An image processing apparatus, comprising: a camera interface section that is adapted to be connected to an imaging section, the imaging section taking an image of an object to be measured to produce image data, the image data produced by the imaging section being inputted to the camera interface section; a plurality of arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b) that are adapted to process the image data; a display screen output section that is adapted to be connected to a display section to output display image data to be displayed on the display section; an input section that is adapted to accept input from outside; a storage section for storing a plurality of processing units used to process the image data, wherein each processing unit is a functional unit having specific use application; a registration section that is adapted to register a processing procedure, the processing procedure including a combination of the processing units selected by the input from the input section, wherein the processing units are processed in a sequence determined by the input from the input section; a mode selection section that is adapted to selectably display a plurality of parallel processing modes, each mode indicating a kind of parallel processing on the display section, and to accept the selection of the parallel processing mode from the input section; and a parallelization section that is adapted to allocate each of the plurality of processing units of the processing procedure to one of the plurality of arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b) according to the parallel processing mode selected by the mode selection section, wherein each of the plurality of parallel processing modes sets a predetermined manner of parallel processing by the arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b), wherein the parallelization section includes a section that is adapted to determine whether an obstructive factor of speed enhancement of processing exists with respect to a processing unit of the processing procedure corresponding to the selected parallel processing mode; and the image processing apparatus is configured to highlight on the display section the processing unit resulting in the existence of the obstructive factor. a camera interface section that is adapted to be connected to an imaging section, the imaging section taking an image of an object to be measured to produce image data, the image data produced by the imaging section being inputted to the camera interface section; a plurality of arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b) that are adapted to process the image data; a display screen output section that is adapted to be connected to a display section to output display image data to be displayed on the display section; an input section that is adapted to accept input from outside; a storage section for storing a plurality of processing units used to process the image data, wherein each processing unit is a functional unit having specific use application; a registration section that is adapted to register a processing procedure, the processing procedure including a combination of the processing units selected by the input from the input section, wherein the processing units are processed in a sequence determined by the input from the input section; a mode selection section that is adapted to selectably display a plurality of parallel processing modes, each mode indicating a kind of parallel processing on the display section, and to accept the selection of the parallel processing mode from the input section; and a parallelization section that is adapted to allocate each of the plurality of processing units of the processing procedure to one of the plurality of arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b) according to the parallel processing mode selected by the mode selection section, wherein each of the plurality of parallel processing modes sets a predetermined manner of parallel processing by the arithmetic processing sections (110a, 110b), wherein the parallelization section includes a section that is adapted to determine whether an obstructive factor of speed enhancement of processing exists with respect to a processing unit of the processing procedure corresponding to the selected parallel processing mode; and the image processing apparatus is configured to highlight on the display section the processing unit resulting in the existence of the obstructive factor.