my job for 7 years.

Thanks!

[passel]

Did you check out any of the VB.Net examples they included?
Running examples provided by the company is usually one of the first things I do when trying a new library.

On Windows, the Evaluation Copy also contains examples for C# and VB.NET.

[jmcilhinney]

If you want something added to your Toolbox then what you probably want to do is just add the library to your system, which would involve installing it if they provide an installer or possibly just storing it in a common location. You can then add the controls and components it contains to the Toolbox in the same way as you would any other, which would start with a right-click on the Toolbox. Once the items are in the Toolbox, adding then to a form will automatically add the appropriate reference(s) to your project.

[DanielB33]

Hmmm - thanks for the responses. I did install the libraries but I do not see anything related to add when going to tools --> choose toolbox items.

Does anyone have an recommendations for good open source libraries for adding to the toolbox?

In the mean time I will continue trying to get this to work...reading online it sounds like a lot of others have had issues with these libraries.

[jmcilhinney]

Did you browse to the DLL in the Choose Toolbox Items dialogue?

[Sitten Spynne]

You need to find graphics libraries for VB .NET. That library says it is for C/C++. You can use P\Invoke to make that "work", but it will be a long, harrowing process and you will only be successful if you can already write the C/C++ code you need.

You can't use just any random library with VB .NET. The costs are heavy if you try to use one that isn't oriented towards VB .NET. There are almost zero high-performance graphics libraries oriented towards .NET in general, let alone with a focus on VB .NET. If you want LEDs and Gauges there are many vendors out there such as Telerik. I used to work for National Instruments and when I did the Measurement Studio product was exactly a library of controls and indicators for Windows Forms.

I'm not aware of any open-source competition.