IP Element

Represents a configurable step or group within an IP Profile, providing logic for conditional execution and dynamic workflow control.

Remarks

The IP Element class serves as the foundational building block for all steps and groups within an IP Profile in Grooper. Each IP Element can represent either a single image processing operation (an IP Step) or a collection of steps (an IP Group), and is responsible for defining the logic that determines when and how it should execute as part of an image processing workflow.

IP Elements are highly configurable, supporting dynamic execution paths and conditional logic through the use of expressions. These expressions allow you to tailor the behavior of your image processing pipeline based on image properties, results from previous steps, or other contextual information. By leveraging the 'Should Execute Expression' and 'Next Step Expression' properties, you can create sophisticated, data-driven workflows that adapt to the content and results of each image as it is processed.

Configuration and Usage

• Conditional Execution:
  Use the 'Should Execute Expression' property to specify a condition that must be met for the IP Element to run. This enables you to skip steps or groups based on image characteristics or prior results.

• Dynamic Workflow Control:
  The 'Next Step Expression' property allows you to control the flow of execution after the current step or group completes. You can direct processing to a specific IP Step or IP Group, or terminate the workflow early if needed.

• Integration in IP Profiles:
  IP Elements are organized into IP Profiles, which define the overall sequence and logic of image processing operations. Each element can be configured independently, enabling modular and reusable workflow components.

Best Practices

• Use clear, maintainable expressions for conditional logic to ensure workflows are easy to understand and modify.
• Test expressions thoroughly to avoid unexpected workflow terminations or skipped steps.
• Document the intent of complex expressions within your configuration or supporting documentation.

Properties

Name	Type		Description
Should Execute Expression	String	►	Defines an expression that determines whether the IP Step or IP Group should execute. EditorShould Execute Editor The 'Should Execute Expression' property allows you to specify a condition, written as a code expression, that must evaluate to a Boolean value. If the expression evaluates to true, the IP Element will execute; if false, it will be skipped. This enables you to create workflows that adapt dynamically to the properties of the input image or the results of previous processing steps. How to Configure Enter a code expression that returns a Boolean value. The expression can reference properties of the current image (e.g., Image.IsColor), results from previous steps (e.g., Results.Measure_Entropy.Entropy > 0.85), or other contextual information. If left blank, the IP Element will always execute. Examples Execute only if the input image is color: Image.IsColor Execute only if the input image is black and white: Image.IsBinary Execute only if the input image is 8-bit grayscale: Image.ColorFormat = GrooperImage.PixelFormat.Pixel8bppGrayscale Execute only if the previously-executed Measure Entropy command returned an entropy of more than 85%: Results.Measure_Entropy.Entropy > 0.85 Execute only if the previously-executed Classify Image command returned a Class Name of "Noisy Blue Background": Results.Classify_Image.ClassName = "Noisy Blue Background" Impact Configuring this property allows you to optimize processing by skipping unnecessary steps, improving performance, and ensuring that only relevant operations are performed on each image.
Next Step Expression	String	►	Defines an expression that determines the next IP Step or IP Group to execute after this one completes. EditorNext Step Editor The 'Next Step Expression' property allows you to control the flow of execution within an IP Profile by specifying, via a code expression, which IP Step or IP Group should be executed next. This expression is evaluated after the current IP Element completes, and can be used to implement conditional branching, early termination, or custom workflow logic. How to Configure Enter a code expression that returns an IP Step or IP Group object. The expression can reference the current image, results from previous steps, or any other available context. If the expression returns Nothing, execution of the IP Profile will terminate. If left blank, execution will proceed to the next item in the profile sequence. Examples If the image is black and white, run the 'Binary Cleanup' IP Group. Otherwise, run the 'Color Cleanup' group: If(Image.IsBinary, Steps.Binary_Cleanup, Steps.Color_Cleanup) If the image is black and white, terminate execution. Otherwise, proceed to the 'Color Detect' IP Step: If(Image.IsBinary, Nothing, Steps.Color_Detect) Impact By configuring this property, you can create highly flexible and adaptive workflows that respond to the results of previous processing steps, image characteristics, or other runtime conditions.
Description	String	►	Specifies a description for the item. EditorNode Description Editor

Design Tabs

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Derived Types

There are 3 implementations of IP Element.

IP Group	Serves as a container for organizing and controlling groups of IP Steps and nested IP Groups within an IP Profile.
IP Profile	Serves as the root container for defining and executing a sequence or hierarchy of image processing operations in Grooper.
IP Step	Represents an individual image processing operation within an IP Profile, specifying an IP Command to execute and options for controlling behavior.