🚀 go-pugleaf

   While reading the standard image processing books I have noticed one
algorithm that seems to be glossed over: contour tracing.  In the
pictures that I am scanning, a filter is run across the pixels and a
threshold is applied to produce either white or black pixels for the
grey-scale.  At this point there is usually a rather disconnected set of
dots due to noise in the picture but also some strong edges from the
filter.  What is the "pratical" method of moveing along the detected
pixels to find lines (or curves).  If I try to step from one pixel to
the next by looking in a neighborhood, then the path almost always gets
caught up in the noise off to one side or another.  Is there a way to
"nudge" the search in a particular direction based on previous motions.
  Any suggestions (or sample code!) would be greatly appreciated.
- thanks!
- scot shinderman (scotj@aip.org)