OFFICIAL RELEASE: X-CUBE-TOUCHGFX v4.13.0

Martin KJELDSEN · ‎2020-01-08

Goodmorning everyone!

With the release of CubeMX 5.5.0 we've removed TouchGFX from the Middleware section of CubeMX and are now offering TouchGFX configuration through an X-CUBE.

The X-CUBE pack contains the following:

TouchGFX Designer .msi, as per usual
TouchGFX Generator - A tool through "additional software" for creating your TouchGFX HAL based on CubeMX settings.

CubeMX is a tool for configuring your MCU.

CubeMX is not a tool for completely configuring peripherals like touch controllers and external memories.

TouchGFX Generator (new since 4,13) is a CubeMX extension that can generate all or parts of your TouchGFX HAL Layer based partially on settings taken from your MCU configuration in CubeMX.

TouchGFX Generator (new since 4,13) is not a tool that provides complete configurations for touch controllers, external memories, etc. It only generates the TouchGFX HAL - Rendering strategies, acceleration strategies, etc.

TouchGFX Designer is a tool that can supply you with application templates for existing stm32 display kits. We are working on getting all of them updated to use the new Generator.

Please read the following guides for instructions on how to install the new TouchGFX X-CUBE and how to use the TouchGFX Generator to develop your TouchGFX HAL:

From now on it is the X-CUBE that receives a version bump, bumping the version of both tools contained within.

A few application templates already support the new TouchGFX Generator (and thus CubeMX 5.5.0), with lots more to come. One of our main priorities is to get the rest of the application templates ported to use the TouchGFX Generator,

STM32H7BI-DK v.3.0.0 (uploaded)
STM32F746-DISCO v.3.0.0 (uploaded)
STM32F769I-DISCO v.3.0.0 (uploaded)
STM32H750B-DK v3.0.0 (uploaded)
STM32F750-DK v3.0.0 (in progress)
STM32L4R9-DISCO v3.0.0 (in progress)
STM32L4P5-DISCO v3.0.0 (in progress)
STM32H743-EVAL v3.0.0 (In progress)

Generally, any application template that supports the Generator/CubeMX 5.5.0 will be major version 3.

Let me know here if you have any questions or face any issues! We're eager to see how this works for everyone.

Now that we are officially live with X-CUBE-TOUCHGFX we'll continue working on improving documentation, offering support and updating the current application templates you can find through the designer.

Aside from that i'll do my best to catch up on this community, something i've had to neglect a bit because of the new Generator.

Best regards,

TouchGFX Generator Team

Asantos · ‎2020-01-10

Martin,

Yes, I'm looking to get started.

My first challenge is that my office PC does not have internet directly, only by virtual machine. So I can't install the templates online. Can I download and install the templates offline?

Martin KJELDSEN · ‎2020-01-10

Which one(s) do you need? I'll give you some download links

Asantos · ‎2020-01-10

Martin,

I want the templates of the STM32F746G discovery board and for the STM32H743I-EVAL board.

And I will need directions of how to manually install it in the TouchGFX Designer.

Thanks

Ari

scottSD · ‎2020-01-10

How many of the issues with using STM32CubeIDE 1.1.0 and TouchGFX 4.12.3 exist in STM32CubeIDE 1.2 and TouchGFX 4.13.0?

I am attempting to compile a project and have a number of similar errors that I saw in the previous version.

A little bit of changing in the TouchGFX Generator did remove the errors.

I know there were a number of steps required to get STM32CubeIDE and TouchGFX to play nice together in the previous version. Are these steps (or something similar) necessary for the new versions?

scottSD · ‎2020-01-10

I am attempting to setup a very simple project using the STMF746G-Discovery in STM32CubeIDE 1.2 and TouchGFX 4.13.0. All it has on the screen is a box set to a color other than black. The project simulates fine in the TouchGFX Simulator but when running on the target, all I am getting is a black screen.

I don't know if this is what is causing my issue on the target, but when going to the TouchGFX Generator I had an issue in the Dependencies area:

I compared the LTDC settings with previous projects (using STM32CubeIDE 1.1.0 and TouchGFX 4.12.3) and they are the same with the Blending Factors being set to "Alpha constant x Pixel Alpha". If I change them to "Alpha constant", the warning in the TouchGFX Generator goes away.

But could this be causing my target to no have anything on the display?

Adding an edit to this post: Apparently this is not an issue, but for information purposes only.

Bob Bailey · ‎2020-01-10

Keep track of any pitfalls along the way. I have not changed to the new version yet because I worry about hitting snags like this. Someone (ST?) should publish a full project that will open, compile, and load on the discovery boards instead of making the "hello world" process take all darn day.

(rant over)

Are you sure the backlight is on? that makes the screen really black on these boards, when my project won't run the screen is usually white (if the backlight is on)

Bob

HP · ‎2020-01-12

At first I was positive - some errors would be weeded out but this it turning south real quick..

First, adding the 'additional software' is not very obvious so I'm glad that someone else took that bullet before me..

Next, Why on gods green earth don't you initialize the default settings to something you know would work?

Like ' Interface' when you're on the 746-Disco board you would always use LTDC right? and double buffer and ChromArt - well, maybe not always but for your first application you would do this.

this is intentionally Raising the bar for newcomer - hardly a smart move by ST..

I'm currently stuck with this error from the 4.13.0 designer

2020-01-12 20:19:59,293 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.App: Logging configured
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Application started
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Username: HP
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Designer version: 4.13.0
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Designer installation path: C:\TouchGFX\4.13.0\designer
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Windows version: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.18363.0
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Current culture: en-DK
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Current culture time seperator: .
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Current culture date seperator: /
2020-01-12 20:19:59,539 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Installed .NET version(s): v4 (Client 4.8.03752 Full 4.8.03752 )  v4.0 (Client 4.0.0.0 )  
2020-01-12 20:20:02,699 [1] ERROR TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.LoadSave: String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.
System.FormatException: String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.
   at System.DateTimeParse.Parse(String s, DateTimeFormatInfo dtfi, DateTimeStyles styles)
   at NPOI.SS.Util.SimpleDateFormat.ParseObject(String source, Int32 pos)
   at NPOI.OpenXml4Net.OPC.Internal.PackagePropertiesPart.SetDateValue(String s)
   at NPOI.OpenXml4Net.OPC.Internal.PackagePropertiesPart.SetCreatedProperty(String created)
   at NPOI.OpenXml4Net.OPC.Internal.Unmarshallers.PackagePropertiesUnmarshaller.Unmarshall(UnmarshallContext context, Stream in1)
   at NPOI.OpenXml4Net.OPC.OPCPackage.GetParts()
   at NPOI.OpenXml4Net.OPC.OPCPackage.Open(Stream in1)
   at NPOI.SS.UserModel.WorkbookFactory.Create(Stream inputStream)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.Excel.ExcelFile.ReadWorkBook(String path)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.Excel.ExcelReader.ReadWorkbook(String file, List`1 fonts)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.Excel.TextDB.ReadFromExcelFile(String path)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.Serial.FromSerial.Convert(SerialApplication a)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.Serial.FromSerial.Convert(SerialModel m)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.LoadSave.LoadDotTouchgfx(String filename)
   at TouchGFXDomainModel.LoadSave.LoadSave.Load(String filename)
2020-01-12 20:20:06,040 [7] INFO  TouchGFXPackages.FileDownloader: Take operation was canceled. IsCancellationRequested=True
2020-01-12 20:20:06,040 [10] INFO  TouchGFXPackages.FileDownloader: Take operation was canceled. IsCancellationRequested=True
2020-01-12 20:20:06,040 [8] INFO  TouchGFXPackages.FileDownloader: Take operation was canceled. IsCancellationRequested=True
2020-01-12 20:20:06,041 [9] INFO  TouchGFXPackages.FileDownloader: Take operation was canceled. IsCancellationRequested=True
2020-01-12 20:20:06,041 [11] INFO  TouchGFXPackages.FileDownloader: Take operation was canceled. IsCancellationRequested=True
2020-01-12 20:20:06,056 [1] INFO  TouchGFXDesigner.Main.MainWindow: Application closed

HP · ‎2020-01-12

okay, I just have to say this - this is a ***********.. I managed to get a compiling project going but along the way I have seen a lot of weird errors..

Why do I have to change my language to english in regional settings? that doesn't make much sense..

I'll repeat my comment from above on why cubeMX don't initialize to some useful default values.. Under 'Display' I have to set 'Interface', 'Framebuffer Strategy' and 'Buffer location'

Under 'Driver' it's all of them

Wasn't it supposed to be easier?

Also, it's mentioned somewhere that you should remove 'generate under root' and switch to 'adwanced'. When I'm generating code in CubeIDE those options are greyed out and not available...

Xu · ‎2020-01-12

Hi @Martin KJELDSEN

I successfully downloaded the STM32 Discovery OoB Demo using touchGFX designer 4.13.0, but it cannot be simulated. Why is this?

Martin KJELDSEN · ‎2020-01-13

If you'd read my posts and the documentation therein you'd know that application templates already exist that have these "full projects".