A convenient feature included in the DXM 1200 ACT-1 software package is the Setting File, which allows the user to pre-configure the software for a particular set of variables and conditions.

Image capture variables selected in the Photo and other settings panels can be collectively specified in a Setting File and stored in a unique location under a user-selected filename. This feature is convenient for automatically saving and organizing digital images captured with the DXM 1200 camera system. Additional specialized software configurations can also be stored in the Setting File, which catalogs the following information:

• Camera Sensitivity - Located in the ACT-1 software main window, the Sensitivity configuration panel contains a choice of Normal, High, and Max settings that control camera gain.

• Exposure Time - The Exposure Time control slider is positioned beneath the Sensitivity panel and contains a simulated LED readout that indicates the reciprocal of the exposure time chosen by the user.

• Exposure Mode and Image Size - Both the Exposure Mode and Image Size controls are located in the Photo settings panel. Access to this panel is through the tab index header on the settings panel window.

• File Format - Also located in the Photo settings panel, the File Format pull-down menu is utilized to select a storage format for digital images captured by the ACT-1 software.

• Auto Save - When the File Format menu is accessed in the Photo settings panel, the Auto Save checkbox can be turned on (by placing a check mark in the box) or off (removing the check mark). The Auto Save feature enables automatic storage of digital images to a pre-specified location on the computer's hard drive immediately upon acquisition.

• Live Image Display Area - The Live Window menu, located in the Live settings panel, allows the user to choose between the left (large) and right (small) image windows.

• Image Flipping and Rotation Angle - Also located in the Live settings panel, the Direction menu is used to flip the image and to choose a desired rotation angle (0 degrees, 90 degrees clockwise, 90 degrees counterclockwise, and 180 degrees).

• Focus Mark - The Live settings panel contains the Focus Mark menu, which is utilized to turn the mark on or off in the live image window. Placing a check mark in the checkbox turns the focus mark on and removing the check mark turns the feature off. Another checkbox, entitled Docking, will constrain the focus mark to the center of the exposure frame when checked.

• Time-Lapse Photomicrography - Access to the time-lapse feature is provided through the Timer settings panel, which is used to configure the Interval Time (time elapsed between image captures, Total Shots (number of images captured), and the Total Time (length of the experiment).

• Reduce Resolution - Located in the Option settings panel, the image resolution change menu can be turned on or off by check marking a checkbox with the mouse cursor. A pull-down menu allows the user to choose between image reduction sizes of 25, 50 and 75-percent.

• Auto Printing - Also located in the Option settings panel, the Auto Printing checkbox will enable automatic printing of digital images as they are captured.

• Auto Enhancement - Digital images captured by the ACT-1 software can be automatically enhanced with the Auto Enhancement feature, accessible through the Option settings panel. The user can choose between contrast, color levels, and sharpness modifications and can pre-select the degree of enhancement.

• Color Mode - Images can be captured in color, black & white, or as negatives (inverted) by selecting the appropriate radio button in the Color menu, located in the Option settings panel.

• Noise Reduction - The Noise Reduction software feature, which is only valid for exposures over 10 seconds in length, can be selected in the Option settings panel.

After all of the desired variables have been selected and the values set, a setting file can be created by accessing the Setting|Save choice in the software main menu (see Figure 1). First, click on the File selection in the menu bar, then select the Setting|Save option in the file menu command list. When this option is selected, the Save Setting File (a standard Windows save dialog box) menu appears. Select a location to save the setting file by accessing the local and network computer directory tree in the Save In pull-down menu. After choosing a storage location, type in the setting filename in the File Name text input box, and select a file format type in the Save As pull-down menu. Finally, click on the Save button to write the setting file to the computer hard drive. Note that all setting files have a *.DXM extension.

To load a previously saved setting file, click on the File selection in the software main menu bar, and select Setting|Load from the command list. A Load Setting File dialog box will appear to enable the user to select a specific setting file from the computer's directory tree. Click on the Look In pull-down menu and choose the drive and directory (folder) containing the setting file of interest. If more than one setting file is stored in the target location, choose the appropriate file by clicking to highlight, and then click the Open button. This series of actions will load the setting file and initialize the ACT-1 software to utilize the pre-selected camera system configuration information.