Median Effect

The Median filter smoothes images using a fast median algorithm. The median algorithm is particularly good at removing "salt and pepper" noise from images without removing too much fine detail.

The median filter replaces each pixel with the median of its neighbors. The Median has a number of advantages over the Mean. Firstly unrepresentative pixels do not unduly influence the outcome of the final pixel level - this is why the filter is good at removing "salt and pepper" noise. Secondly, because the final pixel must actually be the value of one of its neighbors, edges are preserved more faithfully.

The image below show the neighboring pixels polled in a 4 by 3 Median Filter.

The following example images show the effect of a Median filter applied to a noisy picture at different width and height settings.

[C#]
void function() {
  using (Doc doc = new Doc()) {
    AddImagePage(doc, img5); // original image
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian.jpg");
    using (ImageLayer layer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)) {
      using (EffectOperation effect = new EffectOperation("Median")) {
        effect.Parameters["Width"].Value = 3;
        effect.Parameters["Height"].Value = 3;
        effect.Parameters["X"].Value = 2;
        effect.Parameters["Y"].Value = 2;
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap);
      }
    }
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian3.jpg");
    using (ImageLayer layer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)) {
      using (EffectOperation effect = new EffectOperation("Median")) {
        effect.Parameters["Width"].Value = 5;
        effect.Parameters["Height"].Value = 5;
        effect.Parameters["X"].Value = 3;
        effect.Parameters["Y"].Value = 3;
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap);
      }
    }
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian5.jpg");
    using (ImageLayer layer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)) {
      using (EffectOperation effect = new EffectOperation("Median")) {
        effect.Parameters["Width"].Value = 9;
        effect.Parameters["Height"].Value = 9;
        effect.Parameters["X"].Value = 4;
        effect.Parameters["Y"].Value = 4;
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap);
      }
    }
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian9.jpg");
  }
}

[Visual Basic]
Sub ...
  Using doc As New Doc()
    AddImagePage(doc, img5)
    ' original image
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian.jpg")
    Using layer As ImageLayer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)
      Using effect As New EffectOperation("Median")
        effect.Parameters("Width").Value = 3
        effect.Parameters("Height").Value = 3
        effect.Parameters("X").Value = 2
        effect.Parameters("Y").Value = 2
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap)
      End Using
    End Using
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian3.jpg")
    Using layer As ImageLayer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)
      Using effect As New EffectOperation("Median")
        effect.Parameters("Width").Value = 5
        effect.Parameters("Height").Value = 5
        effect.Parameters("X").Value = 3
        effect.Parameters("Y").Value = 3
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap)
      End Using
    End Using
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian5.jpg")
    Using layer As ImageLayer = AddImagePage(doc, img5)
      Using effect As New EffectOperation("Median")
        effect.Parameters("Width").Value = 9
        effect.Parameters("Height").Value = 9
        effect.Parameters("X").Value = 4
        effect.Parameters("Y").Value = 4
        effect.Apply(layer.PixMap)
      End Using
    End Using
    doc.Rendering.Save("EffectMedian9.jpg")
  End Using
End Sub

Original Image before Median Filter

Width = 3, Height = 3, X = 2, Y = 2

Width = 5, Height = 5, X = 3, Y = 3

Width = 9, Height = 9, X = 4, Y = 4