About Auto Focus

Auto Focus locates objects in a drop along the Z-axis, which is especially important when imaging hanging drops on greased cover slides or when zooming in on a region of interest. You can execute the Auto Focus algorithm during a manual inspection by clicking the Auto Focus button (available from the Visible camera control panel). Auto Focus is also executed on a per-plate or per-drop basis, depending on settings in the Plate Type Editor.

If you're conducting a manual inspection, you can view the results of an Auto Focus algorithm on the Focus Sub-Tab.

 

How Does Auto Focus Work?

The imager captures a stack of images at 30 frames per second at a low resolution and computes a focus curve. The imager then determines the most in-focus image and captures that image at the normal resolution.

How the Auto Focus works

You can adjust the focus levels for each imager in the Focus Level Selection area and Manual and/or Automatic Auto Focus of the Plate Type Editor dialog box.

 

Focus Level Selection

There are three Capture Range options in the Focus Level selection:

 

Auto Focus with Limits

The first four fields (Max. focus levels above, Focus threshold above, Max. focus level below, Focus threshold below) determine the "stack" of images to be taken around what Rock Imager determines to be the best focus point. These settings are configured on a per-plate basis by our technicians when Rock Imager is installed, but you can adjust them.

Auto Focus with Limits factory settings for a 3 Drop Intelliplate are as follows: 

Focus level selection

Note: Auto Focus Range is in mm.

 

Fixed Range (DoF Limited)

If you decide to use the Fixed Range (DoF, or Depth of Field Limited) capture range, you can configure the Start Z and Stop Z positions and the software will determine the appropriate number of focus levels.

 

Fixed Range (Interpolated)

If you decide to use the Fixed Range (Interpolated) capture range, you can configure the Start Z and Stop Z positions and the maximum number of focus levels that the imager should take.

Note: Additional focus levels mean additional imaging time, and vice versa.

 

Manual and/or Automatic Auto Focus

The Manual and/or Automatic Auto Focus setting enables you to limit the movement of Auto Focus. By default, you can adjust value in 0 - 0.5.

Manual and/or Automatic Auto Focus

 

Related Topics


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