On this tab you can specify which projection/rendering mode you want to use to display the 3D volume. There are 5 view modes available. Additionally, you have transparency settings for your displayed volume.

Rendering

Parameter

Description

Transparency

Activates the Transparency rendering mode where the structures in the image are rendered in a similar fashion as in the Volume mode. This render mode is particularly suitable for dense image data. The key difference is an applied edge enhancement filter to allow more focus on relevant structures within the data while simultaneously fading out homogenous and less important areas.

Volume

Activates the Volume mode where the structures in the image are rendered as three-dimensional objects and illuminated by means of a virtual light source. This allows a realistic and, in contrast to the maximum projection mode, a quantitative display of the volume.

Maximum

Activates the Maximum intensity projection mode where only the pixels with the highest intensity are displayed along the observation axis.

Surface

Activates the Surface mode where the program calculates solid surfaces ("isosurfaces") from the gray values, which emphasizes particularly flat structures (e.g. cell walls of plant cells).

Mixed

Activates a mixed mode which is a combination of transparency rendering and surface reconstruction mode. This means that even highly complex spatial relationships can be displayed convincingly.

Precise/Fast

Adjusts the level of detail of the 3D volume.

  • If you select Precise, all the information present in the image is used to achieve the best possible display. The calculation time can increase accordingly.
  • If you select Fast, the image data are significantly reduced before the calculation. The calculation is fast, but only a very coarse 3D display of the volume is achieved.

Background Color

Sets the background color for the 3D view by clicking on the color field and selecting the desired color.

Transparency

Parameter

Description

Channels

Selects the channel of a multichannel image for which you want to set the transparency.

Opacity Curve

Changes the opacity of the volume by manipulating the opacity transfer function. Changing the lower point of the curve changes and updates the Threshold. Changing the upper point of the curve changes and updates the Maximum value.

Threshold

Sets the lower threshold value in percent of the gray levels displayed. With this setting you specify the gray value range for the relevant channel that you want to be included in the rendered image.

Maximum

Sets the level of opacity (0-100 percent).