Robust, automated image analysis from capture to compliance

Yes. You can work with images in CXI, TIF, JPG, and BMP. Drag files into the workspace or open them from the file browser. If the file does not already include a reliable scale, Clemex Vision prompts you to enter a calibration so length and area measurements remain accurate before you report results.

A motorized stage is optional. Without it, the metallurgist moves the sample manually and analyzes one field of view at a time. With automation, Vision can follow a stage pattern — the plan of which fields on the sample to capture and measure — without an operator at every step. That is useful for large polished mounts, cleanliness filters, or whole-sample mosaics. Features that jump the stage to a specific detected feature require stage automation.

A single stage pattern (the planned set of fields on the mount) can include up to 10,000 fields of view; a multi-pattern layout can reach 1,000,000 fields (up to 100 patterns combined). Duration depends on magnification, focus strategy, and routine complexity — a routine is the saved sequence of analysis steps Vision runs on each field. Small jobs may finish in seconds; very large patterns can take up to about an hour. The workflow can pause at selected fields for manual checks (for example weld measurements).

Recalibrate after changing objectives, cameras, lamps, or adapters — or any optical change that affects pixel size. Re-initialize the motorized stage after manual movement of the stage knobs, a power loss, or any event where the controller may have lost position tracking. Shading correction should be refreshed if illumination changes noticeably. Skipping these steps is a common source of drift between operators and between shifts.

Once a routine (the saved workflow of capture and measurement steps) is validated, it can be locked so operators cannot edit those steps. Microscope and camera profiles (illumination, exposure, objective settings) can be protected so live tweaks during a run do not overwrite the approved setup. With the optional compliance module, administrators assign user groups that control who may edit routines, start runs, or approve results. Saved window layouts can be tied to a routine so every station opens the same view.

After automated segmentation, every object appears in a results table linked to the image. Select a row to highlight the feature; with a motorized stage, Vision can move to that field so the metallurgist can confirm or delete outliers on the image or in the table. Excluded objects drop out of statistics and reports. Results can be saved and reopened later for second review — important for inclusion ratings, porosity, and cleanliness.

Electronic records, audit trails, and electronic signatures are provided by the optional User Administration module for regulated environments. It can run on a single workstation or in a networked setup so multiple stations share the same user database and event log. User accounts are deactivated, not deleted, so audit history stays intact.

Vision generates reports from templates you design once — company logo, images, tables, and metadata (sample ID, operator, date, magnification, and more). Reports can be produced automatically at the end of a run — one execution of the routine over the fields in your stage pattern. Raw measurement data can also be exported as CSV, Excel, or text for further statistics or customer deliverables.

Yes. The optional ASTM E112 comparison-chart workflow lets the metallurgist compare the live field to standard grain-size charts on screen. Chart scale tracks the image magnification, supporting labs that need chart-based estimation alongside automated intercept or planimetric methods.

Current analysis routines (.ROUTINE files) open directly; legacy IPG routines can still be loaded (saving back to the oldest format may not support newer steps). Images in CXI and TIF remain fully supported; TIF and CXI retain calibration and annotation layers. Installing a new Vision release disables older Clemex Vision installs on that PC but keeps calibration and shading data.

Yes. You can maintain separate microscope and camera profiles — for example reflected vs transmitted light, different cameras, or different nosepiece configurations. Each profile keeps its own calibration and shading correction. Profiles can be protected so operators cannot overwrite the validated setup.

Each run produces a saved result file (.CXR) linked to the routine and stage pattern used, plus exportable measurement tables. Images saved as TIF or CXI can retain scale, annotations, and measurement overlays. With the compliance module, critical actions are logged in an event database with backup procedures for administrators. Data can be exported to standard office formats for long-term archive or customer packages.

Yes. For motorized nosepieces, Vision can select and control magnification during an automated workflow. With encoded turrets, magnification is read from the microscope so the correct calibration and camera profile apply automatically — reducing wrong-objective errors in high-throughput labs.

Use extended depth of field (focus stacking): Vision acquires multiple focal planes and builds one sharp composite image before grain, phase, or inclusion analysis. This addresses topography variation without manual refocus at every field — common on welds, cast mounts, and large polished areas.

Vision uses a token-based naming system so paths and file names build automatically from metadata you enter at the start of a run — or from custom fields you define for your lab.

Typical tokens include:

• Sample / sample ID and sample type
• Company, department, operator (user)
• Date and time
• Analysis name and field number (position on the mount)
• Auto-numbering (for example #### → 0001, 0002, …)
• Custom properties you create (lot number, heat, customer PO, material grade, and more — text, number, date, or pick lists)

Tokens can organize folders (for example one folder per sample) and output files (images, result archives, exports, reports) so operators do not overwrite prior work.

Clemex supports installation, method development, qualification, and ongoing service as part of integrated software and hardware solutions. Hardware is commissioned using Clemex startup documentation for cameras, stages, and controls. Contact us for details on training, qualification packages, and support plans for your site.

Vision is built around exportable, traceable outputs — structured result files, CSV and Excel exports, and report PDFs. There is no built-in LIMS connector in the standard product. Contact Clemex to discuss validated export workflows or integration options for your quality system.