[Insight-users] About optimizers for registration

Luis Ibanez luis.ibanez at kitware.com
Mon Jan 16 09:10:29 EST 2006


Hi DiLLa,


           Your observation is correct.



The results of a registration process will depend
on the type of components that you connnect in the
registration methods, namely:

          - Interpolator
          - Transform
          - Metric
          - Optimizer



The results will also depend on the parameters
that you set on each one of those components.


       Image registration is not a science.


      there is not "underlying reality" that
             you can grasp with it.


So there is not a "real" answer to the question of


      "what is the best transform for
         aligning these two images"


The answer to this question depend on how you define

  1) "the best"  (this depend on the Metric you chose)
  2) "aligning"  (this depend on the Transform)



You shouldn't be surprised about the fact that the
results depends on the parameters that you set on
the components. This is the case, even for well known
mathematical problems such as root finding and matrix
inversion.

Adjusting the language is of great help for reflecting
the reality of what we can do in Image Registration.


for example, you ask:


     "Why couldn't it give the correct result ?"


Well... there is no such thing as "correct" result.
The best that you can expect is to find a Transform
that satisfy your metric criteria with a value that
is good enough "for your application".


Is this application:

     a) Image guided surgery ?
     b) Image fusion ?
     c) Diagnosis ?
     d) Radiation treatement planning ?
     e) Publishing a paper for making your
        annual production quota ?


each one of these applications have different requirements
and constraints. The registration that is good enough for
(e) is not good enough for (a). The registration that is
fast enough for (d) may not be fast enough for (c),
and so on...



I wouldn't say that Image Registration is just a

                "guessing problem"

but, like many other applied mathematical problems that are
solved through numerical methods, it certainly depends on
the initialization values and in the parameters of the
method.


Take for example, the Numerical Recipies book and try to
find a numerical method that, having parameters, is such
that its results do not depend on the value of those parameters.


    ... and if you find such a method,
        then you should ask yourself:,


    "if the results do not depend on the parameters...
     then why is that there are parameters at all ?"


These naive assumption that Image Registration and Image Segmentation
problems have a "correct answer" is an unfortunate result of the
childish approach of the current publishing system. Were papers are
expected to be providing "the answer" or "the solution" to a problem.


That naive approach is outdated and it is irresponsible face to
the real needs of patients for which medical image analyzers are
supposed to be working.


-----


We will be happy to assist you fine tunning the parameters of
your particular registration problem. For doing that, we need you
to provide more detailes information than what you put in your
email.


We will need to know:


1) What are the types of images that you are registering,
    and what are they characteristics:

           - Number of Pixels
           - Pixel size in millimeters
           - Image Modality
           - Pixel Type


2) The print out of the output that you get with the
    Command Observers that you connected to the optimizer.

    This is extremely valuable because it show how the
    optimizer is walking through the parametric space
    of the Transform at every iteration.



 From those values, we should be able to tell you if the
settings that you put for the StepLength of the Gradient
Descent optimizer are too large or too small; or whether
the parameter scaling that normalize the rotations with
respect to the translations are appropriate for the
dimensions of your images.


Please post this information to the mailing list.



     Regards,


       Luis



--------------------
DiLLa HaNdiNi wrote:
> Dear All,
>  
> I tried to apply different optimizers for doing registration of the 
> sample images in the BrainWeb.
> I tried using both Powell and RegularStepGradientDescent Optimizer.
> Both give me different results. The algorithm was modified from the 
> sample programs; attached below.
> Powell's result is as expected, though if I changed some parameters 
> (i.e. step size, optimizer scales, multiresolution level ) I also got 
> different results. Even, if I tried to give initial transformation close 
> to the answer, it ended up to give wrong result.
>  
> My questions:
> 1. What's wrong with the code using the RegularStepGradientDescent 
> Optimizer below ? Why couldn't it give the correct result ?
> 2. What's the significance of the parameters in the codes ?
> 3. Can I say that registration is dependant on the parameters that we 
> specify ? So, it's like a guessing problem ? When would only can get 
> result if we guess it correctly ?
>  
> Could anybody answer me please.
> Thank you in advance.
> Regards.
>  
> Dilla
>  
> Codes:
>  
> 
> #if defined(_MSC_VER)
> #pragma warning ( disable : 4786 )
> #endif
> 
> #include "itkMultiResolutionImageRegistrationMethod.h"
> #include "itkMultiResolutionPyramidImageFilter.h"
> #include "itkMattesMutualInformationImageToImageMetric.h"
> //#include " itkLinearInterpolateImageFunction.h"
> #include "itkBSplineInterpolateImageFunction.h"
> //#include "itkPowellOptimizer.h"
> #include "itkRegularStepGradientDescentOptimizer.h"
> #include " itkNormalVariateGenerator.h"
> 
> #include "itkImage.h"
> 
> #include "itkTimeProbesCollectorBase.h"
> 
> #include "itkEuler3DTransform.h"
> #include "itkCenteredTransformInitializer.h"
> 
> #include "itkImageFileReader.h"
> #include "itkImageFileWriter.h"
> 
> #include "itkResampleImageFilter.h"
> #include "itkSubtractImageFilter.h"
> #include "itkRescaleIntensityImageFilter.h"
> 
> #include "itkCommand.h"
> 
> class CommandIterationUpdate : public itk::Command
> {
> public:
>   typedef  CommandIterationUpdate   Self;
>   typedef  itk::Command             Superclass;
>   typedef itk::SmartPointer<Self>  Pointer;
>   itkNewMacro( Self );
> protected:
>   CommandIterationUpdate() {};
> public:
>   typedef itk::RegularStepGradientDescentOptimizer OptimizerType;
>   typedef   const OptimizerType   *    OptimizerPointer;
> 
>   void Execute(itk::Object *caller, const itk::EventObject & event)
>     {
>       Execute( (const itk::Object *)caller, event);
>     }
> 
>   void Execute(const itk::Object * object, const itk::EventObject & event)
>     {
>       OptimizerPointer optimizer =
>         dynamic_cast< OptimizerPointer >( object );
>       if( ! itk::IterationEvent().CheckEvent( &event ) )
>         {
>         return;
>         }
>       std::cout << optimizer->GetCurrentIteration() << "   ";
>       std::cout << optimizer->GetValue() << "   ";
>       std::cout << optimizer->GetCurrentPosition() << std::endl;
>     }
> };
> 
> template <typename TRegistration>
> class RegistrationInterfaceCommand : public itk::Command
> {
> public:
>   typedef  RegistrationInterfaceCommand   Self;
>   typedef  itk::Command                   Superclass;
>   typedef  itk::SmartPointer<Self>        Pointer;
>   itkNewMacro( Self );
> protected:
>   RegistrationInterfaceCommand() {};
> public:
>   typedef   TRegistration                              RegistrationType;
>   typedef   RegistrationType *                         RegistrationPointer;
>   typedef   itk::RegularStepGradientDescentOptimizer      OptimizerType;
>   typedef   OptimizerType *                            OptimizerPointer;
>   void Execute(itk::Object * object, const itk::EventObject & event)
>   {
>     if(itk::IterationEvent().CheckEvent( &event ))
>     {
> 
>      RegistrationPointer registration =
>                         dynamic_cast<RegistrationPointer>( object );
>      OptimizerPointer optimizer = dynamic_cast< OptimizerPointer >(
>                        registration->GetOptimizer() );
> 
>  if ( registration->GetCurrentLevel() == 0 )
>       {
>       optimizer->SetMaximumStepLength( 0.1 ); 
>       optimizer->SetMinimumStepLength( 0.001 );
>       }
>     else
>       {
>   double currentLevel = (double)registration->GetCurrentLevel();
>   double totalLevel = (double)registration->GetNumberOfLevels();
>       optimizer->SetMaximumStepLength( 0.1 * currentLevel/totalLevel);
>       optimizer->SetMinimumStepLength( 0.001 * currentLevel/totalLevel);
>       }
>  std::cout << "Interation: " << registration->GetCurrentLevel() << 
> std::endl;
>     }
>   }
>   void Execute(const itk::Object * , const itk::EventObject & )
>     { return; }
> };
> 
> int main(  )
> {
> /*  if( argc < 4 )
>     {
>     std::cerr << "Missing Parameters " << std::endl;
>     std::cerr << "Usage: " << argv[0];
>     std::cerr << " fixedImageFile  movingImageFile ";
>     std::cerr << " outputImagefile  [differenceAfterRegistration] ";
>     std::cerr << " [differenceBeforeRegistration] ";
>     std::cerr << " [initialStepLength] "<< std::endl;
>     return EXIT_FAILURE;
>     }
>  */
>   const    unsigned int    Dimension = 3;
>   typedef  unsigned char   PixelType;
> 
>   typedef itk::Image< PixelType, Dimension >  FixedImageType;
>   typedef itk::Image< PixelType, Dimension >  MovingImageType;
>   typedef   float     InternalPixelType;
>   typedef itk::Image< InternalPixelType, Dimension > InternalImageType;
> 
>   typedef itk::Euler3DTransform< double > TransformType;
> 
>   typedef itk::RegularStepGradientDescentOptimizer OptimizerType;
> 
>  typedef itk::MattesMutualInformationImageToImageMetric<
>                                     InternalImageType,
>                                     InternalImageType >    MetricType;
> 
>  typedef itk:: LinearInterpolateImageFunction<
>                                     InternalImageType,
>                                     double          >    InterpolatorType;
> 
> 
> /*   typedef itk::BSplineInterpolateImageFunction<
>                        InternalImageType, double >  InterpolatorType;
> */ 
> 
>   typedef itk::MultiResolutionImageRegistrationMethod<
>                                     InternalImageType,
>                                     InternalImageType >   RegistrationType;
> 
>   typedef itk::MultiResolutionPyramidImageFilter<
>                                     InternalImageType,
>                                     InternalImageType >   
> FixedImagePyramidType;
>   typedef itk::MultiResolutionPyramidImageFilter<
>                                     InternalImageType,
>                                     InternalImageType >   
> MovingImagePyramidType;
> 
>   MetricType::Pointer         metric        = MetricType::New();
>   OptimizerType::Pointer      optimizer     = OptimizerType::New();
>   InterpolatorType::Pointer   interpolator  = InterpolatorType::New();
>   RegistrationType::Pointer   registration  = RegistrationType::New();
>  
>   registration->SetMetric(        metric        );
>   registration->SetOptimizer(     optimizer     );
>   registration->SetInterpolator(  interpolator  );
> 
> 
>   TransformType::Pointer  transform = TransformType::New();
>   registration->SetTransform( transform );
> 
>   typedef itk::ImageFileReader< FixedImageType  > FixedImageReaderType;
>   typedef itk::ImageFileReader< MovingImageType > MovingImageReaderType;
> 
>   FixedImageReaderType::Pointer  fixedImageReader  = 
> FixedImageReaderType::New();
>   MovingImageReaderType::Pointer movingImageReader = 
> MovingImageReaderType::New();
> 
>   fixedImageReader->SetFileName("brainweb1e1a10f20.mha");
>   movingImageReader->SetFileName( "brainweb1e1a10f20Rot10Tx15.mha" );
> 
>   fixedImageReader->Update();
>   FixedImageType::SizeType size;
>   size = 
> fixedImageReader->GetOutput()->GetLargestPossibleRegion().GetSize();
> 
>   unsigned int numberOfBins = 30;
>   double percentOfSamples = 0.2;
>   unsigned int numberOfSamples = (unsigned 
> int)(percentOfSamples*size[0]*size[1]*size[2]);
>   metric->SetNumberOfSpatialSamples(numberOfSamples);
>   metric->SetNumberOfHistogramBins(numberOfBins);
> 
>   typedef itk::CastImageFilter<
>                         FixedImageType, InternalImageType > 
> FixedCastFilterType;
>   typedef itk::CastImageFilter<
>                         MovingImageType, InternalImageType > 
> MovingCastFilterType;
> 
>   FixedCastFilterType::Pointer fixedCaster   = FixedCastFilterType::New();
>   MovingCastFilterType::Pointer movingCaster = MovingCastFilterType::New();
> 
>   fixedCaster->SetInput(fixedImageReader->GetOutput());
>   movingCaster->SetInput(movingImageReader->GetOutput());
>  
>   FixedImagePyramidType::Pointer fixedImagePyramid =
>       FixedImagePyramidType::New();
>   MovingImagePyramidType::Pointer movingImagePyramid =
>       MovingImagePyramidType::New();
>   registration->SetFixedImagePyramid(fixedImagePyramid);
>   registration->SetMovingImagePyramid(movingImagePyramid);
> 
>   registration->SetFixedImage(    fixedCaster->GetOutput()    );
>   registration->SetMovingImage(   movingCaster->GetOutput()   );
> 
> ////////////////////////////////////////////
> 
>   InternalImageType::IndexType regStart;
>   regStart[0] = 0;
>   regStart[1] = 0;
>   regStart[2] = 0;
> 
>   InternalImageType::SizeType regSize;
>   regSize[0] = size[0];
>   regSize[1] = size[1];
>   regSize[2] = size[2];
> 
>   InternalImageType::RegionType region;
>   region.SetIndex(regStart);
>   region.SetSize(regSize);
> 
>   registration->SetFixedImageRegion(region);
> 
> /////////////////////////////////////////////
> 
>   fixedImageReader->Update();
> 
>   movingImageReader->Update();
> 
> 
>   typedef FixedImageType::SpacingType    SpacingType;
>   typedef FixedImageType::PointType      OriginType;
>   typedef FixedImageType::RegionType     RegionType;
>   typedef FixedImageType::SizeType       SizeType;
> 
>   FixedImageType::Pointer fixedImage = fixedImageReader->GetOutput();
> 
>   const SpacingType fixedSpacing = fixedImage->GetSpacing();
>   OriginType  fixedOrigin  = fixedImage->GetOrigin();
>   const RegionType  fixedRegion  = fixedImage->GetLargestPossibleRegion();
>   const SizeType    fixedSize    = fixedRegion.GetSize();
>  
> 
>   TransformType::InputPointType centerFixed;
>  
>   centerFixed[0] = regStart[0] + fixedSpacing[0] * regSize[0] / 2.0 ;
>   centerFixed[1] = regStart[1] + fixedSpacing[1] * regSize[1] / 2.0 ;
>   centerFixed[2] = regStart[2] + fixedSpacing[2] * regSize[2] / 2.0 ;
>   // moving image
>   MovingImageType::Pointer movingImage = movingImageReader->GetOutput();
> 
>   const SpacingType movingSpacing = movingImage->GetSpacing();
>   const OriginType  movingOrigin  = movingImage->GetOrigin();
>   const RegionType  movingRegion  = movingImage->GetLargestPossibleRegion();
>   const SizeType    movingSize    = movingRegion.GetSize();
>  
>   TransformType::InputPointType centerMoving;
>  
>   centerMoving[0] = movingOrigin[0] + movingSpacing[0] * movingSize[0] / 
> 2.0;
>   centerMoving[1] = movingOrigin[1] + movingSpacing[1] * movingSize[1] / 
> 2.0;
>   centerMoving[2] = movingOrigin[2] + movingSpacing[2] * movingSize[2] / 
> 2.0;
> 
>   transform->SetCenter( centerFixed );
>   transform->SetTranslation( centerMoving - centerFixed );
> 
>  // transform->SetIdentity(  );
>  
>   registration->SetInitialTransformParameters( transform->GetParameters() );
> 
>   typedef OptimizerType::ScalesType       OptimizerScalesType;
>   OptimizerScalesType optimizerScales( transform->GetNumberOfParameters() );
>   const double translationScale = 1.0;
> 
>   optimizerScales[0] = 1.0;//rotation
>   optimizerScales[1] = 1.0;//rotation
>   optimizerScales[2] = 1.0;//rotation
>   optimizerScales[3] = translationScale;
>   optimizerScales[4] = translationScale;
>   optimizerScales[5] = translationScale;
> 
>   optimizer->SetScales( optimizerScales );
> 
> /*  double initialStepLength = 5;
> 
> 
>   // Power's Optimizer
>   optimizer->SetMaximumIteration(200);
>   optimizer->SetStepLength(2.0);
>   optimizer->SetStepTolerance(0.01);
> //  optimizer->SetMaximize(false);
> */
>   // Create the Command observer and register it with the optimizer.
>   //
>  optimizer->SetNumberOfIterations( 200 );
> //optimizer->SetMaximumStepLength( 10.00 ); 
> //      optimizer->SetMinimumStepLength( 2 );
>   CommandIterationUpdate::Pointer observer = CommandIterationUpdate::New();
>   optimizer->AddObserver( itk::IterationEvent(), observer );
>   // Create the command observer for registration
>   //
>   typedef RegistrationInterfaceCommand<RegistrationType> CommandType;
>   CommandType::Pointer command = CommandType::New();
>   registration->AddObserver( itk::IterationEvent(), command );
> 
>  // if ( argc > 6 ) {
> // registration->SetNumberOfLevels(std::atoi(argv[6]));
>  // } else {
>    registration->SetNumberOfLevels( 5 );
>  // }
>  
>   itk::TimeProbesCollectorBase timer;
>   try
>     {
>  timer.Start("registration");
>     registration->StartRegistration();
>  timer.Stop("registration");
>     }
>   catch( itk::ExceptionObject & err )
>     {
>     std::cerr << "ExceptionObject caught !" << std::endl;
>     std::cerr << err << std::endl;
>     return EXIT_FAILURE;
>     }
>  
>   timer.Report();
> 
>   OptimizerType::ParametersType finalParameters =
>                     registration->GetLastTransformParameters();
> 
>   const double finalAngleX           = finalParameters[0];
>   const double finalAngleY           = finalParameters[1];
>   const double finalAngleZ           = finalParameters[2];
>   const double finalTranslationX     = finalParameters[3];
>   const double finalTranslationY     = finalParameters[4];
>   const double finalTranslationZ     = finalParameters[5];
> 
>   const unsigned int numberOfIterations = optimizer->GetCurrentIteration();
> 
>   const double bestValue = optimizer->GetValue();
> 
> 
>   // Print out results
>   //
>   const double finalAngleXInDegrees = finalAngleX * 45.0 / atan(1.0);
>   const double finalAngleYInDegrees = finalAngleY * 45.0 / atan(1.0);
>   const double finalAngleZInDegrees = finalAngleZ * 45.0 / atan(1.0);
> 
>   std::cout << "Result = " << std::endl;
> 
>   std::cout << " Angle X (degrees)   = " << finalAngleXInDegrees  << 
> std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Angle Y (degrees)   = " << finalAngleYInDegrees  << 
> std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Angle Z (degrees)   = " << finalAngleZInDegrees  << 
> std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Translation X = " << finalTranslationX  << std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Translation Y = " << finalTranslationY  << std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Translation Z = " << finalTranslationZ  << std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Iterations    = " << numberOfIterations << std::endl;
>   std::cout << " Metric value  = " << bestValue          << std::endl;
> 
>   return EXIT_SUCCESS;
> }
> 
> 
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