Software Customisation :Costomisation of the Graphical User Interface in Digital Image Processing System
Mohamad Sam Manaf
Malaysian center for remote sensing
Letter Box 208, CB 100 5th Floor city square center
50400 Jalan Tun Razak Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Abstract
Software customization is a process to maximise the capability of a system in order to suit with local environment and specific needs. This project was undertaken to understand the techniques used in the process of software customization. As on e of the most well known remote sensing software nowadays, Erdas Imagine was chosen as working based software. Erdas Imagine can be customized using a macro Language, i.e. Erdas Macro Language ( EML).
The EML is a script's language that is designed for generating a graphical user interface which allow us to design the same graphical user interface tools that are used in Erdas imagine. Another important aspect EML is also can be sued to incorporate with C programmes' Toolkit programs into the Erdas imagine graphical user interface. In this project I customized and created a few of GUIs in Erdas Imagine system which perform image processing application such as Band Ratio, Band Math, PVI, NDVI, digital data compression, contrast stretching and image zooming.
Introduction
Digital image Processing technology has evolved rapidly in recent years to become a valuable tool in improvement of analysis activities in remote sensing and Geographical information system ( GIS). In the beginning, most of the system were created based on the specific field of research, for example Erdas was created primarily in handling thereaster based or imager based mapping, Arc info specific in vector based data processing, etc… Generally, the systems can be classified according to their general goals. Leonard Bolc Zenon Kulpa ( 1981) were listed five distinguishable classes as follows.
- system created as tools investigator some specific scientific problem. The principle goal is to solve one problem rather than to built a general system.
- System created as a general purpose ( although simple ) image processing device. These system are intended for a wide range of processing tasks that are research rather than application-oriented. The principal goal is to built a universal system for research in image processing itself rather than to solve some specific applications problem.
- System s intermediate between the above type : with some specific applications in mind but universal enough an serving as research prototype rather than a unique laboratory. Assembly or a finished production model; the principal goal is to built a fairy universal system, although good for some specific applications.
- System experimenting with new computer architectures that are used gain experience in effectiveness of the proposed set of hardware operations and memory organization. The principal goal is to built an effective and universal new processor rather than a simple and cheap " working " assembly of existing devices .
- Commercially available systems for routine picture. Universal enough to be used in sufficient wide range of different principal goal is to cover a wide range if applications rather simple routine applications, yet capable of atomization.
The system described are not well equipped to solve all of the problems that are encountered by the users, therefore one system is not enough to fulfill their needs. The alternative is to have more then one system at the same time, however this is not the best solutions, because of ht cost and complications. To develop a system that will satisfy all of environmental conditions as well as the local cultured. Considering the fact that the development of remote sensing and GIS software is very costly process and needed special expertise therefore not ev4ry country is capable to produce a competitive software in this field. Considering these factors ,a solutions have a work out in order to make a system can be used more effectively.
A solutions of the problem was introduced in the late system where the users are provided with the utility which they can customize and extend the capability of the system according to their needs. This sort of utility make the system more flexible and powerful, the limitations is now relies themselves, the ability of them to customize and extend the system.
The principal is applied in ERDAS IMAGINE where Erdas Macro Language (EML) is designed to be able the users to customize the GUI and to extend the capability of ERDAS IMAGINE. The EML can be classified as a high level programming language which it is visually interpreted. As a high level programming language EML can be used to create a very comprehensive and interactive interface with a very little programming codes compared to the ordinary programming language such as C , Pascal, Etc.
This project is an approach of customizing the interface of Erdas Imagine system Erdas Macro Language can be used to design the same graphical user interface tools that are used in Erdas imagine. There are two major features that EML had been used for, that first feature is to customize the imagine user interface and the second features is to incorporate C Programmers' Toolkit inot the imagine graphical user interface.
