Image SXM

What is Image SXM?

Image SXM is a version of the public domain image analysis software NIH Image that has been extended to handle the loading, display and analysis of scanning microscope images. Image SXM supports SAM, SCM, SEM, SFM, SLM, SNOM, SPM and STM images from the following systems:

Asylum Research MFP-3D
Burleigh Instruments
DI NanoScope II
DI NanoScope III
DI NanoScope IV
DME Rasterscope
DME Surface Data File
Gatan DigitalMicrograph
JEOL JSM
JEOL WinSem
JEOL WinSPM

JPK Instruments
Klocke Nanotechnik Atomikro
Leica LIF
Leica TCS
NanoMagnetics Instruments SPMSIF
Nanonics Imaging
Nanonis
Nanosurf easyScan
Nanotec Electronica WSxM
Noran Instruments Vantage

NT-MDT
Omicron Vakuumphysik
Omicron SCALA
Omicron Matrix
Oxford Instruments TOPSystem
Park Scientific Instruments HFS-LIF
Park Scientific Instruments HDF
Quesant Instruments
RHK Technology SPM-32
RHK Technology XPMPro

Seiko Instruments (SIINT) SPI
SPECS STM Aarhus
ThermoMicroscopes
TopoMetrix SPMLab
Unisoku
Vacuum Generators SAM
Veeco Innova
WA Technology TOPSystem
Zeiss AxioVision
Zeiss LSM

In addition, the following non-SXM file formats are also supported:

AVI
Bio-Rad
BMP
FITS

Hamamatsu Image Seq
Nikon NEF
Omicron SPA-LEED
PDSF

PDSS
Pentax PEF
SBIG CCD

SPEC
Targa TGA
Wyko OPD

If users would like to see more file formats supported, then I am open to suggestions.

The need for software that can be customised to handle scanning microscopy images has been outlined in an article that I have written for the Royal Microscopical Society, entitled Software For Scanning Microscopy. It describes software packages that are available and outlines some of the customised features of Image SXM.

How can I get hold of a copy?

Try one of the many download sites, such as:

What are the different versions?

Five versions of Image SXM exist, though all except the most recent two are essentially redundant:

U	Universal	For any 68K Mac from the LC upwards	( also suitable for some Mac emulators )
F	FPU	For 68K Macs that have a floating point unit	( Mac II, Quadra, ... )
P	PowerMac	PowerPC code for PowerMacs only	( also called the pre-Carbon version )
C	Carbon	Carbonised version of the PowerMac application	( for Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X )
X	Xcode	Intel version compiled using Xcode and GNU Pascal	( for Intel Macs only )

The current version is the Intel (X) version. If you want any of the older versions, go to the Installer archive page.
If your Mac is more than a few years old and it is not clear to you which version you need, click here.

Getting help and feedback

The SXM-related features are described by a set of on-line help pages that give a brief description of each of the new menu items and some guidance concerning the use of PC Exchange/File Exchange and FTP file transfer of image files (for those using a Mac to look at images produced by a PC or Unix workstation). Also, these new menus support Balloon Help or Help Tags. If the Help pages don't answer your question, try the FAQs page.

If you use Image SXM, then please use the 'User Feedback' form (in the Help menu) to feed back to me information about who you are, where you are, the SXM system that you use, and the Mac on which you run Image SXM. This feedback will help me in the development of future versions.

To keep up to date with news of the latest version of Image SXM, check the page ImageSXM.LatestNews once in a while.

For documentation on using Image SXM for specialist medical applications, see the MIASMA web page.

For documentation on using Image SXM for crystallographic orientation imaging, see the PrinCIPia web page.

I have recorded talks on the basics of image analysis and tutorials on using Image SXM.

If you have problems, or any comments or suggestions for new features that you would like to see in future versions of Image SXM, then please email me.

Steve Barrett December 2023

S.D.Barrett@liv.ac.uk

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