During the Level 1 - Thermographic Applications course we teach students that there are three things that cannot be changed on saved IR images; focus, range and perspective. It is very important to make sure when capturing an IR image that we have a good focus, to be working in the proper thermal range (if the IR camera has multiple ranges) and to have the right perspective of the equipment inspected.

But, what if we need to edit our saved IR images? Many IR cameras on the market today will allow the thermographer to make some changes or editions on a ‘frozen’ image, but some of the IR cameras will not allow the user to edit the images already saved on the IR camera. To be able to edit the thermal images and to create reports it may be necessary to download the IR images to the computer and then use the processing software. It is important to have the software compatible with the IR camera, which most of the time will be provided by the manufacturer. The thermal images on many of the cameras on the market today have the option to be downloaded by connecting the SD or microSD card to the computer, or by connecting the IR camera with a cable to the computer, or by wireless connection, etc.

First, we need to know the software capabilities for the specific brand and model of IR camera that we are using. There may be more than one option of software offered for a specific model, for example a basic version with limited capabilities, and a full or professional version with more editing capabilities. Another important thing is to determine is whether the software is included with the camera or if there is an additional charge.  Also, will you be able to install the software in multiple devices.

In many of the IR cameras on the market today the software will allow the thermographer to do some further analysis or make changes to the IR images. This could include changing the palette, level and span, adding measurement tools or markers and changing the values of the background and emissivity, etc. Other IR cameras and software also allow the user to review voice or text annotations that were attached to the thermal image during the inspection. Depending on the model of the IR camera and type of software there may be many other feature options such as blending or setting a picture within a picture of both the IR image and the visual image, etc. Some IR cameras software will allow the thermographer to export the reports to another computer program such as Word or Excel, which would allow the user to have even more capabilities to customize the report. There is even some IR camera software that will allow the user to remotely watch ‘on real time’ the display of the camera or to remotely control some of the functions or settings on the IR camera. Some manufacturers now offer some ‘Apps’ with some capabilities to work with the IR camera or the thermal images.

If a thermal abnormality is found by the thermographer during an IR survey, it is very important to be able to report the findings, so having and using IR camera software is an extremely useful tool for a successful IR program.