Step 2 – Set Up Camera and Align Target

 

Once you have selected your device from the list, the utility will show the screen above. Take a picture to make sure that you can see your calibration target. It is important for your calibration target to be in the same plane as the objects you intend to inspect. If it is closer to the camera, the real-world measurements that are output for your inspections will all be too small. If the calibration target is farther away than the parts being inspected, the measurements that are output will all be too large.

 

 

The buttons on this screen are:

 

 

Click the Auto Cal button to perform device focus (for autofocus cameras) and to set the exposure and gain to appropriate levels. Note that these levels may not be ideal for your application, but that is not relevant to the calibration process, which is performed on a stationery target.

 

If your camera is an autofocus device, make a note of the focus value set by the Auto Cal button. You should use the same value inside your inspection if you want accurate measurements.

 

You can also show live video, making it easier to move the calibration target to the correct location within the camera field of view (FOV). Live Video toggles live video on and off. You can’t click on any other buttons while in live video.

 

 

Show Advanced… shows the job acquisition parameters to the right of the image. With these datums you can adjust your lighting (turn strobe on and off) and your acquisition parameters. If using the software emulator, you can also choose a stored image. This may have come from a camera somewhere else on your network, and perhaps don't have easy access to the device. You can still calibrate using a stored image and then take the calibration data back to the device later.

 

The Show Advanced… button toggles to show Hide Advanced… None of the acquisition parameters can be changed while in live video.

 

 

Note that the calibration should fill as much of the image as possible – an area wider than the area in which you need to make precise measurements.

 

You may also be setting up your camera for the first time, in which case you may want to align the calibration target with the camera axes.

 

Once the image looks as even as possible, you can proceed to the next step. Click the Next button.