Processing Dialog (automatic mode)

In automatic mode, once the measurement has been carried out, the Processing Dialog is displayed. It consists of three folders:

• Zoomed Vertices
  Finds and magnifies the 4 vertices of the indentation;

• Levels
  Graphically displays the result of the image processing: searches for the 4 vertices and displays the section (red path) on which the analysis of the gray levels is undertaken;
  Understanding the Processing Dialog controls can optimize the results obtained with the automatic mode of measurement.

• Advanced
  Selects the type of analysis.
  Understanding the Processing Dialog controls can optimize the results obtained with the automatic mode of measurement.
   

Zoomed Vertices

Finds and magnifies the 4 vertices of the indentation.
Vertices can be changed manually:

1. point to the new position and click the left mouse button. A red square will appear next to the image to indicate that the new measurement will be performed according to the manual position you have entered.

2. point to the other vertices to be modified manually.

3. press the button to obtain the new measurement. The border of the manually modified image will be colored red.

Restoring the automatic mode

By pointing to the red square and clicking the left mouse button the automatic mode in the Processing Dialog will be restored.
 

Levels

Graphically displays the gray levels along the section (red path in the Preprocessing image).

In the Preprocessing image the four yellow circles represent the four zones the image analysis has indicated as containing the four vertices of the impression.

In the Levels dialog, the red curve in the graph displays the gray levels starting from the center of the indentation. Initially the value is 256, representing the white center of the impression as displayed in the Preprocessing image.

Then the levels decrease and keep close to the zero inside the impression (the dark area in the Preprocessing image).

When the edge of the impression is reached the line quickly goes up and once past the edge it varies according to the type of surface.

The program tries to calculate automatically the optimal position for the Upper (blue) and Lower (green) horizontal threshold lines.

For the program to function correctly the two threshold lines need to be positioned so as to contain, inside the impression (dark area), only the descending and the ascending segments of the red curve, as shown in the figure below.

In some cases it may be necessary to modify manually the position of the two threshold lines by acting on the respective numerical values.

Press the button to obtain a new measurement.

AdvanCeD

Equalization

The Equalization controls allow you to modify the image contrast.

The Equalization control is off if:

the Upper slider is all to the right;

the Lower slider is all to the left.

Drawing the two sliders nearer to each other increases the image contrast.

Analysis by Interpolation
This is the standard (default) mode. The program singles out the vertices from the intersection of the two segments which interpolate the edges of the impression in the proximity of the vertices.
This mode allows you to perform the automatic measurements even without a vertex.
 

Analysis by Vertex
This mode searches for the vertex at the pixel (maximum gradient).