1. A computer-implemented method for automatic detection and quantification of important features on a surface of a semiconductor wafer by a dimensional metrology tool comprising the steps of: specifying user defined at least one feature type of interest; generating a list of feature attributes for each said at least one feature type of interest; detecting and classifying features of said at least one feature type of interest according to said list of feature attributes; defining feature object regions bounding said features, wherein said feature object region includes feature object region pixels; defining an object based measurement region around each said feature; and calculating metrics of said features as located in said feature object regions.