1. A method for analyzing an image by a machine vision system that has a computer with one or more processors, said method comprising: providing image analysis software that includes a plurality of machine vision tool routines that are individually selectable by a user and that perform different machine vision image analysis functions, wherein each tool routine is capable of being executed both on one processor and simultaneously on a plurality of processors to analyze an image; creating a machine vision application program by selecting particular tool routines of the plurality of tool routines; designating, via the image analysis software, a program maximum number of processors on the computer that are available for executing the machine vision application program thereby producing a program maximum number designation, wherein the program maximum number may be less than a total number of processors on the computer; designating, for each of the particular tool routines of the plurality of tool routines, a respective tool-routine maximum number of processors representing a respective subset of the program maximum number of processors; and executing the machine vision application program wherein each of the particular tool routines is configured to use simultaneously one or more processors, up to the respective tool-routine maximum number of processors; wherein executing the machine vision application program comprises at least one tool routine of the plurality of tool routines analyzing different sections of the image simultaneously on different processors.