Daheng Galaxy Viewer to program our industrial cameras
Gaspar van Elmbt
The Daheng Galaxy Viewer is the primary software for testing and configuring our industrial cameras. It allows users to adjust and save camera settings, as well as capture and store images efficiently. The software also supports multiple plugins, offering additional features such as crosshairs, grids, and LUT (Look-Up Table) adjustments for enhanced functionality.
Table of contents
Getting Started with Daheng Galaxy Viewer
This guide will walk you through the setup and usage of the Daheng Galaxy Viewer software.
Step 1: Install the Daheng Camera Machine Vision SDK
Important: Do not connect the Machine Vision Camera before or during the SDK installation.
You can download the latest version of the SDK from our Download page. After downloading, install it by running the setup file.
Once the SDK installation is complete:
- The Galaxy Viewer software will be installed.
- Camera documentation will be available at: C:\Program Files\Daheng Imaging\GalaxySDK\Doc
- Programming examples can be found at: C:\Program Files\Daheng Imaging\GalaxySDK\Samples
Step 2: Opening the Galaxy Viewer
The demo software is installed at:
C:\Program Files\Daheng Imaging\GalaxySDK\Demo\Win64\GalaxyView.exe
The easiest way to launch the Galaxy Viewer is by typing "galaxy" in the Windows search bar.
Once the program starts, it will automatically scan for connected cameras via the network or USB ports.
Camera Connection Overview
On the left panel, you will see the Daheng connection tree displaying connected GigE, USB2.0, and USB3.0 industrial cameras.
Cameras in the network will be listed under their respective network adapters.
If the cameras are properly connected, they will automatically appear in the connection tree when the program starts or refreshes.
You can manually scan for devices and update the device list using the refresh icon.
Step 3: Connecting to the Camera
The screenshot below shows an MER2-231-41GM-P Ethernet camera and an MER2-1220-32U3C USB3 camera detected by the Galaxy Viewer.
To connect to a specific camera
- Select the camera name from the list.
- Double-click the camera or click the "Open Device" icon (second from the left).
Multiple cameras can be opened simultaneously, allowing you to work with several devices at once.
Step 4: Controlling the Camera
Once connected, the camera sends configuration data to the Galaxy Viewer, providing details about its available features and settings. These parameters are displayed in the right-hand panel, where you can adjust them as needed.
To begin capturing images, click the "Start Acquisition" button. The camera will stream live video using its default settings.
Key Camera Parameters
Remote Device → AcquisitionControl
- ExposureAuto – Set to "Once" or "Continuous" for automatic exposure adjustment.
- ExposureTime – Manually set the exposure value (only works when ExposureAuto is set to "Off").
Image → AnalogControl
BalanceWhiteAuto – Available for color cameras to adjust white balance automatically.
Remote Device → ImageFormatControl
ROI (Region of Interest) – Define a specific area of the image for processing (Only works when acquisition is stopped). Additionally, draw ROI feature is also available.
[How to set a Region of Interest (R.O.I.) inside an industrial camera in 3 steps]
Remote Device → UserSetControl
- UserSetControl – Save customized parameter settings to UserSet0 for future use.
[How to save the camera parameters in 3 steps]
Quick Access to Frequently Used Parameters
For convenience, you can add frequently used parameters to Favorites:
- Right-click on a parameter and select "Add to Favorites".
- Favorited parameters will appear at the top of the settings list for quick access.
This feature ensures that your most-used settings are easily accessible, improving workflow efficiency.
Step 5: Exploring Galaxy Viewer Features
This section introduces additional features of the Galaxy Viewer Tool Bar.
Image Management Features
Opening Images
You can review images directly in Galaxy Viewer, which is useful for inspecting details such as RGB values in specific areas.
Saving Images
- To save an image:
- Click the Save Image icon.
- Choose your preferred file format and filename.
- Recommendation: Save images as .PNG to reduce file size while maintaining high quality.
Multi camera Viewing options
Tile View
If multiple cameras are connected, you can split the screen using the Tile View tool to display multiple camera feeds in a single window.
Advanced Display Features
Histogram
Enable or disable the image histogram, which provides an overview of the image’s brightness and contrast levels.
Crosshair
Click the Crosshair button to overlay a crosshair in the center of the image.
To reposition the crosshair: Adjust the line width and offset values. Use negative values to move left or up (e.g., [-200, -50]).
Grid
Enable the Grid feature by clicking its icon. To customize the grid: Choose between High, Default, or Low grid density (higher values create more grid lines). It is also possible to have a custom set value.
Digital Zoom
You can zoom in and out by: Clicking the + or – icons, entering a custom zoom percentage, clicking "Fit Size" or “Real Size” to automatically adjust the image to the screen.
100% Zoom: Displays each camera pixel as one screen pixel, which is useful for lens calibration to achieve sharp images.
Tip: Optimizing Focus for Objects with Different Heights
If your project involves objects with varying heights, place the highest and lowest objects next to each other while adjusting the focus.
To increase depth of field and ensure both objects remain sharp:
- Close the iris to reduce the aperture size.
- Start with an F-stop of F4.0 for a balanced depth of field.
- If the depth of field is still insufficient, gradually reduce the aperture (increase F-stop) for better focus across different heights.
This technique helps maintain sharp image quality, especially when capturing objects at different distances from the camera.
Step 6: Using the Menu Bar
Set File, Show, Plugin, Settings, Tools and Help in the Menu Bar.
File
The File tab in Galaxy Viewer provides useful features for managing images and camera settings.
- Load Image – Open a previously saved image to analyze details such as RGB values in specific areas.
- Import/Export Device Settings – Save or restore camera settings for a specific model. This serves as a backup or a quick way to configure multiple cameras with the same settings.
- Save Device XML – Export the camera’s current configuration file, including firmware version and serial number, for reference or troubleshooting.
Show
The Show tab provides real-time frame rate (FPS) information during image acquisition.
- By default, the frame rate is set to 30 FPS, but it can be adjusted up to 60 FPS if supported by the camera.
- Users can choose to display or hide this data (hidden by default).
Plugin
Plugin is an extensible tool which contains a series of tools. These plugins can be loaded and unloaded through Plugin Manager.
- Static Defect Correction Plugin: Analyze the defect pixel in the current images of the device, including Bright dark scene and Actual scene.
- Flatfield Correction Plugin: Corrects uneven brightness caused by lens (To use this feature: Place a white object covering the entire field of view. Use a fixed exposure time and increase exposure until the center reaches 255 (maximum brightness). Click Acquisition of Brightfield Images, then select Execute FFC. The plugin will adjust brightness, compensating for darker areas).
- Image Processing Plugin: Corrects image color and defect pixels, sets contrast, saturation and sharpen values
- LUT Create Tool Plugin: Uses a Look-Up Table (LUT) to modify pixel intensity and gamma, enhancing contrast and brightness.
- Videos and Images Save Plugin: Save image stream and video stream continuously in real time
Settings
The Settings tab provides control over General Settings, Save Image Settings, and Internet Settings, allowing users to customize their experience based on workflow requirements.
General Settings
- User Level – Choose from three user access levels: Beginner (Default) – Basic settings for general use; Expert – Provides more configurable parameters; Guru – Grants access to all available parameters
- Device List Update Automatically – Enables automatic detection of GigE and USB devices every 2 seconds. If disabled, the user must manually refresh the device list.
- Property List Update Automatically – Allows parameters with polling features to refresh automatically at fixed intervals. If disabled, updates must be done manually.
- Image Buffer Cache Size – Defines the number of images stored in the buffer (default: 10). This setting applies globally to all connected devices.
Save Image Settings
- Save Path – Customize where images and videos are saved. Default path:
C:\ProgramData\Galaxy\userdata\ImagesAndVideos - Retain RGB to Mono Status – Maintains image adjustments (rotation, mirroring, RGB to mono conversion) when saving in BMP, JPG, PNG, or TIFF formats. Not applicable for RAW files.
- Filename Format – Choose how images are named:
Prefix + Index (e.g., Image_001, Image_002) ; Prefix + DateTime (e.g., Image_20240131_140500) ; The prefix can be customized by the user.
Internet Settings
- Controls how multiple processes can access the GigE camera: Exclusive – Prevents other processes from opening the camera; Control (Default) – Allows other processes to open the camera in Read-only mode; Read-only – No restrictions; other processes can open the camera freely
- Adaptive Network Packet Length: Automatically adjusts Packet Size based on network conditions for optimal data transfer.
- Device Enumeration Method: Two options for detecting cameras on a network: Network-wide Enumeration – Broadcasts to all devices on the entire LAN, regardless of network segment; Subnet Enumeration – Searches only within the same subnet as the NIC IP address.
Tools
The Tools section ensures proper network communication between the GigE Vision cameras and your system.
- GxGigEIPConfig – Used to set and configure the IP address and IP configuration for GigE Vision devices.
- NICConfig Tool – Allows users to select a Network Interface Card (NIC) from the Netcard Name list and apply settings.
Help
The Help section allows you to customize their interface language, access developer tools and check software details easily.
- Language Selection – Choose between Simplified Chinese or English (takes effect after restart).
- Development Portal – Provides quick access to the SDK development path.
- Open User Instructions – Opens the user manual for guidance on software usage.
- About – Displays the current application and SDK version, along with SDK copyright information.
