Tracing contours

Procedure

1. Click Acquire>Outline ROI.
2. Outline the ROI by tracing a contour.
   1. Click to place a point, move the cursor to a new position then click again to draw a line segment between the two points. Continue to place points to trace the contour.
   • If the ROI is larger than the field of view, it is easiest to trace if Move>AutoMove is turned on.
   • If you make a mistake, press Ctrl-Z to erase the last points.
   • To change the color of a contour, click the cog icon to open Contour Settings.
     About tracing modes

     There are three tracing methods to trace contours and neuronal processes. To change the method while tracing, right-click and select a method from the right-click menu.

     • Simple click tracing: This is the default method. Click to place a point along an object, move the cursor to a new position then click again to draw a line segment between the two points. Continue to place points until the entire object has been traced.
     • Rubber line tracing: This method is similar to simple click tracing. As you move the cursor to a new position, a "rubber line" is drawn from the last point you placed to your current cursor position.
     • Continuous tracing: Trace by dragging the mouse.

     When you're done tracing an object, right-click and select an ending.

     To modify the tracing parameters, use the File>Preferences>Tracing panel.

   2. When you're done tracing, right-click and select Close contour to finish the contour of the ROI.

Focusing while tracing

Control the focus via the use of the joystick or the Page Up | Page Down keys on your keyboard.
When using a microscope with a built-in Z motor system, focus using the microscope's focus knobs and the focal depth changes are reported to .

Closed vs. open contours

You need to use a closed contour to obtain measurements of the area within the contour. An open contour can be used to measure the length of a curved line.

An open contour can later be closed or appended by editing.