PMIS® Image Processing Software Version 4.1 is now available. This version of PMIS has a number of significantly new and improved features. A very reasonable upgrade price is available for users of earlier product versions.
The PMIS Image Processing Software program is a Microsoft Windows compatible software product designed to help users acquire, display, analyze, and store high precision monochrome and multi-spectral images. Camera specific versions of PMIS are available that efficiently control scientific grade imaging systems manufactured by PCO Computer Optics GmbH, Roper Scientific (formerly Photometrics Ltd.), and The Cooke Corporation.
PMIS uses all of the familiar Windows interface components such as multiple independent display windows, icon tools, scroll bars, menus, dialog boxes, and on-line help to assist you in performing image processing tasks efficiently. To automate repetitive or complex sequences, a powerful built-in command interpreter is available. The Windows Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) server functionality can be used by external programs to access all commands and internal variables. An optional network server product extends this functionality to include client programs running on remote computers anywhere in the world. While the base product can be expanded to perform essentially any computer function associated with imaging experiments, it currently places special emphasis in four separate areas; Camera Control, Image Display, Image Processing, and Communication.
PMIS provides users efficient access to all primitive camera control functions. The command line interpreter is specifically designed to allow simple camera control functions to be defined and combined into complex sequences. Access to camera scripting languages, if defined, is provided to allow users complete control over camera operations.
Scientific grade imaging systems produce high precision images. These images contain more instensity levels than the human eye can simultaneously perceive, and can not be displayed on normal computer screens without special data reduction. PMIS defines eight different functional display reduction methods which can be used to visualize image data. In addition, users can also create and load external files that define any arbitrary visualization method. PMIS has been highly optimized to perform display operations quickly and efficiently.
Many image processing software products on the market today still do not adequately support image data delivered by high precision scientific sensor systems . PMIS defines monochrome image data as 16 bit internal values. Multi-spectral data can contain three channels of 16 bit data. Depending on the interpretation of these values, this permits precise mathematical operations in the approximate range of -32,000 to +32,000 or 0 to 65,000. Special image processing functions, such as sequence image averaging, scaled multiplication, and scaled division, use 32 bit intermediate results to maintain numerical accuracy. Most image processing functions are performed using assembler code to maximize calculation speed.
PMIS was designed to perform camera control and simple image processing functions very efficiently, but may not perform every operation that is required to complete your work. In these situations, PMIS can function as an intelligent camera control or image display server for programs that perform more sophisticated experimental control or image analysis functions. Access to the PMIS command line and internal expression evaluator guarantee complete control at all times. External programs can also access PMIS image data directly, preventing time and resource consuming disk access or memory copy operations. The PMIS Network Server product extends this functionality to network client programs running on external machines.