NAME
	read BioRad PIC - Read a Bio-Rad confocal microscope image PIC
	file into a 3D field.

SUMMARY
	Name	read BioRad PIC
	Type	Input
	Inputs	NONE
	Outputs	image - 	field 3D 3-space 1-vector uniform byte

	Parameters
	Name		Type	Default	Choices
	BioRad PIC File	browser		File Type	Filename
	XY Pixel Size	dial	 1.00	 0.00	10.00
	Z Step Size	dial	 1.00	 0.00	10.00
	Header Information	textblock	Comment Char		Text

DESCRIPTION
	This module reads a Bio-Rad confocal microscope image PIC file
	from disc and outputs a 3D field uniform byte field.  The user can
	specify the pixel size in the xy-direction and the step size
	between slices in the z-direction.  These values are used to set
	the points coordinates and min/max extents associated with the
	field.  Header information from the file is also displayed.

	Only 8-bit, non-merged PIC files are read.  Notes and look-up tables
	that are sometimes appended to PIC files are ignored.

	Further information on the Bio-Rad PIC file format is available
	from Lance Ladic's 3D Confocal Microscopy page:

	http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/ladic/confocal.html

PARAMETERS

	BioRad PIC File (browser)
		A file browser that allows the user to specify the image
		file to be read.

	XY Pixel Size (dial)
		Selects the xy-pixel size (in microns) for the image.

	Z Step Size (dial)
		Selects the step size (in microns) between slices of the
		image in the z-direction.

	Header Information (textblock)
		A textblock that displays various header values from the file.

OUTPUTS

	image - field 3D 3-space 1-vector uniform byte
		The output is a 3D uniform field of bytes representing the
		voxel values in the image file.

		The coordinates of the voxels in the image range from [0, 0, 0]
		to [(nx - 1) * XY_Pixel_Size, (ny - 1) * XY_Pixel_Size,
		(nz - 1) * Z_Step_Size].  The points and min/max extents of the 
		field are set according to these coordinates.

EXAMPLE NETWORKS
	The following network reads a Bio-Rad PIC image file, takes a slice,
	and then colourizes and displays it: 

	                      read BioRad PIC
	                                  |
	generate colormap   orthogonal slicer
	              |                   |
	              -----------------   |
	                              |   |
	                            colorizer
	                                  |
	                        display image


RELATED MODULES
	write BioRad PIC

SEE ALSO
	http://www.cs.ubc.ca/spider/ladic/confocal.html

AUTHOR
	Chris Pudney (cpudney@alphapharm.pharm.uwa.edu.au)
	Biomedical Confocal Microscopy Research Centre
	Department of Pharmacology 
	The University of Western Australia
	Nedlands, Western AUSTRALIA, 6907.