MontiVision DirectShow® Filter

The MontiVision Development Kit includes a comprehensive list of DirectShow filters for use in image processing, machine vision, surveillance and multimedia applications.

Introduction

MontiVision DirectShow filters provide a couple of common functionalities implemented in most filters: Common Filter Functions (Histogram, Region Of Interest, Filter Parameter Persistance, Filter Information, About Dialog)

Most MontiVision filters provide an Event Mechanism to control the workflow of your application.

It is possible use all of the DirectShow® filters available on your system. You can also use filters from other vendors or create your own. To build your own filter you can either use our Filter SDK or the Microsoft DirectShow® SDK.

Filter Overview

• Video/Image Input
• Video/Image Output
• Video/Image Capture
• Video Compression/Decompression
• Image Processing, Filtering, Arithmetic, Logic
• Arithmetic/Logic on Two Streams, Video Mixing
• Temporal Image Processing
• Image Statistics
• Data Visualization
• Geometric Transform
• Color Conversion
• Color Filtering
• Text, Graphics and Image Overlay Filter
• Camera Calibration
• Machine Vision, Computer Vision
• Surveillance
• Video Processing, Multimedia
• Sychronisation, Triggering
• Direct Buffer Access
• I/O Input
• I/O Processing
• I/O Output
• Utilities

Using MontiVision DirectShow® Filters

To work with the DirectShow Filters, you have to request the interfaces of these filters. The Smart ActiveX Control included in the MontiVision Development Kit provides a GetFilter method. This methods returns the IUnknown interface of a filter. Using the IUnknow interface you can request all the other interfaces of a filter.

How to do this in code depends on the development enviroment. For more details, please have a look at the Sample Applications of the MontiVision Development Kit and the following links.

• Visual C++
• Visual Basic 6.0
• Visual Basic .NET
• Visual C#
• Delphi

Trial Version Limitations

The unregistered versions of the MontiVision DirectShow Filters insert the MontiVision logo in the video stream. Filters without video output run for 30 minutes before they need to be reinserted into the Workbench.

Video/Image Input

MV Batch Image File Source	Loads still image batches, used for batch image processing.
MV Demo Source	Video source filter for demo and test purposes.
MV DPS File Source	Loads Leitch DPS compatible video files.
MV Image File Source	Loads still images and creates a video stream.
MV IP Camera Source Filter	Source filter for use with network (IP) cameras.
MV Network Source	Receives media streams from a TCP/IP network.
MV Playlist Source Filter	Plays multiple video files as one video stream.

Video/Image Output

MV DPS Renderer	Writes a video stream to file in Leitch DPS compatible format.
MV Image File Renderer	Creates a still image sequence from a video stream.
MV Multi File Writer	Writes a video stream into multiple video files.
MV Network Renderer	Sends media streams over a TCP/IP network.

Video/Image Capture

MV Image Grabber	Captures still images somewhere inside a filter configuration.
MV Image File Renderer	Creates a still image sequence from a video stream.
MV Multi File Writer	Writes a video stream into multiple video files.
MV Recording	Video recording, time lapse and snapshot functionality.

Video Compression/Decompression

MV MJPEG Compressor	Compresses the video stream using Motion JPEG.
MV MJPEG Decompressor	Decompresses Motion JPEG video streams.
MV YUV To RGB	Converts YUV color format to RGB color format.

Image Processing, Filtering, Arithmetic, Logic

MV Convolution	Convolution using freely definable matrices.
MV Linear Filter	Several linear filters (e.g. Gauss, Laplace, Sobel, Prewitt)
MV Mondic Arithmetic	Combines a video stream and a scalar using an arithmetic operator.
MV Mondic Logic	Combines a video stream and a scalar using a logic operator.
MV Morphology	Morphologic operators (erode, dilate, open, close).
MV Nonlinear Filter	Nonlinear filters (median, min, max).
MV Topography	Generates a topography map from the video frame.
MV Segmentation	Automatic or manual segmentation of a color or grayscale video.
MV Inverse	Inverts a video stream.
MV LookUpTable	Look up table operations. (e.g. histogram equalization or stretching)

Arithmetic/Logic on Two Streams, Video Mixing

MV Absolute Difference	Calculate the absolute difference of two video streams.
MV Dyadic Arithmetic	Combines two video streams using an arithmetic operator.
MV Dyadic Logic	Combines two video streams using a logic operator.

Temporal Image Processing

MV Integral	Calculates the temporal integral of a video stream.
MV Smooth Sequence	Calculates the average image from a number of successive video frames.

Image Statistics

Data Visualization

MV Mean Profile	Calculates and visualises row and column mean profiles.
MV Profile	Visualises the pixel value profiles of rows or columns.

Geometric Transform

MV Alignment	Rotates and displaces the input.
MV Crop	Crops and outputs a region from the input video.
MV Mirror	Flips the video horizontally and/or vertically.
MV Resize	Resizes the video stream.
MV Resized Rotation	Rotates the video stream. The output is resized to avoid cut off.
MV Rotate90	Rotates the video by 90, 180 and 270 degrees.
MV Rotation	Rotation using different interpolation modes.
MV Zoom	Magnifies a freely definable region.

Color Conversion

MV Color To Gray	Color to grayscale conversion.
MV Segmentation	Automatic or manual segmentation of a color or grayscale video.
MV ColorTwist	Converts the color channels according to a 4 x 4 matrix.
MV Gray To Color	Converts a grayscale image to color.
MV YUV To RGB	Converts YUV color format to RGB color format.

Color Filtering

MV Color Filter	Filters out colors ranges of a color image, works in different color spaces.
MV Fast Color Filter	Color filtering similiar to MV Color, but with much better performance.

Text, Graphics and Image Overlay Filter

MV Bitmap Overlay	Overlays a bitmap file onto the video stream.
MV GDI Overlay	Overlays a GDI surface onto the video stream.
MV Text Overlay	Overlays text onto the video stream.
MV Ticker Overlay	Overlays a ticker text onto the video stream.

Camera Calibration

MV Camera Calibration	Retrieve the calibration parameters of a camera.
MV Camera Undistortion	Create a calibrated video stream using a camera calibration parameter set.
MV Perspective Correction	Corrects the perspective of an image.

Machine Vision, Computer Vision

MV Blob Counter	Count the blobs (objects or contours) within an image.
MV Blob Finder	Find a specific blob (object or contour) within an image.
MV Gauge	Sub-Pixel accurate image measurement.
MV Presence Detection	Checks regions within the image for the presence of an object.
MV Optical Flow Filter	Calculates the optical flow of a video stream.
MV Advanced Optical Flow	Calculates and visualizes the optical flow of a video stream.
MV Mask	Mask a part of the image using an elliptical or a rectangular mask.

Surveillance

MV Motion Detection	Motion detection in one or more predefined regions.
MV Motion Direction	Determines the global motion direction using motion templates algorithm.
MV Optical Flow Filter	Calculates the optical flow of a video stream.
MV Advanced Optical Flow	Calculates and visualizes the optical flow of a video stream.
MV Deinterlace	Deinterlaces the video stream and output frame rate is equal to input rate.
MV DeInterlace Temporal	Deinterlaces the video stream and doubles the output frame rate.
MV Recording	Video recording, time lapse and snapshot functionality.
MV Demultiplexer	Demultiplexes the frames of the input stream to its output pins.
MV Block Recording	Get a block out of a viedeo stream before and after a trigger event.
MV Multi File Writer	Writes a video stream into multiple video files.
MV Playlist Source Filter	Plays multiple video files as one video stream.
MV Watchdog	Monitors the video stream and signals period time overflows.

Video Processing, Multimedia

MV Deinterlace	Deinterlaces the video stream and output frame rate is equal to input rate.
MV DeInterlace Temporal	Deinterlaces the video stream and doubles the output frame rate.
MV Recording	Video recording, time lapse and snapshot functionality.
MV Multi File Writer	Writes a video stream into multiple video files.
MV Playlist Source Filter	Plays multiple video files as one video stream.

Sychronisation, Triggering

MV Camera Syncronisation	Synchronises the video streams of two hardware sources.
MV Trigger Source	Software trigger to facilitate selective image processing.

Direct Buffer Access

MV Buffer Access	Provides application access to the video frame buffer.
MV Frame Access	Direct access to the frame buffer of a DV stream.

I/O Input

MV Network Source	Receives media streams from a TCP/IP network.
MV I/O Bool Source	A source filter to control other filter with boolean I/O input pins.
MV I/O Integer Source	Connects to integer pins of other filters in order to control them.
MV I/O RS232 Filter	Send and resceives I/O data from a serial interface.
MV I/O RS232 Trigger Source	Triggers its output pins after receiving defined events from the serial port.
MV I/O Switch Source	Filter to trigger other imaging filter, e.g. MV Trigger Source.
MV I/O Textfile Source	Get I/O input data from a text file.

I/O Processing

MV I/O Comparator	Works with upper and lower threshold to stabilize an I/O signal stream.
MV I/O Logic	Combines two I/O signals using a logic operator.
MV I/O Not	Inverts an I/O signal.
MV I/O To String	Converts an I/O signal to a text string for output or overlay.
MV Splitter	Multiplies the input signal.

I/O Output

MV Network Renderer	Sends media streams over a TCP/IP network.
MV I/O Integer Renderer	Displays an integer value received on its input pin.
MV I/O Renderer	Used for I/O output in combination with the MV I/O Controls.
MV I/O RS232 Filter	Send and resceives I/O data from a serial interface.
MV I/O Textfile Renderer	Creates a text file from a template, used for logging purposes.

Utilities

MV Delay	Delays the frames of a video stream by a specified number of frames.
MV Select Mediatype	Allows to select a specific mediatype for a connection between two filters.
MV Splitter	Multiplies the input signal.
MV Watchdog	Monitors the video stream and signals period time overflows.
MV Merge Frames	Merges two streams to a new stream with double height or width.
MV Object Tracker Filter	Track the position from an object.
MV Separate Fields	Places the fields of an interlaced video frame on top of each other.