Adjusting Texture Parameters
Adjusting Parameters for Effective Feature Selection
Adjusting texture measurement parameters allows specific cells visible in the pattern to be identified and counted.
1. Feature Separation (Watershed Morphology)
Purpose: This parameter controls the "erosion" of segmented blobs by increasing the gap between detected features (e.g., hills) on the surface. It helps separate touching features, ensuring distinct detection.
How It Works:
Increasing this value will separate closely connected features, increasing the number of distinct features identified.
However, if set too high, smaller features may be entirely eroded and lost from the analysis.
Adjustment Steps:
Start with a moderate value and visually inspect the segmentation results.
Gradually increase the value to separate touching features while ensuring small, meaningful features are not eliminated.
Recalculate the analysis after each adjustment to evaluate its impact.
2. Feature Selection (Watershed Selection Percentage)
Purpose: This parameter determines the minimum size of features (hills) to include in the analysis after separation.
How It Works:
A higher value excludes smaller, unwanted features, focusing only on larger, significant ones.
A lower value includes smaller features, which might be noise or irrelevant depending on your application.
Adjustment Steps:
Start with a low percentage to include all potential features.
Gradually increase the value to exclude smaller, less relevant features until only meaningful ones remain.
Visually inspect the results to ensure no critical features are excluded.
3. Invert Feature Map
Purpose: Selecting this option inverts the feature map
How It Works:
The map is virtually flipped upside down, hills become valleys and visa versa.
This is used to segment surfaces in which the borders between the features are positive rather than negative.
This is often used for surfaces with raised edges between the features.
Practical Workflow for Parameter Adjustment
Visual Inspection: Begin by inspecting the initial segmentation results to identify areas where features are not well-separated or where irrelevant small features are included.
Adjust Feature Separation:
Increase this parameter incrementally to improve separation of touching regions.
Avoid setting it too high to prevent losing smaller but important features.
Adjust Feature Selection:
Modify this parameter to filter out small, insignificant features while retaining larger ones relevant to your analysis.
Invert Feature Map:
Select this control if segmentation is not replicating the borders between visible features, often required for complex geometric patterns or materials with negative features.
Recalculate and Evaluate: After each adjustment, recalculate the segmentation and recheck the results for accuracy and completeness.
Key Tips for Optimal Results
Use a balanced approach: Adjust both parameters iteratively rather than focusing on one in isolation.
Test different combinations of values to find an optimal setting for your specific surface texture and feature requirements.
Always visually inspect results after adjustments to ensure meaningful segmentation.
By carefully tweaking these parameters, users can achieve precise feature selection tailored to their surface analysis needs.