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Photo Assistant


Version: 1.5.2
Date: 11.08.2021

Introduction

The Photo-Assistant is a software module provided as an integrated part of the application WinCanVX. It allows you to measure various pipe parameters (i.e. diameter, later and bend angles etc.) directly from a LiveVideo image or a photo. The image therefore has to be taken in front view and clearly show the structural outlines of the object whose dimension you want get calculated.

The Photo-Assistant provides the user a large number of measurement graphics which can easily be displayed and laid over the photo in order they match the object structure precisely.
The dimensions of damages located on the pipe wall (crack, holes etc.) can also be measured with the Photo-Assistant. In that case the optical axis must be pointed vertically on the pipe wall where the damage is located.

To make full and unlimited use of the Photo-Assistant the license slot highlighted on the image below must be activated on your dongle. Run the command Home > Program Information to check your license accordingly:

Open

Working with the Photo-Assistant

Basically you may launch the Photo-Assistant from the video window pushing the button . Certain observations that require the entry of measurement values enable the user to launch it also from the damage catalogue.
Adjust the camera to the direction of the pipe axis and make sure the pipe structures or objects to be measured can be clearly recognized.
WinCanVX then is going to transfer the following information to the Photo-Assistant:

• Pipe diameter (entered in the section part of the input mask)

• Inspection direction (entered in the inspection part of the input mask)

• Default view angle: vertical view angle of the camera on standard zoom

• View direction parallel to pipe axis

• Photo available in the fields Photo1 or Photo2, image from Live signal or video clip accordingly

Setting the View Angle of the Camera

To get reliable measurement results the accurate vertical view angle of the camera must be defined previously. Use the corresponding camera settings dialogue that is launched from the Photo Assistant window via the menu command File > Settings:

Hit the button Angle Calculator to enter the parameters needed for a correct calculation:

Follow the steps below to get the accurate values for both parameters (i.e. distance and height):

• Put the camera in front of a vertical wall in order the optical axis is hitting the wall in a right angle (90°).

• Fix a ruler to the wall.

• Adjust the horizontal position of the camera such as the ruler appears in the image center.

• Type the value of the ruler distance which is visible in the image into the field Height (mm or inches).

• Type the value of the distance between the camera lens and the ruler into the field Distance (mm or inches) The vertical view angle is calculated automatically and transferred into the Preferences dialogue box.

Overview of the Functionalities

According to the type of parameter you want to measure the corresponding 3D reference lines are automatically displayed:

The photo is laid behind the 3D reference lines. It can be moved, zoomed and rotated until the lines displayed precisely match the corresponding structural elements of the pipe (e.g. joints, outlines of lateral connections, weld seams etc.). The camera height can be reset together with each type of 3D line display.

Measuring Water Level

Stop the camera crawler at the corresponding spot in the pipe and push the Photo-Assistant button in the video window (1):

Check the pipe diameter laying the green circle line over the joint displayed in the picture (LiveVideo or photo) in order that it matches precisely the pipe structure element: Use the mouse wheel to zoom the image and the vertical slider on the right side of the window to adjust the camera height (1). In case of image distortion adjust the aspect ratio with the mouse wheel keeping the CONTROL-key pressed.

Click on the icon to activate the measurement of the water level. Use the slider on the left side of the window to match the trapezoid shaped blue area to the outlines of the real water surface: The water level value hereby calculated is shown in the Photo-Assistant window and will be transferred automatically into the corresponding catalogue field after you have hit the button .

Measuring Pipe Dimensions

Stop the camera crawler at the corresponding spot in the pipe and push the Photo-Assistant button in the video window.
Use the mouse wheel to zoom the image and the vertical slider on the right side of the window to adjust the camera height (1). In case of image distortion adjust the aspect ratio with the mouse wheel keeping the CONTROL-key pressed.

Click on the ruler icon to define start and end point of the distance to be measured: the diameter value hereby calculated is shown in the Photo-Assistant window and will be transferred automatically into the corresponding catalogue field after you have hit the button .

Measuring Lateral Angle

Stop the camera crawler at the corresponding spot in the pipe, push the Photo-Assistant button in the video window and click on the Lateral button (1) to display the graphics used for lateral angle measurement.
Check the pipe diameter laying the green circle line over the joint displayed in the picture (LiveVideo or photo) in order that it matches precisely the pipe structure element: Use the mouse wheel to zoom the image and the vertical slider on the right side of the window to adjust the camera height (2). In case of image distortion adjust the aspect ratio with the mouse wheel keeping the CONTROL-key pressed.

Use the sliders on the top (4), bottom (5) and on the left side (6) of the window in order to match the yellow line perfectly to the outlines of the lateral pipe: the connection angle hereby calculated is shown in the Photo-Assistant window and will be transferred automatically in the corresponding catalogue field after you have hit the button .
In order to measure a pipeline consisting of prefabricated connections, click on the corresponding toggle button (1) which is going to replace the angle and position rulers by value buttons. So you may jump easily from one default angle or position class to the other:

Measuring Pipe Bend

Stop the camera crawler at the corresponding spot in the pipe, push the Photo-Assistant button in the video window and click on the Curve button (1) to display the graphics used for bend angle measurement.
Check the pipe diameter laying the green circle line over the joint displayed in the picture (LiveVideo or photo) in order that it matches precisely the pipe structure element: Use the mouse wheel to zoom the image and the vertical slider on the right side of the window to adjust the camera height (2). In case of image distortion adjust the aspect ratio with the mouse wheel keeping the CONTROL-key pressed.

The icon allows you to define the view direction of the camera and hence the position of the green circle line. Use the icon to rotate the picture.
Use the sliders on the top and the bottom of the window in order to match the yellow line perfectly to the outlines of the last visible joint of the bended pipe element: the bend angle hereby calculated is shown in the Photo-Assistant window and will be transferred automatically in the corresponding catalogue field after you have hit the button .
Click on the button if you want to replace the rulers on the top and the bottom by value buttons that allow you to jump from one default bend angle or position class to the next one.

Measuring Loss of Cross Section Area

Stop the camera crawler at the corresponding spot in the pipe and push the Photo-Assistant button in the video window.
Check the pipe diameter laying the green circle line over the joint displayed in the picture (LiveVideo or photo) in order that it matches precisely the pipe structure element: Use the mouse wheel to zoom the image and the vertical slider on the right side of the window to adjust the camera height (1). In case of image distortion adjust the aspect ratio with the mouse wheel keeping the CONTROL-key pressed.

Click on the icon to activate the measurement of the surface covered by roots or any other objects within the pipe: Set a start point of the measurement and continue setting drawing dots clockwise or counter clockwise along the outline of the object. The software then is linking all the dots together and thus calculates the total length of the outline. The corresponding value is displayed in the Photo-Assistant window, recalculated in % of the total cross section area of the pipe. Finally this percent value is transferred automatically into the corresponding catalogue field after you have hit the button .

Measuring local Deformation

Take a photo from a joint structure, which is showing a local deformation and open that picture with the Photo-Assistant.
Move or zoom the image until the green circle matches the joint line. Use slider 1 to adjust the camera height and match the blue circle to the pipe joint using slider 2.

Grab the blue dots (3) and move them to the joint line. The blue circle line thus is going to be squeezed or stretched accordingly and the area loss in % is then calculated.
In case you need additional marker dots you can click on a black dot (3a) which is highlighted first with a thin blue circle line (3b) and then immediately turn into blue:

Measuring Crack Width on the Pipe Wall

Length and width of pipe wall cracks can also be measured directly on a photo. First make sure the camera head is pointed vertically to the pipe wall and the camera system has been calibrated previously. There are two calibration methods that must be applied depending upon the camera system you're currently operating with. Always follow the steps described in the sections below in order to have your camera calibrated properly.

Calibration of Cameras WITHOUT Laser:

1. Fix a ruler at a wall and position the camera at a right-angle to it. The distance between the camera head and the ruler corresponds to half of the pipe diameter (e.g. pipe diameter = 200 mm -> distance = 100 mm).

2. Take a picture per pipe diameter and write each diameter value into an empty text file on a new line as shown below (1). Use a semicolon ";" as column separator.

3. Determine the number of pixels (column 2) for a certain ruler distance (column 3). To obtain a good result, the pixels in the middle third of the photo should be used. The number of pixels counted must not be too small. The easiest way to do this is using a drawing program like Paint or Photoshop (e.g. 241 pixels = 40 mm).

Take a picture that clearly shows the defect to be measured, open it with the Photo-Assistant and activate the measurement button in the symbol bar as highlighted below:

Push the button right to the measurement icon in the symbol bar to delete the measurement line.

Calibration of Cameras WITH Laser:

1.) Enter the following values into an empty text file as shown below using the semicolon ";" as column separator. Note that the distance between the projected laser dots slightly changes the larger the pipe diameter becomes. The corresponding calibration information thus has to be written on two separate lines as shown in the sample below:

• Column 1 must contain the text LASER

• Column 2 must contain the projection distance (line1: value = 0; line2: value > 0 (e.g. 250))

• Column 3 must be EMPTY

• Column 4 contains the distance in mm between the laser dots (line1 -> value provided by the camera manufacturer at 0 mm; line2 -> value measured by the user at a given projection distance (e.g. 250 mm). This laser dot distance will be interpolated accordingly.

2.) Pan the camera towards the damage location

3.) Open Photo Assistant and push the measurement button in the symbol bar.

4.) Draw a reference line from one laser spot to the other. The spots are produced by laser sources that emit parallel laser rays.

5.) Press the calibration button that appears below the photo as soon as you have drawn the reference line:

Push the button right to the measurement icon in the symbol bar to delete the measurement line.

Measuring Joint Displacement

Some damage standards (e.g. WRC, EN-13508 etc.) require a value for the joint displacement angle which can be calculated via LiveVideo signal or 2 pictures taken at the corresponding spots:

1.) Move the crawler to the location that shows the joint displacement and pan the camera head towards the joint.

2.) Enter the corresponding OP-Code (e.g. JD, BAJC) and open the photo assistant.

3.) Rotate the camera head to the minimum of the joint gap.

4.) Hit the crack measurement button (1), draw a measurement line over the joint gap and confirm the value:

5.) Rotate the camera head until the maximum of the joint gap appears.

6.) Hit the crack measurement button (2), draw a measurement line over the joint gap and confirm the value:

Select the command Edit > Joint Angle (3) and copy the calculated value (4) into the corresponding field provided by the observation catalogue:

Saving measurement results

Using the photo camera button (1) in the symbol bar you may save the photo together with the measurement graphics as a new file in the subfolder \Picture of the WinCan-Project: the original photo will NOT be overwritten.

Hitting the photo save button (2) on the other hand is saving the original photo together with the measurement graphics currently displayed.