With the increasing usage of digital images in various fields, the need to process them efficiently has become crucial. MATLAB provides an excellent platform for this purpose. However, while dealing with multiple images, manually loading them one by one can be a tedious task. This article aims to guide you on how to load multiple images in MATLAB with ease.
Approach 1: Using the imread function in a loop
One way to load multiple images in MATLAB is by using the imread function in a loop. For this approach, the set of images needs to be arranged in a specific order. This method also works best when all images have a similar file format and are of similar size.First, create an empty cell array to store the images:
img = cell(1, num_images);
Next, use the imread function in a loop to read each image and save it in the cell array:
for i = 1:num_images filename = sprintf('image%d.png', i); img{i} = imread(filename);end
Here, \"num_images\" represents the total number of images to be loaded. \"filename\" is generated using the sprintf function to match the naming convention of the images.
Approach 2: Using the imageSet function
Another way to load multiple images in MATLAB is by using the imageSet function. This approach is suitable when the images are stored in different folders or have different file formats.First, create an empty imageSet object:
img = imageSet;
Next, use the add function of the imageSet object to add images to it:
img_dir = 'C:\\Images';img_type = '*.jpg';img = imageSet(img_dir, img_type);
Here, \"img_dir\" represents the directory where images are stored, and \"img_type\" specifies the file format of images to be loaded. You can use a wildcard character (*) to load images with different naming conventions.
Approach 3: Using the dir function in a loop
The dir function in MATLAB can help load multiple images in a loop. This approach is suitable when the images have different naming conventions or file formats.First, use the dir function to fetch the file details of all images:
img_dir = 'C:\\Images';img_type = '*.png';img_files = dir(fullfile(img_dir, img_type));
Here, \"img_dir\" represents the directory where images are stored, and \"img_type\" specifies the file format of images to be loaded.Next, use a loop to read each image and save it in an array:
for i = 1:length(img_files) img_filename = fullfile(img_dir, img_files(i).name); img{i} = imread(img_filename);end
Here, \"img_filename\" is generated using the file details fetched by the dir function.
Closing Thoughts
Loading multiple images in MATLAB can be achieved using various methods, depending on the image format, location, and naming convention. In this article, we discussed three approaches - using the imread function in a loop, the imageSet function, and the dir function in a loop - that can be used to load multiple images with ease. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and one needs to choose the method that suits their requirements the best.
