METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTERACTIVELY DEVELOPING A GRAPHICAL CONTROL-FLOW STRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR USE IN A MACHINE VISION SYSTEM

A method and system are provided for interactively developing a graphical, control-flow structure and associated application software for use in a machine vision system using a computer system without the need for a user to write any code. Preferably, the method and system "marry" the ActiveX control standard and the Grafcet/IEC 1131 standard. The structure includes a control sequence having a plurality of steps or nodes, transitions, and links or flow lines which interconnect the nodes and transitions. Hardware operating parameters are stored which correspond to possible hardware for use in the machine vision system. The hardware operating parameters define a set of standard controls having properties. Commands are received from the user of the computer system to select a first control program corresponding to a desired component of a user interface, desired hardware operating parameters corresponding to desired hardware and second control programs corresponding to desired machine vision algorithms. Graphical representations or icons are selected which correspond to the desired second control programs and are displayed in the structure as nodes and/or inputs/outputs of the nodes. The first control program is linked with the desired hardware operating parameters to the second control programs to form the application software. The step of linking includes the step of setting the property of one standard control to be equal to one property of another standard control to form the application software in response to the commands without the user writing any of the application software.