Thread Subject:

ImageJ vs. Image Processing Toolkit

Many are aware that there are two main alternatives for image processing in Matlab:
- MathWork's commercial Image Processing Toolkit (IPT) - http://www.mathworks.com/products/image/
- The open-source ImageJ toolkit - http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/

(I know there are others, but let's focus this thread on the two above which appear to be the most popular - let's not start a religious war here)

The basic comparison between IPT/ImageJ is simple:
- IPT costs $$$; ImageJ is free
- IPT is proprietary; ImageJ is public-domain
- IPT is Matlab-friendly; ImageJ requires Java integration/knowledge

Can users of both toolkits provide a more technical comparison of IPT vs. ImageJ? For example: extensibility (e.g., creating filters), ease of use, performance, memory, bugs, features, accuracy, documentation, etc.

ImageAnalyst - are you there?...

Thanks,
Yair Altman
http://UndocumentedMatlab.com

Yair:
My main complaints against ImageJ are:

1) I could never get used to the image, and imageplus objects. Each
object class had it's own properties and methods and it seemed like no
matter what I wanted to do, the thing I wanted was in the other object
class. If I wanted to do a "method1" say (e.g. a median filter), and
I had an image object, then the image object didn't support that, only
the imageplus object did. So in the end I had to keep copies of both
hanging around and just guess which class had it (the image or the
imageplus), and switch to the other one if it didn't. Basically it
was a confusing nightmare and bookkeeping headache. MATLAB is much
easier in that the images are simply arrays. There aren't two similar
but different complicated image classes, just simple arrays. Sure
MATLAB has quirks too (like not being able to multiply integer arrays
by floating arrays or integer arrays of different bit depths), but
it's nowhere near as complicated as ImageJ's classes.

2) It didn't seem like there was that much built into ImageJ. Coming
from other full featured and easy to learn/use packages (like ImagePro
Plus or Optimas), ImageJ seemed pretty primitive in the quantity of
"built in" things. It seemed like it could never do what you wanted
and you always had to go out to their "file exchange" to see if there
was something similar to what you wanted to do and then adapt it. I
know MATLAB also has a file exchange where you can do that, and that
MATLAB is also lacking in a nice full featured UI for experimenting
with your images, but at least the code editor and command window of
MATLAB seems like it's easier to do experimenting/exploring algorithms
than programming in Java with ImageJ's crazy image classes.

Because of those annoyances I haven't programmed in ImageJ in about 4
years or so. I still use it but only for their color gamut plug in
(http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/plugins/color-inspector.html), which is
very very nice - I wish MATLAB had that. I tried to write my own one
time but it was just too big a job so I decided just to keep using
ImageJ's.

ImageJ does have an advantage over MATLAB in that it at least HAS a
UI, where MATLAB'S IPT is almost completely command line/programming
oriented. It would be nice if MATLAB could add a UI. However ImageJ
can't compete (in my opinion) with nice full-fledged, but expensive,
programs like ImagePro Plus, which has excellent GUIs.
-ImageAnalyst

thanks, IA

I am working on a MATLAB Interface for ImageJ/Fiji at the moment (For Fiji see http://pacific.mpi-cbg.de/wiki/index.php/Fiji - it addresses some of the issues about ImageJ not having many features).

It is very easy to integrate these into MATLAB - using an occassional undocumented feature you'll be pleased to hear Yair! Basically ImageJ is invoked from MATLAB then its menus and toolbar are parasitised for a MATLAB figure. The ImageJ menus already contain the commands needed for ImageJ so the MATLAB menu callbacks simply invoke the ImageJ Executor class trough a call to MATLAB's AWTUtilities.invokeAndWait. Very little additional programming is needed and because the menus etc are copied dynamically, the MATLAB interface should update automatically with new releases of ImageJ/Fiji

The only real issue is how best to deal with the mutiple windows (AWT Frames) used by ImageJ to show its images. These can be left floating in mid-air and all is well but I would like to put them in a single figure. Presently, I am using a JTabbedPane and copying the undelying AWT canvas to the pane. I now think it would be better just to position the AWT Frame to the centre of the MATLAB figure, use the ResizeFcn to keep it there, and use the Tabs only to control the ImageJ currentWindow property. Any thoughts Yair?

Regards
Malcolm

Interesting question and interesting replies. Thank you!

> The only real issue is how best to deal with the multiple windows (AWT Frames) used by ImageJ to show its images. These can be left floating in mid-air and all is well but I would like to put them in a single figure. Presently, I am using a JTabbedPane and copying the underlying AWT canvas to the pane. I now think it would be better just to position the AWT Frame to the centre of the MATLAB figure, use the ResizeFcn to keep it there, and use the Tabs only to control the ImageJ currentWindow property. Any thoughts Yair?


Interesting ideas indeed. Using tabs to control the displayed contents is actually Matlab's chosen implementation of their uitab/uitabgroup functions, using some clever callback hooks. You can perhaps even use Matlab's uitab/uitabgroup to save programming, although you'd need to fix the bug that prevents switching non-uicontrol container contents.

This *might* have the benefit of reducing system resources vs. a full-JTabbedPane implementation, where all images are "live" at the same time. Drawbacks might be performance and flicker. It would also be more difficult to implement correctly than a simple JTP approach.

Then again, if everything were simple, where would all the fun be?

Best,
Yair Altman
http://UndocumentedMatlab.com

ImageAnalyst <imageanalyst@mailinator.com> wrote in message <8de93b53-037b-4136-b684-491df765d773@a36g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>...
>
> MATLAB has quirks too (like not being able to multiply integer arrays
> by floating arrays or integer arrays of different bit depths)

FYI, it wouldn't be too difficult to write a mex routine to do this. If it is something you could really use just let me know. (I assume by multiply you mean times, not mtimes?)

James Tursa

I have an image of paddy, grass and branch.
i need to find the long of the branch and discriminate between the grass, paddy and branch.
Can anyone give me some ideas?
And another one, i have some processing algorithm, but i don't know how to do the programming. can anyone help me?

Hello Malcom. Is your MATLAB interface publicly available and is it specifically writting for the Fiji version of ImageJ or for the original ImageJ as well? Thank you.

"Malcolm Lidierth" wrote in message <i637q9$so6$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> I am working on a MATLAB Interface for ImageJ/Fiji at the moment (For Fiji see http://pacific.mpi-cbg.de/wiki/index.php/Fiji - it addresses some of the issues about ImageJ not having many features).
>
> It is very easy to integrate these into MATLAB - using an occassional undocumented feature you'll be pleased to hear Yair! Basically ImageJ is invoked from MATLAB then its menus and toolbar are parasitised for a MATLAB figure. The ImageJ menus already contain the commands needed for ImageJ so the MATLAB menu callbacks simply invoke the ImageJ Executor class trough a call to MATLAB's AWTUtilities.invokeAndWait. Very little additional programming is needed and because the menus etc are copied dynamically, the MATLAB interface should update automatically with new releases of ImageJ/Fiji
>
> The only real issue is how best to deal with the mutiple windows (AWT Frames) used by ImageJ to show its images. These can be left floating in mid-air and all is well but I would like to put them in a single figure. Presently, I am using a JTabbedPane and copying the undelying AWT canvas to the pane. I now think it would be better just to position the AWT Frame to the centre of the MATLAB figure, use the ResizeFcn to keep it there, and use the Tabs only to control the ImageJ currentWindow property. Any thoughts Yair?
>
> Regards
> Malcolm

Nesanet

I did not complete this but a quick test shows its seems to work - albeit with a couple of quirks - with recent ImageJ's (Fiji is not required although I tailored a few features to it as I recall).

There are only a few m-files. I would happily zip them and make them available if you have a use for them.

ML