ABSTRACT
In order for images to be used for measuring shape, they are first stored as a digitized representation. Usually this is an array of pixels, each with the brightness or color of the corresponding point in the original scene. Other, more concise sets of data may also be used, such as the coordinates of a limited number of points to define objects or structures. Digital camera images range in size from a few megapixels upward. The number of pixels required in a given application depends very much on the resolution needed to properly characterize the objects or structures of interest. Some scientific applications are naturally suited to monochrome (grayscale) images. Electron microscopes, for example, produce images with no color information, and some light microscope applications use filters in the optical path so that monochrome light is recorded. This chapter illustrates the ability of computers to generate images that model shapes and surfaces.
