If you want to work with focus strategies, you have to use the Focus Strategy tool. There you can select the suitable strategy and adjust the corresponding settings, e.g. defining Z-positions manually or automatically, and update these during the experiment. Note that the availability of certain focus strategies depends on your system and available components (e.g. Definite Focus.2).

General Preparations

  1. To use focus strategies, you will need a motorized focus drive/Z-drive.
  2. You are in the Left Tool Area on the Acquisition tab.
  3. You have created a new experiment, defined at least one channel and adjusted the focus and exposure time.
  1. Activate the acquisition dimensions (e. g. Tiles, Time Series) you want to use for your experiment.
  2. Open the Focus Strategy tool.
  3. The available focus strategies are displayed in the drop-down list.
  4. The number of focus strategies available depends on the activated acquisition dimensions (e.g. tiles, time series), the available hardware devices (e.g. definite focus) present, and software license (e.g. Software Autofocus and Tiles & Positions module allow additional focus strategies).
  5. Decide which strategy is best suited to your experiment. In case of a Tiles experiment, the software will automatically select the most appropriate focus strategy if you have not previously selected one. For a detailed description of all strategies, read the chapter Focus Strategy Tool.
  1. You have successfully completed the general preparations. Now follow one of the following sets of instructions for specific focus strategies.