> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.augelab.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.augelab.com/function-blocks/blocks-reference/input-output/image-inputs/load-image.md).

# Load Image

This function block allows you to choose and load a single image file from disk and make it available to the rest of the system. It provides a preview area and a quick viewer to inspect the loaded image.

## 📥 Inputs <a href="#inputs" id="inputs"></a>

This function block does not have any input sockets.

## 📤 Outputs <a href="#outputs" id="outputs"></a>

`Image RGB` Image data read from the selected file and exposed as the block output socket.

## 🕹️ Controls <a href="#controls" id="controls"></a>

`Load Image` Button to open a file chooser and pick an image from disk.

`See Image` Button to open a larger image viewer for inspection.

`Preview Area` Visual area inside the block that shows the currently loaded image.

## 🎨 Features <a href="#features" id="features"></a>

* Simple file selection flow for picking example or custom images from disk.
* Immediate preview of the loaded image in the block UI.
* Quick viewer popup to inspect image details in a larger window.
* Exposes the chosen image through the `Image RGB` output so other blocks can use it.
* Handles common image formats and gives user feedback if no image is loaded.

## ⚙️ How it runs <a href="#running-mechanism" id="running-mechanism"></a>

* Use the `Load Image` control to pick a file. Once a valid image is chosen, the preview updates.
* On evaluation, the block provides the latest image via the `Image RGB` output socket.
* If the image is missing or invalid, the block marks the preview area with an error message and the output becomes empty.

## 📝 Usage instructions <a href="#usage" id="usage"></a>

1. Click the `Load Image` control and choose an image file.
2. Confirm the image appears in the `Preview Area`.
3. Use the `See Image` control to open the larger viewer if you need to inspect details.
4. Connect the `Image RGB` output to other function blocks to continue processing.

## 💡 Tips and Tricks <a href="#tips-and-tricks" id="tips-and-tricks"></a>

* Preview and quick-inspect workflow
  * Combine with `Show Image` to place the image preview where you want it in a scenario flow.
* Preprocessing before analysis
  * If your image is large or you need faster processing, add `Image Resizer` after this block.
  * For object matching tasks, crop the loaded image first using `Image ROI Select` or `Image ROI` to focus on a smaller region.
* Detection and recognition chains
  * For object-level tasks, feed the output into `Find Object`, `Object Detection`, or `Object Detection - Custom`.
  * For OCR tasks, connect to `OCR` or `OCR (EasyOCR)` after any necessary cropping or enhancement.
  * For pose or hand analysis, connect to `Skeleton Estimation`, `Pose Estimation`, or `Hand Pose Estimation`.
* Improve visual quality or separate foreground
  * Use `Background Removal (RMBG-1.4)` or `Background Removal (BiRefNet)` to isolate foreground subjects before further processing.
* Saving and logging
  * Save processed images or snapshots downstream with `Image Write`, `Image Logger`, or `Multi Image Write`.
  * For structured export of results, add `CSV Export` or `Image Logger` as needed.

## 🛠️ Troubleshooting <a href="#troubleshooting" id="troubleshooting"></a>

* No image appears after selecting a file
  * Confirm the file path points to an existing image and the format is supported.
  * Try reopening the file with the `Load Image` control.
* Preview shows an error or blank image
  * The block will display an error message in the preview area when no valid image is loaded. Re-load the file or choose another file.
* Downstream blocks run slowly or fail on large images
  * Insert `Image Resizer` to reduce size before passing the image to heavy processing blocks.
* Want to analyze only a part of the image
  * Crop using `Image ROI Select` then feed the cropped result to analysis blocks such as `Find Object` or `Histogram On Line`.

If you need help choosing which block to place after this one, try combining it with `Show Image`, `Image Resizer`, `Image ROI Select`, and then one of the detector or analysis blocks (for example `Find Object`, `Object Detection`, `OCR`) depending on your application.