Setting up video sources in the ANY-maze Protocol: Part 2

Setting up a Montage Video Source

A montage video source is used when a single piece of apparatus requires two cameras to be fully viewed. The montage source joins together the images from two 'normal' video sources each of which is showing an image of just part of the apparatus. Therefore, before you create a montage source, you will need to have already created the two constituent image sources.

Use this page to set up the montage video source by simply selecting the two constituent video sources and then specifying how to join them together.?

As you would expect, when you join two images you create a new image which is the sum of their sizes - however, this may be a very large image. If this is a problem in your apparatus, then you may want to reduce the size of the images in the two video sources that you're joining

What you need to do

To add a montage video source to a protocol,

Click the?Add item button shown in the ribbon bar and select New Montage Video Source from the menu which appears.?

The New Montage Video Source option will be disabled until the protocol includes at least two normal video sources.?

Now,

1. Select the two video sources you want to join

You should use the two lists shown on the Montage video source's settings page titled Source 1 and Source 2 to choose the video sources which show the two halves of your apparatus.?

Details

If the two constituent sources are different sizes:

* If they're shown side-by-side, the height of the larger one will be reduced to the height of the smaller.

* If they're shown one on top of the other, the width of the larger one will be reduced to the width of the smaller.

You can't join two montage video sources together, nor can you join a normal video source to a montage source - however, we're planning to add this functionality in the future - please let us know if you'd find it useful.?

2. Choose how to join them?

You can choose to join the two images which make up a montage video source so they are shown side-by-side or one on top of the other. Simply select the appropriate options on the Montage video source's settings page (Image 2).?

Some common problems

• The orientation of the two images is such that they don't join correctly.

You may be able to fix this by flipping one, or both, of the constituent video sources. However, this may not work if the image needs to be rotated - in this case, you'll have to physically rotate the camera.?

• The images don't align correctly.?

You can fix this by altering the image area of one, or both, of the constituent video sources - see Selecting the area of a video picture which shows a piece of apparatus for details.

Have more questions about video sources?

Part 1 of this series might be of help: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/stoelting-europe_stoeltingeurope-neuroscience-research-activity-7051841377881452544-oWhH?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

You can also contact [email protected] for further assistance!