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4MIP Software

Ready-to-Run Image Analysis Software for 4MEG VIDEOTM

APPLICATIONS

  • Image Enhancement & Archival
  • Image Analysis & Measurement
  • Video Format Conversion
  • Event & Motion Study
  • Document Capture
  • Cine-loop Capture
  • Visual Inspection & Comparison
  • Machine Vision & Quality Control
  • CT, MR, Ultrasound Image Capture
  • Image Sensor Evaluation & Testing
  • Stereo Imaging, Eight-Camera Imaging
  • Particle Analysis, Counting & Tracking

4MEG VIDEO IMAGING POWER
Designed to evoke the features of 4MEG VIDEO imaging boards, 4MIP sets a new standard in imaging software. Available for DOS or Windows, sophisticated image processing and analysis tasks are accomplished with easy-to-use menus controlled by a few mouse clicks.

SOPHISTICATED SOLUTIONS
Today's imaging climate utilizes a wide variety of technologies. High resolution, high frame rate, area scan, line scan, digital or analog video interfaces, digital signal processors and varied applications requiring video rate motion capture, image enhancement, calibrated measurement, particle analysis, multi-camera imaging, or machine vision, all challenge the imaging system.

These challenges, and more, are met by 4MIP. Together with the 4MEG VIDEO imaging board, 4MIP seamlessly integrates most popular cameras and video sources with a broad array of features: multiple video formats; individual, sequence, or triggered capture and display; video enhancement and pseudo-color; examination of image details; an extensive library of image processing functions; calibration and analytical measurements; convenient graphical annotation; and image export, import, and printing.

4MIP VERSIONS
4MIPTOOL provides configuration for standard or nonstandard video; capture; display with zoom; enhance or pseudo-color; diagnostics; test patterns; 2-D and 3-D pixel plots; and custom menu and scripting support. 4MIPTOOL also exports custom video formats and micro-code as a support tool for programming the 4MEG VIDEO series. 4MIPTOOL is provided with each 4MEG VIDEO imaging board if neither 4MIPLITE nor 4MIP are ordered.

4MIPLITE includes all of the features of 4MIPTOOL, with the addition of saving and loading of images and lookup tables via disk, and saving of graphic displays (e.g. S/VGA).

4MIPTOOL and 4MIPLITE are limited versions of the fully-featured 4MIP ready-to-run image analysis program. 4MIP provides all of the features and capabilities described herein.(1)

ENGINEERED FLEXIBILITY
4MIP is a scientific and engineering package providing hundreds of qualitative and quantitative imaging operations. Engineered for versatility, 4MIP empowers researchers and developers to meet today's requirements, as well as the evolving demands of future applications.

Far more than an interactive program, 4MIP's scripting language allows automating image analysis and inspection tasks. Macros, custom menus, and record/playback of command sequences enhance productivity.

EPIX has provided imaging solutions to the research and industrial communities since 1984. Join the camera manufacturers, radiologists, astronomers, biologists, machine vision and other engineers, who rely on EPIX for solutions.

FEATURES

MULTIPLE FORMAT VIDEO CAPTURE & DISPLAY

Capture from video sources supported by the 4MEG VIDEO: line scan, area scan, high resolution, high frame rate cameras; with digital or analog output; with 8, 10, 12, or more bits per pixel.

Easy setup for nonstandard video formats with QUICK SET VIDEO programs.

Software controlled capture window, undersampling, reconfigurable image buffers, and split screen.

Video rate image sequence capture. Triggered event acquisition. Continuous (circular) sequence acquisition until terminated by trigger event.

Trigger on TTL signal, time of day, keyboard, mouse, or video time code.

Simultaneous capture from multiple cameras (with multiple imaging boards).

Video display with RS-170, CCIR, RS-330, RS-343, or other formats.

Hardware zoom (ratios of 2,4,6,...), pan, scroll.

Display captured nonstandard video, high resolution images, in standard formats; view entire image with pan, scroll.

ENHANCE & PSEUDO-COLOR(2)

Set lookup tables numerically via linear ramps, log curve, gamma curve, or mathematical expression.

Set lookup tables interactively using sliding controls for black level and gain.

Pseudo-color isobars with RGB or with Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSB) models.

Switch among multiple lookup table sets.

REVEALING EXAMINATION

2-D plot of pixel values across line or column, or through image buffers; overplot reference data, subtract baseline data, filter, colorize, size, label.

3-D plot of pixel values, select colorization, rotation, size, and label.

Numerical display of pixel values, in same or successive image buffers.

Pixel scope provides continuous update of captured data.

EXPORT & DOCUMENT

Image import & export in TIFF and BMP formats. Import & export sequence via single TIFF file.

Image export in PCX and Targa format.

Simple XY file formats ease importing data into user programs or spreadsheets.

Lossless, Block Truncation, and Run Length compression formats.

Print images on 300, 600 DPI, and other printers; select screening density, print size, preprocess sharpen, and gamma correction.

Export 2-D, 3-D plots, and other graphics display screens (e.g. S/VGA) in TIFF format.

POWERFUL PROCESSING

Pixel AND, XOR, complement, dither, scale, offset, contrast enhance, and user-defined value mappings.

Image pair add, subtract, AND, XOR, average, weighted product, and ratio, mathematical expression.

Copy, resize with interpolation or nearest neighbor, rotate, skew, shift, mirror. Binning, interlace deflicker.

Morphological erosion, dilation, open, close, boundary, skeleton, with element sizes to 31x31.

Filter with low pass, low pass with low smear, sharpen (3x3, 5x5), median, weighted median, edge enhance, rank high (erosion), or rank low (dilation).

Edge detect with vertical, horizontal, laplacian; Sobel, Roberts, Kirsch, with magnitude and gradient results. Edge gradient thinning.

Convolve with user-defined integer or noninteger kernels up to 25x25. Dynamic threshold, statistical scaling on neighborhoods up to 25x25.

Discrete Fourier Transform (and FFT), inverse transform, correlations. Frequency domain filtering, view frequency domain.

Blob/background intensity normalization, histogram equalization. Two image background correction, contrast modify to match, speckle correction.

Correlate image with mask.

Image sequence average, integrate, difference, tile.

INSPECT & MEASURE

Spatial calibration, linear or bilinear.

Intensity/density calibration, using data points and interpolation, or mathematical expression.

Plot pixel values, and report histograms, center of mass, central moments; all with respect to user-defined coordinates and units.

Blob analysis reports number of blobs, position, size, center, mass, and related statistics.

Subpixel accuracy edge measurement.

Calibrated overlay rulers measure length, angle, distance, and relative angle.

Multiple object markers measure object(s) relationships or movement.

Particle tracking on image sequence. Particle vectors shown numerically, as overlaid graphics, and exported.

CONVENIENT GRAPHICS

Draw lines, arrows, ellipsoids, polygons, and Bezier polynomial curves.

Overlay text using scaled PC fonts, or user supplied LaserJet soft fonts.

Paint pixels, selecting grey level, pattern, brush shape, brush size, and brush angle.

Fill regions, selecting grey level and pattern.

DSP SUPPORT

Execute user developed TMS320C2X image processing programs.

TMS320C2X programs included: Low pass, sharpen, edge detection, 3x3 convolution; morphological erosion, dilation, boundary; image sequence average, differences.

Execute user developed TMS320C40 image processing programs.(3) Symbolic debugger supports single step, breakpoints, view and alteration of registers, debug messages, and break upon data watch.

TMS320C40 programs included: rotate, resize, and image pair operations; convolution, erosion, dilation, median, low pass, edge detectors, and edge thinning filters; histogram equalization, background correction, contrast modification, and intensity normalization; threshold count, histogram, center of mass, and central moments; sequence average and integrate; DFT & FFT, blob analysis, and correlation.

SELECT AREAS OF INTEREST & REGIONS

Operate upon full image buffer, or rectangular area of interest selected by quadrants, coordinates, or interactive placement via cursor keys or mouse.

Image copy; pixel AND, XOR, complement, scale, offset; contrast enhancement, pixel values mapping, histogram operations, center of mass, and central moments, also allowed on image regions defined interactively as: rotated ellipse, rotated rectangle, polygon, or drawn closed curve.

CUSTOMIZE & AUTOMATE

Record and playback menu operation sequences.

Extend 4MIP with user-defined menus, macros, and function keys; using any ASCII text editor or word processor.

Automate imaging tasks with scripts, using the same commands as shown in menus.

HELPFUL UTILITIES

Generate image test patterns, static and frame/field sequence numbering.

4MEG VIDEO diagnostics.

Display video on graphics monitor (e.g. S/VGA), or display single line of video as "waterfall" on graphics monitor.(4)

Customize cursor, keyboard, mouse, graphics display modes and colors.(5)

Export video format configurations to 4MOBJ and other programs.

EASY TO USE

View and interact with images either via video monitor, or via graphics monitor (e.g. S/VGA).

Descriptive menu entries, easier to use than single word entries.

Use arithmetic, trigonometric expressions wherever numbers are entered.

On-line, context sensitive help.


SPECIFICATIONS

IMAGING BOARD:

Any 4MEG VIDEO series, Model 5, Model 10, or Model 12, imaging board. Also supports the IMAGE MEMORY EXPANSION and the COC40 series used with the Model 12.(6)

Up to eight 4MEG VIDEO series imaging boards of identical version and configuration, but with unique I/O port addresses, can be controlled simultaneously.

OPERATING SYSTEM:

For DOS V3.0 or later, as a 32 bit extended DOS program.

For Windows 3.x, as a 16 bit application.

For Windows 95, as a 32 bit application.

For Windows NT V4.0, as a 32 bit application (avail. 3/97).

REQUIREMENTS:

Processor - Minimum of 80386 processor with 3 Mbytes of memory, beyond requirements of operating system and other software. An 80586 or later processor, and math coprocessor, is recommended for improved performance.

Graphics Display - Windows: Any Windows compatible display system. DOS: Any MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA, or S/VGA with VESA support, and monochrome or color monitor; display of false colored images on S/VGA requires VESA mode 112 support. Both: An S/VGA with color monitor is recommended.

Mouse - Windows: A Windows compatible mouse is required. DOS: A Microsoft compatible mouse is suggested for easier use.

Printer - Windows: Image printing on any Windows compatible printer. DOS: Image printing on Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II, III, 4, or 5 series, IBM 4019 Laser-Printer, CalComp PlotMaster, and Alden 9315 printers.

Disk Space - Approximately 4 megabytes, exclusive of stored images and reports.

Other - The fully featured 4MIP version requires an LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3 parallel port, which may be shared with a printer.


SOFTWARE INCLUDES:

QUICK SET VIDEO programs for easy setup of nonstandard video formats.

Example TMS320C2X programs.

Example TMS320C40 programs.

Example script files, including user-defined menus and macros.

Example user-defined macros activated by function key.

Utility program to convert video state files exported by previous versions of 4MIP.

On-line help and printed manuals. 4MIPTOOL and 4MIPLITE versions include the full 4MIP manual, and show 4MIP's menus.


  1. Features dependent upon hardware options, such as the COC40 series DSP board, function only in conjunction with the option.
  2. For video display with imaging boards equipped with lookup table hardware. Or, for supported color graphics display system (e.g. S/VGA).
  3. For use with optional COC40 series DSP board.
  4. The display update rate depends upon the video format, and PC hardware, and, generally, is not full video rate.
  5. Under Windows, keyboard, mouse, and graphic display modes are preset by Windows.
  6. Software may require upgrade to operate future versions of the 4MEG VIDEO board.

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Image Processing Products For Research and Industry

CT brain scan image courtesy of Dataview, Inc.