Matrox Design Assistant steps and flowchart features

Step category

Step

Description

Analysis and Processing

BlobAnalysis step

Identifies connected regions of pixels within an image, and then calculates selected features of those regions.

ColorMatcher step

Matches color-samples in multiple areas using different metrics in RGB, HSL, or CIELAB color spaces. The ColorMatcher step can identify, segment, or determine percentages of colors in an object.

ImageProcessing step

Implements various image processing operations (such as filtering, morphology, color conversion, and color projection) to transform, enhance, and analyze images.

IntensityChecker step

Retrieves the intensity minimum, maximum, average, and contrast in a configurable region of the image. This can be used to detect the presence of an object or markings.

Finders

CircleFinder step

Finds circle patterns (models) in the destination image using an edge-based geometric match.

EdgeLocator step

Locates an edge in a rectangular region of the image.

EllipseFinder step

Finds ellipse models in the destination image using an edge-based geometric match.

ModelFinder step

Finds models in the source image using an edge-based geometric match.

PatternMatching step

Finds models in the source image using a correlation-based search.

RectangleFinder step

Finds rectangle models in the destination image using an edge-based geometric match.

SegmentFinder step

Finds line segment models in the destination image using an edge-based geometric match.

Measurements

Measurement step

Finds edge, stripe and circle markers in an image.

Metrology step

Fits geometric shapes (features) to regions in the image, or imports features from other steps' results. Performs measurements and tolerance checks on the features.

BeadInspection step

Verifies the width, position, and continuity of a stream of material such as an adhesive.

Readers

CodeGrade step

Performs standard symbol (code) grading operations. It requires a link to a CodeReader step.

CodeReader step

Reads codes from one-dimensional (1D), 2-dimensional (2D), and composite symbologies (code types). The CodeReader step handles rotated, scaled, and degraded codes.

StringReader step

Reads text from an image.

SureDotOCR step

Performs optical character recognition (OCR) on dot-matrix text in an image.

Registration

PhotometricStereo step

Uses different lit images of a static scene to produce a single image that emphasizes substrate irregularities.

Classification

CNNClassIndex step

Uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify images.

Image

Calibration step

Creates a calibration file from a grid in the image or from a list of points.

Camera step

Acquires images from your camera or from disk. Optionally, associates a calibration file with the image or warps the image to correct distortions.

CameraFocus step

Adjusts a camera's lens to a position that produces optimum focus, or only calculate the focus quality of a specified image or an image grabbed at the current lens position or manually adjust the lens position. Changing lens position requires an Iris GTR with Varioptic lens.

CameraSettings step

Changes initial camera settings in a flowchart.

Fixture step

Creates a fixture that is defined from positions, angles, and lines, or from an existing fixture with an offset.

ImageCorrection step

Warps the input image or a region of the image to align its fixtured coordinates with the image coordinates.

ImageWriter step

Saves images to a shared network folder, an unsecured FTP or HTTP server, or a folder local to your runtime platform, with an optional sidecar text file.

LoadImage step

Loads images from a shared network folder, an unsecured FTP or HTTP server, or a folder local to your runtime platform.

Trigger step

Generates a software trigger to grab an image.

WhiteBalance step

Calculates the parameters needed to produce balanced grays and white.

Flow Control

Break step

Breaks out of the loop, allowing your project to continue.

Condition step

Splits the flow based on a true/false (yes/no) decision.

Continue step

Starts a new iteration of the loop if the condition evaluates to true.

Error step

Breaks out of the loop, going directly to the Status step.

Halt step

Pauses, halts, or delays the execution of the flowchart.

Loop step

Repeats a series of steps until a specified condition is reached. Note that the Break step and Continue step can be used to control the flow of your project within a loop.

Status step

Generates an overall pass/fail status from the specified conditions in your flowchart. When an error occurs in a preceding step, the error is caught and the status is set to fail.

Switch step

Allows conditional flowchart execution of various sequences of steps. Path decisions are made based on the evaluation of the logical expression associated with each case.

Utilities

Counter step

Increments a counter in your flowchart.

This step is deprecated. It is recommended to use variables as counters in your flowchart.

DeleteFiles step

Deletes files from a list of paths.

PositionStamp step

Retrieves the value stored by one of the reference latches of an I/O command list.

ProjectSwitcher step

Terminates the current project and switches to another project.

This step is part of a legacy approach. For alternatives, see the Strategies for inspecting product variants section in Chapter 54: Switching products to inspect.

Reconfigure step

Changes the value of other step inputs, including model images and color-sample images, during runtime.

ResetCounters step

Resets the internal counters of all selected Status steps, ImageWriter steps, and Counter steps.

Store step

Stores data to one or more variables.

TextReader step

Allows reading text files from disk.

TextWriter step

Allows writing text files to disk.

TimeStamp step

Gets the current time.

Recipes

CreateRecipe step

Creates a new recipe that is based on the recipe currently in use.

DeleteRecipe step

Deletes the specified recipe.

LoadRecipe step

Loads the specified recipe.

SavePersistentData step

Saves to file the current value of all operator view input elements, variables, and reconfigured inputs that are persistent.

Type of step

Step

Description

Communication Settings

CommSettings step

Modifies the online/offline state of individual communication protocols.

IO

IOReader step

Receives user-defined input signals from a device connected to the auxiliary I/O pins.

IOSettings step

Allows the modification of certain input and output signal settings during runtime.

IOWriter step

Sends user-defined output signals to a device connected to the auxiliary I/O pins.

TimerSettings step

Modifies a timer's settings. Hardware timers are available on certain platforms (for example, Matrox 4Sight GPm and Matrox Iris GTR).

Serial Port

SerialPortReader step

Receives data from a device connected to the serial port.

SerialPortSetup step

Configures the serial port to be used in a subsequent SerialPortReader step and/or a SerialPortWriter step.

SerialPortWriter step

Sends data to a device connected to the serial port.

Network

NetworkConnection step

Configures a network connection to be used in a subsequent NetworkReader step and/or a NetworkWriter step.

NetworkReader step

Receives data from another device on your network.

NetworkWriter step

Sends data to another device on your network.

Modbus

ModbusReader step

Reads values stored in the registers used by the Modbus protocol.

ModbusWriter step

Stores values in the registers used by the Modbus protocol.

EtherNet/IP

EthernetIPReader step

Reads data from consumer or configuration assemblies used by the EtherNet/IP protocol.

EthernetIPWriter step

Writes data to a producer assembly used by the EtherNet/IP protocol.

PROFINET

ProfinetReader step

The PROFINET protocol service reads data from an output module, which contains data stored by the PLC.

ProfinetWriter step

The PROFINET protocol service writes data to an input module, which is received by the PLC.

Robot

RobotParameters step

Retrieves robot position parameters from the last robot controller request.

RobotWait step

Waits for a robot controller to request a position.

RobotWriter step

Sends a position to a robot controller.

Operator View

Navigate step

Switches to another operator view while the project is running.

OperatorInputs step

Retrieves values entered on the operator view web page.

This step is deprecated. For alternatives, see the Binding subsection of the Configuring input elements section in Chapter 50: Customizing the operator view.