annala@neuro.usc.edu.UUCP (07/01/88)
References: As part of the new neuroscience program at USC, we are starting to assemble the tools necessary to do three dimensional solids modeling of approximately 1500 nested internal anatomical structures of human, rabbit, and rat brains. We have some published atlases containing maps of these structures in a series of closely spaced cross sections in each of three orthogonal planes through these brains. We also have access to permanently mounted sections of actual brains corresponding to the information obtained from the published atlases. Ideally, we would input the coordinates for each structure in each plane of section and have a collection of software programs connect those coordinates into solid objects. Eventually, we would want to be able to examine three dimensional projections into a two dimensional color frame buffer of any set of internal objects to show their spatial relationships. The ability to highlight significant structures would be advantageous. The ability to do ray tracing, arbitrary surface textures, transparent (colored) objects, and various reflection models would also be useful. In addition, we would want to be able to do cut away diagrams of any sub collection of objects. Also, we would be interested in enhancing digital images of actual brain sections and reconstructing those sections using the published sections as an overlay. We currently have a SUN-III/160C-P8 color workstation in our lab. We have access to MOVIE.BYU on a CRAY-X/MP-48 and a ray tracing polygon rendering program that accepts MOVIE.BYU polygon files on our SUN computer. We also have access to BRLCAD on the SUN. We are considering purchase of Alpha_1 to assist in data capture on our SUN computer. If anyone is familiar with any additional low cost image processing software systems for image enhancement, three dimensional reconstruction from serial sections, and/or three dimensional solids modeling/volume rendering packages we would appreciate a direct electronic mail message to: annala%neuro.usc.edu@oberon.usc.edu Thanks for your kind assistance in helping me find appropriate software for our image processing and solids modeling project. Sincerely, A. J. Annala