Toolchain conversion utility simplifies HMI construction

Bridgetek has taken further steps to simplify the human machine interface (HMI) development process, by broadening the scope of the toolchain that accompanies its popular Embedded Video Engine (EVE) product portfolio. Several extra elements have now been added, plus major upgrades and augmentations made to the existing tools.

A core aspect of this fully comprehensive toolchain is the new EVE Asset Builder (EAB). This easy-to-operate conversion utility makes HMI construction much more straightforward and saves considerable time, as it means that users do not need to remember the various command line options for each different constituent utility in their design. As well as covering conversion of image, audio and font files, this intuitive tool has video conversion functionality, too, along with an animation generator (for use with the latest generation of higher-end BT81X series EVE devices).

Enhancements have also been made to the low-level EVE Screen Editor (ESE) element of the toolchain – which is intended to offer users a simple drag-and-drop environment in which they can start experimenting with EVE-based HMI projects. Helpful new usage examples can now be accessed (like those relating to the touch tracking function, use of high-quality Paletted8 bitmaps, bar graphs, etc.).

With regard to the more sophisticated EVE Screen Designer (ESD) tool, which handles the entire workflow (with overall HMI design, widget design, simulation and export all encompassed), this now has capabilities that allow it to support all the functional aspects offered by Bridgetek’s BT81X devices. Notable among these are the use of larger, higher resolution images thanks to adaptive scalable texture compression (ASTC), as well as Unicode features, etc. There are numerous advanced BT81X specific example projects that can be readily utilized – including one focused on designing HMIs for electric vehicle charging points (a market that the company is currently seeing a great deal of interest from). Furthermore, additional widgets have been accommodated which complement the existing Dial, Clock and Slider options. Among these are Arc Slider, Circular Slider, Ring and Partial Ring.

The improved toolchain adds support for the award-nominated VM816 touch-enabled TFT modules. This means that users can get an accurate evaluation of how their BT816 designs will be rendered on an actual display rather than just seeing an approximation on a PC screen.

All of the elements in the updated EVE toolchain – comprising EAB v1.0, ESD v4.6 and ESE v3.1.6 – can be downloaded for free by visiting the Bridgetek website: https://brtchip.com/eve-toolchains