Command Line Startup Options

See also Command Line Installation Options.

When starting NIS-Elements from the command line (or when editing the desktop shortcut properties), you may append some switches with parameters to the main command and thereby modify the startup behavior.

Note

Some switches do not have parameters.

Example 1. Command line switches syntax

NIS-Elements executable switch#1 parameter#1 switch#2 parameter#2 etc.


For example, to run NIS-Elements and open the starting_image.nd2 at straight away, run.:

"c:\Program Files\NIS-Elements\nis_ar.exe" -f "C:\Images\starting_image.nd2"

Startup Switches

-?

Displays a help screen with the description of switches (basically this page).

-c Command

The application runs the specified macro Command.

-cw Command Wait

The application runs the specified macro command and waits until it is completed

-f Filename

The application tries to open the image pointed to by the Filename parameter.

-gn

No grabber (camera) driver will be loaded. Image acquisition will not be possible.

-guid {GUID string}

Loads the specified Hardware Configuration directly without showing the startup window. Do the following to determine the GUID of a hardware configuration:

  1. Start NIS-Elements and select the hardware configuration in the startup dialog.

    Note

    If no dialog appears, the Select automatically on startup option is selected within the Devices > Select HW Configuration command.

  2. Open the log folder by Help > Open Log Folder.

  3. Open the latest application .log file and find the line containing GUID =

  4. The value in the curly brackets is the GUID. Use it for the startup parameter including the brackets. For example:

    -guid {cd2c80bc-3f64-4e77-97c5-6f0829ba43f7}

See also Device Manager

-i Config Name

A user can specify the configuration to be used by NIS-Elements. The default configuration is saved in the C:\ProgramData\Laboratory Imaging\Platform folder. If you want to create a custom configuration, use the -i switch, e.g.: nis_ar.exe -i "My_Configuration". The configuration of this instance will be saved to the "C:\ProgramData\Laboratory Imaging\My_Configuration" folder.

This is useful when using two cameras on one microscope for example. You can create a separate program shortcut which uses the -i switch to load a different configuration.

-j Path

Sets the custom path where the configuration of NIS-Elements is saved. If this switch is used without the -i switch (see above), the Platform folder is created in it. If it is used together with the -i switch then the folder specified in the -i switch is created.

-l Language

The application will run in the specified language (if available). Use three-letter language codes according to the ISO 639 standard.

-m Macro File, -mw Macro File

The application will execute the macro file (*.mac) pointed to by the Macro File parameter. With the -mw switch, it will also wait until the macro is completed.

Note

A similar functionality can be achieved via the Macro > Run Macro on Events menu command.

-passive

The application will not connect to any device on startup (NIS-Elements will start with blank Device Manager). Camera selection is not affected by this option.

-p Command Param

The application window will be placed according to the Command. Possible values are:

left, right, top, bottom

The window is placed on the corresponding monitor screen.

monitor N

The window is placed on the Nth monitor.

rectangle (x0,y0,x1,y1)

The window is placed in the specified rectangle (in workspace coordinates). The coordinates must be in parenthesis without any spaces.

minimize

The software window is minimized to the task bar on startup.

-q

A new instance of the application will run. By default, only one instance of NIS-Elements is allowed to run.

-s Settings File

The application will use the specified Settings File to load and save its settings. The settings file can be created from MS Windows Start menu by the NIS Settings Utility.

-var, -vbr, -vd, -vf

For testing purposes, you can switch the application to run as if you have a different version (AR/BR/D/Freeware) installed. However, you have to have the corresponding licence written in your key (Even if you normally run NIS-AR, the -vd switch will not work to run NIS-D unless you have also the NIS-D licence).

Note

Mind that the set of functions you will get once the software is run depends on the setup file used for installation (for example, some functions of NIS-D are not included in the NIS-AR setup so these will not appear in the software run by: nis_ar.exe -vd