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Tools - Data Imaging
ORI "Forensic Droplets" for the quick examination of scientific images.
DROPLETS
Droplets are small "desktop" applications in Adobe Photoshop®,
that automatically process files dragged onto their icon. Droplets are created
by recording and saving sequences of steps in the Actions Palette. Each Droplet
can be copied to the desktop, to create a near seamless interface for quickly
examining the details of a scientific image in Photoshop while reading the
publication in the FULL TEXT (html) form in an Internet Browser.
USE: From within the Internet Browser, drag and drop the fully expanded
JPEG image over the icon of the saved Droplet, and the latter will open Photoshop
and complete a sequence of pre-recorded actions. If Photoshop is already running
in the background, 'runtime' will appear almost instantaneous (i.e., in the
absence of dialogue and setting options). However, ORI's Prototype Droplets
were created for educational purposes, with relevant dialogue and settings
features active, to permit user experimentation. After a Droplet has completed
its action, the steps can be reviewed by going to the History Palette and
"sliding" back and forth through the steps.
The user can create new droplets from the provided Actions.
FORENSIC DROPLETS (v. February 16, 2005)
Unzip the files below your computer's Desktop and then follow the directions above
1. Dark
or Light Area Discontinuities (W): This Droplet simply applies a histogram equalization, which may reveal
areas of erasure in dark areas, or areas of whitening in bright areas. The
process is most effective if the contrasting borders can be first cropped
from the image.
2. Visualize
Background (W): This Droplet enhances background by embossing (shadowing)
details. It also permits false coloring of the results.
3. Colorize
Shapes & Details (W): Forensic details in the fine structure surrounding
the features in question may be used to test whether two features are the
same. False coloring and sliding the Hue setting facilitates detection of
small differences in gray shades that would be otherwise imperceptible.
4. Solarize
Margins & Edges (W): This droplet uses a non-linear contrast adjust to
amplify differences in the midrange and the dark end of the histogram. The
option exists to also false colorize the results.
The following Droplet requires that Photoshop first be running:
5. Color Coded
Overlay (W): This Droplet overlays two images, and color codes each so
that individual features in the overlap can be linked back to their respective
image.
To use, drag and drop the first image into the Photoshop application. Next,
drag and drop the second image onto the icon of the Droplet, and the sequence
will proceed.
Features will appear RED, and overlapping background will appear CYAN. Features
unique to one or the other image will be WHITE or BLACK. A feature that is
common to both images will be RED and must have a uniform boundary. The image
can be resized and reoriented using "Free Transform" in the Edit Menu to test
alignment of the images.
NOTES: So far, the approach appears to work well on diverse image sources
(both gray scale and RGB), ranging those from figures in PubMed Central, the
"Full Text" form of On-Line Journals, the icons of free standing image files
(TIFF), scientific images from researchers' home pages, and even pictures
on eBay.
For an excellent test of the idea, try using the droplets on the scientific images that were manipulated
for illustrative purposes in Rossner and Yamada: "What's in a picture. . ."
J. Cell Biol. 66(1):11-15, 2004 at http://www.jcb.org/cgi/content/full/166/1/11
Having problems...read more.
Comments are Welcome: Simply email ORI
using "Forensic Droplets" in the subject line.
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