| # Batch Processing

(This option is not available on the Freeware version)

WinTopo Pro includes a useful feature for processing many raster files, one after the other, without requiring interaction from the user. This is called Batch Processing. You will find the Batch Processing... option in the File menu. Clicking this option will produce the following window.

There are two things you need to set up on this window. One is the set of raster files which you want to convert. The other is the processing options which WinTopo Pro should use on every raster file to do the conversion.

#### Raster Files

There are two ways to add raster files into the batch to be processed.

You can click the Add Files... button to use the standard file selection window

Many files can be highlighted in this window by holding down the Shift or Ctrl key when you click the mouse. The Shift key allows you to highlight all the file names between the one the mouse is on, and the previously selected one. The Ctrl key allows you to highlight individual file names without losing the ones already highlighted.

The second way to add files to the batch is to drag-and-drop from the Windows Explorer. Highlight a bunch of files in the Windows Explorer and then use the mouse to drag them onto the WinTopo Pro Batch Processing Setup window.

Either way, the raster files will be listed with the file name and the file location (folder). You can add raster files from different folders.

If you drag-and-drop a folder name onto the Batch Processing window then WinTopo Pro will find all the raster files inside that folder and add them all to the list.

When you have added at least 1 raster file, the Start Processing button will become available. Press this button to instigate the conversion of all the listed raster files.

#### Processing Options

The Processing Options are used to instruct WinTopo Pro precisely how to convert all of the raster files.

If you do not specify any particular processing options, WinTopo Pro will perform Stentiford Thinning, Vector Extraction, and save as DXF format.

You can select a more specific processing sequence by picking options from the three drop-down menus. There are Pre-Processing options, Thinning and Edge Detections options, and File Output options.

When you select an item from one of the drop-down menus, it will appear as an option on the command line above. These options are exactly the same as those described for the Command Line Operation. For example, if you select Despeckle from the Pre-Process... menu, then -DES will appear on the command line. Similarly, if you select Simple Edge Detection from the Thinning... menu, then -eED will appear on the command line.

As is explained in the Command Line Operation, some of the options can have a parameter. For example, when using the despeckle option it is normal to specify the maximum speckle size for removal. You can add the parameter by typing it on the end of the option in the command line text box. So if you wanted to remove speckles of maximum size 5 pixels width, the option should read -DES:5

The processing options will be carried out in the order which the appear on the command line. In most cases, any Pre-process... options will come first, then a Thinning... option, and finally, a File Output... option.

Before batch processing a whole lot of rasters, it would be advisable to first experiment with processing options on a typical image. This way you can find the best processing sequence for the type of drawing in the batch.

#### Destination Folder

By default each output file will be stored in the same folder as the corresponding input raster file. However, by selecting the Place vector output files in this folder option you can give a specific folder where all the output files will be stored. Do this with the Browse.. button.

Specifying a particular destination folder is useful when you are batch processing images from a CDROM or other read-only device, where it is not possible to save the output files to the same folder as the source.

Related Topics:

- Command Line Operation and Options

- Contents Page