an electronic image processing apparatus has a controller and a plurality of resources in an arbitrary configuration . each of the resources includes an associated processor storing data related to operational constraints of the associated resource and a bus interconnects the processors to the controller for directing the operation of the resources . the controller is adapted to operate independent of a particular configuration of the plurality of resources by receiving from each of the processors the data related to the operational constraints of each associated resource and interrogating each of the processors to determine the geometrical relationship of the interconnection of the resources . the controller then responds to the data related to the operational constraints of each of the processors and to the geometrical relationship of the interconnection of the resources to dynamically configure the image processing apparatus to operate in accordance with the the operational constraints of each of the processors and to the geometrical relationship of the interconnection of the resources .