Detailed processing and image diagnostics

This section describes the capabilily of the computer to analyze each pixel of a thermal image and to present information in a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative forms for the convenience of the user. Some (but by no means all) of these capabilities are discussed below. 

In addition to the spot meter capability discussed previously, the operator may call for profile displays. The analog trace, in x, y, or both, of the lines on the image intersecting at the selected spot will then appear at the edge of the display. Some systems allow the operator to display as many as seven sets of profiles simultaneously. Profiles of skew lines can also be displayed on some systems. 

Areas can be drawn by the operator on the display in the form of circles, rectangles, or point-to-point fireeforms. These areas can be shifted, expanded, resized, or rotated. They can be used to blank out or analyze portions of the image. On command, the computer will provide a detailed analysis of the entire image or the pixels within the area, including maximum, minimum, and average values, number of pixels, or even a firequency histogram of the values within the area. 

Although a standard (default) color scale is usually provided by the manufacturer, color scales can be created by the operator in almost infinite variety from as many as 128 colors stored within the computer. 

Zoom features allow the operator to expand a small area on the display for closer examination, or to expand the colors for a small measurement range. Autoscale features provide the optimum display settings for any image if selected. Three-dimensional features provide an isometric thermal contour map of the target for enhanced recognition of thermal anomalies. 

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