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7
PAINTING TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES
37
this is a graphics tablet and therefore the possibility of using a tablet has been included. For this
purpose support for the WACOM UltraPad tablet has been programmed in, specifically with code
for the cordless pen and 4-button puck.
The tablet can be used in two ways. The first is an alternative input to control the screen
cursor. In this mode the pen or puck can be used as a simple alternative to using the computer
mouse and the benefit is that drawing with a pen is often more natural and easier to control for
detailed positioning. The user is still required to look at the screen to define the domain. To use
the system in this mode the sofware that comes with the tablet for the host machine is installed
as per the instructions and no modifications are required in MAPaint (in this mode,so far as the
program is concerned, user-events generated by the tablet are indistinguishable from that of the
computer mouse).
In the second mode of use, printed images of each section are generated and the user draws with
the tablet pen or puck directly on the sheet. The tablet coordinates generated by this action are
then converted directly to voxel coordinates and thereby to define the domain. For this mechanism
the tablet coordinates are read directly by MAPaint and converted using the coordinate mapping
defined by the tablet reference points set in the tool controls dialog. The tool controls points are
the coordinates in the reference image of two points that will be input from the tablet. Typically
these will correspond to some fiducial point printed with the image on the sheet but could also be
fiducial markers embedded with the embryo and stained to be visible.
6.1
Installing a WACOM tablet
MAPaint will automatically detect and initialise the tablet if it is switched on and connected to
serial port A. If it fails to find the tablet then error messages will appear on the command line
when an attempt is made to use the tablet option.
6.2
Generating Printed Views
6.3
Calibrating the Coordinate Mapping
7
Painting Techniques and Strategies
8
Conditions of Use
The program MAPaint is provided in binary form, freely for use by non-profit institutions. There
is no charge for the use of the software and no guarantee. The program is used entirely at the users
own risk and the author and Medical Research Council can not be held responsible for any harm,
real or perceived, arising from its use.
If versions are required for other Unix operating system versions or machine architectures please
contact the author and source code can be provided for that purpose provided all new versions can
similarly be made freely available.