Customizing MIPAV
Contents
- 1 MIPAV Options dialog box
- 2 Showing or hiding the splash screen on start-up
- 3 Using platform-specific Open and Save dialog boxes
- 4 Debugging MIPAV
- 5 Saving a history of actions on images (TBD)
- 6 Choosing the default file types to display or save
- 7 Adding shortcuts
- 8 Developing and using plug-in programs
MIPAV Options dialog box
MIPAV is a powerful program with a lot of commands, options, and features. However, it was designed to allow users to customize its appearance, to control what information is displayed and how it responds to a user input.
The MIPAV options dialog box offers means to customize MIPAV. The dialog box appears when you call Help > MIPAV options menu.
- In the Display tab, you can customize the MIPAV user interface, including MIPAV splash screen, fonts, appearance of images, VOI boundary colors and some other MIPAV features.
- In the File tab, you can specify how would you like to open and save images in MIPAV.
- In the Other tab, you can specify MIPAV settings for DICOM images, data provenance settings and set the debug level (if needed).
The Display tab in the MIPAV Options dialog box
Display Splash screen | Displays the MIPAV opening splash screen, or title screen, when MIPAV is started. By default, this check box is clear. | |
Use platform-style File dialog boxes | Uses the style of Open and Save dialog boxes that are provided with the operating system of your computer, rather than the MIPAV style. For more information, refer to "Using platform-specific Open and Save dialog boxes". By default, this check box is clear. | |
Show Scripting toolbar | Shows the Scripting toolbar, which you can use to create and run scripts, in the MIPAV window. By default, this check box is clear. | |
Show Paint toolbar | Shows the Paint toolbar, which allows you to paint directly on images. By default, this check box is clear. | |
Show Paint border | Shows a border around the painted area. By default, this check box is clear. | |
Snap paint cursor to pixels | Causes the paint cursor to snap to the nearest pixel. | |
Recently used image list | Specifies the number of recently displayed images that appear near the bottom of the File menu on the MIPAV window. To open a recently displayed image, simply select the image on the File menu. The number of images that can be displayed can be from 2 to 9. By default, the number of images displayed on the File menu is 4. | |
Crosshair cursor color | Specifies the color of the crosshair cursor. You can choose from several colors and styles. By default, the color is set to "Default." | |
Active image border color | Specifies the color of the border around images. When you click on this box, the Pick Active Color dialog box, which allows you to select a different color, opens. By default, the color is red. | |
VOI draw color' | Allows you to choose the color that is used to draw VOIs. After you finish drawing VOIs, the completed VOIs appear in the Starting VOI color. | |
Starting VOI color | Allows you to select the initial color for completed VOIs. That is, when you draw VOIs, they appear in the color chosen for VOI draw color; the completely drawn VOIs appear in the color you selected for this field. | |
Apply | Saves and immediately applies all of the selected parameters in this dialog box. | |
Cancel | Disregards any changes you made in this dialog box, closes the dialog box, and does not save the specified options. | |
Help | Displays online help for this dialog box |
The File tab in the MIPAV Options dialog box
The Other tab in the MIPAV Options dialog box
The SRB tab of the MIPAV options dialog box
Showing or hiding the splash screen on start-up
The splash screen is the window that first appears briefly when you start MIPAV. It appears immediately before the MIPAV window and the Output window open. The splash screen displays the name of the program and the MIPAV logo.
By default, MIPAV always displays the splash screen on start-up unless you decide to hide it. To do so, you need to change the option in the MIPAV Options dialog box.
To hide the splash screen or prevent it from appearing on start-up
- Select Help > Program Options. The MIPAV Options dialog box opens.
- Clear the Display Splash Screen box.
- Click Close. After you quit MIPAV and then start it again, the splash screen doesn't appear.
After hiding the splash screen, you may later decide to display it.
To show the splash screen
- Select Help > Program Options. The MIPAV Options dialog box opens.
- Mark Display splash screen. A check mark appears in the check box.
- Click Apply, and then click Close. After you quit MIPAV and then start it again, the splash screen appears.
Using platform-specific Open and Save dialog boxes
By default, MIPAV uses its own version of Open and Save dialog boxes, which provide you with the ability to assign aliases, or shortcuts, to frequently used images. Aliases make it easy to locate images, a feature that may be attractive if you work with the same images for a period of time. However, you may prefer instead to use the style of Open and Save dialog boxes that are provided with the operating system of your computer. To do so, you need to select the Use platform-style File dialog boxes check box in the MIPAV Options dialog box.
If this check box is selected and your computer is running Microsoft Windows, MIPAV displays the Windows style of Open and Save dialog boxes. If you use a Sun terminal, when this check box is selected, MIPAV displays the standard Unix-style Open and Save dialog boxes. On Mac computers, MIPAV displays dialog boxes that are standard with that operating system.
To use platform-specific dialog boxes
- Select Help > Program Options. The MIPAV Options dialog box opens.
- Mark Use Platform-Style File Dialog Boxes. A check mark appears in the check box.
- Click Apply, then click Close. The dialog box closes.
Debugging MIPAV
You can track debugging information and error messages generated by MIPAV during a session by placing it in debug mode. If errors occur during the session, the program displays any error messages in the Output window on the Debug page. By default, the debug mode is off when you start the program.
Recommendation: The debugging information is primarily intended for MIPAV developers and not for users. The best course for a user is to leave the debug mode Off unless a MIPAV developer asks for he/she to turn it on.
For more information about MIPAV debug mode, please refer to "Troubleshooting", "Placing MIPAV in debug mode".
Saving a history of actions on images (TBD)
MIPAV allows you to keep a history of all of the actions-the algorithms and utilities-that you perform on images. The history includes the specific parameters that were set for the action. In addition, if you save the images as XML, the history of actions and their parameters appears in the dataset attributes section near the beginning of the MIPAV header file (the XML file). Each action appears between the <HISTORY> and </HISTORY> tags.
By default, MIPAV does not record a history of actions unless you specifically select the Record history check box in the MIPAV Options > Other dialog box. TBD.
To record a history of actions taken on images TBD
1 Select Help > Program Options in the MIPAV window. The MIPAV Options dialog box appears.
2 Mark Record history. A check mark appears in the check box.
3 Click Apply. From this point on, MIPAV records the actions performed on all images until you clear the Record history check box.
Refer to Figure 51 and "To view the history of actions recorded in the XML file TBD".
To view the history of actions as they are performed
The History page in the Image Attributes dialog box allows you to view the list of actions immediately after they are performed.
The following example illustrates how to do this:
1 Make sure that the Record History check box was selected in the MIPAV Options dialog box.
2 Open a sample image.
3 Select Image > Attributes > Edit attributes. The Image Attributes dialog box opens.
4 Select History. The History page appears.
5 Click the image to make it the active window.
6 Select Utilities > Flip > Horizontal. The image is flipped horizontally, and the words "Flip(Y_AXIS)" appear on the History page in the Image Attributes dialog box.
7 Perform other actions on the image, such as algorithms or other utilities. Note that these actions appear on the History page.
You can type directly onto the History page of the Image Attributes dialog box, letting you add comments to the history, which you can save and print.
Under What Circumstances Do Actions Fail to Appear on the History Page? If MIPAV is fully operational, actions performed on an image always appear on the History page of the Image Attributes dialog box and in the XML file for that image. However, it's important to know whether the actions were performed on the original image or on the replacement image. |
Several algorithms and utilities offer a choice of either generating a new image (New image check box) or replacing the original image (Replace image check box). If you choose New image and want to see the actions performed on that image, you must select Image > Attributes > Edit Attributes to open an Image Attributes dialog box for the new image. If, however, you select Replace image, the History page on the Image Attributes dialog box for the original image displays the actions. To illustrate this point, open a sample image; select Image > Attributes > Edit Attributes to display the Image Attributes dialog box; and select History to display the History page. Perform an action such as Utilities > Image Margins, mark New image in the dialog box, and then click OK. Notice that the action does not appear on the History page. Click on the new image; select Image > Attributes > Edit Attributes; and select History. The History page shows the AddImageMargins action for the new image.
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To view the history of actions recorded in the XML file TBD
1 Save the sample image as an XML file by selecting File > Save Image as. The Save Image as dialog box opens.
2 Select the directory where you want to save the file in the Save in box.
3 Type the name of the file-use "SampleImage" as the file name-and type an ".xml" file extension in the File Name box so that the complete file name is "SampleImage.xml."
4 Click Save.
5 Open Windows Explorer by right-clicking on Start and then selecting Explore. The Windows Explorer window opens.
6 Navigate to the directory where you stored the XML file. This directory should have two files named "SampleImage": "SampleImage.raw" and "SampleImage.xml."
7 Double-click "SampleImage.xml." An internet browser page, such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla, appears displaying an XML page.
Notice that, immediately after the <Dataset-attributes> tag, the following line appears:
Choosing the default file types to display or save
When you using MIPAV, chances are that you are working with the same type of files every day or perhaps for a certain period of time. For example, suppose you normally work with medical files (files whose extensions are .dcm, .xml, .ima, .img, .mnc, .sig, .head, etc.). In this situation, when opening or saving images, you want to see only the medical files, not other file types. One of the ways of customizing MIPAV is the ability to show only specific types of files by default.
The File Filter Default box on the MIPAV Options dialog box allows you to choose which types of files should be shown in the Files of type box in the Open Image and Save Image as dialog boxes.
To choose the default file types to display or save
1 Select Help > MIPAV Options. The MIPAV Options dialog box opens.
2 Click File. The File page appears.
3 Click File filter default. The Choose File Filter dialog box appears.
4 Select one of the file filters. You can choose one of the following collections of file types:
5 Click OK. The Choose File Type dialog box closes and the file type you chose appears on the File filter default button.
6 Click Apply in the MIPAV Options dialog box. This change takes effect immediately.
To verify that the filters you chose are used as the default filters
1 Select File > Open > Image(A). The Open Image dialog box appears. The Files of type box should show the filters you chose.
2 Select File > Save Image as. The Save Image as dialog box opens with the Files of type box listing the file filters you chose.
Adding shortcuts
MIPAV allows you to create shortcuts using the Ctrl, Alt, and Shift keys plus the alphanumeric key of your choice. Shortcuts provide a quick way for you to perform a command on a menu or a command on one of the toolbars.
Example: Suppose you frequently clone images. Rather than taking the time to select Utilities > Clone, you may find it easier and faster to simply press Ctrl C, the keys you assigned to the shortcut.
To add shortcut keys
1 Select Help > Shortcut editor. The Shortcuts dialog box opens.
2 Click Add. The New Shortcut dialog box opens. See Figure 54-1.
3 Select Ctrl, Alt, or Shift or any combination of these check boxes. You can select only one of these check boxes, or you can select any combination of these check boxes. Valid selections can include only Ctrl, only Alt, or only Shift, or you can select Ctrl and Alt, Ctrl and Shift, Alt and Shift, or all three of the check boxes. See Figure 54-2.
4 Type an alphanumeric character in Character, and then press OK.
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5 A message appears directing you to select a command on a menu or in a toolbar. See Figure 54-3. Press OK again. The message disappears.
6 Select a toolbar icon or select a command on a menu in the MIPAV window to which you want to assign this shortcut. A message appears indicating that the shortcut was successfully created. See Figure 54-4.
7 Click OK. The message disappears, and the shortcut appears on the Shortcuts dialog box.
To remove shortcut keys
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1 Select Help > Shortcut editor. The Shortcuts dialog box opens.
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2 Select the shortcut you want to delete.
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3 Click Remove. MIPAV removes the shortcut, and the shortcut disappears from the list of shortcuts in the Shortcuts dialog box.
Make sure you want to delete the shortcut. You cannot undo the deletion.
Developing and using plug-in programs
A plug-in program allows you to add customized functionality to MIPAV. Before you create a plug-in, you should have a strong understanding of the underlying structure of MIPAV's software design and data structure. Because plug-ins are written in Java, you should also have a basic understanding of that programming language. After you create the plug-in, you must then install it. Once it is installed, you can access it from the Plug-Ins menu in the main MIPAV window. Plug-ins are addressed in Chapter 12, "Developing Plug-in Programs", in the MIPAV User's Guide.