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ImageJ
ImageJ is an open source software intended primarily for image processing with some image analysis tools.
Here we have a comparative analysis of ImageJ's and Pixcavator's image analysis capabilities.
Tasks and features |
ImageJ |
Pixcavator |
Analysis of the gray scale image after binarization |
Yes |
Yes |
Computation of binary characteristics of objects/particles |
Yes (A specific binarization in ImageJ has to be found first by thresholding or another method.) |
(The characteristics are computed for all possible thresholds.) |
size/area |
Yes |
|
circularity/roundness |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
No (not used in such applications as microscopy where the results should be independent of orientation) |
|
|
|
|
Analysis of the gray scale image without prior binarization |
Limited |
|
Yes |
||
Filtering detected objects (in order to deal with noise etc) |
Yes (with respect to contrast only) |
Yes |
Yes |
||
Image segmentation method |
Watershed - for either max or min but not both (dark or light objects but not both) |
Topology (both dark and light objects) |
Computation of gray scale characteristics of objects |
No |
|
No |
||
No |
Yes |
|
saliency/mass |
No |
|
No |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Automatic analysis |
Yes |
|
Semi-automatic mode |
No |
(based on objects found for all possible thresholds) |
Manual mode |
No |
(full control over found objects) |
User interface |
Hundreds of commands in drop down menus |
6 sliders, 7 buttons |
“Wrong image format!” “Threshold first!” “Results unsatisfactory? Start over!” |
||
Screenshots |
ImageJ |
Pixcavator |
Support |
From the programmers via email list |
From Pixcavator's creator via email and phone |
Documentation |
||
Open source |
Mathematics (and computer code) |
|
Platforms |
Windows, Mac, Linux |
Windows only |
Price |
Free (the development of ImageJ is funded by the US government through the NIH) |
$245 (free trial), free student edition |
An ImageJ ticket:
Wayne [Rasband] had an idea for a command called “Analyze Image” that combines filtering, background correction, segmentation, particle analysis, etc. It would work something like the closed-source, Windows-only Pixcavator program. As Wayne said, “It would not be an easy thing to create but it would be very popular with ImageJ users”.
See also other Image analysis software.