May 13, 1997, Robots & Vision Show, Detroit, MI – Today, the Matrox Imaging Products Group announced revision 2.1 of Matrox Inspector, Windows-based imaging software. For OEMs and integrators of machine vision, medical imaging, and image analysis systems, Matrox Inspector 2.1 allows testing and validating of image processing algorithms without programming. Once the proof-of-concept is complete, the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL) can be used to write the application code. For research scientists and engineers who need to extract precise measurements from images, Matrox Inspector 2.1 provides the power to analyze images more efficiently. With added support for the Matrox Genesis image processor, Matrox Inspector is one of the few off-the-shelf software packages to run on a dedicated processor as well as on any standard PC with a VGA display.

New functionality that benefits developers and end-users alike includes extended blob analysis and classification, morphology processing, arithmetic operations, gauging, and pattern matching. This revision also adds paint and text tools for annotating images, sequence image capture and analysis, non-rectangular region of interest (ROI) processing, as well as a user customizable tool bar and much more.

Enhancements also include better file handling capabilities, more supported image types, easier-to-use scripting, and extended graphing features. A wider range of standard and non-standard camera types are supported and parameters can be adjusted interactively in real time.

For developers, interactive access to the hundreds of functions found in the Matrox Imaging Library means that they can try numerous 'what if' scenarios to search for the best approach to solve an imaging application. With Matrox Inspector, no programming is required when testing out images or algorithms. Scripts can be applied to groups of images stored in the "Collection" visual database for batch testing. Developers can call proprietary algorithms stored in DLLs as well as make calls to MIL, if needed.

End-users involved in research and analysis can increase productivity as well. In analyzing images of everything from human tissue to aircraft oil, objects can be found and classified using the extended blob analysis and classification. Precise non-contact measurement of parts can be accomplished using images and Matrox Inspector's extensive gauging and measurement functionality. Pattern matching can be used to find objects of interest in images of anything from metal components to PCBs.

The information and statistics gathered from analysis are presented graphically, in tabular format and as plots to clearly see results. Data can be exported directly to packages such as Microsoft Excel using OLE automation or the clipboard, or logged to text files for further analysis and interpretation. Matrox Inspector can communicate with other packages by making calls to external DLLs, extending functionality even further.

The CD-ROM ships with many sample script files, utility DLLs, and a multimedia tutorial on image processing called Image Quest.

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