Mira Project Interface (Batch Processing)
The Mira Project Interface automates a sequence of command dialogs using a parameter profile for each command. This is a form of "batch" processing that carries multiple images through multiple commands. This interface addresses the need to process different images through the same processing sequence when the versatility and complexity of a script is not needed.
A Mira project is intermediate in complexity between using a single command to process an Image Set and using a script through the Mira Scripting Interface. Each command in the project operates exactly as if run stand-alone.
A project is created simply by performing the necessary command steps in sequence but adding each command and its parameter profile to the project. For existing projects, the Mira Project Manager may be used to remove specific command steps and select different parameter profiles without having to repeat the steps to create a new project.
The following table shows how the Mira Project Interface fits into the hierarchy of bulk processing options in Mira::
|
Data Source |
Operation |
Requirements |
|
Single Image |
One image is processed by one command. |
Requires a displayed image. |
|
Image Set |
Multiple images displayed in one window are processed by one command. |
Requires one or more images displayed in a single window. |
|
Image Set |
Multiple images from multiple files are processed by one command. |
Uses the dialog's Select Source Images control to access images in a single window or in files. |
|
Mira Project |
Multiple commands each process an image or image set according to each command's profile settings. |
Image and data sources are controlled by each dialog's Profile Control. |
|
Script |
Arbitrary processing or computation for images or other data that are displayed, in files, or entered manually. |
The text-based script is created and managed through the Mira Scripting Interface. |
Since a project executes a sequence of dialog-based commands, each of the commands and their parameters must be added to a project and the project given a name. This is accomplished using the Mira Project Selector dialog which is opened from a dialog's Profile Control menu. Since each dialog must have a parameter profile, only Command Dialogs that have a Profile Control are eligible to be included in a project. The collection of projects and their contents may be edited using the Mira Project Manager. Remember that a project simply repeats a processing sequence as if you did it manually, one command dialog after another.
During project execution, each step is executed by opening the assigned command dialog and executing its parameter profile. If the dialog is designed to close at the end of execution, you will see it briefly flash. A command may fail for several reasons including errors executing the command itself and project-specific errors such as a missing profile. One source of failure involves immediate mode (view) command dialogs which require a view window (usually an Image Window) to be top-most when the step is executed. If this is not the case, the project will terminate. When a command fails, Mira terminates the project early and displays an error message.
There are three types of command dialogs that may be used in a Mira Project. See the list of supported Mira Project Interface Commands. The available command types differ in the source of data (e.g., images) used by the command:
Immediate (or "View") commands operate on images opened in a view such as the Image Window. A project will abort if it attempts to run an immediate command and the project was not started with a view window top-most. These commands appear in a project with (view) appended to the name.
Global Commands operate on images from various sources. These dialogs normally use the Select Source Images parameters of the dialog to open the images or other data. These commands appear in a project with (global) appended to the name.
Global commands without input data that do not use data such as images. An example is Calculate Airmass. These commands appear in a project with (global) appended to the name.
Below is a hypothetical example of a Mira Project having 3 steps. Notice that the command in each step shows the label (view), meaning that the command operates on images displayed in a view window, in this case, an Image Window. This means that the target window containing the image or image set must be top-most when the project is executed from the Mira Project Manager. If a command returns a failure code, the project terminates before finishing. Failure may result from processing the data or if the parameter profile does not exist.
Here is a possible sequence for a hypothetical project that works with displayed images:
Step 1: Command: Image Arithmetic (view) Parameter Profile: Add second image
Step 2: Command: Value Arithmetic (view) Parameter Profile: Add offset value
Step 3: Command: Gaussian Filter (view) Parameter Profile: Smooth 10x10
Remember that the project above shows only (view) type commands and requires an Image window to be top-most when it executes. This project could also use global commands which do not require the images to be displayed at the time the script is executed. For example, you might open the global Create Synthetic Image command from the main toolbar and add the following step to the same project:
Step 4: Command: Create Synthetic Image (global) Parameter Profile: 4096 square image
Each step in a Mira Project is added from a Command Dialog that uses a Profile Control to save its parameters. Command dialogs exist in several forms, depending on the type of data they use, as described in the Command Dialogs topic:
Immediate Command Dialogs process images displayed in an Image Window. In the project, their command name is tagged with the word "view."
Global Command Dialogs process data, usually images, from files. In the project, their command name is tagged with the word "global."
Some global command dialogs do not process data from either an Image Window or a file. In the project, their command name is also tagged with the word "global."
First, decide whether the project will start with images displayed in an Image Window. If so, open one or more images into an Image Window and make it top-most window to enable the image window menu with its immediate mode command dialogs. If the project will process only images in files, you do not need to display an image.
A project is created or extended by opening each command dialog in turn as you step through your processing sequence. To add a command to a project, do the following:
Open the command you wish to add to the project.
Use the displayed profile or use the profile history list to open an existing profile or set parameters and save as a new profile.
Click the Profile Control button to open its menu. Select the Add to Project command from the menu.
The Mira Project Selector opens, showing the current project in the text field.
To select the project displayed in the text field, click [OK].
To append to an existing project, select it from the list and click [OK].
To create a new project, enter its name into the text field and click [+]. Then click [OK].
Close the command dialog.
Open the next command dialog and repeat steps 2 through 5.
Note that immediate mode command dialogs can only process images displayed in an image window (a "view" window), and starting from a view window is the only way to add (view) type commands to a project. However, a project can mix both immediate mode and global mode commands. A project that includes immediate mode (view) commands must be executed after an Image Window containing the sources images is made top-most. If the view window is not top-most, a project containing "view" commands will abort with an error.
Mira Project Interface Commands
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