Does the intensity scale of the image affect the intensity integration?

[joshu...@gmail.com]

In the discussion of Issue number 20 of the program on the Google Code
site (http://code.google.com/p/areadiffractionmachine/issues/detail?
id=20), user jadorman asked the following question: "Would it be
possible to have the program adjust the intensity of images
and choose the best contrast for integration or should the brightness
of
the image not effect the integration?"

I figured I would repost the question and answer it here so that it
would be easier for people in the future to find. The answer to your
question is that the intensity scale applied to the diffraction image
is not in any way used in the integration. All that the contrast
scales do is help you make the images that you are looking at
prettier. When you save out caked images or the diffraction data as an
image (such as a jpg), these scales will be applied in creating the
image.

But other than that, the program does not need to use the intensity
scales anywhere else. To perform the intensity integration, all the
program needs to be able to do is calculate the Q (and 2theta and chi)
values of all the pixels of the loaded diffraction data. To do this,
the program needs to have calibration parameters loaded into the
program (on the Calibration tab). Using the calibration data, it can
then calculate the Q values for each of the pixels and then bin the
data according to the Q value (or 2theta or chi value). Once each of
the bins are averaged out, the bins become the average intensity
integrated data. In short, the program only needs valid calibration
parameters loaded into the program in order to perform an intensity
integration.