The latest release of Mountains® software, version 11, introduces a major leap forward in the stitching of surface and image data obtained in profilometry and microscopy applications. With a complete overhaul of the stitching operator, this release brings enhanced ergonomics, smarter automation and increased flexibility, to help users stitch complex datasets with ease and confidence.
Above. New transparency effects let users see tile overlaps in real time when stitching surfaces & images.
Why this update matters
While earlier versions of Mountains® (and SPIPTM) already featured stitching capabilities, some use cases remained challenging, particularly those involving large surface datasets, imperfect fine pre-positioning or large overlaps. Mountains® 11 addresses these limitations with a brand-new interface and powerful new tools, delivering greater reliability and user control across the board. Thanks to a redesigned workflow and powerful new options, users can now assemble large surface and image datasets with greater accuracy and less manual effort.
Smarter studiable selection
Selecting studiables is now faster and more intuitive, with new options to:
- filter by text
- select all available data after sorting etc.
- work directly from disk files.
These enhancements simplify project setup and open the door to seamless automation, especially useful in production environments or batch processing workflows.
Above. Handle large overlaps and datasets with greater speed using the Grid wizard feature.
Intelligent tile placement modes
Mountains® 11 introduces three optimized strategies for arranging tiles when stitching microscopy images or surface data:
Using offsets: automatically place tiles using predefined X/Y positions. This is the fastest and most efficient method when offset information is available, providing optimal placement with minimal user input. It is ideal for well-calibrated acquisition systems where speed and ease-of-use are key.
Fully automatic mode: let the software solve the puzzle by detecting correlation points between tiles.
Semi-manual wizard mode: use metadata (such as file name, index or creation date) to guide manual placement. Grid size is user-defined, making this mode perfect for complex or custom arrangements.
Above. Stitching 16 SEM images in instants using the fully automatic mode.
Manual fine-tuning with visual feedback
Visual alignment has been made easier with new transparency effects that let users see tile overlaps in real time. This feature is particularly helpful when manually correcting the position of specific tiles, allowing for precise visual alignment. Combined with fine adjustment tools and live grid previews, it enables users to refine placement before stitching, ensuring clean, accurate and visually seamless results for microscopy image analysis.
A new stitching workspace
The stitching operator is now broken down into clear, logical steps, from studiable selection and preprocessing to grid setup, global overlap tuning, fine adjustment and final output options. The redesigned interface promotes clarity and ease of use, even when handling large or complex microscopy image datasets.
Smarter surface assembly
Whether working with AFM images, data from profilometry or SEM image stacks, the enhanced stitching operator in Mountains® 11 offers a smarter, more flexible and more visual approach to surface assembly, helping users to meet the challenges of today’s data-intensive analysis.
Author : Mathieu Cognard, SPM product manager, Digital Surf