Best Practices for Automated Image Processing
Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technology (SWGIT)
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Objective
The objective of this document is to provide personnel with guidance regarding the use of automated image processing.
Introduction
It is common in the evaluation and processing of forensic imagery to use integrated software applications/libraries, hardware, or both that can have automated functions. These automated functions, called “components” in this document, may reduce complex operations to a single “button-push”. This can increase productivity and reliability within an organization, but the use of these applications can encourage the naïve user to perform tasks without adequate knowledge of the underlying principles and their impact on the resulting output image. This can lead to inappropriate application of certain algorithms and the use of automated methods when manual processing would be more suitable. It is the responsibility of the practitioner to know how automated methods in their equipment and laboratories work, to know that they work and to know when to use them.
Scope of this document
Automated processes can be found in hardware as well as software. In digital cameras, a great deal of automated image processing can occur, and many of these operations may be under the control of the user. Image processing within a camera performed as part of image acquisition that is not under user control should be considered simply part of nominal camera function. User-controlled in-camera image processing constitutes image processing just as if it was done on a computer and image processing guidelines apply. (See SWGIT document “Guidelines for Image Processing”) This document provides guidelines for the use of automated processes regardless of platform or application.