MIPAV configuration files

Understanding MIPAV-related files

This section includes examples of the following files: preference, LUT, IMG, matrix, plot, VOI, VOI XML, LAX, and Analyze.

Preference file

What is its purpose?

The preference file (mipav.preference) contains either the default or customized settings for running MIPAV. These settings determine whether some features appear or how certain features look.

You can customize the settings in the file by selecting Help > Program Options in the MIPAV window. For example, you can change whether the splash screen appears when you start the program, whether the scripting toolbar appears, the color of the crosshair cursor, whether the log mode is turn on, and so on.

When and how is it created?

MIPAV generates a preference file for all users when the program is run for the first time. Usually, the first settings recorded in the preference file are the memory setting, or maximum heap size, and the default image directory. When you first customize one or more of the settings in the Program Options dialog box, MIPAV adds those settings to the preference file as well as the default settings for those features you did not change. If you later make changes to those same preferences, the program adds those new settings to the preference file. In other words, the initial preference file is very small. It grows in size as you customize the program with the latest changes appearing last in the file.

Where is it stored?

By default, MIPAV stores the preference file in your home directory.

Table 4. Default home directories

For . . .	The home directory is . . .
Window users	C:\Documents and Settings\userID
Unix users	Â
MacIntosh users	Â

However, if MIPAV is installed on a network and several users access it remotely, preference files are stored in the network home directory.

Note: The system administrator for the network may select another directory on the network in which to store proference files.

What does it look like?

An example of the preference file appears in [MIPAV_AppCSupportedFormats.html#1023375 Figure 4]. For ease of discussion, line numbers appear on the left of each line in the figure, although they don't appear in the actual preference file.

Note: Your preference file may not have the same ordering of information as in [MIPAV_AppCSupportedFormats.html#1023375 Figure 4]; as you customize MIPAV, your preference file changes to reflect the additional information.

Figure 4. Example of MIPAV.preference fileÂ

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24	# MIPAV preference file #Mon Mar 19 15:12:48 EST 2001 LightBoxGridRow=2 LightBoxBorderSize=3 EnableDICOMReceiver=true TRIM=0.4 DEBUG=true PlugInFile3=SpreadSheet PlugInFile2=GraphPanel PlugInFile1=Chart Swing=true LightBoxRowDependant=true PlugInView1=DrawTest PlugInAlgorithm1=GraphApplet Server1=MRIPS;MARS;137.187.26.152;104; Storage1=MIPAV;MIPAV;C\:\\images;3100 SplashGraphics=no LightBoxGridColor=000000 LightBoxBorderColor=960000 LightBoxGridSize=5 LightBoxMagnification=45.0 LightBoxGridCol=2 ImageDirectory=D\:\\Java\\jdk1.3\\demo\\applets\\SpreadSheet LightBoxLocation=813,23
1-2	Indicate the type of file and the date and time of the last update (comment lines).
3-4	Indicate default settings the light box image window.
5	Shows DICOM information and indicates whether the DICOM Receiver is on by default. If the DICOM Receiver is on, you can receive or retrieve DICOM image files.
6	Indicates the default trim parameter. The trim parameter is discussed in detail in Chapter 7.
7	Indicates whether MIPAV is placed in debug mode. If MIPAV is placed in debug mode and technical problems occur while you use the software, error messages are logged in the Output window.
11	Indicates whether the Swing-generated graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed. If the preference is set to false, the Advanced Windows Toolkit (AWT)-generated GUI appears instead.
12	Indicates default settings the light box image window.
13-14	Shows plug-in file information.
15-16	Shows DICOM information and shows hosts table entries. (The hosts table is located in the DICOM Communication Panel window.) Line 15 shows the server (device) entry. Line 16 shows a storage destination entry, which indicates where image files are stored when they are received or retrieved. If you indicate more than one storage destination entry, more lines appear in the preference file. For more information on MIPAV`s DICOM capabilities, refer to [MIPAV_DicomImages.html#1259465 "Working with DICOM Images" on page 85].
16	Shows DICOM information.
17	Indicates whether an introductory splash screen appears when you start MIPAV.
18-22	Indicates default settings the lightbox image window.
23	Shows the image directory.

LUT file

What is its purpose? The lookup table (LUT) file holds lookup table values, which you can modify, for the active image currently being displayed. When and how is it created? MIPAV generates the file when, after opening an image, you do the following:

1 select the Lookup table icon, to call the Lookup Table window and display a lookup table for the image. See [MIPAV_AppCSupportedFormats.html#1249199 Figure 5].

2 Save the Lookup table by selecting LUT > Save or pressing Ctrl S.

Figure 5. Lookup Table window

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