Analyze Tab Overview
The Analyze tab contains quantitative analysis tools for evaluating the geometric and physical properties of mask and surface objects. These tools are designed to support quality control, metrology, defect detection, and research workflows by providing statistical measurements, color-mapped visualizations, and exportable results.
Analysis results should be reviewed and validated by qualified professionals. These tools are intended for research and industrial applications and should not be used as the sole basis for clinical decisions or regulatory submissions without appropriate validation.
Tab Sections
The Analyze tab is organized into the following sections:
Analyses
Tools for performing quantitative measurements on mask and surface objects:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Wall Thickness Analysis | Measure material thickness across an object by calculating distances from each surface point to the opposite boundary. Available for both mask and surface objects. |
| Deviation Analysis | Compare two objects to identify geometric differences and measure point-to-point deviations. Supports mask vs. mask, mask vs. surface, and surface vs. surface comparisons. |
| Curvature Analysis | Calculate and visualize surface curvature properties including Gaussian, mean, maximum, and minimum curvature values. |
| Extrema Analysis | Identify and visualize local maximum and minimum points along a specified direction vector. |
| Gray Value Analysis | Map and analyze grayscale intensity values from volume data onto mask or surface geometry. |
| Void/Inclusion Analysis | Detect and characterize internal voids (porosity) and inclusions within mask objects, providing defect statistics and visualization. |
Edit
Tools for managing analysis objects:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Analyses Editor | View, modify, rename, or delete existing analysis objects across all analysis types. |
Common Concepts
Analysis Workflow
All analysis tools in the Analyze tab follow a consistent workflow pattern:
- Access the tool: Navigate to the Analyze ribbon tab and select the desired analysis type.
- Choose the analysis mode: Select whether to analyze a mask or surface object from the dropdown menu.
- Create or load an analysis: Click Select analysis to open the Analysis Editor dialog where you can create new analyses or load existing ones.
- Configure settings: Specify the target object, visualization parameters, and analysis-specific settings.
- Run the analysis: Click Run Analysis to compute results and update visualizations.
- Review and export: Examine results in the 3D/2D views, statistics table, and histogram, then export data or generate reports.
Analysis Selection
The Analysis Selection section allows you to manage and switch between multiple analyses of the same type:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Select analysis | Opens the Analysis Editor dialog to create, delete, or load analyses. |
| Selected analysis | Displays the name of the currently loaded analysis. |
Visualization Options
Analysis results are displayed as color-mapped overlays on the analyzed objects:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Histogram | Interactive histogram showing the distribution of analysis values. Adjust the range sliders to filter the displayed value range. |
| Color Map (LUT) | Configurable lookup table that maps analysis values to colors. Above and below range colors indicate values outside the selected range. |
| Show Maximum | Toggle display of the maximum value location as an annotation in the 3D view. |
| Show Minimum | Toggle display of the minimum value location as an annotation in the 3D view. |
| Pick Point | Enable interactive picking to display analysis values at clicked locations on the object. |
Histogram Types
The histogram visualization supports three display modes:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Absolute surface | Shows the actual surface area in mm² for each value bin without normalization. |
| Relative surface | Displays surface area as a percentage of the total analyzed surface. |
| Cumulative relative surface | Shows the accumulated percentage of relative surface area across value bins. |
Statistics
Each analysis provides statistical summaries in a tabular format:
| Statistic | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum | Lowest analysis value across all points. |
| Maximum | Highest analysis value across all points. |
| Mean | Average value across all analyzed points. |
| Standard Deviation | Measure of value dispersion from the mean. |
| Surface Area | Total analyzed surface area. |
Right-click on the statistics table to access options for copying data to the clipboard.
Exporting Results
Analysis results can be exported in multiple formats:
| Export Option | Description |
|---|---|
| CSV Export | Export statistical data and value distributions to comma-separated value files. |
| PDF Report | Generate formatted PDF reports containing analysis visualizations, statistics, and metadata. See PDF Report for details. |
Copy to Measurements
The Copy to Measurements button transfers visible analysis annotations (minimum, maximum, picked points) to the Measurements tool for inclusion in measurement reports and cross-tool workflows.
Mask vs. Surface Analysis
Most analysis tools support both mask and surface objects as input:
| Input Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Mask Analysis | Analyzes the 3D preview surface generated from a binary mask. Surface quality can be adjusted in the analysis settings (Draft, Optimal, High). |
| Surface Analysis | Analyzes imported or generated triangle mesh surfaces directly. |
Mask-based analyses use a preview surface generated from the mask data. The preview quality setting affects both visualization fidelity and computation time. For final analysis, consider using the Optimal quality setting for more accurate results.
Typical Workflows
Quality Control Inspection
- Import or segment the part to be inspected.
- Open Wall Thickness Analysis or Deviation Analysis as appropriate.
- Create a new analysis and configure the target object and reference (if applicable).
- Run the analysis and review the color-mapped visualization.
- Use the histogram and range sliders to identify areas outside tolerance.
- Export a PDF report documenting the inspection results.
Defect Detection
- Segment the object containing potential defects using threshold or region grow tools.
- Open Void/Inclusion Analysis from the Analyze tab.
- Configure detection parameters including minimum defect size and threshold values.
- Run the analysis to identify and label individual defects.
- Review the statistics table for defect counts, volumes, and locations.
- Export defect data for further analysis or reporting.
Geometric Analysis
- Create or import surface geometry.
- Use Curvature Analysis to evaluate surface smoothness and identify high-curvature regions.
- Apply Extrema Analysis to locate maximum and minimum points along specific directions.
- Combine with Gray Value Analysis to correlate geometry with material properties.
Scripting Support
Analysis operations can be automated using Python scripting. See the Analysis Operations API for available functions including:
- Creating and configuring analysis objects
- Running analyses programmatically
- Extracting statistical results
- Automating batch analysis workflows
Related Resources
- Measure Tab Overview – Statistical measurements and primitive fitting
- Surface Tab Overview – Surface creation and editing tools
- Segmentation Tab Overview – Mask creation and editing tools
- PDF Report – Report generation for analysis results