# Ignoring Clutter When Scoring

When you specify the PatMax algorithm, you can tell PatMax to ignore clutter when computing the score of an instance of the pattern in the run-time image. If you tell PatMax to ignore clutter, then pattern instances receive the same score regardless of the presence of extraneous features. The following figure shows the effect of ignoring clutter when scoring instances.

Note: If you specify the PatQuick algorithm, PatMax always ignores clutter when scoring.