How to produce a GUI that is almost like a mirror of another GUI.

hello everyone, as preparation for my internship, I have been practicing matlab (2019 version) and python alternating every 3 days.

During my matlab study, I choose Doctor livestreaming as a project to tackle as it was a final year assignment my seniors did, I have the following AppDesigner code which runs well after going through many materials online (audio is done through simulink).

The Properties:

classdef WEBCAM_FOR_DOCTOR < matlab.apps.AppBase

    % Properties that correspond to app components
    properties (Access = public)
        UIFigure                      matlab.ui.Figure
        TabGroup2                     matlab.ui.container.TabGroup
        Tab                           matlab.ui.container.Tab
        Tab2                          matlab.ui.container.Tab
        UIAxes                        matlab.ui.control.UIAxes
        VIDSwitch                     matlab.ui.control.Switch
        DateTimeTextAreaLabel         matlab.ui.control.Label
        DateTimeTextArea              matlab.ui.control.TextArea
        TabGroup                      matlab.ui.container.TabGroup
        DoctorsCommentsTextAreaLabel  matlab.ui.control.Label
        DoctorsCommentsTextArea       matlab.ui.control.TextArea
        Switch                        matlab.ui.control.Switch
    end

    properties (Access = private)
        cam; 
    end
    
    methods (Access = private)
        function results = func(app)
        end
    end
    
    methods (Access = public)
        function results = func2(app)
        end
    end

The livestreaming: a toggle switch turns the video of UIAxis On or Off with if-statment.

     % Value changed function: VIDSwitch
        function VIDSwitchValueChanged(app, event)
            value = app.VIDSwitch.Value;

            if strcmp(value, 'On')
                app.cam = webcam;
                frame = snapshot(app.cam);
                theSpeakerImage = image(app.UIAxes, zeros(size(frame), 'uint8'));
                axis(app.UIAxes, 'image');
                preview(app.cam, theSpeakerImage);

            else
                closePreview(app.cam);
                delete(app.cam);
                cla(app.UIAxes);
            end
        end

Comment area: using text area and storing it outside matlab.

        % Value changed function: DoctorsCommentsTextArea
        function DoctorsCommentsTextAreaValueChanged(app, event)

            value = app.DoctorsCommentsTextArea.Value;
            f=fopen('a.txt','w');
            formatSpec= "%s";  
                for i = 1:length(value)
                      fprintf(f,formatSpec,value{i});
                end
        end

QUESTION

I am moving onto python tomorrow which is why I would like to post my question here. I have been trying to have another GUI mirror this one and tried the following methods for textbox as UIAxes would be too difficult to start with.

1. assigin: I tried assigning the textarea into workspace using assigin(ws,var,val) but this gives error
2. setappdata: I tried the setappdata and getappdata using global variable inside the app. I tried setting it as setappdata(APPNAME.TextArea,value ) and when that didnt work I tried with app1 and app2 as the names for the apps. I also tried setting the two apps in public property but there is still error

I went through multiwindow but have not used it for this GUI as I want 2 GUIs with none of them being dialog boxes.

I am trying to get two GUIs with one GUI being the main one and the other GUI mirroring the output of the first one.

Is there any way to do so? any help is appreciated and thank you in advance.

[Stephen23]

https://web.archive.org/web/20211201125942/https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/1584014-how-to-produce-a-gui-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-of-another-gui

Answer 1

[Pranjal Kaura]

Hey Garabani,

It's my understanding that you want to share data between 2 apps.

You can do so by calling the apps from the command window and then use app 'properties' to share data. You can refer to this link to know more about sharing data between apps using properties.

The other workaround could be to send app data to the workspace using 'assignin' functionality and then read it in the other app using the 'evalin' function. I have attached 2 app models wherein I've done the same. However, keep in mind that this method can lead to errors or wrong results , if the variables in the workspace are deleted or changed.

Hope this helps!

[Garabani]

Thank you Pranjal, I will give these a try. if I am to use assignin, how do I assign the frame captured in appdesigner to matlab workspace? just assign(ws,frame) ?

[Pranjal Kaura]

Yes, you can use 'assignin' to assign the value (i.e. frame) to a variable ('var') in the 'base' workspace, as follows

assignin('base','var',frame);

The 'assignin' approach can be used to share data between 2 apps. You can use it to reflect changes (in data/variables) made to one app, in the other app. You will still have to create 2 similar apps and then share data between them to make them work like 'mirror images'.

[Garabani]

Thank you Pranjal, I'll try this as well.