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Your first image in ALTRON with each camera's ready-made graphs
You've taken the camera out of the box, connected the cable and opened ALTRON. What's next? You don't need to build the processing path from scratch. For each camera type, ALTRON has ready-made graphs and loads the most suitable one itself when it detects the camera.
This post covers those first few minutes: from connecting the cable to seeing your first image.
The default graphs are in the FlowGraphs folder next to the program's executable. Each file's name tells you which camera it is for:
- Camera type: AreaScan or LineScan
- Pixel format: Color for color, BW for 8-bit monochrome and BW16 for 16-bit monochrome
- Interface: Usb2, Usb3, GenICam or Virtual for a virtual camera
For example, Default_LineScan_Color_Usb3.dfg is the graph for a color line scan camera with a USB 3.0 interface. There are also a few special graphs alongside these. One of them plays back raw data you have recorded. Another is a version of the color area scan graph whose save branch saves at timed intervals.
ALTRON puts these files in the folder every time it runs, but it doesn't overwrite a file you have edited. If a file has been deleted, it is created again.
Each camera keeps its own settings by serial number, including the graph it last worked with. So ALTRON tries that graph first. If that graph is missing or doesn't work, it takes the default graph for that camera type.
Before using a graph, it also checks that the graph matches the camera. ALTRON compares these points: camera type (line scan or area scan), interface (USB2, USB3 or GenICam), pixel format, and whether the camera is real or virtual. A graph that doesn't match is set aside and a suitable graph is loaded. In this case you see the message The flow graph set for this camera was not used – it does not match the camera. Don't worry, the camera works. This message only says the previous graph was not used. You can see the reason in the message details.
- Connect the camera and click the Get button in the bar at the top of the window.
- The camera appears in the list with its serial number and model description. Select it.
- ALTRON loads the right graph and builds the chain of nodes. The camera settings panel opens in the right column.
- Click the Start (▶) button. Until you click it, no data flows through the graph and the displays stay empty.
- If you see the running-man icon next to Status, data is flowing. Now go to the display tabs in the central area. For a line scan camera, for example, you see the Scanner Scope Viewer and Line Scope Viewer tabs.
- If the image is very dark or completely white, go to the exposure time. That is the topic of our next post.
Sometimes the graph file is corrupted or a node in it no longer exists. If the default graph on disk is corrupted, ALTRON replaces it with the intact copy it keeps inside the program. Then it tries again. If that still fails, it shows the message This camera was not started: no flow graph could be loaded for it, with these options:
Another option is to delete the whole FlowGraphs folder and run the program again. All default graphs are rebuilt from scratch. Just remember that your own graphs go with that folder too.
The default graph is a starting point, not a final version. Our suggestion: before making any change, open the graph in Flow Graph Editor. Then use Save as to save a copy with a new name. Now work on the new copy. Each time you save it, click Recreate All in the main program. This way you always have an untouched copy to compare against.
To learn more about the software itself, see the ALTRON page.
If you want to read more about the theory behind dataflow programming, this Wikipedia article (English) is a good start.
If your camera doesn't show up in the Get list or you have a problem with its graph, contact us here and we'll look into it together.