Calibration
Before calibrating the microscope, turn the grid display on. To do so, select on from
Options > XY Guide. By default, the grid is visible. Place the calibration scale on the stage
and focus your view. Make sure that the vertical axis of the grid is parallel to scale
divisions and capture an image. Double-click the image thumbnail to open it in a separate
window.
Click the corresponding icon on the toolbar to begin calibration. Using your mouse,
choose two points on the image (you have to know the actual distance between these two
points). Once you choose the second point, a dialog window will open, where you have to
enter the known distance in the Actual dimension field. The application will automatically
calculate the magnification of the image. Click OK to close the dialog window. The
calculated magnification will be displayed in the Magnification field.
Note: chosen points should form a horizontal line.
You can check calibration results by measuring the same distance with the Any Angle
Line tool. Click the measurements icon, choose the Any Angle Line tool and draw a
similar line on the image. If the measured distance is equal to the actual distance,
calibration has been successful.
Recalibration
The calibration process has to be repeated if the magnification or focus has been changed
during observations.
Click the corresponding icon on the toolbar again and select Reset picture magnification
from Reset magnification. Repeat the calibration process, as described above. Change
the magnification and capture a few images. Double-click one of the thumbnails to open
the resulting image in a preview window. Click the calibration icon on the toolbar and
select Set picture magnification from Set magnification. Enter the current magnification
in the dialog window that appears and click OK.
If you want to use the same magnification when capturing images in the future, click the
calibration icon on the toolbar and select Set capture magnification from Set
magnification.
Measurements
It is recommended to calibrate the system before proceeding with measurements.
Any Angle Line. Press and hold the left mouse button to start drawing a line.
Release the left mouse button to complete the line.
Continuous Line. Use this tool to draw a curve on the image and measure its length.
Radius Circle. Draw a straight line on the image. The application will automatically
calculate the radius, as well as circumference and area of the corresponding circle.
Diameter Circle. Draw a straight line on the image. The application will automatically
calculate the diameter, as well as circumference and area of the corresponding circle.
Three Points Angle. Place three points on the image with your mouse. The application
will automatically calculate the angle value.
Draw and text
PortableCaptureHD allows you to add drawings and textboxes to your images. Open an
image in a preview window and click the Pencil icon on the toolbar. Select one of the
tools from the drop-down menu and draw something on the image. By clicking the TT
icon on the toolbar, you can edit font type and color to be used in textboxes.
Working with the application for Mac OS users
Browse to the mac folder on the installation CD and copy PortableCaptureHD file to the
desktop. Use a USB cable to connect the microscope to your computer. Run the
PortableCaptureHD application by double-clicking its icon.
A magnified image of the observed specimen may be seen in the main window of the
application. From the Options menu, select Preview Size to set the image resolution.
Keep in mind that the preview window cannot be resized (standard resolution is
640x480). The image resolution is shown in the bottom left corner of the preview
window.
From the Options menu, select Date/Time to display or hide the date and time of capture
during preview.
Click the corresponding icon on the toolbar or select Photo from the Capture menu to
capture an image. An image thumbnail will appear on the right side of the main window.
Click the corresponding icon on the toolbar or select Video from the Capture menu to
start recording a video. A video thumbnail will appear on the right side of the main
window.
Note: during recording, the camcorder icon on the toolbar will turn red. Click the icon
again to stop recording.
Image and video thumbnails are displayed on the right side of the main window of the
application. Double-click an image thumbnail to open it in a separate preview window.
Editing images with PortableCaptureHD application is similar to working with other
applications in Mac OS.
From the main menu, select Quit PortableCaptureHD to exit the application.
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