# CombineImages

VTKExamples/Cxx/Images/CombineImages

### Description

This example takes two images and super imposes them. The opacity of each image can be set to control how they are combined.

### Code

CombineImages.cxx

    #include <vtkImageBlend.h>
    #include <vtkSmartPointer.h>

    #include <vtkImageReader2Factory.h>
    #include <vtkImageReader2.h>
    #include <vtkRenderWindow.h>
    #include <vtkRenderWindowInteractor.h>
    #include <vtkRenderer.h>
    #include <vtkImageData.h>
    #include <vtkImageViewer2.h>
    #include <vtkNamedColors.h>

    #include <string>

    int main ( int argc, char* argv[] )
    {
      // Parse input arguments
      if ( argc != 3 )
      {
        std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0]
                  << " Input1Filename Input2Filename" << std::endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
      }

      // Read the images
      vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageReader2Factory> readerFactory =
        vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageReader2Factory>::New();
      vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageReader2> imgReader1 = readerFactory->CreateImageReader2(argv[1]);
      imgReader1->SetFileName(argv[1]);

      vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageReader2> imgReader2 = readerFactory->CreateImageReader2(argv[2]);
      imgReader2->SetFileName(argv[2]);

      // Combine the images (blend takes multiple connections on the 0th input port)
      vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageBlend> blend =
        vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageBlend>::New();
      blend->AddInputConnection(imgReader1->GetOutputPort());
      blend->AddInputConnection(imgReader2->GetOutputPort());
      blend->SetOpacity(0,.5);
      blend->SetOpacity(1,.5);

      // Display the result
      vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindowInteractor> renderWindowInteractor =
        vtkSmartPointer<vtkRenderWindowInteractor>::New();

      vtkSmartPointer<vtkNamedColors> colors =
        vtkSmartPointer<vtkNamedColors>::New();
      vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageViewer2> imageViewer =
        vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageViewer2>::New();
      imageViewer->SetInputConnection(blend->GetOutputPort());
      imageViewer->SetupInteractor(renderWindowInteractor);
      imageViewer->GetRenderer()->ResetCamera();
      imageViewer->GetRenderer()->SetBackground(
        colors->GetColor3d("Wheat").GetData());

      renderWindowInteractor->Initialize();
      renderWindowInteractor->Start();

      return EXIT_SUCCESS;
    }

### CMakeLists.txt

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)

    PROJECT(CombineImages)

    find_package(VTK REQUIRED)
    include(${VTK_USE_FILE})

    add_executable(CombineImages MACOSX_BUNDLE CombineImages.cxx )

    target_link_libraries(CombineImages ${VTK_LIBRARIES})

### Download and Build CombineImages

Click here to download CombineImages and its CMakeLists.txt file. Once the tarball CombineImages.tar has been downloaded and extracted,

    cd CombineImages/build

If VTK is installed:

    cmake ..

If VTK is not installed but compiled on your system, you will need to specify the path to your VTK build:

    cmake -DVTK_DIR:PATH=/home/me/vtk_build ..

Build the project:

    make

and run it:

    ./CombineImages

WINDOWS USERS PLEASE NOTE: Be sure to add the VTK bin directory to your path. This will resolve the VTK dll's at run time.