Matrox Imaging has released version 10 of the Matrox Imaging Library (MIL). This maintenance release updates platform support, improves the flexibility and performance of several existing tools, and introduces enhancements to simplify and accelerate application development.
MIL 10 provides support for Microsoft Windows 8 and the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Linux distribution. It includes improvements to the vector-based graphical image annotation capability, which lets programmers implement user interactivity – linked directly to MIL tools – into their applications more quickly. The release introduces the MIL Profiler utility to visualise the execution of multi-threaded MIL applications, thereby allowing more detailed application troubleshooting and optimisation. MIL 10 also offers more illustrative examples to reduce a developer’s learning curve. These include using MIL for packaging inspection, heterogeneous multi-processing, and laser-based 3D scanning using third-party cameras.
MIL 10 features a modified calibration routine that enables object localisation in 3D using just four known points. A new calculator is included to assist with configuring laser-based 3D scanning setups. The projection-based measurement tool benefits from tuneable edge detection for better robustness, while the bead inspection tool also tracks beads composed of a single edge or a double edge of varying width. The colour histogram matching tool provides an additional vote-based strategy to match individual pixels against the histogram of samples. The colour matching, bead inspection, and metrology tools also take advantage of multi-core processing to run faster.
Registered MIL users with valid maintenance subscriptions will automatically receive MIL 10 development packages shortly after its official release. Upgrade pricing will be available to update previously deployed run-time installations. MIL 10 will be available in early access form to interested developers in Q1 2013 and officially released in the second half of 2013.
MIL also now offers real-time H.264 encoding for high-definition (HD) video. The software-based H.264 video encoder uses the Intel Quick Sync Video technology to deliver real-time performance with moderate CPU usage for multiple HD video streams. The encoder, which is accessed via the MIL application programming interface (API), produces either an elementary stream or a common MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4) format file. Matrox Imaging’s newest imaging computer, the Matrox 4Sight GP, relies upon the MIL H.264 encoder and the latest Intel Core processor to provide a powerful, economical platform for next-generation medical imaging and surveillance systems.
