11.56. ITK Morphological Gradient Image Filter

Highlights edges in a grayscale image by subtracting a local minimum-filtered image from a local maximum-filtered image.

Group (Subgroup)

ITKMathematicalMorphology (MathematicalMorphology)

Description

The morphological gradient is an edge detector. At each pixel it computes the difference between a grayscale dilation (the maximum value in the neighborhood defined by the structuring element) and a grayscale erosion (the minimum value in that same neighborhood):

morphological gradient = dilation erosion

Where the image is flat, the local maximum and minimum are nearly equal and the result is near zero (dark). Where intensity changes sharply — an edge — the maximum and minimum differ greatly and the result is large (bright). The output is therefore bright along object boundaries and dark in uniform regions. The width of the detected edges grows with the size of the structuring element.

Parameter Guidance

  • Kernel Radius — the radius of the structuring element, in pixels (one value per axis). Larger radii detect broader edges.

Kernel Type

The Kernel Type parameter selects the structuring element shape:

  • Annulus [0]: A ring-shaped structuring element.

  • Ball [1]: A spherical structuring element (default). Most commonly used for general morphological operations.

  • Box [2]: A rectangular/cuboid structuring element.

  • Cross [3]: A cross-shaped structuring element.

Required Input Sources

Operates on any scalar (grayscale) image — typically from Read Image, Read Images [3D Stack], or the output of a prior ITK image filter.

Input Parameter(s)

Parameter Name

Parameter Type

Parameter Notes

Description

Kernel Radius

Vector of UInt32 Values

Order=X,Y,Z

The radius of the kernel structuring element.

Kernel Type

Choices

Set the kernel or structuring element used for the morphology.

Input Cell Data

Parameter Name

Parameter Type

Parameter Notes

Description

Image Geometry

Geometry Selection

Image

Select the Image Geometry Group from the DataStructure.

Input Cell Data

Array Selection

Allowed Types: int8, uint8, int16, uint16, int32, uint32, int64, uint64, float32, float64

The image data that will be processed by this filter.

Output Cell Data

Parameter Name

Parameter Type

Parameter Notes

Description

Output Cell Data

DataObjectName

The result of the processing will be stored in this Data Array inside the same group as the input data.

Example Pipelines

DREAM3D-NX Help

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