WinDendro tree-ring and wood density analysis software for dendrochronology, dendroecology.
For tree-ring, stem, wood density analysis & measurement


Morphing Technology Applied to Digital
Tree Ring Density Measurement. R. Guay
Poster presented at IUFRO, Forest Products for Sustainable Forestry, Pullman, WA, USA, July 97.
In 1992 we have presented a method to measure annual tree ring density from scanned x-ray films. This method was based on a software slit which measured the transmitted light over ring paths in the image. With proper calibration on a plastic step wedge x-rayed with the sample, ring density profiles were computed. The slit changed its orientation gradually between rings to match their boundary. One drawback of this method is that the slit was rigid and did not always followed the boundary of irregular rings. Wood density analysis from x-ray films of annual tree ring density.
The new method presented here is based on a flexible shape slit that adapt itself to the ring boundary but also gradually changes its shape between rings using a technology called morphing. The software slit moves from a ring position in the image with a shape identical to its boundary and, as it advances toward the next ring, its shape is gradually changed to match the boundary of this ring. This type of slit produces more precise density profiles that have no abrupt changes.

Ring paths on which density is measured can be created in any direction and can have many segments. This allow to measure density on irregular samples or wood disks. The technology can also be used to measure reflected light from pieces of wood (although no attempt to calibrate these measurements with density is presented). The software is TWAIN compatible that means it can scan x-rays films with many scanner models. Because of the difficulty of scanning such media, it performs better with midrange scanners. Images stored in TIFF files can also be analyzed.
Wood density analysis from x-ray films of annual tree ring density.
Wood density analysis from x-ray films of annual tree ring density.
To learn more about WinDENDRO click the following links or you can download our WinDENDRO brochure (1.4 MB).

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Last revision: March 6, 2007