![]() ![]() Thus, when the time comes for the customer to purchase another infrared camera, the choice is a non-choice: stay with the same manufacturer (and pay uncompetitive prices), or else invest, again, in yet another proprietary software (at uncompetitive prices), and resolve to run multiple IR analysis programs, one for each camera manufacturer, ad infinitum. This limits the offerings available to thermographers who are now “locked in” to proprietary software at whatever price is set by the manufacturer. The “walls” (computer file structure) put up around the proprietary IR image file formats by the camera manufacturers intentionally and successfully keep third party software development companies out of “their” marketplace. In order to analyze images from an IR camera, the user first has to invest heavily in proprietary software designed specifically for the file type generated by that manufacturer’s camera. These proprietary image files continue to be viewed as a competitive advantage by each of the IR camera manufacturers, and continue to serve to “lock in” customers to only one manufacturer. So, the infrared imaging industry, the consumers, never saw any effort put into establishing a standard file format that would allow for cross-platform compatibility amongst the camera manufacturers. None of the camera manufacturers wanted to let the other manufacturers know what data they were storing or not storing in their image files. They soon began to see this as a competitive advantage, but one which immediately created long lasting limitations for the camera users. Each camera manufacturer developed a file format on its own. When it became possible to perform various kinds of computer analyses on infrared images, there was no standardized file format ready-made to fit. TIF files without using FLIR’s Proprietary software). You cannot get radiometric data out of FLIR. TIF which are also used as extensions for digital photo files however, the FLIR file structure for the radiometric image is completely different. ![]() A global development team comprised of leading thermographers and software engineers has been working on the establishment of a standardized image file format that will ensure the availability and usefulness of data/image file formats for years to come. This format will simultaneously provide for archival of historical image files/data, upgrade the capabilities, and remove the limitations that have been intentionally placed on all IR image file formats by the camera manufacturers. The solution is to provide a cross-platform compatibility user interface and digital IR Image archival format that allows for conversion and upgrade to a standardized file format. ![]() This leads to many problems because the data that are stored in these image files becomes inaccessible.Ī development program has been funded by the Professional Thermographers Association and Ford Motor Company to solve this problem. Many of the older file formats are no longer being supported as camera manufacturers continue to merge with each other and have product lines that overlap. This paper outlines the limitations and hurdles that thermographers must face when dealing with infrared images where the radiometric data is stored/encrypted within a proprietary file format (.IMG.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |