Approach facilitating the selection of various machine vision functionality from among different platforms

A method and apparatus are provided to improve upon accessibility of machine vision tools. More specifically, improved methods and apparatuses are presented to allow a user to select, via a user interface of a web browser included in a given computer, a machine vision tool. Via the web browser, the user can select training information to be used for training. The selected training information can then be sent to a machine vision tool computer which includes a machine vision tool. The web browser can then send a command to the machine vision tool computer to train the machine vision tool using the selected training information. Other aspects of the invention are directed toward a method or apparatus that allows a user to select, via a user interface which may comprise a web browser included in a given computer, parameters for running a machine vision tool and a machine vision tool. Using the web browser, the user can then cause the machine vision tool to be executed and use the selected parameters. The results of the executed machine vision tool are then sent to the given device which includes the web browser.