RE: [Vxl-maintainers] Blocked Images?

[Rob R. <ro...@st...>]

My thoughts are that handling image blocking is a file read implementation
detail that is specific to certain file types.  If a filetype supports
blocking then the subclass that reads that type could/should handle it
transparently (note that the block related NITF functions below are all
protected).  I can't envision a scenario where client code would want to
read just the (i,j)-th block or even really a scenario where the client code
would need to know the blocking details of a particular file.  Well, I guess
the latter case is reasonable just in terms of providing file meta-data.  In
the NITF case, one could access this information in one of two ways:
 
- Use the vil_nitf2 specific get_tree() function which would provide them
with all of the support data relevant to either the whole file, or a
specific header.
- Use vil_image_resource::get_property() function with the appropriate tags
from the NITF specification ("NPPBH", "NPPBV", "NBPR", "NBPC" respectively).

 
Assuming I'm not missing something about how TIFF files use blocking, I
don't see the need for either solution: moving the blocking API up to
vil_image_resource or making a block-aware subclass.  
 
However, while we're on the topic of moving functionality up to
vil_image_resource, I have another question.  Does anyone object to my
moving these functions up to vil_image_resource (from vil_nitf2_image)?
 
  void set_current_image( unsigned int index );
  unsigned int nimages() const;
 
All filetypes that don't support multiple images in a single file won't be
affected; nimages() will return 1 and they will only be allowed to pass one
into set_current_image().   As far as I know, vil_nitf2_image is the only
subclass for which this functionality will be useful, but this change should
make it easier for client code to access this capability.  
 
Rob
 



  _____  

From: vxl...@li...
[mailto:vxl...@li...] On Behalf Of Joseph L
Mundy
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 6:33 AM
To: vxl...@li...
Subject: [Vxl-maintainers] Blocked Images?



Dear All,

The vil image library does not currently recognize blocked images. For
example TIFF6.0 extends the concept of  "strips" to allow general
rectangular "tiles".  The NITF2.0 and 2.1 file formats also provides
blocking.  Indeed, the vil_nitf2_image class has the following methods:

  unsigned int get_pixels_per_block_x() const;

  unsigned int get_pixels_per_block_y() const;

  unsigned int get_num_blocks_x() const;

  unsigned int get_num_blocks_y() const;

 

I plan to extend vil_tiff  to handle blocks as well. Should we have block
parameters and methods on vil_image_resource/view or should there be a
sub-class of these that supports blocking?  Also the get_... should be
removed in the new block method names according to our vxl coding standards.

Joe

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