GC Image Users' Guide

Image Viewer

GC Image allows users to visualize, process, analyze, and report on GCxGC images with the ultimate goal of identifying and quantifying chemicals in sample solutions. This chapter provides an overview of the GC Image main interface. Subsequent chapters describe specific operations in more detail.

The main interface of GC Image is the Image Viewer, pictured in Figure 1. The Image Viewer has (from top to bottom):

the title bar, which displays the name of the image;
the menu bar, which provides menu access to operations, tools, settings, and help resources;
the tool bar, which provides buttons for commonly used operations and tools;
the palette, which provides buttons to control the cursor mode;
the Viewport, which displays the region-of-interest of the image with axes; and
the status bar, which displays the position of the cursor and the value of the pixel at the cursor location.

Figure 1: The Image Viewer has a title bar, menu bar, tool bar, palette, image display with axes, and status bar.

The Image Viewer has seven top-level menus.

File - Operations on files.
- Open Image - Open an image file in GC Image format.
- Save - Save the image to its file in GC Image format.
- Save As - Save the image to a specified file in GC Image format.
- Close - Close the image without saving to a file.
- Recent Images - Open an image from a list of recently used files.
- Import Image - Import an image from a file in a format other than GC Image format.
- Export Image - Export an image to a file in a format other than GC Image format.
- Save Blob Table - Save the table of blob peaks.
- Save Template - Save metadata of included blob peaks in a template.
- Import Graphics Table - Import graphics from a table.
- Export Graphics Table - Export graphics to a table.
- Print Image - Print the image.
- Exit - Exit the program.
Edit - Edit operations on the image and blob table.
- Edit Blobs - Edit detected blob(s).
- Cut Metadata - Cut metadata from the selected blob(s).
- Copy Metadata - Copy metadata from the selected blob(s).
- Paste Metadata - Paste metadata to the selected blob(s).
- Cycle Internal Standard - Cycle the internal standard of the selected blob.
- Find Blobs - Find and select blob(s).
- Filter Blobs - Select or deselect blobs according to blob characteristics.
View - Tools for image and data visualization.
- Colorize - Control colorization of the image.
- Resize - Resize the image for output or aspect ratio.
- Navigator - Control the region-of-interest (ROI) in the Viewport.
- Multi-Projections - Show one-dimensional slices and projections.
- Text View - Show a text view of data values.
- 3D View - Show a three-dimensional perspective view.
- Visualize Data - Visualize attributes of the image data.
- Visualize Blobs - Visualize attributes of the blobs.
- Blob Table - View the table of blob peaks.
Filter - Operations and filters on the image and blob table.
- Shift Phase - Shift the second-column phase of the image.
- Correct Baseline - Remove the baseline offset from the image.
- Undo Baseline Correction - Restore the original baseline.
- Arithmetic Operations - Perform arithmetic operations on pixels.
- Mask Pixels - Mask pixel values interior or exterior to a polygon.
- Detect Blobs - Detect blob peaks in the image.
- Match Template - Match a template to the image.
- Search Library - Search MS library to identify blobs
Configure - Customize settings.
- Configure Settings - Specify the settings for various operations, including:
  - Axes - Configure the axes units.
  - Baseline Correction - Configure the baseline correction algorithm.
  - Blob Detection - Configure the blob detection algorithm.
  - Blob Display - Configure the blob display settings.
  - Blob Statistics - Configure the blob statistics parameters.
  - Graphics Display - Configure the graphics display settings.
  - Library Lookup - Configure the mass spectrum library lookup settings.
  - Mass Spec - Configure the mass spectrum display settings.
  - Template Matching - Configure the template matching algorithm.
  - 3D View - Configure the three-dimensional view settings.
- Configure Blob Table - Specify the columns in the blob table.
Windows - Set the current window from a list of available windows.
Help - Help utilities.
- GC Image Users' Guide - Display the GC Image Users' Guide.
- About GC Image - Display version and license information.

The Image Viewer tool bar has buttons for some commonly used operations and tools. Each tool bar button has an identifying icon and a tool tip describing the action is displayed when the cursor lingers over a button.

File actions

Button Action

Import an image.

Open an image.

Close the image.

Save the image.

Print the image.

Edit actions

Button Action

Find blobs.

Edit blobs.

Cut blob metadata.

Copy blob metadata.

Paste blob metadata.

Cycle internal standard.

View actions

Button Action

Colorize.

Scale Viewport.

Show Navigator.

Show Multi-Projections.

Show text view.

Show 3D perspective.

Show blob table.

Filter actions

Button Action

Shift phase.

Correct baseline.

Mask pixels.

Perform arithmetic operations.

Detect blobs.

Match a template.

Search MS library.

System actions

Button Action

Show memory usage.

File actions
Button	Action
	Import an image.
	Open an image.
	Close the image.
	Save the image.
	Print the image.
Edit actions
Button	Action
	Find blobs.
	Edit blobs.
	Cut blob metadata.
	Copy blob metadata.
	Paste blob metadata.
	Cycle internal standard.
View actions
Button	Action
	Colorize.
	Scale Viewport.
	Show Navigator.
	Show Multi-Projections.
	Show text view.
	Show 3D perspective.
	Show blob table.
Filter actions
Button	Action
	Shift phase.
	Correct baseline.
	Mask pixels.
	Perform arithmetic operations.
	Detect blobs.
	Match a template.
	Search MS library.
System actions
Button	Action
	Show memory usage.

The Image Viewer palette has buttons to the cursor mode used in the Viewport. The palette buttons have identifying icons and a tool tip describing the action is displayed when the cursor lingers over a button.

Palette

Button Cursor Mode

View pixel.

Select graphic.

Draw rectangle.

Draw polygon.

Select blob(s) by point.

Select blob(s) by line.

Select blob(s) by rectangle.

Select blob(s) by polygon.

Draw blob.

Show point mass spectrum.

Show peak mass spectrum.

Show blob mass spectrum.

Delete object(s).

Palette
Button	Cursor Mode
	View pixel.
	Select graphic.
	Draw rectangle.
	Draw polygon.
	Select blob(s) by point.
	Select blob(s) by line.
	Select blob(s) by rectangle.
	Select blob(s) by polygon.
	Draw blob.
	Show point mass spectrum.
	Show peak mass spectrum.
	Show blob mass spectrum.
	Delete object(s).

Note: The following cursor mode sets are each selectable within a single button via pull-down menus.

Graphic modes: select graphic, draw rectangle, draw polygon.
Blob modes: select by point, select by line, select by rectangle, select by polygon, draw blob.
Mass spectrum modes: point, blob peak, blob sum.

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