IMAl - Image Analysis and Measurement Lab (formerly tnimage)
This is the main site for the scientific image analysis program
IMAL (the Image Analysis and Measurement Lab).
imal is a scientific image analysis program that allows you
to create, edit, analyze, and produce color prints of images. It is
particularly useful for analyzing images of SDS and agarose gels and
X-ray or MRI images.
Latest DOS version: 2.2.7
Latest Unix version: 3.5.5
New Features
Features:
- Analysis features: Distance, angle, 1- and 2-D image calibration,
densitometry, area, warping, 2D-FFT, and Fourier convolution and
deconvolution of 2 images. View FFT Real or imaginary components,
user-definable pixel math functions.
- Densitometry uses fuzzy k-means algorithm to automatically calculate
background value for highly accurate densitometric measurements.
- Image editing features: Add labels, circles, Bezier curves, etc.;
change brightness/contrast, change image depth; graphically create
or modify palette in 8-bit modes. Filters: sharpen, edge enhance,
Laplace, Sobel, etc. Rotate, resize, remap colors and many others.
- Transparency, color keying, and gradient fill.
Rotated text in various fonts.
- Antialiased text, lines, etc. Users can easily create new
menus for adding special characters such as Greek letters.
- Image registration and 2D gel spot matching
- Morphological analysis including erosion, dilation, quick
segmentation, contour plots.
- Interactive warping/distortion correction in 2 dimensions
- Watershed transformation
- Rotating 3d wireframe or surface graph display of images.
- Grain counting using neural-network-like algorithm.
- TeX-like syntax for superscripts or multiple fonts in labels.
- Manual (scissors) and smart automatic selection of non-rectangular areas.
- Image formats supported: TIF, GIF, Targa, Windows BMP, JPEG, raw bytes,
ASCII, and several others, as well as up to 100 user-definable custom
formats. A sample configuration file for reading medical X-ray images
from a Lumisys scanner is included. Plugin is provided for HDF format.
- Image depths: Image files of 1-32 bits/pixel can be imported/exported
and displayed on 8,15,16,24, or 32-bit/pixel displays. Grayscale medical
images greater than 8 bits can also be displayed.
- 512 images simultaneously viewable. Easily cut & paste among images.
Facility for creating animated GIF images.
- Includes spreadsheet for editing images as ASCII, Hex, or RGB values
for precise editing of pixel values.
- Other features: Macro language, image algebra, add/subtract/XOR images.
User-friendly graphical user interface.
- Tutorials are included for deconvolution, densitometry, macro
programming, and digital filtering with FFT.
- Scanner and digital camera interface (Unix version only).
Pre-compiled Unix versions for X11-Motif for Linux (Intel), SGI Irix,
Mac OS X, Solaris, and ConvexOS are also available (Click below)
Summary of features
Screen shots
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Screen Shot of DOS version of tnimage
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Screen shot of UNIX version of imal
Online manual
-
IMAL On-line manual (HTML)
Software Documentation and Tutorials
- Tutorial on image deconvolution (part 1).
- Tutorial on image deconvolution (part 2).
Densitometry is a method for obtaining quantitative data from
an image, such as an image of a polyacrylamide gel.
- Tutorial on image densitometry (part 1).
- Tutorial on image densitometry (part 2).
- Tutorial on digital filtering using the
2D-Fourier transform .
-
IMAL manual in PDF format
-
IMAL manual in PostScript format
-
Manual for Unix version
-
Manual for DOS version
imal downloads
Click below to go to the ftp site. Several versions are provided.
Download the version appripriate for your operating system.
The dynamically-linked version will work if you have Motif and
your libraries are up to date and in standard locations.
If you don't have Motif, or if the dynamically-linked "linux" version
doesn't work, you can either install
Motif yourself,
or use the "nomotif" or "static" version. Source
code is also available. If none of the precompiled versions work
on your computer, compile the program from the source code.
Note: The static version is currently unavailable due to an
unknown problem with gcc.
-
DOS version of tnimage
-
Unix Source code
-
Precompiled Linux version (static)
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Precompiled Linux version (dynamically linked)
-
Precompiled Linux version (dynamically linked for users without Motif)
-
Source RPM
-
Precompiled Linux RPM
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Precompiled OS X version
-
Precompiled Irix version (old)
-
Precompiled Solaris version
-
Precompiled version for ConvexOS (old)
Other software Click here for other software
Notes
If you get the message
imal: loadlocale.c:220: _nl_load_locale: Assertion `idx % __alignof__ (u_int32_t) == 0' failed.
Type the command:
export LC_ALL=POSIX
before starting imal.
Feedback on usability issues, suggestions for new feature, errors in
the documentation, and bug reports are welcome.
Send reports to

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