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Video Image Length Measurement Application

What it does

VILMA works in conjuction with a video grabber card. It captures a frame and displays the image on screen. You can then use the cursor to measure the length of lines and polygons in the image. The data is stored in CSV files that can be imported into a variety of programs (e.g. Excel).

Operation

1. Installation
2. Set-up
3. Calibration
4. Measurement

Installation

• Download VILMA 1.0b (zipped ~150k) and extract it to a folder of your choice.
  
• Double-click on vilma.exe to run the program.
  

You'll need a VFW-API (Video for Windows) compatible frame grabber card to work with this program.

Set-Up

• Set up your hardware and make sure it is working correctly. You may have to close other video grabbing programs to get VILMA to work.
  
• Start the program by Double-clicking on vilma.exe.
  
• If you have more than one video grabber use the Driver menu to select the active video grabber.
  
• Use the Video sub menus to set up your frame grabber. Depending on your video card some menus may be unavailable or not working.
  Usually these menus allow you to specify (pixel) size, color, brightness, compression, input source and other parameters. Experiment with these setting and press the Grab Frame button to see the results.
  

You can custumize the GUI (line color, cursor shape) using the Options menu.

Calibration

• Press the Calibrate button once to enter calibration mode. The text fields Pixel and mm should now be unlocked.
  
• Enter the values for these fields using one of the following methods:
  
  1. Enter known values for both fields.
     
  2. Grab an image of a reference (i.e. an object of a know size). Enter its size into the "mm" field.
     Fill the "Pixel" field by measuring the objects size with the cursor:
     • Move the cursor to the start point
     • Press and hold the left mouse button
     • Move the cursor to the end point
     • Release the mouse button
     You can repeat these steps if necessary.
     
• Press the Calibrate button again to accept the new values and resume normal mode

Measurement

• Grab an image by either pressing the Grab frame button or by right-clicking into the image
  
• Move the cursor to the start point (one end of the object you want to measure)
  
• Press and hold the left mouse button
  
• Move the cursor to the end point (the other end of your object)
  
• Release the left mouse button

The new length is then automatically entered into the list.
You can use the Edit menu to edit (delete, undo) this list.

If you want to measure the length of polygons use the above method to measur the first line of the polygon then press and hold the <ctrl> key. The next line will automatically start at the end of the previous line when you press the left mouse button.
To draw only horizontal or vertical lines hold the <shift> key while dragging.

To start a new series of data press the New Species button and enter the name.
Note: You can only edit that last data series (species).

The File menu is used to save and load file in the CSV format.