As of today, developers and system integrators of machine vision and image processing solutions have a powerful new option available on which to build their solutions. Version 25.6.0.3 of OptimEyes Developer (formerly known as HLImage++) features a major upgrade to our C++ Custom Tool API that enables faster, more powerful, and more flexible development and deployment of Custom Tools and solutions.

Updated API

We have completely overhauled the OptimEyes Developer API model to enable all third-party custom tools to act as first-class citizens in Visual Eyes Scripting, and to be used in CustomEyes-powered solutions.

What does that mean?

  • In the API that we inherited from Western Vision Software, Custom Tools could only be used manually. There was no support for their use in solutions automated using VisualEyes Scripting. The new API enables scripting by default in all Tools.
  • Because Custom Tools could not support VisualEyes Scripting, they could not be deployed as part of a CustomEyes-powered solution. As a result:
    • The end user had to pay the higher OptimEyes licensing fee instead of the more economical CustomEyes licensing fee in order to use your solution.*
    • The end user had to use your solution within the context of the OptimEyes user interface. In some cases, this may be desirable. But many, if not most, custom machine vision solutions are better served by the simpler, more customizable CustomEyes interface.

Updated Starter Code

In addition to upgrading the API, we have made significant improvements to the starter code used to develop Custom Tools. The new code offers a much more complete starting point for developing Custom Tools, including a simple pathway to making your Tool fully scriptable. In fact, with the new starter code, it is much more natural to create a scriptable Tool than to create one that does not support VisualEyes Scripting.

Easier Code Maintenance

Another change we made while overhauling the API was to build in mechanisms to enable both forward and backward compatibility between OptimEyes and Custom Tools so that if the API changes, odds are good that your Tools will continue to work without having to be updated and kept in sync with the API. And if a customer is still running an older version of OptimEyes than the one you developed your Tool for, your Tool may very well work with their OptimEyes version.

The Foundation is Ready

The truth is that we made these changes to OptimEyes Developer as much for ourselves as for our developers. On this new foundation, we will be able to develop new Tools even more quickly and easily. Thus, even if you will only be building solutions using our built-in Tools, all developers and system integrators using OptimEyes Developer stand to benefit.

Today's upgrade marks the completion of the transition from Western Vision and HLImage++ to IdealEyes Systems and OptimEyes Developer. The powerful foundation Western Vision created has just been taken to a whole new level.

* NOTE: When distributing custom solutions build using OptimEyes Developer, you do not pay any licensing fee to Ideal Eyes Systems. Instead, the end user purchases a license to the OptimEyes or CustomEyes runtime in order to activate the software on their computer. You may, if you prefer, purchase the license for them and include it in the price you charge. In that case, you will need to assist them in the activation process, by either generating Activation Codes for them or reassigning activation credits to them.