The introduction of ibaVision v3.0 features a new plug-in concept to choose the right tool for every job. Initially, ibaVision will be delivered with two plug-ins that work out-of-the-box. The first plug-in provides the HALCON integration, which has already been available in all previous versions of ibaVision. The second plug-in executes Python scripts. This allows using the extensive selection of libraries that are available for the Python programming language for solving image processing tasks. Beyond the included plug-ins, it is also possible to program plug-ins that execute custom applications within ibaVision. This offers unlimited possibilities for image processing applications in the iba-system.

HALCON

HALCON by MVTec is a widely-used product that specialists all over the world use to create image processing applications. Commercial programming libraries such as HALCON offer the advantage of constant development of functions in new releases. In addition, technical support and training can be obtained. In order to create HALCON applications, a license for using HDevelop is required. To run the ibaVision program, a HALCON runtime license is required (included with ibaVision or purchased separately depending on the order option). The HALCON library provides a large set of functions and is a reliable tool for a wide range of image processing requirements.

Python

Due to the extensive number of available libraries, Python can also be used to create image processing applications. Python itself and most of the available libraries do not require purchasing licenses. This allows using Python immediately with every purchased ibaVision license. One available library for Python is OpenCV, which is an open-source image processing toolkit. Enthusiasts around the world use the available functionalities to build solutions. The OpenCV website is the starting point for documentation and help from other users.