Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where can I download the latest version of MicroView?
The latest version of MicroView can be downloaded here.
Q. Where can I get source code for MicroView and instructions on how to build it?
The original source code for MicroView was maintained in cvs, then later, in git on Sourceforge. As of 2015, the sourceforge code was archived and development of Microview was moved to Github.
Q. Is MicroView available for macOS?
Yes. MicroView is supported on recent version of macOS for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures. Previous generations of MicroView ran on PPC hardware but with the release of 2.5.0+ PPC platforms are no longer supported.
Q. How can I automatically threshold a loaded image in MicroView?
MicroView can automatically select an optimal threshold value by examining a histogram of pixel values in a user defined region of interest. This value is useful as input to the isosurface, stereology, and volume rendering plugins. To automatically threshold an image, first select a region of interest, using either the ROI plugin or the 7/8 keys. Next, generate a histogram of the pixel values within this region of interest by hitting the g key. Finally, click on the Auto Threshold button on the histogram plot window to automatically determine an optimal threshold. MicroView's automatic thresholding is based upon the "Otsu" method.
Q. Why can't I export to DICOM format?
The image export feature gives a list of appropriate file formats,
depending on the image depth of the image you've loaded. If, for
instance, you have a 16-bit image, only DICOM format will be available.
For 8-bit images, different formats will be available, including jpeg,
png, gif, etc. To handle the export of 16-bit images to formats such as
jpeg, you need to first rescale the images to 8-bit. Under the Process
menu, select Image Downsample in order to convert your image from
16-bit to 8-bit, then select Image Export from the File menu.
Q. The Bone Analysis application reports "No BoneHU for image." -- What does this mean and how do I fix it?
MicroView originally was tightly bound to a number of preclinical CT scanners that generate images in
standardized Hounsfield Units. In addition, image headers contained a boneHU field which indicated the measured CT value for a hydroxyapatite mimicking phantom material, called SB3 (Gammex RMI, Middleton, WI), which helps MicroView to calibrate the conversion from Hounsfield units to mg/cm^3 of bone. The boneHU can be manually entered in the bone application by editing the value within MicroView's advanced dialog (Bone Analyis application Advanced Options BMD tab Bone ADU).
Q. How do I make movies in MicroView?
MicroView has a rudimentary movie making facility, which permits generation of movies. For more complex movie making, there are numerous screen capture applications that can export to e.g. AVI movies. One such utility is CamStudio.
Q. Where's the "Advanced ROI" tool?
This release of MicroView stems from the open-source origins posted on http://microview.sourceforge.net. The so-called "Advanced ROI" plugin was a customization provided by GE Healthcare. A replacement plugin with similar functionality is in the works (2014 Q3). As of Q3 2014, MicroView has a replacement plugin, called Advanced ROI Tool with much of the original functionality of the "Advanced ROI" tool.
advanced_bone_app
... What is the format of the ABA xml database format? The Advanced Bone Application xml database format specification is maintained as an xml Document Type Definition file (DTD). The database format specification can be found here.