Dent-A-View © V1.0

Service Pack 8.6 release notes

6 January, 1999

 

Copyright © 1997-1999 Digident Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

Contents:

 


 

Changes, Fixes and Enhancements in this Service Pack

·         See new features and fixes in Service Pack 8.6 here

Service pack 7 further improves and stabilizes Dent-A-View as follows:

These changes are described in detail below.

Revised opening images and opening windows of database and management of windows

The default size of opened image has been revised in order to improve view of the image. Images are now opened in smaller size.

The default position of opened images has been revised to allow better observation of simultaneously opened images. The image is opened in current row and is tiled with previous image. Command "Arrange images" was added to "Window" menu. This command orders images in rows; images of each row are tiled to default size. Now scanned images are opened in this order much faster. Placement of minimized images has been revised in order to simplify further access to them. Now minimized image has same top-right corner as restored. We added command "Close all images" in "Window" menu for fast closing of all images.

The default placement of "database windows" has been revised in order to leave more space for images. Now these windows are opened in cascaded order from bottom-left corner. Each "database window" is sized to low wide strip. When command "Arrange images" is applied, "database windows" are cascaded to default position. They are placed to top-most position relative to opened images, except active image.

Program workspace can now be dragged by scrollbar in a smart way. "Cascade" command in Window menu has been revised too. Now images are cascaded from top-left corner in current size and "database windows" are cascaded from bottom-left corner in current size. If size of any window exceeds workspace, this window would be decreased. All default sizes are normalized to workspace size.

Support for additional language: Norwegian and Spanish

 In addition to English, French, Russian and Italian Dent-A-View now supports Norwegian and Spanish. The required interface comes when you start up the corresponding flavor of Windows 95.

New feature – subset of patients

In this version we added new feature to database management – the subset of patients. Now dentist can create new subset of patients. This allows creating work profile, for example: "Hot list" or "Patients of the day". Using this feature is very simple: click right mouse button when above the root of patients tree. After that, select "Subset Manager" item. "Patient subset manager" dialog will appear. In top part of this dialog you will find list of subsets, in bottom-left part of dialog you will see list of all patients in database except patients in subset, in bottom-right part of the dialog you will see list of patients of selected subset. There are two buttons on top line of the dialog. They are used for creation of new subset or removing existing subset. At any moment, you can change default name and description of already created subset. For adding or deleting patients in subset very simple interface is used. In order to add/remove patient to/from subset just select it in appropriate list. After that do the operation by pressing a corresponding arrow.

For selecting existing subset from patient pane of database explorer you can use drop-down list box, located above the tree of patients. The database explorer always displays patients from the selected subset.

New feature – storing contrast and brightness settings

In this version we added new feature to Dent-A-View – persistent brightness and contrast. Now dentist can see the image after opening with contrast and brightness, stored during previous session. At any time brightness/contrast setting of the opened image can be saved by pressing "Save" button on adjust bar or by selecting corresponding item in menu: "Tools | Adjust | Save". If the image is being adjusted manually at the first time, the brightness/contrast settings will be saved automatically when the image will be closed. Brightness/contrast setting is reflected in thumbnail too.

This feature works only with images stored in new database format. If you want to apply this feature to old images, you would convert database to new format.

New feature - color interpretation scale

In this version we added new feature to Dent-A-View - color interpretation scale. The meaning of image adjustment is mapping of image row data to any visible scale. This mapping is done through any dependency. In Dent-A-View this dependency is marked on histogram in red color. There is interpretation scale on the left side of histogram. This scale contains output colors. In previous versions of Dent-A-View there was only gray scale. Now dentist can switch between several color scales. This is very simple: just double-click on color scale itself. You also can use program menu: "Tools | Adjust | Color interpretation". Here you will find four items: gray scale, two monotonic color scales and periodical sinusoidal color scale. Using of color scale with various adjustments enables a dentist to recognize some peculiar details of image in a most appropriate way.

New feature - color images

In this version we added new feature to Dent-A-View - working with color images. The previous versions of Dent-A-View worked with imported color images as with gray images. Now dentist can import color cosmetics images and see them in color. Not relevant features are disabled while working with color images. The visible quality of color images can be not considerable in screen mode 256 colors. For high quality of images you should work in High Color mode of screen.

Adaptive profile for working with imported images

When working with 8-bit images, previous versions Dent-A-View mapped those images to dynamic range of 12-bit and utilized 2 bytes per pixel in memory space. Because of this, images were opened slower and program utilized more memory when number of images were opened simultaneously. Now Dent-A-View has additional profile of working with 8-bit images. This allows Dent-A-View to work faster with 8-bit images. Profile of work is adapted to corresponding row image data. This new profile is also enabled to work with color images.

Now there is an additional way to reduce size of database: you can store 12-bit images in external temporary files with 8-bit range, for example TIFF-JPEG and after that to import them into database; after that original images may be deleted. In order to make this procedure efficient, you should convert database to new format. Additional recommendation: export images to TIFF format when doing this procedure, because TIFF files, exported from Dent-A-View contain all image and patient properties. See Additional explanation and reasons for implementing the new database format.

Improvements in using and functionality of adjust bar

Management of adjust bar has been revised in order to improve working with it. In previous version of Dent-A-View there was separate adjust bar for each opened image. This caused flashing of adjust bar when images were switched. Now only one permanent adjust bar exists in Dent-A-View. Its placement is stored automatically as any placement of any other toolbar. Now height of adjust bar in non-docked state is smaller. When no images are active, all features on adjust bar are disabled. Now there are menu items for each of the adjust bar items. These items can be found in "Tools | Adjust" menu. Also there is ToolTip and prompt for each of the adjust bar items. In order to show/hide adjust bar, go to program menu, select "View | Adjust bar…". Now meaning of scale at the left side of histogram is not only gray scale, but also color scale for interpretation. Dentist can switch between scales by double clicking on it. See New feature - color interpretation scale for further details.

Added conversion of database to new format

Now you can convert database from old format to new format. New database format was introduced in Service Pack 6. In order to convert database to new format, use item "Convert database…" in "File" menu. The "Convert the database to new format" dialog will appear. There you can select database to be converted. When database is selected, just push button "Convert". See Conversion of database to new format for further details.

Improvements in image folder behavior

In order to improve recognition of images by size, size of small image thumbnails was revised. Now pediatric images are smaller. Also thumbnail images are placed in folder in a more compact way.

Faster opening of scanned images

Because of using new image opening mode and number of internal improvements, images after scan are opened much faster now.

Improvements in interface of density coloring tool

Interface of density coloring tool has been changed in order to provide more intuitive and flexible work. Now you can change ranges of each density diapason by dragging new windowing cursor with left mouse button. This cursor becomes active only after density diapason was selected for corresponding color. The cursor appears in case of released mouse buttons only above client part of the program, above the dialog of this tool and above additional non-client space on maximized image. In order to reset density diapason, double-click on the button, with which it had been selected. Color fields on left side of the buttons work as button too.

Added CombiX© scanner to be used with Dent-A-View

In this version we added new type of scanner to be used with Dent-A-View. This scanner is capable of scanning both intra-oral and panoramic plates. Now, all scanners work via one scanner driver - ScanDent.dll. User's interface of the Scanner has been changed in order to provide uniformity.

Bug fixes

 


Conversion of database to new format

The main features of database conversion procedure to new format are:

How to…


Additional explanation and reasons for implementing the new database format

There were five main goals for introducing new database format:

Now Dent-A-View supports functionality for all these goals except goal four. We want to draw your attention to the last goal. Some profiles of use of new format with Dent-A-View follow from it:


Enhanced Web Site

We established a new technical support page in the Digident’s Web site (http://www.digident.co.il/). There you can find answers to some frequently asked questions, and other information we think is important for you.

We also placed a link in that page for mail feedback. Please use it to tell us about other information you would like to see there.


Open Problems