Detailed Contents
1. Introduction
2. Starting DigImage
3. Basic Operation
4. Sample Session
5. Command Files
6. Movies
7. Coordinate Systems
8. Warnings, Errors and Crashes
9. Utilities
10. Macros
11. Other Considerations
12. Updates
Appendix A: Menus
Index
Once installed, DigImage may be started from any MS-DOS directory by
C:\..>DIGIMAGE
One of two things may occur: either DigImage will successfully start, or the message "Program too big to fit in memory" will be issued by the operating system. In the latter case, check that there are no unnecessary memory resident utilities, shells (such as Windows or Norton's Commander) or large installed device drivers. To determine how much memory is available, and where it is being used, type
C:\..>MEM /DEBUG
Typically there should be room for a program of about 510 to 520 KBytes. Note that it may be necessary to remove or comment out some of the device drivers and other installed software in C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and C:\CONFIG.SYS.
Normally, however, DigImage will start without difficulty. If you have never used DigImage from the current directory before (or you have deleted the STATUS.DIG file from that directory), then a title banner will be displayed. Simply press any key to enter the main menu.
If you have previously used DigImage from the current directory, then DigImage will move straight to the main menu, restoring the look up tables, output buffers, history lists, coordinate systems and a variety of other status indicators to the values they had when you were last using DigImage from the current directory. DigImage is now ready for interactive use.
A number of options exist when starting DigImage. These may be expressed as
C:\..>DIGIMAGE [module_name] [[/CF] command_file] [/0]
CALL DIGIMAGE [module_name] [[/CF] command_file] [/0]
It should be noted that DigImage consists of a number of different programs which communicate with each other through the status files described in the next subsection (2.2 ). Each of these programs contain all the basic image processing facilities plus a selection of more specialised routines. If the feature requested through the main menu options is not provided by the current program, then DigImage will automatically start the new program transparently.
There are two reasons for this structure:
(1) It enables additional modules to be readily integrated into the system without adversely affecting overall system functionality.
(2) It helps overcome difficulties associated with the limited MS-DOS memory.
The only disadvantage is that there can be a short delay while DigImage changes from one program to another. If the optional module_name is specified, then DigImage will start up with the specified module, potentially reducing the start up time. The current modules supplied are
| Module Name | Access |
| CONTOURS | [;C Contours and Edges] |
| ENHANCE | [;E Enhance image] |
| LENGSCAL | [;L Length scales, fractals etc.] |
| Miscell | [;M Miscellaneous tools] |
| PLOTSCRN | [;D Plots and Screen Dumps] |
| SFFT | [;S Spatial FFT] |
| TIMESERI | [;T Time series] |
| TRK2DPAR | [;U Particle tracking] |
All other items in the main menu are common to all the modules. If module_name is not specified, DigImage will start up using the program module last used.
The optional /CF command_file allows DigImage to be started up taking input from a command file rather than the keyboard. The switch /CF is optional. This allows the command file to be invoked from a .BAT batch file and is equivalent to starting a command file with the [;ZF Take input from a file] option or !P command_file from the keyboard within DigImage. More details about setting up a batch run using command files may be found in section 5
The final switch, /0, will cause DigImage to start without using the frame grabber. This may be useful when running under Windows 3.11 or Windows 95 so that you can look at the help system or develop command files using the journal facility while DigImage is running in another window. Note that it is not possible to have two copies of DigImage (or related programs) running at the same time due to conflicts as to which copy owns the frame grabber card. Moreover, a limitation in both Windows 3.11 and Windows 95 means that if you have started DigImage from one DOS prompt and then returned to DOS, then it is not possible to start DigImage in a different DOS prompt until the first prompt is closed.
DigImage automatically creates a number of status files within the current directory both during normal operation, upon exiting, or upon changing to another program module. These files are used to communicate and store information about the status of DigImage for operation from the directory. These files all have the .DIG extension and should only be deleted if you wish to make a fresh start with DigImage in that directory. As each directory contains its own set of .DIG files (assuming DigImage has been used from that directory), the status of DigImage can be different for each directory. If you wish to start a new directory with exactly the same status as an old directory, simply copy across the old .DIG files.
Most of the data stored in the .DIG files is in binary form. Therefore none of the files mentioned should be edited. These .DIG files produced serve the following purposes:
| File | Description |
| STATUS.DIG | Stores general information on the output buffer, look up table and video recorder status, the history lists, details of any command files or journal files, and basic execution communication between the different program modules. |
| CALPNT2D.DIG | Stores information about the automatic reference point system. See section 7.2 for more details. |
| CALWORLD.DIG | Stores information about the pixel to world coordinate system transformations. See section 7.1 for more details. |
| CALWLDPT.DIG | Stores the points used to generate the pixel to world coordinate transformation stored in CALWORLD.DIG. See section 7.1 for more details. |
| TRACK2D.DIG | This is generated by the particle tracking system and is used to store the current settings of the particle tracking control parameters. Refer to the particle tracking overview Document\Track2D.TXT for more details. |
| TRK2DVEL.DIG | Stores the settings for the Trk2DVel particle tracking analysis utility. Refer to section 9.5 and the particle tracking overview Document\Track2D.TXT for more details. |
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