QuickImage FAQ

QuickImage is a modification of the code for NIH Image (developed at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and available on the Internet at http://rsb.info.nih.gov/nih-image/). The modifications are by

Jeffrey A. Walker
Dept. of Biology
University of Southern Maine
e-mail: walker@usm.maine.edu

How do I open an image or movie file?

Chose File > Open. Important: QuickImage will crash if trying to save data that was not collected from a stack. If the opened image is not automatically converted to a stack, then choose Windows > Windows to Stack. A stack is indicated by a pair of numbers in the parentheses at the end of the window title. The first number is the current image within the stack, the second number is the number of images within the stack. Even if you are digitizing a single image it must be converted to a stack.

How do I start a QuickImage session?

Choose Analyze > Quick Image Tools > Quick Image. If a QuickImage session is on, a check mark will be next to the QuickImage menu item. QuickImage will open a floating tool palette with four tools in it. The tool palette is titled QI.

How do I digitize data?

Make sure the cross-hair tool in the NIH Tools tool palette is chosen. The size of the dot that QuickImage puts on the screen is a function of the line width in the NIH Tools tool palette so choose an appropriate line width. I like the second or third thinnest line (the thinnest line, which is the default, is to small).

Choose the +cross-hair tool in the QI tool paette.

Click on the points you want to digitize.

How do I know which points have been digitized?

Choose Analyze > Quick Image Tools > Show IDs. This can be toggled on and off.

The digitized landmark is black, I thought QuickImage used Red to mark the landmarks?

It does but sometimes the NIH color palette goes awry. The quickest fix is to choose the magnifying glass tool in the Tools tool palette, click once in the image (which will zoom in), and click a second time while holding the option key (which will zoom out - by the way, this is standard in all macintosh programs). Do this anytime the image needs to be redrawn, for whatever reason.

How do I zoom in and out?

Choose the magnifying glass tool in the Tools tool palette. To zoom in, click once in the image. To zoom out, click in the image while holding the option key (by the way, this is standard in all macintosh programs).

How do I navigate through the stack?

The easiest way to navigate through the stack is with the < and > keys (Shift does not have to be held down so these are really the , and . keys).

That's pretty cool that my digitized landmarks from previously digitized slices in the stack are there when I return to that slice.

Thanks.

I goofed on the location of a landmark, can I move it?

Choose the hand tool in the QI palette. Click anywhere near the landmark that you want to move and hold the mouse down. Now drag the mouse and the landmark closest to the cursor will move.

Do I use File > Save to save the digitized data?

No! You need to use the special Analyze > Quick Image Tools > Save or Analyze > Quick Image Tools > Save As to save the digitized data. The data will be saved as a text file in a format that can be reopened later in QuickImage.

I need to edit previously digitized files, Is this possible in QuickImage?

Of course! After opening the associated movie file, open a save QuickImage file with Analyze > Quick Image Tools > Open.

Can I delete a landmark?

Yes. Choose the -cross hair tool in the QI tool palette. Click near the landmark you want to delete. The landmark nearest the cursor at the time it is clicked will be deleted on that slice. Any landmarks with higher IDs will drop their ID by one.

Can I insert a landmark that I forgot to digitize?

That is what the last icon in the QI tool palette is for but it is not implemented. Sorry. Use the move tool to move all the landmarks back one place.

What are Export Down and Export Across?

Different ways of saving the data. QuickImage will not be able to read these if you save them this way. But these formats may be useful for other programs.