1. A method of acquiring video data in a video data acquisition system having a video camera for forming an image of an article wherein a serial stream of data from the video camera is digitized, and the signal selected within a predetermined amplitude range as representations of pixels arranged in rows, columns and diagonal lines, comprising the steps of: (a) counting, in real time, and storing pixels that appear in each row of the image; (b) counting, in real time, and storing signals that appear in each column of the image; and (c) counting, in real time, and storing pixels that appear in each diagonal line of the image.