setColor Set Identify

This tool can be trained to identify a series of colors in a color pattern.

A Color Pattern.
 

Using the Color Set Identify Tool

The Color Set Identify Tool uses a grid ROI.  This tool works best when identifying a color pattern that is in a single row.  When the tool is in a sequence, right-click its ROI and change the grid settings to set it to a single row (set the y dimension to 1) and to match the number of colors segments in the color grid.

Next, align the grid over the color pattern so that each square of the grid is matched to a single color.  If this is not entirely possible, match the grid to the pattern as well as possible.  

Right-click the tool and choose "Edit".  Navigate to the Parameters page.  This tool trains and identifys colors every time it is run.  The Parameters page allows the user to setup how the tool is trained, as well as see the results when the tool is run.

The NumerTrainColors setting controls how many of the grid squares will train for colors identifying the colors in the rest of the grid.  For the color pattern above the first three colors will be trained so this value will be set to "3".

The TrainIndexString controls the order the colors are trained in.  If this value is left at 0 it will train the left most square first, then the next square to the right and so on, depending on how many colors it is set to train.  To train the colors out of order use the pattern #,#,#.  For example - 1,2,0 This will train the second square first, the third square second and the first square third.

On the tools ColorSet page the Color Space and Smoothing can be defined.  The ROI% defines how much of the ROI will be used to define the color.  If the color pattern is surrounded by a pixel of white, for example, it would be good to use on 90% of the ROI when defining the color.

When the tool is run it will record the results in the parameters page.  The ColorString lists, in order the results for each square that has not already been used to train the colors.  The results are given in reference to the trained colors, and the order as defined in the TrainIndexString.  For example, if the TrainIndexString for the color pattern above is set to "0" then the ColorString would read "12".  If the TrainIndexString is set to "1,2,0" then the ColorString would read "01".

The MaxColorDistance is a measure of the furthest color distance any of the grid squares average color is from any of the trained colors.  0 is a perfect match, 1 is the perfect opposite.

The MeanColorDistance is the average distance all the colors are from the trained colors.

Setting the Mask Out Color

The Mask Out Color is a color (typically a background color) that will be eliminated from the averaging that takes place within the grid squares.

1. Drag a Color Check tool onto the sequence before the Color Set Identify Tool.  Use its ROI to select the color on the image that needs to be eliminated.

2. Drag the Color Check tool from the sequence onto the MaskOutColor section of the Color Set Identify Tool's Inputs page.  Select "Sample Color" from the dropdown menu.  On the "Color Set" property page for the tool set the Mask Train Distance.  Typically this number should be set between 0 and 1.  The higher the number the further the color can be from the MaskOutColor and still be masked out.  Select Mask Show to highlight all the masked out areas on the image in black.