Dear confocal users...
We have recently purchased a Zeiss LSM510 for our multi-user imaging
facility. While the instrument itself provides nice images, we have run
into a few potholes regarding software for opening, viewing, and projecting
Z-series from the LSM510.
Many of our users would like to open and project their Z-series on their
own (Win95/98/NT) PCs...indeed, with a user group of >30 users in >15 labs
(and growing), most image viewing and manipulation needs to be done
"off-line." Finding affordable Win95/98/NT software for that purpose is
proving problematic, despite Zeiss's verbal and written assurance during
demos and the bidding process that a portable projection-capable browser
would be made available free or at nominal cost.
Zeiss does provide a free "LSM510 browser" for opening and viewing LSM510
image databases/stacks. Unfortunately, this browser is limited to opening
and exporting images, and does not at this time support projections...
So far, Zeiss USA's only suggested solutions to our need for software
capable of "off-line" projections is to offer us "Image examiner" (which
is a dongle-protected version of browser) at $2,000 -7,000/dongle
(depending on who we listen to...)(I don't consider this "nominal"
cost...considering that Confocal Asst, which is distributed free by Biorad,
has done what we needed for years), or to provide us with old win3 software
for the LSM410...requiring that images be exported from the LSM510 browser
as TIFs, imported into the LSM410 software, and projected....this
software/path is not exactly intuitive to use, making it fairly cumbersome
for a large user group that isn't familiar with win3 programs.
We have even considered importing the TIFs into Biorads (Todd Belje's)
confocal asst, recreating a biorad image stack, and projecting that!
My question...have any LSM510 users out there solved the problem of
off-line (meaning away from the microscope) projection of LSM510 Z-series?
Preferably, this would be a Win95/98/NT solution with relatively
inexpensive software, that was fairly intuitive for computer novices...For
example, does anyone have a projection macro for the win version of NIH
image (ported to win by Scion)?
Thanks, Dave Gard
David L. Gard
Professor of Biology
University of Utah
257 S. 1400 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840
T: 801-581-7365
F: 801-581-4668
e: [log in to unmask]
http:/froglab.biology.utah.edu
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