Format

Description

Returns or sets the index of the currently selected pixel format.


Syntax

[VB]
objActiveGige.Format [= Value]

[C/C++]
HRESULT get_Format( long *pFormat );
HRESULT put_Format( long Format );


Data Type [VB]

Long

Parameters [C/C++]

pFormat [out,retval]

Pointer to the format's index

Format [in]

The index of the format to be selected

Return Values

S_OK

Success

E_FAIL

Failure.

E_INVALIDARG

The index is out of range

Example

This VB example initializes a combo box with the descriptions of available pixel formats and uses it to select a specific format:

Private Sub Form_Load()
FormatLst = ActiveGige1.GetFormatList
For i = 0 To UBound(FormatLst)
Combo1.AddItem (FormatLst(i))
Next
Combo1.ListIndex = 0
ActiveGige1.Acquire = True
End Sub

Private Sub Combo1_Click()
ActiveGige1.Format = Combo1.ListIndex
End Sub


Remarks

The value of the property is a zero-based index into the list of pixel formats supported by the currently selected Camera. The list of formats can be retrieved with GetFormatList. If you use the property window of your development environment or ActiveGige's property pages, the Format property field will be presented as a list box containing all supported video formats. The format list is built in the acceding order by browsing through all pixel formats supported by the current camera.

ActiveGige supports the following GigE Vision™ pixel formats:

Pixel Format	Description	Bits per pixel
Mono8	8-bit monochrome unsigned	8
Mono8s (=Mono8Signed)	8-bit monochrome signed	8
Mono10	10-bit monochrome unpacked	16
Mono10Packed	10-bit monochrome packed	12
Mono12	12-bit monochrome unpacked	16
Mono12Packed	12-bit monochrome packed	12
Mono14	14-bit monochrome unpacked	14
Mono16	16-bit monochrome	16
Bayer**8	8-bit raw Bayer	8
Bayer**10	10-bit raw Bayer unpacked	16
Bayer**12	12-bit raw Bayer unpacked	16
Bayer**10Packed	10-bit raw Bayer packed	12
Bayer**12Packed	12-bit raw Bayer packed	12
RGB8 (=RGB8Packed)	24-bit RGB color	24
BGR8 (=BGR8Packed)	24-bit BGR color	24
RGBa8 (=RGBA8Packed)	24-bit RGB color with alpha channel	32
BGRa8 (=BGRA8Packed)	24-bit BGR color with alpha channel	32
RGB10Packed (=RGB10Packed)	30-bit RGB color	48
BGR10Packed (=BGR10Packed)	30-bit BGR color	48
RGB12Packed (=RGB12Packed)	36-bit RGB color	48
BGR12Packed (=BGR12Packed)	36-bit BGR color	48
BGR10V1Packed	30-bit BGR color packed	32
BGR12V1Packed	36-bit BGR color packed	36
YUV411_8_UYYVYY (=YUV411Packed)	12-bit YUV color	12
YUV422_8_UYVY (=YUV422Packed)	16-bit YUV color	16
YUV8_YUV (=YUV444Packed)	24-bit YUV color (YUV 4:4:4)	24
RGB8Planar	24-bit RGB in form of three 8-bit planes	24
RGB10Planar	30-bit BGR in form of three 16-bit planes	48
RGB12Planar	36-bit BGR in form of three 16-bit planes	48
RGB16Planar	48-bit BGR in form of three 16-bit planes	48
Coord3D_ABC16	48-bit 3D-cloud (16-bit XYZ coordinates)	48
Coord3D_ABC32f	96-bit 3D-cloud (floating 32-bit XYZ coord)	96

Note - ** in the Bayer format names stands for GR, RG, GB or BG type of Bayer layout.

Note - alternative format names in parenthesis represent older notations from GEV 1.x specifications.

If your camera supports JPEG or H.264 compression per GEV 2.0 standard, you can select a corresponding compression mode by changing the ImageCompressionMode GenICam feature. Compression quality settings are typically available on such cameras via ImageCompressionQuality and ImageCompressionBitrate features. If JPEG or H.264 compression mode is activated on the camera, Format will be automatically reset to Mono8 or RGB8, and ActiveGigE will decode incoming compressed frames on the fly.

Depending on your camera, some manufacturer-specific formats can also be supported by ActiveGige.

For more information refer to "GigE Vision Video Streaming and Device Control Over Ethernet Standard" published by the Automated Imaging Association.