Acquiring image series
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When you save time stacks, you will, as a rule, use the VSI file format. Only
when you use this file format is there no limit to the size a time stack can be.
When you save smaller time stacks, you can also use the TIF or the AVI file
format. With any other file format you will lose most of the image information
during saving. To do so, use the File > Save As... command.
Use the Image > Separate > Time Frames menu command to have a time stack
broken down into selected individual images.
It is possible that, within a time stack, only a short period of time interests you.
Use the Extract command to create a new time stack that only contains a
selection of frames, from an existing time stack. In this way, you will reduce the
number of frames within a time stack to only those that interest you. You will find
this command in the context menu in the tile view for time stacks. You can find
more information on this command in the online help.
When you save a time stack in another file format as TIF or VSI, the time stack
will also be converted. The time stack will then be turned into a standard true-
color image. This image shows the frame that is at that moment displayed on the
monitor.
Image processing operations, e.g., a sharpen filter, affect either the whole image
or only a selection of individual images. You will find most of the image
processing operations in the Process menu. You can find more information on
working with image processing functions in the online help.
The dialog box that is opened when you use an image processing operation is
made up in the same way for every operation. In this dialog box, select the Apply
on > Selected frames and channels option to determine that the function only
affects the selected frames.
Select the Apply on > All frames and channels option, to process all of the
individual images.
Select the individual images that you want to process, in the tile view. You can
find more information on this image window view in the online help. Look through
the thumbnails and select the images you want to process. In the tile view, the
standard MS-Windows conventions for multiple selection are valid.
An image processing operation does not change the source image's dimensions.
The resulting image is, therefore, comprised of the same number of separate
images as the source image.
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Time Lapse / Movie
Both the "Time Lapse" and the "Movie" acquisition processes document the way
a sample changes with time. What is the difference between the two processes?
Use the "Time Lapse" acquisition process in the following cases:
Use the "Time Lapse" acquisition process when processes that run
slowly are to be documented, e.g., where an acquisition is to be made
only every 15 minutes.
Use the "Time Lapse" acquisition process when, while the acquisition is
in progress, you want to see the frames that have already been acquired,
for example, to check on how an experiment is progressing. To do this,
click the Tile View
button in the navigation bar in the image window.
Use the "Time Lapse" acquisition process when you want to use those of
your software's additional functions that can only be saved in the VSI or
TIF file format.
For example, to measure objects, to insert drawing elements such as
arrows, or a text, or to have the acquisition parameters for the camera
and microscope that you've used, available at any time in the future.
Saving time stacks
Converting time stacks
Processing time stacks
When is it better for me
to acquire a time stack?